corona-cation, episode 43

sweltering heat has left but the muggies linger on...nice to have the windows open for a change...my saturday dance card is wide open but hope to fill it with plenty of puttering and sewing...primary project is the triple irish chain...getting it to the flimsy stage....the pattern calls for 13 vertical rows of 5" finished blocks...two are done and on the design wall to provide motivation...

i can hear the "all those tiny scrap squares" moans but seriously, with strip piecing they assemble fairly quickly....an assembly line has been set up and makes the progress go at a moderately fast pace...

this precludes having other projects in progress strewn about, which is a good thing as i tend to have multiple piles....having plenty of precut strips on hand has made quick work of the checkerboard blocks....and phoebe featherweight is loving the action!  a large spool of aurifil has already bitten the dust....also using up some bits on bobbins.   it'll be another difficult quilting piece with all the seams but i just had to make it.   finished size 65x85 which just meets my requirements for a backing of 2 yards of 90" width muslin...might have to add on a narrow strip to be safe.  ***  aside from this, busy hand quilting another small wall quilt and will be setting up the basting table to baste my amish ocean waves top and a couple of small pieces.   by then vacation time will be here and time for serious applique that travels well.   *** on my return, will move on from the corona-cation episodes, tho blogging will continue.  ***  hope your saturday is equally enjoyable and carefree....

corona-cation, episode 42

 a short and very sweet post to show off the latest finish....from barbara brackman's sew along called "stars in her crown"....a square for each of queen victoria's children....all paper pieced...gave me the opportunity to use some of the pretties in the stash....

so what's next?  now in the hoop is this wall quilt done in plaids from a fons & porter book i got from marianne in june of 2019....i think it's fat quarter quilts....i love working with plaids as the bigger the variety the more stunning the piece i think...between this and the scrappy triangles, there just might be more room in the plaid stash....

hoping this one will be finished before vacation arrives....then a big quilt will be pulled from the basted pile to get done before the end of the year...corona-cation has been a quilting (and finish) boom for me...for years my life was chaos so this period of stepping back has allowed me to regroup and be more productive, not the least of which is enjoying the process so much more...but gotta go, a treadmill is whispering my name...LOL!

corona-cation, episode 41

like the energizer bunny, covid-19 keeps on going, showing few signs of losing its punch...so the sewing continues....first up, special request from someone very dear....the ever-popular mask!

then i finished the placemat for my "dining table"....while i do have room for a small square table and a couple of chairs, just hasn't been a priority to get one in...maybe after i get a large screen tv so i can actually sit across the room and watch the news without glasses on/off annoyance...lol....i like the aqua binding as i think it tones down the various oranges...

and in the "what was i thinking" department, early in my quilting journey was building my stash with ebay finds....purchased a fat quarter bundle of this print that included about 16 different colors of the same print.  i've used a few but many still languish in the stash, so was happy to be able to use up another for the backing...so very dated now but still usable....

the placemat was machine quilted with a turquoise thread that was a trial from superior threads....for a small amount of money, you could request a "try it" spool of their masterpiece thread and altho i love turquoise, it's been hardly used.   ****  more sewing on the weekend list but first a few house chores.  amazing how fast the weeks pass even without scheduled fun things.....thankful all my needs are met and ever mindful of those suffering without jobs, paychecks, food, necessities and scrambling to tighten belts and keep afloat somehow...be well and soldier on!

corona-cation, episode 40

welcome august!  sitting here as pelting rain and winds from the hurricane barrel thru the area.  tornado warnings in some areas and power outages southern maryland.  i've been busy sewing as usual as there isn't much else to do....my august list has been formulated and consists of finish quilting a wall quilt (now half done), putting together 2 UFOs into flimsies...but first a preemie quilt/coverlet was requested and happily obliged...

no batting, just tied....bought those little birds eons ago at marden's in maine i think as they were so cute and knew the right project would come along for them...and so it did.  the birds got used up as did the gingham and the yellow print....a different yellow is on the back...total of 2 yards now gone...so happy to have just the right fabrics on hand!   then fruitcake got to the flimsy stage...

