dog days doings

nearly 90s for the entire week....but it's august and in a few weeks should start modulating a bit.  i've been keeping busy indoors except for early morning dashes to store or gym.  last week was the first since march was able to do 90+ minutes of cardio and it feels good!  frees me from guilt to sit and sew as well...lol. ***  wedding quilt is a priority and just this morning finished all 66 4-patch squares...

now can change thread color and move on to the alternating blocks, 66 of them that'll take a bit more time.  even so, well begun is half done!  and confess, did cave to 'amish buggy wheels' pattern.  it's the solids--they are sirens to me.  have seen many solid quilts in blogs and just could not resist...nearly finished cutting all wedges and using purple/teal instead of red/brown for 9 blocks only...what's on hand.

friday spent the day doing some quilt housekeeping....my wish book....do you have one?  a book with patterns, photos and ideas of things that appeal to me.  was able to cull quite a bit from it--projects that no longer appeal to me, but still plenty left.

here are a couple of christmas sewing ideas still on the someday list....

one of my quick trips was to farmer's market for yummy fresh vegs..had a couple of new cardio-approved recipes to try....first, from lidia bastianich a pasta salad....i can't eat 'suddenly salad' but this one is perfect!

mezzi rigatoni...i leave out the salt of course and go easy on cheese--mozzarella shreds instead of pearls.  made my own pesto as well, again no salt but plenty good anyway!

next recipe from a quilty peep....savory dutch pancake....

recipe called for zuke but had summer squash on hand, otherwise it would be more colorful.  onion, tomato, squash, corn, seasoning, bit of parmesan.  cooking done for a few days. 

it was a full week with only one medical visit and an afternoon with senior center quilty peeps working on 'midnight'...finished up saturday with load of laundry, so ready for the new week! 

monday report

a busy week on tap and with seasonable aka not oppressive heat, at least tolerable.  spent my weekend doing quite a bit of sewing.  the only house chore was do up the laundry.  so what did i do?  spent a fair amount of time quilting on 'midnight'....

i'm on the applique border now...the next one is those tiny churn dash blocks....since there are a gazillion seams in the remaining three, opting for simple but sufficient quilting.  was hoping to finish before vacay but think it's doubtful, tho close.  

the wedding quilt assembly line is in full swing....

pulled a stack of nickels from the tote, sewing them up in pairs, trimming to 4.5" and then into twosies then foursies...this isn't all i need, there are 66 blocks in all, but it's a good start to show the bride-to-be on her visit next week.  next up is to cut 528 blocks from the gray 2.75" and 264 from the white measuring 4.5"...simple shapes but it'll be a pretty quilt.  

took all my resolve to resist starting yet another new project....

amish buggy wheels by jean nolte in a 2010 fons & porter magazine....pulled it out for someday.  have oodles of solid scraps that would be perfect, but working hard to stay on task and get something else finished first....it isn't easy i can tell you!

and this arrived saturday....

isn't that just the cutest little thing to hold all that candy before the ghosts and goblins arrive?  i never get any of course, but might make it anyway.  it could hold some bewitching scraps!  designer is Kristyne Czepuryk.

today off to gym again to see how leg behaves.  i've given it a stern lecture hoping i'll get my routine in.  and this is haircut week as well...finally!  only one medical appointment and some senior center doings, a new veg recipe and farmer's market stop.  next week is shaping up similarly.  not overly busy, just enough to keep from getting bored.  hope your week ahead is equally enjoyable!

aaahhhh august

 

if you come to my door in august, no matter where i live, you will find this to greet you.  it's from a long ago book "a month of sundays" featuring a different wall quilt for every month. special to me for many reasons.  i was homeless when it was made.  the fabric was bought at cambridge quilts in massachusetts.  it's hand pieced and hand quilted.  it's boats on the ocean, my favorite place to be.  the mottled print behind the 3 yellow boats is actually snowflakes...lol!  i've sent a few wall quilts off to the thrift for them to sell but this one stays.  

it definitely was an aaahhh day with temps hovering around 80, a lovely breeze wafting thru the space.  got the apartment all spic'n'span.  trekked to farmer's market for produce restock--melon, peaches, cukes, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and corn...and the corn is delish! whipped up a double batch of these...

baked zucchini bites--they make up lickety split, shred zucchini in food processor, add a bit of cheese, egg, few bread crumbs, basil and garlic powder and bake!  a very nutritious snack.  

rounded out the day with a trip to the library to restock mysteries.  unusual to have a day with no sewing but apartment way overdue for cleaning.  will make it up on the weekend when hot returns.   a quick shower and off to bed with a book while the breeze lulls me off to sleep!

