perfect!

new header photo of cherry trees that are now exploding with cotton candy color....official now that spring is really here!   The first section of "MATO" is done and the first narrow lime border is on and i think it's just perfect....any wider and it would take over, but this narrow slice of lime is going to make the other colors pop, especially against the very neutral background.

again, the colors are not as vivid but hoping you get the idea....and peeking out at the top is the first block of the next section.....first thing today was to make myself a list for april as otherwise, i'd drop everything and work on only this...when finished, this should really brighten up the industrial beige that surrounds me doncha think??? 

road trip!

to lancaster as it's quilt week!  just went for the day before all the activities start, mainly to meet up with a friend and trek to quilty gathering places and eat forbidden foods...LOL!  first stop burkholders...jam packed with like-minded fellow cultists, tons of sales and more fabric than anyone can lust after....but lust we did!  found 2 sale bolts, a lime green for my "midnight at the oasis"....perfect don't you think?

this wall quilt medallion has 3 very narrow (one inch) borders and lime it is to set off kaffe's fabrics perfectly and for binding...another sale bolt of adorable birds....both pieces gifted to me...

then some little rolls for 50 cents each, more than 1/8th but less than 1/4....who can pass that up, right?

after burkholders, a sumptuous, delicious, family-style lunch meal stretching the food restriction limits a bit but oh-so worth it...could you turn down home-made chocolate ice cream??? i didn't think so.....and at the last stop, once again foraged into the grocery budget for some half-price kaffe fabric not-fat quarters for MATO (midnight at the oasis) blocks....

thankfully, will still be able to eat until payday though was sorely tempted to over-indulge!   after a day of too much fun and the drive home, sewing out of the question but wednesday?  could very well be....

little sewing

mostly have been cutting up fabrics for a friend but did manage to get a tiny bit of sewing done on this honeycomb quilt top...made with cherrywood solids....it's couch throw size...there'll be a 5" navy border as i've a feather stencil been wanting to use....

all the side triangles are sewn in and now at the bottom of the honeycombs....did have to cut a few different colors...hoping this coming week will be able to add borders...and then there's this little sewing....

a new baby boy just has to have some fun bibs!  backed with flannel and velcro tabs, done in a flash!

it's heeeere!

it's the annual UFO adoption day...looking for somebody else's treasure to adopt?  hop on over to cynthia's blog to see what is available....what's that?  you say you already HAVE  UFOs?  well, dear readers, who doesn't??? but you just might find that dream project already started that you can finish up lickety split....i had a couple of UFOs had thought about putting up for adoption but can't quite part with them yet...maybe next year (if they aren't finished by then..LOL)....spring rains here today but no matter, it's a sewing day for me...

new week, new finish

spent a good part of the weekend finishing up this wall quilt....my apartment is industrial beige from floor to ceiling in every room so guessing that is why have been gravitating to bright colors more than usual...the camera doesn't do it proper brightness justice tho....

went with the navy binding to tone down the yellow which is a screaming YELLOW....a color i seldom use.   title is "sunny day" and today is very sunny....spring is here for certain as daffodils are starting to bloom....so another UFO is history, off the list....

plastic!

with spring cleaning in full swing, the sewing space is not exempt.  whereas in past years have hung onto these, their time had come to go.   a bag full of pattern templates carefully fashioned out of template plastic...

the large baggie (also plastic) was full, each held together with pins, for future use.....until the rotary cutter arrived on the scene!  only occasionally did they get used but never in the last (at least) 5 years....so they are going the way of rotary phones, 8-track tapes, subway tokens....gone but not forgotten.  ***  and this being st. patrick's day, the aroma of corned beef is wafting thru the building....though it's a no-no for me, did get a slice from the deli to go with my vegs.  i promised the cardiac surgeon i would not squander the gift he gave me and aside from tiny, very occasional foodie indulges, i'm keeping that promise....the gift of life is far too precious!

finished!

not an official UFO but done and daughter is delighted!  didn't bust much stash on this at all but some is better than none....and still plugging away on this, slow but sure....applique on the stems will commence this week....

car still on sick list for another couple of weeks i guess...so have a ride to the store today...off we go!

M is for.....

March!  as in all people quilt's March Madness Pillowcase Sweepstakes.....and then M is for MODA!   yes i won!  a fantastic gift package from Moda....arrived today on this our first real spring day....a big box waiting at my door....how good is that?

a real treasure trove of all things quilty!  should really be thanking my mom, who gives me the subscription to the magazine where the info to enter was found....but can also be found on facebook....a terrific surprise and will be thoroughly enjoyed....

wednesday report

while i have been sewing since the last post, have also been tackling spring cleaning....vacuuming, washing floors, dusting, cleaning the fridge, collecting thrift items, moving furniture....it's been a while since i could do all this in just a few days!   most of my sewing has been hand quilting, hand piecing and cutting up...but this morning betty and i finished these blocks...

barbara brackman's "stars in her crown" sew along....one for each of queen victoria's children...there is a similar star-like border but not going there...gonna dig thru the stash to see if there's a nice border print to finish them off....
for hand sewing, picked up "midnight at the oasis" to stitch up the next step....these "wow" triangles and their setting pieces....

still in my kaffe groove obviously...just can't get enough of these gorgeous fabrics.....at some point in my travels going to be looking for a lime (batik maybe?) print for the narrow borders in this large wall quilt....as for cutting,

cutting up this pile into pieces for future quilts for a friend....now that the fairies wall quilt is just about done (photo later), this project and assembling the QOV top are the last two commitments on my list...2 more UFOs are already in the hoops--a wall quilt and a bed quilt--so continuing on with my goal to FINISH stuff this year.

marooned....

meaning the car is on the sick list...spending much more time in the sewing space browsing thru books....meaning more projects?  could be...in kaffe fassett's book on quilts from the V&A, saw this...actually had seen it before but another look was electrifyingly tempting.   love, love, love it...it's big at 94" square but the borders are 10" so the size issue can be remedied...

on hold until more UFOs are done and maybe then it won't be as tempting?  **** and it's the beginning of the end for this project...

the upside down border diagram section has been righted and the applique can commence...for which i'm thrilled...i think it was 1988 when i saw this pattern at a NH show, bought the pattern and have been inching away on it every so often...this could be the year it will finally adorn my wall!  *** and (gulp), did actually start a few new small projects from this tantalizing siren betsy chutchian book...

all this plus quilting on dear daughter's cross-stitch wall quilt, which should be done in another week?  should be anyway....especially since i'm MAROONED!