i was planning the dogtooth border and had it all sewn on, but when one ignores the directions and ends up with wonky bias edges, well it wasn't pretty i can tell you.  so went for the narrow mustard border and will bind in green i think, as the red might be too strong.  only a small scrap of the mustard yard was left.  and anyone can have a leader/ender project going (for definition visit quiltville.com)...but two?  one is bonnie hunter's 'narragansett blues'....and the other is this triple irish chain....

realized i had bought the blue print about 7 years ago in lancaster and it had aged enough to use....it looks a tad washed out here but it is more intense and a bit darker....nothing like a nice scrappy to make your heart beat faster!   also fit in a small project for my daughter, the expert cross stitcher.  ***  one day this month will set up the basting table and get my amish ocean waves and a few small things basted as the finishes are creating vacant spots in the pile....can't have that!  that's enough to keep me busy until late september  when i hope to start (and finish) quilting another large quilt.  all this confined time has been productive but really missing getting together with my quilty peeps and DAR sisters plus all the associated events and tasks.  would be wonderful if life reverts back to normal before holidays arrive...

corona-cation, episode 39

finally temps inched down into high 60s last night, so it's a respite from high 90s in the daytime, but still very humid.  life goes on for this G.L.I.T.S.....gal living in the south...with sewing, exercising and the latest finish....the orange scrappy!

i started to spritz off the blue marking lines but one of the fabics...a gifted batik...bled a little so i'm just waiting for the marks to disappear on their own so i can wash with color catchers...all over quilted with large baptist fans with orange thread....cross another one off!  and what's next? 

this barbara brackman sew along piece...stars in her crown....one block for each of queen victoria's nine children....paper pieced....love these colors and that border fabric a stunning french general.....  after this is done, another bed size quilt goes in the hoop.  ***  and in case you were wondering, yes, fruitcake flimsy nearly done...the flash makes the colors less saturated....

adding a single dogtooth border of green print, then a narrow mustard border, then red for binding.  this book makes all kinds of pieced borders easy peasy....

it's an oldie but a very goodie...my version of borders for dummies.   have also done some machine work on a couple of other UFOs...some days just need a change....the old viking has been set aside awaiting some TLC, so phoebe featherweight has been called into action.  ***  summer rolls on toward fall vacation, plans of which are in full swing and on target.  getting anxious to see my family in maine and a dip in the chilly atlantic and some of that delish maine lobster!

corona-cation, episode 38

another hot, mostly ho-hum day with only a few productive things accomplished....the early morning exercise, a load of laundry and this....

some psychedelic spools, little ones, finish at 3"....the fabrics (not the white) were scraps gifted to me last june by dear friend marianne.  the pieces were all small...but the solids were hand dyes and i know they are pricey so wanted to definitely use them.   there was only enough of the glittery print for 14 hence the middle one with white sides.   i owe the day's fun to her and gained a cute little wall quilt or maybe topper or maybe placemat.  i think she would approve.   ***  more quilting got done on the orange scrappy and with 2 more days of air conditioner isolation, just might get it done by next friday.   ***  maryland has rolled back all indoor dining again but positivity rating still low ....and now it's pajama o'clock.....

corona-cation, episode 37

it isn't that i haven't been sewing for the past week, but most has been quilting on the orange scrappy...it might be done by august but might not also...sunday sewed lap robe tops for the guild and was on mom duty earlier this week--i'm in the motherhood national guard--meaning now and then get a call for some assistance which i happily provide.  i did finish another 4 little blocks for this project...

and i cut out a whole bunch more of the tiny melon pieces for the side border blocks....these will be one of my vacation projects...along with the eagle applique.  i've seen some scrappy quilts on blogs recently done in kaffe fabrics and they are ALL just plain gorgeous! 

