and now a word....

no, not a sponsor just an endorsement.  when and if you come to maine, you'll see lots of blueberry stoneware.  the tourist havens are overstocked, but you might not see this one.  this is union pottery's blueberry pattern and by far, the most beautiful of ALL the blueberry dishes i've seen, even those at "the big boot"  you know who i (rhymes with) mean.  theirs is probably from china anyway.  over the years, i've been given pieces of this but by no means have an entire set yet.  at one point i had 4 luncheon plates, but in a move from a storage unit to Lynn they disappeared.  one of my bowls cracked and because they have a replacement policy, yesterday i trekked to union, maine, to order a new one.  the blueberry isn't their only pattern but to me, it's their best.  go on over and see for yourself....www.unionpottery.com.  needless to say, no quilting was done yesterday.  haven't yet figured out how to quilt and drive at the same time.

northwind so far

even though i have a HUGE stack of blocks assembled, about 10 rows right now, i've only got these 5 into rows.  the squares work up super quick (yes marsha, quick) but the rows take a bit more time.  from here on in, i'm only making rows as i've got to get 2 more FQs to make blocks and don't want all the new prints jammed into the last few rows.  so, a few more days' work should do the trick and morph this into a flimsy.  it's a beauty, too....scrappy just speaks to my inner design diva!  **** what else is new this tuesday?  the amish blocks are DONE; that's right, all 66 blocks are completed.  next step is design wall for color balance and then flimsy.  the empty shoebox will soon be filled with my "amish in the city" UFO.  ***** also spent a bit of time monday working on some giftie items.  the week promises to be cooler, like high 60s, so i should be able to quilt on the lovers' links as well. 

wanna swap?

as it turns out, i am going to need 2 FQs of red print to finish my top.  i'm putting these batiks up for swap; nearly 1 or more yards total of 3 batiks for 2 FQs of red prints.  e-mail me if you are interested.....

almost!

almost meaning i've almost finished assembling the 66 blocks i'll need for this amish scrappy pinwheel flimsy...yes!  my saturday sewing was focused on this project and it's going to take another couple of evenings or another day to finish them all up.  today, however, my sewing is going to be on the red/cream, squaring up blocks, assembling rows and putting units together.  i've almost used up all my red scraps (photo tomorrow) and i want to make sure they are all gone before obtaining more.  red scraps are good to have on hand as they can make a scrappy quilt zing BUT i don't want a glut of them.  i'm trying to use up my fabric, not stockpile more, you know!  tomorrow's sewing focus will be quilting on the lovers' links quilt, hoping to finish it by the end of september.  fabric and batts have their cost but two shoeboxes emptied in september?   priceless!

a fabric's tale

see this henry glass shirting fabric?  it's the background for my red/cream northwind.  about 6 years ago, i was at a shop in north conway, nh, and bought 1 yard of this fabric in red and 1 yard in navy blue.  on my return to maine, i had second thoughts and decided i'd need more.  i called the shop and requested 2 yards more of each.  they still had red but none of blue.  i promptly ordered 2 yards of red and eventually found the blue online and also ordered 2 yards.  when the red arrived, the design on the red was a teensy bit smaller, exact same but again, smaller.  no big deal.  the blue, however, came as more of an aquamarine blue, not navy, despite being pictured as such.  i was disappointed.  eventually i used some of the blue, swapped some and gave some as a gift.  the red i kept for the northwind.  if i hadn't mentioned it, i'm pretty sure nobody would notice unless one looked very close.   even if it's noticed, it really doesn't matter.....no quilt police here!  the best news is l won't have much left after finishing this quilt top...almost completely busted!

retreat friday

the past couple of days i've been making blocks for the red/cream northwind quilt.  i already have 2 rows together and this stack of 50 more (once squared up and re-pressed) to be attached.  that will make this flimsy half done!  it's going to be a rainy weekend so should be an ideal time to make real progress.  i'm also working on 2 other full-size quilts as well; one is the amish scrappy pinwheel (hand work) and i'm also quilting on the lovers' links.  right now i'm assembling the final 8 pinwheels of the amish scrappy, so soon that will be a flimsy too (empty shoebox).  with 4 months to go before the end of the year, it's possible i could get 2 of these 3 projects done; nice but not crucial.  finishing the red/cream will use up all my red scraps, a very good thing indeed, plus empty another shoebox. 

