Look Up--There is This............................

Need some motivation?  A spark of Creativity?  Tired of just sitting around moping about your life?
Look up--there is inspiration for our daily routine--

Do you like to write?  Maybe compose your thoughts and feelings?  Push your fingertips to work?

Here are  ways you can make the dream of being an author come true:

One online/app is Wattpad--a reading station plus a writing station.  Lots of fun stories here to read and enjoy!  Our daughter writes here in the fan fiction section.  You can find a variety of ideas that take you away from the daily rut of your life.

Another website is celacean
Cetacean is an online authoring tool that lets you brainstorm, outline, write, and revise your novel. With Cetacean you can track your progress, save checkpoints of your manuscript, and share them with beta readers and editors to get feedback and changes. Try it for free for as long as you like.

Import your existing manuscript

Cloud-based project storage

Idea board for notes, links, and images

Outline plot points

Pre-made outline templates

Drag & Drop chapters to organize

Character and Location profiles

Story event timeline

Collaborate with other writers

View editorial changes

Get feedback from beta-readers

Export to multiple document formats

Pat Myself On THe Back!

There are times you want to shout from the rooftop something you accomplished!

That was last week--did you hear my yell??  "Look At What I Did!"

I've been putting this off for some time--finally, got up my nerve--

got out backings and batting--placed the backing down, layer with batting

and quilt--ready for the needle--machine is ready; walking foot on and away

we go.............

 Of course, it's not perfect but it's quilted!  Did straight line
stitching, sewed on the binding--ready for hand stitching!
This was Fort Worth Fabric Studio's Valentine pattern--watch for their Autumn one upcoming

Above is my version of an orphan quilt top!  I found all these blocks just waiting to be pieced together--add a nice inner and outer border--ahhh, a charity quilt for someone.

I also quilted my window pane Christmas panel!  Perfect way to frame an oversized panel.

and it's ready for hand stitching the binding as well.

I feel accomplished!!

Here We Go........

Calico Patch is offering this free stitch along for the next six months!

From Temecula Quilt company

For basket cut:⁣

1 square, 3” x 3”⁣
4 squares, 2” x 2”⁣
⁣
For background cut:⁣
1 square, 3” x 3”⁣
1 square, 1-1/2” x 1-1/2”⁣
2 rectangles, 1-1/2” x 2-1/2”⁣
4 squares, 2” x 2”⁣
⁣
1. Using 2” squares make eight half square triangles. Square units to 1-1/2” You will have one of extra. ⁣
2. Using 3” squares make 2 half square triangles. Square one unit to 2-1/2” You will have one extra. ⁣
3. Use layout to assemble block. ⁣

 Quilty Girl is doing happy half square quilt along.   It doesn't
matter what size your half squares are--she has these two layouts now, and watch for others on her blog.  She is making these for
Quilt of Valor recipients.

 Quiltville blog has a new leader/ender challenge--

I like these projects!  There is a small box filled with the perfect size blocks

to begin this!  Sew at the lead for your regular block and end with this!

By the time, you have finished over the year--you'll have another quilt!!

Zucchini!!

This time of year the garden is overgrown with ZUCCHINI!  So many of those

green things coming on strong!  Zucchini here, zucchini there! 

 What to do with them?

Can't let them go to waste..............

Here are a few of my favorite recipes that handily use up those green cylinders---

For dinner tonight we are having Zoodle chicken casserole--

two ingredients needed--zoodles (you can buy them this way or we have a spiralizer) so make our own--well worth the price of the machine if you have lots of Z's to do.  We are using leftover chicken, jar of alfredo sauce and zoodles--oh yes, lots of cheese on top.

add zoodles to dish, add chicken bits, pour over alfredo sauce (we like Trader Joes' but you can make your own),  add cheese to top and bake till bubbly!  Yum! delish!

Our son likes to use red sauce and ground meat to his zoodles--it's just as good--always a use for leftover meat.  

 And how about desserts--which we're not doing much of now--but this chocolate zucchini cake is to die for--best part--no one knows it contains green stuff!

and there is my favorite--Z-apple pie!  This takes a little longer to prepare but Oh My Goodness--tastes just like an apple pie!    And here are a ton of other recipes you can utilize with that vegetable.  I just wish that all veggies were that verstible.

Sometime to Motivate Your Quilting Stitches!

Learning a new skill is always challenging--Even at any age! Therefore, I'm on a new adventure and this is right up my alley!

 

This sew along class is free! via you tube--you can stitch up this panel and

join in on the fun of learning how to machine quilt!

Do you have any idea how many machine quilting workshops/classes

I've taken?  Neither to I!  Never had much luck with my machine--so why

not try this one with Natalia Bonner!

These free you tube lessons, beginning September 1, 2020 will

feature the use of rulers--never thought of using rulers, did you?

So, here we go....

I'm stitching up the panel--each nine patch block measures 4" unfinished

block will measure 12" finished.  NIne patches are easy to piece!

Christmas in July

Yes, Christmas in July!!  Why not?!!  If your summers are hot and humid, this is a way to cool off with Christmas fabric and stitching.   Debby Kratovil Quilts is leading us off with Christmas and Hanukkah ideas.

Diadem is Etsy pattern.  She will offer free patterns as she adds to her blog.

making Jelly Snowflake mystery Quilt along is on my list--I'm not using

Christmas fabrics though as my Jelly roll is spring time fabrics--using what I've on hand is

my motto!

Here is the first blocks--each Tuesday throughout July you'll find a different

designer block

July/August Reads

I’m reading faster than I thought I would!  Added to my

Stack this past week—found four of these books on

PaperBackSwap 

Never know if the swap masters will have a book

You seek—so was quite pleased to find all these

Titles except “Keeper of Lost Things”

“Three Weeks to Say Good-bye” is a used library

Book, not what I like but it is clean and unmarked so

It could go back to swap when finished. 

"The Far Empty" by J. Todd Scott is a modern western set

in Texas Border Town (all of which I know well)

"The Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan--

He finds and keeps your lost items and now his treasures

are passed along to Laura, who is trying to find the owners of

these lost items.

"Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon--

was so happy to find this book as a swap!  Takes place in 1945

in Barcelona, Spain--a book in a book! 

"Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C J Box (known for his

Montana adventures) takes place in Denver--

"Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles--

Paulette takes little known events in history to tell

her magical tales of courageous women during the

Civil War

Guess I'm set for reading till September maybe!

What are you reading that is exciting, adventurous, mysterious,

comical, historic....?