super sewing sunday

wow, so much done for a one-day blitz!  after the last hem on the ottoman cover, finished all the little patchwork ornaments and finished all but 2 of the scrappy indigo square-in-a-square units.  also went through a large food bag stuffed with selvedges and trimmed them up.  i also got some santa sewing done and remember those red repro applique blocks?  got them assembled into a flimsy.  it was a no laundry, vacuuming or cooking day, just plain sewing.  after venturing out first thing for a bit of exercise, it was just me and the old viking all day long...plus bonnie and her quilt cam!  a most relaxing, enjoyable and productive day indeed. 

non-quilty finish

not the greatest photo but this is the ottoman cover completed.  hardly a professional job--no cording or pleats at the corners--but a HUGE difference from the previous second-hand condition.  the futon chair cover is cranberry so this goes perfectly.  i guesstimated at buying the fabric with 2 yards, so not enough left to even make the cording for around the top.  it goes well with the blue carpet as well.  with this out of the way, i can return my focus to quilty UFOs and sewing.  **** we have a bit of snow on the ground but temps are going up to 50 tomorrow, so bye-bye first snow.  me, i have other dreams instead of a white christmas regardless of how festive and quaint it might be, not the least of which is "blue variety" coming this spring. 

a winter squishie!

a smiley face and a survival kit for some stormy day this winter.  i have a pattern already in mind for these repro colors.  this came from vic who lives further in the country than i do, so i am hoping she has plenty left for any dreary day that comes her way this winter.  **** no word yet from australia on the arrival of my secret santa package.  the postman said it would be 5-7 days by air mail, so it should be any day now.  *** on today's agenda is a bit of christmas sewing and maybe get that ottoman cover hemmed and on the ottoman.  that leaves me with 1 nonquilty project, that of painting the chair in my sewing room and making a chair seat pad, which will be a string thing done with selvedges. 

one done

first, OMG, is tomorrow really december 1st?  like, how did THAT happen?  really fast, i'd say.  today, though, i've been sewing away on a few things.  i got the first entire block done of the scrappy indigo quilt; there are 12 of these in all.  so far i like it, a lot.  blue and white is so crisp and classic.  next, i've been working on a cover for my ottoman.  finally got tired of seeing it in the used state (it was a freebie) and so got it nearly complete today, just needs to be hemmed.  it isn't anything fancy, i don't really do slipcovers at all, but it works and looks fresh and new and matches my chair.  those were all my requirements.  then i've been quilting on the scrappy christmas quilt because, as i mentioned, tomorrow IS december and i hope to finish it before the end of the month/year.  so, what are you doing? 

save the date

someone decided the time has come to promote the LQS or local quilt shop.  a date has been proclaimed, january 24, and so i am happy to do my part.  now for those of you (er, us) who might have possibly overindulged in 2012, a whole new year is starting soon, clean slate!  so, help the economy and visit your LQS on january 24th, or maybe 2-3 of them?  i patronize a few for different reasons and it's difficult for me to choose just ONE, but rest assured, i will rise to the challenge.  for more details visit here.  it's the right thing to do.

times have changed

whereas in past decades i swooned over crooners and hunk types, now this makes me feel faint and go weak in the knees....paisley!  these are from edyta sitar's "dancing in the rain" line, just in at my fave repro gathering place, BUSY THIMBLE of litchfield, maine.  i've had them a couple of weeks now and can't get enough of looking at them and wondering what luscious project awaits for them.  and whereas in past years i have gifted myself with something particular at christmas, i think i've taken care of that already this year, what with my Lancaster trip and now these.  and i say, who better to choose a gift for me than me? 

more merry sewing

not having any christmas sewing deadlines looming, i have the freedom to sew for christmas fun.  since those ornaments were just so darn cute, decided to make a few more.  thinking about my christmas fabric stash and what might work prompted me.  these are almost done, just have to sew down the binding on 2 sides and loop the ribbon through for a hanger.  **** in addition to these, been quilting on my christmas ribbons scrappy, hoping for a december finish.  this project, plus the ottoman and more scrappy indigo units are on the sewing table this week.  finished the flannel pants for the cool nights.....priceless!

busted!

first task this morning was to tidy up the thread box AND fill those many empty bobbins.  they made the bobbin box look so forlorn!  my thread spools are kept in a plastic container with a lid and it is imperative that they all fit.  so, when it gets a bit crowded and the bobbins are empty, a winding session is needed.  like most, some thread goes back to the 1980s or 1990s, just a few, but it really needs to be used.  i mostly use white or cream for piecing but pull out the colors for scrappy piecing.  and i've a new spool of masterpiece yet to try.  any testimonials out there?  anyway, 9 spools got moved from spool to bobbin.  just a bit of sew housekeeping.....

next!

took this UFO to PA but never got started on it; it's a scrappy indigo quilt that i am hoping to get to the flimsy stage this month.  it will be on next year's UFO list too, but it is progress. *** also been working on some "just takes 2" squares inbetween AND quilting on the christmas ribbons scrappy too.  *** today, though, i'm concentrating on deleting all those cyber-Monday quilt shop and fabric sales.  the one that was most painful so far was from cherrywood fabrics, luscious solids that i've used before, a 2-for-1 deal on their scrap bags, that required a steely resolve to ignore.  and with a new year looming, my resolution (again!) is to ONLY shop my stash as possible in 2013. 

martha stewart not!

my daughter has long been a fan of anne taintor's calendars.  i tried getting one last year but they were sold out, gone.  so, this year i ordered it early, even before it was available, and it arrived last week.  the photos and captions in this calendar are the complete antithesis of martha's mantra(s).  for those of us who remember the 1950s, the pages bring a chuckle and not a small amount of irony.  while i don't consider myself a feminist, i do realize there are men still out there who think a woman should stay home, barefoot and pregnant.  i was never one of those women and even less so since i've been single for 28 years.  perhaps one of the reasons i've never remarried or even dated is that i'm just too independent, not an altogether bad thing. **** a wonderful thanksgiving meal with family.  our turkey just over 9 pounds so after dinner and doling out some leftovers, we have only a little left.  cut off the drums and wings prior to cooking and plopped them in the freezer for another time as we were afraid of having too much left over.  soup is all made as well.  so guess we'll be having fish for dinner very soon!