bit o' playtime...

another UFO, and the one with the least amount done, is a bricks and steppingstones quilt done in plaids.  i have twin nephews and decided to make them each a quilt.  their older sister already has one.  had cut a bunch of strips and the center squares for this but until the other day, hadn't actually sewn anything.  hence, this first block. 

think it looks pretty manly made from cut up shirts and some plaids bought at marden's.  just the first block, but once the strips are cut, should work up pretty quickly i'd think.   might use a red for the centers on the 2nd quilt, but i do like the cheddar!   ***  with the 365 project and now this, the very lights stash is dwindling so will add that to my lancaster shopping list.  those plus a background solid for the farmer's wife, a bit of solid black and the new jo morton "gratitude" and maybe some of barbara brackman's new blues....oh and that adorable alpine christmas line by pink chandelier too....better stop there!  ***  it's guild week here, managed to join 2 guilds that meet a day apart once a month, so it's quilty feast week for sure.  ***  and our senior center group has decided to do a QOV and make a presentation on veteran's day, hoping not only to honor a local vet but perhaps generate some new quilters to our group.  ***  it's a hot week here in maryland with days over 90....ideal for cranking up the a/c and sewing!  

from every mountainside....

let freedom ring!   proud to say i am a descendant of revolutionary patriots, even though their decision to fight was defense of their livelihood and not any great desire to be free from England; until British ships came into port to commandeer their lumber, they were loyalists!!!!

in college, i took a course called "literature and culture of the early republic," studying printed materials like newspapers, pamphlets and books.  an assignment was to visit the library's special collections and take a look at some examples.  my choice was a book by john adams....what an awesome feeling it was to hold such a tome in my hands (with gloves) and actually read the words of such a great man.  have ridden by the adams "farm" (now in the middle of a bustling city) often but never actually took the tour...and of course, he and abigail are buried in a quincy church...lots of history in that area.  can only say i am grieved by so much of politics today...what would our founding fathers say?  would they think it had been worth the cost?  they were not perfect men, but courageous visionaries trying to extricate this new land--and keep it--from tyranny...   ***  pondering these thoughts by sewing on the current projects, the 365 and DWR....   finally took a break from blocks to attach the inner dark border of little squares and am pleased with the result.   only 8 blocks from being current too!   once up to date, going to sew on the next border, the lights made of 6" finished blocks.   will be anxious to tally the yardage used when top is done....here is a photo...

so glad decided to do this sew along....and seeing it coming together fuels my quilty muse....been keeping a pile of scraps on the ironing station to use for these blocks and it is actually diminishing....good news indeed!

sidebar...

had to take a mini break from 365 and basting to sew up these 2 blocks for a guild project.  dug into scrap bins (thank you bonnie!), which made it a much quicker task. 

the goal was a dedicated black center square and then whatever that would be fitting for a quilt for a male recipient aka no pink/flowers etc.  these use 2.5" and 1.5" strips, soooo will file pattern away for possible future project, hoping to deplete some of those scraps.   ***  i peeked ahead to the july 1st block and it's back to 3" darks, well once i finish the june blocks that is...and with all this sewing thought it would be interesting to collect empty spools since january 1st and here is what that looks like....most of these were full, brand new spools so this is proof that there has been a lot of sewing at casa frederick and before.  

 and remember this little list of goals? 

1.  name badge for guild 
2.  finish my kaffe wallhanging  ****
3.  baste "milky way masquerade"
4.  catch up on "365"
5.  stay current on "farmer's wife sew along"
6.  at least 2 lap quilts for guild charity project
7.  finish pink virginia reel
8.  finish midnight garden
9.  cut out 2 schnibbles using on-hand layer cakes
10. sew up pair pajama shorts ****

well 2 got completely finished; the name badge is half done, the virginia reel ready to baste, nearly current on 365, milky way back ready, lap quilt squares cut; farmer's wife, midnight garden and schnibbles not touched....so there is room for improvement here...

a thursday finish....

it's the kaffe fassett wallhanging and there is a tad more quilting on the sashing but that'll get done today and i can count it towards my One Project A Month goal...

used up some leftover binding--white polka dots on orange--that seems just right for this piece and i think kaffe would approve as well!   fell a bit short of my plan to get all june blocks done; about 12 left to go, but the weekend is coming up and hot/humid weather too, so with no big plans

and plenty of a/c, i'll be bonding with the old viking...and the cream DWR is in process with it nearly half basted at this point.  figure the quilting will be started some time on the weekend.  now to pull another project from the "F is for Finish" pile for July....after a year being folded in the car's trunk, the scrappy boston commons has been laundered and is now bright and clean again, ready for winter or whenever (if ever) it gets cold here...  *** still very happy and content here in maryland and my nice and cozy apartment EXCEPT some horrible person has a disgusting air freshener that smells like vanilla or similar and it is totally stinky and annoying....certain fragrances bother me, some cleaning agents and those nasty plug-in things; tried to keep windows open today but still lingers with them closed and a/c on...as far as i can see, it's the only downside and is really disappointing me.  certain people take it on themselves to spray the hallways as well and occasionally one will be equally awful.  it's like lightning, never know when the stinkbug will strike.  if only my apartment were just inside the door....maybe someday....

