Bordering on Insanity

Does canning season make anyone else crazy? Boxes and buckets and bushels of ripe produce needing immediate attention, but life doesn't have a "pause" button while we take care of it all. So this week while jams and sauces were put in jars and pies and frozen veggies were crowded into the freezer, all I have had time for in the sewing room is borders!
This was a sampler made from Cheri's blog. It is a little thing--the blocks are about 3 inches. I'd link you to the instructions, but all of the photos are gone from her posts for it. However, she is starting a new fall SAL on Monday, if you want to join in.

Then I got the border on my version of Pam Buda's Nabby's Dowry.

I think I am going to name this Mahana (aka The Eight Cow Wife). Kind of a reverse on the dowry theme in Pam's title, and plays along with the tropical feel of the fabrics I have used. It is from a 1960s movie called Johnny Lingo, that is iconic in Mormon culture. It was based on a short story that appeared in Woman's Day magazine way back when. You can read about it on Wikipedia here, or even find the 30 minute movie on Youtube.

These 4-patch blocks had been getting shuffled around my sewing room for years. I don't even recall when or why they were made, but a few weeks ago I sewed them into this little quilt and this week I bordered it, too--why not? I was on a roll! This one may need tea dying.









I put another round of borders on this little piece that I made from scraps of Old Glory Gatherings recently. I thought it looked okay when I was doing it, but when I saw the photo, I wasn't crazy about it. I was thinking of binding it with a blue stripe cut on bias. Maybe that will help it. Or maybe I will just have to take off that outer border and try again.

The final border project really is insane. As my last project for this year's SewCalGal FMQ Challenge, I am doing Patsy Thompson's border challenge. You have to make a piece that has 8-10 borders for practicing a variety of border designs. It has to be finished by the end of October, and so far all I have done is select fabrics. This is what is piled on my cutting table waiting for inspiration to strike. More batiks!

I will be on the other side of the country for 8 days of October, and probably recovering from that trip for a few more afterward. Something had better come to me soon.

There was a very slight dusting of snow on the mountaintops this week, but whenever I thought about getting a photo they were shrouded in clouds. I love the contrast of white topped mountains when there is still fall color dressing the slopes. There wasn't enough snow this time to provide much contrast. It looked more like someone had sprinkled a little baby powder over the peaks, but I'm sure that will change soon enough.
Until next time,
Janet O.