quick show 'n tell...

got few more blocks done, farmer's wife and another magic of christmas, which i'm calling magical modern christmas....blistering hot rest of week so no doubt will get more 365 blocks done and MMC #4....have a good day and stay cooool!

monday design wall

just like that, was 16 blocks behind in the 365, 2 behind with farmer's wife, a westering women and magic of christmas block to do also, so fired up the old viking and got to it....results?

westering women block 8 and magic of christmas 2 done  (3 was posted today!!!)....and the afternoon was dedicated to 365, knocking off  another 5 challenging blocks

leaving me 11 behind, one which is a light 12" corner block, plus 2 farmer's wife and 1 magic of christmas....the sun has set and the old viking is ready for cooling off and another lint cleanout....one caveat:  don't set your pincushion on the directions....otherwise pretty happy with every one. *** still looking for part-time work but keeping busy nonetheless.  and september already?  but this is maryland, not maine, and summer is far from over, although a few days without a/c has been heavenly.   now, off to start the week!

all things aurifil

trekked to columbia, maryland, last night to spring water designs, a cute little quilt shop, to see alex veronelli talk about aurifil thread. 

even though i have been a sewist for nearly 60 years, had very little clue about how thread was manufactured.  and even though aurifil is thought to be a pricey item, now i think perhaps it is under priced....no door prize unfortunately, but a nice little goodie bag with 6 spools of white--one in each thread weight.  he said they will be coming out with an 80 wt next year...wow, that is superfine! sitting next to me was an editor for 'machine quilter' magazine and she gifted me a free issue...one thing he said was that in the recent past he has had difficulty finding workers as they consider the work too boring, and from his video that is apparent.  most tasks are repetitive and performed standing or walking.  have seen facebook posts of other presentations, and he said he travels to the US every month for a week or so.  the presentation certainly raised my consciousness about such a mundane item!   **** and friday was pantry stocking day, so no sewing at all....and the immediate future holds serious veg cooking after receiving this bounty...

just add eggplant, onion and tomatoes and it's ratatouille!  a couple of summer squash casseroles and also ina garten's delish roasted veg and orzo salad....how good is that!

365 rolls on...

with august closing today, heading into home stretch with this project and yes, once again behind about 11 blocks.  few other deadline projects are the cause; plenty of time to catch up once more.

am thinking netflix is my lucky charm with this project.   it seems whenever engrossed in watching, my blocks tend to come out darn near perfect.   even though i often groan when looking at the patterns, once they are done have a great feeling of satisfaction.  while the hawaiian improved my applique skills, this is doing wonders for my machine piecing abilities...proving once again the road to perfection is (almost) always practice i guess.   come to think of it, that's how my typing speed (eons ago) got to 90 and beyond as well.   ***   up early this AM to open windows and breathe in cool, fresh air meaning 63....yowza!   i am loving it!    and this weekend the daytime temps are predicted at 80 and 79...how good is that!!!   standing in line at the farmer's market is definitely going to be more enjoyable.  oh, i do love autumn.....visions of pumpkins and cider and foliage are dancing in my head.....bring 'em on!

finishes....

by mid-afternoon sunday, had racked up a few more finishes, all completely from stash. first, 2 lap robes for guild donation made from some scrappy blocks on hand and backed with soft, warm flannel, using up 3 yards each...not bad...

and these got finished as well; these, plus the pink virginia reel busted a total of 1.25 yards.

so total 7.25 yards busted, a decent amount...however, this arrived in the mail along with 2 yards of solid black, which is needed for a future project, giving me a net used of 1/4 yard total.   it's jo morton's new line with a total of 40 bolts as cyndi says.   the budget will not stretch far enough to get some of each, but the charm pack will help me narrow it down.   the question is how?  and hop on over to "oh scrap" to see some exciting news about an orphan adoption opportunity!

hide and seek...

the other day went looking for a pattern i had "put away" and did eventually find. but before it came to light, i also unearthed these UFOs that had been out of sight and out of mind. 

first, these 7 blocks...made these when this line of fabric first came out, maybe 5 or 7 years ago?  it's jo morton's "variety" and happy to say some is left in the stash...one more block and it's a table topper.  next found these...

from last year, part of a box of gifted stash.   one little wallhanging was made and finished, just these are left.  then this work in progress...

