First block embroidered

This is the largest one, at 10" x 12", so I thought I'd knock it out first.  My Bernina 830 handled it like a dream... no threads to cut, no multi hooping, perfect tension, I love this machine!

I may have caused some earlier confusion on the fabrics when I posted my purse I made out these fabrics.  I nearly always buy Moda fabrics, and said they were Moda out of habit, when in fact the line is Rebel Roses by Henry Glass, sorry about that.  The yellow polkadot is also Henry Glass, from the Country Charm collection.  The solids are just Moda solids.

When I'm finished, I'll take the quilt outside to photograph it because my camera isn't picking up the colors very well inside.

This morning, I made a liar out of myself and tackled another outdoor project.  I thought I'd die of a heat stroke.

I've been meaning to mulch these two areas forever, because when I have to weed whack around them, it takes me over an hour, and my back muscles just about die from the effort.  Never again!  I'm not finished with the beds, but I won't ever have to weed whack them again.

First I whacked the grass down to bare earth... talk about a nasty job when it's 90 degrees outside with 90 percent humidity.  I knew I didn't have it in me to do this again!  Then I used the front end loader on the tractor to haul all the mulch over... and I used 75 percent of that huge pile we chipped up!

The mulch is a minimum of 8 inches deep, in some places it's about a foot.  I didn't want to put newspaper (I didn't have enough) or weed mat down, and it will settle anyway.  When it rots, it will make for some beautiful soil.

One bed is about a 15 foot diameter, and the other bed is about 15 feet wide and about 30 feet long.  Part of the reason I didn't want weed mat is because there are numerous flower bulbs in the soil here that the original owners planted.  I'm too lazy to try and find them all and dig them up and replant them.

And last but not least, our pathetic garden is finally starting to grow... a little.  We've picked a handful of strawberries, a handful of beans, a yellow squash, some chives, and that's it.  I expect it will be a couple of years before we have the soil perfect, and much of it rotted in the ground with all that rain last month.

Comments

[Jamie]

Lov'in the quilt! and the flower beds look great! I still have to mulch my beds, just haven't had it in me lately to get it done.

[The Quilt rat]

You are going to LOVE this quilt. It is just so adorable. Is it for some one special? Even though I do not have an embroidery machine with those capabilities I made it anyway. Come visit my blog and click on Five Little Monkeys if you'd like to see it.

[SewCalGal]

I love seeing quilts with machine embroidery. This is going to be a delightful quilt. Can't wait to see it when it is finished.

Thanks for sharing.

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

[Yvette]

I love what you did with that quilt! I guess my embroidery unit may have to come out of the box soon. LOL!

[CJ]

Thanks Jamie... Quilt Rat, your 5 Little Monkeys quilt is darling! I love what you did with it!

Yvette... you mean you haven't tried the embroidery module yet? Gasp!

[Karen]

CJ, I love your yard. Oh for land to work with...maybe when we retire...

Those monkeys are adorable. I remember seeing the magazine & now wish I had bought it. I could still buy the designs but the mag is no longer available. Wonder if I could make up a similar pattern...???

Karen in GA

[CJ]

Karen, I don't see why not, especially if you use EQ.

[Cathy]

That Monkey block is so adorable!!! I love the fabric that you are using with it. Can't wait to see more.
Cathy