back from summer

though i missed the DC cherry trees this year, did manage to find this one still in full bloom....soooo gorgeous!  and trekking the washington mall spied these wisteria, also beautiful and so summery.  *** it isn't even close to summer here in maine yet, and i do miss it already.  more than that, i am missing my daughter and son-in-law.  a great visit was had by all and we are planning more in the future.  i am slowly learning to be a mother-in-law...LOL!  not yet unpacked or back on my former routine, but while i would miss my family here, not keen on living in maine at all.   *** and to no one's surprise, i found a quilt shop, a very nice one in fact, and explored it with a new friend from last year's retreat.  turns out there are plenty more quilt shops in the area i haven't even visited....for now anyway!

no photos....

busy riding the rails to BWI...and did i bring sewing?  you bet!

in mourning

nobody should be surprised that such an enjoyable and renown event would be interrupted by such violence.  boston is a magnet for people from all over the world.  sadly, not all appreciate the opportunity they have.  thankfully, world-class hospitals were close by.  in addition to the casualties, injured and mayhem created by this infidel(s), my beloved Women's Lunch Place has been closed down for the day, depriving hundreds of needy women much-needed services.  my first reaction is that of revenge, a human feeling.  massachusetts has no death penalty.  do i believe in it?  would it have made a difference?  probably not.  if anyone doubts the reality of evil, doubt no more.....   

a quick reply

the question was posed how i wash my charms and yes, i do use a lingerie bag.  first i scrunch up the squares to make sure they all get washed.  once out of the dryer, ironing is necessary but at least i know they have been washed and dried.  and yes, i have already chosen a patten and started cutting out the pieces for a small hand-pieced project.  what fun!

a "charm" ing squishie

recently participated in a civil war reproduction charm swap and so these arrived in the mail yesterday.  it is the most frugal way to obtain new stash.  first a quick trip to washer, then dryer, then into the stash for future small quilt projects.  *** dodged the SNOW bullet, but it is chilly for april here this morning.  maybe spring will come NEXT week?  there is always hope....and BTW, a happy birthday to Gladys Taber, author of the "stillmeadow" books.  if you haven't read one, you are in for a delightful sojourn!

a mod finish

so here is the mod tote for my laptop all finished except sewing up the seam inside where it got turned.  i think i used up about 7-8 FQs making this; it is always good to bust stash!  i saw a kit for this in a quilting catalog at $45, so decided to try and make it on my own with pretty good result i think.  even though these little 3.5" blocks sew up fast, it does take a bit of time to make enough for a project like this.  another shoebox got emptied as well, double good!  **** other than this finish, life is quiet here in our maine lake woebegone.  it's been cloudy and rainy for a few days but would you believe they are talking snow for tonight?  me either!  now on to another little project plus more quilting on autumn change.  and today's word?  enjoy! 

no need to ask....

what else i did on sunday...here's the proof.  this is probably the one time i am soooo glad we don't have a gas stove.  i turned on the back (i thought) burner, then had to run to the {ahem} facility, which is another, longer, much more unpleasant saga.  anyway, yes, i turned on the WRONG burner and quite soon the kitchen was smoky.  so glad it wasn't the cover else gordon ramsay would be, shall we say, disfigured?  i watched this series 4x on the BBC channel and loved it, so got the book; his other shows don't interest me because there is almost no content--all bleeped out.  unlike many cooking shows, this one is for the home aka normal cook.  no wacky or expensive tools or ingredients, but he does utilize some new-to-me spices that are interesting and jazz up banal recipes.  like most professionals, he makes it look super easy and simple.  those i've tried so far are very good and fairly quick to prepare.  i flung 3 cookbooks so i've room to keep this one.  now back to quilting......   

early morning strippin'

on the to-do list today was to cut a stack of 1.5" strips for an upcoming swap.  experience has taught me NOT to commit to 10-12 packages, and this time it was 4.  so pulled out an elfa drawer and cut 40 strips 11 x 1.5" (bottom right).  and since the rotary cutter was warmed up, also cut a stack of repro strips for an inprocess project (bottom left), which left, obviously, leftovers of some short strips, inchies and then strings (top, left to right).   glad to say the trash can didn't get fed much at all from this task.  **** with this done, can go back to laptop tote and some hand quilting and it isn't even 9 AM yet...how good is that? 

singing (the praises of) the blues!

that would be jo morton's variety blues....yes, finally got to fondle them yesterday and bring them home.  aren't they gorgeous!  indeed!  on the drive back to the village where i live, about an  hour, couldn't stop thinking about how to use them.  plenty of patchwork visions danced through my mind--while obeying the traffic rules, of course.  first off, wash and dry, then fold and add to my stash of irresistible jo morton fabrics.  and now i'm thinking....brown variety?  green variety?  cheddar variety?  oh yeah, i sure hope jo is reading this!

taking stock

every time i add a bit of new fabric to the stash--these are madison manor FQs from jo morton--time is spent taking stock of what's been used up.  my head was nearly hung in shame after last year's retreat when almost 40 yards of fabric came home with me...i know, it seems like a HUGE amount.  but since then, the plum solid and batik bali pop has been used, 3 yards of a green solid just about gone, 3 yards of a dark blue print also cut up waiting to be sewn that will incorporate many of the batiks bought, the mod FQs are disappearing slowly, the summer breeze blues/yellows made into the mondo bag, other solid FQs cut up for the amish style ocean waves, black/white prints were swapped, and bits of civil war repros used in various little quilts.  true, it hasn't all been used but feeling confident i haven't become a fabric collector.  my swap gift at retreat was a collection of blues/yellows batik charms, and those are going toward a pair of pillowcases--white with tiny 3" paper pieced stars--some time this summer probably.  rest assured i'll be sewing up a storm between now and this year's retreat...after all, i go to have fun and shopping for fabric is an absolute fun requirement!