corona-cation, episode 38

another hot, mostly ho-hum day with only a few productive things accomplished....the early morning exercise, a load of laundry and this....

some psychedelic spools, little ones, finish at 3"....the fabrics (not the white) were scraps gifted to me last june by dear friend marianne.  the pieces were all small...but the solids were hand dyes and i know they are pricey so wanted to definitely use them.   there was only enough of the glittery print for 14 hence the middle one with white sides.   i owe the day's fun to her and gained a cute little wall quilt or maybe topper or maybe placemat.  i think she would approve.   ***  more quilting got done on the orange scrappy and with 2 more days of air conditioner isolation, just might get it done by next friday.   ***  maryland has rolled back all indoor dining again but positivity rating still low ....and now it's pajama o'clock.....

corona-cation, episode 37

it isn't that i haven't been sewing for the past week, but most has been quilting on the orange scrappy...it might be done by august but might not also...sunday sewed lap robe tops for the guild and was on mom duty earlier this week--i'm in the motherhood national guard--meaning now and then get a call for some assistance which i happily provide.  i did finish another 4 little blocks for this project...

and i cut out a whole bunch more of the tiny melon pieces for the side border blocks....these will be one of my vacation projects...along with the eagle applique.  i've seen some scrappy quilts on blogs recently done in kaffe fabrics and they are ALL just plain gorgeous! 

there are enough melons in this pile for the 12 blocks still needed....the next border is wide-ish with baskets and flowers appliqued...i've made good sewing progress this year but dang, there just aren't enough hours to do all i'd like... *** we've had thundershowers and lightning past couple of hours and temps are now down to mid-70s from high 90s, so quick opened the window to get some fresh, moist air inside.  *** keeping busy working out regularly, sheltering from heat and tackling UFOs.   a little over a month to vacation and plans are in full swing.  keep cool and quilt on!

corona-cation, episode 36

short post, too hot to type...LOL!  well of course the a/c is on but it is hot outside and will remain so thru beginning of next week.  most everything i'm working on right now is what has been previously posted....but there is progress on this...

another one of those mistakes design elements....i traced the eagle from a civil war book by pam weeks...she's curator at the new england quilt museum....but when i went to add it to the wall quilt, what's this??? too big?  oh noooooo as mr. bill used to say.  what to do?  start over?  pare it down?  nope, decided to leave as is....go big or go home right?  actually i think i like this better than one that would actually fit on the blue rectangle.  it's basted now and ready to applique, which i am finding is oh so relaxing in these chaotic and turbulent days.  ***  and with my american flag proudly flying, thought i would share this....

a new book about downeast maine's revolutionary war escapades and my ancestral contributions.  my patriot, Lt. Joel Whitney, was an active participant and the republic was the ultimate victor.  caveat: i have not read it yet.  i know of no ethnic aspersions or racist overtones.  i wasn't there nor can i now condemn or change what is now viewed as politically incorrect behavior that might have occurred.  i had no part in how my ancestors acquired their land holdings.  now, nearly 250+ years later, i would think all that should be blatantly obvious by anyone who passed 4th grade...

corona-cation, episode 35

another weekend winds up and life is a bit more normal...aside from the mask of course.  so that means lots of sewing got tackled......i'll bring you up to speed....

first, another row on the scrappy triangles...oh i do like this very much but it's slow going as being frugal and tracing my own foundations.  i've got another row of papers ready so only 114 left to trace....egad! 

then, got all 12 of the cake stand blocks done....no rush on this....i'll use the mustard print for the alternate squares and setting triangles and have a pieced border in mind....

the scrap basket is overflowing but no room in the shoeboxes, so made a feeble attempt to use up some 2.5" strips for scrappy squares that'll be a donation quilt at some point.   got several of these 6.5" blocks done.....they sew up lickety split...

and this is what's left of the strip tote....notice the difference?

a lot like bailing a leaky rowboat with a thimble....probably enough for 3-4 of those scrappy quilts.  tonight it's quilting while watching tv...with july not quite half over, hoping for a finish by month's end....starting to put things together for my september vacation and, most important, reconnecting with my yankee kinfolk....lol....and i hear lobster prices are way down....thank you COVID!

corona-cation, episode 34

a mostly boring week here what with the unwelcome duo of unrelenting, oppressive heat and corona virus limitations.   so when boredom strikes, my overheated brain thinks i've nothing to do....solution?? acquire more stash...does that make sense??  a fellow guild member was thinning her herd and picked up about 6 yards and a nice little kit.

