let's see....

pheasant, venison, geese, ducks, rabbits....100 people, 3 days of feasting....i should be back in time....found this photo in amongst stuff taken by DD eons ago at a school field trip to plimoth plantation.  since i trekked to the grocery this morning for our feast fixins, thought it would be an interesting parallel...and to make this quilty related, here is another beauty from the gerald roy exhibit...

this little quilt is pretty simple but look, the birds are actually storks!  no doubt somebody's choice for a tiny baby quilt...i actually think this might be a doll quilt but either way, it has survived beautifully...perhaps it was made for a baby who didn't survive as those never got used for other children.  hop on over to victoria's blog to see lots more of these beautiful specimens...in the meantime, gotta get ready for quilt cam today, wahoooo!

one of my faves...

isn't this gorgeous!  wonder why the vine border?  perhaps she had a lot of green left over?  we'll never know but this is one of my favorites from the exhibit friday....a kind of low volume quilt, serene and comforting...watch this space for more to come!

anywhere near new hampshire?

if you are then you must go here!!!!  right off route 89 in warner, just west of concord about 15 miles, is the most jaw-dropping exhibit of antique crib and doll quilts you just might ever see.  the building is restored and a perfect venue for these quilts.  lots of vintage thingies on display as well as stenciled floors and walls, plus a wall mural in the entryway.  i didn't know but gerald roy actually LIVES in warner, a quiet little town chock full of federalist style homes and little else.  the few luncheon places close at 2 pm (except one)...there is an independent book store, a general store type place and very few other places, at least that i saw.  and the quilts, oooh the quilts!  all small and most from the 1800s....some well worn and some hardly used.  parking is a breeze.  the building has a sandwich board out front so you can't miss it.  the docents are knowledgeable and uber-friendly.  before old man winter closes us in, an ideal trip to take and breathe in autumn's last.  and we actually did have some flakes that were short lived, thankfully!

secret stitching revealed....

these little pine trees got stitched during some free moments and were gifted to my retreat pals in october, so i can show them now.  have made a lot of them over the years for little momento gifts...i think they are adorable!  can be pin cushions or ornaments, depending on your preference.  i still do some cross stitch occasionally but have had to abandon 18-ct due to "aging eyes"....same reason i have mostly given up quilting on black fabric.  *** it's my weekend and despite a slow start to the day, have every minute mapped out between quilting the amish and finishing borders on shenandoah.  the scrap basket is once again full as i've been cutting out triangles for the "wildest dreams" antique repro, which i am itching to start, but must focus on some finishes.  *** now, tho, have to locate my winter scarf and rev up energy for the day....keep warm and keep sewing!   

up to date

the little alphabet sew-along is up to date as of today when the "V" instructions were posted.  also switched out the middle section of  "O" making it more distinguishable.  only 4 more letters and can finish off this little whimsy flimsy, get it basted and quilted for a someday donation.  *** border #2 is on the shenandoah log cabin so this project is on track for a soon finish.  it'll be tied and also probably donated at some point.  *** lastly, quilting the border of amish center diamond is now going on.  this one should also be a finish before the end of the year.  when done, it's going on my bed as a switch off for the scrappy pinwheel now being used.  the batting is part wool so it should be warm enough for any vicious winter maine can dish out.  *** that's all the quilty news from this lake woebegone.  keeping busy is keeping some family concerns at bay, praying for a soon resolution...but not complaining at all...still so many things for which to be thankful all year round, not just november. 

