applique envy

if you hop on over to http://www.gloriouscolor.com/ you will see kim mclean's stunning applique patterns.  i'm currently drooling over this one, but not enough to consider starting it just yet.  i've a few applique quilts in the works and i'd only be dreaming at this point, but such a lovely dream don't you think?  **** tomorrow i have to put a sleeve on my maine quilts piece to send it off next week.  hard to believe it's only 3 weeks away, which will signal the end of july and  the beginning of august.  summer goes way too fast, i think.  we are just now starting to get a good selection of fresh veggies, yum-my! **** thanks to those who commented on miss paige's baby quilt.  it really came out beautiful.  the fabrics were very good quality and the batt was just right for the quilting, made the designs puff out just enough to be noticed but not too thick.  it was one of those projects that just went together easily, quilted wonderfully and looks pretty perfect.  i've often said my goal is not blue ribbons so most of my things are not perfect, but this was one project that just got done without any glitches at all.  since it was a special gift, that made it a delight!

pinks quilt update

remember this quilt?  i had originally stated it was a commission piece but actually it was for a friend of DD's who was having her first baby.  this beauty now belongs to one miss paige elizabeth who arrived yesterday, finally, eagerly greeted by her impatient parents.  i was thinking about her mom holding her for the first time and checking her all over and it brought back memories of when i first held DD and did the same.  it was a supremely joyous day that still gives me a warm, wistful feeling all over even now.  **** the room repair progresses!  this is very good news.  could be that by tuesday all my doo-dads will be back in their nooks and crannies.  in the meantime, i've been cutting pieces for the christmas scrappy and working on the amish pinwheel.  idle hands, you know....

R.I.P.

i have a 10" square window fan i bought eons ago, like 10 years maybe?  it's quieter than a large box fan and does a pretty good job in a small space.  well, last night i went to plug it in and i believe it has succumbed to the crash.  it still runs BUT the plastic case has split along the seam line, causing it to rattle.  i paid $8 for the thing and it has worked for all this time; i don't believe it owes me a penny.  ***** another hot (for maine) day here on the coast and that is exactly where we are going today, in about 40 minutes or so.  as i mentioned, not all maine beaches are free and this one is no exception.  the cost kept us from going too many times last year, so this year we purchased a seasonal pass and already we are way over the original cost, so it was a good deal.  without further adeiu......

Plan B

you might wonder what i'm doing with the old viking AND little brother on hiatus (or maybe not) and this is it!  pulled out this shoebox full of gray and color solid triangles.  these are for the hand pieced, scrappy amish pinwheel quilt that is a someday finish (no deadline).  the christmas scrappy is machine pieced and quilting on the lovers' links is out of the question in 80-degree weather, so decided to make more of these squares.  ***** the repair persons came today and measured for materials to finish the wall job.  while they were here, they put the AC in the window.  my stuff is spread out all over the apartment, in addition to the aforementioned machines being packed away, and it will be terrific once things are organized again.  since we can do nothing to aid and abet in this situation, we are heading to the beach later on to enjoy cool breezes and cold water. 

A Happy Independence Day!

despite a gnawing unease from THIS, we kicked off the holiday with a wonderful band concert outdoors under cool but summery conditions.  If you are an American, natural born or naturalized, things like this should upset you.  i urge you to read "the federalist papers," a literary chronicle on the perils faced when forming a new, independent government, not the least of which was freedom from tyranny from outside forces.  the founders could not have foreseen the growing economic tyranny we now face that, if not stemmed and obliterated, will (i believe) destroy the America and its unmatched freedoms as we know it, or as it should be.  enjoy your celebration...our descendants may have only memories of such if things don't change. 

