the final quilt block

for the baby quilt is finished!!

so I was all ready to just start whacking up the yellow fabric, stripping this thing together

not so fast there

the pieces wouldn't ACTUALLY fit the way the "fantasy map" I had been working on looked like they would fit

see that word "FANTASY" -- heh, right

so yesterday I pulled out the graph paper and carefully measured the ACTUAL size of each and every block and cut out all the little pieces from one sheet of graph paper then rearranged them on a second sheet (actually two sheets taped together) and figured out a new map

this "fantasy" map then is the way these will really fit -- so today I can start cutting the 2 1/2 inch strips with the occasional 3x3 inch square, etc., and start putting the whole top together

yup, I may get this all ready by Tuesday morning

the second of the navy blue mittens is all finished

we are now 75% through the mitten knittin'

I'll be packing up enough yarn to make the hats when I put my project bag together for my trip

oh yes, I also have the ribbing all finished on the first of the cobalt blue pair too

one of the reasons we grow a garden is that we eat a lot of tomatoes

during the summer we eat them fresh

in the winter they become pasta sauce and chili and soup

so we planted a lot of tomato plants this year and they've done pretty well

this is the second batch of canning -- 2 quarts and 6 pints of tomatoes all shiny and ready for me to wash off the bottles and label the tops then carry them down to the food storage shelves

got to love the pinging of jars sealing!!

today we're taking a little excursion out to the alpaca roundup -- this should be fun!