small sewing

first was to sew up a little amish style piece using up some blocks put together a while back...these are 3" finished and about as small as i make.  i had 13 blocks and used 12, holding the other until more blocks are made someday....maybe.  next is the start of a batik scrappy pineapple piece to see if i can finally use up some batik scraps still on hand after several projects.  i place the inspiration for these solely on bonnie hunter as a few years ago she showed her tiny scrappy pineapple blocks and i was immediately sucked in, smitten and totally over the moon.  she is a serious enabler for sure, but the very best kind.  only planning on 25 of these, providing my scraps hold out that long.  ***  these little projects took my mind off our first snowfall with more in the forecast.  it was inevitable and not the end of the world by any means, but it is a nuisance and one must bear up living here in new england.  and judging by the country's weather map, could be a lot worse.  *** and the very best news is saved for last.....the applique on the hawaiian is completely done, done, done!  this means it will next get basted and hopefully start quilting before the end of the year.  first, though, must rack up a couple more finishes from the 2014 UFO list.  have started more projects to be added to the 2015 list, so doubt it will be any shorter next year but there is progress of sorts.  *** while in pennsylvania touring back roads, saw a sign in front of a church saying "too blessed to complain" and am hoping to keep this in my mind all the time.  despite disappointments and setbacks, my life is rich in so many ways.....

civil war coup

it was a battle of sorts but finally won and got this little block finished finally.  part of the reason was when i printed the foundation, i didn't do reverse and so when it was first sewn, was totally opposite from the original block.  i took it apart and tried to tweak it but had to start over with a new foundation, not to mention some dedicated time to have the book open in front of me while sewing it together.   no, haven't picked this project up again but the block was languishing on the sewing table and had to be corrected before the table could get cleared.  have been working my way to seeing the top of the table all week and getting this done is progress.  ***  today is miscellaneous sewing stuff day to get the table top cleared first, then focus on the borders for shenandoah.  later on will get back to the hawaiian as well.  planning to use up some tiny amish 9-patch blocks put together with scraps into a small wall piece which will get the blocks off the table as well.  so all of today's minutes are planned and will be used up for sewing and relaxing fun....all in all a delish day off!

scrappy alphabet

this sew along is nearing its end, so thought i would show my progress to date.  this is being done completely out of my scrap basket.  the great thing about taking photos is that i can see the letter "O" must be replaced as the fabric used isn't that defined.  have no destination for this little wallhanging but no doubt an occasion will arise at some point and make a nice gift. ***  it's my friday today and it's been a challenging short week trying to stave off a serious cold/respiratory illness.  in addition to sewing progress, my christmas gift list got finalized.  no big plans for any of the upcoming holidays, just relax and enjoy.  with plenty of sewing projects and more than enough fabric on hand, that should be easy peasy.....

to paraphrase....

the journey of 1000+ patches begins with a little stack.....yes, i AM cutting them individually for that scrappy look, and no, i do not have any kind of timetable for this beautiful antique quilt project.   it's just one of those things i could not resist and will be done at some point in the future.  since the hawaiian applique is nearly done, bold adventurousness took over and decided to take this on.  i simply love it, and the pink was already purchased while on retreat.  am also up to date and a bit ahead on the little alphabet blocks; starting to put the rows together for what's done and it is pretty cute.  also got a stack of units cut out for more solid bow tie blocks.  *** in the process of trying to eke out more space in the sewing corner of my room.  a tall bookcase was selected with (hopefully) enough shelf space for the stash to sort by color, not yet assembled as the floor space has not quite been found.  the boxes have to be shifted to unblock the heating baseboard since winter will inevitably arrive at some point.  *** one border is finished and applied to the scrappy shenandoah cabin.  lots of things in progress, which is how i usually sew, and often results in many finishes in a short period of time.  i'm shooting for  2 more bed size finishes before year's end, so gotta go....time's fleeting!

inchie sewing

it started simply enough by trying to clear off the sewing table....i came across a baggie of inchies given to me at retreat by michele...wondering how long it might take to sew them up into little strips, less than an hour later they are sewn into pairs and some into foursies...but chain piecing can get boring and besides, the sewing table is STILL in need of a clear off, so i'll put these aside with other inchies for another time or maybe later today.  the main project is borders for the shenandoah log cabin PLUS a little quilt project that has been percolating.  and yes, the hawaiian is coming along.  i've just about finished the last large cluster of fronds and heading into a short section that will finish the applique part.  and some time today, will get another alphabet letter done...today is "S" so it's a serendipity sewing day, cloudy and cold outside but bright and busy inside.