Preliminaries

Here's my start on the sample quilt for my lecture/demo on QAYG techniques for the Three Black Sheep Shoppe. So far it is about 54" square, but wait there's more...ha!
I am planning to keep it on the smaller side, not a bed quilt, but a nap/lap size.
Turns out that I miscounted the fabrics in the roll I was given. There are 20 lengths, six by 44ish". I've used four prints in each block, and the solids are mine. I felt that the design needed to be supported by clear bright solids next to the busy multicolored prints.
I am letting them *despumate on the wall while I am at quilting today. I was all set to quilt these as is, and then cut them apart and insert more stuff, but I'll wait and see how I feel when I get back to them tomorrow.
I could add a sashing strip in between each of the blocks, and/or cut them apart and insert more stuff as in this picture. We'll see.


I have four untouched strips and lots of leftovers cuts to play with, not to mention the solids. It could get bigger than I thought!






My little darlings, looking out the window, watching the rain.


I thought I would show you the size of the Lettuce Leaf basil I recently cut. HUGE leaves. It has started to form flower tops, so I must cut and freeze it as pesto or basil butter soon. The rains have caused a garden renaissance and I am faced with splitting tomatoes which are full of ants. Nasty. I won't even mention the weed situation.
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I am laughing at the word I used above, despumate. I have been incorrectly using it for about 40 years. It was something that Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet said frequently, referring to allowing something to sit on the stove, to be attended to later. Now I see scum skimming is involved. Hmmm.
*despumate [dɪˈspjuːmeɪt ˈdɛspjʊˌmeɪt]

vb

1. (Chemistry) (tr) to clarify or purify (a liquid) by skimming a scum from its surface

2. (Chemistry) (intr) (of a liquid) to form a scum or froth

[from Latin dēspūmāre to skim off, from de- + spūma foam, froth]