BEE---CAUSE--THAT'S WHY

TOOK THIS OF A GIANT SUNFLOWER IN MY FRONT YARD. THE BEE DIDN'T EVEN MIND THAT I WAS TAKING HIS PICTURE--HE WAS SO SPAZED OUT WITH ALL THE POLLEN. THE SPOTS ON THE RIGHT ARE SMALL BUGS OF SOME KIND.

Perfect Circles--

Small to tiny circles needed for applique--I am in hot pursuit of the best method to produce these. I have purchased two products--PERFECT CIRCLES by Karen Kay Buckley-- is the first to test. Inside the package are many sizes of heat resistant plastic circles with holes in the middle.

1. First step is to chose the appropriate size circle for your project.











2. Cut fabric circles twice the size of the circle you chose.

3. A Running Stitch around the edge of the circle is the next step.

4. Place your plastic template of choice in the center of the circle of fabric and draw up the thread tightening the fabric around the template.









5. To apply starch or Magic sizing to the circle, spray it into a container of your choice. It will foam up, but will liquify in a few moments. Use a 1/4 inch stencil brush or
a Q-tip to apply the starch to the circle bottom.

6. Press the circle dry. This just takes a few seconds. Use the thread still attached to pull it away from the iron if it sticks.













7. Pull a few stitches loose and take out the template. Pull the stitches back in place and repress into shape.















The finished product is nice. The "bumps" in the middle from where the fabric is bunched could be removed by being cut away. All in all, I was pleased with the product.
ALL THE WAY, KAREN KAY!!!

Quilting? I don't think so.......

HAD A GREAT BIRTHDAY! THANKS TO ALL MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS WHO CARED
ENOUGH TO CALL, SEND E-MAILS, AND SEND CARDS SNAIL MAIL.

Not much quilting going on at Fryer Ranch. Activity, changes in our way of life, recreation, and the usual work involved in day to day living have deterred me from my love of quilting. The above video is of my grandson, Caden as he graduated from preschool. He is second from the end and actually "hammed it up" more than I thought he would. If you will notice at the beginning of the video he balloons out his cheeks and acts a little strange. We thought he was going to throw up. Maybe nerves had gotten the best of him. He got Ok and continued on. We are still not sure what that was about.

Caden is participating in Ranch Rodeo. The kids form teams of four and compete in Goat tying, Goat Branding, and other fun activities. Each team has a name and as you can see, his team is the Lil' Rug Rats. Pops bought him a new horse so that he will be truly prepared (a gentle one that barely moves so that he won't get hurt).

More news from the Fryers is that Caden will have a baby brother or sister in January. This means that they will be almost exactly 6 years apart, just like my boys. Remarkable. kBa

T-ball has been, thus far, a wonderful experience for me. It is so histarical to watch these kids attemp to play a game they know nothing about. One little girl runs from home plate to first base by a semi-circle. Another won't run at all--no matter how much the parents and coaches urge her. One little boy playing second base was holding the runners as they came by him. Caden plays hind catcher and second base. Doesn't he look cute?

I quit my position at the museum, so I am freer to do what I want, but it is not working out so far. We had a Winkler family reunion at our home this weekend. Lots of work, but lots of things done that have needed to get done for awhile--and all at one time.

A Little Experiment! A Quilty Experiment

STILL working on my Ole Bag Swap quilt. I decided to include some machine embroidery in the block centers. I used batting with the intent to trim away the excess. After quilting I hope a trapunto effect will be the result. At least, I will get a little embroidery practise.

This is the back of the block before I trimmed the batting away.

This is the certer of the block after I trimmed the batting away. ---ON TO PUTTING THE QUILT TOGETHER. Oh--I am working on applique blocks for the edges. It's an "on point" setting, so the applique will be on the setting triangles. More later

Easy Trapunto----Maybe

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!

The last couple of years I have really gotten into improving my yard. Digging in the dirt and seeing the resulting green and flowering plants gives me great satisfaction. Last year was a record year as it rained almost everyday and the weather stayed remarkably cool for an unusually long time for Texas. I had a basket of pink Petunias last year. Well, guess what showed up this year? An annual flower--and growing from a most unusual place--from between the bricks in my patio steps. Ya know--sometime you can't grow anything even though you have beautiful pots, fertile soil and sunshine and rain. Then from stone--comes a sign of life from long ago. REMARKABLE!!