a postal prezzie...

friday was a picture perfect day but just when i thought it couldn't get better, opened my little cookie-cutter mailbox to find this beautiful bundle!

first a few oranges for the orange mod....these are perfect and will blend with the others quite nicely.  i think with these and my own scraps, will just about use them all up...always a good thing!
along with the orange scraps, were these....oh, my heart began to quicken despite the calming  gentle breeze around me....none other than (wait for it).....kaffe scraps!

the gift giver, miss janet of utah, the mini quilt construction phenomenon, actually apologized for sending scraps???  huh???  how did she know that this was sitting on my someday shelf?

it's a floral applique pattern picked up some years back (of course) from the now-closed Kathie's Quilt Shop on a mini-hop with a maine quilty pal of mine.  as you can see, the background blocks are cut and waiting patiently for some kaffe action.  i've promised myself to finish a couple more things before i start on these, namely the new england sampler, which is my current big applique project.  i was inspired by patterns of kim mclean i'd seen....gorgeous and heavily appliqued things using only the kaffe fabrics with mostly white backgrounds that made his vibrant colors pop in psychedelic style splendor...but they are quite large projects/quilts and i sought something smaller with the same effect, which i think this will be.   ***  so i am guilty of quilt planning-itis, a muse at warp speed despite hands/eyes/fingers that move in real time.  *** back to reality and while most of my life is going along uneventfully, my car is once again on the sick list putting my independence and job in jeopardy.  next to family and friends, health and a sound mind, a car, housing and my little job are important to me and serious contributors to my well being.  i had my days in the city with no car, but much prefer the freedom dependable four wheels provide.  just because i live in a senior complex named (incorrectly) village, doesn't mean institutionalized.  some here think it's assisted living, a commune or a reform school but to me, it's just an apartment in an apartment building.  and anyone who thinks i shouldn't be independent, able to work a bit and go where i want, is worse than a grinch.  you don't have to live in new hampshire to be free....

texas update

this morning while reading messages on yahoo's "stashbuster" group, this was posted and i wanted to share it with you...

From Betty and Nita at West Houston Quilters Guild:

A huge Thank You goes out to the StashBusters for their donations to West Houston Quilter' s Guild after we lost over 200 charity quilts, preemie quilts, stockings and an estimated $10,000 worth of fabric.  Donations have included: probably 400+ yards of fabric (large yardage, Fat Quarters, bundles, charm packs, etc.), 60 quilt tops (with/without backs and binding), 13 completed quilts, rolls of batting, kits with all fabric included, 2 cutting mats, Hobbs labels, gift cards and checks plus all sorts of quilters' tools and notions.

Our storage will be available on October 1 and it will be wonderful to see it filled with all the "goodies" that other quilters have so generously given to us. We have a guild sew in planned for mid October and lots of these donations have been put into kits for guild members to make into quilts on that day.  Again, I don't know how to express our gratitude except with a sincere "Thank You."

And adding my own personal thanks for those of you who responded thru this blog.  with postage rates climbing ever higher, your generosity has even greater meaning.  you have all made a huge difference to our quilty community!

dream quilting

no doubt every quilter has projects stored away in the mind, dream quilts for that "someday" and i am no exception.  when i first started quilting, it was amish style quilts and by now i've made several with a couple in the works.  but recently--like in the past year--i've been bitten by the jen kingwell (designer) bug and especially this design of hers....midnight at the oasis.

this quilt has everything that zings for me...polka dots, patchwork squares, some applique, bright colors....i've discounted making it all the while slowly considering the same by thinking about colors, fabrics and mentally calculating the time involved against my own UFO pile.  it brings me back to something my brother said to me when i was pursuing my college degree at midlife, saying "how old are you going to be if you don't do it?"....so i am making a sort of, probably, tentative commitment to seriously thinking of making this quilt.  i already know what the background will be.  i'm mentally choosing from my pile of kaffe fabrics and ignoring the finished size.  until i get the pattern, put scissors to fabric or bank card to online shops, i'll be hacking away at the UFOs. there, i feel better now for pretty much deciding.  how about you?  what are your quilty dreams?

halfway to flimsy

with the addition of another row, the orange mod top is now halfway completed.  am liking this more and more as the blocks get added.  no border is planned, and have plenty of orange binding leftover from the hawaiian ready for the finish--once the quilting is done, that is.

