civil war marches on...

but this was no battle for sure...once again, put off a bit by the pattern photo but the actual project came out much more appealing to me.  as mentioned, this pattern and some fabrics for it were gifted to me about 2 years ago and have to admit, wasn't really drawn to finishing it.  been languishing in the stash all this time.  my resolve to vanquish UFOs brought it immediately to mind and, with house of cards on netflix, decided could get it done even without a huge amount of mojo.  after seeing the hourglass blocks attached--fabrics chosen at random--my mojo perked up and the 2nd red border sent it into overdrive.  i believe those few blue hourglass blocks really helped it a lot cohesive-wise. 

included in the packet were some really nice eagle and lincoln portrait nickels but alas, not quite large enough for those corner squares, for which i used a print of words that describe lincoln.  the final border is some large patchwork squares that are in process now.  the impetus to finish this to flimsy stage is high and, because it has no real destination, low priority for basting and quilting.  so just call me pleasantly surprised once more!  i hope the gifter sees and likes this....thank you!

monday sewing

this was the kind of holiday weekend of which i had long dreamed....of course, missed not getting together with family...that comes later...but no real big plans, plenty of quilty ideas and mojo...just meander through the 3 days and do what the fates prompted....and as janet had requested....

finished the braid doll quilt flimsy...a large quilt from this pattern was on my wish list, now crossed off...all those bias edges are fussy!   this satisfied my piecing curiosity....have some indigo/white plaid binding all ready for it too...and what's left from the FQ bundle?  this much...

not too, too much but enough for another little quilt?  quite possibly....and dug into my orphan blocks and found this, which will soon have company.  the flash washed it out but you get the idea.

i think the FQ bundle originally had about 3-4 yards total, so after this one, the remains will go into the scrap basket and could even use it all up...wouldn't that be a feat!!

from every mountainside....

let freedom ring!   and we owe our freedoms to so many who gave so much....they will never be forgotten....proud to be the descendant of a revolutionary captain, a war of 1812 captain, a WWI soldier and a WW2 soldier...

and in homage to all the brave souls throughout the centuries....i finished my RWB pin cushions....

i really love the RWB combo...so crisp, so soul-stirring, so patriotic....this is a holiday monday so rules say no housework today...LOL....but raining so no cookout either...guess it's another sew day?  yep!

a bargain!

lovely applique book with lots of baltimore patterns....now out of print, sacrificing mine (never used) for $30 plus media mail shipping....went thru my bookshelf recently and realized have too many applique projects and UFOs waiting for me.....

three cheers!

for the red, white and blue, of course....can't recall at all when this pattern was purchased, at least 5 or more years ago, and today was the day shopped the stash for some patriotic fabrics to finally sew some up.

thought these would look ideal in a basket.   mine aren't quite finished, but they should be by weekend's end....so here they are so far

i think they'll add a real festive touch to the apartment.  *** and did you say rain?  we had a real gully washer yesterday and i happened to be on the highway....lots of heavy rain, the kind that nearly completely obliterates visibility, plus lots of lightning and thunder.  by the time i arrived home, it had stopped, of course, and today is a beautiful early summer day.  got to spend 2 full days with my amazing, beautiful and intelligent daughter....but i'm not bragging at all...lol!   no real plans for the weekend as usual...just relax and enjoy!

monday design wall

it's a warm and rainy day in my neck of the woods today...great for sewing of course! sunday was a puttering type of day but did get started on my civil war project....

the next round is of hourglass blocks, which are in process...then another red border, then a wider border of more patchwork blocks....and was remiss in giving credit for the new england sampler quilt pattern....it is a brandywine design...

did get the pieces all basted down and rolled it up for traveling, so it's ready to go.  it'll be a convenient beach project but not this week--won't be up to 80 until next weekend.   it seems our moderate winter is continuing into moderate early summer.  so it's monday..let the sewing begin!

it's about time...

recall that old TV show?  it's about time, it's about space, it's about *** and the human race, or so went the opening theme...well, last week somebody on quilting classifieds, a selling site, posted a pattern that tweaked my conscience...so nothing else to do but dig it out and take stock....and look what happened!

the bottom and final panel is ready to baste so it can be appliqued....this is new england sampler, a pattern i bought back in the 1980s--yes, 1980s--but perfection fear kept me from working on it long before this...i took some applique classes and tackled the flower blocks and the house panel, but oh those vines...severe vine phobia!  a month or so ago hung this on my design wall to "remind" me and today got out my bias bars and found the vines weren't so scary after all.  am now determined to finish this in 2017.   there's a narrow inner border then a sorta wide muslin border with more flowers and vines and then about a 3" final border.  it isn't bed size but rather a largish wall piece. once basted it'll be rolled up for portability.  after this, there are just a few really old UFOs on my list....recall the civil war diary?? 

3 for 3...

lap robes for the guild, that is...i belong to two guilds and already made 3 for one guild and now 3 for the second...except for the QOV, taking summer hiatus from charity sewing...

the top fabric was a jelly roll from the guild, but the backing, batting and binding came from my stash...haven't quite finished sewing down that binding, but today should do it...no pattern and no rhyme or reason to blocks, just made a bunch of blocks and put 'em together....the gold fabric has some metallic in it and i would choose this one if it was up to me... ***  as you can see, i've put up the folding table again and have to say, love having an extra, spacious work surface.  also got some basting done of both UFO flimsies and some applique.  ***  our mini heat wave has abated for now with comfortable temps into next week, but now that may's end is here, it's only a matter of time until the summer muggies arrive to stay.   time just flies by like crazy, doesn't it?

what's in the box?

well, this is what WAS in the box yesterday morning....with an entire day ahead, thought perhaps could wipe out this box of batik scraps...

and by late wednesday night, this is what was left....

the trash was full of colorful itty bitty trimmings and this was on the design wall....finally...

once complete, it'll fit perfectly on the inside of my apartment door...i think i should call it 'lifesavers'....and the vacuuming?  it did get finished but you can hardly tell now....threads and snips all over the place.  having and taking an entire day is a terrific way to stay on task and make real headway into finishing these UFOs....i've another one already lined up for another such day which could be saturday or sunday.  try it, you'll like it!

this and that

monday awoke with every good intention to tackle some housework....only takes a couple of hours and wanted to get it done for the week....but my quilty mojo had other ideas.  while tidying up to vacuum, spied this stack of leftovers of cheddar and indigo and wondered what i could use them for....recently saw a doll quilt done in a braid and decided to try it...

yep, these will do nicely and should almost bust this little pile, but back to vacuum....before could pull out the machine, checked email and once again saw my stickie note about "wild turkeys"....plus ads for christmas fabrics...yikes, christmas already?  better get my turkeys done first....so located the templates i had prepared and went to the stash for fabrics....found these nice plaids and some fallish cottons and next thing i know, here they are ready to applique....but back to the vacuum....finally! 

by evening after supper AND vacuuming was done, sat for some TV with this project...the senior center's QOV.   this quilt was in the frame when i arrived last year with the intent of everyone doing the quilting, which didn't happen.  before you could say "red white and blue" i volunteered to finish the quilting, so it's my early summer project.  have a good head start, and we are hoping for maybe a july 4th presentation or veterans' day if not....

today's plan is to finish up the housework--honestly it is--and then more sewing of some sort...so nice to have plenty of choices!