saturday already??

another week has flown by despite weariness with the pandemic, the mask, the isolation, the boredom etc....no doubt you are feeling the same.  this week finally received my first shot as did my mom, so there is light at the end of this very long tunnel.  there were times i didn't feel at all like sewing or doing anything really...one day was a total wash...there was some progress tho.....

'hosanna' is a finish....in plenty of time for holiday hanging too....with a delightful toile backing that makes the back as nice as the front....

and that means this piece was immediately put into the frame that might be an april finish....

so happy to see this finally......and some marathon machine time resulted in this...

still a long way from a flimsy here but good progress.....always have the urge to start a new project but thankfully the UFO list has kept me from doing so....i really would like to chop the list in half this year if possible....can always pull one out to work on to alleviate boredom when it crops up....

and would like to direct you to this website....NEW ENGLAND QUILT MUSEUM (neqm.org)

to see a preview of one of their current exhibits....quilts by my friend wendy reed of maine.  even if you can't visit in person, just seeing a few of her beautiful quilts is inspiring and exhilarating.  i am so very happy the museum has highlighted her work....and kudos to the original museum committee....i remember the infancy of this project and thought they were nuts....but they persevered and had some help along the way and was finally established....

one more week to daylight saving time...yippee....no more dark mornings!

bad habit gone

sat down at the sewing table to cut more pieces for the scrappy double wedding ring....it's is was my bad habit not to make sure i had enough fabric.  working from a small piece of the blue solid, realized it was too small.....oh no, did it again???  that would be NO!  there on the shelf was the other yardage, more than enough for all the pieces.  no frantic last minute try to match saga!  color me happy!

sunday while sewing was perplexed about how this top went together....so when all else fails, read the directions grace!   lots of frogging (ripping out) now on the correct path for construction.....today i've gotten this far....

apparently all the circles have to be made first and then put together....and since i'll have lots of blue solid left over, started to think about how to use it in another amish style piece...isn't that just like quilters??  always planning the next project....

and if you see this cutie today, please wish her a happy 60th birthday....the baby youngest in our family....if i close my eyes, i recall my younger self standing beside her crib....

and finally the sun has arrived for the rest of the week.....thank goodness!

february's final!

 just in time to see the back of february.....a wall quilt finish....

note:  no toes this time!  

saturday sewing

another gray, rainy, damp day outside but inside the sewing machine is busy....with my 'hosanna' wall quilt all pieced (and basted too!), time for another UFO for the machine....passed over 'civil war diary' for the scrappy double wedding ring.  would be nice to get this to a flimsy this year...

the rows are 6 x 5 so closing in one row 1.....good thing i saved the magazine and my rudimentary layout drawing, otherwise......you know the rest!

last night was tinkering with border pieces for the dutch chintz panel....it's english paper pieced and wasn't totally certain how to manage the elongated hexagons.   have a friend who does lots of EPP and is very good at it, naturally....but it's a skill hardly used by me.  how to make it work?

have 64 of these units to make and had to break one of my personal quilting rules by using a tad of roxanne's glue to tack down the sides and then thread baste the ends.  proceeded to sew a few together to make sure it would work....and it does.  i don't like to use adhesives of any kind on my projects but felt like it was the only way.  it's more hand work that will be a good take along project if i were going anywhere...not likely... also for zoom meetings and such.  *** but the very best news this week?  both mum and i are getting shots next week if anticipated vaccine available.  even rain can't ruin that parade....

weekend excuse

 nope, didn't get to housework this weekend as planned....and this is why

an idea that turned out exactly as hoped....at marianne's get together nearly two years ago, fabric was flung and these green hand dyes came my way.  they were small pieces, scraps really, but too pretty to use just anywhere.  saw this block--aptly titled hosanna--triggering quilty muse.  used my cute little bird fabric for sashings and the whole time i worked on this, my sunday school lesson on palm sunday percolated in my mind.  couldn't be more pleased with the result.  it'll get hand quilted SOON and then binding with green in time for palm sunday.  and just this morning heard a bird outside my window, in spite of THIS!!!!

weatherman says over by one-ish....and then warmer all week, hoping this is the last.  so no more excuses, will be tackling that housework now.  and if you are of a certain age, today is notable for this gentleman....

