The goat quilt is finally finished! It seems like everything takes so long now with so much else going on. I put in the last hand stitches on the binding yesterday evening while watching TV.

It measures 20 x 27.5″ If you scroll back to June 13 you can see the original photo that I was working from.

The background fabric is a piece of home dec fabric, a sample that I’ve had a long time. I liked the geometric qualities that it had. I had nothing that gave the feeling of the chain collar but I think the red is dapper. Just right for this country kid come to town for the 4-H Fair!

Close up of the eye. I LOVE that fabric in the eye and use it a lot for animal eyes. I will add a little white for sparkle so I guess it’s not quite finished after all!

We ordered the tile for the floor yesterday and have a couple of more sub-contractors to schedule which is part of the reason I am so behind. It’s sure not like on TV where everything gets done in a hour!!

For the past couple of weeks I have been tuned in to these wrens nesting in an ornamental birdhouse by my deck. It’s time they fledged and I spent yesterday afternoon and evening out there waiting for it to happen, and reading “The Husband” by Dean Koontz.

I’m sure the parents are more than ready as they have the never ending job of bugs in, poop out all day long.

Can’t tell how many there are as the most that can be seen at any time are two and the decorative birdhouse cannot be opened.

They have never shown any fear or concern about people on the deck or even the dogs. But yesterday one came in with a nice bug and immediately went into such a display of anger that the bug was dropped as the scolding and posturing went on and on. I had to get up to see the cause of the concern and there at the bottom of the tree was a huge black snake! I scared it away but still the bird ranted on. I got up to check again and saw nothing. When I sat down again she flew to the railing maybe 5 feet from where I was, looked right at me and jabbered something that I think was “Thank you!”.

They are getting braver, perhaps they will fly today.

Needless to say, I have not made much progress on the goat quilt!

Monday we had an appointment in town and Tuesday I drove up to Lawrence for the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild meeting so very little was accomplished here on the goat quilt. I was pleased to find out that I got TWO Viewer’s Choice awards at the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild show this spring! they were for “Lazy Afternoon” and “Watermelon Wine”. I showed “Longhorn Splashdown” during show and tell and quite a few people came up later to have a closer look!

On the way home I saw a 50% off plant sale so of course I had to stop. It was mostly annuals and hanging baskets but tucked away in the back were a few shrubs so I got a Black Lace Elderberry which has lacy black leaves and pink flowers. Very cool!

I have to go to town AGAIN today – so I’d better get off the computer and sew a few seams!

A few years ago, I took this picture at the 4-H Fair of an engaging young goat looking for attention. I thought it might make a nice subject for an art quilt.

But then David Taylor made a prize winning goat picture quilt and I filed mine away, not wanting to seem to be copying.

Now, however, I have decided to go ahead with it. His is an Alpine goat done in applique. Mine is a Nubian, pieced. A goat is a goat, no one holds the copyright on goats as far as I know, except maybe God! But still, I expect someone will say I copied his idea even though I took my own photo before he made his quilt, so I consider mine to be original.

It’s about half done, so stay tuned!

Friday I spent the day at the county 4-H fair. They had asked to have a few of my quilts for display only. Since I don’t live in that county I am not eligible to compete there, not that I would want to. So I took them “Lazy Afternoon”, “Lady Godiva” and “Bittersweet Memories”. I think the quilts were well received and showed a different aspect of quilting from what a lot of the people expected.

The 4-H Dog Show was Friday so I spent most of the day watching the kids work their dogs in Showmanship and Obedience. You could really tell who had put in the hours and who had left it all til the last minute!

It was fun to look at all of the exhibits and the animals. When my kids were in 4-H years ago, I was the leader for Leatherwork and Dairy Goats; now apparently they don’t do leatherwork but the goats are still there! This cutie wants to be in a quilt!

While waiting for the close of the show, I finished the hand work on the binding of Poppies.

Here’s a close up showing some of the quilting.

The color is not the greatest; I will have to retake the photos for the pattern cover. Oranges and reds are hard to work with in photos – at least for me!