If my calculations are correct...

...this is little finish number 27 for this year. It has been over a week since my last post and this is about all I have to show for it. I went almost a whole week without touching my sewing machine.

 The quilting in the middle of this is just straight line, but I had fun in the borders.

Since the fabrics on the side borders differed from the top and bottom borders, I varied the stitching, too.
And I gave it a little more pizzazz with the deep red binding.
Anyone have a good idea for a name for this one?


Okay, I guess there was a little more stitching than this, but not much.
I found a few leftover bits that had escaped my notice previously, to make a couple more R/W/B bowl fillers.

And I used some leftover HSTs from the little quilt top in my last post to create a couple of baskets that may become bowl fillers or ornaments--I can't decide which. But all of these are ready to stuff and stitch closed. That is the sum total of my quilty content for this post.

I wanted to share my lilac obsession with you. The photo below shows the north side of my house with a row of 9 lilac bushes that have been blooming lately. When I have a window open on that side of the house the heavenly scent comes wafting in. I love it!

Yes, that is my dome home I am always mentioning. My sewing room faces those mountains in the background.

Sometimes I even think to go out and gather a bouquet to enjoy indoors. The darkest of the lilacs in this bouquet are from the row of five more bushes along our west fence line, which do not show in the photo.  That makes 14 lilac bushes--so far.

Beauty of Moscow Lilac

DD#2 and I are planning the purchase of a lovely pastel true pink lilac which I first saw when DD#1 lived in Moscow, ID. It was growing in the university botanical garden. I took this photo there. I think it has a soft, delicate look about it.

When my children were younger we loved the movie "Little Women" and my girls liked that the March family home had a name--Orchard House. So we named our dome Lilac House. I wonder if they remember that?

So if you stayed with me through the non-quilty content, there is something else I had calculated. Monday was the 5th anniversary of my blog, if I calculated correctly, and I wanted to celebrate all of the incredible friendships I have made through this curious place we call blogland. Pictured below is what I would like to share with someone as a token of my thanks to all of you.

I can't begin to express how much the friendships, comments, suggestions, teasing, inspiration, and whatever else have meant to me over these five years. You have enriched my life beyond measure!
Please don't publicize this. It is meant for those of you who are here with me on a regular basis, whether you comment or choose to lurk. But you lurkers will have to break out of your shell and comment this time if you want to be included. Come on, you can do it!

Leave a comment and MAKE SURE your email is attached to your profile or included in your comment, or you will not be included. (Google+ profiles seem to be especially prone NOT to have an email attached.) In your comment, tell me your favorite garden flower--or one of the top two or three, if you have a hard time narrowing it down. Lilacs, roses and iris probably make up my top three garden flowers.

I'm going to be lazy about this and say it will close when I choose to post again, which usually takes about a week. : )
Until then,
Janet O.

The giveaway is now closed.