world embroidery day

don't do much embroidery nowadays...my aunts taught me basic stitches when i was a kid to keep me occupied while they napped sunday afternoons...in those days...1950s...not much on TV sundays except Bishop Sheen and Oral Roberts...my only current embroidery project, a UFO...

i've drooled over this pattern since i began quilting but never enough courage to make...it's recently popped up in blogs and Quiltmania so i caved...only making 4 blocks...pulling out my kaffe scraps for this one!  and while avoiding heat index of 100+ made this little placemat of christmas squares given to me...

this finishes them off....and it will be donated to the thrift when done.  another project of gifted fabric is this...

some juvenile charm squares that were used to make this little quilt....some of the squares went into my funky churn dash earlier, but perfect for this....the backing a lighthouse theme toile, a gift.  a destination presented itself so it got tied with yellow perle cotton--also a gift--and bound in blue.  it'll be a sunday finish.  

the other night on zoom tackled the scrap basket....remember, it looked like this...

but now....

garnered a fair number of squares for 'liberty crossroads' in the bargain....and when got tired of this, pulled this out for a wee start...

this is 'alaska' in the infant stage, a hand piecing project, no deadline at all.  

i want those who have gifted me fabrics and such to accept my sincere and hearty thanks...gifts always fuel my creative juices and give me opportunities to pay it forward. *** that's about it, plus some reading, a quick early morning dash to grocery and back.  finally last night very severe thunder storm and in less than 2 hours, temps went from 97 to 77....a/c is now OFF and it's going to be warm 80s week.  *** woke up this morning after a restful night with gratitude and thankfulness in my soul, not just for today but every day, blessings too numerous to count.  hope you can count some too! 

auditioning day

still confined to quarters due to oppressive heat but shut off TV weatherman aka voice of doom and settled at the machine.  my christmas gift of 'wensleydale' foundation papers had been swirling around my mind wondering what fabrics to use...decided to try these....

that's a lotta cheddah!  it's a strong color to be sure but think if i stick to dark plaids, all will balance out.  have tried others in its place that are on hand, but this was the winner.  this was a try-and-see so will get set aside for another day.  other priorities call, like this.

liberty crossroads aka the wedding quilt.  i've done it like the pattern with the solid gray in the X blocks, but thought i would try scrappy instead.  the bride likes color so we'll see which she ultimately chooses.  

staring at me on the ironing table were these huge kaffe hexies left there purposely to play with....first tried a kaffe polka dot but too washed out....

next another kaffe light with a bit more saturated color....

better but still too light....nothing else suitable on hand so once budget is healthier will scout around for something just right.  this is a someday project so give it time to age appropriately...lol!

now it's back to UFO busting.  a bit of cooking on tap for today otherwise.  may have to resort to vacuuming as well.  whatever gets done, it'll be in the cool apartment for the next couple of days.  hope you are cool as well...as the Bible says, 'this too shall pass.'

not quilt related

Eureka!   we have closure!

 

quick brag....exciting day here in the city!  took bandage off after 3 days and no dripping whatsoever!  i am truly over the moon with delight.  yeah still bit of swelling but part fat, part weather and part wound.  some numbness persists but waning...cancelled wound center appointment and discharged from surgeon last week.  aaahhhh.....

 

weekend progress

basting weekend over for now.  everything but 'tuscan starburst' got basted....ran out of fleece.

blue lanterns, blue bricks and another wall quilt non-UFO now ready to quilt.  also all 3 red/green blocks ready to applique.  my livingroom isn't quite as big now and having the folding table up requires moving out a piece or two, so happy i'm done for now.  busted easily 6 yards on the backs.  next, pulled a piece for the nativity....

not quite a half yard but enough for the block borders....

more progress on this gives me the oomph to get the remaining blocks done--they are basted as well and rolled up ready to travel.  but being the forward thinker i am, making plans for a new project--what else!  

from the book 'quilts in ireland' by kaffe fassett, this jump started my quilty muse....won't be using stripes but plenty of other choices on hand.  will have to be put off for 'liberty crossroads' tho. 

doesn't look like much got done but these were time-consuming tasks.  quilting also continues on 'midnight' but doubt i'll have another finish before vacation.  did cancel one medical appointment and stocked up pantry this weekend, spaghetti sauce in the freezer.  dog days firmly in place with a scorching week ahead, just right for a marathon sewing home retreat.  keep calm and stay cool!

