finally finished

when mom and i lived near the beach, we went every chance we got...any season but especially summer.  this is one of many photos i took of nearly the exact same view...

all the pretty umbrellas against the bluest sky and water....i wanted to imprint it in my memory to recall and relive forever....even now when i close my eyes, i am right back there....a memory that morphed into a fabric reality named cabana daydreams!

not the greatest photo but couldn't wait to put it to use....here is a peek of the scrappy binding....3 different yellows were used but even up close, it is not noticeable at all...

this idea came to life when a generous anonymous quilter mailed me a box of various fabrics that included 3 charm packs of these bright and colorful fabrics that jump started my modern quilty muse and took off at warp speed....with (hopefully) only 2 more days of sweltering summer temps...today and tomorrow....this quilt will keep those beach days with me, not to mention brighten AND warm the coming cooler days and nights.  this one is a keeper for sure!  and again, designer is shayla wolf--she calls her pattern 'wynkoop court'

and with this finish, immediately moved the frame over to 365....since it's october 1st, have 85 days to get 'er done...now THAT is a challenge for sure!  

it's a busy week so no time to spare! first up, tho, is turn on the a/c!

weekend sewing

even though my primary task this past weekend was trying to breathe---very suffocating, noxious neighbors plus laundry room dryer fumes---did manage to get in some sewing time on a variety of things while watching repeats of ken burns' "country music." it was a fantastic series equally as good as his series on "jazz"....the cabana daydreams is nearly finished, probably tomorrow's post...the rest of the weekend sewing was devoted to guild projects.  *** first up was to prep kits for a senior center workshop.....then pulled out some solid scraps on hand and sewed up this little quilt or possibly table topper

it needs squaring up and then basted/quilted...this will be a machine quilted piece....next, made up some tiny stars for ornaments.  my friend janet is a master miniature quilt piecer but not me at all...made 8 of these, again for a guild event..here are 4 ready for stuffing....

lastly, caved and sorta started a new project, pattern on hand since 2008, called bohemian charm, designed by sarah maxwell and dolores smith in an issue of 'american quilt and patchwork'.....

i love the mix of traditional pattern and modern prints....need to make 29 of these 4.5" churn dash blocks....pulled out some on-hand nickel pairs....no rush on this but hoping to end 2019 with about 10 finishes and only a few starts soooo....you know the rest!  ***  not much else new in this land of summer temps and falling leaves....have a few other guild things to finish up after a joann's run and with cabana done, the 365 gets tackled in earnest...

still summer?

yes indeed.....yesterday and today, then a break but returning on the weekend...so a/c whirs while i happily sit and sew.....

total of 24 blocks, 12 each color....it'll get tied and sent along....looks great but while i sewed, my fresh green beans got cremated...LOL!   the black print was from the guild along with some salmon color pieces, but not enough of any one piece for the 12 blocks, so pulled from my own stash. ***  last full week of september and my to-do list for the last quarter is in process....first is to finally finish cabana daydreams tho.....

two for two

my second donation for the guild community service project is now done.   these will go to their new home at our next meeting.  have to say yet again this was the quickest pattern i think i've ever done.....and so colorful too.  it was made even quicker with a shoebox of strips all ready to use.   ***  a few uninterrupted hours with the rotary cutter turned this overflowing pile into a manageable remainder...

in this case, half empty is a very good thing!   ***   after a week of nice cool and dry weather--that would be 70s--a couple of hot summer days are on the horizon.  hates to give up, summer does, but inevitably it will.   after a brief sojourn at downton abbey, life seems rather dull and ordinary.....i think a tiara would perk it up nicely!

before and after

you might remember that i made this cute little pumpkin for my friend vic in NH...her birthday is in october and i knew it was something she wouldn't make for herself...i found the pattern on the internet, designer sonja callaghan...

fast forward 2 years (or maybe 3) and look at jack now!

is this the way kaffe would decorate?  could be....it just needs a bit of stabilizing quilting and it'll go to a fundraiser for thanksgiving food baskets...that's if it sells.....stay tuned!  and since i was playing in 'those fabrics' decided to try a couple of little blocks....

these are 4.5" and no, it's not really a new project, just a try and see....but they are cute, aren't they?  and a couple of UFOs got some attention this weekend....

more plaids, a plaid sofa size quilt that's moved closer to the top of the pile, and this project that gets worked on now and then, or at least not seriously until a few things get done and the new england sampler is a completed top...i think of it more as a take along....

last year i visited the baltimore applique society and a program of antique red/green quilts....no, this won't be a quilt, just 4 blocks, but it's going to have some type of swag border....they are 18" blocks....sooo that was my weekend fun....did i tie that charity quilt?  no....did i vacuum and wash my 2 little floors?  no....did i do laundry?  no...there's always another day and with a bit of motivation, i could get all of them done today....or tuesday? 

seek loving home

as mentioned, here is my offering for the UFO adoption event....

included are some units already assembled, center cheddar circles all basted, plenty of pieces cut and plastic templates....i like it but don't love it....planned for a full size quilt....it's machine pieced so far....would love for it to find a finishing home....postage required but otherwise FREE!   color photo and complete directions included....let me know if you love it more than i do.....

orphan adoption time!

it's that time again when those no-longer-inspiring UFOs can be put up for adoption and sent along to a good home where they probably might should WILL be finally done!   it officially starts today over here and you can read all the fine print, post adoption items on your blog and link up...easy peasy!  i know i have a couple that i'll be posting, probably tomorrow as today's calendar is full.  but get to start the adoption fun with a real finish of my own, the blue logs scrappy....ready for the donation pile!

