basting blitz

with december flying by--3 weeks from today it's GONE!--attacking my to-do list with vigor...pulled out my folding table for some prep work....first up, pinned binding on the antebellum album...now waiting for walking foot and finish.   then the 'home sweet home' got basted....it's been waiting for enough fleece on hand...

then the gwennie inspiration piece...

then the santas....i folded it to show the backing, a donation to the senior center like the santa blocks....

then the 'firewheel' block....borrowed a tip from barb and used a small toile piece for the backing, rather than cutting it up and lose the delicate design....

lastly a new top from a jo morton book....i used on hand stuff so different than jo's but might add something to the middle piece, maybe an eagle applique?  basting will wait until completely done....

all this has left me with a nearly naked design wall...my december goal! 

i've one more task for the folding table then it's back in the closet until next time....all in all a productive morning.  what's on your quilty plate today?

a smidgen of shopping...

or a tad of therapy...either way squeaked enough out of the budget for these 2 quarter yards of fabric....

visited local shop yesterday to meet up with a stashbuster pal and pick up some flings for the senior center.....whereas in the '80s and '90s we quilters were busy acquiring mass quantities of fabric, now--speaking for myself--frantically sewing and sharing trying to use up as much as possible.   and keeping true to my rule, i did not buy these because they were beautiful....oh no... i have a plan for both.  the top is an aboriginal print going for a zipper purse and i even bought the zipper!   the crabs will also go for smaller zipper purses; zippers to be obtained later, probably joann's with a coupon as their price for a 7" zipper is a near-gouging $4...which i think is totally obscene.  the 12" i bought at the quilt shop was a mere $1.50....but aren't those kangaroos sooo cute!  of all the aboriginal prints, this bolt had the least amount, easy to see why.   the visit with my quilty friend was awesome as usual....she has medical issues too, and though it wasn't a full-blown "organ recital", we did commiserate and vent a little about our "new normal" lifestyles....she is a role model for me and someone i admire greatly for living above her circumstances.  ***   a sunny and cold sunday, just right for putting up my little tree with the 4, yes 4, strings of lights and all those ornaments with so many memories--like visiting old friends.   easy to be grateful and feel blessed on such a day!

am i blue?

not me but pantone has just announced their 2020 color choice....

oooh i love this.....not quite as dark as my background for the scrappy double wedding ring.....but this morning while going thru 40 years of quilters newsletter mags, just happened to rip out a couple of inspiration ideas...and you guessed it....

not starting either of these just now--but maybe someday--and no doubt will find a few more as i continue perusing the old magazines.....so fun to see well known quilters back in the 80s and 90s and articles by those who have passed on....so many memories.  and astounding to see how quilting has advanced since the magazine folded....

squeezing and easing

all those years of sewing mistakes came in handy today when i went to attach one side of this border...it was a skosh short but was able to ease enough to fit....and with that, these border pieces finally got used up and off the bulletin board.  there was not enough to miter but i am satisfied with it, especially since every inch got used.  these are not favorite colors of mine but found this pattern on quilterscache...a 16" block called 'firewheel'....and knew could find stash (understatement) to match the border colors.  ****  then whipped up these 3 blocks for guild winter swap, again, enough stash on hand, that hoping somebody will like.  these 2 projects busted some entire small pieces of stash, which is how it usually goes.

with my christmas gift shopping completed, can continue to focus on the sewing to-do list.   one is to baste that santa blocks wall piece with those red/green flying geese on the design wall!  *** no snow yet here west of baltimore and exciting news in the paper this morning....next year's G-7 summit to be held at camp david, a mere 10 or so miles from here....fancy schmancy neighborhood!

weekend retreat sewing

had a busy list of to-do for the weekend and happy that most got crossed off....all that's left is to finish this donation lap robe....

it's 40x60 and will be enjoyed by somebody i'm sure.....besides this, finished up a couple of giftie items and these amish ornaments....

they finished better than i had anticipated.....and wanted to try out a little zipper coin purse....first one was (ahem) prototype and needed tweaking, but the second was a win!  it's smaller than the photo shows, about 4.5" across at its widest point....ideal for all those extraneous cards i keep in my purse and my medical info....

kaffe fabrics work for everything it seems....christmas cards were found and unearthed, today is present wrapping and some ground turkey meatballs on the menu.  quilting on the tan amish 4-patch continues and hoping for a december finish and just maybe one other small.....the must-do list for december is now shorter and well within completion reach.   rather than dwell on disappointments and losses, having things to make and finish help keep me jolly during the holidays and so very thankful for all my blessings.....

mystery finished!

while most are starting bonnie hunter's mystery, today i finished up part of one i started from a previous year....these were pieces in a bag on the shelf for far too long, so finished up into blocks and will donate......

i usually don't do mystery challenges but the colors sucked me in and then fizzled....i'm sure they will find a good home and a purpose....next up was a charity lap robe size, 24 blocks of 10" finished....so the top is just about half done.  this will get tied with black floss and then donated..... should be gone before december is! 

