crumb-y tuesday, snowy wednesday

had some leftover "crumbs" (scraps) of 30s prints and couldn't bear to throw them out so i repurposed them into potholders. in the past i've made really nice hexagon potholders, only to have them get singed or dirty, so i decided to use up the crumbs and not put so much time into these useful items. ******** yep, snowing here in maine since about 5 am. good day to hibernate. i did manage to get out early and get the newspaper though.

reorg sewing space #1

all my quilty books were stacked on a shelf, plus shoeboxes on top of those and were difficult to get at, much less browse when desired. so, i have this little bookcase and moved them here. now i can pull one out quite easily (and put it back also). previously i had my vast collection of Quilters' Newsletter mags here, but those i stacked on the shelf as i don't refer to them that frequently. this bookcase is my "governor" if you will. keeps me from accumulating too many books, so easy to do for a constant reader like myself. i wish there were room to store them standing up and spine side out but there isn't. this is so much better than before, though. ***** so this was the first step in the reorg of the room. i've got more done but this week hope to finish. left now is to move a dresser, my elfa drawers, the TV, wash windows/sills, make new curtains and hang. i'll be off to marden's this week for the curtain fabric. watch this space for more photos!

it's come to this

our apartment is one of several in a large brick building and comes heated. even so, in the winter the indoor temp vacillates from that of an igloo or a sauna, depending on the weather conditions. the windows are not insulated, nor are there any storms, plus they date back to the 80s i'm guessing. so, sometimes it is quite cold even with the heat on. yesterday i broke down and put the flannel sheet on my bed, along with my 2 quilts. while i love its cozy feeling, i know that sometimes it will be too warm and i'll probably have to wear my summer pjs and/or open the window a tad to be comfy. that's winter in maine, constant adjustments.

favorite cookbook?

paula is wondering what my favorite cookbook is....well, i don't do THAT much cooking, but I often refer to those by Marjorie Standish, a maine cookbook author. She published 2, "cooking down east" and "cooking...the maine way." i use others like "artisanal bread in 5 minutes a day" and occasionally download something from food network. most things i cook don't require me to refer to a recipe as i make quick things (shrimp scampi) or ones I know by heart (spaghetti sauce, veggie soup, chowder, meat loaf, fajitas). with only 2 of us and trying to eat less/more healthy, we often eat fish or seafood prepared simply or some chicken dish. many bloggers, like judy for instance, always post recipes/photos/menus etc. but neither mom nor I rarely spends that much time on meal prep. ***** short night last night, too much caffeine no doubt. with days that run into each other and no appointments, time is almost meaningless. no big deal as i can always nap during day or whenever, it's just that casual.

waiting for snow

it's coming sometime today, though not much "they" say. you know who "they" are, don't you? in the meantime, it's me at the old viking and watching TV, sort of, mostly listening. that's pretty much what we do in the winter in maine, sit around and watch snow fall. at least those of us who are unemployed, which is far too many sad to say.

men's shirts?

a new beau perhaps? or taking in laundry? no on both counts. got these at the salvation army thrift today for about $1.50 each, 100% cotton plaid shirts. over one-half yard of fabric in each shirt...how good is that? so, my TV time will be spent cutting off buttons and pulling out seams to add this to my plaid stash for an upcoming quilt project. remember, buy u$ed and $ave. i try to whenever i can. ***** a first for mom today! took her to a local Thai restaurant for lunch. she had never eaten Thai food and i'd been hankering for some pad thai so off we went. she thought all Thai food was spicy hot and was pleasantly surprised. a brief diversion in our otherwise boring no-work existence.

bonnie's new look

bonnie of quiltville fame has a fancy new look to her blog courtesy of some techno-santa...check it out! looks sort of like the north pole, don't you think? bonnie could be our very own mrs. claus!

(not so) extreme makeover

i've been pondering how to find a larger flat space for ironing/basting small projects etc. i've started the process today after repurposing a folding table we've had around for eons. i've moved some furniture around, vacuumed ALL the dust bunnies and the plan is taking shape. just a few small purchases to make to get everything in order and also make some curtains. once it's done i'll do a grand unveiling. it has been a challenge and more than once i have verbally expressed a wish for a larger room sans carpeting, but it simply can't be changed. even so, i think i can make it work. watch this space.....2011 came in like a lamb, a cloudy, misty, gloomy lamb. the sun peeked out once or twice, but tonight it's going to rain, so a sunny day has been put off.

first finish and thank you!

last night i didn't want to choose something from my UFO list, so i pulled out a pattern and whipped up this little doo-dad. it's a sewing machine mat with pockets! i used a rebecca barker print i bought in lancaster plus some scraps and finished it this morning. great for those notion items i like to keep at hand but don't all fit on the table OR, more likely, get covered over by projects on which i'm working. not my idea but a goodie. ***** thank you to the invisible computer guru who cleaned that hideous rogue software off the computer. ****** it's a balmy day in maine with sun shining! today's the day for clearing the decks, taking down the tree and other christmas decorations, cleaning up the apartment, enjoying our annual treat of a roast beast dinner and just plain relaxing. i got my laundry all done yesterday in anticipation of a busy day. no resolutions but goals, plans and etc. for what i hope to do this coming year. as always, my wish is for good health for me and my family, prosperity, help for those in need, time for fun and staying focused on what is really important amidst all the distractions. that about covers everything......

tale of two finishes

two exciting finishes to report today. first, i finished up a christmas tablerunner i started a month or so ago. it was imperative that this item not become a UFO and added to my list, so early this morning i got up and finished the binding. next, the butterfly quilt is completed! i finished the actual sewing yesterday and then washed it. this morning it was dry so it got its picture taken to post here. this pattern was a special request from DD and is the wedding quilt for she and DSIL. i am thrilled it is completed. this was my third hand-quilted quilt to be completed this year, the other 2 being the double wedding ring and the blue/white pyramids. that's a lot of quilting, especiallly since i worked full time until just recently. i am pretty satisifed with what i completed this year; my UFO list is down from 24 to 20 because i started a few new projects this year and unearthed a couple that were packed away as well. now i can relax today and formulate my plan for the list and what gets completed next. i'm also planning a re-org and revamp of my bedroom/quilty space to find a bit more surface area on which to iron, etc. ****** little brother machine came home from the 'hospital' in the new sewing trolley. all set for another quilty road trip!