old man no more....

on such a fine day--sunny, warmish, slight breeze--ventured west to new hampshire to visit the former home of the old man of the mountain.   sadly, his face fell off some years back, but the mountain remains albeit a tad altered.  this is a zoom photo of said mountain straight ahead at 12 o'clock and the vibrant foliage colors around (photo a bit too bright from reality).  it was a leisurely, all day drive through little towns similarly adorned.  a cheapo lunch at subway on the patio--yes, it was THAT warm--and moseyed back to maine.   with snow predicted for the northern maine mountains any day, probably the old man will get hit by a month's time.  the marigolds have breathed their last, so summer is really done.  every good day from now on is a gift, in fact, every DAY is a gift, but better without snow. 

more hexies in the works--yowza!  they work up quickly...and a coral block to sew up today.  it's another good day AND a sunny, warmish one besides.  great day to sew, doncha know!

thursday's stars...

the latest batch of completed stars....top 2 are cadet blue, bottom left is a chocolate/blue combo and bottom right is my version of celestial using what looks like crescent moon fabric.  don't have the iron with me so they aren't yet pressed but they are done.   also finished is the "belle" block for the FWS with "coral" posted yesterday and waiting to be done.  the hexies are coming along nicely; last night once again prepped papers and fabrics for more hexie sewing fun.  *** enjoying a gorgeous autumn foliage fest here in new england.....bonnie and vic have posted beautiful pix and it is just exactly like that. it's the only time of year where the interstate is fun to drive.  temps are cooling after a few days of nice warmth.....predict more sewing in the cold days ahead!

then there were 2....

and pretty soon 3...wow, they DO work up pretty quickly.   my busy box needs more papers, so that is tonight's task. 

and i can see there is a tad of a learning curve, being that the papers MUST all be the exact same size, which is not the case for the 2nd rosette.  i left it, chalking it up to experience and giving it that authentic pioneer scrappy look.  it is hardly noticeable, tho....and did i say this was going to be a small version of this beauty?  like the hawaiian technique, could get carried away and keep  on going until whenever.  ***  next few days will be dedicated to block sewing...."belle" for FWS and whatever tomorrow's stars will be...fun quilting but having absolutely NO effect on my humongous UFO list, first being my hawaiian quilt that'll hopefully get done in time for winter.  in the meantime, will keep on keeping on and enjoy the new england fall beauty, which is spectacular! 

finally caved....

into the world of hexies...all it took was a project that wowed me and a way to conquer the short, chunky fingers handicap.  barbara brackman posted a photo of a beautiful antique quilt, the 1861 healy quilt, and right away went to inklingo, printed out hexie patterns, cut up a bunch of papers and pulled some fabrics.  my first attempt was hexies that were really too large for this small quilt project so back to the drawing board, tried smaller ones and they worked out perfect.  am only going to make it large enough to get the full pattern effect.  past hexie efforts were abandoned due to difficulties maneuvering the tiny pieces, but found that was probably cutting my fabric units too small, resulting in war with papers and enough fold over fabric.  now finding that fabric pieces cut a tad larger are working up easier and actually fun! ok, so now i get it!  sunday's project was to fill my busy box with papers and fabrics for the immediate future and maybe beyond.   here is my first "flower" if you will, and am pretty pleased with the process AND the outcome.

 

first of many that'll get done whenever.... so another UFO to add to the list for 2016, a list that is already groaning from sheer volume.  mega-fun ahead indeed!

let's celebrate!

to all my daughter sisters out there, it's a day of celebration and remembrance of our patriot ancestors who died securing freedom from tyranny!   my own revolutionary ancestor, one of several, capt. joel whitney of machias, maine, fought in several battles, most notable the battle of the margaretta, which is also known as the lexington of sea battle.  he was the husband of mary weston, who was the sister of hannah weston.  hannah remembered for ferrying much-needed ammunition to soldiers and for collecting lead items to melt down for ammunition.  these, plus vets from civil war, WWI, war of 1812 and WWII all make me proud to be recognized as the daughter and descendant of so many brave who sacrificed much.   and how to celebrate????