A True Legend

Sally Palmer Field of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, has died.  she was a renown quilter here in New England.  when i first got into quilting in the 1970s, i heard about a new england guild that was having a meeting in a nearby town.  i decided to go and see what it was about.  when i got there, i realized that one had to pre-register to attend the meeting and so i went about getting information to register for the next meeting, held biannually.  little did i know i was on the cusp of a huge groundswell in quilting.  the guild grew so large in a 10-year span that it was a logistical nightmare to arrange meetings.  smaller guilds and groups sprung up all over new england as a result.  a museum was planned and became an eventual reality (much to my surprise).  the guild was finally disbanded after its original goal, and many more, had been attained.  Sally was at the forefront of the guild's formation as well as being a teacher, artist and promoter.  she was one of those people who was almost bigger than life.  when she came into a room, she brought vitality, inspiration and ideas.  she could have been a reader's digest "most unforgettable character" to most anyone.  i can't imagine anyone who was quilting in the 1970s or 1980s won't be saddened by this news. 

wall progress

as you can see, my cute curtains are down, replaced with this drop cloth for the weekend until the repair can be completed.  even so, i am thrilled with the progress this morning.  looking at the wall cracks and chunks of wallboard falling off, not to mention the wall being pushed in, made me a tad nervous.  i did sleep in the room last night and awoke alive and in one piece, which is good.  as i mentioned, the maintenance crew at this complex is top notch, and their probably underpaid work has nothing to do with my unhappiness here.  i don't like maine.  i would like a patio to grill on and for container plants.  not to mention a job, my own place and a life.  pity party over, need a nap big time.

here it is

whew, just under the quarterly wire.  i still have to dunk it in cold water to get all the quilting lines off, but it's all quilted and bound, ready to hang.  problem is, there is no wall space for it at all.  i truly do need a bigger sewing space with more wall space, more floor space, no carpets and plenty of natural light.  ah, if wishes were horses so they say.  *** insurance adjuster here today to check on the damage to the wall and window in my room.  won't be fixed until next week it seems, which is a HUGE inconvenience as my room stuff is now in other places in the already full apartment.  maintenance is very good at this complex, but this job is much bigger than usual.  that means the old viking and i won't be able to play at all until all the work is done (sniff, sniff).  even worse, there is no place to set up little brother either.  plus the weather is turning hot, so quilting on the lovers' links is not an option either.  this is a predicament of sorts it seams seems....

a smashing finish...

to a busy day.  last night sometime after 9:30, a woman was parking her car in the lot in front of my window.  she lost control and slammed into the building wall, which then caused my interior wall to collapse somewhat.  it sounded like a jet crash (we live near the airport) and the building shook just a bit.  this was in front of my antique sewing table, which came out unscathed.  the old viking was on the table and didn't budge a centimeter and my laptop also came through safely.  so, today the maintenance people will be here to make repairs.  i offered that this would be a good time to make my room larger and add a much-wanted patio....if only, right?  i slept on my futon in the living room last night just to be safe, although they didn't feel the structure was compromised.  ***** tune in later today and see my little sewing machine wallhanging finished!  i've only one more side of the binding to sew down for completion.  most of the sewing i did yesterday was on this piece.  i also did some machine piecing of christmas scrappy pieces as well.  the studio is off limits today for the wall repairs.  the window frame is broken as well.

closing in

on another finish as the little spools wallhanging, homage to the old viking, is ready to quilt.  it needs basting and quilting and binding and then i can cross it off my list, fantastic!  after i finished college i was also unemployed for nearly 2 years (i told you, vacationland) and i borrowed zillions of quilt books from the library and found this sewing machine pattern in a very old (meaning 1970s) quilt book.  who knew i'd be unemployed AGAIN for such a long time so soon!  anyway, i hope to get this done before friday so i can have another june finish.  ***** being so upset with the state of my life in general for so many years, i struggle at not being angry all the time.  today it's easy, though, because it's the birth anniversary of HELEN KELLER.  if anyone had a reason to act piteous, she did; instead, she accomplished much in her dark, silent world.   she is a true american hero and one of mine in particular.  if you ever find yourself in tuscumbia, alabama, don't miss her childhood home....ivy green.