sweet september!

first, i had never used a quilter's dream batt.  at maine quilts in my tote bag was this handy little folder with samples of all their batts (more on the back).  it was the dream poly that interested me.  here was a polyester batt that felt like a cotton batt.  i went to a local shop on my birthday (20% off) and found the cotton but not the poly.  quilters rave about the cotton, so i picked one up for a future quilt but i'm still going to try the poly.  has anyone used the poly?  i'd be interested in your impression.  *****  ahhh, woke up to temps at 57 here in coastal maine.  it was hot yesterday, meaning 80.  went to the beach and stayed a couple of hours.  it's been feeling fallish here for a week or so.  there will still be good summery days ahead, but we are heading into crisp nights and nature's kaleidoscope of color.  i just love autumn! **** the red/cream northwind?  last night finished up another 20 or so blocks that will be added to the first 2 rows today (maybe).  the sewing table is strewn with tons of triangles and blocks at every stage of construction.  this time i am serious about finishing this flimsy, really!

update...

i added the new quilt to my "started" list and named it.....amish in the city!   so, do you think i've enough projects on my UFO and STARTED lists?  could be......stay tuned!

busting more stash

in the true spirit of stashbusting, i've pulled fabrics for yet another project.  it's a pattern i saw in the "city quilts" book i borrowed from the library, not exactly like the book but more inspired from that source.  i've got both the black and charcoal for the background.  i'd prefer to use the charcoal but i think the higher contrast with the black will be better.  the charcoal is easier as far as the actual quilting, but i may have to relent and use the black.  it's a geometric pattern, so i'm thinking of the baptist fan pattern for the quilting, which will soften the angles.  this style is a bit outside my usual quilt type, but it's the colors that grabbed me.  sort of amish goes to the big city look....

back to quilting

so, today i finished RE-basting the lovers' links quilt that i want to finish this autumn.  i bit the bullet, put up the folding table and got it done.   now, i can sit and quilt on it in the evening as we are getting temps cool enough to do so.  i hope you can see how it's going to be quilted, in the white spaces only.  also today i worked on the amish pinwheels AND the red/cream northwind.  these 3 projects plus the civil war diary are going to dominate my time for the immediate future.  once this bed-size quilt is done, i'd like to tackle another bed size and get it finished before the end of the year.  as i've said before, i'm paring down the number of bed quilts i'll make and focus more on small projects i can finish quicker.  **** went to the beach this afternoon for a few hours; no "stuff" just a chair and a bottle of water.  it was heavenly there; nice breeze, not too hot.  it was easy to see where irene had left her mark.   lots of seaweed and broken shells, driftwood and even rocks washed up.  the tide came all the way up to the parking lot, which is a fair way from usual.  we're taking advantage of every good beach day we can, soaking up all the rays we can!

good to the last scrap

back in the 1980s when my DD was in grade school, i made her clothes.  one outfit was made from a pattern by jessica mcclintock for gunne sax.  it was a vest and prairie-type skirt with loads of lace and ribbon embellishments.  did she love it?  no, but i loved making it and loved the fabric.  this scrap is the very last piece of the red.  there was also a blue with cheddar stars and a gold with (i think) a blue design.  as i was ironing this, getting ready to strip it for the northwind, i am sooo wishing i had lots more of this.  if bonnie hunter could see it, she would drool as it has her red AND cheddar!  sorry bonnie, this piece is the very last.  the vest and skirt were handed down long ago to somebody else, but seeing this makes it seem like yesterday.   perhaps barbara brackman will include this in her 1980s repro line....that would be terrific! 

