A Tale of Two Yo-Yos

The Yo-yo story started a couple of years ago when Lori said she wanted to use her huge collection of fabric nickels and expressed interest in something to do with yo-yos. She is a sucker for handwork which I generally loathe.

I slipped some Clover Quick Yo-yo Makers into our regular order from the wholesaler. At the time I ordered the extra-large size (because making less is better right?) and of course the end product was larger than I had expected, requiring a larger than 5" square of  fabric. Strike one ...

Then there was a magazine, this one,  American Patchwork & Quilting, June 2011. I dropped heavy hints to no avail, even took the magazine to South Dakota on my summer trip, but there was no divine turquoise yo-yo lap quilt in my Christmas box. I can't find the magazine but seem to remember it is made by stitching the yo-yos onto 3" strips.
Last week I re-ordered and got the right size, large, which makes the traditional almost 2" yo-yo from a 4-1/2" square. Yay!

When the box arrived Lori was literally hovering. Since then I know she has made more than 200. I am impressed that the ugliest of fabric looks nice scrunched into a yo-yo.

The Yo-Yo Makers are fiendishly clever. A stupendously simple idea, you sandwich the fabric between the two plastic pieces of the template, trim around the edges and stitch in the holes. After popping out the template you pull on the thread to gather the fabric, knot, bury the thread and it is done. Quite amazing.

Lori wants to make a queen sized quilt.

She is going to make a plain white wholecloth quilt, quilt it and then stitch 'blocks' of yo-yos to make a medallion on top. I think she told me she would need a couple of thousand yo-yos.

The thought of that makes my mind spin wheelies and feel quite hysterical. I think I shall make a small pillow. Maybe.

The two yo-yos? Well obviously Lori (2000 of them!) and me because I am making them too.

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Lime Tree

Regular readers will know that the Lime Tree long arm quilting pantograph by Keryn Emerson is my current favorite. One of the many things I didn't know is that the Lime tree that inspired Keryn to make her pantograph not only grows all over North America, including in my town, but is called something completely different here from the rest of the English speaking world.

Let me introduce you to the Lime tree, (Tilia americana) is also known as a Linden or Basswood tree in the USA.

I discovered these trees on an evening walk when the most heady and familiar tropical perfume simply had to be tracked down. Boysie and I followed it upwind until we found where it was coming from.

On the corner of Depot and Elm Streets is the old County Highway Department building and judging from their height, around 60 years ago someone planted five Linden trees along the street frontages.

Click images to enlarge 

As you can see the tree is loaded with blossoms, the source of that heavenly jasmine-like fragrance that had me tracking like a hound dog.

Sadly the blooming period is brief and the flowers do not last more than a few hours in a vase.

See a close-up of the flower here.

This last picture is of the tiny berry like seeds which follow

the flowers. I have read that the tree does not grow easily from seed, commercial growers find it easier to propagate them from cuttings.

Do you have a Linden tree in your town?

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Boysie's Blue Cat

April: Our found kitty was been advertised in the local newspaper with no response.  I guess that means he is now ours. Money has been spent.

He has been neutered, wormed and vaccinated and his 'digestive' problems are over after completing a course of antibiotics. He is the most co-operative cat I have ever medicated.

Boysie was so happy to see him when we went to pick him up from the Veterinarian after his alterations! Kitty, not so overjoyed, he wanted to sleep.

Sometimes I wonder what is going on in that little dog's mind, he did search for the cat throughout the day.

Click images to enlarge 

Kitty Blue seems to be getting resigned to being an 'indoor cat' but he spends a lot of time gazing out the windows, that is when he is not eating or napping or wrestling with the dog.

What a difference a few months makes!

Blue is a real character. While he was always very friendly he has become affectionate. Unfortunately he asks for affection by rubbing his face on whatever portion of my anatomy is most convenient and then biting, not hard but hard enough to get my instant attention as he has sharp teeth. When I am awake I firmly discourage this. When I am sleeping he often gets to enjoy flying practice, but he bears no grudge.

