pajama sewing

with rain coming down steady, an empty to-do list, listening to ambulance arrival (a regular occurrence here at mausoleum manor), no place have to go and just joy beckoning, sat down and sewed up a couple of "what if" blocks...

i know there is a cracker pattern project in my future....but what fabric genre?  christmas?  kaffe? scrappy?  still deciding so will hang on design wall until little gray cells arrive at decision....in the meantime, hoping to spend the weekend on this flimsy-to-be...

so this is how it goes together.....5 circles wide and 6 rows in length....now that i've put together enough to get the hang of it and have sewed together all the melon sections....

it's onward to the circles and then the rows!  easy peasy....anticipate a march finish for this flimsy....

almost finished quilting 3rd row on the 'new england sampler' so only 2 rows left and the applique border so guessing an end of april finish....

flowers starting to bloom and rainy weather will green up grass nicely....cherry trees ready to pop...my 5-year anniversary as a maryland resident approaches....wish i had gotten a place to live where locked doors and personal property are respected and left alone...but maybe one day the ambulance will cart off the perp(s)....have caved and will get dressed now....LOL!

three is better than two....

isn't it??  so working on 3 projects simultaneously is a good thing, right?  i had to, it was a matter of fun versus death by boredom.   the double wedding ring is going along, one row assembled, more rings ready for the second.   the new england sampler is moving along pretty well....

the little flowers row is all quilted....now working on the next....loving the cross hatching....but was bored with these two projects....fun but the pandemic was stronger....so moved along to the kaffe project...midnight at the oasis.

for some reason my phone camera hated to take this photo....the blush pink you see doesn't exist in real life....the funky baskets border is on and applique vines and flowers will get added.   then another narrow row of lime.  the next border is comprised of tiny churn dash blocks....and these are fun to make!  get to play in all those bright scraps....2 done so far....

only 50 more to make that won't bust too many scraps but very colorful....so these 3 should keep me from extreme boredom, especially now that one vaccine shot is done and warmer weather is bringing more freedom from isolation....waiting for red letter day when the mask gets tossed....

a chaotic week here with some mom duty and another corneal tear requiring 3 office visits and eye drops nearly hourly.  the spring weather helped but still glad to arrive at the weekend....happy to say just joy has fit in....disappointed i could not get a machine that matched the quality of the old viking...but this one meets my needs and will work nicely until my mom hands down her vintage singer....then i'll be able to pass this one to a new sewist

no cooking, cleaning, dishes or laundry to do so i guess it's just a sewing and exercise weekend!

it works!

the pattern i'm using for my scrappy DWR is new to me from an old quilters' newsletter magazine.  it gives the quilt a straight rather than curved edge.  i have done a curved edge before but the straight edge is much easier....still lots of piecing to go, wanted to see if it goes together easily....

so far so good....five circles to a row with six rows....big enough for my needs and liking....my usual piecing style meaning most seams matching perfectly...doesn't matter, it's the quilting that'll make it....i love it already!

and recently some old photos of my mother's family came to light....her father was the youngest boy of 14 children....this is him in the 4th grade....tall for his age and his usual facial expression....i picked him out right away....

his younger sister was also at the school....priceless images and memories added to our family story....

spring temps for the week and plenty of sun; one shot down and one to go....seems like topsy turvy life is beginning to right itself....i couldn't be happier!

saturday already??

another week has flown by despite weariness with the pandemic, the mask, the isolation, the boredom etc....no doubt you are feeling the same.  this week finally received my first shot as did my mom, so there is light at the end of this very long tunnel.  there were times i didn't feel at all like sewing or doing anything really...one day was a total wash...there was some progress tho.....

'hosanna' is a finish....in plenty of time for holiday hanging too....with a delightful toile backing that makes the back as nice as the front....

and that means this piece was immediately put into the frame that might be an april finish....

so happy to see this finally......and some marathon machine time resulted in this...

still a long way from a flimsy here but good progress.....always have the urge to start a new project but thankfully the UFO list has kept me from doing so....i really would like to chop the list in half this year if possible....can always pull one out to work on to alleviate boredom when it crops up....

and would like to direct you to this website....NEW ENGLAND QUILT MUSEUM (neqm.org)

to see a preview of one of their current exhibits....quilts by my friend wendy reed of maine.  even if you can't visit in person, just seeing a few of her beautiful quilts is inspiring and exhilarating.  i am so very happy the museum has highlighted her work....and kudos to the original museum committee....i remember the infancy of this project and thought they were nuts....but they persevered and had some help along the way and was finally established....

one more week to daylight saving time...yippee....no more dark mornings!

bad habit gone

sat down at the sewing table to cut more pieces for the scrappy double wedding ring....it's is was my bad habit not to make sure i had enough fabric.  working from a small piece of the blue solid, realized it was too small.....oh no, did it again???  that would be NO!  there on the shelf was the other yardage, more than enough for all the pieces.  no frantic last minute try to match saga!  color me happy!

sunday while sewing was perplexed about how this top went together....so when all else fails, read the directions grace!   lots of frogging (ripping out) now on the correct path for construction.....today i've gotten this far....

apparently all the circles have to be made first and then put together....and since i'll have lots of blue solid left over, started to think about how to use it in another amish style piece...isn't that just like quilters??  always planning the next project....