bounty from the sea, of course!  again our favorite lobsterman has provided us with a delicious repast at a fair price--culls but no matter, it's all good.  the tourists come and buy whole cooked lobsters by the ton but end up throwing away lots of good meat in the body; they don't know how or don't want to be bothered to work for it, but we extract every tender morsel.  ***  managed to spend the best of the day outside in the warm sun and breezy air, very good indeed! 

seeing red, er claret

thanks to a recent pile of CW nickels received in swap, was able to find lots of pretty claret reds for this week's star blocks.  this is a really pretty color, i think, and the blocks are some of my faves.  the nickel squares require using 2-3 to get all the necessary pieces for one star but i think ms brackman would approve, and i see that this makes them more interesting.  with limited stash at hand, am working a la pioneer quilter having to make do and improvise--the spirit of the swap's mantra perhaps.  ***  it's another weekend here in lobsterville, filled with busyness of late fairs and winter prep.  woodpiles are growing and pumpkins abound.  not quite peak foliage here near the coast but far western maine is.  and report of snow in VT are ominous, even tho early.  the pine trees are loaded with cones, which is one sign of a harsh winter ahead.  from here on in, any day without snow is a good day.  snowbound quilting days ahead i do believe....

next step....

took only a little bit of time, hour or so, to unsew the other hearts and get them pinned on to the new setting....next is to baste down and then applique....after might tea dye the whole thing to give it a primitive feel as the white is very stark....

hoping that whoever sent me the little hearts likes how they have been used....thanks again!  ***  rainy day today and cool of course.  otherwise it's been a gorgeous fall week that will resume again in a day or two.   hoping the boxes will be unpacked before mittens and full winter gear are needed....

sweet caro-liiinnnne...ba.ba.ba..

today was the day to make the caroline block and it's pictured here next to betty and see that yes, those fabrics DO go well together in the block AND will be good for the others too...the light background fabric in "caroline" is one of very few new FQs that have added to the pile....

also today pulled out this little heart project for a bit of revising....had several of the hearts appliqued and some squares trimmed down, but when put together found they were too small so decided to get more of the original squares and make a bit larger wallhanging.  here you see some of those that didn't get trimmed now put together with new blocks waiting for me to unsew the trimmed ones and re-applique. 

also found 12 plaid hearts from the same stash, so put together a 12-block background and these will get appliqued at some point.  lastly, found some claret reds that will use for this week's star blocks.  pretty good amount of sewing fun on this beautiful mid-fall day in the high 60s...we'll take all these we can get!

scraptastic tuesday

while waiting for the next "stars" fabric of the week to post, had some foursie fun and more little HSTs for the small quilt currently in the works.

the other rows of the little HSTs are someplace here in a bag and will dive in and resurrect to put them all together at some point....not yet decided on total number of rows.  and plans for the foursies?  none at present, but will file them away for something at some point.  and last but not least, another FWS block called "betty"....just tonight another was posted and that's a project for tomorrow or friday?

i'll add this to the FWS page....and over 4000 sew-along participants?   awesome!   not too late to join in....these blocks work up fast--i chose paper piecing method--and will be a nice finished quilt.  *** so nice to have some sewing time, which is not nearly enough in the current situation but at least it's some....praying that will change soon....

getting it done....

so here is midnight/peacock garden so far...needs a final press before borders are added....so difficult to have fun sewing with absolutely no room to iron/baste etc, a situation i hope is remedied soon.  it is starting to affect my enjoyment and mojo.  these are really lovely oriental fabrics.  tried to fussy cut some of the prints to get a bit of movement, which seems to have worked nicely.   after borders and baste, have to do the next FWS block (farmer's wife sewalong)....and have also started a NEW project, a small version of a lovely antique quilt. not much done as of this writing but expect it to be a long-term project. ***  very chilly this AM at 38 degrees about 5:30 am...frost definitely on the pumpkin and no doubt many gardens are now history.  hard to believe summer is really over once again....it happened seemingly overnight.  pretty tired so will sign off to avoid venturing into morose territory.....tomorrow is another whole day to spend!