Note who has all the toys in his bed!

Watching the two of them wrestle you would think the dog is killing the cat, to the contrary the cat regularly punctures the dog.

Blue is absolutely determined to get outside and succeeds too often for my peace of mind. The basement steps are off the side porch so sometimes I pretend to be taking Boysie out by the side door and close the kitchen door as soon as Blue goes through it before using the front door with the dog. Blue enjoys hanging out in the cool, dimly lit basement but no longer takes the bait unless Boysie actually has his leash on.

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Design Wall Monday

Click image to enlarge

This is yet another kit, this one purchased from Connecting Threads for $50. The pattern which came with the kit is called Fabric Dance. It will be throw sized, about 57" x 70" and uses 6-1/4 yards of Connecting Threads own line of very well priced and nice quality batiks.

At the top the ongoing Nana's Squares leaders and enders project, two more blocks have been added.

To see lots more design walls go to  Patchwork Times.

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French Reel

Technically this probably counts as a completed UFO, I bought the kit in October 2010.

I enjoyed making it, was being fussy about the backing and had trouble finding it, then it sat for a long time waiting for its turn on the long arm.

Here are the details:

• Fabric is from the French General line by Moda, kit sold by Hancocks of Paducah. I bought it on sale.
• Backing is a discontinued Marble Mate also by Moda. I had a yard of it and willingly paid through the nose for yardage for the back from an online shop which still had stock . I would call the color raspberry or cherry but I am sure that neither is its real name.
• Binding is bias cut 2-1/2" applied and meticulously hand finished by Lori who claims to enjoy the process. Bless her!

Click any image to enlarge

• Quilted in the Lime Tree pantograph pattern by Australian designer Keryn Emerson. We like her designs and own several of them. This is my current favorite.
• Finished size is 47" by 64". 
• It is my nap quilt and looks lovely as a coverlet on a twin bed.

Pictures were taken using my low tech (two large cuphooks, a section of 'found' aluminium channel and three wooden clothes pegs) quilt hanger off my front porch. The geranium peeking out the side is "Firecracker". The fact that Firecracker coordinates with the quilt is a happy accident.

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Design Wall Monday

I have the attention span of a flea these days. This simple project has been very soothing and I am enjoying it.

This is a controlled palette scrappy square in a square throw. It will finish to 58" x 76" including 2" borders.

Greens and blues only and 80% from stash, both mine and Lori's. The blocks are 6" finished and it is made from 2-1/2" strips.

As usual, my obsession is to make no two blocks alike, which is why I had to go buy a few FQ. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

The ugly blocks at the top are from a pattern called Nana's Squares and they are my current leaders and enders. Made mostly from fabric rescued from the trash box, which is why they are ugly. The block is pretty cool..

See lots of other quilters' design walls at Patchwork Times

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There Is An Alley Behind My House

Most blocks in this little town have an alley way that runs behind the houses for the length of the block.

Boysie and I like to walk the alleys. I prefer them to the sidewalks, and he is very busy sniffing all the interesting smells.

I love the look of these bright yellow metal chairs against the white paint. Very minimalist and almost Scandinavian.

Click any image to enlarge

A bit farther down the alley is a delightful playhouse, complete with tiny rain gutters on both sides. I think the child it was built for is probably long grown, but the planting of bright orange day-lilies and Sweet Williams are charming.



This person is ready for winter!
I find beauty in the meticulous way he has cut, split and stacked.

It looks engineered, and I admire it each time I pass.

I notice Boysie gets struttier when there are dogs confined behind their fences, almost like he is saying " I'm going for a walk and you're not!" but then, he is a terrier and they are sometimes a bit rude.


Just a few more steps and we will be back on the street.

Boysie is learning to "sit" at the intersections. I am sure he thinks it is perfectly pointless, but I insist. He sighs, and complies. It's the price a fella has to pay for a walk.

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