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April 27, 2025
Lots of pink...................... from Exuberant Color


I have 6 Redbud trees in my backyard and I didn't plant any of them.  This is from the north end of my backyard looking south with my house on the left and garden to the right.  My backyard isn't very deep and half of it is garden.






This is south facing north.  The farthest Redbud on the right is the only one left from years ago.  I think it was here when we moved here but I'm not positive it is that old. (I have lived here 53 years).  The one in the middle (which is ...

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April 26, 2025
More hand stitching................ from Exuberant Color


I have 3 more hours into the hand stitching of the binding on this Tilda Whimsy quilt so I have 2 1/2 sides done.  Maybe 2 more evenings and it will be done.





I did more die cutting yesterday on the batiks strips that are between 3" and 6" wide.  I'm cutting 2" x 3.5" rectangles, 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles and 2" squares.  The piece that is leftover on most of the pieces is large enough to cut two 2.5" squares or 4 triangles.  I'll do them later.  This is the group I ...

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April 25, 2025
Binding started.............................. from Exuberant Color


The binding on this Tilda Whimsey quilt might take about 5 nights for the hand stitching.  That will still make it in as a finish for April.











I had several balls of cotton yarn in this coloration but in the others there was a wide stripe of coral color next to the brown.  This one looks like they ran out of dye when they were making it.  This is a strange one.  There is enough yarn left to make one smaller dishcloth but I may just use some of it in a multicolor one where I'm using all of ...

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April 24, 2025
Little things..................... from Exuberant Color


I spent time outside doing more garden clean up and didn't get a lot done in the studio.  I found a little pile of batik triangle squares and since there were 4 matching of each, I made 20 little Broken Dishes blocks.  Sewn together these would make a placemat size piece.  I could just save them in the batik orphan block box and use them as filler blocks.  I'll press them and then decide what to do with them.


I also cut all of the Kaffe sewn strips into segments for 4 patches and sewed them together.  Another ...

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April 23, 2025
First Tilda quilt finished........ from Exuberant Color


The first of 2 Tilda fabric quilts is finished.  It is a little brighter in person.  It ended up at 55" x 70" and has Hobbs 80/20 batting in it.









The backing fabric was purchased in 1975 or 76 at a fabric store in my town.  They were selling clothing fabric since quilt shops were really rare at that time.  There isn't any name on the edge of the fabric.  It was only 38" wide and that was after being washed so it might have been 40" to start with.  The quilt was longarm quilted by Robin Diaz ...

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April 22, 2025
Trimming................ from Exuberant Color


I usually stay in the basement while the washing machine is running so I can transfer the clothes to the dryer before I go back upstairs.


Yesterday while I was down there I decided to trim the Tilda Whimsey quilt and cut the binding for it.  Also, look at that cute backing fabric.  I bought it on sale a while back thinking it would be perfect for some future quilt.  The background is gray and the bicycles are so cute.  It is not a Tilda fabric.  I couldn't see spending the money for a Tilda fabric backing.

I have ...

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April 19, 2025
Spring taking its time............... from Exuberant Color


I checked my post from a year ago today and we were way ahead of this year's growth in the garden.  I still have bare ground in some backyard gardens and last year it was almost half filled in with large plants.  The Redbuds show progress but it will still be a week or more before full bloom.  That is really the normal time for them to bloom so I think last year we had an early spring.


The earliest peonies are about a foot tall and I can see lots of the other ones starting to grow too ...

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April 18, 2025
Shopping and designing........... from Exuberant Color


I had a gift certificate to use at a local garden center so I made a trip there yesterday.  I got Pansies for the pot on my porch.  I was disappointed that they didn't have any orange ones since they are the scented variety.



I also got a 4 pack of tiny tomato plants for $2.39.  I will plant them in the next size containers and keep them in my garage.  I'll might then move them up to another size container before they get planted outside.  It will depend on how fast they grow.  these are the ...

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April 17, 2025
Tidy up time in Studio B from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

We're back!! DH and I both read the story in the graphic novel EXIT Game. Then we collaborated, and between the two of us, we got the answer! Not before I goofed AGAIN and missed a bunch of letters, so we had to redo the puzzle multiple times. Although DH insists we found the answer unconventionally, I don't care! We solved it without using the clues. He's so black and white; I'm every shade in between! 

Teamwork! It's all about teamwork! 

Should I mention what happened to the kitchen table? This happens when you use ...

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April 13, 2025
A finish.................. from Exuberant Color


This quilt is all batik, made with 2.5" strips in a pattern I call "the other 16 patch".  The true 16 patch is made of squares.  There are 32 blocks each made with 2 different batiks so there were 64 strips total.


There is one full width strip and 2 leftover pieces from previous backings on the back of this quilt.  It is 62.5" x 70.5".  It has Hobbs 80/20 batting in it and it was longarm quilted by Robin Diaz.


I mentioned digging out ditch lilies a couple days ago.  They are day lilies that ...

