in the hoop!

first thing on my fri/sat/sun to do list was get this basted and in the hoop...and it is!  had hoped this would be done by january 1st but as usual circumstances interfered and it's a bit late.   yes, i'm still basting the 1980s way with needle and thread!   i saw this quilt in the now-defunct magazine "quilt life" in a collection of photos showing prairie women with quilts hung on a soddy as a backdrop for the photos...thought it would make a good scrappy and it does.  this will be donated to a worthy cause as a fundraiser since my budget doesn't allow me to contribute very often.  ***  also made up a pot of chicken soup which looks delish but actually has very little taste due to no salt.  at this point on a mostly liquid diet thanks to the butcher of brick hill and modern pharmaceuticals that have put my GI system in nearly suspended animation.  while modern medicine has given me a new lease on life, have to say in all honesty it is much less enjoyable in some instances.  whereas appendix or gallbladder removal is pretty much a fix, cardiac surgery is a huge game changer; not all aspects of which are pleasant or welcome.  some days a bit more challenging to focus on the positives than deal with the realities....know what i mean???

orphans

one of the many perks of living alone is that when i'm wide awake at 4 am, i can get up and do most anything as long as i don't disturb the neighbors.  so this morning, decided to go thru the elfa drawers and weed out stuff.  among the "stuff" was a collection of orphan blocks....leftovers, wrong size, tried out blocks....that i'm now offering to anyone who will take them all.

the largest is the repro fence rail piece, about 12 x 9....some 10" blocks, some 6", some 4"....not all repro as you can see.   again, you MUST take all of them.  they need a new home where somebody will use them....  by the time i was finished with this task, was feeling sleepy again so back to bed for a couple of hours...another perk of the single life.   ***  today is a wide open day, nothing much planned except exercise so hoping to nearly finish the orange modern blocks; only 7 more to make and can get the top together and send it off to the finish pile.   finished my valentine sewing project on wednesday.  next is to baste a donation quilt and start the quilting.   am hoping to finish quilting 3 bed size quilts this year, maybe even 4, to make some headway on the UFO list.  will see how that goal turns out...in the meantime, it's a sunny but cool day ahead!

spring already?

well at 60 degrees and sunny, it sure feels like it.   we've had some wonderful warm days, but i think after today it'll cool down some to the high 40s...that's winter in maryland and i love it!   few chores on today's list plus the usual exercise time, but after that's it's me and betty.   first thing this morning, tried out the first block for a jo morton project, economy blocks on point....have had the sashing fabric for quite a while of course; figured will sew one up every now and then...

and though i had planned to do barb's churn dash sew along/block swap, something else arrived in my inbox.   every july there's a local quilty seminar in the next town.   several guild members attend and rave about it...it's mid-applachian quilters!  apparently they have a block sew along for the 6 months leading up to the event...january thru june, 2 blocks per month.   this year's it's a star sampler, just perfect for my lovely kaffe fabrics and the pale pink kona background.   here is block #1, hand pieced, sewn up pretty quickly.

there'll be plenty of hand quilting space on these blocks.   thinking a kaffe print sashing and plain corner squares should give it a little more zing.  ***  orange mod blocks continue with 8 more to sew for a flimsy.  and later in the week will be doing some valentiney sewing as well....keep calm and quilt on!

a gathering place

on this fine, mild, sunny 62-degree day, a friend took me to a very nice quilty gathering place....

the very famous (in these parts) web fabrics....a wonderful shop that carries nearly everything quilt related.   fabric, notions, patterns, every tool imaginable, some gift items and those to-lust-after dutch chintz prints.  knowing my philosophy of shopping my stash first, you might think i was running low on fabric, but rest easy readers, only 1.75 yards came home with me--hardly noticeable in most any quilter's stash.  

a few text prints to add to what's on hand, a couple of kaffe prints i had not seen before in colors a bit unusual for him and 2 of those luscious dutch chintz prints.  certainly well worth the half hour trip through rolling countryside and places new to me.  ***  my friend lives in a very picturesque farm house, updated but with some original features left intact, with a view that extends over the entire valley.  there's a spring house, a smokehouse, a small chicken house and some other outbuildings along with fenced-in pastures and an updated garage.  it is so idyllic, i thought i was actually on walton's mountain!  the day was perfect, topped off with a dozen farm-fresh eggs to bring home.   i couldn't be more blessed that she is my friend....

tiny brag - not quilt related

whew, underwent cardioversion today to restore normal sinus rhythm...successful!  relieved and elated...on to cardiac rehab!

holy hiatus batman!

