Better Late than Never

When preparing for quilt camp in late May, I wanted to bring some hand quilting but didn't want to bring a full size quilt.  I went through my WIPS and found these two quilts nearly completely quilted.  Why, I wondered, did I stop when I was so close to being done?  They were then put in a closet (you know, out of sight, out of mind).  It really only took a few hours to finish both of them.

 

This first quilt was a Jo Morton Little Women's Group quilt from 2006.  The hand applique and 95% of the hand quilting was complete when I rescued it from the closet. 

This next quilt was also hand appliqued and hand quilted.  It was probably 80% quilted when rescued.  Hopefully you can click to enlarge the pic to see that the background is closely stippled. 
This quilt was started in 2001.  It came from the book Once Upon a Season by Piece O' Cake Designs.  It was one of my earliest attempts at applique. Stay tuned for more "closet find" finishes in the future.  It's a great feeling to have them done.

On the home front, we had to replace my raised garden beds this year.  They weren't ready until June 1 and I was worried it was too late to plant (we have a very long growing season here in California).  Below are pictures taken June 1 and August 1.  It is unbelievable how much the garden has grown in 2 months.  I've already harvested more zucchini than we can freeze, eat and give away.  The tomatoes are just starting and the green beans are producing enough for dinner once a week (1 plant).  The eggplant and peppers have fruit starting as well.  We installed drip and the regular watering has made a huge difference.

June Update

Six months is a long time between blog posts.  I thought I might be able to blog and work, but that didn't work out.  Now that I'm retired, I should be able to devote time to this blog on a more regular basis.  The good thing is, no one reads it yet so I wasn't missed! 

I guess I'll start with a quilt I finished in February.  I was inspired by an antique quilt that Tim Latimer showed on his blog a few years ago.  I love the way this new quilt looks old and loved.  This is my favorite style of quilt to make - lots of scrappy vintage fabric. 

I am trying to finish up some UFOs before beginning a new quilt.  I keep flitting about from project to project.  Currently I am trying to machine quilt a small modern quilt I made several years ago.  I am primarily a hand quilter, but I've just got to get some tops quilted more quickly.  I took a Craftsy class called "Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot" by Jacquie Gering, and it has helped me a lot.  I still find machine quilting tedious, but I'm determined to keep at it until I get good enough that I don't hate everything I machine quilt.  So far it looks pretty good fine. 

The last time I posted it was December, and the yard looked okay, but June is a great time for garden pics.  Here is the tree I posted about last fall.  I love the pink and green foliage.