saturday photo

this was another little project that was idling on my sewing table, so i cut out the rest of the pieces needed and put the units together. i call it "snaky, drunk amish" for it's snake's trail version, drunkard's path pattern done in amish style. it needs a bit of revision to relocate some of those lights, but hopefully i'll get it basted this weekend. i went to joann's today and got some fleece half price for the task. my small solid scraps seem to be accumulating a bit, so will probably make up some small paper-pieced squares to use them up, a project for another day. ***** i also cut a stack of squares for my boston commons borders and that's on my agenda too. getting the borders done and sewn on will empty another shoebox, always a good thing. oh, and did i mention it snowed AGAIN today?

bound to happen

once i got the paper piecing method down pat, i guess it was inevitable that i would seque into curved paper piecing. i'm not sure, but this, too, is pretty easy. whoa, there is no huge new york beauty quilt in my future, but it was fun to try this technique and put another notch in my rotary cutter. i was toying with the idea of a wallhanging, but i've decided it'll stop at pillow size, mostly as i've many other things that need finishing and other patterns i want to try. time gallops on.....

later same day....

as the snow piles up, my daydreams are far from winter, especially after i found this website....www.lobsterrolls.com. i had heard about this place on our new england cable news station, but when i visited i learned they are going to open a year-round place this month....how good is that? me, i can eat a lobster roll most anytime. a good one is pretty simple: grilled hot dog bun, lobster and a tad of mayo...no celery, no celery salt, parsley or anything else.

delightful dilemma

unless you've been in an underground missile bunker the last two weeks, you know about our snowstorm wallop. as i write this early morning, the second wave has yet to hit but the wind is howling and the car is already covered over. so, being an industrious person i glanced around my sewing space for something to occupy mind and hands for the duration. i spied this overflowing shoebox full of 1.5" strips and thought about a pattern i've been wanting to try. the next few hours were spent constructing these little 5" pineapple blocks. i got the idea from bonnie hunter a while back and found the foundation pattern on a quilting website. being a predominantly left-handed (right brain) person, starting a new paper piecing project is always a bit clumsy; takes a bit to get a routine for the mechanics of the task at hand. but it was finally mastered and i was pleasantly pleased with the result. each little block has 37 pieces and, as per usual, the use was hardly noticed in my shoebox. i'd have to make a gazillion of these little blocks to use up all those scraps---NOT! i am going to try and make a small wall piece or table topper, though, because i am enthralled with these cute little pineapples. **** later in the day i worked on my lone star. today's project? plenty from which to choose, but definitely more lone star quilting and maybe work on the machine constructing another quilt top or maybe basting the 30s wallhanging.

the month of luuuuuuv

february is coming in like a lion, sitting here waiting for the 1-2 snowstorm punch. by the time the air clears, "they" say we could get anywhere from 13-22 inches here in coastal maine. fortunately our complex is well maintained with regard to snow moving and removal, but at some point i'll have to venture out and move the car. until then i'll don my "uniform" of cozy LL Bean slippers and quilt!

riding in style

thanks to a generous christmas gift from DD and DSIL, i was able to get this sewing trolley so viking's little brother could travel in style. took it out for a spin yesterday and worked like a charm! not only does little brother fit, all my accoutrements were snug as well and then it even zipped..how good is that? as far as the road trip, since little brother's "discharge" from the sewing machine infirmary, it runs like a charm. no, it isn't a featherweight but works and travels great just the same, and that's really what was needed.

finished flimsy

some time ago (last year?) i was in a swap with some quilters over at Real Women Quilt. I finally got the top together yesterday adding the paper-pieced letters in the bottom right corner. it was one of those projects languishing on my sewing table for what seemed like eons, and now it isn't. yesterday i also pin basted my 30s wallhanging, also paper pieced, quilted on my lone star plus reading my book....which is almost done. goody, goody, i can request the 2nd one, "the girl who played with fire."