Little o This, Bit o That

Hold the phone, I have been sewing!  Not much, but some, which is more than none, which is terrific.

I've finished the quilt that I began for our Valley Oak Quilt Guild 2017 Challenge, the theme of which was "Trees."  Okay, so I finished the quilting, blocked it, and trimmed it.  I still need to finish off the edges.  But here is photographic evidence of my claim to have sewn something:

The background was pieced and quilted before I added the palm trees.  I raw-edge added the fronds, and needle-turn appliqued the trunks.  I really like the way the fronds are shredding, just like real palm trees (that are dumping tree trash all over my backyard!)

I've been doing some handwork, which I haven't taken a picture of,  I'm also trying to make space in my string box, by sewing more string blocks.  I have 4 blocks to go before putting the top together.  I've tried a few settings, starting with my usual:

 I tried Fields & Furrows, but it didn't work for me.

 And then I tried this one, which I REALLY like.  (The houses up top are just up there, hanging out, not a part of anything.)

And in between all this sewing, we've been hitting the road.  Mid-June, it was a trip to the Bay Area, with a stop at Casa de Fruta.

 They have a field of hollyhocks, which are gorgeous.  I planted some in my yard, but they never came up.  I suspect the gardener spotted them and hit them with Roundup.

 Most people notice the rusty tractors at Casa de Fruta.  I am no exception.

 And the peacocks were noisy as ever.  There was even a peahen, nesting in the hollyhocks.

Last weekend, we went to Cambria.  Our days included visits to Morro Bay, Cayucos, and the Seven Sisters Quilt Show in San Luis Obispo.  My favorite, at least for photography, had to be kayaking in Morro Bay.

The otters were out in full force.  I must have taken 3 dozen pictures of the group, but it was the second image, of this lone individual, that came out the best of the bunch.

And I guess that's going to do it for now.  I'm continuing to try to get some sewing in as we endure the triple digits of summer.  Today is my husband's and my 37th wedding anniversary, so, wow, yeah, we're old!  ;)  Hope you're all getting some stitching done this summer, too!!  Happy Quilting!