newest stash

really, just a few basics and a couple of "had to have" pieces were all i got yesterday.  first, from L to R, 2 shirtings, always needed; next, a cheddar and poison green print, definitely a basic; next 1/4 yard to go with the last print; next, a french general very gorgeous piece and beside it a "go with" piece from red rooster; then a basic double pink for the civil war diary quilt and last but not at all least is a christmas print that i couldn't leave behind.  of all the christmas fabrics, this bolt had the most left; it was lonely, felt left out, so i brought home 1/2 yard for a project that is all planned--lovely, colorful pears! **** slept soundly a whopping 8 hours last night.  been puttering and doing some quilting and scrap chopping this morning.  it's another near perfect midsummer day, not to be confused with midsomer where all the murders take place.  an english place where it definitely isn't safe to live but just fine for DVD watching. **** back to puttering!

a perfect play day

took a brief sojourn from the city today to visit victoria, a country mouse!  we had a lovely nearly day-long visit and quilty chat and you'll never guess...we found a quilt shop, with a sale no less! i got a few lovelies as did victoria, both of us sorely lacking in the fabric department....NOT!  victoria prepared a delish panini lunch and i brought the dessert.  i got to meet her fur baby, raven, and roam through her oh-so spacious quilty space.  her husband was equally hospitable, until he retreated to his garden.  it isn't that far to her home but it's all back roads, so it takes a while.  i saw plenty of veggie stands and berry picking places.  back to the city at last to wash the fabric

with ideas dancing in my head.  **** when i arrived, the dump guy had come and taken away the old TV, so i can move the elfa drawers freely and even clean behind them if need be.  now for a shower and jammies...after jeopardy, now that time-warner and hearst have called a truce. 

different design wall

good to see something besides brown on the design wall.  since it hangs in my room, it's part of the decoration of the room and while brown/muslin is nice, i needed a change.  here are the ocean wave blocks so far.  i used up all the triangles that were cut and i can see i'm going to need a lot, lot more.  will i wipe out all my solid scraps?  time will tell, but i love it so far.....very colorful even though not strictly traditional old-order amish.  ***** i'm also working on some applique inbetween machine time, one of which might be ready to show soon, plus quilting a tablerunner to give me a UFO finish this month.  ***** if you are a baby boomer like me, no doubt you remember bobby rydell from philly and his hits from 1960.  bobby is now 70 and just underwent kidney and lung transplant.  like, wasn't he on bandstand not that long ago?  i thought so.  **** and the muggies are gone for the time being with temps going down to the mid-50s overnight.  makes for great sewing weather!

at last

finally got this first section all pieced.  the lower right block, the big applique, is actually done differently than the pattern.  i looked at the diagram only once and when i went back to check the squaring up measurements, realized that the little hand-like pieces were supposed to go inbetween the curved pieces.  this explains why mine doesn't exactly fit as it should but it works regardless.  for sure i'm not taking any out to redo it.  this is what happens when i try to sew when i'm tired or have other things going on.  anyway, looks good to me as i know there is a tremendous amount of work even in this one section and it's a quilt for me, so i can live with it no problem.  i used to think brown was boring but not any longer.  something else gets to hang on the design wall now for a change.  **** my name is creeping up on the queen's list in the UFO challenge so i'll probably take a quilty detour from the pinwheel and get a couple of smaller things done.  my list for the year was longer than i'd like, 23 unfinished projects, so it really needs serious, continual attention, especially since i've started some new things this year that are also not yet done. *** aside from that we are weathering the weather quite nicely, expecting thunder, rain and hail later on today then a change to nicer days.  no matter as i can sew and quilt most any day. 

basting blitz

whew, most of today was taken up with basting, and i mean the old fashioned way, by hand with needle and thread.  all ready to quilt now are 2 tablerunners, 2 little quilts and 2 twin size quilts.  the christmas quilt front right is scrappy from top to bottom--even the background that is made up of scraps of white-on-white pieces and other white cottons from various projects, not enough of any to put in one project.  i know it isn't matchy-matchy but definitely frugal and scrappy, which is just fine to me.  **** these basted projects will join others on the shelf waiting for quilting; 2 bed size, 4 wallhanging and 1 little quilt.  there's also the 2 amish bed size in progress, so even if i don't start anything new, i've got enough to keep me sewing for a couple of years anyway.  stick around, could be there'll be plenty to show in months to come. 

r.i.p.

'tis true, the trusty, ancient RCA has gone (or will soon) to the tv graveyard.  DD and i got this in the 1980s driving thru NH to Maine...tax free you know.  it has been moved and stored and dropped more than once and was on borrowed time.  the sewing room is hushed now, briefly as a new one is en route, with only the gentle tap tap of fingers on keyboard and the old viking whirring.  it's like losing an old friend.  what can i say, i am a boomer and grew up with TV, first the B&W console with the 7-inch screen to now.  there is hardly a time when i'm home that it isn't on for company, for information, for entertainment.  i don't know if i can sew without it (a bit overstated perhaps, but a true sentiment).  often in early or late hours, i switch it on without sound to check out weather, news and QVC deals. **** fortuitous, then, that i had planned to baste quilts today in the living room where the new fangled TV resides.  with temps over 90 and humidity almost that, it's an indoor play day.

the sun never sets

forget about the british empire, it's just take 2 that seems to be with me ad infinitum.  almost ready to put the last block into the first section and get it off the design wall and i've got 5 done for the next.  not exactly where i'd hoped to be at this point with this project, but progress nonetheless.  also got some other sewing done this morning with ideas and projects galore, per usual.  **** and no, i haven't ventured out yet.  it's nearly 90 and going higher here, unusual for coastal maine.  we did get to the beach yesterday afternoon and had to leave because the wind was so strong and cool.  truly the dog days of summer and august isn't even here yet.  

almost....

all i have left is to reverse applique those 8 little diamonds, then square off the square and put the entire section together.  when i started this project in january, i wasn't working at all and had endless days to sew.  no doubt i wouldn't be so far behind if that was still the case, but no matter, i like my job a lot and for sure the paycheck is most welcome.  i still get to sew nearly every day if i want (except in beach weather of course), and so it is no big deal.  like all my projects, they get done eventually.  and after all, it's the process i enjoy most in addition to the end result. 

one is done

one down, 11 to go.  this measures about 3.75" across, so not THAT tiny but still small enough for a small quilt.  i just couldn't make them any smaller due to the, ahem, aforementioned fingers.  and i still find them boring to do, sorry but i do.  quite certain i could never make any bed size quilt with them, but i was entertaining the idea of a vintage-y christmas stocking....for someday maybe.  yesterday i also worked on the ocean waves units too.  **** the weather gods are smiling on us this week; warm, sunny, dry, perfect weather!  great for sleeping and just about anything else except singing in the rain!  and july nearly half over....how did that happen? 

kitting it up

remember me saying i am not a "red" person?  it is true for the most part but not when it comes to these delicious fabrics by kaffe fassett.  these are nickels i cut from my small stash for a project i'll be taking on retreat with me later this year.  last summer i volunteered to sit at a quilty booth at a fair and saw a display quilt made in these colors.  it was beautiful and so i started assembling some FQs for a project.  i don't have quite enough so a road trip is in the works.  and kaffe himself is coming to new england later this year.  it's out of my budget but would have been super to go.  fortunately i can get somewhat of a fix vicariously through his gorgeous fabrics.