back to sewing!

arrived back in the south last night after another long travel day...55 degrees in the maine morning and 91 degrees in the baltimore afternoon...quite a spread!  a restful night in my own bed and today is unpack, get groceries and car to garage for unspecified ailment that occurred on the drive west....as for sewing, this got done before departure...

it's 3 of 4 rows of a future donation quilt....appeared in american patchwork and quilting in august of 2018 designed by annette plog, although it's a pretty basic pattern so the "design" part confuses me....but anyway, used up a fair amount of blues just recently replaced by vic in NH seen in an earlier post....you know the blue attracted me right away!   as for vacation sewing, hand pieced 2 guild projects that must remain under wraps for now, but did manage to finish 3 little blocks for the next border of "midnight at the oasis".....

looking fine so far...and kaffe fassett has a new line of fabric out with more uber-colorful beauties....one of my faves is something called "sea urchins" in blues/grays....more blue doncha know!  ****  lastly, can you stand one more maine beach photo?  i know i can....another of reid state park in georgetown, the open sea (and always rough) surf....so beautiful!

oh and if you see annie oakley or alfred hitchcock today, wish them a happy birthday!  

20 hours.....

before heading south....altho i've lived there over 3 years, nothing except my daughter and son-in-law are tugging at me to return....not even my fabric stash is calling me...LOL!   leaving behind my cherished family members....not before taking a selfie with my mom...

 and my beloved cold atlantic....truly believe there is salt water coursing thru all my vessels...

sandy beaches (header photo), plus all the traditions collected my entire life so far--70 years' worth come the 27th.   southern life is ok, even good, but my roots are shallow there.  i'm still a driving wimp there, tolerate the lack of fresh seafood, feel out of the loop of family doings and almost never recognize anyone in the obits.  very occasionally i have a pity party of one, sitting in my apartment mired in lamentations until cher's immortal words of "snap out of it" jolt me back to a glass half full and often to the brim.  tomorrow's parting will be tough like always but will mostly evaporate by new york and the anticipation of reuniting with the southern branch of family...

last blast....

this post is probably boring to most except some far away family.....with only a few days until amtrak whisks me back to maryland, we scheduled a seaside family cookout with more.....you guessed it...

once again we visited our favorite lobster boat fisherman...these are what they call culls, which can have only one claw but in this case there are 2 claws, one being smaller.  they cannot be sold as regular 2-claw lobsters and are a bit less money but taste exactly the same...the price of regulars is $5.50 per pound and these were $4.50...wednesday we trekked to downeast machias to visit the ancestral home and take a look at a shrub my mother planted on her parents' graves.   she pruned it severely before i moved to maryland thinking it would be her last visit.  happy to say this year like last it is blooming abundantly and thriving very nicely, helped immensely by pruning a nearby apple tree that provided too much shade.  half the small cemetery holds her relatives....

the cemetery is located within a huge blueberry barren (field) which had not been picked, probably allowing it to go fallow....and we of course stopped at a local dome-shaped tourist hut painted blue for blueberry...and had our photo snapped for posterity....

tuesday out to lunch at yet another seafood shack type restaurant with dear sister....it's a local uber-favorite and was bustling from the time it opened until we left....the local national guard members visit often...and large take-out orders for businesses and elderly residences are common.

still a few things on the list before the rental is returned, leaving time for a thorough rest before departure.  once again the time has flown far too fast but already planning for next year's visit and preparing to temporarily say goodby to my dear family members....a heart wrenching task....

a week to go...

with plenty on the 'to do' list yet....today ventured to the shore again for more of this...

met up with NH friend vic in freeport and she brought me this lovely bundle of birthday blues!

since my blue scrappy is nearly done, these will fit nicely into the stash for future projects....if you hop over to her blog, no doubt she has posted a photo of us chowing down fresh lobster roll (hers) and steamers (me) at harraseeket lunch and lobster where the parking lot is always full!

can't beat a maine lobster shack!

more fun....

perfect weather for outdoors so headed to the coast but first a visit to 'busy thimble' shop...repros from floor to rafters...good thing my budget was limited and i had preselected some jo morton indigos, a few pinks, a couple of di ford prints and a nice purple..

awesome peacocks!   and on arrival at cyndi's shop, spied some very tall deep purple hollyhocks strutting their stuff....my grandmother had hollyhocks in her yard and they always remind me of her...then it was onward to pemaquid point, a favorite spot with gentle breezes and sparkling ocean..