lilac flimsy

finally got the border resewn and the top of this runner finished!  it'll go in the stack of things to baste, now 5, for later.  **** all week i've been fighting a bout of vertigo, not severe but annoying.  just today while driving my right ear started draining and i remembered back to a beach day about 10 days ago when i got hit by a few waves, aha!  that must have been the problem!  all's well now, thank goodness. **** with irene's arrival this weekend, i've got plenty of sewing projects lined up.  providing we don't lose power that is.  ****  finally, today's my birthday.  no, no big celebration or fuss, just another day to rejoice in life and a number that means little to me.  biggest delight is having my mom still here to make me a blueberry pie.  i can get good cake at the supermarket and will have to someday, but as long as she's around, we'll have pie.    

The Stash, Part II - Fabric/UFOs/kits

this is pretty much all my fabric, UFOs, kits and magazine stash.  the elfa drawers hold about 3/4 of my fabric, the rest is on the shelves apportioned out in projects and kits.  in the elfa from the top down are white scraps, lights, solids, prints, prints, plaids/batiks, christmas and batting scraps.  again, due to space and time limitations, i try to keep it contained in these 2 places.  on the side of the elfa are stencils, scissors and rulers.   having most everything in plain sight makes it easy to use as i'm inspired almost daily.  the 3 drawers in the sewing table hold all my machine parts, various notions, ribbons, felt and other miscellaneous items.  that's pretty much all of it.  i go through every few months and weed out, donate or fling.  ***** oh, i forgot.  under the bed is a plastic storage thingie with some garment fabric, not much but it's there.  i've kept my patterns but don't do much garment sewing these days, only occasionally.

one more thing; in among the quilty stuff are a few cross-stitch UFOs AND  under the bed is also a plastic tote with cross-stitch stuff. 

The Stash, Part I - Books

part of my role as an official "stashbuster" is to confess the size of my stash in my birthday month, so here's part I, my books.  i have a small bookcase, 3 shelves, and do have a few books that i keep.  mostly i heavily utilize libraries as i think buying a lot of books, DVDs, videotapes, etc. is a waste of money and requires lots of space, which i do not have.  so, i limit my stash of quilt-related books to one shelf; if i want to add one, i first go through and see if there is one i can sell or donate.  occasionally i will add one without flinging one, but not often.  if it doesn't fit on the shelf, it doesn't come into the apartment.  reason?  there simply isn't room. so here they are, all neat.  the large book on the left was a gift from DD and is a real beauty, one i would never have bought for myself; the 2 binders on the right are printed patterns/magazine ripouts.  tomorrow, part II.

Almost!

not quite yet, but with temps in the high 50s overnight, there is a definite feel of change in the air.  we do get plenty of summer weather in september and even october, but the change in the feel of the air is unmistakable.  we do mourn a bit for the passing of another all-too-quick summer, but eagerly anticipate crisp night air, warm days and all the beauties of autumn.  **** with cooler nights and days, it's back to serious quilting, until work materializes, that is.  first up is finish the lovers' links and hoping i can squeeze in another big quilt finish before the end of the year.  ***** starting to plan now for the holidays and a slew of autumn family birthdays. 

retreat progress

a stashbusters weekend at-home retreat and FNSI (friday night sew in) enabled me to make significant progress on this long-languishing UFO.  i procrastinated big time because of the scads of HSTs (half square triangles) in this quilt.  but my wondercut ruler proved to be a real asset and i took the plunge.  i've now 2 entire rows assembled (of the 14 total); each has 10 squares, so i still have plenty to do.  this project is nearly total chain piecing, feeding little pieces into the machine as fast as possible.  this will be my main machine project until the flimsy is done, which may not be until mid-september or later.  no real rush until i get the word on a job.  this quilt is from marsha mccloskey's book "quick classic quilts," a book chock full of beautiful traditional designs done in nonboring ways.  one caveat:  the word "quick" is relative of course, but when i actually sat down to sew, it didn't take too long to get a number of squares finished.  even so, it's a lot of prep work beforehand.  as you can see, in addition to the completed rows, i've quite a stack of units at the ready, so in no time i should have another 2-3 rows ready to put together.  better than that, soon i'll have another empty shoebox!

