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...

a new year

birthday came and went and just like that i've made it to another year.  i do NOT feel my age (except maybe my knees) and still consider myself an active participant in the human race.  dear daughter took me to lunch (jersey mike's) and then a hot fudge sundae (bruster's) and gifted me this...

i looked at all the colors but caved with blue of course....to add to my mostly blue wardrobe.  we had a fun visit.  school has started for her so no more impromptu visits for a while.  

august is nearly gone and have just about finished my autumn sewing projects....only the pumpkin wall pieces to baste and quilt and then done!  i did make a few more of these...

they are so fun to make, again takes more time to prep fabrics than sew up...every time i make one i think about other fabrics to use so i had to quit before it got out of hand.  ideal for gift cards, tea/coffee pods, doggie treats, sewing notions, makeup, mugs, jewelry, cookies/sweets/jams/chutney etc...

today got jack #2 pieced...paper piecing is definitely not for the obsessively neat!  it still needs a border, basting and quilting.  

and tada!  i have a bona fide finish!  the vintage melons piece is done....

i've made a very poor showing finishing up UFOs this year so far....the eye infection derailed me for a time and now this marathon 2-month sewing that was unplanned.  oh well, winter is ahead and should be able to catch up somewhat...

spend way too much time with cable company this week trying to resolve a glitch caused primarily by switching banks.  neither xfinity nor my online pharmacy like my new bank card.  other payees work fine but those two are problematic.  called bank but of course have to trek down there.  

our short stretch of decent weather has ended...mundane routine things go on as per usual...time to clean up the bits and pieces, ready for the august finish!

 

i think i can!!

august is whizzing by and my month of autumn projects is moving along as well.  goal is to be finished by september, if not the first then soon after.  what's finished?

a paper pieced jack o'lantern wall piece, ideal for small spaces....two more to make.

the two pumpkin wall pieces need basting and quilting...and that will wrap up autumn stuff.  one never knows what sells at these events but i've enjoyed making them and they will find a home if they don't sell...all items made from fabrics on hand too!

over the weekend made these 2 little baskets thinking they are ideal for that teacher, minister, office swap, dog walker, cleaning lady or who?  simply add a few trinkets like teas, cookies/sweets, makeup, garden seeds, doggie treats, cook's tools, office supplies, sewing/embroidery notions, gift cards!  planning a few more....love playing in the kaffe scraps and they finish up fast, so definitely a win/win!

they measure about 6' wide by 7" tall, fully lined....

a quilty friend from australia posted this on her blog....these are emu chicks...aren't they the cutest?  assuming the coloration is protection from predators; when they're grown i believe they are dangerous to get near....

count myself fortunate to have quilty bloggers around the world to visit and travel with them vicariously....australia is an amazing place to see

and yes i AM posting this in the wee hours....i've been up all night thanks to my neighbor and his smoking habits....managers at these complexes are useless when it comes to policing reprobate tenants...so everyone else suffers for their selfish, kindergarten behavior.  it is a boarding house for many 5 year-olds.....monday sewing plans have gone up in smoke, no pun intended....reading mysteries reveals several murder methods as this person ignites my homicidal fantasies....in reality, hoping he/she is a lot older than me and nature will take its inevitable course.  

it's two tuesday

hot and humid plus A/C equals sewing!  autumn projects continue....got these assembled just yesterday...

pattern is by corinne sovey at mustlovequilts.com....takes more time to cut pieces than assemble...just have to add side border to the one on right, and hope to baste today....happy to say busted 2 more pieces of fabric that won't be returning to the shelf stash...win/win!  

and these just need a wee sleeve on the back to hang...that's on today's list also....

while things might look wonky, my design wall is kinda floppy, so makes photographing a little tricky...

and all this sewing resulted in a fatter scrap basket....

someone asked me recently what i do with them...i know a lady who accepts any and all scraps and i am happy to pass them on.  they don't get added to MY scrap shoeboxes and someone else has a use for them...another win/win!

