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while browsing today, i found this blog and simply HAD to add this badge to my home page.  i wholeheartedly support and encourage hand quilting because it is sooo enjoyable; i know, many don't have the time or the interest, but give it a try....you might become a devotee.  i am currently hand quilting my amish center diamond quilt.  the great thing about quilting (or many other things also) is that the stitch improves with continual practice.  when starting a new quilting project after a time away, it takes a bit to get into the rhythm of the stitching.  once the rhythm kicks in, it's easy to pick it up at every free moment. 

my confession

as a refresher, i'll remind you of my previous confession....i am (or was) a log cabin flunkie.  new york beauty?  no problem; cathedral windows?  piece of cake, but log cabin success evaded me.....until now.  here are my first six after receiving some invaluable tips that catapulted me into log cabin heaven!  and i didn't have to take any one of them out...no ripping, no redoing, nada!  my last log cabin disaster was the amish wallhanging; 9 blocks, 5 of which were redone at least once.  i'm pretty sure it's a case of right/left confusion, but a real pro gave me some inside tricks that have nothing to do with turning them, well almost.  i am giddy with log cabin success, truly!  i also got some ideas on organizing my strips to avoid the wrinkled clump in the shoebox.  that's my chore for the weekend, to get them all ironed and sorted lights/darks.  to quote mrs. goodneedle, "life is good!"  **** i spent a bit more time quilting on the amish center diamond and have pulled out stencils for the remaining 2 long borders.  only the corner squares on the final border need quilting, along with the 2 outside long borders.  i also got the gray scrappy pinwheel quilt basted with the wool batt.  that will probably be the next to get quilted.  it's over 40 degrees here today, so not sure how long winter will last or if it will ever really get here.  thank you jet stream!

orca bay deconstructed

the title is a bit of a misnomer as i haven't actually CONstructed the top yet.  what you see are all the various parts in various stages of completion.  yes, all the ohio star blocks are done as are the cheddar strippy squares.  i've still more purple strippies to do as well as finish up the green triangles AND cut the light triangles for the border units.  whew!  i am on my third set of 6 bobbins for this project alone; that's right, i've already used 12 bobbins of thread, currently on my 13th, not to mention my 3rd spool of the stuff.  i am still thinking this will be a january finish as i've almost nothing else to do every day.  **** i've also been quilting on the center diamond, just about finishing the 4th brown triangle; next are the brown corner squares of the next border and then the borders, for which i'm thinking baptist fans....not sure yet.  i've had a stencil of fans i bought ages ago and this would be a good place to use it, i think.  once that border is done, it's just the outside, which is about 11" wide--plenty of luscious quilting space indeed!

first finish

and they're off!  this is my first finish of 2012, right off my UFO list.  i finished the binding last night and dunked it in cold water to remove the quilting lines.  even the yellow chalk came off, which is a very good thing!  this will go in my pile of finished items that i'd like to sell at some point.  only 27 to go.  i also spent time quilting on the center diamond last night, since the weather is now officially frigid--albeit the ground still green as a shamrock.  that's right, we are still "sans snow" for which the snowmobilers and skiers are all now on prozac, but those of us who hate to drive in the stuff are happy as proverbial clams! 

sneak peek

even though i haven't finished all the parts yet, i couldn't resist putting this together to get a preview of the finished top.  i spent most of monday working on the ohio star blocks and they are just about done.  i still have plenty of purple strippy squares to do and some of the green triangles to finish as well.  i haven't even cut the "lights" for the border yet either.  however, i will have a UFO finish this week some time, so that's good.  ****  also, spent time trying to create a bit more space in my room.  i've gone through all the elfa drawers and pleased to find they hold less fabric.  i also found a smaller tote for all my cross-stitch patterns/fabric, also good.  next up?  pulled some small pieces that have to be cut into squares/strips.  i have to do this occasionally.  ***** on the job front, i got another response to my applications, so that would be a game changer for sure. 

a table quandary

this is a table i saw on the IKEA website.  trouble is, closest IKEA 125 miles from here and it can't be shipped.  sooo, there are 2 other tables i've been considering for the old viking.  both are from staples.  one is a melamine topped 4-foot table, the other is a formed resin top 4-foot table.  i've read comments on both.  the resin looks sturdy but customer comments indicate it's a bit wobbly.  the melamine top is made of particle board, so i'm wondering about the long-term life of that.  at the thrift the other day, i looked at a sewing machine and that table was made of particle board.  when i opened it up and pulled out the machine, it fell out onto the floor.  i checked home depot and lowe's and they have about the same thing....both of these are in my price range.  i'm not totally sold on any of the options i've seen so far.  the antique table is solid wood, no particle board and no resin.  i had hoped to select the melamine top but i've reconsidered and will keep looking.  i was considering an elfa desk with the wire drawers, but that top is also particle board.  perhaps the melamine or resin table WITH a wood topper might be the most economical solution.  years ago i had the ideal table and it was in storage for a long time, but i finally tossed it because it seemed pointless to keep.  where was my crystal ball then?