after a scrumptious lunch and some relaxation, onward to boothbay harbor and more ocean sights....plus some gently lapping waves...finally into vacation mode after a shocking start of car accident with the rental (yes AGAIN this year) that was not my fault and no injuries, but unnerving as it occurred only 15 min after picking up the rental.  had to switch vehicles and refocus on having fun.....

rough day

after a very long travel day arrived at maine destination where it was still hot and humid....but the itinerary had been mapped out so first day trekked to a very chic lobster shack where we dined in the rough on fresh delicious fish!  the vistas right off the travel brochure but so typical of any small fishing village...

this photo could have been snapped at any one of fish piers all along the coast....nothing fancy at all but the view and the delicious fresh food prepared simply--no CIA-trained chefs need apply!  

and no coastal trip would be complete without a finish like this....

a stop at our favorite lobster pound then scooted back to pop them in a hot pot for several yummy lobster rolls, again prepared simply without celery, lettuce, herbs or fancy bread....just a new england style top cut bun, some mayo and the lobster....fancy chefs take note!

done and done!

oooh loving this horribly hot weather!  so fantastic for hanging out with the air conditioner and sewing machine!  happy to say finished these 2 small wall quilts--not official UFOs--but done nevertheless. 

made excellent headway on my official UFO of blue scrappy strips top as well.  *** ran out very early and opened up the grocery store for a few necessary items, then quickly back to the cool.  tomorrow the reprieve air arrives and it will be welcomed....but one day left to retreat into the quilty space....isn't life grand!

ADDENDUM:   oh nooooo!  while sewing on the sleeve realized had made an error sewing the rows together....sheesh....silly me!   it's staying that way i'm afraid....chalk it up to being imperfect....no surprise to anyone i'm sure...

a proclamation

Be it known that on this day, July 18th, in the year of our Lord 2019, the quilting has begun on this behemoth queen size quilt known as 365 challenge.   The idea of tracking actual hours required to finish crossed my mind briefly, but instead will take notice only of beginning and finishing dates.  the quilt is destined to grace the bed of dear daughter and son-in-law.  in the interim, some small wall quilts and tied donation quilts may be finished to initiate progress on the seemingly stagnant unfinished project list.

actual pattern and design for the quilting is somewhat flexible due to the enormous amount of seams in the many 3" blocks, but may be resigned to stitching in the ditch in those areas.  using aurifil 28 wt thread in a very pale ice blue tint, hoping the nearly full spool will be enough.  there will be a brief detour from this when thread to finish 'cabana daydreams' is on hand after vacation, as that is nearly done.  I attest this a true and factual account, sealed by my hand and signature....citymouse quilter!

home stretch?

well, being a mostly "glass half full" person i'd say yes indeed!

this project got started when hector was a pup, meaning eons ago....it's my perennial busy box sewing that gets toted everywhere there might be time to sew up a square or two.  only one more row meaning 64 more bow ties (63 really as i've got one left over)....decided to call it joseph's technicolor bowties....and i think it'll finally finish off the plum solid i bought at my first lancaster retreat in 2010....3 yards of it!   i'll definitely hand quilt and keep this one as it's probably something only its mother could love....but maybe down the road somebody else will too.   and while flipping thru a book, quilty muse inspired me to another wall quilt i've been wanting to make....first to finish the plaids tho.....had hoped 'cabana daydreams' would be done by now but the variegated thread has slithered off someplace so have to wait a while to see if it comes back, otherwise gotta replace. 

another detour

the july list has once again taken a back seat to some fun sewing....recently acquired this book...

ideal for me as much of my stash is fat quarters......inside was this project....

pretty plaids that enticed my quilty muse, so what's a quilter to do but....

once again, my choices resulted in a higher contrast.......will brighten up the apartment nicely i think.....good to get back to sewing after nearly a week tending to dear daughter who had successful surgery last week.   unfortunately the aftercare at this mega-city hospital was horrific at best.  some scary medication errors and lack of basic tasks left us leery and quite concerned for her postop well being.  thankfully our God watched over her and she came home quickly and is recovering quickly as well.   ***  it's a very hot week here with triple-digit temps by saturday.....time to stock up and hibernate!

update

no posts due to mom duties....more later....

detour sewing

left off my july list was the monthly rainbow scrap challenge blocks....but now they are done and they DO sew up very quick!   found some pink strips in the tote and some in the scrap basket but did have to raid the stash for a few.

