midnight again

during a zoom party last night, chose to work on "midnight at the oasis" attaching the appliques to the vine border.  amazed at how much those few colorful additions have kicked this up yet another notch...

the pattern picture isn't clear enough regarding placement of the appliques, so just winged it and tried to make it look serendipitous to fit the design.  not all are sewn yet but soon will be, then it's onward to the next border of checkerboard design.  after that, one more border to flimsy and basting...could easily be a 2022 finish, i'm thinking.

pulled out a couple of free cross-stitch patterns to kit up for some lazy, warm weather stitching.  these are small pieces, quickly finished, for those times when need a break from machine or hoop.

all required floss and fabric on hand.  even though weather is cool again today, warmer days are promised and soon one day will wake up and oppressive heat will be here for the duration...that's the south!

April Mini

here is my mini for april....

bought the background fabric while in Maine and loved it....only found half yard but it was enough.  Chose the pink as there is a tiny bit of blush in the print, tho difficult to see on this view.  wish i could have found more but didn't.  glad i'll have this to use and enjoy. linking up with wendy and the other monthly mini gals! *** what else have i done?  finished my needle book....

looks big but it's about 5x6 inches with plenty of space for all my needles...borrowed a jigsaw puzzle from the craft room but lost interest; need to return to my basting list.  hoping to embroider the butterfly antennae this weekend so that can get basted...pulled some fabrics to sacrifice for a back for the batiks top.  as a hand quilter, pieced backs can be a nuisance but in the spirit of frugality, will forego a purchase.  few other projects in the works, depending on what calls to me....getting antsy for warmer weather and shedding the fleece pants until fall....
 

May's OMG

 this is the May OMG and it's already in the hoop...anticipate a finish long before May is gone...

it's hexagon stars, paper pieced some time ago...wall quilt size.  other may goals?  the monthly mini of course, quilt another wall quilt and more sewing on my secret project that needs to be flimsy by june so can start quilting....it's a larger quilt than i usually make but it's a gift--that's why.  just maybe will get the birdhouse wall piece top done too....ambitious?  not really, but with no diversions other than exercise and an occasional event, pretty much every day is wide open.  ***  early cold spring hangs on with freeze warning next 2 mornings...shorts washed and ready to go when mother nature obliges!

April's OMG

the scrappy christmas trees got finished just in time!  it's bed size and busted nearly 9 yards of fabric....did i bust all the christmas prints?  of course not!  but the stack is slowly dwindling....at least enough for one more christmas-y remains....

it'll be going on my bed in july for a test drive....the a/c will be on continually so i'll need a nice warm quilt at night....this brings my total stash bust to about 20 yards so far this year with only 8 added....aside from quilting this, a basting blitz got started....

these two plus the april showers umbrellas all ready for quilting...still waiting are batiks splash, the s'mores and the butterflies, so embroidering the antennae is next to do...the monthly mini is just about done and something new has been put in the hoop for may's OMG....watch this space!  ***  one year ago today broke the hip.  i'm walking ok but not quite back to before yet.  it's an extremely slow process with tiny increments of progress...as they say, inch by inch life's a cinch!

the plain truth

i'm no quilt designer, no way no how.  but i had this idea for this wall quilt and started it, now i'm sorta developing it as i go along, ideas percolating...it's growing on me.  it won't be my favorite but somebody will like it...donation destination for sure....it's why i stick to others' patterns...😕

while contemplating this piece, realized had lots of small tops and not enough batting--i use pellon sew in fleece type.  surfed joann's website and found a good coupon, wiped out my christmas gift card to stock up...6 small pieces plus 2 large quilts to do...will set up the folding banquet table for the duration....good thing i live alone!

after watching mary berry, had to try these chicken wings....i've been looking for a very low sodium recipe...there is a bit of worcestershire in them but otherwise all other ingredients are cardio friendly.

they are good but next time i'll reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken and drizzle over cooked wings...they are missing something, probably salt, but the marinade has a bit of maple syrup and it might make them perfect.  definitely good tho....recipe is here if you are interested https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/smoky_firecracker_89700 (she used drumsticks) i cooked mine at 375 for about half hour or so....

now quilting the last row of the scrappy trees, time to prep binding and get this puppy finished...we're 10 days from another month and got to finish some things so i can start new ones of course...LOL! 