it's heeeeere!

here it is, 2012, a new year; 366 days or 8784 hours or 527,040 minutes or….you get the idea.  As quilters, all these lovely minutes are tantalizing segments of quilting, sewing, binding, patching, appliquéing, designing, traveling, learning and socializing.  Don’t forget, though, included in those segments are possibly (gulp) cooking and cleaning, driving, family nurturing, working, healing, refereeing, caregiving, and maybe even just surviving.   When it’s put in that perspective, we are amazed we even got any quilting done at all.   But reducing life into an efficiency task isn’t necessary.  What is important is to make the best use of our time, be good stewards of those precious minutes, like we take care of others and planet earth.  

the start of a new year is a time for resolutions, hopes, plans, goals more quilting!  I’ll throw the proverbial caution to the wind and carry on as usual, drooling over woven cotton and its color that calls this moth to its flames.  I’ll still cut it up into little pieces and sew them back together, satisfying my creative soul like nothing else.  You might think sheesh; this woman needs to get a life/job/husband/grandchildren, something to steer her off this over-zealous quilt fetish.  Well, I do (sort of)/looking/happily divorced/not yet, but none of those things fill that little corner of quilty hunger.  From the look around, though, I’ve plenty of company in that respect and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Not for a year/day/hour/minute!

chain piece frenzy

thursday was a super sewing day.  first, i finished a window curtain for my DSIL that gets mailed today.  thank you for being patient!  then, i went back to my orca bay project, still working on catching up.  i squared up the cheddar squares that were done, yes!  next, i tackled the triangle part.  here you see my stack of chain pieced triangles.  i wish i could say they were done but nooooo; today i must cut more and re-chain this entire pile!  then they will be done.  the last thing i did was wind 5 more bobbins as i used up 6 whole bobbins this week so far.  bonnie will be posting the final part this weekend, so i'm hoping another week will have this into a flimsy, two at the most.  this needs to be gone by the end of january for certain and i need to get back to quilting on the amish center diamond.  do you think i can do 2 finishes in january?  i'll certainly try. 

comments on orca bay colors

i sure do appreciate everyone's kind comments about the colors i chose for "fat tuesday on orca bay."  i have to admit, i only went with the scraps of which i had the most.  these are not especially favorite colors of mine at all.  i went for high contrast and when i pulled them and put them together i realized how "wow" they actually were.   hope you all keep watching and see when the cheddars and more purple added to the mix.  ****  our 50-degree temps from today are slowly waning and frigid air moving in slowly.  this day has been another gift for us, usually knee-deep in snow and ice about now.  i feel bad for the people who rely on snow for their daily sustenance, snowplowers and the like.  but i have to say it's real nice to go out and not have to clean off the car or inch along on slippery roads.   but that's today; tomorrow could be an entirely different situation.  now, off to shower and slip into those jammies.....

tuesday progress

the stars are stacking up and making good progress on orca bay.  still have most of the purple strippies to do and also more of those green triangles too.  with temps hovering around 50 here today; that's right, 50...will be sewing with the window open until tonight when it's dropping to 14, right...14!  wacky winter indeed!

book recommendation

i've always been a reader and had a love of books.  when i was 16 i was at the local library in a very upscale town south of Boston.  the librarian was a stodgy yankee who had been in charge since the mayflower, i think.  i pulled a book from the shelf titled "light in the piazza."  it was a thin book but sounded interesting.  dear old mrs macduff (really, her name) looked at me over her glasses and said, "this is an ADULT book you know," and i replied that i knew very well.  with hesitation she checked it out for me. ***  currently being unemployed, i read stephanie plum before going to sleep and other various mysteries, legal dramas, contemporary novels and some quirky books as well.  recently i finished a book called, "the end of everything."  this is an eerie, contemporary mild thriller type of book.  not too many dead bodies or whodunit plots, but eerie nonetheless.  if you enjoy a non-gory, non-gumshoe book with a modern headline topic, by all means read it.  it's not a hugely thick book but you won't want to put it down once it's started. 

shelf progress

this is what i got done this weekend; rearranged shelving stuff after flinging most of the vinyl LPs.  got all my shoeboxes on one shelf; shoebox contents got re-org'd as well as on the shelf itself.  the orca bay shoebox is on the sewing table, as is the feathered star.  both should be empty sometime in january and, at this point, i don't have any projects to be added.  however, i neglected to "neaten up" my 2 strippie totes, the messy looking ones but in time, in time.  next up, the elfa drawers!  *****  got my 2012 calendar up already, don't see any point in putting it off until january 1st...

