november wind down

 as turkey day approaches and 6 days to tree up day, no time to waste finishing this...

just a quick closure and it'll be done....well ahead of turkey day!  up next is this little christmas stitchery...

with only 3 weeks not sure it'll get finished in time but no matter...

senior center friday where some donations were dropped off....this quilt top was included...

a pretty top with corners requiring some applique to finish it...and most in the group do not do much applique so i offered my services...then it'll be turned over to somebody to finish and sell to garner funds for our supplies.  finished items get displayed and sell pretty fast....i also came home with a few pieces of template plastic and some chalk leads for my marking pencil.  it always amazes me that God knows and meets my mundane needs....

the top is quite wrinkly but there are 4 of these to be done...after the bow ties is finished it'll get tackled.  with only 2 blocks left of the ties, it's just the sashing to quilt now.  planning on it being bed ready january 1st...

back to baseline after brief surgery...took me a few days to catch up on sleep and get meds back on routine....saturday back on exercise bike so it's all good.  all tests were negative so peace of mind worth it...

a few flurries fell friday but quickly became rain, which was badly needed.  i've made my list for cooking tasks and already put the christmas quilt on the bed.  the next 4 weeks will be busy and whiz by no doubt, but that's ok...diversion good to keep tears at bay...one sewing gift is tops on the list and a few fun things on the schedule already.  so ducks in a row and let the holidays begin!

last warmish day?

a predicted 68 is probably the best it's going to be until may i think...maryland's mother nature is wishy-washy most seasons except summer...then she is brutal.  the weekend was productive on all things needle related, aside from saturday morning cooking blitz.  here's my wrap up....

the stocking that was half done is now finished...with 5 on hand for the holidays, don't anticipate the need to make more until next year.  but after rummaging in the christmas fabric stash, i think another quilt top is needed...lots of small pieces need a home.  

the repro triangles moved forward as well...now with 160 finished, only 83 to make, hoping to have a flimsy by december 1st...

cross-stitch pilgrims about half or more finished....this was a last minute project with a deadline of course, but will be done i'm sure....they are short so could very well be my ancestors...LOL!

the kim diehl wall piece quilting is nearly done as well....this is an official UFO, just a bit more quilting and then bind to be finished.  

this was a quick quilting detour from the bow ties...happy to report only 3 more blocks to quilt on that, then do all the sashings and THAT will be ready to bind as well...yes, a december finish and maybe in time to quilt another small piece before it's an official 2025 UFO.  

a bit of time spent sorting out under the ironing station.  with no room for shelving in my living room, shoeboxes and such have to live here.  

project bags keep unfinished stuff neat and organized.  the top of the table got cleared off as well with only the dargate basket project still sitting there.  those are a 2025 chookshed challenge task, probably several small wall quilts instead of one large.  

and a new addition!  meet marcy....

my pin money for 2025 will pay her off but she was a necessity.  without a car and few opportunities to work out at the senior center, this was sorely needed to keep the heart happy.  it has an additional benefit for my knees as well.  only calamity was a broken great toe during assembly... first week logged 100 minutes of cardio, which is quite acceptable for me and cardioman agrees.  even better, it helps my mental health.   and good news, i've enough living room space left for a nice recliner for evening quilting comfort...that'll be next!

going to be a surreal holiday season, first without my mom.  every day i think of things i would like to tell her but i know that's normal for everyone with such a loss.  tears are popping up a bit more frequently, but the exercise and keeping busy helps.  i can't imagine the void will ever be filled....

wednesday chat

fall has arrived in earnest...40s this morning and for the next week or so...flannel pants on board along with hot chocolate...so it begins.  i've been quilting quite a bit on the bow ties as i am quite sick of seeing this behemoth lying around...what else?

totally done making these...not pretty or perfect but quite functional...have managed to pawn a few off to neighbors who don't sew...

these got done...

last 2 zippers got used on these...no vinyl and not buying any so just fabric...and annoyed as the yellow i used was very similar on both right/wrong sides and when finished, i see the wrong side is the horizontal piece...rats!  so much for sewing at night.   i had thought to gift to someone but no longer...no more of these either.  i've one more Christmas stocking to finish and all my batting scraps will be gone.  it is quite rewarding to use up bits and bobs, no longer lying around for someday.

with November racing on, pulled out this little stitchery from the primitive hare, designer isabella abbiati....

this will go in my decorative duck for display...i cruise instagram every day and drool over so many beautiful stitcheries, but not about to abandon quilting for cross stitch.  

getting fall tasks done bit by bit.  bit of laundry today and then make the kitchen drape.  next week 2 medical appointments and our community dinner.  still plenty of time for exercise and sewing.  i am assigned 2 pies for turkey day at daughter/son-in-law's home.  then it's up with the Christmas tree.  i do need a LOT of Christmas this year that has been so painful and sad.  it still hurts so very much you know...now for that exercise--imperative to keep my spirits up!

R.E.D.

