fun on steroids

at least that is how it seemed to me...friday started out a bit cloudy but soon gave way to bright sunshine ending with a huge orange ball at dusk....only one thing could have made it more perfect, revealed later...

two quilts shows in our proximity--AQS and Mancuso--and was fortunate to tag along to the Mancuso show about 3 hours from here.  lunch and all necessaries packed and rollator too for walking around.  it was heaven to be amongst the faithful and soo sooo many beautiful quilts plus tantalizing and tempting vendors.  some of the many i found quite appealing

pickle dish is on my someday list....and next?

could not resist this homage to kaffe fassett...next?

the lancaster diamond done in brights....have to say i have been mulling this one over in my mind...kaffe fabrics maybe?  and from the hoffman challenge collection....

the fabrics chosen were all beautiful blues so naturally a lot of ocean/sea types but the bag was a unique idea i thought...and then the mermaid was just so spectacular...

will save the rest for another post....so what did i buy?  not very much...i had a short list and found all except one thing--many vendors had the chalk marking pencil but nobody had any refill leads...i was hoping to avoid pricey shipping but now will have to i guess...these came home with me..

the red and green stripes from one vendor...i'm into christmas mode a bit and always nice to have some pretty stripes to use....the other 2 were from a shop we visited after the show and will be used right away for planned projects...and i simply MUST give a huge shout out to AURIFIL...i found the hand quilting thread for my whole cloth wall quilt...

superior had a lovely booth and lots of nice thread but nothing for hand quilters...the photo shows the color much lighter than actual....the thread is called 'mulberry' and i was ecstatic to find it and sad to see not much traffic at the booth.  thank you AURIFIL!  you support hand quilters with your high quality threads...i am a forever customer...

such a perfect day--weather, awesome traveling companions and driver, comfy ride, scenic vistas, a smashing dinner at the last, plenty of bathroom stops.  it was a blissful mini-vacay from concerns and so badly needed by me, not to mention the always needed exercise.  and the one thing lacking to make it perfect?  winning a new bernina to bring home....LOL!

thursday chat

it is ANOTHER gorgeous day here in maryland...all week can you believe?  i can't...but it sure is energizing and i have taken full advantage of its boost.  this was on my september list...

i'm calling it 'detour to oz' and it uses up those few row-by-row license plates i had on hand...just have to cut/sew 5 more units for the very top row, then sew together, baste and quilt...sewed those drunkard's path units on machine and they came out really nice...

as mentioned, the senior center gals are knee deep into christmas sewing...someone is making patchwork tree quilts and remembered some shiny fabric i found in the drawer organization...made a couple of star blocks for her...this is the 2nd...the shiny fabric really gives the quilt a boost.

and though i rarely go anywhere these days, my take-along project is the 'alaska' wall quilt...blocks being hand pieced and it's slow progress but did get another block done.

another found project, and i hope there aren't too many more lurking in the depths...this is an official UFO...some african wax resist fabrics bought during the pandemic....

tried sewing circles but not happy with result, so invested in some karen kay buckley bigger circles and that's where it stands...leg surgery and moving intervened.  the fabrics are so pretty.  would like to have done for maine show next year.  

quilting the 'tuscan starburst' is nearly finished, then bind and cross off list.  then it's the blue bathroom piece and then those wild solid bow ties....

yesterday laundry and today vacuumed and washed all floors...veggie cooking always on the list...tomorrow is a day trip day and so looking forward to some fun.  beyond desperate for some of that and a change of scenery.  fingers crossed no blips....have a blessed day!

it's friday....

time marches on and christmas things--yes christmas--are in the dollar store right now!  not much new here...weather continues to be downright perfect...i got this made...i love making these stockings....about 2.5 hours start to finish...

the weekend list?  work some on a new piece to use up these row-by-row license plates...for now holding off cleaning out anymore drawers that might reveal other lurking projects...lol!

more quilting on tuscan starburst, baste down tulips on the kim diehl applique...some veggie cooking and freezing, fit in some exercise too...wash kitchen floor?  maybe....

days are getting easier....always i try to think what would my mom want me to do...she came to me in a dream about a month ago, i was crying and she sat on the edge of my bed and said 'don't cry for me'....woke up and my face was wet.  a love that never dies....

and on a cheerier note...reading this book by carl hiaasen...

i've read others by him and they are always very funny, very irreverent and very politically incorrect!  in a recent interview he was asked where his descriptive style emanates and he replied from sitting in endless traffic in florida where he lives...his characters live in a world of ignorant hope...if anything can go wrong it does, seemingly simple plans always go awry and the mundane always has drastic results.  some of his other titles?  razor girl, bad monkey, strip tease....great diversions for the car-less, fixed-income senior set...LOL!

wednesday chat

keeping busy here in finally cool maryland....sleeping and doing just about anything is grand!  still in shorts, tho...today's tasks?  trim this piece and get the woodland borders on

then it goes to our group quilter....i left the banquet table up to do this, but it's in the way....my living room is small but handy when needed.  