decorum prevails...

otherwise i could show you a photo of miss phoebe's mended bottom, rather her case with the mended bottom.  afraid the ravages of time had gotten the best of phoebe featherweight's original case, so an immediate fix was in order.  first thing today scooted off to joann's with my coupon for some black duct tape to insure miss phoebe doesn't fall flat on her little feet.  all is well now and miss phoebe is once again safe in her traveling abode.  ***  and sewing plans?  ready to put together the applique and patchwork blocks for midnight garden, which may rename to "peacock garden" as the colors and patterns evoke same.  also have to tweak my "bonnie" block for the sew along and expect by this evening, another block will be posted.  other than that, it's a finestkind fall sunday here in lobsterville.  off to spend this delicious day!

oh my stars!

yesterday got caught up on my stars; they are (top to bottom) my version of lace, lancaster blue and black.  haven't yet made the cretonne ones as my choices of fabric are limited and know i have plenty in my boxed stash for these. 

my pile of these is getting higher and have a few ideas of how will use them, but will wait until sew-along is over.  cannot recall now exactly why i chose to make 3 every week for the 49 weeks, but will continue along.  ***  skipped over to busy thimble the other day to pick up the new jo mortons that are finally here.  they favor pinks/browns but as you can see from my choices, two cheddars sneaked in.  these will work nicely with my farmer's wife sew-along fabrics or just in the stash generally.   gotta start saving as another line due out in december....

and as a 180, anna maria horner has a new line out called "true colors" which are bright mod fabrics....

hardly ever buy fat quarter packs but these are good basic brights; will probably hold off until all my stash is together and see exactly what is what.  it'll be just like christmas unpacking all those boxes of my yummy fabric!  now off to spend the day....

last call?

on Tuesday stopped at a favorite veg stand to stock up on what was available.  purposely passed by winter squashes and apples in favor of those that will soon be gone for another year like little cukes, corn, beans and summer squash.  this means on the menu is a double batch of corn fritters, zucchini bread (muffin size), clam chowder with new potatoes, bruschetta, sauteed cabbage and carrots among others.  while fall is beautiful, it is bittersweet as the garden bounty fades away.  sarah and her helpers who work the magic cannot be praised enough for adding such deliciousness to the table again this summer.  the stand closes columbus day but plan to make one more gathering visit for whatever is available and maybe some peach habanero jam....delish!  ***  and to make this quilty, today is stars day and also 2 blocks for the farmer's wife sew-along...cool and windy and definitely fall-like the rest of the week!

seriously tempting....

this is the mother of all projects.....www.365challengequilt.com.au....starting january 1, 2016....i am picturing scrappy to the nth degree here....some blocks 3", some 6" and i would guess the corner squares and center are 12".....a heavy commitment that depends on stamina and continuing good health...can i do it?  should i do it?  or possibly tweak it?  maybe make only the 3" or the 6"....plenty of possibilities...in the meantime will focus on today's quilty plate that includes the bonnie block from farmer's wife, some stars too....some serious caffeine first as it is a cloudy and rainy day, good day for a book and a comfy chair with a cozy quilt.  the good AND bad side of the internet--so much--too much--quilty temptation.  have time to ponder this while focusing on today's.....keep dry and quilt on!

off and running!

the farmer's wife sew-along has started....actually last evening about 6 pm canberra time....and have patiently and obediently waited until the official start to make my first block.  here is it....done is those gorgeous civil war tones, the first of 99...or maybe 84; doubt i will make all 99 as the quilt would be too large for my needs or personal style.  probably will be a few duds along the way that'll get relegated to the orphan pile so that i end up with 84 good ones.  there are setting triangles as these will be set on point; i do have some black in the stash but remains to be decided definitively.....anyway, now to get caught up on the stars before wednesday....