in school the teacher would pass out mimeographed coloring pages of washington and lincoln and the classroom was decorated in red/white/blue.  all washington's grisly flaws have come to light, but none should diminish the courage, persistence and leadership that forged our nation.  no man is perfect, but he and his efforts shouldn't be tainted by 21st cultural mores.  God bless America!

light in the tunnel....

for a change in the weather and perhaps my turn for the vaccine!  it's been a wintry week and pretty cold this weekend, but next week warmer and on the road to spring....i'm ready for sure!  spent the week finishing the ocean waves quilt....took longer than anticipated....

it needs a wash but have to get some color catchers first....this was one of my someday quilts and happy now it is done....this one stays with me for the duration....so what's next to quilt?

had planned to start 'new england sampler' but decided to see if i could squeak in a couple of small projects...so the sampler delayed until march 1st for this and maybe one other.  with little else to do except exercise visits and housework, can make some real progress on the UFO list.  sewing machine had a nice rest but that's about to change...

with all the disasters around involving weather and economy, feeling quite blessed and insulated so no whining about being bored or sick of winter....just thankful for another day, sunshine and the ongoing good health of my family and myself....got joy in your life?  it's there somewhere--hope you don't have to look too hard to find it!

happy valentine's day!

 

this means february is half over....daylight saving time is a month away....and since this (below) is getting delivered today, i can post the photo....it's a placemat made for my mom...she probably has the penguin one still on her table!  time for a change....

whoops!  gotta stop taking photos barefoot....LOL!

winter rolls on....

with no sign of slowing down yet...in a few weeks spring should be on its way!  but i need some spring NOW!!!  went to the stash and hauled out a spring-theme UFO that uses this cheery fabric...

the other day--when it was warmer--actually heard birds singing!  so the sewing to-do list was revised a bit and hope to have a wall quilt flimsy by the end of the weekend....have more of these small blocks to paper piece first tho...

yesterday's task was to baste the "stars" quilt and that is now done....

i really like this quilt...."stars in a time warp" a barbara brackman sew along started in 2016 i think...this is another keeper....today's task is to baste the "new england sampler" as it's the next to be quilted.

lastly, a book review.....

robert galbraith is actually jk rowling of harry potter fame.  this is the 4th book in her mystery series featuring dectective cormoran strike and, in my opinion, the worst.  it is a whopping 950 pages with fully a third of extraneous, unrelated story line that could have been left out completely without affecting the evolution or outcome of the mystery.   it reads as though she had no idea whatsoever where to take the story when she began writing....making it a too long, too tedious, too convoluted and disappointing book.  i liked the other 3 mysteries but probably won't pick up another, that's if she writes more.  

joy at work

"just joy" the new babylock zigzag got a chance to show her stuff....a beloved t-shirt had developed a few holes....it's a sentimental thing and so a repair was required....happy to say back in one piece and joy has proven herself useful even tho not loved....

the other day a nonsquishie package arrived....items passed along from a quilter who no longer sews....happening more frequently as many age out of their beloved hobby....a day we all dread, well at least me....some patterns and kits...

a few of some finished blocks....

and lovely fabrics to make more....

as soon as the box was unpacked, my muse went into overdrive....too many projects?  don't be ridiculous...LOL!

and for all you winter weary folks (meaning me of course).....

reservations made for late summer.....counting the days!

february finish first

though a LOT of sewing got done in january, no finishes to check off....but that has been rectified with this first finish of 2021....the scrappy plaid triangles!

this is a donation quilt and it was tied with perle cotton....the ocean waves SHOULD be a february finish also....just about done with all the little triangles and then 9 feathered circles to quilt....only this corner of triangles left...

the patriotic wall quilt and sew along piece both got basted.....i used flannel on the sew along piece as it's small and will be hand quilted....the flannel will give it a nice hang....

today is guild sewing plus baste the 'stars in a time warp' ...then the table can come down for vacuuming and possibly some dusting....

when vaccine is available, the health dept people will come to our complex and do everyone....no idea when that might be whatsoever......everyone wants this like yesterday....like many, i am beyond bored but there is a faint light at the end of this pandemic tunnel....time for another mystery road trip and change of scenery!