pinned the new appliques on this piece....next is to press and get out the ruler before sewing down....i'm left handed, aka sinister, and i believe that means my eye...i keep a level on hand also to hang things as without it, well they'd all be skewed...

i do like the addition of the tulip stems and have an idea for the big pink petals as well...doing just for fun....applique fun you say?  yes getting that way....

quilting steadily on 'tuscan starburst' as the bathroom hanging and batik baskets must also be quilted before i can start the bow ties, which i am itching to do.  then blue album to start by january if not before.  also in the planning stage is a special project for an exhibit next year...

upping regular exercise is surely improving my mental attitude and am settling into a sort of routine sans car....grieving continues of course but not crippling, still have that huge hole in my life...no doubt worse as still feel a stranger here with no close friends and where people don't really know me and without any common history with anyone.  so what to do but keep on keeping on as so many do...could always be worse, right?  

silk purse?

 not even close....remember this sow's ear?

i tried to ignore but it kept falling off the closet shelf...could no longer avoid...came up with an idea that resulted in sacrificing some points and still a tad of a ripple in the top border, but here it is, renovated and ready to baste...

so what was done?  took off all green borders...it was still bit wonky despite all the measures i took to avoid same...then sewed the side borders back on moving in one-half zig-zag WITHOUT removing the outer edge row units, hoping to maintain some sort of straight edge.  worked pretty well--not perfectly--then re-measured, trimmed and re-attached top/bottom borders.  i can now and finish it without shame.  if you don't tell, then nobody will be the wiser....LOL!  my frugal muse simply wouldn't allow tossing it....

what else shakin'?  some cooking of course--corn fritters, veggie prep and chicken/leek pie.  laundry, bathroom freshen...then this...

yet another UFO wanting attention....block pattern from kim diehl...was going to call it ok but there's a blog i follow, actually drool over....https://gladiquilts.wordpress.com/....if you have seen it you know what i mean...the block looked bare...what would gladi do?  so decided to add the tulips...am i done?  not sure...maybe those big pinky blooms need something added...anyway, it's a work in progress...and just to prove my growing obsession with applique....

the wall quilt for dear daughter to commemorate her savoy hotel tea in london...using those luscious liberty fabrics...only 13 blocks, still seeking the fabric for the alternate blocks....the perfect pieces i had are too small...

the santa panel for senior center is getting needle-turn appliqued but when done plan to do one row of zig-zag stitch for stability.  hoping to pass along to the quilter friday....

monday holiday finishing up photos for siblings and hopefully baste blue album...day by day life returns to normal or at least as normal as it will be from hereon in...have a blessed day!

chookshed challenge september

7.  prep/baste appliques for my penn dutch wall quilt; it's a 2024 UFO and doubt it will get done this year, but would like to move this project along

bought this pattern in 1980 and it's a case of now or never...as you can see i've done some prep work already but this month would like to get them basted onto background squares.  lately i've been doing more applique than in the past, now that my skill has improved and i find it more enjoyable rather than annoying.  

the blue bathroom wall quilt has gotten a remake....still not gushing over it, but this version is more acceptable to me.  

a bit more balanced...gonna go with it...

holiday weekend arrives...means little to me with no real fun plans and no wheels to wander a bit....hope to get blue album basted, the santa for the guild ready to pass on, maybe more potholders done and more quilting....bit of cooking and round out with more quilting...in other words MOTS....more of the same.  another hot one so inside....so it's another day of keep cool and sew on!

summer to-done!

with 3 days to go, have wiped out my summer to do list...today got the solid bow ties top basted....took me most of 5 hours, not 2 days as feared, and it is ready to quilt!  plop plop fizz fizz o what a relief it is!!!   fortunate to have a lounge area just outside my door a bit, so set up my table and went to work bright and early.  

that plum sashing fabric was gifted to me about 10 or so years ago when i was retreating in Lancaster.  was working on this little batik piece and stumped on a border....the quilter across from me said 'try this' a piece she had picked up in a shop that day and shazam!  it worked....i think it was 2 yards or so....i've used it a lot and probably still have some...this was the batik piece...

dear daughter stopped by with hubby to gift me some things from across the pond...she has a new penchant for shopping there since her spring trip...lol

i couldn't upload the video but it is a music box biscuit tin....cookies inside and it rotates and plays 'happy birthday'....soooo darn cute!!!

i had planned other things for today but the basting was the elephant in the room and it had to be done...in june when the list was made, i was knee deep in crippling grief....doing nothing, crying, lying in bed most of the day.  i prayed for relief and the summer list was it...gave me an alternate focus, a goal, the carrot of finishes for things in limbo...i still cry some but not all day and not horizontal either...i knew if relief didn't come, it could get more serious than i was willing to tolerate.  an anti-depressant prescription promised only 20% weight gain, which the knees vetoed right away...but God is faithful and hung onto me like super glue.  

got my bathroom wall quilt together...not gorgeous but done and will perk up the bathroom which nobody but me sees anyway.  going to hand quilt that won't take long and should perk it up a bit.