again, the camera angle and remaining papers make it look a tad wonky but it is fine....*** now off to find my jacket with the fleece lining...yes, it is THAT chilly here.  got new shoes just in time to put aside the sandals for another year. 

the jingle goes....

i shoulda bought it when i saw it at marden's....and yes, they play it while you are IN the store, naturally, but no jingle was needed to entice me for these....

the flannel i bought is the top portion...a red rooster quilter's weight flannel....$2 per yard and only 2 yards left so they are mine now....and the bottom is a fat eighth packet, 10 of 'em in these gorgeous bright colors for $4.49 I think...or $4.99?  either way a good deal.  it's quality, tightly woven fabric too...already have plans for these cuts....there was another packet of different fabrics in turquoises...you KNOW how i feel about turquoise....but i liked the gray/lime/oranges in this bunch....orange DOES make my heart beat faster!    vic emailed me to let me know she was going to marden's saturday, so anxious to see her haul.  ***  frost on the ground this AM so that means end of our veggie season not far off.  the woodpiles are high and the days are shorter; aura of busy prep for the coming cold season is everywhere.  still good days ahead, just closer to *SNOW* and soups on the back burner.  time to quilt!

little finish

not the greatest photo but a finish nonetheless....this will hang in my sewing space when that is available...the heart block was a gift and then i added to it using some of my inchies and a very pretty dark purple paisley for the border.  the border is difficult to see because of the rug surrounding--photo taken in a chair.  no sewing today but will continue on with the previous to-do list tomorrow, i hope.  aside from that, nothing new here in lobsterville excepting the weather change and the declining hours of daylight....

ready or not....

the 28th is coming soon and so yesterday pulled out the ENTIRE stash that is with me currently and chose some lovely fabrics for the farmer's wife sew-along starting sunday here in the states...my heartfelt thanks to those who so generously shared with me in this interim period while mine is packed away and stored.  because of your kindness, and some i had chosen, i've got this gorgeous palette to work with for this year-long sew-along.  do i miss my kaffe fassetts, my minick & simpsons and my other jo mortons and scrappie stash?  absolutely, but these are so very fine and very ok for this project....hope you agree!

back to the 50s...in temps that is, which is definitely fall feeling and even frost way up north....today i've got some things on the list, first of which is the little heart project that is almost done.   found a spool of quilting thread and it's just about finished except for some embellishment.  next up are some star blocks for the brackman sew-along and then back to applique blocks for midnight garden.  also want to mark the mod spools with some varying size circles for quilting, hoping to get that done soon.  sounds like a full day....

fabric karma

someone had so nicely gifted me with some circus-theme fabrics....lovely clowns, animals etc....well, fussy cut the animals from their background and left the clowns and another animal piece intact.  so how to use them?  find a background and make a cheery circus kid-size quilt of course ....went to marden's, partly to ogle and fondle, and look what was there!   the popcorn fabric....light background with circus popcorn boxes and popped corn all over....how serendipitous is that?   my other purchase was some nice quilter's flannel at $2 per yard, just enough for cozy lounging pants wherever i may be this fall/winter.  ***  a bit under the weather past few days but hoping i will be hale and hearty for the farmer's wife sew-along, now that my book has been spiral bound.  next up is choose fabrics, which will be civil war i guess, since not enough of anything else available right now and not going to buy more.  *** aaaahh a beautiful early autumn day....70, breezy, sunny, crisp.....the perfect season in my opinion!