FNSI

it's Friday Night Sew-In!  if you are looking for me, i'll be at the old viking working on my red/cream north wind....and watch tomorrow for photos of my progress!

L is for....

lobster, of course!  on our way to the beach, a lobsterman sells his catch out of his garage.  i've been watching the prices slowly decrease until yesterday when they were rock bottom.  so, i stopped and picked up 6 of the lovelies for a late summer feast.  this time of year, the lobsters shed their shell and grow a new, larger one.  there is a little less meat in a "shedder" as opposed to a hard shell lobster, but it is sweet and succulent; hence, the lower price.  at the fish market, cooked lobster is about $35 a pound, usually only claw and knuckle meat.   i picked out these 6 and got just over 2 pounds of cooked meat for about $28, which included the bodies as well.  i even sucked out the legs, which have only a sliver of meat but oh so good!  it's a labor intensive task but for the price, certainly worth the effort.  one of the benefits of our coastal locale is the abundance of fresh seafood year round. 

block #3

block #3 is done BUT i see after photographing that the dark green is more of a green/brown value, so this will be a do-over.  i might have to find a FQ of this color as i don't think i have any repros that will suit.  off to marden's i guess......what a hardship.....LOL!  it would be nice if i could get 2 blocks done every week, though that's more of an ideal situation than a firm plan, especially when i go back to work.  since there's no rush, just have to see how it goes....

119 to go

with 121 blocks, the civil war diary quilt is akin to a dear jane EXCEPT the blocks are larger, very little applique and no complicated border.  the challenge is to match the colors and to execute the blocks precisely.  i've gotten these 2 blocks done already.  i'm not working in order front to back (of book) but rather building my confidence by starting out with simple geometric blocks. no time frame at all to get this done, simply to do it well and have fun with the patterns and those luscious repro fabrics.

it's coming....

that's right, just a few months away we'll be gathering together to celebrate thanksgiving.  happy to say i got invited out!  not sure if we'll have turkey or not, but it doesn't matter.  ****** no real sewing to report from tuesday, just a bit of this and that.  today i hope will be different as i do have a few (!!) projects that need attention.  ***** rain has finally gone and left us with a good day today.  i have the window open and have just heard the plane for baltimore take off; it's the one i usually take when i go.  wish i lived closer to DD and her husband but the plane trip is only 1.5 hours so that isn't too bad at all. 

just like a quilter

the purples pinwheel puzzle isn't even DONE yet and i've already found fabrics to make another.  it's leftover batiks and i am so anxious to bust my stash, i put together this little stack for yet another pinwheel puzzle.  the neutral on the left will be the background/border and there are 13 colors for the pinwheels.  ***** last night got to quilt some on the lovers' links.  this is very good!  it should be done by fall for certain.  i'm using 2 different motifs for the white spaces and it'll be my primary handwork piece until finished.  ****** the rain is mostly over and it's a bit warmer today, though cloudy and dreary.  this, too, shall pass of course!

Brrrrr

no photo today as i'm sure everyone has seen rain, which is what it has been doing here all day today.  we have no danger of flooding where we are, but not far away on the coast it does happen.  it is chilly!  to go from nearly 80 to 62 is noticed here, even though cold is relative in maine.  for a february day, for instance, this would be balmy!  had to don the thermal, long-sleeve top and kept my socks on all day long.  it's an ideal night to quilt on the lovers' links, which is exactly what i am going to do.  ***** my new read is "caleb's crossing," about the first native american graduate of Harvard, a Martha's Vineyard Wampanoag, though much is fiction.  the book came out at the ideal time as a descendant of his graduated Harvard this past june.  as a native new englander, i know much about the area's history, so the locale is familiar.  oh yeah, the overnight temp is predicted to be 57!