have a spool of aurifil's variegated orange/yellow thread that might be just the ticket...except for the gray design that'll get quilted with white probably.  and even though i *thought* i had plenty of orange scraps, might have to actually shop for some...but will do my best to avoid any retail acquisitions if i can.   *** spent most of today on the QOV trying for a september finish and i just might make it.  eager to move on to something else that 1) isn't orange and 2) isn't patriotic....i did work a bit today on a repro UFO just for a change of pace. ***  summer has returned to maryland with very warm days and nice, cool nights....tipping over into 90s for the weekend.  ***  lastly, so very thankful no storms came near us and my family who met Irma all got thru safely.

monday design wall

even though spent most of sunday quilting the QOV--10 blocks to go!--just this morning finished up this little piece that used waste triangles from the orange mod.

saw the pattern in this issue of American Patchwork when it arrived last month....and although i would have preferred to make it in the blues, the oranges were at hand...but it works and saved the waste triangles from the trash.  not sure what i'll do with all the rest of them, but they are kinda small for other uses.

and remember those roasted tomatoes?  well, put them in the chopper, added some basil and parsley, some chicken stock and a bit of heavy cream and it's soup!  it's the first time i've made my own creamy tomato soup and it won't be the last. a great way to use garden bounty....it's a bit chunky which is my preference.  try it...you'll like it!

it's a winner!

my guild's opportunity quilt for this year won best of show at the great frederick fair!

proud to say i was a contributor to this beautiful autumn quilt.  i made some of the paper-pieced leaves and then appliqued 2 sections of the outer border.  we used all batiks and the fabrics were gorgeous!  the fair is a big deal here in frederick.  it started yesterday.  one of my quilty peeps from the senior center entered 3 quilts this year.  ***  just spent some quality time with dear daughter....every time we visit, it reinforces my decision to move here closer to her and her dear hubster.   not just mother and daughter, we're now at the friends too stage and i couldn't be happier or more blessed.  ***  with no real household chores this weekend, hoping to make big progress on the senior center quilt and some orange blocks too, even though would really like to play in the stash and start some new things.  just have to be disciplined i guess....

oh santa.....

pretty sure it isn't too early to appeal to the jolly old elf....i watched this "how to" video again today--i really shouldn't--but i was drooling after about a minute....

it's the ulmer quilt frame and has a hefty price tag but oh my stars....it's the rolls royce of quilt frames i do believe.   watch the demo if you dare!!!  http://www.ulmerquilter.com....(audible sigh)

by george...

i think i've got it!  or as they say in new england, "light dawns over marblehead" meaning marble head...lol.....have been staring at this work in progress all summer and wondering why it was so problematic for me...but today pulled out the book and fabrics to make more blocks...that's when a red marker at hand proved to be the problem solver...

as you can see, i had marked off the individual blocks with pencil to erase later but wasn't definitive enough to allow me to construct individual blocks with ease....after i did that, it came to me that, duh! all the blocks are exactly alike!  my creative gray cells were overthinking them because of the alternate gray fabrics for the design...well, after that got 2 done lickety split.  and now can go on from here without trepidation...whew! 

anxious to spend time at the machine and get this top done as well.  *** today while channel surfing looking for something to watch suitable for those with IQs over 50, happened on one of those mongrel movie channels advertising a movie with de niro and philip seymour hoffman called "flawless" about a macho ex-cop, now suave man about town, who suffers a debilitating stroke and his drag queen neighbor who gives him singing lessons to relearn speech.  subject matter aside (i prefer lighter entertainment while sewing), watching these 2 A-list actors was mesmerizing.  hoffman was clearly at the top of his craft in this sleeper movie, all the more sad due to his own early demise.  there are drug thugs and stolen money involved as well, but honestly, the performances were first rate.  i was just lucky they weren't running "donovan's reef" for the billionth time...i see it nearly every day in the tv guide.  now back to my own personal "mod" squad......

update

all florida relatives safe and well....huge answer to prayer!

irma sewing

instead of just mindlessly staring at the weather channel, figured i could get something done...pulled out the selvedge shoebox to proceed with potholders for upcoming gift giving..

been stockpiling these for a while and even gifted some by vic in nh....did make a pillow with some a while back and some little needlecases too....

these'll get turned into nifty potholders...they make great gifts....all from scraps!   *** another beauty of a day....popped a quiche in the oven to use up some milk and laundry is also on the list.   keeping busy while waiting to hear from florida gang...i know they are safe but will be reassuring to hear all the same.  even though it's september 11th, only irma seems to be on everyone's mind....