a diagnosis!

whew, what a relief to know i wasn't just imagining things! after playing in knee-deep stash piles yesterday and working on about 5 different things, thought i was simply having an "off" day but nooooo!  i was suffering from this malady that affects probably ALL quilters and crafters...now i can relax and enjoy the illness..thank you dr. msmidge!....LOL!   ***  so what did i accomplish you might ask?   the little heart applique wall piece is basted,  more scrappy 9-patch blocks, cut up a bunch of little scraps, started yet ANOTHER scrappy quilt.  someone had gifted me some FQs with a circus theme, one with elephants, one with tigers, one with clowns and so on.  did some fussy cutting and now have to shop for a background to tie them all together for a child's quilt that will get donated when the time comes.  oooh feeling faint, an exacerbation of symptoms no doubt...must go and start the machine!

a little tumble...

took some gifted 2.5" squares and turned them into tiny tumblers...needs more variety but it is a start. already made one little quilt with civil war tumblers but looks like will have another in mod fabrics...oohh i do love the bright colors... a veritable cotton crayola box!  ****   and remember i mentioned red's eats in an earlier post....they have been featured many places for their generous lobster rolls, and it was a fave place of my dear dad for fried clams; can attest that everything they sell is good but for me, not worth the wait.  as you can see, it doesn't deter many tho....this was nearly 2 pm in the afternoon on a friday and the line was like this at 12:30 too....no wonder other seafood shacks have popped up across the street for the impatient and/or starving masses....

to order and pick up food, have to make it all the way up the little hill and around the corner to the window.  this is route 1 in wiscasset, a pretty little town, but the traffic is bumper to bumper all summer long--makes it easier to ogle the masses waiting for food and see other sights in this little village.  and as i said, the food is very good but have a snack before you come....LOL!  *** ay caramba! september already?   did we have summer?  it's another hot week here but seriously, it has been a rainy summer and with a late start as well.  plenty of good days left before the nasty arrives.   and i don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy autumn.....

over to the NOT dark side!

somewhere in a deep corner of a box are some very nice civil war repro spool blocks waiting patiently for me to add to them.  but my fingers were quivering when i saw the mod charm squares last week and so couldn't resist making these today.  not yet sewn together but just photographed to see how they look together.  the colors are not exactly right but these are definitely NOT civil war fabrics.  bright colors are really fun to sew with and drool over.  this will be a small wallhanging; thinking a narrow white (or maybe aqua? peach? lime?)  border and then maybe some narrow piano keys all around....time to go shopping in the stash again!  and no money needed...how good is that?

even more stars

not sure if these are exactly "later turkey reds" but they were the first reds at hand, so this is what was used and will have to do.  once all are made and some quilt is assembled, they will work fine i am sure.  the old viking was quite happy to come out and play on this last sunday of august.  hard to believe most of another summer is behind me.  after a lobster lunch, finished the last row of the summer sampler--all in all, a restful day, as it should be.  also ready to mail are the civil war nickels for swapping....

i don't swap often due to postage costs, but civil war nickels are a big temptation, and it is always interesting to see what is received.  and now back to regularly unscheduled sewing fun!

a finestkind birthday day

the day dawned sunny and clear....up early and off to the shore for a surfside selfie.....tide nearly in and nice waves....my suit is packed in a box someplace but it was delightful nonetheless.  mom had bought me a beach chair stand-in for my birthday so we could lounge in the sand....next up...

some stand shopping to replenish our supply of fresh veggies....corn, beans, cukes, tomatoes, potatoes, basil, summer squash, eggplant and peppers...corn fritters tonight maybe?  and then....

some shack snacking on delish fried clams with a homemade tartar sauce....mmm, good!  this is our go-to seafood place mostly, though we have others, as they do fry their clams in batter.  red's eats is another, but waiting in line for an hour in the hot sun wasn't our idea of fun.  then a stop at the lobsterman's garage to bring some home and a quick run into joann's for sale stuff.  long stretch of good weather just right for some outdoor time.  lastly, a surprise visit from brother #1 and a small cake ended this birthday on just the right note!  spent every minute of this day having fun!

i took the pledge...

