APPLIQUE PAINTBOX-I LOVE APPLIQUE

.IN WHICH OUR 43RD ANNIVERSARY IS CELEBRATED.

Our anniversary was a lovely day.  There were record warm temperatures of 77 degrees which at this time of the year can bode ill tidings.  A harsh winter storm to our north brought up gusty southern winds which blew so strongly picking up all the beautiful fallen leaves and swirling the up into the air in whirls.  The sky was a beautiful sunny blue.  For our anniversary dinner we went to a unique and lovely restaurant by the lake and and had a very sweet time.  

I have done some good work this week both in finishing all the appliqued triangles for Salty Sourmash (Sweet Surrender).  Juki came home better than ever and we worked on some free motion quilting.  My photography skills are improving as you will see and Microsoft (I guess) has downloaded a wonderful new photo finishing program into my laptop.  Who knows where it came from or how it got there but it is niiiicccee!! to work with.

Here are the five triangles I appliqued this week.  They are also the last so I have finished the applique on this quilt until I begin the border.

                                         

I added some flowers I designed in this last set of appliques.  I felt there were too many repeats of one particular flower motif.  I also changed the stem layout on a couple.  For the most part though, I have been faithful to the pattern.  I think it is a charmer with its whimsical flowers and twisty stems against the rigidity of triangular and diamond shapes which will also show up again in the border.  Next week I will work on the pieced diamonds.

Here  is the entire project so far:

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I am so happy to have Juki home again.  We have been practicing our FMQ and we feel we are really getting a handle on it.  I have been using a sketch book to draw out a new pattern over and over until I feel familiar with it.  Then I try out my skill on a practice piece.  If that goes well, I FMQ the pattern on my sampler.  Lately I have been following Lori Kennedy's sunflower sampler.  (http://theinboxjaunt.com/2016/10/25/sunflower-sampler-adding-petals/).   I am behind others in the group  because Juki was taking in the sun in San Diego for a while but here is what I have so far:

I am seeing so much improvement in our FMQ skills both in understanding how the motifs work and in translating them to thread and fabric.

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We had a goshawk in the back yard a couple days ago.  He landed in the leafless walnut tree, spent some time searching around, considered some squirrels (the birds made themselves scarce), and finally saw a small snake some distance away.  He majestically flew across the yard, radiating strength and grace, landing near our patio gathering up a small snake.  Here is a photo of said goshawk completing his meal.

Here are a couple more shots of this predator.

My camera is so cool!.. The goshawk was about 35 yards away all the way to the back of the yard.  These photos were at max telephoto.

Here is a photo of one of our beautiful fall trees:

And here is our outdoor cat Yoshi.  He may be a biter but he does the slow blink better than any I who has ever lived with me.

And lastly here a couple of other furry neighbors: 

These two photos as well as the goshawk photo were taken through the double pane, cat tv window which looks out over our back yard.  The texture of the bark and feathery tails of the squirrels is amazing.  That is some camera I have!

I have had some comments from followers who ask if I experienced culture shock when I moved from Berkeley to back to beyond rural Missouri.  I did and also we only knew each other for 2 weeks before we married.  Maybe I will tell that story next week.  In the meantime, I wish everyone a happy T-bird day!

I HOPE YOU CAN QUILT SOME THIS WEEK!

Pinning my work to:

 Slow Stitching Sundays, Bambi's Blog

 Patchwork Times,  Em's Scrapbag,

 Esther's Wow, Let's Bee Social,

 Free Motion by the River, Whoop Whoop,

 and Off the Wall Friday.