has it really been over a week since the last post?   indeed....well, all I can say is that tasks take longer than previous these days, and then some days nothing gets done except the essentials...but today was finally a sewing day!

scrap attack chore for january was to get this to the flimsy stage.  today cranked out nearly all the 6 blocks needed for another row, which will be #4 of 6, so it is a real possibility to meet the goal.  ran out of precut squares so that's next.   had hoped to get a quilt basted as well but once again, the  backing is a teensy bit lacking in width so had to order another piece--a larger one of course--to get that done.  the table is up to baste a few small things and possibly tie a donation quilt as well.  ***  it's been a challenging week on the recovery front and another delay for cardioversion.   then one day must have bumped into the rocking chair rocker as felt some ankle discomfort, took a look and saw this...

it's my ugly left foot with a huge black/blue bruise, quite tender and swollen.  thankfully it isn't my sewing pedal or driving foot.  just another wrinkle in this long and convoluted recovery road.  have to confess there are fleeting moments when I wonder if it has been worth it, stupid really, as it was very necessary and hopefully lengthened my life even with all the setbacks, dietary changes, medication side effects to name a few.  but the many positives outweigh the bad and it is wonderful to wake up in the morning, any morning, still vertical....a real and precious gift from God!

one more row

my january scrap project is the mod orange, but before that gets tackled and finished into a flimsy (she writes determinedly), wanted to add a few more trees to the design wall.

still oodles of christmas scraps left for lots more, not sure how many right now.  but i am going to make the supreme effort to get this done and quilted in time for next christmas.  think i'll keep them on the design wall for now, since will be taking down my cutie little decorated tree today...i'll miss its cheery lights and familiar, homey ornaments.  i love to sit in the dark apartment late at night and enjoy the glow of the pretty multicolored lights.  one last look.....

almost didn't put it up but so very glad i did....with all that's transpired this fall/winter, it was like having an old and familiar friend around.

last finish, first finish

that would be the last 2017 finish, this tablerunner....actually, finished the binding yesterday but i'm calling it a 2017 finish....quilter's prerogative.  it got quilted in the ditch because of  a gazillion little seams...don't normally make things that don't lend themselves to hand quilting, but loved the pattern and had the perfect fabric....

good enough if you view from the back of a galloping horse as there are a few points that are missing...but given the number of pieces, it's the best i could do...as i've said many times, i piece mainly to quilt.   *** as for the first finish, got 2 blocks made to send off to California for fire relief quilts....

they make up in no time at all, especially if you have a stack of nickels on hand.  i hope you'll take a few moments for this worthy cause.  ***  little by little tackling household tasks that have been ignored far too long.  this weekend will put away my cute little tree and begin serious cleaning.  ideal plan due to deep freeze here, like most everywhere else.  even tho this complex is not my dream home, so very thankful to have my own apartment that is warm, cozy and comfortable.

new year, new month, new day, new projects!

the new year is hardly here and already planning a couple more new projects...is that revolting or what????  it's the malady called quilting i'm afraid.  starting january 31st, last wednesday of the month, barbara brackman (she of time warp stars fame) is beginning a new BOM.   i've got the fabric, i can make the time so i'm in.  is my "stars" quilt done?  of course not!   do i NEED another project??  no way!  regardless, i'm still in.  ***  and then there's barb, barb vedder of "fun with barb," who is starting a churn dash with sign-ups next week.  had already planned a kaffe project when i saw this, had the background fabric as well and had a pattern in mind but found this, so i'm giving it a go. 

the background is a bit lighter than i had chosen on the internet, but decided to use it anyway, one of the pitfalls of ordering online.  it'll work just fine.  two very different fabric styles so it should be fun and interesting.  i've got a few days to tidy up, fine-tune betty, get some much-needed housework done and get a bit more organized.  now that some energy has returned, gotta start the new year right!

tally up!

reckoning day has arrived....the numbers have been duly crunched....and the result is.....40 yards USED and 21 yards ADDED for 2017!   even with my fuzzy math, that is a net used of 19 yards!  those yards are gone and outta here....some went for lap robes, some went for finished UFOs....these figures do not calculate the UFOs still waiting for a finish or the 3 projects started this year...only 3?  remarkable restraint, considering how easy it is to get sidetracked with tantalizing internet photos.  not included in this tally was fabric used for doll clothes and some minimal fabric used to finish up cross-stitch projects, probably the most satisfying finishes as they had been tucked away in a tote for so long, too long.  time is fleeting, bodies age, faculties diminish, so it's imperative to use time wisely, live each day to the fullest, spend those minutes and hours and not let them just slip thru our fingers.  a happy quilting/sewing/stitching new year to you all!