saturday stuff

with no scooting errands today, working on my to-do list....firstly, this is in the hoop!

and the quilting has begun...finally!  what else?  this is next in line...

it's sideways but wanted to show the backing found in the stash....just the right piece for this project! and this got basted....will become a colorful pillow...love those kaffe stripes!

all this got accomplished AFTER finished dear daughter's project....a birthday pillow for her student...

her cross stitch is perfect as always.....my daughter is a one-on-one nurse for a student with multiple disabilities in a handicapped school, nonverbal, but my daughter finds ways to communicate with her and vice versa.  she falls in love with each new student and showers them with extras....the first, a boy, got a special field trip day to an air museum and dinner out...the second, a little 5 yo named paris so my daughter spoke french to her...LOL...and now elizabeth....she reads to them, is heartbroken when they move on, but always falls in love again.  so while i hate maryland, this is the competent, compassionate, intelligent and funny woman to whom i've entrusted my future...oh yeah, i'm in safe hands.  

up early because when life gives you produce....eggplant (cooked), apple slices (made sauce), green beans (cooked), tomatoes (fresh sauce done), brussel sprouts (up next)...it's a chop and cook day...then dishes...lol!  life is indeed good....

a fall finish

yes indeed, the streak of lightning throw is done....started out as a sow's ear and while not a silk purse, it's better than anticipated.  recliner ready for fall!!

and fall cleaning has begun in earnest....slowly but progress has been made.  with every day free pretty much can spread it out according to whim...took a break from chores to do this...

library has free puzzles so i bring them home, put them together and take them back.  i've sewing to do of course but needed a wee break....

and this popped up in my instagram from downeast, maine....my maternal ancestral home....definitely ahaaa vista....

today must baste the red/green and start the quilting...have a sewing project for daughter i'd like to finish by weekend and a sew along with humble quilts on the list as well....plus more progress on the fall cleaning and some usual cooking.  so it's keep calm and sew on...have a blessed day!

summer again

for a couple of days anyway....haven't finished putting away summer clothes quite yet....but almost time.  it's been exceptional weather for just about anything including sewing.

the challenge put forth by my online peep is now a flimsy....and busted one more piece of fabric...the stripe that kept surfacing is now gone.  just enough left for the binding...

and another UFO is getting some attention for a hopeful finish in time for the season...

my apologies to the designer of this wall piece.  i saw the pattern eons ago but no funds to buy at the time.   i searched high and low on google a few times but only found it was out of print.  so i fashioned my own, which i think is a tad larger than the original but the message is the same.  more applique in my future.   

while rummaging thru the stash, found a lovely red/green print that looked eerily familiar....sent me to the project bags where this got unearthed....

it got missed for this year's UFO list but a UFO it is....six more blocks and the found print will make an excellent border and binding, which should use up most of this piece.  

all these plus quilting on the current streak of lightning have kept me busy, plus the usual mundane things of everyday inland existence.  regular culling of no-longer-want things continues....and daughter has a special project for me later this week.  speaking of inland....

but even exiled inland, life is still good...God provides, protects and cherishes...who needs anything more??  have a blessed day!

that time of year

painting by one of the wyeths...jamie maybe???  we've welcomed cool days and cooler nights...no doubt day or two of hots left but thankfully not many...so what's doing???

more quilting is getting done and should be an october finish....then finished the applique on these vintage melons and put together this small piece.  background fabric in squares and sashing was gifted to me some time ago, downton abbey line...nice prints---puzzled as how to use them, but they were spot on for these vintage melons.  this will be hand quilted and donated to senior center to sell i think, unless they refuse it...

someone in my yahoo group challenged us to pull a fabric that was nice but again, a puzzle as how to use it....had this stripe for some time, a kaffe fassett, so selected some very light prints to jazz up the ho-hum snowball block.  thinking 25 blocks maybe.... a binding of the stripe diagonally will finish it off...i might keep this one. 

larder stocked, some cooking done, flu and covid shots obtained.  apartment inspection november so have made a list and will spread out the tasks.  been a stressful week as several items given to me by my mother have gone missing.  no monetary value whatsoever, but their loss is like daggers to my heart.  hoped this complex would be a fresh start from the last but not so and i'm disappointed.  never expected so many old people without respect, courtesy, moral compass whatsoever.  i've instructed my daughter to remove every scrap of paper from my apartment and not leave one speck of anything for these greedy, selfish, nasty people.   i hate it here now...

on a positive note, instagram is crammed with gorgeous foliage photos from my home state and particularly down east where my mother's family has deep roots...i can almost hear the rustle of leaves and whispers of winter's approach...

so thankful blessings outnumber the unpleasant things....

october already???

 indeed and it's the last month of the chookshed challenge for the year....

i've failed miserably with my list this year....

