by the sea, by the sea...

strange yellow orb appeared briefly in the sky today compelling us to leave the confines of our rented abode and travel to the nearest salt water galaxy not too far away.  in maine, when the mercury-contained heat indicator reaches 60F., many denizens are garbed in shorts and i complied.  seriously, 60F. in maine is like 80F. in southern locales so it's nearly a requirement.  **** am presently quilting the pinks project and some machine sewing on other things as well.  ***** after a hastily prepared evening caloric intake of the mediterranean genre along with herbaceous leafy greens (spaghetti and salad), some quilting and TV listening, am retiring to the all-purpose sleep/sewing chamber for reading my current volume on temporary loan from the nearest multimedia receptacle (library)....."The Land of Painted Caves," last volume of Earth's Children Series by Jean Auel, which I recommend highly. 

quilting in progress

yesterday i did get the pinks basted and started the quilting as well.  that project needs to be finished right away, so it'll be my primary handwork project until completion.  today i'm pulling out the next machine project that is a gift, so details omitted until it's been received.  these two projects will take up the majority of the next two weeks.  after that, it's back to basting 2 UFOs and quilting the next.  this year hoping to knock off at least 10 from my UFO list of 21; with june nearly here i've finished 6 so well on my way to that goal.  ***** the sky is lightening a bit here after a week of clouds and rain, so maybe the weather guru is right, the sun WILL come out tomorrow!

a friday flimsy

got this top done today but it won't be a flimsy long because i'm basting it later on so i can start the quilting and yes, the photo is sideways.  a thanks here to susan branch for posting her pattern of "vineyard seasons" for inspiration.  true, the pinwheel is a public domain pattern, but she utilized it in a unique way which I did not copy exactly but all in all, i want to give her a mention.  i am probably going to bind mine in one of the pink fabrics.  after this quilting project is done, i'm going back to the hawaiian applique project for handwork.  i've also got a quilt that needs tying and then bound to be finished, so that's on the agenda as well.  ****** has finally stopped raining here in maine but no sun yet.  the talking weather heads say sunday for certain.

9 little schools...

all pieced by hand.  these are 6" schoolhouse blocks all done and waiting for the narrow border, then baste, quilt and binding!  though i do still make some bed-size quilts, i am so into making small projects that can be finished fairly quickly and give me just as much satisfaction.  there are so many patterns i want to make that i couldn't possibly all do in big quilts.  so, i'll have a collection of smaller pieces instead.  i have 2 quilts on my bed, my daughter has 3 quilts, my mother has 3 quilts, there is a sofa quilt, my aunt has a quilt, my older brother and SIL have 2 quilts and my sister has a quilt.  i also have 2 tied quilts to be given away, 4 bed quilts in process and a few more at the UFO stage.  when i finish them all, i still have stash to make more.....so will that be enough? 

the beginning

last night during "dancing with the stars," i decided to try the applique portion of my hawaiian quilt.  i watched the DVD three times and felt confident enough to try it for myself.  the left is a photo of the back and it does look like the example on the video, except for the skipped spot....i'm impressed!  below is the front where the stitches are barely or not even showing.  good thread match!  this is aurifil 50/2 recommended by the shop.  i used a batik that i washed three times, also recommended by the shop, to make it soft enough for the applique and quilting later on.  so far i am pretty happy with the result.  this will probably be my TV project for some time, as there is no deadline for its completion and i do have other projects that need to be done for specific reasons.  i put a lot of thought into my choices and so far i am more than pleased.  **** weather continues dreary and drizzly, so could get a lot of sewing done this during its tenure.  already i've finished the 30s flimsy and started on the pinks project, which should be basted by week's end.  it doesn't take the place of meaningful work but a tolerable substitute for the time being.

flimsy finish

clipped this pattern from mccall's quilting magazine in 2000 and now the flimsy finally is done.  this is going to be a gift at some point.  the name is "lovers' links" and i used my 30s stash, which is now nearly completely gone.  there are some authentic vintage fabrics in this as well.  i've also started sewing together the pinks project and hope to get that to the basting stage this week some time.  pretty good accomplishment for a rainy monday.  since the entire week may be similarly solar challenged, i expect i'll get a lot of sewing done, if my pedal foot holds up that is.

here it is!

well, the lone star is finally finished.  it needs a cold water dip to get rid of the quilting marks, but otherwise it's a finish.  this is the second one i've made, both were made by hand.  this one didn't come out as well as the other and i sort of lost enthusiasm for it near the end.   regardless of the outcome, there is a lot of work here so it'll get hung up on the wall as it's not entirely displeasing to the eye but again, not at all blue ribbon status.  no matter. it's an accomplishment and that's better than leaving it or flinging it incompleted.  my quilting goal never was to be absolutely perfect, only to enjoy the process and the result. 

blast from the past

even before i started quilting in 1979, i was enamored with quilts.  when the bicentennial quilt frenzy was in full swing, i purchased this magazine to get an early "fix" of quilting, probably because of the amish quilts included.  there are also patterns for dresden plate, gingham dog/calico cat and other traditional plus a few patriotics with shields and eagles and such and even a new york beauty!  my taste in quilt styles has broadened a bit, but my fascination/attraction to amish and traditionals hold fast.  i wonder who else might have a copy in their book stash?  this is definitely a keeper.  **** still watching the eagle chicks grow but at this point, i get turned off watching them rip apart and eat rodents.  i try to check in frequently enough to catch the first mini-flight, which should take place in the next few weeks.  there's lots of flapping and short hops taking place inbetween gross feedings.

watch this space!

very soon i can show you the lone star finish as i am now working on the binding, yes!  another UFO will bite the dust this very week, i do believe.  my current machine project is another UFO, a 30s style quilt.  i also have a quilt basted and ready for tying so you can see, i am working fast and furious to finish up as many UFOs as possible. lucky for me i have lots of time to sew, which isn't always the case.

in the pinks!

in addition to doing a number of quilty tasks today, i also went to marden's to pick up some fabric for a commission piece.  as usual, i found some really lovely pinks and a background piece as well.  about half are $2.99 fabrics, the rest were $3.99 (that's per yard). from these i am going to get 2 quilt tops; one is the comission and the other will be a baby/carriage size.  and though i didn't specifically look for "name brand" quilt shop fabrics, as most but not all of marden's are, the end labels on these were RJR, robert kaufman, red rooster, free spirit and westminster.  they've been washed and dried already.  the yardage total is 4.25 yards for about $17, real honest-to-goodness bargains!  i did see a background online i liked a lot better, but it was $9.25 a yard and would have been just over $23 for the 2.5 yards needed....a definite no.  after choosing these i got out of there fast.....serious temptation!