early sunday sewing

me and the old viking were up early this morning listening to Itunes and finishing up this little piece showed earlier.  i got the 2 borders done, MORE HSTS!!!!  it's a teensy, weensy wonky on one end, probably from over-zealous ironing, but really rather OK considering. i am pretty pleased with it because i really hate doing all these HSTs.  but as i said, i measured twice, cut very carefully and it really made it as easy as could be.  now the remnants are in the stash, the book shelved and on to finish piecing the pinwheel runner.  we've a few cool, cloudy and rainy days so quilting the lovers' links is the TV project for certain.  so glad we got some serious beach time in before the weather changed.  i love, love, love the oean!

the latest

this is the first thing i've made from the Lori Smith book bought earlier this year (half price!).  i hardly ever use these colors but they caught my eye in february, the nearly end of an endless winter and so they found their way into my stash.  there's a small pieced border top and bottom to add and the little flimsy will be done.  i'm pretty happy with it considering it's a HST nightmare, but it measured twice and cut carefully and it does make a difference.   after this i really need to get back to quilting the lovers' links, finish piecing the pinwheel runner and working on those amish pinwheels as well.  these little projects will end up on my 2012 UFO list, which means i'll have lots of finishes as they won't take as much time.  next up is piecing the red/cream north wind, i promise.....

book recommendation

have been reading this book and which i can recommend heartily for its historical and documentation purposes.  lots of delish info on quilts at the Winterthur Museum, built by DuPont (yes THAT DuPont) in Delaware.  The museum owns over 300,000 textile pieces, 300 quilts.  There is a full-page photo of a huge sunburst quilt made in 1827 by Rebecca Scattergood Savery that has never been washed so the colors and condition are pristine.  There's also a quilt that was made in Hallowell, Maine, a port city about one hour north of here and also a quilt made by the cousin of John Quincy Adams' wife.  ****  gotta go, job interview this morning.....now where ARE those pantyhose? 

plaid-tastic!

ducked into marden's yesterday just for a look and found these cotton shirt plaids...aren't they gorgeous!  i have also gotten plaid shirts at the thrift store, but these were $3 per yard and for nearly the cost of one thrift store shirt, i got four different plaids for an upcoming quilt. 

it gave me the benefit of adding some different colors rather than the limited palette i've found in actual shirts.  more than once i've seen a shirt on a body somewhere and wished i could say, "please sir, can i have your shirt?"  but propriety ruled over desire.  ****** on the weather map here in maine this morning, i saw 59 in more than one place.  it was a cool day yesterday and a cool morning so far today, great for sewing.  unfortunately my day is already scheduled with nonquilty errands. **** also at marden's i found 2 cheddar prints, a great find!  i did search on the internet for cheddar prints, but found that different manufacturers have different definitions of cheddar, many of them more gold than what i think of as cheddar.   plus, the internet finds were much pricier....frugality usually trumps.

critical stage

this is my shoebox full of 1.5" strips.  the time has come for a decision.  either i get a larger tote OR i start using these strips.   i could cut some of them up for inchies of course.  have to think about it....meanwhile, it's coooool here in coastal maine, low 60s.  a day without the hum of fans or air conditioners.  cloudy too, but i hear summer is coming back for the weekend. 

Boomer FYI

just the other day, Jay North, aka dennis the menace, turned 60....

apologies

first one is to atkinson designs, their pattern name is "pinwheel puzzle" and the first time i made this pattern, it felt just like that.  this time around, though, it's much easier.  and the second is to bonnie hunter.  see these little scrap triangles?  bonnie would have turned them into an astounding scrappy piece but mine are (gulp) getting tossed.  they are just way too small for me to work with; anything that is smaller than a 1.5" square goes and these are no exception.  sorry bonnie; i am a true believer, i really am, but not with pieces this small.  **** also pictured is the pinwheel puzzle so far, just have to add in a few border pieces and it can be sewn together.  i am liking this pattern.  i see one in batik scraps, don't you? ***** no fans or air conditioners here today, it's 62 and breezy...wheeee!  no sun, but no problem at all!

