What I did on my Spring Break...

**Warning: picture heavy post.**

 

On my Spring Break I did...nothin' much. : ) 

 

Much like Maxie, I lazed around in warm spots much of the time. Here she is "babysiting" our newest acquisitions.

 

 

 Maxie has to prove that she's good babysitter and hasn't eaten her charges... "See, Mom, no chicks!"

Meanwhile, inside the box... Here is what Maxie was keeping safe. A few babies to keep the flock from getting inbred. That warming light you see is the reason the cats are taking turns sleeping on top of the box. Warm bellies!

And outside, in the yard, spring was attempting to emerge. The chickens, meanwhile, have been eating every sign of green they see!

The Golden Wyandotte below was almost killed by dogs last fall. You can barely see the injury anymore. There is just the slightest indention behind her head where her feathers will never regrow. That's one strong hen!

 

 And in the garden, the daffodils were beginning to bloom...

 

While in the house, the kitties were beginning to stalk...daffodils, of course!

 

The fields were turning green - at least the areas without chickens or cows!

 

The trees were beginning to get fuzzy looking, budding up for spring...

 

The calves were frolicking...at least those who had their land legs, which the littlest one below didn't yet. This was as close as Mama Cow was willing to let me get. When a mother cow growls, I listen.   : 0

The dogs had plenty to smell on our walks...

Even the spring got into the St. Patrick's Day spirit!

(Another random pasture shot.)

Inside the house, I was attempting to prep a backing for a baby quilt. No luck. A warm ironing board was too much for Sinnie to resist.

So I switched to another stack of projects - three quilts to be bound topped by a stack of fabrics for one of my many UFOs. My goodness, Sinbad sure can move quickly! No luck there either.

 

Fine. I'll just work on my latest Stashbuster quilt pattern. Yes, I know I'm supposed to be working on UFOs, but I refer you back to the previous two photos. : )

 

This Stashbuster pattern is due the first Thursday in April. I don't always make the patterns, but I liked this one.

 

 Each block is 8" finished and I made two at a time. Using 21 fat quarters, I made light-in-the-middle and dark-in-the-middle blocks.

I misread the directions and made 42 blocks instead of 48. I wanted it larger anyway, so instead of getting three more sets of fat quarters to make 48 blocks, I just remixed the remains of the day and came up with different combos to make 20 more blocks and get the quilt to a larger size.

Then it was time to plan a border. I like fancy borders, but the inside of this quilt is already busy. So I decided on a simple wide border instead. I was trying to test drive a small black inside border, but was having trouble with the "help." It's amazing how Maxie is so silky and shiny that she actually has blue highlights in photos. : )

 

Despite the help, I finally got the two borders finished. The photo below better represents the actual colors of the quilt. Unfortunately, it's still only a large throw in size. It'll have to be used on a couch instead of a bed, although it might fit a twin.  

And finally, my "Rest of the Story" photo. Here's a cute picture of Ladybug eating her breakfast on the outside ledge of the bathroom window.

And here's what's really going on... Maxie, who hates Ladybug with a passion, sits inside the window every morning and tries to intimidate her mortal enemy into forgoing food. Keep trying, Maxie. Ladybug hasn't seemed too impressed by your efforts yet.

Well, I've watched the sun set on my last free day. I still have the weekend ahead, but I always have weekends off anyway, so it doesn't really count. Spring Break is over. : (

I completed the Stashbuster quilt and backing (currently all at Mom's house for quilting), made a backing for a UFO children's quilt, sewed binding together for two quilts (both currently being slept on by Maxie so that I can't sew the bindings on), and started a new quilt. Oh, I didn't tell you about that one, huh? Must be because I still have about 30 UFO's I'm supposed to be working on. This one is not on my To Do List, but it should have been. It's a kit that I bought in 2008. It's the only kit I have ever bought, but I loved both the pattern and the fabrics. I finally started it tonight. Here's my first block. Pretty, isn't it. After five years, it's good to get started on this.

 

 

 

My goodness, it's my bed time (and I have a migraine), so I'm toddling off to join my kitties in slumber. Night all.

Debbi