Monday......Sunflower Progress Report

Here we go with another Monday

progress report on the Sunflower...

I am curve piecing my way 

along the top of the flower.

The blue background gets darker 

along the top edge...

This distant image gives you some perspective

of just how big this flower really is...

At this point all of the petals are stitched in place.

I am beginning the green leaves 

along the top left side...

5:00....I called it a day

Just a little corner left to piece.

Here's a look at real flowers

growing in the back yard this evening:

Dinner Plate Dahlias...

Always a favorite of mine...

Black Eyed Suzy

This little green fly loves the flowers...

The grape arbor in the back yard 

is putting on a show!

We know autumn has arrived when the 

grape leaves turn gorgeous shades of red...

I tasted a few of the grapes...

they are almost ready,

maybe another week or so.

We have 12 different varieties of table grapes

growing on the arbor...

Wishing you a colorful Autumn!

CLICK HERE to view all sunflower posts

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May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Monday......more Sunflower Progress

I spent the afternoon today

working on the sunflower quilt...

This is where I left off.....last Monday.

At this point, I am nearly done

filling in the dark brown center of the flower...

5:00.....I am calling it a day.

The rest will have to wait until next Monday.

Before I began stitching on the sunflower,

I spent the morning basting quilts:

Spray basting is my preference...

This quilt top has been sitting around 

for close to a year

waiting its turn to go....under the needle.

As long as I had the can of 505 Spray out,

I basted this hexagon quilt...

These are very large hexagons,

hand stitched together using the

English Paper Piecing method...

I added the striped red border to finish it off...

One more quilt

ready to go....under the needle.

I will machine quilt both of these

on my HandiQuilter Sweet 16

The Cowboy took me to Boise a couple

weeks ago to raft the river....

Here I am with our son, our river guide.

I am using Ann Shaw's pattern

CLICK HERE to view all sunflower posts

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Summer's End...

Our Bartlett Pear tree is giving

us a big harvest this year...

We collect a box full each morning...

2 canner loads to process each day...

14 jars of pears a day.

We will enjoy these over the winter months.

Our Gravenstein Apple tree has also kept us busy:

3 pies came out of the oven today.

I try and stitch whenever I get the chance:

I have been working on this curved piece

sunflower quilt this summer.

I have been finishing up tote bags

from all of the messy painted canvas

that was painted earlier in the year.

We made time this summer to attend the

Oregon State Fair:

The 6 horse hitch is always a favorite of ours!

These gentle giants are always a treat to see.

We also made time to visit our son and

raft the Boise river with him:

We took his raft...

he paddled his kayak.

Remember these little guys?

These were the two little orphan calves

we fed on bottles last summer...

This is the calf we brought home from the dairy

the day he was born.....OMG how cute!

Here are the orphan calves today:

They are nearly 18 months old...

You never see one....without the other.

We put the bulls in with the cows last May:

This is my favorite Shorthorn Bull.....Fernando.

The bulls are back to being a bachelor herd.

We are still enjoying our summer flowers:

Hydrangeas

Black Eyed Suzy

As you can see in this photo, out the back door...

it is super dry here in Western Oregon.

Sparky the rooster and his hens

are wishing you the best of the summer's end.

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Canvas Tote Bags.....Rivet Handles

I have decided to try attaching the handles

to my tote bags with

Double Cap Rivets

I have sewn handles by machine

and also hand stitched them to the bags.

I wasn't happy with either method.

The double cap rivet gives a clean finish

on both sides of the bag.

I have never done this before,

so I was a little nervous punching holes

into the first canvas bag:

It worked!

The rivets give a nice, clean look to the bag

and hold the leather handles on securely.

Close Up view of rivets

I am in love with double cap rivets!

Bag 1

Bag 1.....Lining

Bag 2

Bag 2.....Lining

Bag 3

You can see best on the white handles,

the rivets looks neat on the inside

of the bag:

Bag 3.....Lining

Messy Painted Tote Bags

with leather handles and...

Double Cap Rivets!

What's not to Love?

Double Cap Rivet Tutorial Video

I purchased my rivets on Amazon

CLICK HERE to view ALL of my bags

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi