a magic trick

always decluttering around here...a habit of mine....the scrap basket popped into mind...more precuts?  put them where?  a light bulb moment...a quilty pal of mine COLLECTS scraps...so a bit of magic happened....

full basket....

empty (nearly) basket....

definitely my kind of magic....my "loss" someone's gain....

introducing Baskets II...

measures about 40" square, the max size of what i'm making these days...only 6 blocks left destined as a placemat...and more magic, just like that, over 200 baskets used...i've another much smaller basket project in mind for another day...

before getting back to scrappy repro triangles in earnest, had to clear the design wall of these...

just pinned for now to get them off the design wall for whenever...the green blocks will be squared and the bottom repositioned before basting...a good take along project at some point...

doll quilt for swap is done, quilting on "africa" is started, hoping for april finish....quilting on "dreams" continues...now i can focus on the triangles top, also hoping for april finish....

a stark realization becoming more frequent....two friends emptied the sewing room of recently passed group member...3 SUV trips later it was finished...me coming home thankful of my limited stockpile of quilty stuff

spring can't make up its mind...one day chilly, one day warm...talking weather heads say we need the rain but honestly the gloom is sooo boring...it's windy too so keeping drapes closed to ward off chill...like living in a cave...trees have leafed out, blooms everywhere, just waiting on sun!!!  

the toughest year - an homage

no quilty chat today.....one year ago mom stepped on heaven's shore.....as she aged, every day we breathed a thankful prayer as she escaped dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, loss of mobility, nursing home placement and mental decline, not imagining ugly cancer would invade that shocked and horrified us all.  the day before she died it was early Sunday morning and i caressed her shoulder.  she opened her eyes and i said "good morning sunshine, i love you"  with a bare whisper she mouthed "i love you"...no more whispers after that. 

yes, i still grieve and sometimes cry but it's normal, it's just because she was so dearly loved and is so dearly missed.  grief has forever changed me.  it shattered my heart that has yet to heal.  grief is individual and a journey that takes however long it takes, but days now include more warm memories than tears.

when i meet or interact with people, i want them to see her.  i want them to see qualities in me that she taught me, that would make her proud.  she had many mothering regrets, but as a motherless child herself, her best was more than good enough.  as the oldest, i'm now the family historian and now her glue to keep us together in a loving, edifying and compassionate way.  it's what she would expect and how she taught me anyway.....thank you mom.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" Psalm 147:3

weekend sewing

the weekend list got trimmed a bit due to an outing with a quilty pal....a gigantic local craft show and a nice lunch out...very enjoyable until later that day when word came one of our group had passed away...not a surprise but a somber reality that we are all seniors and anything can happen.  while pondering which project to tackle veered off the list....

remember this?

thinking about sprucing up the kitchen, pulled it out and this happened...

rework required to fit a specific wall place....i actually think i like it better this way anyway...but didn't stop there....remember these?

i had put these and the original top up for sale on a yahoo group with no takers...turns out glad they didn't sell...

sewed up this runner 16x24 for the new-to-me table....not into much decorating but an occasional change isn't too time consuming...so now two more UFOs...LOL...they will get done soon tho.  they are sort of the carrot that will entice me into spring cleaning...

also worked on a window treatment for said kitchen...someone left a linen shower curtain in the giveaway box...brought it home, sewed on a sleeve and will get lined with some gifted flannel...for keeping out the chill from a large double window and the sun in summer...

both evenings found me in the happy place recliner with my quilting project...

this week's plans?  finish doll quilt, start quilting "africa", more "dreams" quilting and more rows on challenge repro triangles...temps fallen back to 60s so not quite summer...and the laundry basket again leering at me...

off to start the day...have a blessed one!