100!

Wow, this is my 100th post. I meant to post something more interesting in honor of the occasion, but I'm afraid it will only be more Dear Jane blocks. So here we go. At least this batch means I'm only two blocks behind on my quilt-along.
This is A-13, Starlight Starbright. I really like the way it turned out, even if the inset seams did get a little wonky. It's fun to work with some blue fabric for a change, too-- there'll be so little of it in my interpretation of this quilt.This is B-1, Bachelor's Buttons, reverse applique. I like to think I'm getting a little better at this applique business. It certainly is easier to applique a circle than a teardrop.

Oh, and a little anecdote that has nothing to do with crafting: Wednesday night I was standing at my ironing board in our basement when I heard a buzzing noise, growing louder, in the bathroom. I found several yellow jackets buzzing around the windows and lights in the room, and then I opened the door to the bathroom and it was like a horror movie. At least two hundred yellow jackets were swarming behind the curtains of the window facing the back of the house, back lit by the setting sun. I was just waiting for them to come after me. There was nothing to do but close the bathroom door, call the exterminator and spend the rest of the evening upstairs. Yikes. But maybe I can blame my lack of posting on the wasps?

Weekend photo update

Birthday cake: coconut with lemon curd filling, coconut cream cheese frosting. Happy Birthday Brian! The easement: A long hike up. I love the contrast between the black tree trunks and telephone poles and the new spring green leaves and grass. We end up galloping up and down this cleared-out space, back and forth sometimes, when we foxhunt in this territory.

Three more

Three more Dear Jane blocks today. I think this is my favorite of the bunch. This is D-7, Meeting Place. I'm just such a sucker for the crazy batiks tamed by straight lines and natural fabric backgrounds!
D-3, Jason's Jacks. I'm enjoying these appliqued blocks now that the quilt-along has forced me to tackle them. I love this fabric for this block, too.
And the third is K-7, Rose of Sharing. This one was appliqued in four parts and then machine stitched together. I'm branching out a little more as far as fabric choice goes, too. These three blocks don't look too hot all together, but on my design sheet and on the wall they look just fine in context. Just one more block and I'll be caught up on the Dear Jane-along.

Keeping up with Jane

Four new Dear Jane blocks today. Some were easier than others. This is E8, Mama's Maze. All paper pieced, and lots of fun. They just come out so great this way. Also, I love this orange fabric.
B-2, Sweet Tater Pie. This is another one (see also: A-1) that is running in the opposite direction from the original. I still think it looks cool. This one started out as two pinwheel blocks, one appliqued on top of the other. This is the method that I wanted to use on the block below, but I thought I should try the curved piecing...
Which was kind of a mistake. This is B-3, Mirror Image, and it's my second try at the block. At this point, I say good enough. Fortunately, the brown fabric does a pretty good job of camouflaging the worst flaws.
And just to document them all, this is M-10, Simple Simon.

Bleeding heart

The bleeding heart is really going crazy this year. They must really enjoy their home under the holly trees in the back yard. This is one of five fronds of hearts, and the last frond whose blooms haven't fully opened or "broken" at the bottom. This little plant always amazes me.

... And Spring and the electric company

Last week Shari wrote about her scattered thoughts being like a grassy field scattered with cows. This week I feel the same way. Only my field of cow-thoughts feels stalked by the turkey vultures that always hang around during the spring calving season. Too much on my mind. Including this beautiful dark and wet spring and yes, the electric company. Sigh. I hope to be back later today with a big crafting update, as I have been busy, just not blogging.

Until then, I love how the forsythia above actually do coordinate with the electric company's yellow ID numbers on the springy-wet grey pole. Don't forsythia always seem to just explode in the spring from nothing? They get cut down so low and twiggy and then surprise! One day they're back full-force. So suddenly that this pair of plants always surprises the horses terribly, even though they go by this spot at least once a day. Just walking along, and then spook! What is that new thing?

And below, the view from atop.
Oh, and remember the new speed limit sign from last week? Looks like that may have been stolen from another location and put on the dirt road by a neighbor. What did that last, a week and a half? I guess people will go back to going at least 35. Again, le sigh.