More Aqua and Hand Quilting

My blocks for Aqua month are done!  Here are the shoe fly blocks and the 25 patch HST block.  Lots of fun scraps in these blocks.  I have ordered some more Kona white as I only have a few small scraps left and I want to make more blocks for both of these quilts.  

I finished hand quilting this purple pineapple block on Monday and I'm now working on the magenta block.  Only one block to go after magenta--it is yellow.  Then, I can get this quilt trimmed and bound.  I will have to see what I have in my stash for binding.  Unfortunately, all of the grey background fabric in the blocks is gone so I can't use that.  (This picture was taken before the last part of the quilting was done--you will just have to believe me that it is now complete!)

I have a few herbs growing in pots on my patio.  The chives have been growing by leaps and bounds so I cut them back.  I cut them up into small pieces and dried them in the oven.  They are ready to use in soups, stews and casseroles next fall and winter. 

My Rainbow Scrap Challenge nine patch quilt is all sewn together and I have picked out some backing fabric from my stash.  I will get it pin basted and quilted soon so it is ready for show and tell at our September guild meeting.  I hope to have a few quilts ready to show at that meeting.  There are several tops in line to be quilted in my sewing room. 

The balloon flowers are blooming!  There are lots of balloons on this plant waiting to pop.  I also have a couple of baby plants that were seeded from this plant last year in other spots in the garden.  I love the colour of these flowers. 

The prickly pear cactus is also blooming this week.  These yellow flowers fade quickly once they bloom but they are a favourite.  Some people are surprised that a cactus will grow this far north but this one comes back year after year. 

I'm reading "Finding Flora" at the moment.  It's a Canadian historical fiction book set in Alberta in the early 1900's about a woman who works to secure her land claim.   A recommended read if you like historical fiction. 

Finn would spend all day outside if we let him!  His fur is like velcro and picks up all kinds of dead leaf bits and little sticks which he tracks inside.  It keeps all of us busy sweeping up!

I will link up with the RSC link up as well as Kathy and Frederique on the weekend.