BOO!

the guild's halloween challenge is history, so i can show my entry now....i didn't win but i don't care...i just wanted to do something fun, try a couple of new things and be part of the challenge.  i call it "midnight ride"....

this isn't something i'm keen on keeping so it'll end up somewhere else.   it was also our community service presentation night.  we awarded a quilt of valor and presented many bureau toppers, lap robes, walker bags and a few stuffed dolls to a local long-term care home.  all in all, it seemed to go well and everyone seemed happy.  my day was crammed with senior center and attention to some small but irritating medical issues beforehand plus the first appointment with my new cardiologist--quite different manner than my previous--but if he is good at what he does, that's all that's necessary.  there were a couple of other snags but they got ironed out.  our veteran recipient was a 93-year-old delight who shared his experiences and was truly gobsmacked by the honor.  ***  charity sewing is all done for the rest of the year, so thoughts turn to UFOs and christmas....with a budget on life support, making some gifts is a must.  today, tho, it was finish groceries, hair cut and flu/pneumovax shots on this delightful, perfectly fallish day with a pleasant breeze, so welcome after hot and humid on thursday.  weekend plans shaping up with plenty of R&R at the top of the list!

design wall monday

after breathing a huge sigh of relief and packing up the shirts/pants, sewing time turned to my wild turkeys.  i've got it this far and a narrow-ish border will be added, then basted and ready to quilt...

i really like this pattern and the rustic look of the plaids and repro fabrics....now the sewing table surface is once again cleared and ready for the finish of my guild's halloween challenge piece.   after that's done (due thursday), have some small things lined up to sew.  the design wall is starting to droop over the multi-layers of things in progress....feel absolutely giddy over finishes, don't you?  *** and even tho the calendar says october, the 80+  temps are back with us for most of the week.  beach anyone?

going, going....

and gone, or at least they will be tomorrow....

the shirts and pants are done....or just about....2 buttonholes and 2 buttons away from the finish....they'll be picked up tomorrow and that leaves one little project to be finished by thursday.  whew...it's been a busy charity sewing month for me but october's cool air starts my own personal sewing time.  i still have the large donation quilt to finish, but it's hand quilting and i knew it would be a long-term project.  the shirts were easy; the button cufflinks as well even if awkward to fashion.  the pants were a challenge with lots of hand sewing of details that are not found on modern styles.  and after those 2 buttons and 2 buttonholes, i can relax and have some sewing fun.  i hope you do the same today!

finish drought over

early this AM while building still in required "silent" mode, finished the hand sewing on the 2nd pair of pants, so now only 7 buttonholes from being done!  celebrated by pulling out some of my things and ended up with 2 little finishes....

first, the next block of the 'antebellum album' sew along--good thing as block #9 out tomorrow...

and the 2nd thing was this pillow that needed finishing....was a giveaway from jan patek, a kit so all included except cording and pillow form. 

took both these photos with my camera so editing was problematic...but no matter, they are off my list.  ***  and while i was communing with my bernina, thought of another oxymoron....good landlord.....yep, they are sure hard to find if at all...me, i'm still hoping to find one. 

turkey update

been working on these turkeys during monthly bee sewing and hoping on track to finish in time for november.   switched gears a bit before finishing up the historical stuff....2nd pair of pants just about done except the crotch seam....tonight will be doing the hand sewing that's left.   after the crotch seam, it's 7 buttonholes and then an evening of sewing on buttons to finish up this commitment.  while glad it's nearly done and gone, have to say it added another set of skills to my garment sewing repertoire.  the only thing left with a deadline is the guild's halloween challenge project.  then the rest of 2018 is free for me and some christmas things i want to sew and some UFOs that need tackling.  ****  with only one day in the low 80s this week, it appears summer has left the building!  living away from new england don't get that dreaded feeling of approaching winter....bring it on!

blogger's quilt festival....

after visiting wendy's blog, i caved and decided to join in...the difficult part is which of my quilts to choose....so i decided on this one

it's milky way masquerade!  i love this, all those batiks....lots of great prizes and eye candy for any quilter....hop on over and join the fun!  ***  today starting the 2nd pair of historical pants...itching to pick up one of my UFOs but have to resist for another week....

one to go....