with sweltering temps, naturally thoughts turn toward autumn and relief...found a couple, then a very nice neutral and a couple of blues for a special project....yes those are dolphins....cute, eh?  the fabric next to it reminded me of water.  and tho i almost never go for kits, this one for a small wall quilt had everything included--batt, back and fabric--in my favorite colors too.  oh, and picked up a few kits for guild's charity efforts too...

if next week is half as boring as predicted, just might finish quilting the orange scrappy....it's 72" square and i am loving those super size baptist fans....the binding is orange and all set to go.  

event cancellations for autumn and beyond are piling up and it seems like 2020 is going to be a total bust.  maryland situation is very good thanks to a common sense governor.  with the exception of quilty functions and my DAR meetings, life goes on pretty much as usual.  the heat keeps me hunkered down mostly....after 2 days of being out and about, am totally zapped, as i try to ignore the "new normal"....so today it's a recover day with more quilting and sewing, maybe some laundry to wash the new fabric (great motivator...lol) and keep cool while counting the many blessings in my life...join me?

PS new header photo boothbay harbor....

corona-cation, episode 33 - independence edition

my unfinished patriotic wallhanging....thinking to applique an eagle in the middle as it definitely needs more.   inspired by a pattern in a jo morton book called 'remember me'.  in spite of the surrounding violence, turmoil, anger and unrest, it is very good to remember and honor the day of our independence....not a perfect union yet, but a more perfect union than before July of 1776.  praying fervently that common ground can be achieved so all not only are free but feel free, as americans every one.  not to destroy monuments to past flawed individuals, but keep them as a reminder from whence we have come.  i'm afraid i fail to see the benefit in applying 21st century norms to individuals long gone and punishment for deeds that cannot be undone.  hindsight, as my divorce lawyer admonished me, is always 20/20.   ***  and even tho my UFO list is still very robust, just had to play with some new fabric....

have always wanted to make cake stand blocks, and decided would use the new jo morton to make a small quilt....6 in green and 6 in red.....might call it 'fruitcake' since it' christmasy colors.....i just love that mustard print.....

got my fitness in early and now a/c on and the apartment cleaned with the whole day to play....fresh peas on the menu.   God bless America!!!

corona-cation, episode 32

this is a very short and hopefully sweet post....the amish honeycomb is done!

don't have to tell you i was quilting and not vacuuming....inadvertently left a kleenex in the wash and now the bits are all over the rug...tomorrow maybe....

and lickety-split, this got marked and put in its place....

my marking pen just barely made it to the finish....it's getting quilted with big baptist fans courtesy of barb vedder who had a blog giveaway a while back and yours truly won!  they are reallllly big fans!  check out her blog...she is one of the quilters who really inspires me a lot...

took photo while it was hanging on a peg.....

the 90s are here in full force...tomorrow especially, so ran and did errands today....fitness center, auto mechanic, groceries and farmer's market....got corn, tomatoes, cukes, summer and zucchini and more fresh peas.....gonna be a delicious, plant-based 4th!   next week....THE HAIRCUT!!!!

corona-cation, episode 31

if anyone had told me that july would still be sheltering in place, wouldn't have believed...yet here we are.  i admit am starting to feel the isolation despite fitness center open and zoom quilt meetings...the good news is the UFO list is the benefit....hopefully this is the last photo of an incomplete you'll see....shooting for a friday finish....

and by some weird meteorological twist, friday will be 96 degrees, definitely NOT quilt weather!  but very happy went for the cross hatch....next up is the orange mod scrappy....

recently shared some fabric with an online quilter and received this cute little sewing machine pin and a FQ yesterday....

pretty sure those are real diamonds too....LOL!

lastly a shout out to my local library and its fantastic efforts to serve their patrons....in this hot weather usually exercise, come home, have lunch, then either quilt or read.  and my fave magazine from the north arrived too....nope, no housework this weekend....LOL!

corona-cation, episode 30

in the newspaper world, '30' means end...done....kaput....finished.  but, sigh, when it comes to corona, it's just a continuation of same old, same old.   aside from a couple of additional openings, things remain static for now.  at least the fitness center is open and should make my cardio quota of days this week...and have to say it feels terrific.  it has definitely been a friday kind of week but i know sunday is coming....bringing hope and a new start.  so what have i been doing???

