Today I finished the 4th triangle and then was able to take down the 2 tables and pack the fabric neatly away. Doesn't look like the same room. I put the 4 triangles on a piece of black fabric and took a picture outside in the sunroom. It is a little hard to see I think.

I also took pics of the individual triangles and the last one I pinned up the large allowances so you could get a better idea of the size. I have never left this large of a margin before but am so tired of running near the edges that I went way wide on this. It did give me an idea that I could try out stitches or colors of bead or thread on the margin piece before using them on the actual piece. They will be cut down to 1/4" when I am ready to assemble it. Probably 2 years from now.

I just saw the pinned triangle came up sideways and have no idea why. It was not like that on the desktop. Hope you can at least see the difference in the size of the triangle when finished.

Yesterday and today I spent in my sewing room as long as I could and I have 3 of the 4 triangles made. I hope to finish the other tomorrow then I can finally clean up this mess. I have fabric everywhere but you have to have it where you can see and grab it. It poured rain most of today. There were bad weather reports all last evening so I put the weather radio on and was awakened about 3-4 times through the night when something in our area was affected. Thank goodness nothing right around us except the heavy rain which we need. I had a fasting blood test at 10 so slept in until 9 and at 9.30 took off for the doctors. Just got up the 2 mile drive to the Hwy. and all hell broke loose. Rain so hard I could not see. Could not see the road markings, other cars, etc. I was terrified and finally arrived at the next stop light and pulled into a CVS parking lot and sat it out. I can't remember ever driving through rain that hard. When it settled down a bit I took off and went for my blood tests. The gal said she was surprised I came out in that. Thought I would cancel. I said I would have if it was that bad before I even left but glad I went and it is over with. It was so gloomy I did not take pics but when I finish the other tomorrow I will take pics of all 4.

Now I have to start thinking of embellishments and what I want to do. I spend more time thinking then doing. I will certainly use Jo from NZ's postcard book for some good stitch ideas. Handy little book to have near you when you stitch.

Happy Easter to all my family and friends.

Friday I mentioned the problems I had with my pink sashed quilt. It was stupidity on my part. The pink taffeta frayed very easy and was thin so I used interfacing on each border and that helped. Well once all the sashings were on the the quilt ready to be backed I decided to try putting interfacing over the whole thing as many people have suggested. Never did I think that I had already interfaced the sashing parts once. I merrily ironed on 3 pieces (couldn't find the 60" wide stuff) turned it over and almost fainted. The second interfacing made the fabric completely puckered on the front. It was awful. Then I thought the middle strips were the worst so I would try and remove very carefully the interfacing. Armed with little scissors I would hit it with the little ironing tool then pick at it and it removed 2 layers in some parts and only the last layer in some. Then I accidently cut into the taffeta strip. Just about 1/4" but enough to make me scream. I was ready to throw the whole thing out. I put it away and sat and had a cup of tea and calmed down. Later I looked and thought I can't take the whole thing apart as I have all the cording around, etc. Then I got the idea of cutting 2 new center strips and very carefully appliqueing them over the old. I caught the stitches just under the cording and you could not see that it was applied later.

Well once that was done then all the outer strips looked bad except the top which is covered in tatting. So I thought well I had better do the whole thing so cut 2 new side and 1 bottom strip. Sewed the bottom on the machine until it was shaped like a large U and fit exactly around the corners. Then I pinned it in place and appliqued it down again catching just under the cording. I am not even going to put an iron near this again. Am just going to back it and bind it. I took a few picks to show you what I did if you can understand it. I should have taken a couple of before so you could see how awful it looked but didn't think of it.

I had originally planned a deep bottom border but after decided to make it the same as the 2 sides with the top being wider for the tatting. You will see the original piece hanging below the new one as I haven't trimmed it off yet.

Am I having a nice weekend yet? Really once I had it pinned in place and saw it would work I felt better.

The strange part is that with the colors in this quilt I have no idea what I am going to do with it. No place to hang it. I may have to redecorate a room to go with it.

Hugs and again Happy Easter.

Today turned out to be an outside landscaping day for me. I had finished the front but still had moving and planting to do in the back around the new room. Sand is very easy to dig into except there seem to be roots everywhere. I bought stepping stones so I can get back to the hose turn on without having to wear gardening shoes. I was hoping to find some very pretty ones and went to a plant - art crafts type fair and found some that had been done with the broken china in pretty patterns but when I asked the price it was $30.00 each and I said thanks they are beautiful but I need about 7. Ended up at Lowes and paid 3.79 each. The plain fact is we would not see them unless we were to turn the water on and no one else is going to be around that side so I am happy with plain stones.

The boxwood shrubs I put in have taken well and the double knockout roses seem as if they have acclimated also. They are in the knockout family but with a larger rose but a more compact shrub. They said they will not get long and leggy - we will see.

