going, going....

almost gone....this UFO that got repurposed from a wall quilt to a runner.  started eons ago, paper pieced stars with batik scraps and some WOW scraps as well...didn't realize how many batik scraps had stockpiled for this project, way too many than needed of course, so another will have to be found, probably more windmills.

and today at my first farmer's market visit of the season, i found this.....

a gen-u-ine, grown in soil, native tomato....bacon is off the menu of course, but a nice turkey sandwich with mayo and thick slices and maybe a grilled cheese and tomato....some strawberries, summer and zuke squashes came home with me as well...oh yeah, summer is here!

ADDENDUM:  the pattern for the above project is from marcia hohn's website www.quilterscache.com....

it just can't be...

that this industrious little artist movie star is having another birthday today!  time moves at warp speed it seems....i sure do miss cuddling her in my arms or rocking in the chair with her snuggled next to me....but oh so very proud of the beautiful, smart, compassionate, tender hearted, deeply spiritual and funny woman she has become.  abandoned by one parent and left alone too much by an overworked, crisis-juggling other, many heart aches and breaks along the way have refined her into pure gold.......happy birthday my darling girl!

dulles expo quilt show - part 2

the diamonds on this piece were very small, maybe 1-2 inches max....very nicely done and so visually appealing....

blue and white together are always gorgeous, i think....

started my quilty life as a traditional quilter and i still am!  glad to see others are as well....a hot item at the vendors was this chaise pin cushion and thread holder...i saw several quilters with them and one of my quilty pals gifted me...a real surprise! 

so many people have been generous to me with all things quilty...it truly does humble me.  ***  nearly a week into june and haven't started on my monthly scrap attack project--the muslin scraps in the canvas tote.  the week has virtually disappeared as i adjust to a new schedule without regular rehab but continuing WITH regular exercise.  hoping to catch up on all this weekend....

dulles expo eye candy - part 1

today was my maiden voyage to the quilters' unlimited show at the dulles expo in VA...after a rocky start to the day, arrived just after doors opened and met up with a couple of stashbuster pals.   i don't use a fitbit but got in plenty of steps up and down the aisles.  didn't really visit any of the vendors. once i'd spent all my energy, sat and chatted with a very nice lady from DE and her bus mates and got to ogle plenty of fabric purchases.  here are some of the quilts i really liked in no particular order.  i do apologize as i did not get makers' names for these 3 very pretty quilts...first up, done in batiks, very striking...

next, a very pretty aqua, red and white quilt...just enough red to make it pop...

and loved this wall quilt done in reds/greens, burgoyne surrounded pattern.  have always loved this pattern but haven't made one.....yet.  just as stunning in a smaller version. 

this quilt by marisela rumberg was near the entrance and many took the opportunity to have their photo taken with butterfly wings...this is my quilty pal, marianne, who "tried them on"....

this is trish nicholson's version of the eclipse.....small but very nicely done....

this is called "wave dancer" by linda cooper....another small but very nice piece...it's how many people feel about the ocean....

chris prestenbach's version of a jen kingwell pattern....such great contrast and bright but not blindingly so colors....there were a few others but this was my personal fave...

julia rouse made this batik quilt of simple shapes but the colors chosen makes it very pretty.....

this is a red/white/blue by kelley davis...only 13 blocks and some simple applique, but pretty...but i like RWB quilts mostly anyway....

and last for this post is libby samuel's snail's trail wall quilt....this is another pattern fave of mine; love her choice of fabrics and colors....

there are more for another post, but i'd like to end with a photo of my quilty pal, marian, and a pair (only one pictured) of wall quilts she made for someone using ties....i was witness to the process and thought they came out very nice.  they are for a relative and hope they are appreciated, but that isn't always the case with relatives....

officially summer?

in maine, when memorial day arrives, the residents "hope" it's summer; here in maryland it has already "been" summer for a couple of weeks now....LOL!  my holiday was quiet but productive...

first up the windmill blocks....all 30 are done and auditioned for the border...happy to say that one of the shoeboxes holding red fabrics is now emptied..yes, emptied!

then couldn't help but rummage around in the muslin tote; pulled out all the bigger pieces to put aside for later.   also in the tote were a couple of 2-yard pieces of kona white on hand for backgrounds.

that left the tote half full (or half empty?) of leftovers that'll get cut into squares and rectangles in june, which will be a fairly fast scrap attack....will be pretty exciting to see the bottom again!

in the tote was this dish towel that had cross-stitch on one end...i like the cross-stitch, but with a full quilty plate decided to add some patchwork to the opposite end and call it done.  now it can be used and is no longer UFO....

