2020 roaring in!

always get excited about a new year....it's a clean slate, an air of expectancy about what's ahead.  the melancholia of late summer/fall has lifted and feel energized, going full throttle!   this year had its challenges and found i had to step back from some fun things that became less so...a season without commitments was a healing potion and am now more cautious about saying "yes" that involves my time and efforts as annoying medical issues occasionally erupt.  cardioman told me it was a "new normal" and now 2+ years out, have a clear picture of what that "normal" is....anyway, wagons ho!...

once again this year, i'll be coordinating my daily schedule with the crawleys....LOL...my daughter gifted me this so i won't miss any luncheons, dinner parties or fox hunts and perhaps another downton wedding?  mustn't forget edith and bertie's christening party either!

the UFO list and stash are healthy and the 2020 fun begins today.....i'll take a cup of kindness (iced tea) with thanksgiving, gratefulness and cheer for another year.....for auld lang syne!  

december list done!

it's a rainy and dreary day here, but had a number of things wanted to finish in december so plodded on....today was able to cross off everything on that list....first up a lap robe for the guild, not due until early in the new year, but it's done with a soft flannel backing....

next up were a few zipper purses that have been sitting around for far too long, now done and with destinations in mind....except the blue one that i'm keeping....

last is another UFO that used up nearly the last of the cheddar/indigo FQ bundle by penny rose that purchased long ago....the remaining very small scraps were sent to janet for her mini quilts. 

this finish leaves me with 35 official UFOs for 2020 without starting anything new--how likely is that?  not very i'd say....for the next two days can focus on my blue/white and prepping for new year arrival...signing up at my new fitness center, some household stuff, one more laundry run...it just isn't the same without guy lombardo!

in the hoop

just finished quilting a small quilt that is waiting for binding, so pulled out next in line to get started....a nap yesterday afternoon tempted me to pull an all-nighter to get a serious head start, but finally caved around midnight.

it's a blue and white, mostly indigo prints, just right for winter quilting....i love blue and blue/white quilts....antique ones especially....but even the crispness of stark white makes me swoon every time...this is a bed size with a poly batt, so easy to quilt with no special design, just quarter inch inside seams free form....a perfect cold weather project to start off 2020....the official UFO list is at 35 with almost half wall quilts, so hoping to make a serious dent in projects waiting for quilting.   ***  last year our guild presented a Quilt of Valor to a WWII vet in his early 90s....he was frail but able to come and receive his award in person....a couple of weeks ago he passed away, a distinguished veteran and true patriot....i am so thankful we chose him for an award...well deserved.

addendum....

now i can show this placemat that was gifted to my mother....pattern came from quiltmaker last year....a bit more fussy to make than some of my small quilts but the end result was good and she loves it, of course!

and the box at my door?   it was this handy and adorable tote from a quilty pal!

it's over??

yes...just like that, christmas 2019 is history...hope your celebration was as wonderful as mine...my son-in-law had to work--he's healthcare support--but daughter and i winged it all day with chat, a scrumptious dinner, gifts and catching up with the crawleys....LOL...we re-watched the 'downton abbey' movie (we are a serious fans).   the dinner was flawless and the 2-year wait for some juicy rib roast did not disappoint.  before the DAY, another UFO bit the dust....

had sewn this up with some scraps and have to say didn't like it until the binding was on....really pulled it all together....and it's my habit to cut binding by sight....sometimes i do actually measure but often not....and this was my early christmas present...

yes this was the leftover after pinning the binding on....i just cut a bunch of strips and hoped for the best....is that spooky or what????   anyway, it's off the 2020 UFO list and another, smaller wall quilt is nearing completion....*** arrived back at the village only to be suffocated when opening apartment door by disgusting perfume cloud....somebody is always screaming about "their rights" and "no respect"...i've experienced time after time that too many of the other residents are uber-selfish and have total disregard and respect for other tenants while demanding it for themselves.  receiving some of the respect and rights they demand would make my life less miserable, but their selfishness trumps any degree of courtesy.   after 4 years of fighting with management this is unlikely to change i'm afraid, since their attitude has trickled down to longtime residents who feel entitled to do as they please.  hoping for positive changes that would make all our lives here better. 

'tis the season.....