big vs little

stopped in at a well-known craft/fabric establishment to pick up a new cutting mat with a coupon, and immediately inside the front door was confronted with many, many bolts of definite quilt-shop quality cottons priced at $12.99, which is a quilt shop price also.  this is not a new development, rather an expansion of an obvious effort to compete with smaller quilt shops for the fabric dollar.  lacking here was the personal service and relationship a quilter forms with the quilt shop, but also here is the advantage of coupons to lessen the sticker shock.  will be interesting to see how this goes forward and whether or not small shops will be impacted.  not much for me personally, but maybe for some.  here in maine we have the added factor of marden's, which can be a good source for some quilt-shop quality fabric at astounding prices.......as for sunday sewing, started a small project which i blatently copied from pal janet, whose effort is gorgeous and mini in size...my squares are about 1.5" finished, small enough for me and a complete 180 from the quilt in the previous post.  have also included a photo of the centers for my scrappy repro daisy chain project, just for a glimpse of what is to eventually be...

and with sunday, fall has arrived--according to the thermometer anyway.  temps tonight in the high 40s, another harbinger....too bad they wouldn't just stop here as this is smiply perfect weather.   and i wouldn't be surprised if clam chowder is on the menu some time this week.....delish!

remember this?

have only been awake for just over an hour and already my fingers are itching to sew and this is the wonderful instigator....

if you recall, someone had gifted me with this book recently by jen kingwell, an aussie designer, with so many terrific patterns.  well, jen is also the designer for this smashing quilt...."midnight at the oasis".....

oh yesssss!   this is definitely a must do for me? will i ever? maybe....this is all bonnie hunter's fault you know...i lay the blame entirely at her feet....before bonnie i was a dyed-in-the-wool, traditional quilter with a strong rigid sense of matchy-matchy and coloring ALWAYS inside the lines....then i met up with the queen of quiltville and the rest, well it was a fast, slippery slope into scrap mania and anything goes.  she tapped--rather smashed--into my love of color and i was a goner.  if you know bonnie, then you know what a wild and crazy fun-filled, fabric-filled ride it has been so far with no end in sight, and who would want to stop?  not me, oh no...i am in it for the long haul.  so what day is this anyway?  who cares, as long as it's a sewing day!    

addendum to friday post...

forgot to mention (exhaustion!) there is at least ONE quilter in the building, a SERIOUS quilter, meaning lots of stash and several machines who has it bad like me...lol!  after 9 hrs straight of sleep am thinking clearer now and hoping they didn't find me too weird...tend to babble when overtired...so maybe will get my gear together in anticipation....it's the right thing to do!

quiltus interruptus

yes folks, time again for the so far unproductive, superfast trip to interview for housing, yes, in maryland...took the midnight train (9:30 really), which should be renamed the back buster...but i digress....akin to being on a roller coaster in the dark that stops and starts several times.  arrived bleary-eyed and exhausted; picked up rental that was upgraded from subcompact to jeep latitude with nice, roomy, reclining seats perfect for occasional naps and the size of a small yacht....a pleasant surprise!   after the required but alarmingly brief 15-minute housing interview, more napping in the jeep and return car, wait for 10:40 train that turned out to be 11:05 train and another excitement filled trip to new england, then another bus ride (another nap) and finally back to square one...literally.  i took my sewing (no loud guffaws, please) and the ipod (perfect), drove thru chick-fil-a twice,  a change of clothing (wise indeed) and little else.  again promised  am "near the top", which must be a euphemism for "haven't a clue" or "don't hold your breath," or "sometime this decade" providing, of course, i am the proper "fit" (? huh) for senior housing community, meaning around age 70 (me 66) and with a keen interest in dominoes!  not looking for a life partner here, people...just an apartment near my daughter and SIL....crikey!   seriously, it is a lovely place and the people seem nice--how can one be sure in 15 minutes?  the location is nice also, near lots of retail and community resources; spit polish neat and most of all, my own apartment....(pause for drool and near heart seizure)....if only the beckoning call comes, for which i am definitely NOT holding my breath.  six months ago was #3 on the list for another location and still no call.  my income has been downgraded by social security, thanks to working too much last year, so essentially poorer than ever.  have described my desires and hopes and the direness of my current situation, perhaps too overzealously, that seems to fall on deaf ears.  am wondering now if perhaps they are oh-so silently skipping over my name, which would be illegal, so probably not.  at least i hope not.....stay tuned for more adventures of grace's housing pursuit...now back to the regularly scheduled quilty posts!

