monthly goal and mini

even though it wasn't an official goal, emptying the scrap basket was a necessity....it went from overflow to this...

so almost done....lurking at the bottom were some fussy cut pieces of christmas elves that got put here because "somebody" cut them wrong for a previous project....who could that be?  anyway, i knew i wanted to use them as they were so darn cute, and that day arrived friday.....

a little christmas topper ready to quilt....it did generate a few more scraps but the basket bottom is clearly within reach....and july OMG has been accomplished!

my beloved new england sampler is the oldest UFO no longer....i just plain love how it turned out...not large enough for a bed quilt, it'll go on the wall when i get to a real home with effective management and respectful neighbors....soon i hope.   working on the viney border ignited an enjoyment for applique not previously known....thinking of maybe a kim mclean pattern in my future....

last but not least is the monthly mini....while the blue solid scraps were floating around, sewed up this little mini...machine quilted....not much stash busted but every bit helps the cause....

and that's how it is this last day of july....i am linking up with "one monthly goal" and wendy's "monthly mini" so hop on over and check out what others have finished!  PT is in full swing....cane walking in the apartment but not yet outdoors....farmers' market overflowing with delish produce so i'm trying new dishes and enjoying old favorites...week-long break from oppressive heat and humidity with temps LOWER than norm for a change....have put away some of the ADL aids no longer need....getting some house chores done...and as always, busy with needle and thread....my entire family is enjoying a season of blessings and we are all so thankful! 

my scraps runneth over

was trying to bring some order out of the sewing space chaos....always a tricky thing as inevitably find other things to do or that need doing.  this task was screaming at me to be tackled....

that is the scrap basket hidden under the everest-size pile of scraps, so towering they can no longer be contained....a new rotary blade and another hot, sticky day will remedy that....and while clearing the decks, found the folk art nativity in progress and took a few minutes (? huh...more like an hour) to prep a couple of more blocks.....

shepherds.....still waiting for crooks....

angel #2....both need basting yet so they can travel with me later this summer....that leaves 2 more blocks....the 3 kings and mary/baby jesus.....joseph discretely ignored.  no rush on these at all...

few days of respite from oppressive heat/humidity...good for running errands and doing outside tasks...maryland summer is nearly half over, hoping autumn will bring a return to in-person guild meetings and me back on 2 sturdy legs again...am very thankful my hobbling is temporary

monday design wall

before showing my sewing progress, reminding you that christmas is coming....and i've added this gem to my list....

and this one....

maybe you want to add them to your list as well....and design wall reveal....

ripped out all those seams and removed the light blue print border for this gray print....now i can move on....still need to make few more houses and trees....and while tidying up the sewing area, happened to see this in progress....one thing led to another and got it partly basted  and a bit of applique done....

isn't that salmon print lovely?  i wouldn't mind a few yards of that but sadly out of print....a quilty pal shared a half yard with me and i plan to use every smidgen....and speaking of design wall, finally got it hung on the wall again after replacing another of those pesky command hook adhesive strips...had to wait until i felt safe enough to stand on the step stool....let's see how long it stays up THIS time!!!

the new england sampler quilting is done and the binding is in process....i am totally giddy with this finish of my oldest UFO.....so what's next?

a wall quilt made from some brights given to me by my late pal marianne....the pieces were small but so colorful....this pattern is called "chop suey" and was in a quiltmaker issue some years back....i believe the designer is steve flanagan but can't be certain....this will be a quick finish, maybe even this month....

so juggling a few projects as is my usual style....also have some cross-stitch pin cushions ready to stuff and put away for next year's quilt show, and the monthly mini is ready to machine quilt....oh and pulled fabric for dear daughter's wall quilt too...think that's enough???

PT is starting later this week so that'll take up a bit of my sewing time but anxious to get started on shedding the walker....have taken a few encouraging independent steps here and there and back to regular fitness too that can only help...time really DOES fly when you are having fun!

little houses progress

the little house project is coming along....until a snag....first thing, even though the blocks were paper pieced, had to measure each to make sure they were all the exact same size....then several fabrics were auditioned for the first border.....

i chose a light kaffe fassett print thinking it wouldn't compete with the houses....but didn't quite achieve the effect i had envisioned.....nope, not the one....visited stash and found a piece to try with enough for what i needed, perhaps 3 borders.....

it isn't a kaffe fassett but mimics one....and value intense enough to hold its own with the houses, which the lighter fabric couldn't...doesn't compete with the colors either.  so it'll be a ripping good afternoon but better result.   originally had chosen a golden yellow batik but not enough for the entire project.  now excited about seeing the rest of it unfold....still more houses and few trees to make too....this is fun!!!

blistering hot day so inside for the duration....exercises ramped up some with noticeable improvement in mobility...can actually take a couple of steps without walker!  can do more tasks around apartment and keep up with things like laundry better.  my little pin cushions are nearly done and almost ready to start on wall quilt daughter had requested....spring cleaning postponed to fall but did get winter things put away.  so that's how i'm spending my summer non-vacation!

change of pace

as you can see, blogger is misbehaving......computers are great when they work ok but otherwise they belong on the dump.....

no sewing since returning from my weekend away which, by the way, was awesome!  spending time with daughter and son-in-law, a delish summer pot luck and july 4th parade....with weather that just couldn't be better....but i have been doing some stitching...

these will be pin cushions for the guild's sale table next year....another one is nearly all stitched....sort of planning to make 6-8 of them hoping they will sell.....

other than this, doing my PT exercises and went to grocery store by myself riding around in the store's scooter to pick up a few things.  then it was off to fitness for the first time since april....an abbreviated workout to get some cardio and some leg strengthening....hoping to be ready for eval later this month by shedding the walker....

hopefully some sewing tomorrow getting back to the houses/trees and a couple of charity tops for the guild....and just like that another week has flown by!

