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....

what weekend???

was so busy hardly noticed there WAS a weekend....only sunday morning service was a reminder...but happy to forget the icky summer weather and electric bill and tackle sewing list.  here is the latest batch...

this mini red/green piece...pattern from summer 2012 issue of fons and porter....so yes i've had the pattern for 14 years.  simple you say?  yes but scrappy is always heavy prepping of all those different fabrics...happy with finish, now to quilt and bind.  it measures about 18x24...while i was sewing it up, that shoebox of kaffe scraps came to mind....and then there's a pretty stripe piece languishing in the stash as well....and a shoebox of 1.5" strips already cut...hmmm...stay tuned!

next a slight detour.  had a few of the vintage melons left to applique to empty a project bag so.....got those done and then assembled this flimsy...

this measures 24x32....i have more melon pieces but this was all the green on hand, so another background will be chosen for another project.  when finished, it'll be offered to the gal who gifted me the melon pieces, made by one of her relatives...no timetable.

had hoped to get all 4 strip stockings done but alas, only got 2 tops done.  will finish the others today and then get them done.  they are a quick project.  

and recently discovered during demolition...the former waldorf restaurant (? cafeteria) in harvard square.  for all you tiny hexie enthusiasts, here's a bit of inspiration? 

the weekend finished with tweaking the numbers on my 250th wall quilt and getting them appliqued....almost done.  this puppy needs to be basted, so basting day on tap.  july is fleeting and 11 days to wrap up the christmas sewing.  it's been a diversion from the wicked heat and the lack of fun in my life, but all work and no play makes this jill pretty dull, even tho sewing is enjoyable.  now, before sewing can commence, gotta hit the bike and pull out that vacuum....have a blessed day!

bunker sewing

slow start this friday....early morning food pantry run, then a shower and then a nap!  due to heat and haze from fires, will be inside until tuesday, so will show what i've been up to....

pulled out my trees pattern for these...

then a few bells.....

my task for the remainder of July is to get all these finished....this weekend's task is to make 4 stockings and 2 small wall quilts.  starting august will focus on some autumn pieces, beginning with jack....

an oldie but goodie from 2008....i had made one of these for my mom's door, given away when her apartment was emptied.  it's a small piece but could make 3 for a runner, 4 for wall quilt or however many desired.  some pumpkins also on the august list and maybe a turkey or two!  

in my mom's apartment found a 110 film cassette, a 35 mm canister, some old negatives, 4 boxes of slides...dropped off the 110 and negatives and picked them up last week...some black and white, some color....got choked up seeing loved ones who have passed and then there was this one...

had to be 1950..we lived in connecticut as dad worked at pratt & whitney...this was a few years before brother #1...bit unsteady on my feet but full circle as today i walk like this again...LOL!   next is to get the 35mm developed...more surprises maybe!  have a blessed, cool and SAFE day!

pedal to the metal...

hot, humid weather is maryland's version of snow days...LOL...so sewing on the agenda...after few necessary tasks.  have curtailed mindless computer surfing for time with singer's very best machine....my own Miss Sunny, a 328k.  July 4th she got a thorough cleaning, oiling and lube job and she is purring like a kitten.  

since it will be horrible hot until October, also spent time prepping fabrics for a couple of scrappy projects...it was a very busy fabric-filled weekend.  

i've just about finished cutting the plaids for the top project, a block that fellow quilter nann made.  there'll be 42 blocks in all, each finishing at 11".   here are the 40 pulled, sunday cut up all but 7--will finish this morning.  not a go-cutter but a SLOW cutter...LOL

next is bonnie hunter's leader/ender project for this year....delighted to report busted fair amount of scraps from the shoebox stash for both.  can even cover the plaids tote now!  

since it's july, more christmas sewing got done....six placemats....and again scraps got busted.  while pulling out plaids for the top project, found 2 suitable for placemat backings.  miss sunny is ready for another oil treatment...LOL

the camera doesn't take the greatest of photos so the colors are a tad off.  some quilting also got done.  the 250th flimsy almost ready to baste.  more autumn and christmas sewing is planned as well.  

it's two weeks until the one-year anniversary of my arm surgery and with a nearly 100%  recovery, so very thankful i can still enjoy my hobby.  i'd rather be at the beach of course, but apparently God has other plans.  still have many blessings on my very long gratitude list....hope you can count some as well!

this and that monday

hope you survived a wild weekend with oppressive heat, violent thunderstorms, fireworks everywhere and cancelled/delayed events all over the map.  stayed busy but trying to save electricity and running out of my caffeinated beverage made it a challenge....LOL!  have a finish to report, tho....

it's the lightning blocks piece....done playing in the kaffe fabrics for a while....

this is now in the hoop....

was gifted some album style blocks with a hawaiian theme....plus pattern and more fabric pieces...the fabrics got incorporated into the stash....the pattern regifted....knew i did not want to make a huge quilt but the work in the blocks warranted using....here are 4 with some border sections....echo quilting in each block...they are 16" i think....i have 3 other blocks of foliage type applique that will get turned into a runner....and a few more including 2 more fruit baskets...final destination undetermined at this point.

bonnie hunter posted her year-long leader/ender block...a simple one using 2.5" strips or squares; just happen to have a shoebox of each...this will be a real kitchen sink effort....like if 2 scrappy quilts had a baby...here's the first one...they do work up pretty fast...

had made the tulip block eons ago in a siggie swap hosted by a gal in texas who went by cozy kitten...i used 30s fabrics and my mom made one as well...so nice to have that now.  

more christmas sewing was done to round out the weekend.  now that the heat dome has evaporated, left with regular maryland summer heat, just as icky in my book.  but have a packed sewing list that includes plenty of variety, 3 big puzzles waiting and a stack of library books that should get me thru.  so it's stay cool and sew on i'd say!

huzzah!!

happy birthday to our beloved republic!  now more than ever patriotism must flourish and endure regardless of politicians, politics or factions who strive otherwise...

this scrappy eagle piece was inspired by jo morton....

this is my july door quilt...made eons ago from a pattern i found on the net...called "fireworks" there'll be plenty of those around this weekend to watch on TV as way too hot to venture out

despite almost daily attacks to our freedoms, insults to our allies and total lack of respect for almost everyone by our president, the founding fathers' wisdom is holding us fast as it has for 250 years.  my prayer is that it shall continue to be so and that we continue to be a great nation...'from ev'ry mountainside, let freedom ring!'