double dipping

two projects got pulled from the shoeboxes yesterday and i spent the entire day sewing!  still no work, so the sewing goes on and on.  the wallhanging is a pattern i bought in PA last year.  all the pieces have been cut and placed; the "white" pieces are freezer paper and the yellow dots are pins!  i'm hoping it will be done for halloween but we'll see.  the second photo is an atkinson designs pattern from 1995, "pinwheel patches," done in heirloom lilacs from 2006 (i know the date from the selvedge!).  i think it's properly aged by now; i'd like to get this top done this week and put the remains in my stash.  that'll give me about 7 small projects in the flimsy stage.  some blustery winter week i'll get them all finished at once, no doubt!  i've also been working on handpiecing some amish pinwheels.  it's a lofty goal, but it would be nice if all the squares were done by the end of the month.  there will be an intricate quilting motif medallion (i love the hand quilting part) and i've a wool batt set aside to use.  the same 2 quilts have been on my bed for some time now, so i think a change is in order, don't you?  i'd like to get it quilted before winter, that and the 30s lovers' links.

blue cheese so far

this is my blue cheese project so far.  i'm saying "so far" because i haven't decided whether this is it or if it will be a larger finished piece.  the colors are a bit bright because i wanted a closeup so you could see the mouse fabric in the lower left corner.  i think i have just enough left for one more square, if i decide to make it bigger.  it's a bit boring because a solid is the only cheddar i have in my stash that i could use.  i do have a cheddar plaid but it's being reserved for another project. **** thanks to those who posted kind words about my christmas scrappy!

half the christmas scrappy

since my design wall is vertically challenged, i had to fold the flimsy over to pin it on to take its photo.  even so, you can get an idea of its complete size and how it looks.  i'm glad this is done.  next is baste and then quilt and bind.  no border as the batt i'm using isn't large enough for one.  i might use red for the binding and muslin for the back.  i don't think this will get finished this year, but we'll see.  it's 48 x 72, large enough for a sofa or twin quilt.  as predicted, i didn't completely bust my white scraps but one more scrappy just might. 

inchie project minus 2

my current leaders/enders are these inchie blocks, 16 x 16.  as of today, i now have 2 whole blocks done!  there is no time limit whatsoever for this project.  i have a little tote on the sewing table containing these 1.5" squares for use in place of a thread bunny.  i know one thing now, though, it won't be a hand quilted project at all....all those seams!  ***** watch this space as the christmas scrappy is done, done, done!  **** thanks for all the kind comments on my prairie patches, they are appreciated!

nobody, but nobody....

sings our national anthem like sandi patty and she appeared in a free concert locally on wednesday night.  it was held outdoors at a local pavilion and we went early.  good thing as it was nearly a full house and why not?  sandi has dove awards, grammys, gold and platinum recordings which are

well deserved and represent a gift bestowed on her by God, which she uses to exalt Him.  her repertoire includes classical music, traditional hymns, southern gospel and contemporary praise, all performed with joyful exuberance.  it was one of the highlights of our summer so far.

my version of prairie patches

it doesn't look exactly as jo morton's, but i am pretty satisfied with the color combo.  her recommendations were for darker fabrics, but i used what was in the stash and this is what i got.  i had some difficulty with machine piecing the 8-pt star center, but with practice that will improve.  i'll probably baste it and put the quilting on hold until next year or later this year. 

book recommendation

on a visit to the local library yesterday for DVDs i found this book.  it could be subtitled, "amish quilts leave the farm."  lots of luscious geometric projects done in mostly solids with black.  i found more than a few i'd like to make because you KNOW how i feel about solids.  i'm pretty sure i have all the materials on hand to whip at least 3-4 of them up right away, so......

