]I finished a bunch of tops lately- including the pineapple quilt! I had strips left over so made a back with them. Everything for this quilt was from my stash, including the quilt border and the yellow fabric used for the back! It's such a wonderful quilt, like Gyleen's but different,

Kathy

Thanks, Nancy and Lois! Nancy, I'm pretty sure the roses are going into my quilt now... I was just building more 'muscle memory' a few minutes ago and I'm truly enjoying it! Maybe this quilting stuff isn't too scary after all...

Renata - I'm glad you're safe and weren't too affected by the storms! How terrible! And I hope the neighbor's tree doesn't fall!

I'm glad you got a chance to try the rose. Those flowers really are a lot easier than they look! The funky version was one of the first FMQ designs I learned and, after I stepped back when the flower was finished and realized that it looked good with all different pedal sizes, I fell in love with them! But I've only had one project where they were appropriate so far. If the roses don't make it into this project, then they are now in your arsenal if you ever need them in the future.

I'm really excited to see how your quilt finishes up! I think the bright binding will be great.

Nancy

All those storms passed to the south of me. Hope you all weathered last nights storms safely and with no more power outages. Been busy catching up with tons of yard work after having visiting the Nevada desert. Central PA is hotter than the Nevada desert and it seems as though my air conditioning is deciding to give up the ghost. Lucky me, the sewing room isn't on the central system and has a window unit. I may be forced to quilt in spite of all the other work that's on my agenda. I did get UFO sandwiched and layered the other day. Take care everyone!

This weather has been pretty unpredictable and fierce and has affected people globally. Here, the death toll has doubled today to four, still a million people are without power in the region and we are expecting one more large thunderstorm this evening but I don't believe it will be of the same magnitude as last night's. By midnight, it should all be past us. We had a few large trees down in our neighborhood, no injuries--we were pretty lucky. Our hope is that our neighbor's large birch tree does not come crashing through my sewing room window which is almost floor to ceiling. It started leaning a little more precariously than before last night... it towers above the houses by quite a bit. Yes, central air conditioning that is working is a great thing so we did stay cool. This morning at 7 am I went to the grocery store while the temperature was still in the 70s

This hot weather has given me the opportunity to stay indoors playing with quilting patterns and because I always like a challenge and I really feared Maggie's Roses that Nancy had suggested, I pulled out a quilt sandwich and after tracing the pattern several times on paper, I realized that Nancy was right: it was actually fun and it wasn't so hard to do if I'm willing to live with a bit of imperfection! Since the pineapple pattern is so scrappy, no one will really pay attention if my rose petals are not perfectly rounded! So, that one is back on my list of possible designs. Who would have thunk! Marilyn was also right about a bright red binding--I'm toying with a bright red and a magenta one--the magenta seems to play well with the pink centers, although the bright red one fits in with the overall colors. So I will let that one simmer for a while. I promise to post this one when finished!

Thanks to everyone who commented--you really help me expand my horizons and it's just fun to hang out with you all!

These weather conditions are really extraordinary aren't they? Glad you weathered that storm Renata. Hope there wasn't more of the same today. Those kind of temperatures are unbelievable - I don't know how you stand it. I guess you stay indoors with the air conditioning on?

By the way, don't forget to post a photo of your beautiful quilt in the Trash to Treasure show and tell area.

Wow! That is intense weather!

Your quilt is an inspiration.

BTW...The High Park Fire in Northern Colorado is expected to have 100% containment today. That will free up resources to fight the other fires. I'm looking for any signs of hope. We have had an interesting variety of wildlife come into town. We even had a MOOSE!

I am enjoying the company of my daughter-in-law and my GRANDDAUGHTER! Next week, our son flies in. A couple of days after they leave, Quilt Colorado will begin...I am a bit distracted these days. My pineapple blocks and strips have been moved to a couple of large totes. Since my sewing room doubles as a guest room, the quilt blocks won't get touched for awhile.

Diane
Renata wrote:

Heard of this storm on early news...hoping it passes quickly !! I am ever grateful to live here in central Idaho !

Thank you, Lorna and Diane! I'm adjusting to the borders and starting to like the black one (it's an RJR Halloween fabric with white stars on a black background).

As for the pot of gold... I thought there would be a rainbow this morning but there was nothing but trees down everywhere in Fairfax County and beyond, two fatalities and 1.5 million power outages in the region, to include 450,000 in our area which will probably persist for a couple of days after a killer thunderstorm raged through our area as a huge "wall" of persistent disastrous weather moved in from Ohio with up to 80 mile an hour winds (hurricane strength), and a light show of continuous thunder for over an hour (I heard we had over a thousand lightning strikes pound the area). The sky around us was continuously lit by lightning--there were moments that it looked like daylight and I could see the house next to me clearly at 10:30 pm! Power to our house flickered and went out a couple of times, but came right back (our power lines are underground). We had 104 degree weather going into this storm with a heat index of 110 degrees and there is more coming today (both heat and thunderstorms, but not of this magnitude). I feel sad for all those people who will have to bear this heat without power and air conditioning. In an hour, it was over. The damage to the area is now being assessed in daylight and I'm sure we'll hear more. This was nothing like the raging fires in Colorado, but definitely amazing to witness.

I like your border choices. They work well with your quilt fabrics. I am going to have an "interesting" time picking border fabrics. My blocks are very scrappy, although each center is black. I have my blocks pushed aside for now. Gardening and other projects are taking priority.
Renata wrote:

Sad to say there are no female leprechauns. How the males are born is a mystery. Unless they are the unfortunate progeny of a Bean Sidhe (Banshee) and a mortal who falls for her unearthly charms. The funny thing is that the native Wicklow people (I am from Dublin) are very tiny and stocky - well under 5ft. I am 5' 7" and there are times, when I am in the supermarket for instance, where I feel like I am in the land of the little people. Whereas in Kerry it is like being in the land of the giants. A lot of the women here are taller than me. So anyway, no pot of gold here. Anyway, the pot of gold is always at the bottom of a rainbow - still looking

Renata wrote:

Renata, That's beautiful! It is amazing how the border pulled it all together. It does look like a rose garden!

Lorna

Well.....are there female leprechauns? Don't know my folklore well enough..Humm? : I'll be interested
to see what you find in the stash. Other bright colors might do nicely, too. Now about that gold.....

Reetzbobeetz wrote:
Birichino is exactly what a leprechaun is! Wait... if a leprechaun is birichino and Rita is birichina, does that make Rita a leprechaun? Hmmmm.... Anyway, Marilyn, I think your idea is brilliant! I was planning a boring black binding, but I like your idea so I will see what comes closest to a leprechaun red for a binding and see if I can make it work... perfect in Rita's Rose Garden... under which block is she hiding that pot of gold?