corona-cation, episode 21

if you see this cutie today, wish her a happy birthday!  my dear daughter and she couldn't be more precious to me....it's bittersweet as she's at that stage of life when disappointments and missed opportunities rear their ugly heads....the brevity of life is startling real and hopes for the future seem far away.  but she is resilient and the love of her family and her faith will see her thru....some of us have been there and thrived, right?  this is one of my favorite photos of her when we were camping....

since this is monday, time to show off some sewing progress.....photo a bit wonky but this latest finish all set for the holidays....thanks to a friend for those ready-made flying geese units....

the panel was a senior center donation.....then, while clearing off the sewing table, sewed up some additions to this project.  have no idea how big it'll eventually be, but liking it more and more....

calling all jo morton and reproduction fans!  it's her new book, "tried and true", now available....knowing jo morton it's awesome!

now quilters.....start your engines!

corona-cation, episode 20

it's summertime, summertime, sum-sum summertime!  time to switch over to the summer purse i finished recently....

and it's got that dooney & bourke ticking lining too....how chic! ***  corona chugs on and managed to keep occupied all week including a day of mom duty and a bunch of puttering tasks.  one thing that got done was to prep more foundation triangles for those plaid scraps.  used up all the tracing paper that was on hand and the rest will be done at the copy shop.

this was a time consuming but thrifty task, so today can move forward with the sewing.  ***  i've also a wall quilt to bind for a (yes!) finish.  ***  want to close with this, a photo of my great-grandmother, mary elizabeth davis white.  she and her husband raised my mother from age 2.  they were hard working, frugal, sensible, reserved people.  she was the quilter in my life.  she had an old treadle machine electrified in her later years for dodgy knees.  she made scrap quilts only from apron and shirt fabrics.  she made the fluffiest biscuits in a wood-burning stove.  my great-grandfather kept the hen house spotless.  a rainbow trout lived in the spring-fed well to eat bugs and tidbits from the kitchen.  i can still recall the smell of grass clippings burning after a mow.  and yes, that's me she's holding.....1950, one year old!  no doubt she was thinking of her own dear grace who died far too young....

i can only imagine what she would think of quilting today, not something utilitarian, but artsy and creative and an industry all its own.

corona-cation, episode 19

so many have used their blogs as public forums to make statements and record feelings of the unrest in our country at this time....i would only like to post this....

"let there be peace on earth...and let it begin with me"
"with God as our father, brothers all are we....let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony"

violence only begets more violence and injustice does not give any one person the freedom to loot, set fires or fuel the unrest

God grant me the serenity to accept things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to know the difference

corona-cation, episode 18

truly, we HAVE to stop meeting like this!  though maryland has loosened some things up, still a way to go....maybe next week?  until then, i've been playing in the stash...

the plaids are piling up and while it looks like a fabric frenzy, this makes the sewing go faster....just a rummage for the "right" piece....and this is how far this project has progressed....i learned paper piecing from queen carol doak in new hampshire.

this is another instance of once some progress is made, realized it is going to be a "wow" quilt....to get an entire row done in a day is nearly impossible, unless one gives up bathroom visits and meals that is...which i don't.  it'll be a june flimsy but won't use up all the plaids...no surprise there.  ***  and in the hoop for TV sewing is this....

never too early for christmas projects and a small piece for a quick finish....again with plaids too!  then it's back to the amish honeycomb that might also be a june finish.   **** since every day brings some semblance of normalcy closer, was lamenting that i'd not accomplished much--but made a list this morning and have to say it's more than i realized.  there is one more chore, tho, that needs my attention.....

my records box needs thorough culling and shredding....had to wait for a new shredder as a bit of an electronic perfect storm earlier this year zapped mine, along with my phone, the laptop, the CD player, the TV remote and a pair of christmas earbuds.  *** so thankful now the summer vacation was put off until early september, hoping by then it'll be even more as per usual.  my family and i remain healthy which is a blessing indeed!

corona-cation, episode 17 - memorial day

another holiday under quarantine but still very blessed for so many things....not the least of which is a rich heritage of brave soldiers on both sides of my family...one of those is my great-grandfather, joseph thorne, served with maine's 8th regiment in the mid-atlantic and south carolina.  here is his regiment pictured at the 8th regiment lodge on peak's island, maine, now a museum...