a busy gap week

with Christmas now over, i can set my sights to a new year and getting organized.  usually i spend the week making lists....UFO lists, plans for the new year, things i want to do and must do.  this week will be no different.  i am totally excited!  i've already reorganized my shelves a bit, labeling my kits and shoeboxes to make it quicker to locate things.  i've also copied most of my vinyl LPs to CD and flung them, making more space, not to mention lightening the load significantly...those suckers are heavy!  i've already gone through all my commercial patterns and flung the no longer wants.  i've also roughed out my budget for the next few months--the basic and the particular--to get an idea of upcoming expenses and need to pay items.  of course, my 2012 UFO list is made and documented.  very soon i am hoping to get some flimsies basted, those for which i already have the backs and batts, and set aside for quilting.  i've also cleaned out the sewing table of all notions and the like of no longer wanted/needed and flung.  paring down and organizing is not only fun it's necessary, given our small digs.  i'll be able to start the new year off with an organized space and clear decks.  

i just had to say....

now that everyone is probably up and into gifts and such; me, i was awake at 4 am so i'll be taking a nap later for certain.  had a delish breakfast hours ago and working on some yummy tidbits for grazing; listening to christmas music.  no big dinner here today,  we'll have our annual roast beast on new year's day.  enjoyed our traditional clam chowder supper last night before gifts, so some is leftover of course.  wishing you all the very best holiday ever. 

2 cross-stitch christmas finishes

DD is a cross-stitch expert and years ago i started this piece for her to carry her projects.  while cleaning out my cross-stitch stash, i came across it again and decided to get it done for her.  so here's the finished bag with the cross-stitch that i did, nowhere near as exceptional as her work but i know it'll make a good carryall for her work.  the heart below was finished long ago and put away for someday.  this year it got completed and given to my elderly aunt in assisted living to brighten up her space.  i don't have many more unfinished cross-stitch projects but i am determined to finish them all....sooner or later. 

first four on christmas eve

just for fun i decided to whip together these 4 squares to motivate me to finish the units still lagging so far--the purple strippies and the green triangles.  it never ceases to amaze me what beauty scraps can create.  it's the color that does the work, not the prints at all.  in fact, if done right, the prints should become invisible.  if you don't believe it, just squint.  me, i'm mesmerized and tantalized by color.  from the crayola box to paintbox to fabric to fireworks.  many artistic gurus have encouraged and taught me to develop my love of color into a real working, love relationship that continues to feed my creativity.  thank you one and all. *** a most blessed Christmas to those who celebrate, too....."and the beautiful red bird on Christmas shall sing, for the manger at Bethlehem cradles a King"

friday sewing

today i finished the cheddar strippy squares.  also got the squares from part 6 cut as well.  tonight, it's square up and rip; square up the cheddars and rip out the papers is what i mean.  i also worked a bit on the purple strippy squares; it'll take a few days to get them done.  i am also hoping to get some of those ohio star blocks assembled too, not to mention more of the green triangles.  bonnie said there were 8-9 parts of this mystery, so i'm thinking 2-3 more weeks and i can get back to my UFO list and some other projects.  i have another of bonnie's mystery projects as a UFO but i many abandon it, not sure yet.  ***** the inevitable happened overnight, we got about 2" of very wet, heavy snow.  it rained some this afternoon and will be cold tonight, so i imagine it will be icy tomorrow morning.  i was busy all day and didn't venture out at all and might not tomorrow either. i'm missing DD and DSIL this Christmas again but they have to work.  that leaves a big gap in the celebrating for me but i know it can't be helped.  even so, much for which to be thankful this holiday season.  

finally a sew day

last night i did get more units done on orca bay and today my hope is to finish this stack of cheddar strippy squares.  that'll leave me with the purple strippy squares and the rest of the HSTs to do.  bonnie has already posted part 6, assembling some ohio star squares.  i'm not quite keeping up but this should be a january finish, along with the amish center diamond.  ***** last night i also worked on the last of my 5-in-5 challenge pieces, a small patriotic wallhanging that will be finished before new year and will also get deleted from next year's list.  ***** first day of winter and we still have bare ground here.  this is my kind of winter for absolute certain, though every day like this is a gift and we know it well.  sooner or later old man winter will pay us a visit. 

i AM sewing...

albeit very little these pre-Christmas days with a heftier-than-usual to do list.  these are my triangle units on the corner of a very old sewing table.  the chunk you see that's missing from the corner looks larger than it really is; however, the sewing table will be retired soon i hope.  the old viking is simply too heavy for its fragile condition.   but i digress....yes, i got in some sewing time yesterday.  today should be the last day of chores and i should be able to get back to orca bay for the remainder of the week.  not sure at all if i'll be up to speed by friday's next part or not, but i can try.  i also want to finish piecing the feathered star top and also finish another small piece for the 5-in-5 challenge.  ***** today is a rain day, which is a much better 4-letter word than snow.  it'll come soon enough for me.  **** did i mention...i HATE carpet on the sewing room floor!!!