i probably bought this when i was in my 30s and thought i might live forever and/or have oodles of free time to cross-stitch dish towels...not either!  also spent a large amount of time quilting the donation quilt, which seems to be taking forever.  the gardening angel blocks are just about done, except for a few small pieces and a bit of finish embroidery.  with guild challenges and a few other quilt-related commitments plus the exercise, it's shaping up to be a busy summer.....

nobody but kate

if i live to be 150, i don't think anyone will sing "God Bless America" as good as Kate Smith...i know it dates me but i don't care....on this 150th memorial day as America's fallen are remembered, i think we should remember kate as well....her rendition of this beautiful song made me proud to be an American.....she never showed her thighs, never was trendy and hardly svelte, but she made irving berlin's catchy, patriotic tune immortal.....

scrap attack oversight

somehow--and it's easy to figure out why--when my scrap attack list was written in january, this behemoth got overlooked (january was 2 months after surgery)...

this is an XL LL Bean tote filled to the brim with muslin pieces that have been tossed in over time....how long you ask?  can't say for certain, but have mostly ignored it until saturday when i was diving for big pieces for a frankenback for a wall quilt.  so the June task just got sidelined for this task because one of the UFO drawers holds this....

it's another reproduction scrappy top that needs lots of 2.5" and 1.5" muslin squares....so those are the sizes i'll start with....the blocks are 6" finished so it SHOULD use up a noticeable amount of the scraps.....and happy to say the frankenback is now ready for the sunshiny day wall quilt, seen here....

and also assembled a frankenBATT for my RWB piece....

with a tiny slip of the scissors necessitating a minor fix....

but at the end of the day, the RWB and cheddar indigo were ready for basting; the sunshiny day just needs some batting cut, the muslin scraps are up next for attacking--and a few other red windmill blocks got sewn.  spent couple of hours on the applique angels too....also had the opportunity to pay it forward and hem a pair of slacks for a resident here....it's my way of giving back as many have helped me in a multitude of ways....and with 2 more weekend days, have left the best most boring for last--housework!

weekend update

it's been a crazy week around here, capped off with a quick ER visit for abscess in my graft site...inner thigh behind knee....where as BB (before bypass) would have gotten by with a quick office visit, now had to trek to ER for ultrasound, bloodwork etc.  all is well now that antibiotics are on board!  also got bogged down doing some family research for my mom...and that, as you know, is like m&ms or potato chips...one link leads to another and before you know it, 2-3 hours have evaporated....

i did get the border on this so now it's ready to baste and quilt...the border fabric is one of marsha mccloskey's basics and it's just perfect...in fact the whole line is...

then betty got a present!  as mentioned, i've been doing some applique blocks for a guild member and with the funds obtained a walking foot for betty.   so pulled out this little piece made of bonus triangles and hoping to have time to try out some matchstick quilting....

not that i will ever switch to machine from hand quilting, but i like the look of the matchstick style and it's perfect for small things like this...and there is the quicker finish of course!

finally, over at humble quilts,  lori is having a show and tell of all the doll quilts in the swap....serious repro eye candy!

monday design wall

only 13 more of the red pinwheels to go....got these done on sunday as leaders/enders while making more civil war diary blocks....so with 2 more of THOSE finished, only 79 to go..

first block was easy peasy but 'dark gloom' is a perfect name for this challenging block...resewed this puppy about 4x before getting it to this point, and that is where it stays.  not perfect, but done!  ***  and it really is summer now...week ahead in the 80s every single day and finally sunshine today after too many dreary, wet days....nearly finished one of my gardening angel blocks; the 2nd is half done and both should be finished before week's end.  then the donation quilt will be tackled in earnest to see how close to finished before june arrives....

only 81 more....

with the most recent civil war diary block finishes, now have a growing stack of 40 blocks with (gulp) 81 more to make.  while i'd like to hope i'll make them all, it would become one huge quilt, so might stop before it gets to be gigantic.

and a look at the current stack....

on another note, it seems to have stopped raining finally...for now anyway...lots of damage around due to above and below ground creeks that have overflowed....our local Y had 10-12 feet of water in its lower level that houses both pools, but should be up and functional within the week they say.  *** only 5 more formal rehab sessions to go; cannot recommend this program highly enough as after a grueling and discouraging nearly 7 months, am feeling great and beyond my pre-surgery activity and endurance levels, not to mention an entire wardrobe that needs replacing.  i'll be at the thrift when not at the YMCA in the coming days....