MQ fabrics

here is the sum total of my fabric acquisition at Maine Quilts.  a chrome yellow, double pink and poison green (jo morton's) are going into my repros stash for the upcoming civil war diary quilt.  for now i am going to TRY and focus on finishing up some of the stuff that is currently lounging around the "studio" and also play around with a diamond design for my cherrywood solids.  ***** attended a free band concert last night, late to bed again and up early, so i'm headed back for an extended sleep.  it's a luxury i couldn't afford when working so i'm seizing the opportunity here and hoping later, if it ever rains and dries out the air, i can get some sewing done. 



birthday month

yes, my birthday is in august, near the end.  thank you, God, for giving me another!  as usual, i've a list of things i'd like to accomplish this month.  much depends on the weather, or heat actually.  some depends on motivation/inspiration and the rest, well, you know how it is.  so, you might wonder (or not) what my list looks like.  well.....

finish christmas scrappy top and (maybe) baste
quilt on the lovers' links
eat some lobster
finish the prairie patches top and baste
work on the amish pinwheel squares (less than 30 left to assemble)
start a new project...i've got diamonds dancing in my head!
make verrill farm's corn and tomato tart (mmmmm)

aaaaahhhaugust!

the end of Maine Quilts signals the beginning of august, the last third of the official Maine summer.  though i didn't get to see all the quilts, i had a wonderful class with jo morton making this wallhanging.  only 2 borders to go, one of which is flying geese, and the top will be done.  i had left my camera in the classroom and didn't even get a photo of my own wallhanging, sheesh!  no matter, it'll get plenty of viewing when it is returned.  ***** this is a big show and requires many hands and hours for a successful outcome.  kudos to all the chairpeople and everyone involved as it is a HUGE undertaking.  since i live close to the airport, i volunteered to bring a teacher back for flying out.  on the way we enjoyed a delish pizza dinner and some delightful conversation, strangers who became acquaintances through quilts.  ****** i did pick up a few repros that i'll show another day.  today it's just unpack and relax. 

2 gone, 1 on hold

photo by jim deal of one of the norfolk eaglets after release.  the 2 males took flight without issue; the female is on hold.  due to the heat and her new transmitter, she was overly stressed on the day of release and didn't take flight.  she's back at the wildlife center until another day when (hopefully) she will join her 2 siblings in the skies over the james river.  you can see more at the wildlife center of virginia's website and see just how huge these majestic juveniles have grown.  they are adult size now and all their devotees are hoping for good outcomes, though statistics do not support same.  we are all hoping the widowed adult male will find a mate and more chicks will hatch next year to watch and follow.  it's way better than TV!

down to the wire

so far there are 7 rows sewn together and only 6 more needed for this quilt.  i have a batt and need to work within the parameters of that, which is why it's a bit narrower than most quilts i make.  i have another 5 strips all ready and only 1 more to assemble, so it's nearly a flimsy!  i might make the august 1st self-imposed deadline after all....could be!  this means i have emptied another shoebox and my UFO list is will be getting shorter soon.  i might not have another finish until fall, though, which isn't that far away...how did THAT happen?  **** next up from the list has to be the red/cream north wind already in progress, which is a machine project.  in the meantime, my handwork projects are the lovers' links and the amish pinwheel. 

tuesday's bargain find

trekked to staples yesterday for mechanical pencil leads and happened on this nifty item.....graph paper composition books.  and the price?  a whopping 50 cents each!  so i grabbed up 2 which should last me the next 10 years or so.  i have a small graph paper notebook that fits into my purse, but lately i've been drawing out patterns on regular lined paper, so these will be a big improvement.  ***** hate to brag, but the temps yesterday were in the 60s and it's been a very cool and dry night, perfect for sleeping or just about anything else.  i've been getting jealous e-mails from those still suffering interminable heat, but come february i'll be the envious one.  unless you are a winter sport person, maine is simply horrid in winter. 



relief!

our oppressive heat has gone south (literally) and we are free from the A/C hum....for now anyway.  this morning the windows got opened, the little fan went back in the window and we are breathing outside refreshing air.  the first thing i heard was a squawking seagull in our parking lot.  i looked out and he had a small brown bag that had been crumpled up and he was desperately trying to get at the food inside.  he finally succeeded and then went on to the next "buffet" leaving the brown bag behind, empty. 

