Another CQ Attempt

I finally "bit the bullet" and agreed to try a Crazy Quilt swap at CQforNewbies. The only real requirement for the "Nuttin' But Newbies" swap was that the block include something with a birdhouse, and thanks to Kathy, I had the perfect charm and a wonderful piece of lace. I also had a block that I'd pieced a while back for practice and was the correct size, so how could I refuse? Here is what my unembellished block looked like. Hopefully it's OK!
Unembellished Block
I learned a lot on this block: that the "flower" yarn would pull through fabric easily, how to make a bee thanks to Bullions from A to Z, how to make Kathy's cool SRE daisies, and how to attach things using beads. It was a fun project and is now on its way to Lesa as my first CQ swap block. Perhaps if you double click, you can see the details better.
Off to Lesa

Life Out Back

Even though summer days are getting shorter as August heads toward September, lots of things are going on in our backyard. This little guy is a regular visitor to our bird feeder. He is so cute and so busy.
Nuthatch
We've had some interesting flowers blooming also. This is one of my favorites.
White Balloon Flower And this one which is out front.
Blue Balloon Flower
Even the black-eyed Susans finally have bloomed; I guess they've forgiven us for mowing them last year!
Rudbeckia
As always, the hydrangeas are beautiful. Each year I bring some inside to dry them so we can enjoy them all year long. These blooms have the faintest tinge of pink, testifying to the fact that they were once pink when originally planted. Our soil is so acid that they only stayed pink for one season.
Hydrangea Bush
And here's the latest shot of the midnight marauders. Lately, especially during the heat last week, we've had to put out water for the raccoons because otherwise they try to climb the water fountain and scatter the rocks everywhere. They are so cute but also noisy and sometimes very mean.
Double Trouble
We also have lots of marigolds, petunias, fushias and the like, but I especially like this one because it was my MIL's favorite. Each year when it blossoms it reminds me of her. Here it is as it unfolded. Isn't it fun the way certain plants bring back fond memories?
Pincushion Flower
I hope you enjoyed touring out back!

And Here's Noah!

This month's Noah's Ark BOM (see sidebar) has Noah himself plus friends. When I first saw this photo, my heart sank as it looks like the bottom edge is much bigger than the top.
August Noah's Ark BOM
Just now I checked the "real" piece and thankfully, the measurements are right on! The cat's a fun touch, I think.

Coastal Leftovers

While looking through our recent photos, I found these four from our last trip down the coasts of Oregon and California that never were posted. Since they're some of my favorites, I thought I'd add them today. (Double click to see better, especially the last one.)
A Great Hiding Spot
California isn't the only place that has big trees. This stump is in Oregon and is a cedar, not a redwood.
Reflections
When Dick took this pelican picture, he didn't realize that he was also catching their reflections, including that of a bird that's not even in the photo. It's a great shot, I think.
Munch, munch...
We've had a few deer in our neighborhood lately, but none were as large as these elk. I'm glad they weren't snacking in our yard!
Peek-a-boo!
And here's another critter that was entertaining us. We had so much fun on this trip that we're heading off again soon for a last fling before the end of summer.

Kathy's Magic Touch!

Yesterday the mail contained my CQ heart which had been visiting Kathy in Pennsylvania. She had worked her magic on it and returned it very quickly. What a fabulous job she did! Here's how my heart looked when she received it:
My Piecing and Stitching
And here's how Kathy added to it. Isn't it wonderful? I learned a lot from this exchange.Kathy's Additions

Yet Another Pair of Booties

A couple of Sundays ago I learned that one of my daughter's friends had a baby boy in July, so I went to my stash of unfinished booties and found a pair for Noah. All it took was sewing up the seams; now why didn't I do that earlier?

They were sent off today along with a copy of Good Night Gorilla, one of our favorite books to read with David. This pattern is one of my favorites for booties, and I love this yarn. Unfortunately this colorway has been discontinued, but I don't know why.

Tomorrow a few friends and I are off to the APNQ Quilt Show that's held here in Seattle every other year. This year for the first time it's at the Convention Center.....lots of beautiful work, I'm sure, and lots more vendors, or so I've heard. It should be a fun day.

Kathy's CQ Heart

Sometime last spring, Kathy and I decided to do a heart exchange where each of us would piece a heart, embellish half of it, and then exchange it for the other person to finish. After we stitched the remaining half, we'd return it home. Well, Kathy's heart arrived, along with some beautiful hand-dyed lace pieces and a couple of charms, while we were driving around California and Oregon. That was a very nice surprise, and I've already used the beautiful butterfly on Sophia's bonnet.
Kathy's Half-done Heart
Since I had taken my heart with me and had even worked on it in the evenings, I worked like crazy on hers and sent both of them, plus a few goodies, to her. Just the other day, she sent an email saying she'd received them and better yet, was happy with what I'd done to her heart. As other CQ bloggers have said, you really can learn a lot from studying another person's work! It will be fun to see what Kathy comes up with on my heart.
Kathy's Heart as Returned
To see the details better, you might want to double click on the photo.