Hark the herald angels sing!!!  

it's the day before Christmas Eve and my heart--the new and improved one--is overflowing with joy and thankfulness.  at this stage of my life, it isn't about a pile of presents under the tree, but rather the gifts that come my way so many times throughout any year....the love of my family, expert medical care, the kindness of friends, the warmth and coziness of a handmade quilt, the service and sacrifice of American heroes, a full cupboard and the long ago gift of a Savior.   Wishing you the same and a blessed Christmas....

edyta the temptress...

that would be edyta sitar of course....and she has beguiled me with this beautiful and awesome and BLUE quilt...

it's titled "alaska" and would make a very enjoyable winter quilt or spring or anytime really....it's obviously an intermediate quilter project, but i did make a hawaiian and the 365 and this is much smaller and it's all straight seams, right?  would have to be uber-vigilant matching seams on this.... i might make the borders a tad narrower.... it's 71.5" square so would work ok for a shorty like me....something to seriously ponder....and i've got the fabric of course!  ***  during laundry time, rrrripped off the upside down row and reattached right side up so all is now calm and bright with this flimsy....

i'm keeping this one....i just love all the colors and a serious snuggling quilt.   ***  now that the traveling busy box is empty, there are a few candidates next in line....the always popular new england sampler, coming along at a drugged snail's pace....

the perennial 'dargate baskets'....i love the fabrics but i must have been high from inhaling pine sap some winter maine day by cutting out the ENTIRE fat quarter bundle into these applique baskets....yes, i love them and yes, i want to make them but i have made my daughter promise me that when i go, these go too....and not with me!

last is this small wall piece, a pattern by betsy chutchian....hers was done in repros, but i had this bitty piece of striking paisley (love paisleys!) fabric with another piece of coordinating borders.   it has been started and had to pin it on this flannel to make sure got sewn together right....the black diamonds will be trimmed and the borders from the coordinating print will be added, then bound in black probably....

the color is a bit washed out in the photo but it's very striking and bold....this is probably the next up as it's small and can be a fairly fast finish....it's a very cold and leisurely friday for me...usual tasks and serious time quilting on the current project.   tidying up and putting away and a bit of holiday cooking round out the day....for years my life was complete chaos so these low key days suit me just fine....

snow day...ROFL!

yes it WAS a snow day yesterday here in mid-maryland...and that means a whopping 2" of snow....plus some ice, which is the real problem....as a transplant from new england i just roll my eyes at southern snow emergencies... it is a luxury indeed to be able to avoid messy weather as in new england NOTHING stops for 2".....and here is the first look at the 2020 design wall project...

it's joseph's coat in reproductions....earlier this year tried to adopt this UFO out but no takers, so we have bonded and actually it's appealing to me more and more....i've got a head start on january's goal to get this to a flimsy...and one of santa's elves just couldn't wait and this arrived in my mailbox yesterday....

a handy resource and history book for anyone with a featherweight.   *** and with lots of calendars floating around this time of year, i've got 2 of my favorites ready; one is already hanging up!   if you look real close, you might see 1997 on this one.   for several christmases i was gifted quilt calendars and just couldn't bear to throw them out.  so it seems the 1997 and the 2020 are alike, so unearthed and plan to reuse, more so for the photos but won't be confused by the dates.   this cracker pattern is on my someday list....maybe this year?

over the years have had lots of quilt calendars,  the 365 days in italy calendar, the new england scenic calendars--my current fave is this one by susan branch, an uber-talented watercolor artist who lives on martha's vineyard and california.  her beautiful art is displayed on scads of items from free bookmarks and stationery to english porcelain mugs, cookbooks, travel journals etc...every year i print out her moons bookmark for my mom and me...the calendar comes in many sizes from desktop to pocket....hop on over and check out her delightful and whimsical products....

i can barely draw a straight line with a ruler so people who have this kind of artistic gift astonish me....now back to quilting!

lucky day?

janet over at rogue quilter had a little giveaway and the lucky winner was me!!

what a terrific collection of useful and beautiful items....and best of all is this little quilt...janet makes stunning little, and i do mean LITTLE, quilts.....it has already found a home here in the village....***  nine days to santa, 16 days to january.....days are flying by!  have a blessed day.....

a flimsy!

ADDENDUM:    just noticed the last row was put on wrong....waaaaaaah!   so must rrrrrip and resew.....thankful for photos!     whew, finally got this project to the flimsy stage and another december goal met. 

this got started about 6 years ago and why?  to use up the plum solid in the sashing...talk about fuzzy math!   had a lot--like 2+ yards--left over from a couple of small things and erroneously thought would use it up on sashing....which i didn't of course....still about 3/4 yard left in the solid stash....i love this with all the colors and solids....will get to the quilting next year maybe (meaning 2021)....

and finished up this UFO, the antebellum album blocks, a barbara brackman sew-along from 2018 (i think)....

this will be a donation and the first of (hopefully) 2 finishes (and maybe 3) before 2020 arrives....

basting blitz

with december flying by--3 weeks from today it's GONE!--attacking my to-do list with vigor...pulled out my folding table for some prep work....first up, pinned binding on the antebellum album...now waiting for walking foot and finish.   then the 'home sweet home' got basted....it's been waiting for enough fleece on hand...

then the gwennie inspiration piece...

