Monabug Retires: May 2019

As most of you know I am a Pinterest addict. It is my go to for ideas, recipes, DYI's etc...I also lurk on utube a lot. This is what happens when you’re retired😉

I needed a project to use up my scraps and had started a string block many moons ago but never got hooked on it until now! There are so many beautiful quilts out there using this method. A friend came over and wanted to learn how to make shopping bags...so after getting her going on my retreat sewing machine I sat down on my good machine and started making string blocks. Wowzers! Sewed up very fast and easy. Once trimmed they were really cool.

This post is so that I can remember how I did this...

Using 7” square of broadcloth for the back...now what to do?

Then I found a picture of a quilt that I fell in love with...the pattern is a Bonnie Hunters Fair and Square Quilt. I thought how hard can this be? And I didn’t want to do it exactly...hmmm...so this is my version...

I started off with a Seminole pattern that was shared at guild

4” square for center

Had to be careful trimming. Keeping light color towards the 4” block sew with 1/4” seam.

Then add a 1/ 1/2” border...making this a 8” block

Cut 2 strip squares in half on the diagonal and place them like this. Mark center of both the triangle and 8” square

Sew and trim....then do the same with the other 2 triangles

Square comes out to 11 1/2”

So now the question remains...how many do I make?!

Haven’t even put a dent in the scrap pile...there may be a few more quilts to come...

Updated July 23 (Bonnie Hunter Fair and Square pattern)

Updated August 29

Totally finished!

Fabric backing is from Korea

We arrived home from an awesome trip to Germany to find all the snow has disappeared...yay! We still had a good 12” when we left 2 weeks prior. Giving myself a few days to adjust somewhat I started my seeds indoors over a few days starting on the 15th. Man did they ever sprout quickly! I am learning to not plant the entire package of seeds ...like...tomatoes...lol...ok....still have lots...

It's really difficult to walk around the yard and seeing how drab and dreary things are in comparison to what we had just left in Germany where the tulips and daffodils were in full bloom...and the pansies! How colorful and beautiful...I want that..now. sigh..

Well...here it is almost a month later! I got so busy in the garden time just flew by! Already have transplanted lots but the nights are still pretty cold.

Found pansies and I got my color in! Still too early for a lot of plants

This is the part I hate..hardening off...take them out...bring them in...repeat...I have better things to do ...lol...

Prepped soil in beds with a sprinkle of lime and azomite. Closer to planting I have sprinkled alfalfa and kelp meal...will see if this is overkill or not. Have used 4-4-4 in some areas earlier before I read up on the alfalfa and kelp.

Peas planted on the left in leftover straw which is like black gold! I have started beans this year in egg cartons and plan to drop them directly into the soil on the right side. Hopefully this will work as not all bean seeds sprout whether it’s too cold or the birds have at them! I did this with peas and worked really well. Transplanted into pots and will work on training them up the trellis. Peas have been planted in succession so should have ongoing peas for a while. In the past we have never had enough!

Played with a couple of ideas for trellises...not sure how I will finish off the pvc pipe on the right. I have temporarily leaned a piece of fencing on it and it might work.

Transplanted strawberries into the sides of the pallets...might take some time before we get fruit. Looks good though 😁

Keyhole garden...transplanted cabbage, kale, brusselsprouts, cauliflower, onions and Brent planted corn in one corner

The worm bucket worked so well last year. Got enough to cover half of this bed...plan to fill it more

Garlic is doing so good

Cats have decided to use this bed as their toilet so I threw down some interference....grrr..

Have radish and daikon planted here...planning on planting peppers in this bed and zucchini in the sink

Did an experiment on half this bed ....bombed so bad that I can’t even remember what the experiment was 🥴

So I took leftover onions and planted...looks like we will have some onions....also transplanted some seedlings

Transplanted more strawberries which seem to like this corner as do the slugs!

Rhubarb loves grass clippings...must be the nitrogen

Dug out this entire bed as the side boards were warping and made it into two. Screened the soil and finished it off by planting carrots, beets, parsnips

Weeds still are coming up...tried something new....planted beets through holes in a sheet of paper and left the paper down....so far no weeds...also no beets...but it is still early 😂😂

I bought lettuce at the grocery store that still had the roots on so I cut off the leaves and planted the roots...brilliant!

20 bales of straw this year...started conditioning May 14. Hope to plant by end of the month

Irrigation and staking set up and ready to go...takes 12 min to fill a gallon

Transplanted swisschard in the pallets and will put a couple of buckets (tomatoes?) at the end of strawbales

Bales are on the pallet this year as last year’s decomposed too fast up against the fence

Planning on cucumbers in the back along the fence

Brent worked so hard in cleaning up this spot under the magnolia tree

I wanted to hide these irrigation boxes so I bought some potentilla shrubs for him to dig holes for...some cursing involved

This turned out so beautiful 😍 some perennials so I hope they survive the winter (and 15 yds of bark mulch later...for the entire yard not just here!)