a new development!

welcome to mister fassett's neighborhood....it's a colorful and vibrant place to live, even on gray days there is brightness everywhere!  ready to move, are you?

it's about 36" square so a small development, but the residents have jumped right in and let their color fantasy come to life....i am really happy how it turned out and that my basic math skills didn't fail me...LOL!   it just makes me smile....

hump day and sewing has decreased my stress level a tiny bit....so much on my mind with concern for people with serious illness, working very hard at PT that leaves me drained, supplementing with fitness center visits and home exercises, attacks on my health from vile neighbors, an apartment that isn't secure despite the lock making it generally unpleasant living here for far too long, logistics of upcoming travel and what level my abilities will be, finances and my car....most of which are not life threatening but add up to significant and enough to keep relaxing off in the distance.  

this year so far i've held off quite well starting new projects, but the bookmobile is bringing me another kaffe fassett book so i just might cave...still have a lot of scraps to use up....like what quilter doesn't?  rhetorical question that....LOL!

monday design floor

today's post is brought to you by the letter "F"...first up, a "F"inish!

the blueberry bread cloth is done and looks right at home in a longaberger basket, formerly the scrap basket, which will now search for a new home.  that's another UFO off my conscience...LOL!

then, F is for "F"riend....my friend Nann to be specific.....she sent me this astounding package....

the package contained some finished blocks, also a few small applique kits and patterns and a stack of commercial hand dyed fabrics (all to feed my growing applique habit) for me to "F"inish, this begun by an anonymous quilter....it was a "F"ind at an estate sale, no doubt, as Nann is known to prowl around and find amazing things for cheap money....and today i "F"inished a wall quilt "F"limsy using some of the completed pieces with plans for those that remain....just right for some lovely hawaiian-style echo quilting, which i love to do.  

only 15 days to finish my One Monthly Goal and Monthly Mini....with September's OMG already chosen....and lastly, "F" is for "F"oggy, which  today has been but at least cooler "F"inally!

hot weather diversions

with the mercury topping 100 degrees here yesterday and humidity near that...it was my version of a snow day...with shorts and sandals...LOL!  felt like a bonus day, so the to-do list was mostly ignored in favor of some different tasks....first up was this....

years ago i bought this FQ bundle of chevron prints in a variety of colors....i didn't read the fine print and when it arrived, the pattern was bigger than i wanted so they have been percolating in the stash....so pulled them all and gave them the bonnie hunter treatment...cut them up!  larger blocks going to guild for charity quilts, remaining cut into squares and strips.  oh that felt good!  

next, an hour or so was spent trolling the internet for cross-stitch ideas and drooling over the work of others....the good angel on my shoulder reminded me i had a couple of projects yet unfinished, so pulled out the stitchery tote and unearthed this...

a breadcloth....really? remember those?  totally impractical, like who would put greasy muffins or breads on such a pretty thing?  but it needed to be finished and it's nearly done.  i have a nice basket for it to use as display when done...

and some of you may remember this project....the civil war diary.  the book has been sitting near the machine for a couple of weeks nagging at me....so yesterday was the day....

the fabrics were tucked inside this page so time to finish the block....no spark of creativity was ignited but i'll keep the book close at hand and make one block now and then....this one's called "glorious news" but the real glorious news is that today is the last of our oppressive heat, just in time for the weekend.  now today i really have to finish that to-do list!

dog days sewing

ay caramba!  it's another week of hot/humid/sticky days so except for PT, i'll be keeping busy inside.  so what has been going on?  aside from watching olympics, charity tops for the guild have been sewn so they can be delivered later this month...pin cushions have been stuffed....

my daughter's cross wall quilt has been finished and is ready to baste....shooting for a late august finish....and more prep work on the folk art nativity readied for travel....this block along with shepherds and angel are on my vacation sewing list.

and with murmurings of christmas about, just had to jump in with this....

it'll be a reindeer wall quilt and the antlers block is also traveling with me to be appliqued....last year at the beach, a lot of sewing got done sitting outdoors seaside and hoping weather permits again this year.  all this plus PT/exercising are keeping me as busy as i want to be....i also watched this cute movie...

roger ebert panned the irish accents in this movie but it is a cute story...i confess i watched it a second time and picked up more of the dialogue...with all the horror in the news, this was an enjoyable oasis...so keep cool and sew on!

PS i actually walked without aid TWICE...about 20 feet each time, but still walking independently....
 

fast finish

yes, only august 2nd and i can cross off another UFO....it's the "chop suey" wall quilt...pattern by steve flanagan seen in quiltmaker sometime in the last 10 years...LOL!  friend marianne had given me those brights and they were really small pieces but oh so pretty....had to use them....and this pattern was ideal.  

it's only about 28" square but colorful....might be able to sell it...and until the cross wall quilt is ready for the hoop, joseph's coat got selected.  this is probably sofa size or a bit larger and is proving easy to quilt but not sure if it'll be done by month's end....i like many quilt styles but traditional reproductions tick all the boxes for me....

the ongoing scrap saga update.....the basket is finally empty but the tote looms....pieces in there were pulled from stash and are smaller than FQs but bigger than small scraps....quilters will understand that...LOL!

first monday in august....bit of housework, some exercise, sewing....that'll round out this beautiful sunny and comfortable day.  it's my birthday month and am simply delighted to have another year,,,blessed indeed!

august one monthly goal

first a bit of housekeeping.....the christmas topper in yesterday's post was made from a pattern by karen schindler bialik...

august is shaping up to be busy with regular PT, usual other stuff, getting acclimated to the cane and packing for vacation....so have chosen a (hopefully) do-able finish....a wall quilt my daughter found on one of our lancaster jaunts....nearly all pieces are cut....

hoping to have it finished by the time i visit for my birthday dinner end of the month....it's 42x56, designer is judit hajdu of quiltfox design.....all fabrics are on hand...no surprise there!  until it's ready to quilt, my joseph's coat is in the hoop.  also have 2 tops to finish for guild, pincushions to stuff, wall quilt to bind, a few more houses/trees.....and so it goes.  have a blessed day and quilty week!

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!