friday update

it was a day chock full of quilty and sewing fun....the plan was to get two things basted, which got done...first was the antebellum album sew along top.....

next unearthed this flimsy and got it basted as well...the blue and white.....

but before these, was up early and cutting up more solids for the mod black stripe project....a throw size is 81 blocks and when these are sewn up, will be just over halfway there...

and what's this?  more black and some batik strips...hmmm....another new project?  yes indeed...but a small one and should be able to show the flimsy in a day or two...

well the black fabric was already out and found a pattern while searching for something else....alas, the civil war diary blocks are delayed yet again but not by much....and at monthly bee yesterday got another stack of bow ties sewn up....May might just be a super month for busting stash!

same old story

was clearing the decks...the sewing table...to tackle more civil war blocks and came across some black strips cut for project in progress....got tired of moving them around soooo, sat down and made more blocks...sidetracked bigtime!

i'll need a total of 81 so just over half to make, but they work up quick....and with May nearly half over, sewed up my rainbow scrap challenge blocks today also....

pretty good progress considering in slow mo after a day of celebrating with my daughter and son-in-law....so nice just being with them but a beautiful gift and yummy dinner made it extra special! 

bit o' basting...

on the weekend to-do list was getting some things basted and ready for hand quilting.....these 2 wall pieces are now ready plus prepped backing for the "antebellum album" top...this is the newest sew along from barbara brackman, "stars in her crown"....will look great on my beige walls...

and this one from just leftover scraps....might be put in the "to sell" pile, not sure....also cut a new small stencil for the solid squares to use....solid turquoise binding is ready and waiting!

the "antebellum album" is bigger than these 2 so will hold on basting until the senior center is open next week...our work room there has about 7 large banquet-size tables with plenty of room to lay out quilts....once the "cabana daydreams" is done, then will baste the 365 quilt for a 2019 finish and gift to my daughter and SIL....tons of quilty fun ahead!

a friday finish

last year one of the guild's projects was a round robin....happy to say mine is finished and ready to hang on the wall...

the colors are brighter and more intense than you see.  the feathered star is paper pieced.  used some of that fabric i was "saving" ...i keep referring to it as "red robin"....juicy, mile-high hamburgers on the brain no doubt...LOL!  ****  and if you see this little guy today, wish him a happy 66th!   it's brother #1 and he is no doubt the brainiest person in our family.  a tough but tender yankee, sometime foil, sometime comedy routine partner, sometime adversary but always resilient and much loved.   he missed the whitney hair genes and he has ignored common sense sometimes (i.e. choice of females) but we adore him anyway! 

well it's friday and since i only sew on days that end with Y, the studio is calling!

mayday! mayday!

after finally cleaning my stove this morning, sat down at the machine to tackle my may list....all was going well until went looking for a particular scrap.....

bad idea....realized the scrap basket was once again overflowing--toweringly so--and cannot be ignored much longer.  ok, will start by pulling the solids....which still leaves a monumental (think WASHINGTON MONUMENT) pile of scraps.  the May list will get adjusted to now include cutting up at least half of these to prevent collapse....and is it really the 7th already?  so 3+ weeks to june....it goes faster and faster! 

you asked....

about my "cabana daydreams" quilt.....well, after some net surfing, found the pattern (may/june 2014 Quiltmaker) AND the designer....

this is called hex-a-doodle designed by shayla wolf, sassafras lane designs....this particular pattern name is NOT on her website but she has "wynkoop court" which looks the same and is for sale....and this is my version....

called "cabana daydreams"....mystery solved!  this was a breeze to sew up and the hand quilting is going pretty fast too....big pieces you know!

more blocks

as mentioned, more civil war diary blocks got sewn this week....the finish on this project is nowhere in sight but nevertheless will continue....the paper piecing is giving my vacuum a serious workout. no sooner than one session is tidy, a few more blocks and the floor is covered again with bits of paper and snippets of fabric....i do suffer for my art!  i haven't vacuumed this much in....well, never!

even though april is gone, figured might as well continue on making these blocks, fitting in other tasks plus quilting a couple of things.  a wall quilt is nearly finished quilting and the bed size is about half done.  with hot weather already starting to arrive, there'll be more days to sew with a/c cranked up.  ***  it's been a week of challenges and some minor stresses but those got offset with a nice concert at the local college and some sewing time with peeps.  my next goal is to make pals with that jeopardy champion....my car needs more work....LOL!

a merry month!

blogging has taken a back seat to sewing this past week with the construction of several more civil war diary blocks, lots of hand quilting.....plenty of pix to follow on another day.  but yesterday in the mail came an adorable little doll quilt from susan in TN....

simple but very nicely done and pretty fabrics.....this will hang on my antique sled along with a couple of others that get changed around periodically....summer is arriving this week with temps in the 80s for a couple of days...soon it'll be that warm and more every day...meaning my vacation is getting closer....lobster rolls on the horizon!

reluctant windfall

package received yesterday contained these oh-so beautiful kaffe fassett light fabrics....wasn't exactly thrilled altho they are gorgeous and experienced serious drool....

they were bought by someone specifically for a class that could not be attended so they came to me...a thoughtful but bittersweet gift.....and in the hit and miss department, 2 more blocks done but whoa....one is not like the photo as i neglected to piece right side up...huh?  gotta keep that in mind as i move along in this project....can see now why the war was so long...LOL!

and while visiting a neighboring guild today, found yet another super book on the free table....after depositing all the ugly fabrics had pulled from my own stash last week....it's a beauty too....lots of hand quilting, beautiful medallions with scads of border ideas and a pretty solids quilt too!

and the ugly fabrics?  most got taken to be loved by someone else....so there's room on my shelves for the new kaffes.....a win/win day all around!  *** even after quilting 40 years, find that my style preferences are in constant change, attracted by new and old patterns.  life is so brief and each day is precious....but excited about where my muse will take me in the next 40!

monday design wall

spent Easter sunday afternoon playing with betty and making headway on the civil war blocks....got these 4 done plus another is almost....

and let me tell you, "death penalty" is aptly named!  happy with the result tho.... also on sunday went thru the remainder of the shelf stash and also the reds/greens/tans that were in shoeboxes and culled a few more weird 'will never use' prints....am quite happy with the result now that it is better suited for my likes.  once the stove is cleaned will be ready for long summer days of sewing.  again this year will be taking a maine vacation to fill my mom hugs tank, visit with my siblings and scarf down as much seafood as possible.  we are both counting the days already and with may almost here, vacation isn't far beyond.  now off to spend this day!