midweek tally

happy to have been woken by thunder and lightning, signaling a change in our weather, yay!  probably short lived, but any respite is welcome.  being sequestered has been beneficial for my UFO list, though...tackled these blocks....

all pinned and ready to baste--today's task.  impetus is, of course, a new applique project firmly planted in my mind but others must be done first.  what else?

the nativity blocks are also ready for basting...i changed out the dark blue under the kings and also shortened my shepherds a bit so they'll fit, quite satisfied with the results.  this, too, will get basted today.

also in the basting pile are 4 small pieces--tuscan starburst, blue lanterns, bricks/blues wall quilt and another that'll be donated to a local church as a bingo prize.  backs had to be pulled for all four.  happy to use up more stash, and a few smaller pieces completely.  good thing too.....

my neighbor--the one who made the zipper bag for me--came by with some fabric pieces.  did i want them?  i took this one, a lovely neutral-ish repro print....about 1.5 yards.  nature abhors a vacuum...lol!

and what's this?  laundering money?

yes indeed.  got some quarters for laundry and they were icky sticky with some putty-like residue and one was completely obliterated with some substance.  could be they were found under a car seat or such.  machines can be finicky so decided to give them a bath--at least they look like quarters now.  

bride-to-be has selected a quilt design for me to make.  called 'liberty crossroads' designed by anorina over at https://www.sameliasmum.com/.  my bride wants lots of color but "no red".

 

while it looks like not much accomplished, these tasks sucked up a lot of time.  today is all day basting probably and might even pull out a larger piece while the table is up.  leg coming along slowly.  cardioman said lengthy recovery and ongoing issues due to fact that bypass vein was harvested from the same leg in nearly the same place.  i had completely forgotten.  itching to get back to regular gym visits, impossible in this weather.  my previous housing had a fitness room but not here.  anyway, hope you can stay cool where you are and it's a day filled with blessings!

this week's to do

soldiering sweltering on in the oppressive heat while not as severe as some, it's way too much for my liking.  i've given up watching weather reports--even my maine family are in the throes of this heat wave.  aside from a few quick morning errands, it's indoor fun, not necessarily a bad thing.  

tuscan starburst is now a flimsy, waiting in the basting pile for some day this week.  i honestly wasn't sure i'd like it but now that it's done, i quite like it very much.  blue lanterns and 2 other small pieces also in line for basting. 

with one block done, pulled out some vinyl to make a template for the remaining 3 blocks.  the original plan was for a swag border--the purpose for starting originally--but alas, find i used some of the fabric on something else and not enough left....ay caramba, not again!  thought had set aside what would be needed--well now i have done so with what's left hoping something can be fashioned.  

an entire morning spent on getting this moving forward.  had to modify the 3 kings a bit so they would fit on the background piece and shepherds will get the same treatment.  not sure the 3 kings background is a final, so will rummage to see what else might work better.  i did have to resort to a few tiny dots of glue, which i almost never use, but happy to find that mine was still usable even after years of being sidelined...it's roxanne's of course. 

another week of stronger antibiotic and leg is now much improved.  anxious for surgeon's impression later this week.  *** daughter's best friend getting married and i will be making a quilt for them, queen size, and i couldn't be more honored to do so.  no rush so should be able to whittle down UFO list quite a bit and maybe even sneak in another new project whispering to me daily....lol!  ah the temptations we quilters face....hoping you'll be cool and safe!

speaking of christmas...

sunday night while watching PBS, finished cutting appliques for this penn dutch wall quilt and thinking of starting yet another applique project...but this popped up in mind....

jan patek's nativity...only 2 blocks left....new start on back burner because this one MUST be finished for this holiday season.  the black strip is for the sheep legs...the other block is 3 kings and a lot of tiny pieces are stalling me, but will have to resort to an occasional drop of glue to get it done...

and here is 'spectrum' top finish....renamed crossroads...destination unknown

what else?  made a little table topper for my unsightly kitchen table previously used with the big board on top.   now out in the open and not visually pleasing..a win/win since it used up all those muslin 2.5" squares as well.

lastly, 'tuscan starburst' top cruising in for a finish.....

seems like a lot accomplished, but the crossroads top and table topper were just about finished before the weekend....once this is done, a basting day will happen.  and of course, quilting on 'midnight' continues. 

weather has turned abhorrent so forays outside will be minimal....96 tomorrow....yeeech!  dreaming daily of cold maine ocean waters and crisp september nights.  only 3 medical appointments remain in july.  thankfully freezer stocked with ready or minimal meals.  it's either clean or sew, hmmm no contest there. so keep cool and sew on!