 

even though i'm a color hound, red isn't one of my favorites in the box.  but the DAR has given it new meaning...R.E.D. is an acronym for Remember Everyone Deployed.  with two current family members serving and a long list of previous ones, veteran's day is always a time to recall their service and feel quite humbled and proud of them...i hope you feel the same.

the weekend?  murphy was right...work expands to fill the allotted time...with two whole days of nothing really pressing, i should have gotten much sewing done--nope.  i did get one project bag done and another just about, plus some quilting on bow ties, then some exercise, cooking, reading, so mojo not yet up to full throttle.  i am certain serious cabin fever is a part.  a broken toe kept me in friday, giving up 2 fun things, which was irritating.  with just laundry staring me in the face, it's back to sewing and quilting.  

back to quilting

now that house chores done (except laundry!), can sew with clear conscience...lol...first thing hung up my turkeys!  a country threads pattern now out of print...would be right at home in a log cabin but works here as well...one of my favorites....

pulled some blocks from the solids drawer and sewed this up...

one of my 2025 chookshed challenges is to empty the drawer from the remaining solids scraps...

then this got basted and should be a november finish....

more bow ties quilting...you know what that looks like....and christmas stitchery ready for finishing....thank you anni downs for such a cute pattern!

when i made the project bags i thought there were more zippers somewhere and turns out, intuition was right...so 2 more project bags will be made without the vinyl as none left and not buying any...this will give me something like 8-9 and that's quite enough.  

election impression?  it was close, we knew it would be...so many democrats are shouting serious gloom and doom...but i say be patient...even with republicans in control, i am quite certain many do not share trump's plans or ideas, after all they tried to get him off the ticket didn't they?  i got the impression harris thought she was a shoe-in...but no swing states?  not really surprised there...i think immigration was a big factor...am i happy with the choice?  not a whit...but i don't believe for a nanosecond that America is done for....the framers knew a lot about dangers of absolute power and established our republic cognizant of same. lastly, God blesses America and pray he will continue to do so...in spite of flawed politicians.

patriotic duty

 

Thomas Jefferson

“We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”

election editorial

on the eve of a most important event in the country....

i voted over 2 weeks ago and have been avoiding all things political ever since.  before that lots of media dialogue, most of which seemed vague, untrue, unfocused, pandering, blaming rhetoric.  as an evangelical Christian and patriot, neither candidate speaks for me or represents me.  after reading "the federalist papers" in college, my eyes were opened as to the lengthy process, angst and agony with which our founding fathers drafted our Constitution and the reasoning behind each amendment.  political races have become popularity contests rather than for determining values to hold important jobs in our government.  

there's always hope that somebody sometime will actually be elected with true patriotism, moral integrity, common sense, courage to act on behalf of the country rather than any one special interest group, shore up America's standing in the world, be a beacon for democracy, vehemently support our Constitution, choose advisors of the same ilk, and protect our freedoms in an ever-volatile world.....not merely an impossible choice between two ill-suited candidates.  

on vacation

that would be my quilting AND sewing mojo...a wacky sleep pattern has me snoozing in short increments and then wiped out the rest of the time...yeeech!  time change maybe?  partly and serious cabin fever too i think...and holidays approaching without our mum seems to have paralyzed me a bit....finally some family concerns have ironed out now, so maybe things will improve.  

clocks turned back and i can get up at 6:30 now, at least on sunny mornings, without turning heat on.  sunshine heats up my apartment quickly.  but today i turned oven on for these...

blueberry muffins made with wyman's frozen blues direct from downeast maine....recipe by marjorie standish, a well-known maine cook, served on my union blueberry pottery....unsalted butter of course but delish anyhow!

another episode of drawer emptying coming up....pulled out these pieces to use up and bust more stash...

another small piece...once my joann order arrives i've a couple of things to baste, one a UFO i hope to finish in november whilst i continue quilting on bow ties...when the mojo gets fired up again of course...meanwhile, put off vacuuming and laundry will have to be reckoned with absolutely first.  everything considered it's still a blessed day filled with thankfulness and hope...

all saint's day

today's the day...my heart surgery anniversary...7 lucky years...so thankful i lived to see my dear mom to the end and more years with my family.....couldn't feel more grateful and blessed...a gift from the Great Physician!  after an 81-degree day i hope it's  going to become more seasonable, 68 here this morning.....hand quilting a big quilt in too warm weather isn't really ideal...but it has been nice for outside walks and stitching on our porch...

what else have i done?   moving along on another UFO, the scrappy repro triangles....i goofed before and really need 243 blocks, not 234 blocks...just about halfway there now...i pin them in bunches of 10 for easy counting...

moved the christmas stitchery along...not much left, then it's decide how to finish...

doing some secret  gift sewing for christmas so keeping under wraps...thankfully an extra hour is on tap for this weekend...

speaking of weekend, a bit o' housework must be done now that freezer is stocked with easy meals...then i can sew!

sunday sewing

bright and early at the machine and these got finished....

a pile of potholders!  only a few more but i've run out of batting scraps for the moment...happy to see the selvedges all used...

and if you see this dapper gent today, wish him a happy birthday!  it's brother #2...mom brought him home on halloween...i waited all day for him to wake up but he didn't...not until i was ready to go trick-or-treating, so i had to wait until the next day to hold him.

father of 4 and grandfather of 1, his cup runneth over.  senior struggles like all of us, but still keeping on....love you brother!

a quick lunch of some homemade chicken soup and then back to miss sunny for more stash busting!