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April 12, 2025
Binding finished, and more to start.............. from Exuberant Color


The binding is finished on the batik quilt and I'll take photos today.  This is the time of year when the sunshine coming in the windows warms up the house and the heat doesn't come on.  That makes the basement quite chilly.  Since we are still going down in the 30s at night, the heat will come on in the morning and that's when I'll go down there to take the photos.


The two Tilda quilts are back from the longarmer and I have chosen the binding for both of them.





This is the last Sedum ...

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April 10, 2025
Surprise audition................ from Exuberant Color


This is not what I had in mind for the 4 patches I have been making, but I had to try them as a border for this second busy little quilt top.  They definitely work and maybe I just need to use them and scrap my idea for starting another quilt top.  I could add another row of 4 patches on the top and bottom to make it more rectangular.





The early Peonies are coming up.  There is ne group slightly behind the birdbath and another group to the right of it.  There is a patch of jonquils or daffodils ...

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April 4, 2025
Border...................... from Exuberant Color


A little over a week ago I showed some pieced strips I found in a drawer in my studio.  This photo shows what is left after using some of them.








I also showed 2 possible small tops in progress that the strips could be used on.  This was the winner and I got all 4 borders sewn on Wednesday night.

To break down this design: I started with 4 star blocks and then added sashing made of Flying Geese.  After that I added Bow Tie blocks as a border and then it stayed in limbo for 4 1/2 years ...

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March 30, 2025
Binding again............................ from Exuberant Color


I trimmed this quilt and cut the binding and got it sewn onto the quilt.  I have one long side hand stitched.  This is the last of the neutral batik 16 patch quilts and the smallest one.








I had a couple outside sessions yesterday since it was still warm.  I have the stalks cleared on the first of three Sedum plants.





I also trimmed off the old leaves from last year on the Lenten Rose plants.  I left a couple on the center plant because I was getting tired of bending over.  I raked out most of the leaves too ...

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March 29, 2025
It was an outside day..................... from Exuberant Color


It was in the high 70s yesterday so I decided to do some yard work.  First I raked leaves off the flowerbeds where the Brunnera and Lungwort are.  I only found one Lungwort plant in bloom but I'm sure several will follow soon.


The largest Columbine plant is growing fast.  I could see this one from the dining room window.  I got stung by a bee while picking up stacks of leaves in this flowerbed.






One of my Lenten Rose plants has flowers and more buds.  It is a burgundy color flower.  This is the plant that didn't ...

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March 21, 2025
A finish, more snow..................... from Exuberant Color


I finished hand sewing the binding late yesterday afternoon.  That gave me plenty of time to do the photography.

This quilt is 59" x 71" and has Hobbs 80/20 batting in it.  It was longarm quilted by Robin Diaz.



The 6" triangles (which were all cut with my die cutter), backing and binding are all Kaffe Fassett collective fabric.  There are some really old Kaffe prints in this one.

Here you can see the insert of the second print in the backing.  It matches so well it's hardly noticeable.


We woke up to just under 2" of snow ...

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March 20, 2025
Blooms, weather, and hand stitching................ from Exuberant Color


Yesterday morning I noticed the second bud has opened on the double white Amaryllis.  I hoping the last 2 buds will open too.









There were several storms rolling through yesterday afternoon.  The second one brought hail.  It is pea size and lasted about 5 minutes.  There was heavy rain too, and we need the moisture in the ground.



There is a corner of 2 roof angles meeting in the back by the dining room window.  When the hail shoots off the roof it makes a pile on top of one of my Coral Bell plants but nothing has sent up ...

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March 17, 2025
Yes, it did snow................ from Exuberant Color


This was the scene around 9:30 yesterday morning.  I think we had around an inch of snow when it was all done.  The good part is how fast it will melt today when it gets close to 50 this afternoon.  We may get a little snow Thursday morning too, the first day of spring.








The good news yesterday was the Amaryllis saved from several years ago is blooming.  I was happy to see it was a double white one.








A few days ago I thought it only had 2 buds but when it finally all opened up there are ...

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March 14, 2025
24 new blocks.................. from Exuberant Color


It was an uneventful day yesterday, mid 60s outside, a few windows open.

I stuck with the current project and finished the last 24 sixteen patch blocks.  It was too late to press them when I finished.  I don't know if I'll do a layout of the blocks today or wait until the weekend.


I finished knitting the 2 tone denim color dishcloth.  I used all of the lighter color and have a little left of the darker.  It will get paired with some other colors eventually.












The rose color cactus bud is finally at full bloom.  I ...

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March 12, 2025
Progress, gifted quilts, and a thief......................... from Exuberant Color


A little progress was made on the Tilda 16 patch blocks, but the most time yesterday was spent cutting batting and piecing backs for two quilts.  I need to cut more batting today while the table is cleaned off.


In case you are wondering, the friend who came over yesterday to choose 2 baby quilts chose these two.  My son's friends are becoming grandparents for the first time so I give them one for the baby's house and one for the grandparents' house.  

"Who, me?  No, you must be mistaken.  I did not knock down the feeder, unscrew ...

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