thinking this must be after the war, judging by the beards and white hair...lol!  joseph and the 8th were at Appomattox courthouse when lee surrendered....here is a photo of him with wife annette and son charles, my grandfather...

and now that spring cleaning is done, sewing continues....

got 2 rows of triangles done....lopped off one making the rows 19 triangles long...will need a total of 13 rows, so 11 more makes it a flimsy.....liking this more and more....unearthing some of these old UFOs is fun!   *** and the bea et cecile stars sew along piece is done....

this would have been ideal for a humble quilt swap piece if it were smaller...the quilting is not the best and here is why....

this beautiful vintage toile was a beast to quilt thru....not deco fabric but a tad heavier than most modern cottons and a very tight thread count....laziness prevented me from unbasting and swapping it out...it gives the piece an old-fashioned feel....but it's done now and it's one i'll keep because i really like it...the binding went on like a breeze despite the hoover's attempt to gobble it up!  *** hoping this un-holiday finds you well and counting your blessings too!

note:  header photo taken at Gettysburg of a monument to the 6th Maine regiment under Neal Dow...if you haven't been and ever get the chance, it is a must visit place....

corona-cation, episode 16

excitement is building here while watching hospital admits decrease every day....closer to getting back to my fitness regime...no doubt will require a few afternoon naps while i get back up to speed....and since time is of the essence, pulled out another UFO to work on while getting paper foundation triangles printed....it's a traditional and uber scrappy...blue background fabric has been on board for 6-7 years now...last year finally cut all the strips and units for now when the sewing has commenced...

i'll be working on the triangles primarily, but good to see this one started...got to use up lots of small 1.5" strips so far....today mr. mailman brought this package of beauties...half yards of 'nancy's needles' from designer betsy chutchian....every fabric in this collection is gorgeous and it was hard to limit myself to just these--all small prints except two....

and while spring cleaning continues, another fix-it job was tackled...

a tiny book table that sits next to the bed....needed regluing and tightening up and some TLC to cover the well used areas....i think this was hand made by somebody...pretty rudimentary but i like it...and copying mrs. goodneedle, forgot to post my mother's day gift..some ooh-la-la tres chic french hand creams arrived ......

and i, too, garnered some native strawberries at the farmer's market opening today....these are called 'seconds' aka misshapen, but tasty and ripe nonetheless...

saturday and sunday are predicted to be perfect early summer days begging for outside time. mostly, tho, eagerly anticipating some return to usual activities...and as always, hugely thankful for my health, my family's health, our freedom from fear and worry over basic needs and all this enjoyable sewing time!

corona-cation, episode 15

i think i've got this pandemic thing down pat now...didn't get it done today?  no problem...tomorrow is another totally free day....this has been advantageous in tackling spring cleaning bit by bit, when i'm not sewing or cooking, that is...and just what have i been sewing?

this is yet another UFO, scrappy plaid triangles, and now the first row is all done, 20 of 'em!  only 11 more rows to go.  the first few triangles were kinda blah, but as more get done, it's beginning to 'wow' me...this will probably be a donation quilt.    ***  even in a small apartment, there are fix-it jobs...bought this inexpensive window fan last year and in short order the fan came off the spindle.  super glued it twice but unsuccessful.  so, put it away until sturdier stuff was on board.  today was the day and have applied a heavy-duty epoxy to see if it can be restored.  back in the 1970s my mother bought 2 metal box fans from W.T. Grant...remember them?  those fans worked fine for well over 35 years despite getting moved a few times.  cheap imports can't even last 35 days....i'll stop there but you get the message i'm sure....

after 2 lovely summer days, it's back to rain today even tho temps hover around 70....spent saturday with my daughter and son-in-law celebrating their wedding anniversary.  i am so blessed to live near where we can visit--and hug--often.  in fact, my list of blessings is long....loved ones are healthy, freedom from want (except for that big screen TV...lol), shelter and entertainment, shorts and sandals weather, plenty of fabric and ideas to last another century i believe...God is indeed good all the time!