1) baste and applique semiquincentennial wall quilt (new!)   still needs basting
2) W-I-N-T-E-R  wall quilt (new!)   didn't touch
3) wensleydale  half blocks finished
4) mark and baste whole cloth WQ (new!)  didn't touch
5)  hearts/wreath applique  didn't touch
6) alaska blocks   one row done, other blocks pieced
7) vintage melon blocks/applique/baste   DONE!
8) tree of life WQ border top and baste   still needs basting
9) alaska blocks  see above
10) red/green applique WQ top finish and baste  still needs basting 

in my defense, i did have a pesky eye infection that sidelined me about six weeks...and then july and august were spent sewing for the craft fair, which turned out worthwhile.  and i ran out of flannel for basting that'll get replenished this fall some time....next year?

1) finish quilting the streak of lightning

2) baste tree of life, eagle wall quilts

3) work on 'alaska' blocks

4) finish 'wensleydale' blocks, assemble, baste

5) quilt amish wall quilt, already basted

6) quilt amish bar wall quilt, already basted

7) baste/quilt red/green economy wall quilt

8) baste/quilt baskets II

9) stash shelf reorg and pull scrappy pieces

10)  catch up month OR design my whole cloth wall quilt and start quilting...

all this is fluid of course.  not sure whether we'll be doing the craft fair again next year or not...ambitious list and would be awesome if all of it got done...better stock up on wheaties!!!  

monday again....

 at least it has stopped raining.....a wild and wet weekend it was!  but i kept busy...sorta....doing this...

scrappy plaid blocks....nearly half done of the 42 needed....easy to sew up and use up that healthy stash of plaids.   

and this!!

the tree of life is a flimsy!  finished the last applique border....the colors are a bit darker....i've got the binding all cut but thinking i might go with the dark blue instead of the dark pink....have to try it out.  this one i hope to finish this year, along with the red/green.  these are 2 long waiting UFOs that need to be done.  

aside from these two, stocked the larder with meals and polished off another whodunit.  as for the week ahead, an errand later that should help to resolve the ongoing feud with the cable company, who have accused me of fraud.  fired off an unpleasant letter to the CEO of Comcast as dealing with the entry level lackeys is nowheresville, who have called me several times and spouted a pack of lies and useless company speak.  i confess to uttering a few discouraging words over it i can tell you.  

but it's a new week, not raining, so the scooter and i are soon off on a couple of errands, thankful that God forgives and gives me new joy every morning...a blessed monday to you all, or tuesday if you live down there...LOL

some sewing....

 

this is block #1 of 'alaska' and it's done!  also finished 2 blocks of another kit not shown....i know, very little for somebody who does sew a lot, but was otherwise engaged....

down by the seaside in maine!  i finally got my vacation, away from sweltering maryland and into early fall at the shore....it was blissful indeed!  my mobility scooter traveled with me (she likes flying) and the southwest crew treated us both like royalty.  i had a little cottage right near downtown old orchard beach and the beautiful water....only one day of rain so you know i was at sand and surf every other day, early mornings, late afternoons and inbetween.  greeted by my sister-in-law, met up with siblings at a local seafood place to hug and catch up.   she brought along a blueberry pie as a belated birthday treat...it was delish!  

she stayed with me a couple of nights and we borrowed the town's beach equipment so i could get to the water...ohhh so nice and still relatively warm....it was a hot summer there as well.  

that day it was overcast but quite warm...we met some friendly canadian tourists who ignored our president's rants and came as their usual.  