in the works

quiet Easter sunday here....gas prices kept me from dinner at DD and DSIL's...settled for some homemade spaghetti sauce here...ham is off my menu...our governor had instituted a gas tax holiday that expired saturday so it's like an invisible fence to remain local.  anyway, made good use of a free day (another one!) to get the butterflies to a flimsy....

i've called it "psychedelic garden" and plan to quilt vines and leaves in the sashing...no border just the white binding to finish it off...and with that flimsy done, selected another UFO that needed the same...

a bird house project that got stalled because of lettering, now done and can proceed with completion.  it'll have some birds appliqued on flying in to inspect!  the letters are smaller than they appear in this photo....it's a rainy, chilly, icky day so thinking of setting up basting table.  can work on "midnight at the oasis", a project that needs to be a flimsy plus baste a few small pieces.  scrappy trees is nearly quilted so anticipate finish by week's end. *** sewing blocks for secret project continues and monthly mini half assembled.  *** but it's monday and that's been laundry day as far back as i can remember, so that's on and some exercise and the rest of the day is mine to sew...how good is that!

He is Risen!

 A Blessed and Joyful Easter to those who celebrate.....and Happy Passover to those who celebrate!

friday sewing

just about recovered from travel, being away and my little unexpected "trip", now finding small bruises in unmentionable places...LOL...time to resume sewing!  planning travel sewing for late august and chose 'alaska'....made one block, by machine, with poor result....

the pesky center just isn't right and know from experience that taking it out a gazillion times will only increase blood pressure!  choice made to hand piece all blocks, calling for a kit.  photocopied the blocks layout and picked up some quart-size baggies....

photo a bit dark but you get the idea...will cut all pieces for all blocks, baggie 'em up and put in a project bag for summer vacation.  i'll be gone 3+ weeks so fair amount of progress should result.  *** while formulating this plan, thought about a UFO that could be assembled quickly....some pieced butterfly blocks using a tula pink layer cake.  my apologies to the designer...the pattern is misplaced in netherworld and cannot find it on the website...planned on 9 blocks and got them all done in a day!

very springy/summery colors!  auditioning sashing now for a wall size piece...of course i have lots of layer cake left.  the antennae need embroidering as well, once it's a top.  ***  secret sewing on a gift quilt continues and my task this week is to finish the scrappy christmas trees...spring weather see-sawing but new fresh air and beautiful flowers so welcome.  time for breakfast!

not monthly mini!

slowly getting back to usual routine and sewed up this little wall quilt because couldn't resist the colors!  it's summery here for a few days but spring will return and with it those "april showers" needing that brolly as the aussies say....umbrella!

but they could just as easily be those colorful beach umbrellas seen many times as we lolled on the beach in maine....either way a nice cheery little piece i'll hand quilt at some point....and i've the second half of the month for my real monthly mini.

best kind of tired...

is the kind that comes after a wonderful visit with far-away family....back to the village today--very reluctantly--after complicated travel modes and a minor mishap.  first up, some vacation pastime photos....

not a great photo but got my flowers prepped and ready to baste/applique on the flimsy thus far.  an april top?  could be....and some cross stitch done....

a christmas stitchery going along until ran out of floss....and a needlecase sampler close to finished...

and just a bit of retail therapy.....

the colors aren't great...the last on the left is a near prussian blue stripe...and the far right is cream with tiny red keys....and what else did i do?  visited with my family, storing up hugs and kisses until August beach vacation.  Also scarfed down a considerable variety of fresh seafood....every day but one....yes, lobster rolls, clams, shrimp, fresh haddock and flounder.  made a batch of delish Rhode Island clam puffs for my mom.  

the only downer--literally!--was tripping over a small metal threshold not realizing it was not flush with the handicap ramp.  did a sort of belly flop onto a store floor whacking my left knee; yes, THAT leg!  reposed on the floor a bit until sure nothing was broken and ambulation was possible.  couple of smallish purple bruises and fortunately few people to witness...back on my feet with a few days of tylenol pretty near back to normal.  got my ocean smell and vista fix that'll have to last until august.  the travel is a complete horror coordinating various modes, but oh so worth the effort.  all the other stuff is just fluff...back in Maryland and easing into usual routine, dreaming of lazy beach days and counting days once again.