It is warmer here today, but still not like normal. We have had such a pleasant July this year. Pretty unheard of to have almost a week in a row of below normal temps in the middle of July! As far as I am concerned it can stay like this. I can handle highs in the low 80's LOL After today (lower 90's) it is supposed to be cool again all next week. How great is that!
Look what I won at Pat's blog! Thanks Pat, I just love it. I plan to make the Georgia Hoe Down for our bed as soon as I get a few other projects cleared out. It will probably be a winter project. I can see some magnificent quilting opportunities in those open spaces. (grin) 
I finished the crocheted pink baby afghan. It was fun to have a major change of pace. I may get some more yarn and start on another afghan. I have a place for the pink to go, but won't say anything till she is here. (grin) Won't hurt to have baby afghans on hand. Lots of babies being born this year in our family. I have 3 nephews and their wives who are expecting babies. Here is the pink all folded up on my cutting table. 
Here it is stretched out on the bed. I think it turned out pretty good. This is a simple pattern, but looks like it was much harder. The first picture is closer to the true color, yet I think it is a little brighter than even that one. 
I go in spurts. My poor sewing machine thinks that something has happened to me. I haven't even turned it on this week. For shame! I have been in a hand quilting mood. I told you I wouldn't be able to resist starting on one of those small quilts that I sandwiched earlier. I am still working on the Birds and Blooms applique, but this is what I have been working on for the past few nights. Laurie, here is Harbor Town. I have the center and one of the setting triangles quilted. I may put some more quilting in the center. So far I have quilted in the ditch around the stars and sailboats. Then quilted some waves in under the boats. I am just crosshatching the setting triangles. This one has been so much fun. (Wait a minute. I say that every time, don't I? LOL) 
Tomorrow is a day of play for us! It is our 32nd wedding anniversary. Where does the time go? Sure doesn't seem like it has been 32 years since we took our vows in the Methodist Church that Kevin grew up in. I was a lot skinnier then. LOL Not sure what we are doing, but Kevin said when he left for work today to not plan on getting much done tomorrow around here. We are heading to town. I must admit that I have not been to the city or Wal Mart for 4 weeks. Can you believe that? I have been getting groceries from a regular grocery store in a smaller town closer to us. By watching the sales, I have been able to get groceries pretty close to what it would cost me at Wal Mart. Not to dis WM, but I would lots rather help the little store keepers than them. I am still aggravated at them for their plans to take the fabric departments out. We still have one Wal Mart that has fabric, but they say that it will be gone when they remodel again. Our closest city has about 75,000 people, yet no quilt stores. We have Wal Mart, JoAnns and Hobby Lobby. I keep hoping someone will open up a quilt store. Surely there are more quilters than me in northwest Missouri. Must be, because I always have to wait in line at JoAnns and Wal Mart to have fabric cut. Now how did I manage to ramble off the topic of our anniversary to quilt stores. (eye roll) So, anyway, I think we will probably be eating out, going to Wal Mart (yep, need some things I can't get in smaller stores), Sams Club, Lowes, Porters and wherever else takes our fancy. It would not surprise me if my sweetie suggests taking me to JoAnns. I have been trying to avoid going there, because I just don't need anything right now. Need to use up what I have. But you know that I am weak! LOL If I ramble any more in this paragraph, you all are going to abandon me. LOL Everyone have a great day and wonderful weekend. Thanks for visiting.
I also did quite a bit of crocheting on the pink baby afghan. I have used a whole skein of yarn and about 1/2 of the second skein, so I am coming right along on it. As you can see, Callie had to inspect what I had laid out on the bed. It is after all her bed. LOL She just lets us use it.
I decided to make a wall quilt for my sister-in-law. She has had a really rough year. This is a Thimbleberries pattern called Birds and Blooms. Can you tell that I love Thimbleberries patterns? Here is the middle of it. 
It will have a bird, flowers, and berries appliqued all the way around this border then a border of half square triangles. I am fairly new to hand applique, so I have been trying different methods to see which one works best for me. This time, I drew the the design on the dull side of freezer paper, cut it out, ironed it onto the wrong side of the fabric, then cut out the fabric being careful to leave a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Then I used a Q-tip to put some starch around the seam allowance. I used my little bitty Clover mini-iron to iron all the seam allowances in. A little warning here. The rod on the mini-iron also gets very hot. Do not stick your index finger on it to get more leverage. It hurts! I had read that you can use Elmers washable school glue to hold applique down till you can stitch it. Since it only cost $1, I got some to try. I am just as clutsy with pins as I am the iron. I always hurt myself, so I decided the glue was worth a try. Here is the first section all prepped. I am really hoping I can take the little points out of the eggs and berries as I hand applique around them. I hope I get better with circles. They are hard. 
Nothing like square eggs. LOL I will let you know how this method works. I see in my picture that the leaf just barely shows up, so I will have to choose darker greens in the rest of it. So far I have had fun with this project. 