new arrivals!

the black/white and black/cream new stash arrived yesterday.  the 4 quarter yards on the right are black/white and the rest are black/cream from the "cumberland" line.  though barely distinguishable here in this photo, they are different in person.  i had depleted my little stash of black/white some time ago and needed to add a few since they are used frequently for zing! purposes.  there are 4 paisley pieces in this grouping which i'll store with my other paisley fabrics.  **** our storms and humidity have finally abated after a week or so of unsettled weather and we are the recipients of a gorgeous summer day with just a hint of fall air; in fact, some of the smaller trees have already started showing the effects of mother nature's paint box.  although i love fall, many of us here hate the thought of summer passing and winter in the too-near future.  but we still have plenty of nice days ahead before snow flies...we hope!  ****

10 little...

packets of teeny, tiny HSTs all ready to go, so i guess friday night sew-in was a rousing success. also spent time on a kit i want to take with me on retreat.  i am vacillating between taking 3 or 4 projects to do.  one is a small project, so no problem getting that one to the flimsy stage.  the 2nd is the kit and i can probably get that one to a flimsy too.  the 3rd is the civil war diary, not sure how far i can get on that one.  i have another i want to start but probably won't have time for that one, save it for a later date, even though i'm tempted.  the hawaiian is also going with me for when i want to just sit and applique.  *** since it's past august 15th, can go and download the latest installment of "just takes 2" as once my kits are ready to go, i simply must go back to that.   

friday night sew in!

for friday night sew in, planning to finish these little swap HSTs.  need 100 in all and they take hardly any time at all to assemble.  then i can bag 'em up, label and put aside until they need to be sent.  **** luscious day here in southern maine; warm, dry and breezy.  can't believe september is 2 weeks from tomorrow.  **** been quilting on the amish pinwheel the past few evenings trying to get another finish in, though i doubt it will be done this month.  possible i might get this one and another done before retreat, we'll see.  *** on a more projecting note, is anyone thinking christmas yet? 

a prize!

my prize arrived from "a sentimental quilter" yesterday.  a free stencil for my little quilts and a bonus stencil too!  a catalog was included, of course, but i don't really have the need for any other stencils right now.  this is a great company for quilting stencils; i did get a few from them last year....it's "the stencil company" and they carry a voluminous amount of stencils for quilting purposes.  i recommend them highly.  *** a few chores this morning and then maybe some sewing time.  august half over?  can't be...can it?

another finish!

just this morning while lounging at the beach, i finished the binding on this little piece.  this pattern is bonnie hunter's super fast pieced bow ties that i made with blue and cheddar and titled "blue cheese," added a narrow border, then some tiny HSTs and finally the striped border cut on the diagonal.  i really like how it turned out.  *** yes, today was our second day at the beach.  we lucked out and got 2 great days in a row.  with summer whizzing by, gotta take advantage of every good day.  not that i don't like the beach all the time, and often go during the winter as well, i can't always swim.  yesterday the water was nearly like bath water and this morning the weatherman said it was 70 degrees, which i don't doubt.  the only drawback is that warmer waters bring much more icky seaweed, but it's still nice to me anyway. **** on the sewing front, next up is another small piece to quilt before going back to bed-size pieces.  my swaps all got mailed on time, so now just wait until they get swapped out and i find a squishie in my mailbox of different fabrics. 

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.