monday sewing

aren't these cute?  it's the guild's block of the month.....they sew up pretty fast and used up some of the 2.5" strips....some lucky recipient will get them....i like to make the monthly blocks but would rather not win them...LOL...and the pizza monster was gnawing away at me so whipped up this uber-low salt version that was tasty and satisfying...yes, i did notice the missing salt and in a perfect world, there WOULD be pepperoni, but still good and healthy....

besides, cardiac RN says NOBODY should be eating pepperoni....

pajama sewing

no, not sewing pajamas but IN my pajamas...lol!  without any formal schedule that's what happens sometimes.  today's agenda is light and decided to work on my second inspiration project...wildest dreams.  all the pieces have been prepped for some time,  just a matter of the sewing.  triangles with bias edges are a bit fussy but this looks ok from the back of a galloping horse....

wasn't sure about this pink, but purchased over the internet where color is often skewed.... had always planned to hand sew the finishing squares and triangles but may opt to hand sew the 8 pieced diamonds as well....will see how they go....it's always the center point that is tricky.   this top consists of 16 blocks plus a border....it's another reproduction scrappy project and a few more are on the UFO list...guess i'm just a traditional gal at heart despite occasional forays into mod territory.  ***  friday night spent quilting away on the blue/white after got in my 30 minutes of cardio.  and thursday night was spent appliqueing circles on the joseph's coat.  with the addition of new stash, not a moment to waste!

fall freebie

yesterday at guild meeting the free table was piled high with some fine and funky offerings....i found this autumn panel just begging for a nice pieced border...again, panels are not my "thing" but sometimes they are just too cute to be left behind....

then i found these.....

and lastly one with my name clearly printed on it, so it was meant for me obviously...

many people tell me how much they love my name and sometimes i have to cringe as there are times when i am none too graceful or grace-like....but other times i just smile and think of the grandmother i never knew who was deeply loved by her family.  ***  so it's been a week of adding to the stash, an exception rather than a norm.  i could tell you it is shaking me out of the winter doldrums, but winter has hardly been here....just the other day i spied this at the local post office.....and our daffodils are up about 6" too...

lastly a teeny tiny confession, hoping cardioman and/or food police aren't reading....i spent 140 of my precious 1200mg of sodium on these...the smallest bag of chips that Utz offers...way less sodium than anything frito-lay puts on the shelf....and just enough to squelch the craving....

try 'em! i am pretty sure there are potato chips in heaven....there HAS to be!

spring but no fling

today was a serious spring teaser day--sunny, high 60s, light breeze--wishing it would stay this way....perfect day for a road trip.  dear daughter and i trekked north to lancaster for a bit of shopping and sightseeing.  first stop was old country store and 2 surprises!  met up with a quilty pal from my retreat days and while we were chatting, a guild friend walked by.......i had preordered a few things for pickup...then it was on to zook's across the street where a sale was in progress and cheryl (retreat pal) was there too!   we took a selfie to mark the occasion...

even tho it was a bad hair day for me, it was delightful with signs (and smells) of spring all around....quick stops at the meat market and produce market rounded out the day.    my total acquisition wasn't too bad....a few things to fill a stash void and some repros for projects in progress....the 2 blue pieces are mary koval prints and the pink is a di ford-hall...and of course a kaffe print just because....

the fields are starting to green up and we--DD and i--had to keep telling ourselves that yes, this was february!  not like a new england february at all...   ***  after exercise friday morning stopped in to the senior center where 3 boxes (copy paper size) of fabric were donated recently.  the boxes were chock full and it was all lovely fabric.  some pieces were large enough for backings and others were just, well, calling to me.  some solids, a cute pink print enough for shortie pj bottoms, a few nice solids. 

i don't know if the donor reads my blog, but thanks to their generosity and that of other quilty pals,  have plenty of stash for sewing fun, not to mention it being a huge budget savings.  we'll enjoy one more spring day and back to maryland winter, which isn't so bad either.....

sew along progress

nearly time to enter month #2 in cecile's star sew along....may is the finish deadline and i've a good head start....i had this pinned to my design wall yesterday morning and then went off to exercise...when i returned, 6 of the sashing pieces had vanished!  cannot imagine the IQ of anyone who would take them, but he/she with the key to my apartment is a repeat offender serial thief.  or could likely be a designee, which might be the same person who sprays my apartment with some heinous air freshener when i'm out...not many here follow the golden rule.  so pathetic for seniors to act like kindergarteners but you'd be surprised at how many here do.  if you are looking for lousy housing and/or rotten roommates, give me a call.  i seem to have found more than my share.  anyway, i recut the missing pieces and have started assembling.  it'll be hand quilted with an indigo binding.  thanks jo morton for your inspiration!