this sew along has exploded with now 1900+ enrollees, some of whom have jumped the gun and started their blocks...not me, and so i decided to commit and NOT start my blocks until it's time.  yes, i have fondled my book and CD, yes i have downloaded the patterns, yes i have my foundation papers at the ready, yes i have some mod fabrics set to go, but with things still in flux a bit, don't want to have another project in progress that might be waylaid somehow.  thinking positive thoughts that i WILL be in an apartment before this starts with ALL my stash at hand...in the meantime, will keep on keeping on until that wonderful day arrives....now off for some birthday gallivanting!

done minus one

one more row of gold blocks to add and it'll be a real flimsy...course, going back to the instructions and adjusting the length of the rows really helped a lot.   the last row plus this week's stars in turkey red are next up on my sewing list.  after a quick trip to joann's for some fleece, will baste the little heart piece that will become a small wallhanging for my new sewing space; have some vintage buttons that'll be used for embellishment.  ***  our overcast and humid weather ends overnight with several days of real nice summer days ahead.  before we know it, though, leaves will start to turn and fall, ushering in the most colorful season.  can't wait to see those pumpkins!

not quite but.....

a sort of birthday surprise arrived in the mailbox.  and yes, a new keyboard is working great!  no more lisp, as lori says....LOL....but here is the haul....gorgeous moda fabric named after me..a layer cake and some stripe yardage; 2 wonderful books that have my fingers itching big time, some precut charms and small squares, some ultra-thin pins for this not-thin-at-all sewist, and the beautiful card with a lovely personal message inside.  totally gobsmacked over this and other surprises that have done much to keep my mojo going and spirits up. 

 

the charms are deliciously mod and colorful.  the moda "grace" is very vintage looking; in fact, someone had gifted me a jelly roll that i sewed up into a small flimsy, but can use these to make it larger and put on a swanky striped border too!  the books are sooo inspiring with lots of wonderful and new-to-me patterns that have me wanting to sew right now and, in fact, have chosen a couple to do right away after some birthday celebrating of course!  a thousand thanks to one and all, including this special quilty muse, for everything.  rest assured, it will be repaid in kind.  ***  the ugh hazy, hot and humid days are with us temporarily but we carry on as usual. the wait continues but enjoying the garden's bounty and summer activities nevertheless.  *** and would you believe over 1800 people in the farmer's wife sew-along?  i kid you not, over 1800....this is an event of epic global proportion...if only world problems could be solved so easily with fabric and thread.  now there is a birthday wish to dream on!

sunday creativity

first is the summer sam*ler in *rogress....*ardon the broken *........it is larger than i had thought because, of course, i ignored the math when starting this little summer sewing fun.  no matter, it will find a home somewhere with somebody; if it is me that is ok too.   this was a really fun summer *roject.  ho*ing to get it done before end of se*tember rolls around and the farmers wife sewalong starts.  as for the stars in a time war*, i ski**ed this weeks stars....no faded cottons and none i wanted to bleach out either. 

then, made some lemon zucchini bread.  it calls for a lemon glaze but it is too sweet glazed, so it wont be.  it is very moist and nice for midmorning snack or even a dessert-like cake.   these days i seldom bake a lot, but there are a few things i really like and this is one of them; regular zucchini bread--the s*icy kind--is another.  it was a monsoon-like day here today; in fact, it has been a rainy summer overall but end of week looks very nice.  maybe some birthday lobster is in my future?  remains to be seen......at any rate, birthday or not, am very blessed to have another year to claim!   now, on to monday!

state of the stash

over at the stashbusters yahoo group, every year in one's birthday month, a report on the stash is made. mine is just a week away, can you believe it?   the annual report/confession/reckoning is SUPPOSED to reflect how much has been used and how diligent one is for actual stash busting....know what i mean?  since most of my stash isn't with me, thought i would show the stash that actually IS with me....

it's all packed up (except for some scraps and blocks) ready to be mailed once the housing call comes.  the car will be full and there is no room for these 5 boxes, so the USPO will do the honors....at a price of course.  most of this, well at least 2/3, was gifted to me so i could sew during my continuing sojourn in the desert; a bit was purchased by me....on sale of course...and some i brought just to have on hand.   when life gives you scraps, make quilts or potholders or table toppers or whatever... it's the right thing to do!  ***  it's a gray and humid day here but no snow, which is always good!  keep cool and quilt on!