now have 28 blocks done with 20 more to go....have no idea what they'll be used for but there are always donation requests of some sort.   ***  oppressive hot and humid weather here for the duration, at least until next week and probably beyond.  they are good days to stay in the cool and sew and, unlike snow days, much easier to run out for quick errands as the need arises....not at all like being snowed in.  ***  working the bernina every day with some things that can't be revealed yet.  cabana daydreams is on hold as the variegated thread has gone AWOL, along with a small USB drive.  had a hissy fit over it yesterday but both can be replaced.  as far as the USB goes, old stuff from laptop like medical expenses, tons of quilt photos, probably some old correspondence so nothing uber-secretive.  still, it's a feeling of being violated that infuriates me....back to sewing R and R.....

before and after

BEFORE july 4th, posted a list of goals for july....now AFTER happy to say one goal has been met!  it's the scrappy wall quilt that no longer takes up design wall space....this was the first version....the BEFORE

i tried following the values in the book  (Betsy Chutchian's 'quilts for all seasons') but found that my lights were too light, soooooo after some ripping and re-sewing, this is the final version aka AFTER....

today is declutter, a few household chores, and more tackling of the july list.  happy to say all pieces cut for the guild's october challenge plus more bow ties for the seemingly never-ending project that i think is nearly ready for flimsy stage.  got the newly acquired stash washed and dried and ready to use as well.   indulged in a celebratory hamburger for lunch, a welcome change from chicken!  july marches on and so must i!  

happy 4th of july!

no overgrown, overpaid little boy can take away what this flag represents to ALL americans, whether they agree or disagree with politics or the cultural history of the past....this flag gives everyone the right to express themselves, so by denigrating the flag they are discounting that right.....think about THAT CK!

vacation countdown!

starting to cross off the days until my summer aka cooler vacation in maine...can't wait to catch up with family and visit up close and personal....but the july sewing list is at the forefront today....what's on it?

1.  finish quilting the 'cabana daydreams'.....almost ready for the binding

2.  get the scrappy christmas trees to the flimsy stage....need 90, have just over half done

3.   finish up some border blocks for a wall quilt to get a flimsy....about 10 more to go

4.   october guild challenge project....templates prepped, fabrics pulled....it's a small wall quilt but can i get this to a flimsy too?

5.  and (hopefully) get another scrappy to the flimsy stage; it's a quasi-log cabin, dark blues and tans, only 12 blocks but they are 16", lots of strip cutting will need to be done....

all this plus the extensive cooking i routinely do, plus occasional housework, some volunteer duties, required grocery trips and all-important sleep.....already today have washed dishes and made a wild mushroom tart....so citygal, start that vacuum!  

homage

what better way to start off july than by honoring a long-ago quilter and some of her work....this piece was donated to the senior center in a box of stuff--some quilt tops and a few blocks in progress--and i quickly brought it to the supervisor as being vintage and worthwhile to preserve.  she mentioned the county heritage center, so i called them and offered it.  but because its county provenance could not be authenticated, they had no interest in the piece.

i could not bear to toss it out....it is hand pieced, and yes, wonky and imperfect, but the fabrics are clearly old.  deciding against fussing with it too much as it is fragile and stained, decided to just add this little printed chevron border and bind.  things like this always make me wonder about the maker....there were a few other blocks in progress but this was the only one completed.  it's a testament to someone's desire to create for whatever reason, and as annette funicello said, "life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."   so too with quilts....

and since the dog days of summer are here for the entire week, some refreshing "green tea" will be on hand....the basting pile grows by one!

when friends....

give you scraps, you must make blocks!  pal marianne is currently making green churn dash blocks and i think the scraps she gave me are from that project....looks like some were leftovers from the GO cutter that she uses....

these are cute little paper-pieced Ts and will only make them until the background fabric is used up--about a yard.  got the foundation pattern from this book, also a pass along from marianne....i like paper piecing and the patterns in this book are fast and easy, just right for using up scraps

this little project will get finished and put in the "maybe sell"  or "maybe gift" pile....but i get to have the sewing fun!

light of day

yesterday i posted about the wonderful get together of some long-term stashbuster group members and how much we all enjoyed the day....we were drunk with giddy quilty fun, but today's another story....the harsh reality of the day after is glaringly evident in the afterglow of such fun....what reality you say?