vic had gifted me a tiny tumbler and these charm squares were also from last year.  not sure what this will end up being; still have quite a few charm squares so....and then found this

another small piece with batting pulled and ready to be joined.  it'll get basted in the next week or so....maybe?   these are wild and goosey blocks BEFORE the W&G craze on facebook.   bonnie hunter had posted a bed-size antique and i loved it but decided to go small for a quick (???) finish...need i say more?   and last this little fella, a (hopefully) soon-to-be candlemat.  bought the pattern for a swap a few years ago and decided to make one up for myself.  recently gifted carrot button nose...shooting for a winter finish on this..

the number of wrinkles are in direct correlation to the time these have floated around the studio.  so you can see why my bigger projects are still in limbo here.  of course, it's been a topsy-turvy year with moving and homeless most of last year; well that's my excuse story and i'm sticking with it.  making a vow to myself to make the supreme effort for more progress.  and the 365.   and the farmer's wife.  and the magic of christmas.  and charity sewing.  as mr. bill would say....oh nooooo!

birthday blues....

a nice squishie from victoria in NH....if you recall she had already sent me a birthday bundle earlier....and now these arrived today.....aren't they bee-u-ti-full!   judie rothermel indigos....be still my heart...i love them!  and a lovely lavender sachet she made as well....and congrats to her for winning a yummy gift certificate in the keepsake quilting quiltfest!  my guess before you can say 'jo morton' she'll be there scooping up some new reds!

got just the project for these blues tho.....a nice little tabletopper to start with.   has been a gorgeous weather week so far but heat/humid coming back for the end of the week.   still, there is a definite autumn harbinger about.  sorta busy day binding little projects, working on another lap robe, binging on law & order (the original, my favorite) and planning a few new quilty things.  can't believe i've lived here 5 months already and it is still wonderful.  so many blessings to count and me with fuzzy math skills...who knew?

the monday list

monday once again and very fine in the weather department....61 degrees at 7 am!   there is a hint of fall in the air, and the kiddos are back in school as of today.   the cooler air is invigorating so got right at it, but first a tiny finish....the pink virginia reel is done via sparse machine quilting (the only kind i do) and leftover binding.  not perfect but it'll make a great placemat and stains won't phase me.

 
basically i wanted to try the little blocks and found they are too small for my liking, but it's pretty and useful, if not perfect....next was to baste the 12 days.  pulled out a piece of fleece that was larger than needed and remembered another small thing that was ready for basting, so was able to bust the entire piece....

these will be sparsely hand quilted and bound...both are smaller than the pink and will use up only about a yard (if lucky) for all three, BUT it's 3 dones from the UFO list.   and over the weekend washed/dried my versailles giveaway pile...these are straight quarter yards and not FQs but not an issue at all...and they look sorta dutch chintz in a way, don't you think?   at least the colors are....thinking about making 4 feathered star blocks or maybe some lucy boston POTC blocks, which would really highlight the fabrics.  

would love a few more yards of the tiny blue dots....makes great background fabric!  ***  it's going to be a very nice late summer week culminating in my birthday, my first in Maryland....

sew along saturday...

up early and already at the old viking playing catch up on sew along blocks....here are the last 2 (until next week) of the farmer's wife....dinah and augusta....before putting this top together, some squaring up will be required

next up are 365 blocks and with pretty much the whole day ahead, should get those done as well...and have you seen these?   it's 'gratitude', jo morton's first fabric line with moda, and they are pretty darn gorgeous...i could sure enjoy a FQ bundle of these or, better yet, a half yard bundle...LOL!  

would they make some really nice vintage looking patriotic wall hangings?   yes indeed....

thursday blocks

starlight, matilda and carol....that gives me a total of 62 done, 26 more to reach the 88 needed for a twin size quilt top.   background material is on the shelf.  when this sew along started, 2-3 blocks per week were being posted, but now it's down to one so doesn't look like they'll all be done by the end of 2016 unless i forge ahead on my own.   sorta rests on my other sew alongs, holiday sewing, UFO sewing and what else is going on.  still looking for work and checking out other things that are contingent on finances.  with august whizzing by, that leaves a mere 4 too-short months until another year arrives and the UFO list still looms large....right now quilting and sewing take up most of my free time and while i'm fortunate to have this, occasionally feel the need to do something different.  for now will keep on keeping on and be attentive to options that present themselves....  

