we've not forgotten

he went to war a young man from a small town in maine and came back having seen too much unpleasantness and with residual health issues.  even though he saw some exciting landmarks and Bob Hope, he couldn't wait to return to maine soil, forever changed and not all for the better.  no doubt that's true for far too many.  on this special day and every day that we enjoy our freedoms, we salute you all. 

a surprise gift!

wow, what a surprise in the mail today!  these are hand-dyed solids, a HUGE collection of small pieces, from cherrywood fabrics.  the $$ for hand dyed fabrics isn't in my budget, but is obviously in somebody's.  and solids too, double wow!  mmmm, thinking amish little quilts here....even if i could afford the yardage, i couldn't choose just one or even a few of these gorgeous colors!  turquoise maybe, or royal blue, or eggplant, or lime green?  well, whoever you are, thank you!  **** it's an at home retreat this weekend for the stashbusters.  means little to me because i sew nearly every day anyway.  i worked some on my mystery project and later will quilt on the pinks project.  so far the weather isn't bad at all.  would be great if it holds all weekend.

mystery project continues

here is a photo of ONE of the fabrics i'm using in my current project, a bit of a mystery until the unveiling.  that's my antique sewing table underneath.  you can see the sun coming in through the blinds so it isn't cloudy for a change.  i keep my laptop on the left corner because of wiring accessibility issues.  i'd prefer a dedicated spot but there simply isn't any floor space for a laptop desk close to the wires.  i could get a fold-down desk to mount on the wall, but again, no space.  i am able to work ok in my little space, but more floor and wall space would be nice.  *****  oprah, like most notables, has her critics, but when i saw those men from morehouse college who had received scholarships from oprah, and also others whose education has been enriched by her gifts, i was more than choked up.  sometimes i might think she's a little too much "out there" with her generosity, but no one can deny that many people with little or no resources have benefitted.  God calls us not to be Pharisees, puffing ourselves up and boasting about our good works, but in some ways I think oprah, because of her background, is more amazed because she CAN give rather than giving just for faint praise.  sometimes when i am able to help someone else, i feel the urge to tell, but it's only because i am filled with joy, not pride, in being able to meet someone else's need.  there is a real difference, but since i don't know her personally, i can't be sure.  a very wise person long ago taught me the difference between self-respect and selfishness and it really changed my life for the better. 

david letterman not!

maine's top ten

1.  medical secretaries need not apply
2.  in maine, multitaskers are the under-employed with a series of minimum wage seasonal jobs
3.  most renown landowner actually calls texas home
4.  you can get there from here, but it's at least a 100-mile drive each way, usually more
5.  always sacrifice industry and jobs to save tourist haunts
6.  25 miles on turnpike costs you $3 in tolls
7.  4-year college degree opens doors....to the job center to look for a job
8.  sign at border stating "the way life should be" for tourists only
9.  the original LL (leon leonwood) Bean's goal was never to sell shirts made in pakistan or guatemala
10.  most abundant of resources, lobster and blueberries, shipped out of state

so, come on up and be sure to bring those tourist bucks with you!

a pity

the pot smoker is back outside now that the weather has improved.  too bad our complex doesn't have a building set aside for those who indulge in such pastimes....closer to the boonies, you know?  it's one of the real negatives of apartment complex living.  it just isn't fair to those of us who would rather not smoke along.  that explains why i wake up with a headache in the morning because i'm not really a headache person at all.

weekend wrap

spent the weekend quilting on the pinks as well as machine piecing this little wallhanging.  the pattern is from the moda bakeshop via calico horse and calls for charms, but naturally i have stash to use!  it's almost all pieced, now on the design wall.  once finished it will go in the tote along with all the other finished items with no specific destination.  it will be hand quilted at some point.  other colors could be used for any season, really, but i love christmas so greens it is!

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?