lotsa sewing and book reviews

friday was an uber-productive day sewing-wise...

you are probably tired of seeing this but the more that gets done, the more enamored i am of this beauty....all the checkerboard borders are attached now...next comes another narrow lime and then the final border of these....

the squares measure 5" so more little ones....every other block has the color scheme reversed, i.e. center starts and finishes with print.  i only have to make 44 (43 now)...i can see already got to be super careful with seam allowance, especially since joy balks at those that are a tad thicker.  **** then the scrap basket got tackled...always problematic as often get sidetracked.  there was a fair amount of batik scraps and some HSTs, so used up all the smaller pieces making more....and then cut a pile of 1.5x4.5 strips for a scrappy quilt designed by amanda nyberg...

the pattern is below except the color strips are replaced by rows of small strips...i made one before, a top, and donated it.  thinking of making a couple more and donating them as well.  they make up fast, are colorful, 30 blocks that finish measuring 60x72...

as for the little HSTs, no plan for them, couple of ideas percolating...then back to task at hand, cutting up the rest of the scraps.  except for a few other larger batik pieces and a few solids, the basket muffin top disappeared...

found in the basket were pieces of the bird house background, so off came the aqua strip and replaced...

now all that remains is applique, some embellishment and bind with the aqua...again, i am no designer and altho this came out mostly as i had in mind, it wasn't as much fun.  i think it'll be cute when done and somebody will like it, plus a few pieces of stash are now gone.  

so, weekend sewing?  more blocks for my secret project piled in various stages all over the sewing table.  then more of the "midnight" blocks, could finally be a flimsy by the end of next week.  next, hope to tackle the purse for my mom.  weather is predicted to be hot all week, so plenty of inside A/C days.  ***  so far this year busted just under 25 yards of completely finished things, so definitely reducing the stash even with a few new additions, two were kaffe fabrics--no surprise there!

afterthought...i meant to add these....a couple of book reviews you might like...

lots of background behind-the-scenes reveal about movie women from the 30s to present...robert wagner is no choir boy and is honest, though a bit veiled, about his own conquests.  starts out with him as an 8-year-old boy meeting norma shearer, dishing mostly kindly about the greatest and not so great.  i don't like him simply because of the natalie wood death debacle, but he is an insider speaking graciously without malice.   then, if you love a good whodunit...

two young girls disappear from a mall and two detectives with very different styles must learn to work together to find them...no graphic violence or gratuitous sex, just an interesting journey to truth and resolution....worthy of hercule poirot!

wednesday work, may mini

 

whew....wednesday was a wide open day and spent the ENTIRE day sewing 2 more borders on the "midnight at the oasis" piece....it was almost like work, really a labor intensive task.  but love the outcome and only one side left to do...those little squares finish at 1" so there are a LOT of them! ...and here's the may mini!

this being may, saw TONS of basket quilts etc. all around the 'net....got me thinking about the basket stamp block, which i always liked, remember when it was issued even!  someone had mentioned about striped sashing that immediately brought this stripey fabric to mind.  with patriotic holidays on the horizon, went with red/white/blue, well not exactly white.  anyway, i like it and can use it for a table topper.  will be linking up with wendy and the other monthly mini gals!

it's an un-holiday weekend for me with a possible zoom party...what to do?  well, there is this...

already pulled and cut up batik scraps for a planned donation top...the rest will go in their respective shoeboxes for more tops that can be donated.  at nearly 73, have to pick and choose which ones to finish and keep for myself.  ***  going to try and elude the despairing TV fodder by exercising, sewing and reading....

monday report

with sweltering temps, the weekend was spent inside a/c and sewing resulting in a UFO finish!  here is the back....much too pretty to chop up and it was just right for this project.

it was a fling from marianne....so happy it's found a forever home with this....

hexed stars, pattern by marcia hohn, also used up the purple batik in the border and binding.  i think about 3 yards was busted total, not much but every yard counts!  what else got sewn?

bird house is coming along....have to remove the top aqua border, it's just not right.  pondering a replacement.  when that's corrected, just hand work remains for this with applique and some embellishment that should finish it.  i love the triangles but alas, no more of the white print--another piece used up.  ***  and one more UFO got some attention....

my june OMG is to get this basted, so border construction in full swing.  one done, 7 to go.  working with kaffe fassett fabrics is pure delight!  ***  the may monthly mini (say it 3x fast!) is also done, will post next week AND pattern/fabric is pulled for the june mini as well.  hint:  it's red/white blue!  *** heat wave brief and delightful weather all this week.  i'm desperately in need of some fun and might cave to the gasoline grinch and take a short road trip.  had an appointment today, but rest of week only fitness visits scheduled.  *** have done well on my list.  what's next?  more secret blocks as hope to baste in june.  more quilting on 'batik splash' that should be done in june.  this weekend hope to finish more 'wildest dreams' blocks--9 left that need setting squares and triangles.  you might think so much sewing time is great,  but keep in mind it's in direct correlation to the amount of free time i have, sometimes not a good thing.  if not for sewing, life would be catastrophic!