respectable progress

not bad, i think.  each stack is another row and the stack in the top row extreme right are half units ready to be sewn together.  the best part of this is that my elfa drawer of white and WOW scraps is getting used up big time.  there are times i use plain white fabric, but the big problem is that most of them are different whites, meaning they don't match so each project requires buying enough plain white to finish and i end up with a myriad of pieces that don't match, so they can't be used in a gift project or such.  thus, i decided to throw matchy/matchy to the wind and use them all up in one quilt, if i could.  this quilt is for me to use and i like the serendipitous quality of scrap quilts....this one is scrappier than most!  i will, however, probably have enough white and WOW scraps left over for another serendipity quilt. 

mission accomplished

did manage to finish this little flimsy last night.  spent most of the day on the christmas scrappy, cutting out more pieces the old fashioned way, with scissors.  today i hope to assemble some strips to see exactly how many more i need to finish this top.  then, there's a tablerunner to be basted.  i also finished another blue cheese unit and started appliqueing the dresden plates.  hoping by sunday/ monday it will have cooled off enough in the evening to do some quilting on the lovers' links quilt, as it's a gift and must be done by fall.  i do have another small piece on my official UFO list and might try and get that one done as i've shamelessly started several small projects THIS year and just might be on next year's list (sigh).  next up should be the red/cream north wind, a long-time UFO.  why you ask?  well, the first time i used the wondercut ruler was on this piece and misread the instructions, so the HSTs ended up a smaller than i wanted.  instead of 10" squares, i have 8" squares (eeek) so i've procrastinated big time on this....but no longer as i really must get this flimsy done once and for all. 

early morning stashbusting

what's a girl to do when she wakes early and feels productive?  why, bust stash of course!  i was up at 5:30 am and after a couple of necessary tasks, sat down at the old viking in my pjs and started busting this stash of 3.5" squares i had cut previously.  yes, these are leftovers from the pink pinwheel and there were enough leftovers to make another smaller quilt.  not fancy, only squares, but the fabric is gorgeous enough to kick this simple pattern up a few notches.  i still had some small pieces left over that will end up as strips.  ***** also today i hope to work more on the christmas scrappy.  the quilt calls for 21 strips of 12 sections, and right now i think i have enough units for 10 rows, which is about half way.  up until now i've used christmas scraps but next i will have to cut into some of the 1/4 yard pieces i have.  i started this quilt to bust white and WOW scraps i had and i'm happy to say the "whites" drawer is showing a serious dent that will only increase with the finish of this top.  these tasks are great for being shut up in the a/c!

so far this week

despite the heat, so far this week i've gotten quite a bit done quilty-wise.  i basted 13 little dresden plates onto background squares.  i assembled all these christmas scrappy pieces, about 30 completed units and these 3 stacks of half-units.  i also basted the red/white schoolhouse and the moda wreath wallhangings.  today you ask?  well, work on christmas scrappy of course and cut some 2" squares for the "blue cheese" piece.  i've a few driving errands to do as well.   a few more days and i can open the window again, i hope. 

a dangerous pattern

if you read the lists on the left side of the blog, you will see an ominous sign....i've completed 8 UFOs this year and started 9 others, yes 9.  my impromptu math skills leave a LOT to be desired, but in my book i'm running at a deficit here in terms of completing projects.  there is one redeeming factor here; the 9 new projects are all SMALL projects, meaning i could finish them in a week if i wanted to.   that is real progress, i think. ***** on a blistering hot sunday, i did get the scrappy units to the left chain pieced.  today they will get ironed and sewn into finished units for the christmas scrappy.  from here on out, i won't assemble rows until all units are pieced so all one fabric doesn't get clumped together on the quilt itself.   i also hope to baste the red/white schoolhouse and maybe a couple of other small flimsies that are lying around. 

introducing miss paige

here is the little cutie that now owns the pink pinwheel quilt...isn't she simply adorable?  her lucky parents get to have all that fun.  makes me quite wistful wishing i could too, but then i remember how time consuming these little people are and it would seriously hinder my quilty fun big time.  even so, i think i could be a grandma at some point without any difficulty at all!