ready to mail

all ready for the postman today are the august swaps.  scrappy nickels and brown strips are on their way in the nick of time.  i had hoped to finish the 100 HSTs but have been busy quilting instead.  only so many hours in the day, you know. 

a friday finish

this is the 2nd pinwheel puzzle runner i made and now it's done as well.  the pattern does call for that border but i much prefer the one made without.  the points of the neutral pinwheels get lost, but i think it's more pleasing to the eye that way.  i've already started quilting the next piece, the cheddar and blue bow ties. **** up and dressed already, progress from yesterday.  few errands for today and then back to sewing.  plus, the swaps must be readied for mailing.  still olympic watching....love that synchronized swimming!  **** a friend introduced me to a new quilty website and already this morning i've been drooling over yet more civil war fabrics but, more important, got some ideas to use up the stash i already have.  taking 3 machine projects to lancaster, a small project that is ready to go and my civil war diary papers are in a folder and ready too.  will also be taking a handwork project, probably the hawaiian or maybe a quilting project.  if i could stay a month, could probably get that dang hawaiian all done. 

not exactly a finish

remember this?  gorgeous, i know, but it's a bigger quilt top than i usually make.  and truth to tell, with my already-basted stack plus the ones currently being quilted, not to mention the ones i have planned, there isn't any need for this one.  plus, it'll cost more than usual to finish.  and with so many seams, it wouldn't get hand quilted anyway, just tied.  so, the decision has been made to fling it to a finisher and then donated to someone in need.  that will get it off my shelf, off my UFO list and off my budget and, more important, off my mind.  knowing it is going to a good home to be used for its intended purpose is satisfying indeed. 

when in rome...

and in the interest of fiscal management, we thought it prudent to pick up some of these, given the current glut on the market.  at $3.29 per pound, cheaper than ground chuck, it only makes sense.  i'd tell you where this place is, except then i'd have to kill you....LOL!  **** the muggies are still with us, so this morning i was sweatin' to the vacuuming, after which i sat down at the old viking and proceeded along with the ocean waves units.  yesterday did my own little "state of the stash" and refolded the elfa drawers, pleasantly surprised as a couple of them are not full.  the lights drawer, however, is packed to the brim. that was reinforcement to me that i AM using up the stash and not a moment too soon, either; the Lancaster trip is 2/2/3...two months, two weeks, 3 days. *** the lilac pinwheel runner is almost quilted and i pulled the binding fabric to prep for a soon finish.  looking good for maybe a couple more little finishes this month! 

honeycomb progress

this project is one of those "whenever" that gets worked on whenever there are spare moments.  i decided to sew the hexagons together in pairs, making it easier to handle and hopefully quicker when the top assembling time came.  here i've got about half the 202 total hexagons for the top; all are basted and i started sewing them together...on the left.  what i need is a large design wall and time to leave it up to see exactly how the colors are placed.  since i have neither of those, it'll probably get put together in sections, the best way i can manage.  at some point, i'll spend more time on getting this flimsy together but not right now, just "whenever."  most of the fabrics used are cherrywood hand dyes, so i'm hoping it'll be eye pleasing when finished.  the edge and border are navy blue and so it'll get quilted using navy blue thread.  **** we are stuck with the muggies, even on cloudy days like today.  no matter, i'm getting myself acclimated for an eventual move a bit more south with more muggy weather, a trade-off for miserable maine winters. 

what does one do?

recently experienced a stab in the back from a relative.  this person and i are not friendly, nor is there any desire to be so on either side.  this person came into the family later than most of my cousins and was raised a prima donna.  this person was treated like a queen from the moment she drew a breath.  this person has had every advantage possible while others of us have struggled mightily.  she was cute when little and she has smarts like many of us.  for some reason, she is the only one who has achieved any measure of success, though.  my brothers have law degrees and i've a BA.  i worked in healthcare many years in admin support positions.  we have worked as hard as this person, if not harder, as we didn't have the benefit of financial backing.  this person lives out of state but is not missed.  we hardly know she exists except when she waves her wand and it affects one of us.  do i sound jealous?  when i was younger i was, but not now.  she has little that i really want except something that was promised to me.  i assumed she was mature enough to honor that promise.  as of yet, that isn't the case.  it's true, i wish i lived out of maine, but i have my reasons for staying...at present anyway.  and this person is unfortunate in that she didn't have the best role models.  so what is there to do?  nothing, i guess.  i've left messages for her with no response thus far.  what they say is so true, you can choose you friends but not your relatives.

twinkle, twinkle

little stars, almost ready to send off to swap-land!  just have to finish pressing, clipping and then label and mr. postman can take them away.  again, little squares like this use up hardly any stash but they are cute, i think.  **** in addition to finishing these up, did some applique and quilting yesterday.  the lilac pinwheel runner is nearly ready to bind, which will give me another finish very soon.  after that's done, will tackle another small project.  then once cooler weather hits, i can hopefully finish up the 2 amish that are close to done and possibly get another bed-size quilted before 2012 is history.  that'll put me in good UFO shape starting off 2013.  maybe can also squeak in tying the "fat tuesday on orca bay" and fling that.  by year's end, the indigo scrappy should be a flimsy and maybe civil war diary also.  **** been looking around for a scrappy to use up my batik fabrics on; so many patterns from which to choose.  i did see a slightly wonky star that might work that is within my size requirements.  i am also hoping 2013 is the year of the hawaiian; finishing that up will be quite an accomplishment, not to mention the inchies and the scrappy 9-patch.  ahhh, so many projects and ideas as always.....

1 potato, 2 potato

the maine quilts special theme was "seed to potatoes, fabric to quilts," and these are 2 of the many that were submitted.  quite a few were patchwork or applique in colors of the field or end result.  this circular quilt is by kathren albert depicting the fields and a collection of mashers.  the one below i thought was kind of cute (some go for the amusing vote) and was made by melissa stufflebeam called "tater tots."  ***** blistering hot day but good for sewing, working on the little stars blocks, some laundry, a few errands and some swap prepping.  a quick trip to joann's for a ruler and then back to the sewing room for more fun with phoebe!

sign of the times

was driving home from the library the other morning and saw this on a local seafood shop.  now do you wish you were here?  naaahh, me either.  **** quite overcast and humid here today so far. had plans for a night out but depends on how things progress weather-wise.  **** yesterday's sewing focused on some little swap star squares, which are about half done at this point.  also working on some applique stuff...always plenty of sewing waiting for me!

best of show

this is "rainbow nouveau" by margaret solomon gunn, best of the maine show this year.  margaret makes beautiful pieced and machine quilted quilts that can be seen at most every major show, and she nearly always garners ribbons for her work.  in addition to her stellar work, she has young children who need her care, so you know she has to find time to do this inbetween normal mothering stuff.  some years ago, margaret chaired a four seasons little quilt swap in which i participated.  her latest is shown on facebook, if you want to see...well done, margaret, and well deserved!