space wars

as i've trolled the 'net, this is not just my challenge....fabric and quilty do-dads take up space!  but how to keep them neat and close at hand?  with hot hot days ahead, want to get some real sewing done, but first some tidying up is in order.  since the demise of the 2nd bookcase, piles of fabric have hampered my vacuuming efforts....getting errant strings caught in the power nozzle is not a good thing.  and with a tight budget, have not been able to replace the bookcase as of yet.  so, on to plan B, a temporary resolution.  first up, the shelving unit.  placing books on the side with spine facing out freed up some space, for which i used the plaids and stripes piles.  that's them on next to bottom on the left.

next, was able to eliminate the pile of tans and some browns in front of the treadle by using my spare clear shoeboxes...

am thinking this would be the least expensive route to go for the rest...very easy to see what's available this way.  course, would need something eventually for all the shoeboxes, but maybe not.  the remaining task is this pile...

a working stash is often a messy stash.   must tackle this and see what can be done about clearing more floor space.  after having my fabric available since moving a year plus ago, i do believe i can see a reduction in the amount of fabric i have....and this is good.  just going thru the tans again, re-found some gorgeous fabrics waiting for my inspiration.   once this is completed and the floor is clear again, pretty sure i'll be more inspired to vacuum....LOL!   next up is to make my sewing to-do list for the summer.   have already prepped some travel projects for when i'll be on the go.  more sewing means more flimsies-in-waiting for quilting.  and i've been assigned a special project for mid-july, details of which i'll share later.  ***  with breakfast over, time to dress and make today's list....bye for now!

birthday girl!

no quilting today...celebrating a special day with my dear daughter....she is the absolute best a mom could hope for!

one of her favorite pals from days gone by....our beloved pooch, penuche...so named for her color...whom we nearly lost her during her inquisitive pup days when she swallowed a brillo pad and was quite ill until the diagnosis was made....she loved miss B when she fed her treats!  happy birthday my sweet!

almost....

a flimsy!  that would be this throw-size civil war commemorative project.  have to admit, would never have chosen this particular pattern but pretty satisfied with the result so far. 

once again, the pattern photo shows it made with much darker fabrics, but using more lights has made it less foreboding and more eye catching, i think.  the square sashing is this brown with a white pinstripe, which i never thought i'd use but it works well for this and even managed to use it all...good indeed!  all the pieces are cut for the remaining 12 blocks, then it's on to the next thing which is this...

this circus theme fabric was also gifted to me 2 years ago. i fussy cut a lot of the animals and some of the border sections and then found this popcorn fabric at marden's for background.   the fussy cut squares are all different sizes so first have to make them uniform size and then plan the top.  i love these colorful clowns but am wondering if they are too scary for children.  it'll be my homage to ringling bros when finished...who ever thought circus would fold?   not me certainly.....  appreciate your thoughts about the clowns....

summer isn't even here and making good progress on the oodles of planned projects.  the basting/quilting pile has grown but it was inevitable.  made a trip to the dollar store for paper stuff and found this...a pool noodle. way better than cardboard tubes for rolling applique projects and practically free at $1...if you applique, it's a very handy item...already hacked cut mine up for a couple of projects that'll be traveling this summer.

 the skies have cleared for the moment...things to do and places to go...have a terrific day!

funny thing happened....

while sewing up the border blocks on the civil war quilt.  was fishing thru my scrap basket for small pieces to use and stopped to organize the pile a bit...once again came across some leftover cheddar triangles that i'll confess were cut wrong by me.  too pretty to toss of course, but use for what?  went to the stash and did some auditioning and voila!  now there's a halloween project in the works.

all that's left to do now is come up with a pattern for this project that uses these units...talk about putting the horse before the cart.  ideas are swirling while i'm sewing up more civil war blocks.  there is more cheddar and of the pumpkins fabric as well, plus a black print might be useful and maybe some white....at least the cheddar triangles are no longer lonely...LOL...

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!