binding and bastings

it's monday reckoning after a busy weekend....what got accomplished?  first, the scrappy blue logs got completely tied and the binding is now on and pinned....thanks to a generous quilter, had a perfect backing fabric in the tote that even left a yard for the stash....today it'll get sewn down and crossed OFF the UFO list....

it'll go in the donation pile....sometimes during the winter, a local organization will contact the guild looking for quilts and i never have any to give....so now i'm keeping a few on hand just in case....and with the folding table up, took advantage of the space and got 4 small quilts basted.....the gold backing is a secret until october--guild challenge--but the others get stacked up until a few other UFOs are finished.  but i might cave and quilt the leaves for the fall--no time like the present!  

 also this weekend washed/dried all the new stash with only one sorta casualty.....

i bought this half yard for a couple of small patriotic wall quilts....it did have a white background, but when pulled out of the washer, it was wrapped around a RED batik....so now it's pale pink with blue stars.   immediately dunked it in hot water, some detergent and 2 color catchers that helped some, so i'll give it another go and hope i'll be able to pass it off as blue stars on a cream background, which would be usable for the original plan.  it was the only fabric with white and others didn't seem affected.  it's why i ALWAYS wash/dry fabric, except those charm squares and jelly rolls of course.

ADDENDUM:  any AMC movie theatre fans out there?  i got a gift card online and used it to purchase my downton abbey tickets but erroneously ended up with 2 gift cards, each worth $25.  i used one but don't need the other.  if you can use it and want it, i can email the gift card to you.  you can send me a check or carefully concealed cash or even paypal if you must.   let me know....

road trip

yesterday a quilty peep invited me on a road trip to visit a couple of shops on her want-to list...one i had been to before and the other was new to me.  we skipped up to PA just across the state line and drove past endless cornfields and open meadows to find this...

a barn quilt on steroids!   covered nearly the entire side of the building!  a cute shop called sewnplace in fayetteville, PA....nice little shop, good selection of fabrics and notions, very friendly staff.  and did i mention?  a serious selection of kaffe fabrics too....the other shop, also down country roads and thru sections of gettysburg battlefield, called needle and thread.  a larger shop, more sale fabrics, lots of dressmaking fabrics as well, plus plenty of civil war era fabrics/notions/patterns, even hoops for your costume!  some free fresh produce greeted us at the entrance!  we lunched downtown at "gettysburgers"....because after a week of chicken a change was needed.  back to the city in time for the bookmobile and 2 kaffe fassett books for me!  ***  afternoon sewing consisted of rainbow scrap challenge blocks for september...purple!  skipped august as was just too busy.  where has the year gone???

again had to pull a few purples from stash for enough strips to make these.  ***  mr. mailman brought another squishie, again "scraps" offered by an online quilty friend.  a collection of downton abbey fabrics that my daughter, DA's most ardent devotee, will swoon over.  mom will probably get recruited to make something....maybe highclere in HSTs?   i thought i ordered a daughter who quilted but my request got ignored...LOL!

after a few hot days, the week ahead promises to be more comfy.  not that the 90-degree days are gone but hopefully only sporadic from here.  one just gets to the point where enough is enough.  time for soups and chowders and long pants again. i absolutely love autumn!

welcome to meet and greet!

first,  i want to thank Benita for including me in this event for the second time!  if you haven't visited before, then welcome!  feel free to peruse any of the posts or photos of interest to you.  one caveat:  while most of what i write is quilt related, sometimes things that irk and anger me creep in....just saying!  i am indeed humbled to be included in a very talented group of super quilters.  some of the names are very familiar to me and some i've even met in person!  be sure and include your contact information if you post as i hear there are prizes!!!

before i tell you about me, i'll just say a few things that i am NOT.....not a blue ribbon quilter, not a machine quilter, not a designer, not a teacher, not a professional quiltist/sewist anything!  i'm a recent western maryland transplant from new england.  i've been sewing 62 years and quilting for 40 years.....yes, before rotary cutters.  amish quilts were the sirens that enticed me into quilting.....

and scrap quilts are probably those i make most often....

mostly i've been a traditional type quilter, but in recent years have dabbled in modern type quilts and always with bright colors......

often utilizing high contrast.  i have a medium-sized stash and sew nearly every day, am primarily a hand quilter but recently dabbled in using a walking foot for a few small items.  i've been tremendously blessed by this community of quilters in friendship, sharing of ideas, recipient of scraps, books, notions etc.  i pay it forward in many ways--donation quilts, leading workshops at the local senior center, helping others along when needed.  let me show you something i'm working on right now....

a friend purchased this bird print fabric for me in lancaster earlier this year....isn't it adorable? 

if you can't see, the tiny dots are aqua, one of my favorite colors.  right away i pulled a few go-with fabrics from my stash....and they've been sitting on my sewing table until now....

i might use more but will start with these.....i found a birdhouse pattern that i drafted as a 12-inch block.....

the plan at the moment is to sew up some paper-pieced birds, maybe a couple of trees and maybe a paper-pieced sun to create a wall quilt around the bird fabric.  since i'm not really a designer, going along by the seat of my pants a bit here....but that's the general idea.   i have no intention of copyrighting this idea; no doubt many others can do it better, and i wouldn't be at all surprised to pick up a magazine and see it done way before mine.  but for me it's about the fabric and color and what is pleasing to me for my personal use and enjoyment.

 be sure and enter HERE......