July 4th Independence!

with this new month comes a new monthly goal....that would be this long-time UFO...

working on the last border cross hatching now....so hoping for independence from this before the dog days of August arrive!  check out www.elmstreetquilts.com for other participants...

a sort of busy week also brings independence from home PT services....now to outpatient to advance using the cane and shed the walker...anyone who has lower extremity mobility issues can recite all the challenges, but this week a few angels provided much-needed help....one was the gas station attendant who put air in my tires and another was the farmer's market vendor who cheerfully came to my car, took my list and bagged up my selections....sadly the week was marred by the loss of a quilty friend unexpectedly.  

however you celebrate, do not forget all who have given much to establish and preserve our freedoms....

MM and OMG

 MM is for monthly mini....

this is a close up so it looks big but it's really small...at 14x20 not as mini as some but it used up my mini charms and that was the original goal....

OMG is for one monthly goal....linking up with elm street quilts to report my finish...

the gazillion dargate indigo baskets are all basted and tucked away in their to-go pouch for easy travel....plus the other two monthly goals are done--blues and bricks and guild's top--which you've seen before....and what else is going on?

quaker pumpkin is done and ready for autumn...hoping i'll be living somewhere that i can decorate and be homey where locked doors are respected and other tenants have some semblance of courtesy for others....for now everything non-essential is living in boxes so stuff doesn't walk off or get mysteriously broken somehow.  with just joy on the fritz, that's the 2nd sewing machine and yet another electronic thing with problems.  in the past year or so have replaced many....the old viking, the paper shredder, my phone, my cd player, computer and mouse, a box fan, iron....seems excessive to me.

and then there's this....

just 5 or 6 more houses to make but wanted to sew up some trees....changed design in midstream so need about 20 or so of these....my math is always dodgy but i think it's now workable....

another blistering hot day altho not as bad as some places....small pity party monday has dissipated....car issues, hip issues, money issues, logistics of doing basic things and serious cabin fever all precipitants...thankful for good books that allow me to run away and refuel until i am once again able to be out and about....soon, since final PT eval on thursday.  back to fitness friday (if car permits) and a holiday weekend with fun planned....

monthly goals progress

 started june with 3 things had hoped to accomplish....2 are now crossed off the list!

you saw this one....the blues and bricks flimsy....waiting for a baste and into the quilting pile.....have also crossed this one off...

all...i mean ALL...the dargate baskets have been basted to a background square and tucked away in a zippered pouch for easy take along....the charity top is half done and will certainly be done before july arrives....so what else have i been doing?  

with the guild show on for may of 2022, time to plan some entries....these are scraps from a charm pack of african wax resist prints....the minute i saw them a project popped into my mind....sunglasses required...LOL!   two other projects are in the works for the show as well...and remember this?

mini charms from the hands2help door prize....with plenty of time on my hands, decided to use them up quick in a monthly mini....

and now they are all gone so won't be going into the stash....plan to machine quilt this and add my name to wendy's link up on july 1st...

recovery continues at a pace far too slow for my liking...hope ortho checkup will be more revealing...2 more weeks of home PT and outpatient...have sinking feeling this is going to take much of the summer to resolve...but thankful house restriction will soon lift...did you ever notice when lower extremities are impaired everything falls on the floor? 

a fine friday

next week is promising to be busy so thought i would post another photo of my little houses in progress.....need to make 20 more and hoping to get most of those done this weekend....

they are just so darn cute!  also on the weekend agenda is to finish the guild charity top and baste more baskets....oh and maybe quilt more on the new england sampler....sounds like a pretty full plate!  exercising more has enabled me to sew more!

another picture perfect day...would so love to get in the car and drive somewhere but not quite yet....my home PT has been extended 3 weeks and upped to twice weekly, then outpatient.  new exercises have also been added.  doctors and nurses are essential but i do believe PTs are the under appreciated heroes...

this and that

just plain lovely here today...not hot, not humid, sunny, gentle breeze....it's june!  i've a few mundane things on my to-do list but plenty of unplanned hours too....the mailman brought me a lovely package yesterday....

a very nice moda door prize from sarah over at "hands 2 help" a charity sew along she chairs every year.....i've already got plans for the tote....the little stitch book has grids for squares, hexies, triangles and diamonds....a great take along!

before i got back to sewing, picked up this cross stitch to finish....was going to make it a pin cushion but rather will just stuff it and use it for fall deco....i love pumpkins!

my sewing set up is L-shaped but found that the gentle twisting from machine to iron/cutting board was problematic so retrieved this from the shelf....it's a portable ironing board given me by my dear friend marianne some time ago....i never went on retreat so it's been waiting for now obviously....it'll be a year next week she passed away....a very long year without her quips, chatter and friendship......she is missed.  

farmer's markets are in full swing but until i graduate to 4 wheels, off limits i'm afraid...maybe next week?