I am participating in the 350 blocks challenge by Prairie Moon again this year.  

July blocks made: 14

Total YTD:  409

2 bag blocks

12 flower blocks

High Uinta hiking - best week ever!

No sewing this week!  Why?  There was no electricity.  

My husband, myself, a nephew, and two of my husband's siblings hiked for four days in the Uinta's of Utah - around forty miles.  We took horses for support to pack our camp.  While I have spent most of my life doing horse packing trips - at least one per year for many years - I rarely have hiked.

Here are photos of the crew and the beautiful sights!

We hiked Kings Peak - the highest peak in the state at 13,528 ft elevation.  On the first day in, we talked to several hikers that said they didn't make it up because it was too hard.  I made it - yay!

Do you know the "Where's Waldo" books?  Well, we found him on Kings Peak.  My brother-in-law surprised us by changing his clothes on the way up.  He was quite a hit.  Everyone up there had to have a photo with Waldo.

There were several water crossings.  Only one of them involved taking off shoes and socks.  The others always had rocks we could step on.

We had to filter drinking water.

The camp food was so good!

The last four miles or so brought rain.  Here we are at our destination!!

Flower blocks done!

 I finished my big flower blocks.  Now to decide on arrangement and sashing fabric.  I am shopping from my stash for them.

I was so blessed last week when my tire broke off my car going down the interstate.  The ball joint broke.  It took me some focus to even be able to control the steering at 70 mph to get off the road.  Once I was off, I hit the breaks and nothing happened.  The damage also broke my break line.  Fortunately my tire got wedged  up under the frame and slowed me to a stop quickly enough.

Blessings:

1.  It didn't happen in the canyon on those turns and steep declines.

2.  My daughter and her family were in a vehicle on the very next exit and were able to retrieve me quickly off the side of the road.

3. My son-in-law who is a mechanic had it all fixed within a couple of days so I could return home.

4. Big O Tires are automatically insured for road hazard.  My tires were only 1 1/2 weeks old and they replaced the damaged one.  On a side note,  they really should have checked those ball joints while they were changing my tires which could have prevented the entire situation.

5.  The other cars on the interstate did not hit me nor did I hit them.

Been doing secret sewing.  Sorry I can't show you most of what I have done.

I can show you these three blocks though.  They are not my favorite fabrics - got them in a monthly subscription kit, but I think I will like the quilt ok when it is finished.  The blocks are super fun to make!  They are also large blocks - 16" finished.

To Do Tuesday and Churn Dash SAL

Chooky's Churn Dash SAL

Feeling pretty good about this one.  Twelve Churn Dash blocks are not only made, but four pillow covers are completely done and the quilt is quilted and almost bound.

To Do Tuesday: 

Last week's goals:

1.  Make 5 bags for the quilt retreat gifts ✔

2.  Make 7 pincushions  ✔

3. Make up one each of the "make n take" ideas I have decided on  ✔

4. Finish binding Christmas Quilt  ✔

5. Attach binding to Scrappy Bloom Quilt  ✔

6. Make binding for Windmill Quilt & attach it  ✔

7. Add hanging sleeve to Masterpiece and finish binding the last side / this is half done.  The sleeve is attached.

8.  Attach hanging sleeve to Windmill Quilt  ✔

9. Study Hebrew 15 minutes per day  ✔

10. Play with the windmill pattern I purchased in regards to how it will fit in with my Quilted Barns X

This week's goals:

1. Make 6 pincushions

2. Make 8 little pouches that are cut and ready to sew.

3. Complete 4 more bags - two green, two sweet n simple colors

They are cut.

4. Finish binding Churn Dash Houses

5. Finish binding Masterpiece - the side where I added a hanging sleeve.

6. Piece four units in a princess block

350 Blocks Challenge

   I am participating in the 350 blocks challenge by Prairie Moon again this year.  

June blocks made: 47

Total YTD:  395

9 Cherry Fizz Bloom Blocks

4 Hand Applique' Bird Branch Blocks

6 pieced border for Scrappy Folded Bloom Quilt

12 Churn Dash houses

2 house quilt backing

14 Bag blocks

Lists, organizing, cleaning, sewing, and of course QUILTS!

My adventures away from home last week inspired me in many ways.  I came home with an increased desire to clean my house, learn Hebrew, better organize my life, and to learn to cook in my instant pot.  At the recommendations of various family members, I added some new apps to my phone to assist me.

Tody

This is a house cleaning app.  You add the rooms in your house and a preset list of things to clean comes up.  You can also customize other cleaning tasks.  

This shows the items that are due or overdue for me to do.

Anylist

This list app does more than allow you to keep track of lists.  It also has recipes.  When you open a recipe it allows you to check items you need to buy and it automatically adds them to your shopping list.

I watched a youtube video on the app and learned that one lady keeps a list of what is in her freezer.  I think that is brilliant!

Dulingo

I have had a desire lately to learn Hebrew.  I know it is outrageous, but a desire nonetheless.  I set this app to study 15 minutes a day.  I am still learning to recognize the letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

Wordle New York Times

This is not an app but a simple game you can only play once a day with the free version.  You have 6 tries to guess the word of the day.

Book Club

I am involved in a community book club as well as a family book club, plus I try to read scriptures daily.  Well, I mostly listen to books.  Here is the latest:

I just finished this one for Book Club and really enjoyed it!  It is about opening a new book to see how your life would have been based on different decisions you made.

Our family (husband and married children) read this one in May.  I found it to be so accurate and so informative.  I can see loads of things I have done wrong or misunderstood in my marriage for years.  I recommend both you and your man read it and discuss it.

I am reading this one for health.  Because my mom has dementia, I have an interest in anything I can do to prevent it.  This book says insulin resistance is highly linked to this disease.  

My family is reading this one this month.  I have read it before and am enjoying it even more the second time.  It is a Utah pioneer story about the Hole in the Rock Expedition.  My family has been in this rough country in jeeps.  It is absolutely crazy what they did.

 Now for the quilting stuff...

Marie and I went shopping during my visit and I came home with the kits to make these two quilts.

It was fun buying Tula Pink fabrics.  They will look great in the pineapple quilt.

Here are some other quilts in the shop I snapped photos of.

My mom bought this satin, hand quilted, applique' quilt at a thrift store for $12.  Can you even believe someone gave this away?

Marie was making this one.  I just had to take a photo in case I need to make it too.  I should have enough Tula Pink fabric to make a second quilt and am auditioning this design.