owning up....

at august guild meeting, there was a local vendor from WV with--what else--fabric at rock bottom prices...was feeling celebratory as it's my birthday month and well, one thing led to another, and before you can say "i'll take a yard" ended up with 4 yards of fabric, but the kicker is that the total budget hit was LESS THAN $9...that's right, a whopping $2-ish per yard...now these are marden type fabrics, meaning leftovers from years past but good quality cottons. i needed some solid black but none was available, but found these....

the lights are for the next round of 365, the teal/purple prints too pretty to pass by, the top fabric reminded me of turkish or tuscan walls, and can't leave candy canes behind, especially with a blue background.   except for the lights, have no project in mind for these but one day the right pattern will come along, i'm sure of it.  i still need some solid black, like 2 yards, but all in all, have done well curtailing retail fabric therapy this year so far...only 4 months left and am hoping to fit some new jo mortons into the budget, but that should be all.  ***  thinking more and more about machine quilting the little christmas and little pink virginia reel....so many seams, and this would give me a couple of quick finishes....then can focus on finishing my current donation quilt and keeping current with sew alongs....so watch this space!

in the house....

and sooo pretty too!   thank you henry glass fabrics AND the fedex driver!

design wall monday

with no other tasks on the to-do list, was able to start my day with the old viking--recently oiled and cleaned up and ready for action!   first thing was the 365 block for today, done!   next up tackled some secret christmas sewing.  then tackled the 12 days of christmas blocks that are now a little flimsy, about placemat size. 

needs to be trimmed to size for basting, quilting and finish....i have a pretty Christmas stripe i think i'll use for binding; either that or some polka dots.   then moved right along to this as was anxious to sew with these pretty fabrics...

the limes matched in regular daylight but not quite with camera flsh.   ***   and when life sends zucchini my way, i make zucchini bread, complete with raisins and walnuts...it makes a big pan so half always goes into the freezer...love it toasted for breakfast.  oooh, the aroma of spices is filling the apartment!

and last, but not least, got a lovely email from lisa at henry glass fabrics...i won a giveaway of some beautiful new fabric...how great is that!   it's journey to versailles and gorgeous blues, reds and creams....in fact, the entire line is sooo pretty.   check it out! 

so, spent every minute of this day; will get my dishes washed and then relax with some quilting...and this busy monday will be history....

sweet sight!

whew, after two and one-half days of sewing, just this afternoon got current on my 365 blocks!   this certainly feels good....block for august 15 is in my inbox but not looking at it until tomorrow....and next up is farmer's wife....could get very used to this new trend!   here are the latest..

the lower left block has a corner that's a tad larger due to the way it was trimmed...and notice the date in the upper left corner...today!!!   

horse before cart....

while clearing off the ironing table, happened to glance over and saw an unfinished christmas project from last year--the 12 days of christmas tiny blocks--and realized that planning yet another christmas project was putting the cart before the horse, so pulled out the 12 days and did some auditioning to get this into a flimsy and then a finish for ? maybe august ? september...

these blocks are tiny, meaning 3"....like the 365 blocks....and shopped the stash once more for a suitable green....they all work but leaning toward upper left or upper right.   basting table is still up, so now that scraps under control, a basting day is on tap for sometime next week.   ***  it seems like i've sewn a tremendous amount this year but without enough finishes to support the effort.   makes me realize just how much sewing time the 365 has consumed.   more discouraging is the measly yardage busted as many of the actual finishes were small pieces, not all big quilts.  so, with 4.5 months left in 2016, maybe can get at least a couple of bigger quilts done and rack up a respectable use of actual fabric.  in any case, enjoying the process and whatever doesn't get used will still be there for shopping and sewing fun.   

back on track

after a mini-detour, today printed up the most recent blocks and got these done today....looking pretty good i think...can definitely see improvement in my machine piecing efforts...

up to august 4th, but you can see that a few hours of sewing is really productive.  but before these got sewn, westering women block 7 was put together, so current on something at least...

