Back Again

We are back from our week in Vermont!  The lake was as beautiful as always, and our weather was very good.  Some sketching and painting was accomplished about which I'll write more in a future entry, but I must say that both my brother and his wife are really good and can whip out watercolor work in a blink of an eye!  Swimming was especially fun this year as the lake was a bit warmer, and for the most part, calmer.  On our rambles, three of us managed to accumulate the usual combined total of hundreds of photos.  D spent hours combing the woods for both possible bonsai specimens (he is very careful about where and what he digs - no endangered species or private land) and kindling as we did have a few evenings in front of the fireplace.

 

Now that I'm back, I am full steam ahead on D's anniversary quilt (Tea in the Bonsai Garden) which I am trying to finish in time to hand it off this coming Sunday to Karen Gibbs for quilting.  The top is sewn together:

 

 

Here it is on our bed in a not very good photograph, but at least you can see some of the blocks you saw in isolation a month ago.  Right now it looks very busy to me, but that may be simply because it's new.  I hope.

 

Currently I am working on the borders which also have version of the blocks you see above.  It's taking a while because the border blocks all had to have the quarter inch black border sewn on all four sides as they are separated from each other.  Also, since half of those blocks are different sizes, the border for each of those has to be independently figured and cut.  Then they will be set in the actual border itself requiring more math.  Such fun! 

 

Anyway, it is wonderful to be home sewing, painting, writing, reading, chatting with friends, and generally back into our usual routine again feeling quite refreshed!