inspiration satisfied

this was the original article torn out of a magazine for this project....designed by darlene zimmerman who used flannels and wool (for centers) from october 2015...yikes, nearly 5 years ago???

and just this morning got all my rows sewn together....

it isn't really bed size, only 60x68, but will work for my mom who'll be the lucky recipient....just applique circles, then baste and quilt.  not bad for a project i couldn't give away....and now i'm glad it stayed.   ***  it's a lovely early spring day here, great weather for january....this kind of day doesn't arrive in new england until march.  the medication demons were mostly quiet this morning so got out to exercise early and back before lunch.  since working out at this new place that is fully paid by my supplement insurance, have made pretty good progress.  today i was able to last 10 minutes on the treadmill and then 20 more on the recumbent elliptical.  most days strengthening is included, but the 30 keeps cardioman happy.   it's so enjoyable that have to watch not to overdo that requires afternoon napping.  this gal has sewing to do!

almost....

done with row #5, which is the last row to sew for this top...

each row calls for 9 applique circles and with 7 spots done, a bit more time will wrap it up...next is to sew the rows together and applique the centers....the circles are all cut and basted and are all a cheddar print.   a january flimsy?  probably not but not long after.   meanwhile, quilting on the blue/white is coming along equally fine...

i'd estimate the top is over half quilted...the narrow blue border is going to get 2 rounds of quilting and then there are all those geese....binding with an indigo of course.....this quilt is staying right here so whenever it's done doesn't matter...no anguish because neither of the january goals were met, after all..i do this for fun!  the other UFOs are used to patiently waiting for attention....

bad weather = great sewing

the snow queen passed us by, but cold rain and slippery spots made for a weekend of great sewing!

finished another 1.5 rows for this project....with 11 days left in january and only 1.5 rows to make, it just might get to the flimsy stage.  the rows need to be sewn together and the circles appliqued so it'll be close...am truly liking this more and more....it'll be hand quilted of course and will be a nice scrappy when finished....first, tho, have to go and cut more pieces.   it's a bad habit of mine, i confess, to start things without calculating the exact number of pieces needed.  i've reformed somewhat in that area but not entirely....

no snow sew day

even tho 1-3" was predicted, then downgraded to 1", aside from very few morning flakes we are getting "thick rain"...sort of a rain/slush precip...a bit sticks to the windows but otherwise the ground is wet.   no plans were on the agenda today aside from the usual (meals, dress, make bed) but plenty of sewing plans were made...first up was to finish all 18 sew along blocks, and now they are done!

they'll stay on the design wall until the construction phase, probably february or whenever joseph's coat flimsy is done.  these gave me a chance to cut into some 'stash on the shelf' fabrics for the first time, one of which was clearly marked 2013....seven years ago.  it was a half-yard piece but even so, just reinforces the wake-up call of shopping stash first and ALWAYS from here on....

4 done, 14 to go

my little stars for the cecile sew-along....

though i had no intention of doing a sew-along, inspiration from a jo morton little quilt had been percolating in my mind for some time...thought the sew-along would give me the push needed to finally make it...here is jo's version...

i love the colors....mine won't be exactly like this, of course....but same colors and those cute little stars....i used a pattern from the 2017 JLWC that i've only glanced thru since purchasing 3 years ago...makes the stars easy peasy!  they work up very fast now that all the pieces have been cut....otherwise my sewing time has been spent on the joseph's coat repro scrappy (machine) and the blue/white (hand quilting)....with january half over, no time to waste on working toward some sort of finish.  *****   and here is an unsolicited recommendation.....

a new quilters' select ruler received in a give-away.....if you have a green mat and have been using omnigrid rulers with those bright yellow lines, you will find this a treat!   switching from the omnigrid to this felt immediate resolution of glare.....the subdued yellow background with black lines are so much easier on the eyes with this green mat.   though my budget won't permit replacing all my rulers--not all are omnigrid--i might consider investing in a larger size that is used often; yes, it's THAT good.   just my humble opinion of course, but if you have a chance to compare, by all means do.