then the santas....i folded it to show the backing, a donation to the senior center like the santa blocks....

then the 'firewheel' block....borrowed a tip from barb and used a small toile piece for the backing, rather than cutting it up and lose the delicate design....

lastly a new top from a jo morton book....i used on hand stuff so different than jo's but might add something to the middle piece, maybe an eagle applique?  basting will wait until completely done....

all this has left me with a nearly naked design wall...my december goal! 

i've one more task for the folding table then it's back in the closet until next time....all in all a productive morning.  what's on your quilty plate today?

a smidgen of shopping...

or a tad of therapy...either way squeaked enough out of the budget for these 2 quarter yards of fabric....

visited local shop yesterday to meet up with a stashbuster pal and pick up some flings for the senior center.....whereas in the '80s and '90s we quilters were busy acquiring mass quantities of fabric, now--speaking for myself--frantically sewing and sharing trying to use up as much as possible.   and keeping true to my rule, i did not buy these because they were beautiful....oh no... i have a plan for both.  the top is an aboriginal print going for a zipper purse and i even bought the zipper!   the crabs will also go for smaller zipper purses; zippers to be obtained later, probably joann's with a coupon as their price for a 7" zipper is a near-gouging $4...which i think is totally obscene.  the 12" i bought at the quilt shop was a mere $1.50....but aren't those kangaroos sooo cute!  of all the aboriginal prints, this bolt had the least amount, easy to see why.   the visit with my quilty friend was awesome as usual....she has medical issues too, and though it wasn't a full-blown "organ recital", we did commiserate and vent a little about our "new normal" lifestyles....she is a role model for me and someone i admire greatly for living above her circumstances.  ***   a sunny and cold sunday, just right for putting up my little tree with the 4, yes 4, strings of lights and all those ornaments with so many memories--like visiting old friends.   easy to be grateful and feel blessed on such a day!

am i blue?

not me but pantone has just announced their 2020 color choice....

oooh i love this.....not quite as dark as my background for the scrappy double wedding ring.....but this morning while going thru 40 years of quilters newsletter mags, just happened to rip out a couple of inspiration ideas...and you guessed it....

not starting either of these just now--but maybe someday--and no doubt will find a few more as i continue perusing the old magazines.....so fun to see well known quilters back in the 80s and 90s and articles by those who have passed on....so many memories.  and astounding to see how quilting has advanced since the magazine folded....

squeezing and easing

all those years of sewing mistakes came in handy today when i went to attach one side of this border...it was a skosh short but was able to ease enough to fit....and with that, these border pieces finally got used up and off the bulletin board.  there was not enough to miter but i am satisfied with it, especially since every inch got used.  these are not favorite colors of mine but found this pattern on quilterscache...a 16" block called 'firewheel'....and knew could find stash (understatement) to match the border colors.  ****  then whipped up these 3 blocks for guild winter swap, again, enough stash on hand, that hoping somebody will like.  these 2 projects busted some entire small pieces of stash, which is how it usually goes.

with my christmas gift shopping completed, can continue to focus on the sewing to-do list.   one is to baste that santa blocks wall piece with those red/green flying geese on the design wall!  *** no snow yet here west of baltimore and exciting news in the paper this morning....next year's G-7 summit to be held at camp david, a mere 10 or so miles from here....fancy schmancy neighborhood!

weekend retreat sewing

had a busy list of to-do for the weekend and happy that most got crossed off....all that's left is to finish this donation lap robe....

it's 40x60 and will be enjoyed by somebody i'm sure.....besides this, finished up a couple of giftie items and these amish ornaments....

they finished better than i had anticipated.....and wanted to try out a little zipper coin purse....first one was (ahem) prototype and needed tweaking, but the second was a win!  it's smaller than the photo shows, about 4.5" across at its widest point....ideal for all those extraneous cards i keep in my purse and my medical info....

kaffe fabrics work for everything it seems....christmas cards were found and unearthed, today is present wrapping and some ground turkey meatballs on the menu.  quilting on the tan amish 4-patch continues and hoping for a december finish and just maybe one other small.....the must-do list for december is now shorter and well within completion reach.   rather than dwell on disappointments and losses, having things to make and finish help keep me jolly during the holidays and so very thankful for all my blessings.....

mystery finished!

while most are starting bonnie hunter's mystery, today i finished up part of one i started from a previous year....these were pieces in a bag on the shelf for far too long, so finished up into blocks and will donate......

i usually don't do mystery challenges but the colors sucked me in and then fizzled....i'm sure they will find a good home and a purpose....next up was a charity lap robe size, 24 blocks of 10" finished....so the top is just about half done.  this will get tied with black floss and then donated..... should be gone before december is! 