month is winding down and so is my project list.  even though i have a multitude of ideas, time is limited and have to say i'm anxious to work on things that are whispering to me...like those striped melons in the photo above.  it's a small project=quick finish and itching to make it.  plus i have stitchery projects yet to finish/make...with another birthday looming, time is the monkey on my back.  i read somewhere to treat every day as ONE DAY LESS....yikes!  but that is the reality.  i'd rather focus on words from that cuddly sage we all know and love....

must dash, dishes whispering to me!  another day filled with abundant blessings and gratitude, hanging out with miss sunny!  gave her a thorough oiling yesterday for working so hard lately.  she's ready to roll; hope you are too!

it's coming....

that would be autumn and halloween of course!  yes, i did see halloween candy in the stores...and since i'm sewing all things fall, this little guy 'materialized'....no pun intended!!

super quick to assemble, measures about 14 x 18...makes a nice little wall/door deco.  that purple/black batik is perfect!  a dear quilty friend, now passed, gave me about 9 yards of it and i've used it everywhere possible.  what else??

one more tree runner....dug deep in the stash for these gorgeous autumn fabrics...and the background is a jo morton i think, around a long time, now almost gone...the floor is not a great design wall...

and old fabrics?  yep i got 'em!  looky, looky...

not vintage but certainly aged....acquired this at the beginning of my 'wild prints' era....not long after discovered kaffe fassett and the rest is history...

here's another name from the fabric past....

another stunning autumn print...remember joan kessler?  lots of those tiny shirting prints...had a ton of them and you could always tell at a glance fabric she had designed...

(blogger alignment has a mind of its own....one of the many things annoying about this program)

so it's the weekend....i've runners to baste and quilt, another ghost or two to whip up and finish..that'll eat up a couple of days no problem.  plus exercise, pesky house chores...

waking up to sunshine (of course) and a day filled with promise and blessings....

goodbye christmas...

for now anyway....finshed up my christmasy sewing with these 2 runners....not wonky, just lying crooked on floor

hello autumn!  weather continues deplorable so happy to be inside sewing up my own kind of storm.  

autumn sewing so far...the tree print on this and background of the next are hoffman prints...i always love a hoffman...used to get them at fabric place in framingham, mass., end of the line on commuter rail...they had bolts and end pieces in bins...dropped a few pennies there i can tell you....

blogger acting up again....

oh how i would love an autumn in new england again!  it arrives with a shout, you know it's autumn...here in maryland it sorta slides in a few hours at a time....a tree here, a leaf there...it's a meh kind of change.  but i digress...

next autumn project?  a few hexagonal table toppers...thanks to carole for the idea!  i saw it on her blog and hmm i've got some big hexies all cut...so already started!  autumn colors too...

lovely kaffe prints...mmmm drool worthy....will rummage in the stash for coordinating prints.  they work up quick and easily machine quilted...for the tutorial hop on over to:  

https://frommycarolinahome.com/2014/12/01/christmas-hexagonal-table-topper

tomorrow one more runner gets sewn and then the hexies..with 3 whole days ahead should make good progress so next week can move on to pumpkins!  

dear daughter has 3 weeks off until school starts and she's been crocheting up a storm..already had about 30 scarves on hand, added about 60 little ornaments and then a batch of poppy pins for veterans' day.  if she keeps up this pace, i fear it's crocheters anonymous for her, you know, powerless over crocheting....LOL!

so many gratitudes for her and i lately...a mostly healthy year under my belt, health resolutions for her as well....we have much thankfulness...life is indeed good!

august goals

august already???  plenty of sewing and quilting kept me so busy in july, hardly noticed it at all...a small stack of christmasy things done and 2 more still to bind...total 3 runners, 7 placemats, 1 wall quilt, 4 stockings....did i wipe out the christmas fabrics?  nope, a dent yes...

chookshed challenge for august?  after abandoning the july project, what's next?

third time's the charm for the 250th, or at least the end.  no more tweaking the numbers, it's as good as it's gonna get...late night brainstorm light drizzle brought about a wee change that i can live with...august is the time to baste and maybe start quilting.  