garden progress....

since these little blocks will be getting carried around, thought it would be best to securely baste rather than just pin down...they go with the midnight garden small quilt project currently working on...

some of the pieces were fussy cut to get the most out of these beautiful fabrics; can't wait to see the top all together with the patchwork blocks.  have to say these are much prettier than those used in the original magazine pattern....taking photos is great for getting a good perspective as now i see the top left is not exactly evenly centered.   ****   facebook is overrun with posts about the farmer's wife sew-along coming up in a couple of weeks. still have not decided on what i'll use for fabrics; have lots in my stash that would be nice but may have to choose from what is on hand, which is mostly civil war.  ***  well if it's tuesday, that means scraptastic tuesday, plus laundry and few other errands.  aaahhh the circle of life.....

design floor monday

spent some time with the old viking on sunday during quilt-cam working on a new scrappy project--civil war era of course--seen here....liking this a lot so far...the centers are a red/cheddar print..  the background wonky triangles will be scrappy too...gotta use up the stash!  have also included a photo of the summer sampler with its borders....ready to baste and quilt.

 

touch of fall in the air here, welcomed by just about everyone.  now onward...busy week ahead with plenty of sewing of course!

all scrapped out....

for the moment that is....had a gallon-size bag half full of pieces that needed cutting up (far right) and got that done today....also got the borders on my summer sampler piece--basting comes next.  also did some prep applique work, i.e.turning under the edges and basting of small pieces for "midnight garden" blocks....all in all a pretty productive day.  with my usual scrap storage pieces somewhere in the bowels of a warehouse, have resorted to plastic bags of various types.

also have baggies for selvedge and the little applique hearts that are yet to be finished.  at least they are organized and ready to transfer to the usual places once they are available.  ***  not much else is new in limbo lobsterville; housing continues to be at some place in the future; hoping i don't go broke here trying to get a subsidized senior apartment....between interview trips, applications, faxes and mailings, it has so far cost me about $1000 and no apartment at hand, which is probably about right for a government program.   will end here to keep my blood pressure from spiking....

midnight garden

the 5 patchwork blocks are done, next come the applique blocks....these fabrics are from an oriental collection gifted to me earlier this year, for which i've been waiting for the right kind of project that would highlight these beautiful prints.  hoping once the floral applique squares are done, i will have done them justice.  *** in addition to finishing these blocks, spent a fair amount of time corralling scraps and getting them organized before the sew-along starts later this month.   since my available sewing space is always catch-as-catch-can, need to keep things where they can be found and also close at hand.  also basted the spools piece, sewed some on a couple of other projects, put together more scrappy 9-patch blocks, and surfed the net a fair amount of time--the good and bad of having lots of free time.  once my belongings and i are reunited, that'll change of course....can you say 5 am sewing?  oh yeahhhh!

tropical storm grace?

like the meteorological version, my own self had a bit of a stormy start yesterday but soon downgraded and fair skies prevailed....finished up this flimsy of mod spools with a narrow pale yellow inner border and then short piano keys.  when it gets bound, again with pale yellow, i'll round the corners, giving them a fan shape that i think will soften all the angles.

then i sailed right into another project that has been mulling around in my mind...it's from a Quiltmaker mag, issue--4 applique blocks and 5 patchwork blocks, made with gifted fabric, tentatively titled "midnight garden" but that's not final...photos another day....

meanwhile, with oppressive summer weather here for a few days and the a/c cranked high, figured might  pull out the hawaiian and see how much can get done.  the binding has been ready and was wisely packed with the project; doubt it will get to the binding stage but remains to be seen....

