Summer's Here - probably

High temperatures for the coming week are all in the low 80's, summer weather for sure in many places I've visited. Here in south Florida I guess we would consider it just the beginning. There are usually a week or two of nights later on when the low temps overnight will be in the low 80's. So far, I have been able to open windows on all sides of the house and run a couple of fans to be comfortable.

The fabric arrived today to make the repairs on the antique quilt - the purple and natural print to replace the pieces that disintegrated.  I am still debating about the binding. There are those who think I must replace with the same color rather than changing to a more modern green. The jury is still out. Feel free to cast a vote with reasons if you like.

Last night I was totally shocked to see this quartet ambling around the church parking lot.  I thought for sure that given the attempt to cross the road the last time I saw them that their reckless behavior would have gotten at least one of them in serious trouble.

                                           
                                      .
 I was becoming increasingly discouraged trying to make some new clothes that FIT, so I decided to make this bag.  It's from an Amy Butler pattern for an Overnight Bag and is being constructed with Amy Butler Midwest Modern fabrics. It's great to be able to sew accurately and smoothly with a sewing machine that has settings and power to accomplish the job without complaint.

Adding to my resume

                                                                                                                                                                                           

 A friend of mine brought me a new kind of project this week. This quilt was made by his grandmother and he was wondering what to do about the binding which is badly worn and with the 8 patches that have disappeared.

They all seem to be from the same piece of flour sack print. Trouble is that the print was mostly black with just a bit of white. My sister reminds me that black dyes usually have a metal component. I just remember that black in a quilt can really be a problem.

I'm thinking of replacing the pieces with a dark purple print if the Etsy shop I communicated with can find something for me.

There doesn't seem to be much other damage to the fabric in the Double Wedding Rings on the front and minimal staining on the back.  The batting has migrated badly throughout as the quilting is not dense. I've been searching on the Internet for information on repairing old quilts and have gotten some good information. So after this project I'll be able to add "simple quilt repair" to my resume.  


Today's Bird

This little fellow is called a cattle egret. When I first came to Florida there were some cattle ranches in the area and if you drove by the pastures you would see these birds in among and sitting upon the cattle. With urbanization in this area, you now see them in parking lots and on sidewalks looking into the bushes  trying to find the anoles that are common here.

Usually they are completely white, except in breeding season when the feathers on the top of the head and on the breast are a light peach color and the feathers on the back are a different texture that I'm finding difficult to describe