another finish

another UFO can be crossed off the list; these are my rail fence placemats.  they are ideal to showcase my blueberry stoneware plates and bowls made right here in maine at union pottery.  yes, i'll use them and they will get dirty and then washed.  if they wear out, i'll make more.  almost certain i can find more fabric someplace.  **** and a pat on the back to joann's for closing their stores on Thanksgiving.  i am boycotting any store that chooses greed over celebration this holiday. 

doesn't take long

this is my new scrap basket.  the stuff that was in it went elsewhere and so quickly it has scraps!  all i did was clear off the 2 sewing tables and found them.  it joins the little bag of postage stamps and the little square basket of 2.5" squares, both leaders/enders projects.  *** already this morning working at the old viking on another UFO project.  the placemats should be finished by week's end too.  see, i don't just ADD fabric, i use it up too!

thank you victoria!

vic and i met up yesterday at a delightful little antique mall in NH for...fabric, what else?  actually, this was a vendor that vic met back at the Cocheco show in october and wanted to show me the stuff.  victoria brought me a little giftie, 2 FQs and a stiletto, wow!  i don't have one of those, have used a reasonable facsimile up to now but no longer.  i have an official stiletto!  the little mall was chock full of zillions of antiques and nostalgia items.  remember those coin banks in the shape of a globe?  yep, i had one at some point.  there are lots of lovely baskets as well, and priced very reasonably.  vic picked one up and she might even show it here.  after our retail therapy, we proceeded to newick's for a delish chowder lunch.  a table right on the water with bright sun was a real treat on a seasonably cool november day.  ***  this morning temps in the mid 20s so window scraping weather is officially here.  was up early this AM spending a few minutes clearing the sewing table off getting stuff ready for a busy week.  if i have things ready to sew, can sneak a few minutes in whenever to sew when the schedule is crammed.  so without further delay....off to the old viking!

tis the season

saw these in a magazine recently and just had to make some up.  they are just so darn cute!  though one could hardly call making them busting stash, they will look so good on a fresh, green, maine balsam tree i think, don't you?  other patterns provided were an ohio star and a pineapple block.  they didn't take too much time--paper pieced--but are a bit fussy as i hand sewed the binding down; short, chunky fingers you know.  oh, and on the cover of that magazine?  a luscious scrappy quilt that uses 2.5" squares.  hmmm, i think i have some of those lying around. 

brown truck visit

safe to say i almost never pay full price for a book but after serious consideration, succumbed to this one.  it arrived yesterday and today i'm adding one more thing to the sewing space--a scrap basket.  previously i had cut up scraps into squares or strips but after reading AND seeing this, i need a scrap basket.  i have a lot of strips and squares on hand that do get used but will try something new and exciting with them.  what she does with scraps isn't new, so it must mean i'm creatively ready to veer off into a new quilty direction.  traditional quilts are still my faves, but using color in a different (to me) way is beckoning.  if you read this book, it may speak to you as well.  at the very least, it's worth a look.

october little quilt

with the completion of these squares, i am jumping OFF the little hexie bandwagon so popular right now and seen around blogs.  these squares are about 6" square so they aren't really THAT little but about as small as i care to do.  and now that they are done, yeah, they are cute, but i just don't get that excited about the pattern or even making them.  course, i do have my amish style honeycomb quilt in progress made with much larger hexies.  the pattern was chosen because of its scrappy possibilities and the opportunity to use some luscious cherrywood solids.  the hexies are done, now just waiting assembling--that's a total handwork project. 

one by one...

they fall away.....that's what happened last night.  my aunt madeline, 3rd from left, passed away.  she was 92, without major illness really except weary of life and lonely for her other siblings, except the one remaining.  this photo was taken at my parents' 50th.  my parents are 5 & 6 from left and of course, my dad has been gone now 10 years.  only the sibling left is next to my mom, 2nd from right.  it doesn't seem possible.  in the last 12 years these plus 4 of my cousins have all passed away.  life seems very strange without these people nearby yet i cherish them still.  we believe in a heaven so they are together again.  it is a joyous yet sad day for those of us who remain. 

holy crunch time, batman!

yikes, been spending time at the old viking and completely forgot this month's strip swap of blacks and whites!  some were purchased specifically for this swap, so hoping the hostess will let me send them priority mail today!  sheesh, where DOES time go?  it's been 3 weeks already since returning from retreat and so much has happened in that brief span...election, sewing, work, snow; it's mind boggling.  now to the ironing and cutting table!

another finish looming

just baste, quilt and bind and these placemats will be done.  they are an official UFO and should be off my list before long.  i found the pattern in a very old quilt book borrowed from the library.  and then i found the perfect fabric--the white background blue print--about 5 years ago, so it's been a WHIMM for some time.  *** it's tuesday and a work day so off to the old viking for some playtime.  and speaking of playtime, hop on over to victoria's page for her kind of fun and a terrific book just new to the market!

quick shelves re-org

if you had seen this shelving unit before yesterday, you would have noticed SPACE at the top but no more!  the sewing table was crowded with stuff making it difficult for me to sit down and sew or work on a specific project, so spent a few minutes trying to make more space.  i found some, not a lot, but enough for the time being.  at the top underneath shoeboxes are basted quilts destined for other locales.  if i get these done, then i'll have a bit more room.  on the other side of the room is the elfa drawer unit where most of my fabric is kept.  for the rest of the year, i'm deleting any emails from fabric sellers....i simply have to!