backing for the blue album quilt got washed in readiness for another basting day. this quilt plus my scrappy DWR and wildest dreams are my last for big quilts...they take a lot of space to prep for quilting and long time to quilt as well.. i've a stack of basted things waiting.  still lots of fabric on hand and lots of ideas for smaller pieces.  plus my storage shelf is already groaning from quilted things on hand...

all in all, a very good hump day in spite of the 100-degree heat!  it's what i call a southern snow day!

the week begins

our respite from horrid heat is over and we are back into it, at least for a few days....but that means more sewing maybe?  the to-do list for the week is ready.  the week got started with half hour of fitness, which felt really good--or it will tomorrow...LOL!  it's been far too long since i've done that much at one time but hoping it'll happen more often.  will make me happy and my improved heart as well...

racked up a little finish....

this got made in january when i was busting my solid scraps...now it's fully done...hand quilted with a lavender thread....be still my amish heart....just exactly the type of quilt i love.  

these got put on the design wall next....

the applique blocks are done and this obviously needs more work...and no, not making anymore blocks whatsoever...

the best news from the weekend???  the dargate baskets are DONE!  yes, and ahead of schedule too....now getting put aside as i'm totally tired of looking at them...

and more quilting got done on 'tuscan starburst'....hoping for a september finish, and maybe the batik baskets also.  

more ho-hum days as i slide into 75 years...no card from mom of course, which is heart wrenching, but so many do not have their mothers until this age so in that respect i was totally blessed...and no beach vacation either...no daytrips to interesting places either...have to work double hard to find any joy in the face of so many stressors so far this year....guess i'll just keep calm and sew on!

thursday chat

OMGOSH!  the weather has been soooo wonderful....coool, breezy, sunny...it is totally invigorating!  lots of puttering type things going on as well as plenty of sewing action.  progress on the chookshed challenge...

they are a bit fussy and even tho 5 are done, there are 13 to go....but not today.  i met the august challenge by emptying the tote...

and this little quilt got finished...machine quilted with the new walking foot....went to the stash looking for binding and pulled out a piece i'd never seen, so it must have been gifted to me...was just right so thank you to the generous quilter!

waterfall got basted, another off the summer to-do list.....

it's down the home stretch on the dargate basket appliques....still mulling over ideas to use them now that have nixed the big quilt idea...once the baskets are finished applique, there is ONE thing left on the summer list....BASTE BOW TIE QUI!LT!   it's a biggie and will probably take 2 days or maybe one very long one....it just has to be done...

and because it's cooler i actually BAKED!  lemon shortbread cookies got turned out---tasted and approved!  

also a new dish, eggplant and tomato gratin.  can always use more good veggie recipes in my repertoire, and fresh, local is even better.  another taste test approved...the only salt in this would be from a sparse sprinkling of parmesan and small amount of bread crumbs...but portioned out very tolerable...

avoiding political news if at all possible....races have become personality contests and rhetoric, but saying things and making promises hardly ever fruitful.  the fairy tale 'emperor's new clothes' is always in the forefront of my mind...and there are few to step up and voice any real common sense to the voters.  and remember that old commercial?  promise her anything...but give her arpege?  well that is what politicians do...promise everything and give darn little...

too nice a day to dwell on bluster and kindergarten-style slurs...temps start to ramp up tomorrow back to 90 by monday...ick...good time to clean house!

monday report

usually end of august leaves me sad for summer's leaving but not this year...summer in the south sucks...period.  leaves me longing for this...

i tell people winter can be quite beautiful with crisp air, glistening snow on fields and trees, the bright sun lighting up the whole world but they aren't convinced...it is a nuisance driving and plans do get cancelled every other thing, but i miss the defined change of seasons and different vistas that just don't happen here.  we don't get any nice crisp autumn air either, summer just slowly morphs into dreary, quasi winter...

this weekend resulted in a flurry of different sewing things....first, baskets....down to 7, YES SEVEN!  pretty excited about that....also worked on the bathroom wall quilt squares...nearly completed...

these are from a sew along that got abandoned and stuffed away!  CAVEAT:  be careful when decluttering....LOL...a bit more organizing unearthed these....

the pieced stars that got made first....these plus the pieces given to me will suffice in a nice little wall piece for my bathroom.  course, nobody sees it but me but that's ok.   what else?

selvedges be gone!  no magic just some time with the machine and these are ready to become potholders...for what?  who knows, but done and that's a good thing.  and....

some orphan block sewing....sew along leftovers, these also got "found" in a drawer and just need some sort of a plan....still in the works as you can see...and weekend would not be complete without this....

another sort of abandoned project (sense the theme here???)....row by row, remember those?  i never went on a quest to get them all--not possible--but did garner a few and they, too, have been silently waiting for some attention....the time has come....one of my summer to-do things is to move this along.  no rush on it but at least in the works...

did some zooming with quilty pals friday and always good to have friends visit while you are in pajamas...LOL....cardio visit went very well, things improving so cardioman happy.  stocked up at farmer's market...mmmm delish!   with cooler, drier temps have been doing more walking outside but curtailed when it's humid.  

another monday, whole week to map out and see what can be crossed off the quilty plate.  apartment inspection next week so some housework must be done.  time to start the engine...have a blessed day!