and guess it's progress on the housing front...past couple of weeks, contact has been steady so soon maybe?  can always hope....in the meantime, chunky little fingers will keep busy with fabric and stuff....keep cool!

bronze stars

the camera battery was just about done, but did manage to take this of the latest batch of stars...bronze browns, of which i chose 3 from the stash and made one of each.  you'll notice my high class ironing board aka pink towel again in this photo--we quilters are known for our specialized tools...(grin!)...and have also posted a couple of photos from a day trip to pemaquid point.  it is a fine kodak place but more than that, lovely shade trees, picnic tables everywhere, grassy areas and nice restrooms.  and of course, the lighthouse and a small museum on the history of col. pemaquid and the area.  as a youngster, always climbed on the rocky outcroppings but in recent years, am always baffled why people take small children in sandals or flip flops so close to the edge where a rogue wave could pull them in.  was i that casual in similarly dangerous places about my daughter?  i don't recall and i hope not.  definitely not near water as i don't swim; i don't think aqua-aerobics qualify....but hope you enjoy and just maybe if you get real close, you can even smell the salt water...maybe?

a diagnosis!

whew, what a relief to know i wasn't just imagining things! after playing in knee-deep stash piles yesterday and working on about 5 different things, thought i was simply having an "off" day but nooooo!  i was suffering from this malady that affects probably ALL quilters and crafters...now i can relax and enjoy the illness..thank you dr. msmidge!....LOL!   ***  so what did i accomplish you might ask?   the little heart applique wall piece is basted,  more scrappy 9-patch blocks, cut up a bunch of little scraps, started yet ANOTHER scrappy quilt.  someone had gifted me some FQs with a circus theme, one with elephants, one with tigers, one with clowns and so on.  did some fussy cutting and now have to shop for a background to tie them all together for a child's quilt that will get donated when the time comes.  oooh feeling faint, an exacerbation of symptoms no doubt...must go and start the machine!

a little tumble...

took some gifted 2.5" squares and turned them into tiny tumblers...needs more variety but it is a start. already made one little quilt with civil war tumblers but looks like will have another in mod fabrics...oohh i do love the bright colors... a veritable cotton crayola box!  ****   and remember i mentioned red's eats in an earlier post....they have been featured many places for their generous lobster rolls, and it was a fave place of my dear dad for fried clams; can attest that everything they sell is good but for me, not worth the wait.  as you can see, it doesn't deter many tho....this was nearly 2 pm in the afternoon on a friday and the line was like this at 12:30 too....no wonder other seafood shacks have popped up across the street for the impatient and/or starving masses....

to order and pick up food, have to make it all the way up the little hill and around the corner to the window.  this is route 1 in wiscasset, a pretty little town, but the traffic is bumper to bumper all summer long--makes it easier to ogle the masses waiting for food and see other sights in this little village.  and as i said, the food is very good but have a snack before you come....LOL!  *** ay caramba! september already?   did we have summer?  it's another hot week here but seriously, it has been a rainy summer and with a late start as well.  plenty of good days left before the nasty arrives.   and i don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy autumn.....

over to the NOT dark side!

somewhere in a deep corner of a box are some very nice civil war repro spool blocks waiting patiently for me to add to them.  but my fingers were quivering when i saw the mod charm squares last week and so couldn't resist making these today.  not yet sewn together but just photographed to see how they look together.  the colors are not exactly right but these are definitely NOT civil war fabrics.  bright colors are really fun to sew with and drool over.  this will be a small wallhanging; thinking a narrow white (or maybe aqua? peach? lime?)  border and then maybe some narrow piano keys all around....time to go shopping in the stash again!  and no money needed...how good is that?