lastly, had one more panel to make into a portrait....got 2 done last year and this one will be done for this winter.   the other 2 are strictly christmas, but this one can be kept up all winter long....was a freebie donated to the senior center and kinda cute....

that's what friday accomplished....just a bit of giftie sewing left and the rest of the year is clear for some basting, some small thingie finishes and knock off at least one more UFO.... with just a few weeks until the days begin to lengthen, this year has totally flown by....so many prayers answered and blessings experienced....i think of a cousin who lost her mom last year on christmas day and my heart just breaks, even though we are not in touch.  having my mom still with us this year spry and sharp-minded is the greatest gift....God is good indeed!

a blessed thanksgiving

unless you just arrived here from another galaxy far, far away, you have already been saturated with christmas and thanksgiving is almost completely forgotten....but we of the new england ilk hold thanksgiving in high esteem....first order of the day is to muzzle all the food police and nutrition pests who feel compelled to control the choices of everyone else.  as long as i have free will and am of sound mind, i'll enjoy the traditional holiday meal--in moderation of course--without calorie or content guilt and hope you do the same.  aside from that, hoping you have family and/or good friends to gather with and forget about christmas entirely, if possible.  i'll close with my very favorite thanksgiving drawing, done by a talented artist well known to me....happy thanksgiving all!

sunday stuff

it's been a quiet weekend here in lake woebegone maryland....weather mild, gray, dreary and sometimes wet....but sewing continues!  first on the list was a couple of giftie things that are under wraps for now....then got my gwen marston inspiration piece to the flimsy stage...

this might get basted before december finishes....but it will go on the 2020 UFO list.....then with a new year looming, my organization bug is in overdrive....had some baggies with pieces and some little piles of stuff set aside for future projects.   first cut up the piles and kitted everything needed for those planned projects, then emptied a baggie with some already-sewn units from a bonnie hunter mystery that got started then derailed....have enough units for 12 blocks of this...

these would be ideal for a little girl quilt as the light lavender is paper dolls.....not sure if i'll make this up or if the blocks will get donated...either way the baggie is empty and languishing pieces on the super highway outta here....then it was an hour or so of scrap maintenance as the 2" strip tote was jam packed.   pulled all the short pieces--less than 10"--and cut them up into squares, going into the 2" squares tote which has plenty of room.  ***  this time of year is always exciting to me with holiday traditions and clearing the decks for a new year.   keeping things orderly gives me more time to sew and plan new projects.   ***   and a plant-based thanksgiving dinner???  a fellow dieter years ago told me thanksgiving dinner is bread in every color--stuffing, squash, peas, white and sweet potatoes, gravy thickened with flour....she was right!   don't need thanksgiving to be thankful for so many blessings in my life....

monday report

first up, a finish!!  slept peacefully after this very long-term project got completed....much like the hawaiian i made.  this 365 was by far the biggest quilt i've ever tackled and, thanks to the passage of time, haven't a clue why i originally started it in 2016.  i was homeless, couch surfing with most of my stuff in storage save for a few clothes, my featherweight and a grocery sack of scraps.  after 3 months an apartment came thru and the big move south, again with few items, the sewing machine and scraps.  this is going to my daughter and son-in-law as it's way too large for my use.  i would have given the top away if she hadn't spied and claimed it.  it isn't my best piecing or quilting, but it's done, isn't a cheap import and it has a home.  the entire quilt made from stash--not a bit was bought.  the final tally was 13.25 yards.....including the scrappy binding. 

with the 365 done, quickly moved on to some other sewing...during quiet early morning hours got this first of four blocks basted.....

and some time at the machine working on my gwen marston inspiration blocks...only a few more for this small 5x5 wall quilt....

these are 4" finished and border is red, all cut and ready to attach. ***  with end of year approaching, taking stock of year's accomplishments and revamping the UFO list for 2020....happy to say made good progress with finishes and only a handful of small project starts.  have also ramped up my exercise routine a bit in prep for one more cardiac test in a few weeks.  wish it wasn't so high maintenance but the payoff is so worth it....i know i am blessed with reasonably good health despite the supreme efforts....now back to sewing!

in the hoop

do you spy something different in my quilting hoop?  yes indeed!  this is a small piece assembled from the scrap pile and it'll be a quick finish....

and it's in the hoop because this is happening!! 

the 365 binding is being pinned on....oooh am giddy with delight at getting this finished so far ahead of what had originally hoped (end of december)....in the nick of time too because dear daughter and her hubby are in need of a big warm quilt....she loves it and i love giving it to them....and even with the mega-quilting time, did manage to do a bit of organizing.....went thru some of my elfa drawers, emptied 2 and consolidated some notions stuff in 2 others....

streamlining and culling "stuff" gives me more time to sew and quilt and others benefit from my discards, a win/win all around!