the amish honeycomb is getting a cross hatch border.  i love the look of it but it is a time consuming process.   and what with the navy thread on navy fabric, tough to work on at night even with good light.  hoping for a june finish but might slide over into the first part of july.....

for change of pace, pulled this out for some marathon basting.  and ooohh the more i get done just energizes me to do more and more.  nearly all the leaves are basted--need 4 more--and some of the flowers.  there might be some cross hatching on this piece as well....

i think i like applique much better than piecing....sometimes anyway.

another week has nearly ended....another hot weekend ahead, but that just means the late summer vacation is getting closer....family hugs ahead!

corona-cation, episode 29

short but sad post....dear friend marianne struggles no longer....with multiple comorbidities she sadly passed the other day.  i never knew anyone who fought so hard with so much determination to stay alive and be an active participant in life.  if i was having a down day...really a self-pity party...one chat with her would have me counting my blessings....her dear family and the grands she loved so much will miss her dearly no doubt....rest in peace my friend....and no money required in heavenly quilt shops!

this was just one year ago--the gang of four--marianne, nann, barbara and i convened for an impromptu quilt meeting at her home.   we laughed and talked and had the best show and tell.  she was the hostess with the mostest.....a precious memory for all of us....

she already had wings....at the quilters' unlimited show 2018 i think.......i was just starting to walk more at that point...she was faster than me!

corona-cation, episode 28

another week in pandemic land....seems as though it "might" be slowing down and getting back to a more normal routine....last week had a lunch and show-n-tell with a quilty pal and this week another small get together...yesterday, tho, my daughter and her super chauffeur husband and i traveled to lancaster on a recovery retail mission.  the only fabric stop i made was here...

for more of this i had ordered online for pickup....i am liking this method!

am vowing here and now--and you are my witnesses--to NEVER ever buy less than 4 yards for a background ever again....i was lucky with this as it's a stock kona color but that isn't always the case....

and no trip to Lancaster is complete without one of these....

my favorite flavor of peanut butter filling and chocolate outsides....when i was a kid, my baker grandmother made the regular kind often and they were my all-time favorites.  amy bouchard of "wicked whoopie" in maine makes one with a raspberry creme filling that's very good too.  must have more exercise days in before ripping it open!

it was a long day made more so by the oppressive heat.  we vowed never to go again in such weather...i would have cancelled but my dear SIL took the day off especially and so we went.  arrived back to the village to powerful thunder and rain.  today it's hot again but overcast and thick fog.  we saw plenty of fields bursting with new growth and lots of cows outstanding in their field...LOL!  we'll go again in autumn when it's not 90 degrees!

corona-cation, episode 27

short and hopefully sweet post today....if you are interested in the oatmeal roll recipe, scroll to the bottom as i've posted it....spent most of today at car mechanic, in general people with whom i have a love/hate relationship....a couple of important things got fixed but of course with old cars, there are more that'll have to wait until funds materalize...

while going thru unfinished flimsies, pulled out this old barbara brackman sew along to add the setting triangles.  i auditioned several and found that it needed an intense value fabric....red or green or blue or brown would have worked, but of course chose the blue.  now needs trimming and basting and into the quilting pile it goes...

it's called 'stars in a time warp' and features several types of reproduction prints.   i'm probably the last to finish this project but it'll get done eventually.   and of course more triangles got sewn together, now enough for another row.  

weekend task is to work on the border of the amish honeycomb aiming for a june finish.   ****  fitness center now open and will get re-acquainted with heating pad i'm sure...LOL....but anxious to get back to routine.  it was a lovely day here and nice to see people out walking, kids at the local park...keeping their distance of course, but the ghost town feeling had gone.  and next week i really do have to tackle some household chores....now for the recipe:

OATMEAL ROLLS:

2-1/3 cups water, divided

1 cup dry oatmeal
3 tablespoons butter
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
5 to 5-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add oatmeal and butter; simmer 1 minute. Remove to a large bowl and let cool to 110°-115°.  Heat remaining water to 110°-115°; add yeast. To oatmeal mixture, add sugars, salt, yeast mixture and half of flour. Mix well. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface; knead 6-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Add additional flour if necessary. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  Punch down dough; divide in half and shape each half into 12 balls. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.   Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes. 