and inbetween went shopping in my stash. while trolling the internet and various blogs, stumbled on a christmas sew along, 25 blocks measuring 6" finished....pulling these helped quick start my mojo.  would like to participate in this christmas sew-along, but ultimately hinges on other fall commitments....it sure was fun shopping anyway....aren't they pretty?  

and thanks to the camera, see that the turquoise is a bit too dark so back to the store...LOL!

double vision?

not really, if you look close that is....both wall pieces are now flimsies and there were 4 little 9-patch squares left that have gone into the orphan block pile.  really like how they turned out....finishes for 2017 maybe? 

and a heartwarming sight indeed....an empty scrap basket!   i'll be needing a new rotary cutter blade, and all the little units have been put away in their shoeboxes....will be cruising for patterns for 2.5" strips and squares as that shoebox is chock full now.  

ventured outside for a very few minutes as the bookmobile was here.   this is a fantastic benefit..it comes twice a month and all i have to do is reserve stuff online and pick it up.  today's haul was 4 dvds and 3 books.   didn't dawdle as it was quite hot and oppressive.  ***  next task?  print out sew-along block instructions and start sewing!  

between blocks

doesn't mean there isn't anything to sew....au contraire!!  this piece has been on the design wall almost since i moved in 4 months ago and it was overdue for a finish, well the flimsy anyway. 

this is midnight garden wallhanging....the beautiful fabric was gifted to me by a maine friend over a year ago when i "thought" i was going to be moving soon....this is an homage to her, someone whose life is challenging every day, but yet finds solace and peace in her cozy, chic, country home, her garden, chickens and bees!   she is the living image of the proverbs 31 woman, someone who wears many hats and finds time to quilt as well.   in spite of her personal burdens, she took time to console me in my disappointment and homelessness with a thoughtful devotional book that i use every day and have gifted to others as well.   am always inspired of how much she accomplishes and how she just takes on every day with a smile and positivity.  she is often confined at home, but has made delicious lemonade out of pretty sour lemons....a fine example to us all!   then there is this piece that got revamped....

you might recall a piece some time ago made with just the nine-patch squares and it was blah to the max!  so, deconstructed and added in some hourglass blocks and am more satisfied with the outcome...enough blocks for 2 of these, this one with the gold fabric on the sides and the next will have the red fabric on the sides.  so no longer languishing in blocks limbo.   all this while watching "hinterland" on netflix.....terrific shows indeed!  ****  tackled the scrap basket once again last night when olympic watching and making progress but not empty yet...stay tuned!

this explains it...

meaning why we sew and sew and the stash hardly diminishes!  friday night spent 4+ hours cutting scraps from my basket....you saw the BEFORE photo yesterday....and today is the AFTER photo....see the difference?   me either....but i promise, the trash can is chock full of spaghetti-sized trimmings and all these units are at the ready.....

there are some large tumbler pieces; strips and squares of various sizes plus a stack of brick size pieces as well...and, more important, see the basket in the background.....while prepping these units, visions of a multitude of scrappy quilts were swirling around my mind (inbetween tv watching) and honestly, should run right to my PCP and get an Rx for dexedrine so i can sew 24/7.....not that i would ever consider that, but imagine what could get done and how much stash could be busted!   really, tho, do enjoy the process and the fabric does inspire me big time...but no time to wax poetic on the philosophical aspects, gotta get back to sewing!!!  

my mission....

should i choose to accept (remember the old series 'mission impossible'?) is to tackle THIS today....great mindless activity while watching olympic cermony tonight.

either that or it's get a new basket, which is not a good idea.  after a busy few days, will be nice to relax with rotary cutter, ruler and get this pile under control.  *** last night at guild was workshop with heather kojan and this cute little project bag workshop....so many pretty ones...with all my fabric, you might have expected something flashier but confess didn't want to cut into my "good" fabric....LOL....and thought this would be appropriate, especially to get hauled around.   my hexie project has outgrown the little bag that vic made for me, so will get transferred to this one and the little red bag will become a home for something else.

already august 5th and time for more 365 blocks.   and have you thought about christmas yet?  i've got some gift ideas percolating...with the budget tight, gotta fire up the creative muse for some good ideas...  but first up, stock the larder! 

monday design wall

a fairly busy sewing weekend here in steamy and occasional monsoon-like weather...what else to do but sew, right?   first up, nearly busted an entire layer cake with this wallhanging....it's sandy gervais' rambling rose line and this layer cake was a giveaway...lucky me! 