PS...whoops, it was the 1960s when my mum got her fans at W.T. Grant....

corona-cation, episode 14

no doubt many are fed up by this point, waiting for real life to begin again, and to be truthful i do have moments where i feel the same.  but most of the time keeping busy with spring cleaning, some outdoor jaunts and sewing...the may list is getting shorter!   this cute little easter/spring panel got finished just in time for next year!

had just enough pink plaid for the binding and now it's all gone....the next item to be tackled was a summer purse had planned to take on mother's day trip that didn't happen.  oh well, now done and ready for summer....as am I!

am continuing on with deconstruction of farmer's wife flimsy, now 5 rows finished with 2 more to go.....

and a trip to the local big box finally garnered some still scarce toilet tissue....it's the first i've bought since before the quarantine took effect.  by the time i ran out of what was on hand, there was none to be found anywhere.  my daughter had a stockpile and gifted me some, but now i'm set for quite a while....

12 double rolls that will last me until labor day i'm pretty sure....trying to keep my blessings uppermost as complacency and sameness seem to envelop the cookie-cutter days.   one more may project and will tackle another UFO even tho i'd rather be sewing something new and fun....patience, it seems, is the watchword....be well and sew on!

corona-cation, episode 13

lucky 13?  i sure hope so...things are easing up a bit here and it's possible the fitness centers will re-open end of next week....with that in mind, will be spring cleaning in earnest in readiness.  in the meantime, sewing has continued as per usual....the wildest dream stars have been set aside now waiting for hand work...

i like these more than ever and already thinking about how they will be hand quilted...and tho i've refrained from starting new projects, caved and made these 4 blocks...

for some time now have been looking for a pattern that would use up 2.5" strips as my tote is jam packed....the herd simply has to be thinned.  a simple kansas dugout pattern seemed ideal.  this will be totally scrappy, even within individual blocks.  for a twin i'll need about 140 or so blocks, hoping to empty the tote.  this will get donated when completed.   ***  then earlier this year, started another new quilt top.  had some batik scraps left over from itty bitty pineapple blocks, a project that got abandoned....

set the scraps aside for "someday" when this book came along filled with colorful batik projects...and this got chosen....

color and va-voom to the max....and the size is do-able for me.  ***  may goals are in full swing; the little easter panel is just about done.  next comes the small quilt of stars for the sew-along, then it's back to the honeycomb project.  this protracted era of stay-at-home may eventually end, but i know i'll still have plenty of sewing time.   ***  lastly, continually realize how very blessed me and my family are when i see the death, hunger, frustration and fear all around me.  it makes me think of Passover, when the angel of death passed by the doors that had been marked by the blood of the lamb...surely God has us under His protective arms....

corona-cation, episode 12

the stay-at-home train rolls on and since the end "may" be only a month away, am putting pedal to the metal to accomplish as much as possible before fitness center opens.  a summery weekend here brought out shorts and sandals, but alas early spring returns and maybe even frost....frost???  here is my monday report...  sewing up the 'wildest dreams' stars continues; had to stop and cut out a stack more triangles (a flaw of mine; hardly ever cut them all beforehand)...

nine stars are done; these 3 half done with 4 more to make.  thinking this week will see the end of these....also quilting on the amish honeycomb is moving along nicely....honeycombs i.e. big hexagons are 2/3 done and then a fancy feather border....these are my main 2 projects for may.  once the scrappy stars are done, it's another UFO.  the easter panel that didn't get done in april is ready to baste and will be machine quilted for a quick finish to this small piece.  and since our mother's day travel got cancelled, my summer purse has moved down the list....

my offering for the doll quilt swap has not been acknowledged yet by the recipient but should have arrived.  without any confirmation,  gonna go ahead and show what i sent to her...

i thought it came out rather well....hand quilted too of course.  the light borders make the squares look uneven but they were measured twice and carefully sewn.  this swap has always brought out some very nice pieces and is the only swap i do now....

was lucky enough to receive a stimulus check, with which i promptly paid off some things and indulged in a few quilty items....a new iron was at the top of the list....meet sharky...

so far so good....this one is heavier than my bargain iron and hopefully won't fly off the table as easily....and despite being bombarded with door dash and grub hub AND a gazillion restaurant emails, resorted to my own low salt version of pizza....always good....leftovers provided breakfast of champions!

lots of veggie toppings made for perfect pyramid meals....now off to start the week!