there are enough melons in this pile for the 12 blocks still needed....the next border is wide-ish with baskets and flowers appliqued...i've made good sewing progress this year but dang, there just aren't enough hours to do all i'd like... *** we've had thundershowers and lightning past couple of hours and temps are now down to mid-70s from high 90s, so quick opened the window to get some fresh, moist air inside.  *** keeping busy working out regularly, sheltering from heat and tackling UFOs.   a little over a month to vacation and plans are in full swing.  keep cool and quilt on!

corona-cation, episode 36

short post, too hot to type...LOL!  well of course the a/c is on but it is hot outside and will remain so thru beginning of next week.  most everything i'm working on right now is what has been previously posted....but there is progress on this...

another one of those mistakes design elements....i traced the eagle from a civil war book by pam weeks...she's curator at the new england quilt museum....but when i went to add it to the wall quilt, what's this??? too big?  oh noooooo as mr. bill used to say.  what to do?  start over?  pare it down?  nope, decided to leave as is....go big or go home right?  actually i think i like this better than one that would actually fit on the blue rectangle.  it's basted now and ready to applique, which i am finding is oh so relaxing in these chaotic and turbulent days.  ***  and with my american flag proudly flying, thought i would share this....

a new book about downeast maine's revolutionary war escapades and my ancestral contributions.  my patriot, Lt. Joel Whitney, was an active participant and the republic was the ultimate victor.  caveat: i have not read it yet.  i know of no ethnic aspersions or racist overtones.  i wasn't there nor can i now condemn or change what is now viewed as politically incorrect behavior that might have occurred.  i had no part in how my ancestors acquired their land holdings.  now, nearly 250+ years later, i would think all that should be blatantly obvious by anyone who passed 4th grade...

corona-cation, episode 35

another weekend winds up and life is a bit more normal...aside from the mask of course.  so that means lots of sewing got tackled......i'll bring you up to speed....

first, another row on the scrappy triangles...oh i do like this very much but it's slow going as being frugal and tracing my own foundations.  i've got another row of papers ready so only 114 left to trace....egad! 

then, got all 12 of the cake stand blocks done....no rush on this....i'll use the mustard print for the alternate squares and setting triangles and have a pieced border in mind....

the scrap basket is overflowing but no room in the shoeboxes, so made a feeble attempt to use up some 2.5" strips for scrappy squares that'll be a donation quilt at some point.   got several of these 6.5" blocks done.....they sew up lickety split...

and this is what's left of the strip tote....notice the difference?

a lot like bailing a leaky rowboat with a thimble....probably enough for 3-4 of those scrappy quilts.  tonight it's quilting while watching tv...with july not quite half over, hoping for a finish by month's end....starting to put things together for my september vacation and, most important, reconnecting with my yankee kinfolk....lol....and i hear lobster prices are way down....thank you COVID!

corona-cation, episode 34

a mostly boring week here what with the unwelcome duo of unrelenting, oppressive heat and corona virus limitations.   so when boredom strikes, my overheated brain thinks i've nothing to do....solution?? acquire more stash...does that make sense??  a fellow guild member was thinning her herd and picked up about 6 yards and a nice little kit.

with sweltering temps, naturally thoughts turn toward autumn and relief...found a couple, then a very nice neutral and a couple of blues for a special project....yes those are dolphins....cute, eh?  the fabric next to it reminded me of water.  and tho i almost never go for kits, this one for a small wall quilt had everything included--batt, back and fabric--in my favorite colors too.  oh, and picked up a few kits for guild's charity efforts too...

if next week is half as boring as predicted, just might finish quilting the orange scrappy....it's 72" square and i am loving those super size baptist fans....the binding is orange and all set to go.  

event cancellations for autumn and beyond are piling up and it seems like 2020 is going to be a total bust.  maryland situation is very good thanks to a common sense governor.  with the exception of quilty functions and my DAR meetings, life goes on pretty much as usual.  the heat keeps me hunkered down mostly....after 2 days of being out and about, am totally zapped, as i try to ignore the "new normal"....so today it's a recover day with more quilting and sewing, maybe some laundry to wash the new fabric (great motivator...lol) and keep cool while counting the many blessings in my life...join me?

PS new header photo boothbay harbor....