the flash washed the color out a bit, but it's pinks, aquas, tan/browns....with a pile of leftover waste triangles, started sewing up a dolly quilt.   would have liked more of the cream prints, but had to work around what was available...one of the issues with layer cakes, but it'll get hand quilted and then a pink binding which should tone down the brown flying geese a bit.  next up, 2 more farmer's wife blocks, leaving me with 2 more to get current....what can i say....slacked off a bit...

and lastly, here's a look at the 365 with ALL the borders on to date....that is today's task...more 365 blocks. with august here, only 5 months left on this challenge and my interest has waned a bit, but can't stop now.   i think this 3rd border of little blocks is about 3 months' worth as well...

the schedule is a tad crowded this week for a few days....hoping friday/saturday will be devoted to cutting up scraps and clearing out the basket...it's way beyond due....another hot week, but over summer's hump and have made it so far and on our way to autumn...my favorite season of all!

two more done...

instead of the 6 would have liked to finish, but dabbled in a few other projects and indulged in afternoon power nap so i could sew thru quilt-cam, which got cancelled for audio issues...bummer!  maybe there'll be time this morning for just one more block before going out.   

and would you believe this happens all the time?  cutting over the trash can that's barely 2 feet away and still the scraps and papers fly all over the floor...gotta get a larger and taller trash bucket, i guess.

finally cooler with temps in the 80s....oh yeah, that is sure welcome....have a balmy day!

a small dent

in the farmer's wife sew-along blocks....today was a delightful all-sew day.  first thing, made the 2 missing blocks in the light border of the "365" and got that last border sewn on.  then tackled the farmer's wife.  got these 3 done with 6 more to go....hoping to get more done on thursday and then it's back to 365 blocks.  will be jockeying between these 2 projects the next few days and then maybe can work on something different come the weekend. 

nice to have access to my entire stash for these blocks.  glad this farmer's wife will be winding down soon.  have already decided to participate in a double wedding ring sew along for next year and that'll be it!  not that far away as 2016 is whizzing by at a whirlwind pace!

my next 365 block...

and see that date!  yep, just 3 blocks to do!   i am sooooo thrilled and relieved that my block backlog has disappeared.   course, now i have to tackle the farmer's wife with about 8 blocks to do.

this should be a quick one indeed!  and here are a few of the latest i've sewn....a few challenges

but the middle one in the top row?   went together lickety split....sometimes it just happens that way...they aren't as wonky as they look, but because some have so many seams, even pressing doesn't tame them.  ***with housework done and blocks up to date, can dabble in a couple of other projects for a change.  yes, the farmer's wife is #1 and have been itching to start a mod quilt in orange....about 3 years ago, many internet quilters generously shared their orange scraps with me and i'm just about ready to get started.  today also finished some paper piecing leaf blocks for the guild raffle quilt next year, and there'll be some applique work on that too.  can i squeak in another small finish this month?  wouldn't hurt to try....temps modulating a bit with high 80s later in the week...oh yeah i can take that easy!

birthday?

not yet, not for a month yet, but these 2 birthday goodies came my way today...first a cake, rather 1/4 of a huge cake, from a neighbor...does this mean i'm older than i think i am?  hopefully just happy coincidences....

looks scrumptious and i did taste a tiny bit, but may have to share even this....it's 4 layers and loaded with frosting, a bit more than even i can or should eat.   and then stuffed in my mailbox was this, from victoria, who always sends something early...

a lovely pillowcase and quite a few pieces of new fabric, plus a couple of drawer sachets too...i ran down to get the mail before doing my laundry and now can wash my other pillowcase and all this new fabric!   so very thoughtful of you vic!  was feeling a teensy bit deprived after not buying even one charm square at quilt odyssey.  not having a little part-time job has put me on a strict financial diet, and although there's plenty in the fabric larder, once in a while would like to indulge.  one thing on my birthday list is a stippling stencil that i saw at quilt odyssey.  great for backgrounds!  ***  and yes, it's blistering hot...97 today and no, have not ventured out to check.  the entire week is in the 90s so have to buck up and get through it.  it's just a blizzard in reverse with clear and dry roads.  and now that my housework is done, the rest of the day is mine!