NOTES:  i halved the recipe with no ill effect and eliminated white sugar and salt.  next time i am cutting brown sugar to 2 T as i found them too sweet for a savory.  my oven runs hot and checked them after 15 min when they were just about done, total cooking time for me was about 18 min.  they are very good toasted too!

corona-cation, episode 26

could be this "cation" is winding down now that my fitness center is opening friday.  i'll not be on forced lounging after that....so here are a few photos of what i've been doing...

have deliberately avoided the baking craze for obvious reasons, but did make these oatmeal rolls as a sub for potatoes or pasta with meals, especially lunches.  i eat a lot of chicken salad and bread got boring and commercial artisan breads too much salt....

sampled and approval!  smaller than the photo depicts....just right for a small lunch sandwich with a side veg....

then there was a tad retail therapy....from jo morton's new line 'glad tidings'.....i have lots of reds and greens on hand (many of them her designs) but this mustard print is really gorgeous.....of course a neutral to go with...

lastly, a couple of close-up photos of my new england sampler....the "delicate toil of the needle" as hawthorne described is truly a salve for the unrelenting stress of recent days.   find myself gravitating toward working on it more and more.....

the four corner baskets are done and now can start adding the flowers.....there are more leaves to cut and applique but they get boring...today it's back to the plaid triangles.  enough foundations at hand for 2 more rows, which gets this flimsy to the half done stage....even with life at a semi-standstill, the days fly by....july is on the horizon!

corona-cation, episode 25

a weekend of pleasant diversions.....saturday was a picture perfect june day and a leisurely drive to trader joe's, where there was a line waiting to get in.  what to do?  go find a quick lunch place and make the leisurely drive back to the village!  sunday was a guest at 'downton abbey' with those uppity but nice crawleys watching them solve their various aristocratic conflicts.  there was plenty of sewing going on too....first up, lots of quilting time on this project where the border is now in progress...

had planned elaborate feather border, but the stencil was really too close a fit, so went for plan B.  should be a june finish.....then over to the machine for some quality time with the old viking.....a few more of these little blocks that may end up being a bed size, not sure, but they are fun to make......

then for diversion, pulled out my scrappy DWR drawer to cut out the necessary melons and connecting pieces....thankfully i used a stock kona cotton as more will be needed.  from now on i will definitely buy 4 yards of anything planned for backgrounds....then thought i would sew up a few units to polish my machine curve sewing skills....a few tweaks but good result....

ooohh be still my heart....i am quite happy about this one and already thinking about hand quilting patterns.....but it'll have to wait its turn....also caved for a teensy bit of retail therapy, a couple of jo morton's new 'glad tidings' pieces.... **** our county is still awaiting confirmation of fitness center openings later this week.  fingers crossed and if that does indeed happen, then sewing time will be rearranged.  working out and sewing will leave very little time for news and that's a very good thing!

corona-cation, episode 24

"you're a grand old flag...."

even though this flag represents a country that was founded without consideration of me, a woman, as a citizen, and even though the constitution was written without me in mind, i revere the struggle and achievement of independence and the lives sacrificed and any life given for my freedom--freedom to protest, freedom to hang a confederate flag, freedom to challenge hateful policies and freedom to seek justice against oppressors.  you will never find me taking a knee or disrespecting it or the lives it represents.  ".....sweet land of liberty...."   *** today would have been my father's 97th birthday.  i am quite certain there are fried clams in heaven, otherwise he never would have stayed.....happy birthday dad!  

corona-cation, episode 23

fridays used to mean a lot more in days gone by but at present it's another day--albeit nice and summery--to keep oneself amused.  with various events in our nation this week, and being inspired by blog photos, pulled out my big applique project....new england sampler.

it's one of my oldest UFOs and the goal is to have the top completely done and possibly basted by year's end.  i'm finding the hand sewing very relaxing and calming in the midst of chaos all around.  i was tempted to start a new applique piece but nope, the focus on this corona-cation is entirely UFOs. 

this week has been very unsettling for me.  i am sick of hearing about restaurants opening while fitness centers are still not available.  it appears the powers that be would rather you stuff yourself rather than improve your health. there are 80+ restaurants in my downtown area alone.   the management of my residential situation have completely lost their minds with the wacky restrictions here.  the media--TV and print--are simply rabble rousers intent on fueling every little injustice.  those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.  i pray every day that God would have mercy on the USA.  I've lamented often about having no grandchildren but after this week, i am relieved....

corona-cation, episode 22

it's a hot ho-hum day, motivation waning to do much of anything....but did manage this...