monday design wall...

this wasn't the only sewing i got done this weekend, but would you believe this little block took more than 2 hours to assemble?  whenever it calls for 1-inch squares and strips, i know it's going to be complicated.  it's called 12 crowns and spent most of the 2 hours wondering if i was really committed to this project or not....but now that it's done, will probably stick with it....as long as can fit in my busy schedule of mostly unimportant stuff.   ***  and just like that another weekend has passed and it's monday.  my week to-do list is pretty vacant right now but could change.  during new england winters, plans are always contingent on weather, and so it is here during the summer...but to escape icy and snowy roads, the smart trade-off for me anyway.....*** so block june 11th is next; just a week to get current....can it be done?  will certainly try....***  my daughter is a nurse and she started working at a day camp for disabled children today...it is her passion and she is ecstatic they called her back again this year...she glows with the unconditional love they give her, and they bloom with the attention and love she showers...if only she could find a permanent job like this--would fill a void in her life and be an asset to those in her care....oh aladdin!

summer job

this commission came along to generate a bit of income and to keep me busy while hibernating in a/c for the next few months....a queen size, cream-colored DWR quilt...i know, it's a huge undertaking but planning to have it finished before retreat end of october.  once the kaffe wallhanging (see below) is finished some time next week, will begin quilting the DWR in earnest....by then the 365 will be up to date as well...that's the rough plan right now.  the person who started the quilting just got too busy and from her stitching, can see why....very tiny stitches taken not in ditch and not beyond seam allowance, so she was quilting thru 3 top layers, the batt and backing....i quickly informed her that my stitches are not that small.  i am going to try and follow her spacing, but since i use a rocking stitch, may not be possible.  also, not yet basted either....she'll have the option to decline once i've given it a try....

as for this small piece, have one more square to quilt, then a few edging triangles, then bind it up for a june finish.   never again will a complicated quilting design be chosen for such busy fabric.... but i love the colors....wowza!  and wait til you see the binding...kaffe would approve!

hump day....

takes on a whole new significance when not working....so far have not found any work, but confident the right job will come along at some point.  in the meantime, continue sewing along and loving it...
today start on june 5th--excellent progress indeed!

and this got done yesterday as well....

so today it's a bit o' basting....but with only a week until july, the june blocks are a priority....the next 3 are some of "those" with a gazillion pieces, not difficult but time consuming.   ***  up early this AM and popped a quiche in the oven that'll be on hand for meals the next few days--that and a rotisserie chicken and some fresh vegs are on the menu...how good is that?

taking shape

had an opportunity for some slow stitching yesterday; pulled out the hexie project to take stock of progress and do a bit more....you can see have started sewing on the spacer row and what a difference it makes just in this little section! 

starting to look like a real antique quilt and couldn't be happier!   who knew the little hexies and i would bond, but we have!  in addition to this sewing, finished 2 june blocks and more will be tackled today.   was feeling the urge to start a couple of new projects, but have quieted that feeling by looking over some UFOs, a sure fire cure!  ***  summer's arrival has brought consistently hot days ahead, so should be more sewing progress to show--with more finishes???  that's the plan....

not too early....

to think about next year's projects and progress....with my birthday coming up end of august, am thinking about gifting myself with this....

it's the quilters' planner....in addition to this roomy monthly calendar, there are project pages, graph paper pages, lots of idea jotting space, etc.  it's sort of a birthday/reward gift for my lengthy and so-far successful no buy behavior.  having worked for behavior modification specialists in the past, know the value of a reward and this is a doozy!   so, am i addicted to organizing?  does it make my life unmanageable?  not a whit....in fact, just the opposite.   same with quilting....all this chat about quilting as an addiction is pure hooey in my book.  no matter if one swoons or eyes glaze over fabric, not even close to addiction.  in the past had occasion to visit more than one detox facility and there IS a difference, trust me.  doctors, PhDs, therapists are all too quick to label people; in fact, everyone they encounter from the grocery store clerk to the dry cleaning cashier.  diagnosing patients is one thing, but snap judgments are quite another and often these so-called professionals cannot distinguish between the two, something about not seeing the beam in their own eye....so go ahead, beef up the stash, quilt til you wilt, take that cruise and sign up for that workshop...it's good for you!  and besides, it's only an addiction if you want to quit...LOL!

hel-loooo june!

finally finshed ALL blocks for may and am now starting on june....so, not too far behind at this point but some of the early june blocks are super complicated, meaning lots of little pieces--but forge ahead i must!   and since may blocks are done, here's a peek at the last few.

during the recent stash reorg, found some green lights and mediums that would work for this project, so added them to the mix.   have printed out up thru june 10th; will see how long it takes to finish them.   before moving on to june blocks, took a mini-detour and finished up blocks for this little UFO

that hope to tackle today and at least get it to the flimsy stage; from there it'll be a quick finish.   *** few days of 90s weather coming up, which makes for good sewing time.  even when i lived near the ocean, didn't venture out, especially to lounge on hot sand.  haven't yet found my way to the shore here in maryland, but there'll be plenty of beach days ahead....enjoy your summer sunday!