yes the zero is a skosh smaller than its neighbor, but hey, it's folk art....

also in august, the melons WILL be a finish...

hoping this project will also see the applique done and maybe basted?  anxious to hang this christmas...one swag all done, 6 more maroon pieces to go plus the 8 circles in the corners...anticipation is building to see this done.  (yeah the colors are off...maroon and forest green)

daughter has secured a craft show table later this year and we are hoping to generate some christmas cash.  with the economic situation, will be pricing my items accordingly and many quilters would chastise me, but to sell is better than to store in my opinion.  happy to have the ability to offer affordable handmade gifts.  already pulled some fabrics for planned autumn projects...i love autumn fabrics, don't you?  these have been waiting patiently for their turn to shine.

last year at this time was sidelined after the arm surgery with an unknown recovery prognosis...am still in awe and beyond grateful for near complete result...God continues to answer prayers, big and small, as evidence of His love and care.  so i'm not alone at all, my Savior walks with me!!  

winding down?

that would be summer...as we are on the cusp of august, school supplies are everywhere and fall clothing appears.  maryland ignores the calendar and it's still summer until late october, if then.  

as for all things needle, finishing up my christmas items and formulating list of autumnal projects to tackle.  the melons wall quilt is nearly ready to bind....

and they keep calling my name....had exactly 9 stripey ones and so a lovely kaffe stripe became the background for a small piece, just right for a side table topper...

while shopping the stash, noticed this lovely full yard of fabric...it was an internet purchase reject, not exactly what was needed at the time, but it's starring role has arrived!  found some coordinating solids and a fall runner is in the works...

so there is joy in the making AND joy in the using....with enough for the binding too!

just about 40 years ago, daughter and i visited disneyworld...she was 12 going on 40....wanna ride the teacups? i asked....no, said she, that's for little kids...but after coaxing she relented with disdain...then i found this photo on instagram....

3 european princesses, white gloves and all, smiling contentedly on the teacups, so i sent it to my daughter...she laughed recalling our visit!  as an overworked, overburdened single parent, our lives were overloaded with stress, so now thankful she recalls that sometimes we had fun too...

fast forward today....i need some fun as well...sure, enjoy my sewing projects but entertaining diversions are good too.  it seems everyone in blogland is traveling here and there creating posts that leave me dreamy and wistful.  budget and transportation woes keep me under house arrest, hoping some magician with a wand will appear....until then, will just keep calm and sew on!  hope you have a fun day...

busy days

while spaghetti sauce simmers, taking a few moments to 'chat' about the latest...a change in our weather has resulted in a few perfect days...they do happen very occasionally...gave me the oomph to tackle few house chores and some hand sewing on the porch.  great sewing weather!

first, got the numbers appliqued on my 250th and no surprise, they need to be tweaked...i've measured a gazillion times and once more is in order...

they won't be exactly equidistant from the outside edges but they don't have to be wonky either...so once more is going to be the charm i hope...

and while trimming the background from the melons project, the scissors snipped into one of them, so a patch job was necessary....i didn't cut/baste the melons so they are not equal in size.  once one was located, pinned and done...

a mindless task, so my mind did wander about another melon project...had clipped this photo and directions eons ago and now seemed the right time...

a pattern by julie cefalu done for the winter but mine in vintage melons....background hunt in the stash and found this 'downton abbey' print that was perfect!   an hour later had busted the half yard of that and prepped this project...

pulled out all the melons with purpley in them...a good porch sewing project for whenever...

and more slow-sewing applique got done on this that i hope will be finished before december...

all the green swags are done....with minimal background space, outline quilting is planned...the colors are off in this photo....it's forest green and cranberry....

all pieces for the stockings are cut, 2 almost done so it's a matter of a few hours at the machine.  basting is also on the list for today, along with a fennel/onion tart (thank you mary berry!)...

it's been a week of many blessings aside from one sad news that gripped my heart..still God is good all the time and it's just part of our life here...always counting my blessings and thankful for His sustaining love and care....