lastly, had one more panel to make into a portrait....got 2 done last year and this one will be done for this winter.   the other 2 are strictly christmas, but this one can be kept up all winter long....was a freebie donated to the senior center and kinda cute....

that's what friday accomplished....just a bit of giftie sewing left and the rest of the year is clear for some basting, some small thingie finishes and knock off at least one more UFO.... with just a few weeks until the days begin to lengthen, this year has totally flown by....so many prayers answered and blessings experienced....i think of a cousin who lost her mom last year on christmas day and my heart just breaks, even though we are not in touch.  having my mom still with us this year spry and sharp-minded is the greatest gift....God is good indeed!

a blessed thanksgiving

unless you just arrived here from another galaxy far, far away, you have already been saturated with christmas and thanksgiving is almost completely forgotten....but we of the new england ilk hold thanksgiving in high esteem....first order of the day is to muzzle all the food police and nutrition pests who feel compelled to control the choices of everyone else.  as long as i have free will and am of sound mind, i'll enjoy the traditional holiday meal--in moderation of course--without calorie or content guilt and hope you do the same.  aside from that, hoping you have family and/or good friends to gather with and forget about christmas entirely, if possible.  i'll close with my very favorite thanksgiving drawing, done by a talented artist well known to me....happy thanksgiving all!

sunday stuff

it's been a quiet weekend here in lake woebegone maryland....weather mild, gray, dreary and sometimes wet....but sewing continues!  first on the list was a couple of giftie things that are under wraps for now....then got my gwen marston inspiration piece to the flimsy stage...

this might get basted before december finishes....but it will go on the 2020 UFO list.....then with a new year looming, my organization bug is in overdrive....had some baggies with pieces and some little piles of stuff set aside for future projects.   first cut up the piles and kitted everything needed for those planned projects, then emptied a baggie with some already-sewn units from a bonnie hunter mystery that got started then derailed....have enough units for 12 blocks of this...

these would be ideal for a little girl quilt as the light lavender is paper dolls.....not sure if i'll make this up or if the blocks will get donated...either way the baggie is empty and languishing pieces on the super highway outta here....then it was an hour or so of scrap maintenance as the 2" strip tote was jam packed.   pulled all the short pieces--less than 10"--and cut them up into squares, going into the 2" squares tote which has plenty of room.  ***  this time of year is always exciting to me with holiday traditions and clearing the decks for a new year.   keeping things orderly gives me more time to sew and plan new projects.   ***   and a plant-based thanksgiving dinner???  a fellow dieter years ago told me thanksgiving dinner is bread in every color--stuffing, squash, peas, white and sweet potatoes, gravy thickened with flour....she was right!   don't need thanksgiving to be thankful for so many blessings in my life....

monday report

first up, a finish!!  slept peacefully after this very long-term project got completed....much like the hawaiian i made.  this 365 was by far the biggest quilt i've ever tackled and, thanks to the passage of time, haven't a clue why i originally started it in 2016.  i was homeless, couch surfing with most of my stuff in storage save for a few clothes, my featherweight and a grocery sack of scraps.  after 3 months an apartment came thru and the big move south, again with few items, the sewing machine and scraps.  this is going to my daughter and son-in-law as it's way too large for my use.  i would have given the top away if she hadn't spied and claimed it.  it isn't my best piecing or quilting, but it's done, isn't a cheap import and it has a home.  the entire quilt made from stash--not a bit was bought.  the final tally was 13.25 yards.....including the scrappy binding. 

with the 365 done, quickly moved on to some other sewing...during quiet early morning hours got this first of four blocks basted.....

and some time at the machine working on my gwen marston inspiration blocks...only a few more for this small 5x5 wall quilt....

these are 4" finished and border is red, all cut and ready to attach. ***  with end of year approaching, taking stock of year's accomplishments and revamping the UFO list for 2020....happy to say made good progress with finishes and only a handful of small project starts.  have also ramped up my exercise routine a bit in prep for one more cardiac test in a few weeks.  wish it wasn't so high maintenance but the payoff is so worth it....i know i am blessed with reasonably good health despite the supreme efforts....now back to sewing!

in the hoop

do you spy something different in my quilting hoop?  yes indeed!  this is a small piece assembled from the scrap pile and it'll be a quick finish....

and it's in the hoop because this is happening!! 

the 365 binding is being pinned on....oooh am giddy with delight at getting this finished so far ahead of what had originally hoped (end of december)....in the nick of time too because dear daughter and her hubby are in need of a big warm quilt....she loves it and i love giving it to them....and even with the mega-quilting time, did manage to do a bit of organizing.....went thru some of my elfa drawers, emptied 2 and consolidated some notions stuff in 2 others....

streamlining and culling "stuff" gives me more time to sew and quilt and others benefit from my discards, a win/win all around!