now we are 5!  only 9 more rows for a flimsy.....with every row am liking this more and more....destined as a donation, it'll be tough letting this one go. today linking up with "wednesday wait loss" to show it off!  *** not much else shaking...bit of vacuuming, some meal prep and maybe some shredding later on.  feel the need for a mental health drive someplace just for change of scenery.  good news tho, hair salon taking appointments end of week for end of month....i'll need an hour for sure...lol!

corona-cation, episode 21

if you see this cutie today, wish her a happy birthday!  my dear daughter and she couldn't be more precious to me....it's bittersweet as she's at that stage of life when disappointments and missed opportunities rear their ugly heads....the brevity of life is startling real and hopes for the future seem far away.  but she is resilient and the love of her family and her faith will see her thru....some of us have been there and thrived, right?  this is one of my favorite photos of her when we were camping....

since this is monday, time to show off some sewing progress.....photo a bit wonky but this latest finish all set for the holidays....thanks to a friend for those ready-made flying geese units....

the panel was a senior center donation.....then, while clearing off the sewing table, sewed up some additions to this project.  have no idea how big it'll eventually be, but liking it more and more....

calling all jo morton and reproduction fans!  it's her new book, "tried and true", now available....knowing jo morton it's awesome!

now quilters.....start your engines!

corona-cation, episode 20

it's summertime, summertime, sum-sum summertime!  time to switch over to the summer purse i finished recently....

and it's got that dooney & bourke ticking lining too....how chic! ***  corona chugs on and managed to keep occupied all week including a day of mom duty and a bunch of puttering tasks.  one thing that got done was to prep more foundation triangles for those plaid scraps.  used up all the tracing paper that was on hand and the rest will be done at the copy shop.

this was a time consuming but thrifty task, so today can move forward with the sewing.  ***  i've also a wall quilt to bind for a (yes!) finish.  ***  want to close with this, a photo of my great-grandmother, mary elizabeth davis white.  she and her husband raised my mother from age 2.  they were hard working, frugal, sensible, reserved people.  she was the quilter in my life.  she had an old treadle machine electrified in her later years for dodgy knees.  she made scrap quilts only from apron and shirt fabrics.  she made the fluffiest biscuits in a wood-burning stove.  my great-grandfather kept the hen house spotless.  a rainbow trout lived in the spring-fed well to eat bugs and tidbits from the kitchen.  i can still recall the smell of grass clippings burning after a mow.  and yes, that's me she's holding.....1950, one year old!  no doubt she was thinking of her own dear grace who died far too young....

i can only imagine what she would think of quilting today, not something utilitarian, but artsy and creative and an industry all its own.

corona-cation, episode 19

so many have used their blogs as public forums to make statements and record feelings of the unrest in our country at this time....i would only like to post this....

"let there be peace on earth...and let it begin with me"
"with God as our father, brothers all are we....let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony"

violence only begets more violence and injustice does not give any one person the freedom to loot, set fires or fuel the unrest

God grant me the serenity to accept things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to know the difference

corona-cation, episode 18

truly, we HAVE to stop meeting like this!  though maryland has loosened some things up, still a way to go....maybe next week?  until then, i've been playing in the stash...

the plaids are piling up and while it looks like a fabric frenzy, this makes the sewing go faster....just a rummage for the "right" piece....and this is how far this project has progressed....i learned paper piecing from queen carol doak in new hampshire.

this is another instance of once some progress is made, realized it is going to be a "wow" quilt....to get an entire row done in a day is nearly impossible, unless one gives up bathroom visits and meals that is...which i don't.  it'll be a june flimsy but won't use up all the plaids...no surprise there.  ***  and in the hoop for TV sewing is this....

never too early for christmas projects and a small piece for a quick finish....again with plaids too!  then it's back to the amish honeycomb that might also be a june finish.   **** since every day brings some semblance of normalcy closer, was lamenting that i'd not accomplished much--but made a list this morning and have to say it's more than i realized.  there is one more chore, tho, that needs my attention.....

my records box needs thorough culling and shredding....had to wait for a new shredder as a bit of an electronic perfect storm earlier this year zapped mine, along with my phone, the laptop, the CD player, the TV remote and a pair of christmas earbuds.  *** so thankful now the summer vacation was put off until early september, hoping by then it'll be even more as per usual.  my family and i remain healthy which is a blessing indeed!