there was this too...at a mere $6.90 per pound, cheaper than most any beef....so sweet and yummy....plus fried clams, steamed clams, haddock and more lobster....not a chicken meal all week long!

and don't tell cardioman but i had a happy meal...what mom and i called a hot dog and some fries on the pier....it was all dreamily wonderful but yes, something definitely missing...i foolishly thought when i got there that the sorrow and sadness would go away....just the opposite.  but i rallied and enjoyed the care of my family and every moment recalling all our happy times together there.  it was a brisk 46 degrees on departure day, arriving in baltimore to 82 degrees...nope, i want the cool back!  

delighted to pass the week without seeing one doctor or hospital BUT just before i left, a glass canister fell on my foot...able to walk ok surmised it was only bruised and x-ray on my return confirmed large hematoma in the foot....ice, compression and funky footwear will make it right in time...

saturday is the craft fair and after that it's back to ho-hum same as always routine....plenty of quilty projects to keep me busy into fall and beyond....back to chicken meals and solitary living....i miss ny family so much already....but only have to close my eyes and i'm right back here....

reliving the vacation that should have been and finally was!  thanks be to God...life is indeed good!

years of inspiration

back in my freshman quilting years, bought this book...as you know, amish quilts were the siren that drew me into quilting.  published 1982 it was my quilty bible and every page called to me....

fast forward  44 years (44???) and it still sends me to my solids stash.  the current in the hoop came from this book...

but there have been many others, like....

these three are in the basted pile, waiting to be quilted....but others are long finished...

there are more of course, but you get the idea....so you see, it doesn't always take a village....sometimes just one thing, one book, one person, one idea, one faith, one hope gives years of solace....

have a glorious, INSPIRED day!  

summer wind down?

maybe just a tad....after more 90s a bit of a cool down, meaning nighttime high 60s...i'll take it...but since it's really still summer, whipped up this for fun...

free pattern on coats & clark website, designed by marie duncan....prep takes more time than actual sewing....it is a bit big and i added some medium weight pellon in the brim so it would turn up....otherwise it would cover my nose...LOL..  ADDENDUM:  went back and shortened the band so fits a little better....

challenge report:  all the border pieces have been basted for the dutch chintz UFO, now to position and applique down...it's going to be a busy fall/winter of quilting i do believe....

after the applique was finished, hung on the design wall and stepped back.  even tho it was long term and got boring at times, am really happy with it.  used what was on hand, so borders not as wide as i'd like, but still makes me swoon a bit...itching to get quilting on it....

now that marathon sewing done, the apartment has been seriously tidied with more intense things waiting for cooler weather, like cleaning oven, washing windows etc.  after a rough couple of years, feel like life is more enjoyable...thanks to my loving family and the one who carried me thru...

have a blessed day!

august wrap/september challenge

whew!  august is over and my marathon sewing month is also....color me happy!  the jack o'lanterns are done and now the pumpkin wall quilts are as well....and i am too!  

remember august challenge goals?  1) baste the eagle; 2) finish applique red/green; 3) finish melons wall quilt.  almost 2 were met....melons and most of the applique, eagles still waiting.  and september?

it's a double-barrel challenge for september....first, the hospice that cared for my dear mom is seeking quilts for their care house....this got pulled from the waiting pile to be ironed, basted and quilted.  it might not get finished in september but shortly after, then mailed off to them...delighted to give back after they gave us so much...

then this has been waiting far too long, might be my oldest UFO....the goal hope is to get all four borders ready to baste and start the process.  this is the final border and get basted this year?  would be great if so....the dutch chintz fabrics were gifted to me along with the panel and i want to make sure it gets finished.  

i've quite a few smallish, meaning not bed size, things to baste but more flannel is needed which requires funds and transportation....when those are available, a marathon basting day will happen.  winter is coming eventually--not this month, 90s all week--with its ideal quilting time.  

saw this on instagram just after the news clip that our current white house resident has again vilified women in the media....every day gets more outrageous and out of control.  not my president....sigh

so that's it for september's first post.  a busy month ahead including a couple of routine med appts and plenty to keep me busy.  the upcoming blistering hot week should allow for a good head start.   keep calm, be well and sew on!  counting my blessings and hope you are too...