I took some pics so you can see the curbing I mentioned having put in. I really like it and said why can't we do this up north. Hubby thought it would crack with the freezing. Probably so. We have used brick or flagstone at home wherever we have needed it and it has held up well except some little rodents tunnel under the front walk to the small verandah to get under the stoop. Next thing you see a brick sinking and I am calling someone to come and fix it. The first time he took a lot of brick off and it was like a little city down there with all kinds of tunnels. Amazing. We are not sure if they are moles, chipmunks or something called voles. I found a powder at Lowes and sprinkle that all around the edges of the walk but you have to keep doing it. It is a war - us against them. I am just afraid one day someone will come to the front door and down will go a brick and someone will have a sprained or worse broken ankle. What do people do that have brick driveways? If anyone has a solution I would like to hear it. I never know what pics are going to pop up first but I took one of the front (should have closed the garage door) one of the side front, one of the side, one of the roses on the right side and one on the left side.

Tomorrow I will have a story to tell you about my pink edged quilt if I haven't lost my mind trying to fix it.

Yesterday was our garden club's spring potluck luncheon. We have one in the spring and one at Christmas and the rest of the months we have speakers or field trips to all things garden related. We have been to some strange places in this area. Apopka, FL is about 15 minutes from here and is the fern growers for the country. There is every type of wholesale grower in this area. To get back to the garden club we meet the 1st Monday of the month at 10am except if it is a lunch or we have to travel. It is called Lakes & Hills Garden Club and is comprised of 6 circles. We are the original Founders Circle and have approx. 25 members. Each circle operates independently but we all get together for general meetings, lunches, etc. This way they can continue to have the meetings in each other's homes - very Southern and very nice. I also belong to the Arlington Hts. Il one and have for over 30 years. They meet at night at the library and I never make a meeting being gone all winter and really don't like going out at night by myself anymore. I still volunteer for the garden walk every July to be a hostess or sell tickets and get to see a lot of my old friends from when I did attend every meeting. If you have a garden club in your area, I recommend that you join. Gardeners are nice people and some are so knowledgeable and everyone is eager to share their plants plus you will meet some nice people who may remain friends for years like some of mine.

I am going to post the last 4 blocks of the butterfly quilt. The outside blocks look very large but remember that I cut the muslin 13" for my 10" squares - hence I will be cutting off when sewing 1 1/4" on each edge. when I fold that up under they look fine. There is a fairly large grey dupioni half circle that looks large but I do have a plan for it. I just have the 4 triangles to do and I think on them I will piece smaller and maybe just do stitching on them. Will see when I actually start.

It is very windy and cold today here in Florida. Was only in the 40's last night and tonight also then turning warmer. Who would expect that in April. I feel sorry for the Spring Break families. My 2 groups that were down had good weather and are back home and to school safely.

Today I finally took pics of the last 3 squares of the new quilt. 9 down and 3 to go plus the corner triangles around the butterfly. I am really not following the pattern as I thought I would. Idea was to follow and make it easier. Well I should have know better. First they have used a lot of very small pieces and I find it hard to embellish squares like that so I am just doing my own thing. Plus it really doesn't matter what month it is as I won't be putting that kind of stuff on it. Probably the only thing like it will be the butterfly in the middle which I hope to do on my embellishing machine and I do like the layout.

I did take a pic of the collar that I put on the one square. It is sheer with the white embr. plus it has colored rhinestone sparkles all over it. I hope the closeup pic of it shows them.

Work time around here this weekend. We or I have been re-landscaping around the back of the new room and already planted 12 boxwood bushes right across the back and put 3 double knockout roses in the one bed and have a larger one for the other end plus liriope grass in between. I still have some digging to do but except for tree roots it is all sand and fairly easy to dig. I put 12 bags of mulch around the front beds and bought 10 more today that I carted around to the back and will start laying that down

in the next few days. We also had curbing put around the front flower beds and the back beds to keep the mulch in and not all thru the grass. I had never seen the curbing up north but it is very popular down here., I will take some pics when I am finished and show you my handiwork.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of having friends over for the day and for lunch. All cq'ers. Carol Kramer from Claremont, FL and Joyce Boudreau who is from Nova Scotia, Canada but wintering in the Villages. Carol I have known for a few years but Joyce and I got together last winter after communicating on the internet then finding out how close we were to each other in the winter months. Willa was going to come if she could but work was very busy and she could not justify taking the time off. Willa and I went to our local quilt show a couple of weeks ago and are planning on getting together again one Sat. before I leave early May.

I only took 1 picture of the two gals but it turned out great. I will post it here so I know some of you will remember Carol from the John Campbell Folk School class that Martha Green taught a few years back.

I have 8 blocks done on my quilt but need hand sewing a few places then will take their pics and put them on. I believe I have only shown you the first 5.

I am trying to talk Carol into coming to Omaha and being my roomate. We were both their in 2007 and Carol had her hubby Woody with her as they were continuing on to the Dakotas if I remember right. He was the one who made and donated the beautiful hand carved bowl.