Where did June go?

I'm not usually one to complain about the (seemingly) more and more swift passage of time, but June really did zip by for me this year. I did have a really nice, fun vacation a couple weeks ago, hanging with two very dear friends from high school days, at the home of the one in Oregon, who's house is right on the Rogue River. I've been know to sleep on her deck in the summer, so I can look at the stars and hear the river, but this year she wouldn't let me because her deck is slightly falling apart. I have high hopes for next year in that regard.

I didn't take many pictures either, and the ones I did take were of food. Here's some wonderful flan we got at a local Cuban restaurant:

(oops.. iphone not cooperating)

Sorry no flan pix, but here's my Monthly Mini, which I barely squeaked by with, again this month:

 This little quilt is made entirely from a bag of scraps sent to me by a (very generous) gal I quilt with in November, at a retreat we've been going to for many years.

Sue has a habit of dropping off bits (sometimes more than bits) of fabric at my station, knowing I have the same taste for repro's that she does. Often she'll invite me to dig into her stash, imploring me to "take as much as you want!" which I respond by slicing off a little sliver (hmmm well, maybe just a little bit more...) of a few things.  She has also bailed me out by digging up fabrics I "need" to complete a top, and never takes a dime for anything. Last year I gifted her a quilt. She responded to that by sending me a bag of scraps, mostly 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" strips, some small, some WOF.

I thought the strips lent themselves to small tumblers, so I went ahead and cut, and constructed two little tops at a retreat last month, and thought I had plenty of time to finish before the end of June to finish at least one of them. Well, life has an annoying habit of getting in the way of such "non-essential" goals, doesn't it.

I thought this cute little bird fabric was perfect for the back. 

Anyway, I finished stitching the binding on around 10pm last night, and went ahead and washed it this morning, to enhance that crinkly look.

Now, forward!

love,
Sandy

May Monthly Mini

(This was supposed to post last night, when it was actually still May)

Some of you might know that Wendy over at The Constant Quilter hosts a Monthly Mini sew-along. After following along casually for the past (I think) year or so, and enjoying everyone's little quilts, I thought I might go ahead and join in.
This is what came up with for May, and am posting it just a hair under the deadline! 

I made the Hovering Hawk blocks in January, using leftover corners from some small basket blocks I'd made (which never went anywhere, btw) but didn't assemble the Hawks into a top until much later. I then hand quilted the interior, then it sat around for weeks (months?) waiting for me to quilt the borders. I eventually ended up continuing the quilting lines into the borders with the machine "hand quilt" stitch, and finally put the binding on last week. I think (hope) it qualifies as a May "finish" at any rate. Wendy said there were no rules, so I'm no doubt taking a few liberties here.

Here's the back, but as of yet, no label. I thought I'd sneak in under the wire and call it my "May Monthly  Mini" and make a label tomorrow. Ha ha...  meanwhile, I'm getting lots of ideas for more mini quilts, for future months. This is going to be fun!                                                                      Thanks to Wendy, for letting me join in!

love,

Sandy