THIS reality!!!  while marianne is happy to have alleviated her cabinets, my one bookcase is anticipating the battle of the bulge....a little bit of everything--batiks, fossil ferns, solids and a few fun prints....right away pulled out these 2 for some now sewing...

some forest green batik scraps and a green print neutral....my first fun chore...and she also gifted me a delightful and useful desk lamp for my sewing table....she valiantly tried foisting spools of thread on me but with no current need, sternly declined.  the lamp has taken its place next to betty and will be a thoroughly useful and enjoyable addition to the sewing studio space...

now to prep for the weekend of bad apple behavior and a management company that cares nothing for the life quality of its residents.   they go to great lengths to distribute stern rules but in truth, their only concern is the building and grounds.....more residents they can get but lush property and a sound edifice are of sole concern. 

gang of four

it was a hilarious, fun-filled meeting of the minds yesterday at stashbuster marianne's house.....L to R are grace, marianne, barbara and nann....the stars aligned and we were able to meet in person to (ahem) bust stash?  LOL....after conversing via posts to the yahoo group for many years, nann and i met in person... she brought book goodies, marianne provided the necessary sustenance and barbara and i contributed our sparkling personalities!   did i have this much fun in my 40s?  i don't think so at all....driving home after dark had to navigate orange barrels and closed lanes but fortunately no deer jumped into my path, as so often happens in these parts.   so delightful to take advantage of this opportunity for who knows when it will present itself again....

monday design wall

in addition to yesterday's progress  post, before going to bed laid out the little kaffe pennant blocks, and early this morning fired up betty and got this small wall quilt together....

thanks to my pal marianne and her generous gift of some KF lights, this perfect border fabric was on hand and is exactly what kaffe might have chosen i'm sure...LOL!   wouldn't mind having more of this pretty print....always brings hester prynne to mind for as hawthorne said, "she loved beautiful things," a serious crime for a puritan. ***  have slacked off on my daily gratitude journal but so glad for God's gift of another day and another opportunity to try and live up to my name....

head start

july goals have been formulated and written down....june goals met--or almost--but time and tide don't wait so onward it is....the cabana daydreams is just about ready for binding so it'll get finished before vacation comes.  this weekend started on a july goal....this scrappy log cabin variation done in dark blues and tans....this will probably be a donation quilt and tied meaning a quick finish before fall arrives--or should be.  with steamy hot weather all week long and probably beyond, lots of indoor sewing time.

pattern found in american patchwork magazine, designed by annette plog....august 2018 issue.  here are my 12 blocks started....

also finished another block in THIS donation quilt that needs to be finished by october....

this pattern came from the book "no scrap left behind" by amanda jean nyberg....a great idea for any and all scraps...plenty of combos come to mind, any that would make it a winner!  lastly, finished up making stems for this project and have started basting on leaves....

would love it if this could be a finished flimsy by december and start the quilting in january of 2020, only about 20+ years since pattern was bought....i still love it tho and really does evoke new england for me....busy weekend half fun and half horror thanks to those selfish, ignorant neighbors of mine....even mister rogers would say so...

silly question

would you like some kaffe fabric scraps?  faster than you can say 'paper piecing' they arrived in my mailbox.   had been eyeing this quilt for some time....it's in "glorious patchwork" by you-know-who....

these are 6" blocks but mine are half that size....

in my solid stash are (were) 3 straight quarter yards of kaffe's shot cottons.  i never included them with other solid projects as they are not exactly solid/solid as warp and weft threads are different.  they just got repositioned and refolded several times...until today.   i'll make these little blocks until the shot cottons are gone and then decide on a pattern....so a heartfelt thanks for the kaffe scraps and yes, i can use them...LOL! *** steamy summer days and another medication tweak this week but things have evened out and chilling out in the studio....it's the best kind of R and R....

QOV

last thursday our guild once again awarded a quilt of valor....the worthy recipient is the husband of a DAR and quilty friend....

a retired Lt. Cdr. from the US Navy with a family heritage of many Navy vets.....these awards always choke me up as they display the sacrifice and service in such a tangible way....and even tho mother's day is long past, just finished up a gift for my mom...

a stack of these batik strips were another donation to the senior center, enough for this bag and a second one for me (not quite finished).....it was the first time i had used a fusible foam to give it body, which worked very well....so another cross off from the june list...what's left you ask?  guild challenge project, more civil war diary blocks and more cabana daydreams, which is nearly ready for binding....an orange batik is on hand that should add to the summery feeling of the quilt....

finish and flimsy

just saturday finished the binding on this donation quilt....sized for infusion chair at the local cancer center....

started these repro bricks some time ago and decided to use them up and get 'er done!  UFO list down by another one....yay!  next up is a throw flimsy of these mod-type solid blocks which is now off the design wall and in the basting pile....

i've seen this pattern done in shades of red and blues/mauves/purples, both very stunning....i am working away on the solids pile so mine is scrappy....though the top half seems darker than the bottom, it's the angle/flash of the camera and in person the blocks are distributed quite evenly....a laid back sunday thinking of my dad, of course...and a bit of playtime with kaffe fabrics to be seen at a later date....