and that means three of my historical garments are all done--except buttons.  the buttons are bought but will wait for the last pair of pants and have a marathon button sewing evening....

the shirts were fairly easy but the pants a bit of a learning curve.  they required more hand sewing and extra flaps in the front than what i've sewn before.  the 2nd pair is ready to cut out and with most of the week free to sew, should be done by next weekend...which will leave me time to finish up the last item on my september list, a challenge piece for october's guild meeting.  *** october scrap attack is to empty the selvedge strip shoebox making more potholders.  ***  coming up on one year post surgery very soon....friday was apartment cleaning day.  before surgery it took me about 3-4 hours to go thru and vacuum, wash floors, clean bath.  two months after surgery it took me 3 days, which included daytime naps.  last friday only 4 hours and the place was all tidied up....the realization that i have really pretty much recovered astonished me and again reminded me how very blessed i am....even on dark days (florence and rainy days en route) of the climate or the soul, are to be praised....

not quilt related....

raining again outside and in my family!  my daughter lost her job today.  she is a nurse and worked at a rehab facility where most of the help are lazy and not really interested in patient care; managerial staff hardly speak English and have no managerial experience; several instances of staff members stealing drugs; lack of adequate supplies on a regular basis; agency nurses get called in without ever having seen the place and not knowing procedures; patients always late getting meds if at all; the food is terrible....i could go on and on.  she made an error, which is no surprise given the conditions there.  it happens frequently by others yet they get to keep their jobs.  my daughter isn't perfect.  when she first got the job, she was suspended for stealing drugs--which she didn't--and after contacting the state nursing association who connected her with an attorney, she was reinstated after 4 days with back pay....that was an omen i believe....she hardly ever had time for lunch.  am i biased?  well probably, but i know she is an excellent nurse, both in compassion and procedural issues.  does she get flustered with too much stress?  absolutely....her patients love her care and say so frequently.  the wound care supervisor has commented positively many times about her treatment.   some of her co-workers are clearly there for the paycheck only without regard for patient care.  the place is running on a shoestring without proper supplies, orientation of agency staff, firm but fair managerial staff.  my daughter deserves better, and we are trusting God in this storm for direction, wisdom, revelation....it's the best we can do. 

bit o' playtime

saturday was a day almost totally devoid of any ambition....exercised, did laundry, cut up more scraps, picked up generally but not much else.  no doubt it was from the extreme change of temperature from blistering hot to downright chilly...but at the end of the day rallied a bit to try an idea that's been swirling around in my mind...

dear friend vic in NH had gifted me a kona cotton jelly roll of pastels a while back....over time i've used a few strips but still have most that were waiting for the right project.  with plenty of precut scraps on hand, got these 6 blocks together lickety split.  i'm hoping to use up the rest of the jelly roll making these squares from a pattern found in a tula pink book....the green print fabric on the bottom middle block is a leftover from a trip around the world quilt i had made for my daughter about 35 years ago...i think that was my 2nd quilt.....

finally got my new marden's stash washed and a couple more pink polka dot blocks done.  while cutting up scraps, found the white with black dots in the basket.  not sure how many more blocks i'll make but it'll be a respectable wall quilt when finished.  ***  now that autumn is close, been firming up my christmas gift list.  it'll be here THAT quick and looking forward to a bit more holiday enjoyment after being sidelined last year when missed all the holidays from halloween to valentine's!

friday breather....

for the first time this week, the temp was only 70 degrees at 6 am....so cool down is finally here!  the end of the week also brings a respite from marathon charity sewing....today with the QOV now done and patterns traced and ready, can start my historical sewing.  speaking of QOV,  here's a shot of it on my bed....

i just love RWB quilts and this one is ready for some well-deserving veteran....and speaking of color, our speaker at guild last night was a sorta local gal (PA), gyleen fitzgerald....

her trunk show was awesome and her talk was lively, fun and interesting...always insightful to see how other quilters work and what they make....she didn't get thru her entire stack of quilts, but the ones seen were simply stunning and awe-inspiring.  if you need entertainment for your guild, can highly recommend her.  and once she said that most of her entire stash is FQs, well, i felt an immediate kinship as that describes mine as well.   that means it's all about the color and value and not necessarily the print of the fabric.  ***  my to-do list is ready for the weekend, one that is decidedly cooler and probably wetter; good sewing weather!