long ago homework

i wrote this for much-needed extra credit
AUTUMN

Leaves, like broken kaleidoscopes, spill their colors
on sunny days of cool, fresh air.
The quickening pace of winter's call
reminds of a life all too brief.

When all but firs have shed their coats,
the early dark envelopes us.
Too soon to sleep until the night is o'er
awakens new with spring's first herald.

new flimsy

this is the next flimsy.  these blocks are 15" square, the pattern is a variation on chinese coins i found in a quiltmaker magazine, designer is rachel griffith.  i'm calling it "autumn change," because i'm using autumn prints/colors.  this will be a hand-quilted giftie.  *****  yesterday i cut up a stack of scraps into inchies for my leaders/enders project.  i also basted 2 small pieces, one of which is a languishing UFO.   the halloween needs a bit more sparklies and it will be ready to baste/quilt, should be done in time for the "witching hour!"  ***** today i'm hoping to tie the red/cream.  the binding needs prepping for what will probably be an official finish this week.  another week or so and the decks will be cleared to get back to a hand quilting project for me.  not a moment too soon as the weatherman is talking about really cool weather this coming week with snow in the northern elevations.

FNSI: The Results

the red/cream is finally at the flimsy stage.  i finished piecing the piano keys and adding the inner border last night, but didn't attach the keys until this morning.  tomorrow i might pull out the folding table and get this basted and tied so i can move on to the binding.  that would give me another UFO finish this year, which is always good.  **** last night i also finished all but one of the letters on my halloween piece.  i am hoping to finish the wallhanging in time for the 31st, a good possibility.  **** next machine project?  my autumn change top; fall colors in a great scrappy quilt.  this is earmarked for a gift when completed.  hand projects are the halloween piece and one of my amish quilts, hoping to finish at least 1 before the end of the year....or maybe before thanksgiving?  now that's a stretch but could be, could be.

FNSI

it's friday night sew-in!  my life is so completely dull and empty this is a notable event...not complaining, just stating facts.  me, i got an early start!

springtime wishes

these tulips were some i planted in my yard eons ago and glad i took a photo when they were in bloom.  it'll be more than a few months before we see any of these here in the hinterlands.  each week the temps fall ever so slightly toward a too-long maine winter.  for now we are basking in glorious fall weather while it lasts.  **** up early this morning and finished a swap giftie that i can't show right now but will when it's received.  today i'm tackling the red/cream borders and get that flimsy done once and for all.  last night i finished sparklies on my witch's shoe buckles and, since it's sunny, hope to finish the black letter applique.  i have an ott lite and can do this at night but it's so much easier in bright daylight.  also this morning i pulled out my stash of wrapping paper/ribbons and cleaned/organized that.  other friday plans are for a delish seafood lunch before the shack closes for the winter. 

marden's trip

my monday trip to marden's was well controlled, bringing home only these 3 pieces.  the cheddar is 1 yard, the others half yards.  i'm thinking of enlarging my "blue cheese" bow tie project as they are just so darn cute!  and to find a good christmas fabric with a white background can be a challenge, so i usually get one if i see it.  **** raining cats and dogs again this morning, so an ideal day to stay in and finish the red/cream flimsy AND the halloween too, wouldn' t you say?  went to the library yesterday and stocked up on DVDs.  i only have to scoot out and get the paper. 

added some sparkly

though the photo is a bit difficult to see clearly, i've started doing some embellishing on the halloween piece.  on the hat are little silver stars with silver beads and on the shoes are green sequins with green beads.  i also gave one of the bats black-bead eyes.  if i work on this project only, it should be done for halloween; we'll see if that happens.  **** rainy and cool here today but i heard the phrase "43 to 49 overnight" on the local weather.  Yikes, 43 is only 11 degrees over freezing.  this isn't good news at all; inevitable yes, but not good.  **** another ominous news item was the very possible collapse of the government in Greece.  that's right, the ancient seat of governmental establishment itself could very well disappear.  what do you think this says about governments in other places?  an idea whose time has come and soon to be gone?  and what then? 

flimsy done

bit of a skewed view but yesterday i finished this flimsy and photographed it on my bed, for lack of a better place.  the 2 side rows are hanging off the bed and can't be seen, but you get the general idea.  this is completely assembled by hand, squares and top, and it will now be hand quilted with a wool batt.  that's Transfer-eze in the middle with the elaborately detailed quiting design....it's an urn and lots of feathers.  **** right now i'm mainly working on the halloween piece to finish by the end of the month.  yesterday i got my sparkly embellishments and it should be cute when done.  after that i get to quilt with 2 quilts now ready for the really fun part.  ***** took a break yesterday afternoon and met up with bonnie hunter and carol perkins at the famous marden's.  if you hop on over to bonnie's blog, you will see photos at some point; she had a very late arrival home so might be sleeping in this morning.  no doubt carol had a late return home to rangeley as well. *****  me i was up at 4:30 this morning and got some applique done already.  it's really feeling quite fallish here now.

only 4 days til....

friday night sew-in!  no big event since i usually sew most every day, but it's an event regardless!

won't be long

we'll be trimming the tree before you know it!  i made this little star for a reason, but then discovered it was too "modern" so i have to keep it....what a shame (not!), so it'll hang on my tree this year.  of course, that means i have to make another but no big hardship.  ***** this weekend i sewed a lot.  you've already seen the red/cream northwind and i have more of that piano key border done.  i also hand sewed on the amish pinwheel.  only 1 full row and half of another need to be sewn on, so it'll be a flimsy in no time.  once that's done, my hand work will focus on finishing the halloween piece.  looks like november is basting month, plus hand quilting of course.  i've got ideas swimming in my head for the large spaces on my center diamond quilt.  the red/cream is getting tied and i can quilt on the other 2, hoping at least 1 gets finished before the end of the year.  that'll give me 2 more big quilt finishes and the halloween piece, if all goes according to plan.  **** today i'll also be meeting up with bonnie hunter and show off the nearby Marden's.  I'm pretty sure she'll find SOMETHING she can't live without, even with her seemingly voluminous stash!  **** on another ominous note, i read on another blog about someone who was told by a shop owner that cotton fabric will go to $19 per yard....if that's true, many of us are sitting on fort knox-like stashes, so maybe i'd better stock up at Marden's today.  That's my reasoning and wouldn't be frugal to do otherwise, don't you agree?