almost done...

turns out, one CAN quilt in a cough syrup/vaporub stupor!  must be the extra aspirin allowing better blood flow to the fingers...LOL!  only 3 more blocks to quilt, then it's the border and binding, wahooo!  this is for mom's place, will hang over her bed.  it'll get a good home and i don't have to store it in the car or wherever until whenever, a win/win indeed.  not quite back to baseline but slowly getting there.  this crazy on/off spring weather is sooo nice but is a wardrobe selection conundrum.  even so, yesterday morning at 4 am it was 55 degrees...imagine!  *** and would be remiss not to remember my dad especially today, the anniversary of his passing.  turns out, 14 years ago was home from school sick as well...when the call came to go to his hospital bedside, i knew then he had died.  i found this poem in the newspaper and saved it..."he walked on earth a little while, a promise to fulfill; but in our hearts, through peace and love, he walks among us still." 

lucky day!

was catching up on blogs and woo hoo!  am the lucky winner of a pillow kit, seen over at jan patek's blog...i love her patterns and fabrics and have both a pattern and a FQ bundle waiting for me to use.  isn't this an adorable pattern?

thank you, jan...will be watching the post for this...glad i don't have to sew on this today, sidelined with a fever/sinus/sore throat/chest congestion thingie that has been brewing nearly all winter, no doubt a side effect of constant warm-then-cold weather.  aside from dosing with over-the-counter products, have been napping and quilting alternately today.  don't you hate it when trying to blow your nose, the eye waters instead????  so this was a nice way to end the day amid vaporub fumes and watery eyes.  love giveaways!

little block respite

up until now all the 365 blocks have been 3.5" unfinished...so got a break from them with the center block of this medallion.  mind you, this isn't the ENTIRE center but most of it, now done. 

the feature fabric of this center block is a jo morton, no surprise there...it is a beautiful print and have some in this dark blue and also in dark green.  and honestly, am not trying to stick with blue fabrics, but a good portion of my stash IS some shade of blue, it being my favorite color.  this was a short break, now back to the tiny blocks for the rest of the month i think; then it's hopefully finish the medallion and piece together the inner dark border.  it'll be fun to get to that point.  after that, am thinking it is 6" light blocks for the next border.  ***  see saw weather continues.  after a few days of very cold, the coming week is going to be 40s and beyond.  looking forward to flowers and color!

scrap corner

notice the new button in the left margin?  had to join up because a scrap problem is putting it mildly.  

not all of this is scraps but undoubtedly some is; this is current state of my stash--bags, boxes and piles.  and must say feel blessed and rich to have such a problem!  once all my scraps and stash are together, will be happy to post a photo over at sarah's blog!   in the meantime, keeping them corralled as best as possible, which some days is a complete failure.  feel blessed to have such an array of fabric that fuels my creative muse every day!

let there be light!

have been unable to quilt in the evenings due to insufficient light, so squeezed a bit of cash out of the budget to pick up these 2 items shown often on quiltville's blog.  the clamp end tucks down inbetween the corner of the cushion and works great!  this is really a replacement for a desktop one that got left behind at a motel. 

the USB light is an addition as often find myself during dark hours in the car with the laptop, so this will come in really handy.  both were needful purchases and not just impulse items.  ooh love that turquoise!  ***  march came in like a lion with bitter cold winds even tho temps are warmer than normal.  the weatherman "hinted" that winter just may be over for most of southern lobsterville, which doesn't hurt my feelings at all. 

it's about time

have spent lots of waiting time (laundromat etc.) basting up these little hexies and think have to now sew them into rosettes and spacer units...and a reminder that they look larger than they really are...do not adjust your set!

also on the cutting table are more triangles for this someday project, "wildest dreams" seen in an old mag (american patchwork i think) that definitely whispered my name....

plus more 365 blocks on this downton-less sunday and we are starting the center medallion a month earlier than i had thought....good news indeed....and BTW, the cats have found a home!

a yard-ish slip

wouldn't you know, desperately needed some template plastic.  all those joann texts and e-mails didn't help.  before i knew it, there i was--with my coupons, no less.  found the template plastic, but succumbed to browsing and these were on the red tag table....plaids!

was really looking for material for pajama shorts that are needed (the flamingos!) but oh the plaids!  so, 1/4 yard of each was quickly cut, along with this mod pink for my little snail trail piece.  despite being overcome by guilt, was fondling them later and spied the date on the selvedge...2012?   yes indeed, 2012!  no matter, these are lovely diagonal plaids that'll go nicely with my current stuff and a plaid quilt on my someday list....my name is grace and i AM a fabricholic but got my fix today, yippeee!  now it's back on the wagon....

big and little

spent a day catching up on sew along blocks and it was spooky to go from sewing these little blocks--

photographed on my one-of-a-kind green towel ironing board--to february's edition of "westering woman" from barbara brackman....

a 400% jump in size.  for a bit there, thought i had cut the blocks wrong as i have been known to do on occasion, but no, they were ok.  also pulled out my leader/ender mod tumblers, a sometime project.  not making a huge something with these, but the colors are so wow that had to play with them.  thinking might end up with a small tabletopper or placemat.  and, to nobody's surprise, have lined up a new scrappy project that has been on my "someday" list.  it's a double wedding ring scrappy and will do this as my next leader/ender OR might just cut pieces and shoebox them for october retreat.  it would be a good project for easy sewing while catching up and ogling others' sewing.  another project that i'll be taking along is the "stars in a time warp" as i have decided on a setting, and might also bring along the farmer's wife blocks too.  only making the twin size with 84 blocks, so most if not all will be done.  *** our see-saw winter weather continues with today being just right for late february, but am missing yesterday's temps in the 50s....now back to regularly scheduled sewing!

PS--thanks for your comments on my cats; i wasn't fishing for compliments, only that i am my own worst critic sometimes...

novice attempt

machine quilting can be intricate and beautifully executed, but not by me.  just not that interested in perfecting this skill.  i've done it a few times, but only for practical purposes and not for the real desire.  see what i mean?

the original was quilted at half inch intervals (i think) but i chose 1-inch intervals to get it done quicker.   i basted it to death and it came out okay, meaning not thrilled with the result and definitely doesn't inspire me to do more.   perhaps the batting was a tad too thick for this size, not sure.  but anyway, it's done and can put it aside for the right recipient to come along at some point.  i love the colors and pretty sure a nonquilter would think it's a masterpiece, but you and i know different.  not apologizing for this mediocre effort, just that my heart belongs to hand quilting.  it's great that quilting has a place for those of every persuasion!

here's one...

from the folder...it's a cute little zipper bag, gift for my mom's birthday.  she loves sea glass and found this sea glass print FQ last summer for a future project.  now gone from the stash and a nice little gift!

phoebe was running like a top today after getting a thorough cleaning and a new needle, PLUS she has new feet!  when adopted (from ebay), she had no feet.  instead, someone had filled in the feet indentations with some sort of putty that had hardened to clay.  all that was needed was to clean out the clay (easy peasy), loosen the short screws and attach the feet.  she is soooo happy now!  at first i thought someone had welded the bottom plate to the machine but happy to find out that was not the case.  she isn't pristine but she sews beautifully and her worn places only mean that she was a working gal...not a diva!  *** other sewing included finishing machine quilting the cats and binding now in progress.  also, 3 more 365 challenge blocks done, done, done!   stay tuned for more folder finishes!