even more stars

not sure if these are exactly "later turkey reds" but they were the first reds at hand, so this is what was used and will have to do.  once all are made and some quilt is assembled, they will work fine i am sure.  the old viking was quite happy to come out and play on this last sunday of august.  hard to believe most of another summer is behind me.  after a lobster lunch, finished the last row of the summer sampler--all in all, a restful day, as it should be.  also ready to mail are the civil war nickels for swapping....

i don't swap often due to postage costs, but civil war nickels are a big temptation, and it is always interesting to see what is received.  and now back to regularly unscheduled sewing fun!

a finestkind birthday day

the day dawned sunny and clear....up early and off to the shore for a surfside selfie.....tide nearly in and nice waves....my suit is packed in a box someplace but it was delightful nonetheless.  mom had bought me a beach chair stand-in for my birthday so we could lounge in the sand....next up...

some stand shopping to replenish our supply of fresh veggies....corn, beans, cukes, tomatoes, potatoes, basil, summer squash, eggplant and peppers...corn fritters tonight maybe?  and then....

some shack snacking on delish fried clams with a homemade tartar sauce....mmm, good!  this is our go-to seafood place mostly, though we have others, as they do fry their clams in batter.  red's eats is another, but waiting in line for an hour in the hot sun wasn't our idea of fun.  then a stop at the lobsterman's garage to bring some home and a quick run into joann's for sale stuff.  long stretch of good weather just right for some outdoor time.  lastly, a surprise visit from brother #1 and a small cake ended this birthday on just the right note!  spent every minute of this day having fun!

i took the pledge...

this sew along has exploded with now 1900+ enrollees, some of whom have jumped the gun and started their blocks...not me, and so i decided to commit and NOT start my blocks until it's time.  yes, i have fondled my book and CD, yes i have downloaded the patterns, yes i have my foundation papers at the ready, yes i have some mod fabrics set to go, but with things still in flux a bit, don't want to have another project in progress that might be waylaid somehow.  thinking positive thoughts that i WILL be in an apartment before this starts with ALL my stash at hand...in the meantime, will keep on keeping on until that wonderful day arrives....now off for some birthday gallivanting!

done minus one

one more row of gold blocks to add and it'll be a real flimsy...course, going back to the instructions and adjusting the length of the rows really helped a lot.   the last row plus this week's stars in turkey red are next up on my sewing list.  after a quick trip to joann's for some fleece, will baste the little heart piece that will become a small wallhanging for my new sewing space; have some vintage buttons that'll be used for embellishment.  ***  our overcast and humid weather ends overnight with several days of real nice summer days ahead.  before we know it, though, leaves will start to turn and fall, ushering in the most colorful season.  can't wait to see those pumpkins!

not quite but.....

a sort of birthday surprise arrived in the mailbox.  and yes, a new keyboard is working great!  no more lisp, as lori says....LOL....but here is the haul....gorgeous moda fabric named after me..a layer cake and some stripe yardage; 2 wonderful books that have my fingers itching big time, some precut charms and small squares, some ultra-thin pins for this not-thin-at-all sewist, and the beautiful card with a lovely personal message inside.  totally gobsmacked over this and other surprises that have done much to keep my mojo going and spirits up. 

 

the charms are deliciously mod and colorful.  the moda "grace" is very vintage looking; in fact, someone had gifted me a jelly roll that i sewed up into a small flimsy, but can use these to make it larger and put on a swanky striped border too!  the books are sooo inspiring with lots of wonderful and new-to-me patterns that have me wanting to sew right now and, in fact, have chosen a couple to do right away after some birthday celebrating of course!  a thousand thanks to one and all, including this special quilty muse, for everything.  rest assured, it will be repaid in kind.  ***  the ugh hazy, hot and humid days are with us temporarily but we carry on as usual. the wait continues but enjoying the garden's bounty and summer activities nevertheless.  *** and would you believe over 1800 people in the farmer's wife sew-along?  i kid you not, over 1800....this is an event of epic global proportion...if only world problems could be solved so easily with fabric and thread.  now there is a birthday wish to dream on!