so this is christmas?

yesterday morning it was 11 degrees....this morning it is 39 degrees....no snow here or even in sight!  i can take this weather until march for sure.

test drive

since last night was to be the coldest night of this season so far....temps hovering around 10 degrees...i added this to my 2 regular quilts.  yes, we do have heat in the apartment but i leave my window open a tiny bit because i like it a bit cooler when i sleep and the heat control is behind my elfa unit and difficult to access.  i actually folded this in half covering just the end of the bed.  happy to say i was quite toasty and not too warm.  once finished (january maybe?) it'll be a welcome addition to my regular bedding; until i get another quilt done that is.  ***** today's plans include more on the orca bay, some holiday errands and baking. a couple more days and i'll be done and can work on my various projects as desired.  still no snow.....great!

it can't be christmas....

without perry como, for sure!  ever since i was in the 5th grade, i had a crush on perry como.  i would watch his show faithfully every week.  i was constantly sending him letters.  if you peeked inside my schoolbooks, you would nearly always find one in progress.  even in black and white he was my idol.  he would sing, "dream along with me," and i was right there, dreamy and starry-eyed.  he never read one of my letters on the show but that was okay, no doubt he saved them for when he was alone in his dressing room, right?  i was certain of it!  we even shared the same food likes...."hot diggity, dog diggity" and i liked hot dogs too.  when color TV came, especially when color TV came, he was dreamy.  i have this christmas album and others too.  in fact, i just copied all my christmas LPs onto CD so i could take them in the car.  sadly, perry is no longer with us but he lives on in spirit and CD.  thank goodness for that, but it's not nearly enough for me. 

a maine snowman

this is the only kind of snowman you'll find in these parts of maine, hopefully for the entire winter!  up north they have snow, of course, but not around here.  my mother made this little cutie as a decoration and sent it off to my florida nieces/nephews.  he's so cute and best of all, doesn't melt.  it's a commercial pattern and was easy peasy to put together.  guess where she found that luscious christmas print....yep, she raided my stash, with permission of course.  *****  slowly working on my strippy squares, and i do mean slowly.  they'll get done when they get done.  i did cut a whole stack of green triangles too, for the HSTs.  christmas prep comes first, though.  and with these cold temps, it's finally starting to feel a bit christmas-y too!

vision of sugarplums, er, strippies....

here's the awful truth....i have this many strippy squares PLUS cut more triangles and sew them on the HSTs yet to do to get "caught up" with "fat tuesday on orca bay."  today's list includes making a small window curtain for DSIL and then i can work on this mystery project.  ****  the upside of having a small family is lots less to do when holidays come around.  due to work schedules, it's just going to be mom and me on christmas eve and christmas day.  even at that, there is much to celebrate; in fact, every day is a celebration of sorts even if in a melancholy mood, which seldom applies to me.  so, i should get a lot of sewing done.  i've also been doing some just plain relaxing needlework--cross-stitching--on some tucked away UFOs.  **** our tree is all decorated and looks great.  and surprise!  today we are having SNOW!  that's right; big, wet flakes are coming down right this minute.  our luck ran out and winter finally arrived.  only 2.5 months until spring, though...

smells like christmas!

got our tree yesterday and put it up last night.  immediately the room filled with the heady aroma of fresh balsam.  just because maine is at the bottom of the forbes list of states for job creation and economic opportunity, doesn't mean you can't get a decent christmas tree.  in truth, this might have come from canada because those fanatical environmentalists get their shorts in a twist if anyone mentions cutting down one tree within the pine tree state's borders.  even if we were sitting on a century's worth of crude, there would be no way it could ever be drilled.  state officials spend wasteless time getting kids into college to train for jobs that don't exist and never will as long as this practice continues.  so all of you who dream about the idyllic life in maine can let that dream go.  the only people who live that kind of life here are those who earn their money elsewhere....like martha stewart, john travolta, tom selleck and their ilk.  ok, off the soapbox....i'll dispense with my inner scrooge....god bless us everyone!

first christmas quilt

not exactly amish but simplistic anyway.  i didn't want to make a "normal" double wedding ring with tons of pieces; i did that after i made this one.  i love the forest green/wine combo for christmas instead of the kelly green and red.  this quilt was entirely hand pieced and hand quilted.  i started it on a whim and didn't buy enough green, so there is a slight color variation, normal for antique quilts of course.  it has a nice cotton batt and a decidedly antique feel and drape....i'm totally happy with it.  **** for all you boomers out there who remember the patty duke show and her award-winning film, the miracle worker, made at a tender age.  today she turns 65 and if you go to www.ssa.gov, you will see her tell how she applied for social security and medicare online....yep, she is the poster gal for social security, her and chubby checker too.....what a hoot!