and if you see this cutie today, please wish her a happy 60th birthday....the baby youngest in our family....if i close my eyes, i recall my younger self standing beside her crib....

and finally the sun has arrived for the rest of the week.....thank goodness!

february's final!

 just in time to see the back of february.....a wall quilt finish....

note:  no toes this time!  

saturday sewing

another gray, rainy, damp day outside but inside the sewing machine is busy....with my 'hosanna' wall quilt all pieced (and basted too!), time for another UFO for the machine....passed over 'civil war diary' for the scrappy double wedding ring.  would be nice to get this to a flimsy this year...

the rows are 6 x 5 so closing in one row 1.....good thing i saved the magazine and my rudimentary layout drawing, otherwise......you know the rest!

last night was tinkering with border pieces for the dutch chintz panel....it's english paper pieced and wasn't totally certain how to manage the elongated hexagons.   have a friend who does lots of EPP and is very good at it, naturally....but it's a skill hardly used by me.  how to make it work?

have 64 of these units to make and had to break one of my personal quilting rules by using a tad of roxanne's glue to tack down the sides and then thread baste the ends.  proceeded to sew a few together to make sure it would work....and it does.  i don't like to use adhesives of any kind on my projects but felt like it was the only way.  it's more hand work that will be a good take along project if i were going anywhere...not likely... also for zoom meetings and such.  *** but the very best news this week?  both mum and i are getting shots next week if anticipated vaccine available.  even rain can't ruin that parade....

weekend excuse

 nope, didn't get to housework this weekend as planned....and this is why

an idea that turned out exactly as hoped....at marianne's get together nearly two years ago, fabric was flung and these green hand dyes came my way.  they were small pieces, scraps really, but too pretty to use just anywhere.  saw this block--aptly titled hosanna--triggering quilty muse.  used my cute little bird fabric for sashings and the whole time i worked on this, my sunday school lesson on palm sunday percolated in my mind.  couldn't be more pleased with the result.  it'll get hand quilted SOON and then binding with green in time for palm sunday.  and just this morning heard a bird outside my window, in spite of THIS!!!!

weatherman says over by one-ish....and then warmer all week, hoping this is the last.  so no more excuses, will be tackling that housework now.  and if you are of a certain age, today is notable for this gentleman....

in school the teacher would pass out mimeographed coloring pages of washington and lincoln and the classroom was decorated in red/white/blue.  all washington's grisly flaws have come to light, but none should diminish the courage, persistence and leadership that forged our nation.  no man is perfect, but he and his efforts shouldn't be tainted by 21st cultural mores.  God bless America!

light in the tunnel....

for a change in the weather and perhaps my turn for the vaccine!  it's been a wintry week and pretty cold this weekend, but next week warmer and on the road to spring....i'm ready for sure!  spent the week finishing the ocean waves quilt....took longer than anticipated....

it needs a wash but have to get some color catchers first....this was one of my someday quilts and happy now it is done....this one stays with me for the duration....so what's next to quilt?

had planned to start 'new england sampler' but decided to see if i could squeak in a couple of small projects...so the sampler delayed until march 1st for this and maybe one other.  with little else to do except exercise visits and housework, can make some real progress on the UFO list.  sewing machine had a nice rest but that's about to change...

with all the disasters around involving weather and economy, feeling quite blessed and insulated so no whining about being bored or sick of winter....just thankful for another day, sunshine and the ongoing good health of my family and myself....got joy in your life?  it's there somewhere--hope you don't have to look too hard to find it!

happy valentine's day!

 

this means february is half over....daylight saving time is a month away....and since this (below) is getting delivered today, i can post the photo....it's a placemat made for my mom...she probably has the penguin one still on her table!  time for a change....

whoops!  gotta stop taking photos barefoot....LOL!

winter rolls on....

with no sign of slowing down yet...in a few weeks spring should be on its way!  but i need some spring NOW!!!  went to the stash and hauled out a spring-theme UFO that uses this cheery fabric...

the other day--when it was warmer--actually heard birds singing!  so the sewing to-do list was revised a bit and hope to have a wall quilt flimsy by the end of the weekend....have more of these small blocks to paper piece first tho...

yesterday's task was to baste the "stars" quilt and that is now done....

i really like this quilt...."stars in a time warp" a barbara brackman sew along started in 2016 i think...this is another keeper....today's task is to baste the "new england sampler" as it's the next to be quilted.

lastly, a book review.....

robert galbraith is actually jk rowling of harry potter fame.  this is the 4th book in her mystery series featuring dectective cormoran strike and, in my opinion, the worst.  it is a whopping 950 pages with fully a third of extraneous, unrelated story line that could have been left out completely without affecting the evolution or outcome of the mystery.   it reads as though she had no idea whatsoever where to take the story when she began writing....making it a too long, too tedious, too convoluted and disappointing book.  i liked the other 3 mysteries but probably won't pick up another, that's if she writes more.  

joy at work

"just joy" the new babylock zigzag got a chance to show her stuff....a beloved t-shirt had developed a few holes....it's a sentimental thing and so a repair was required....happy to say back in one piece and joy has proven herself useful even tho not loved....

the other day a nonsquishie package arrived....items passed along from a quilter who no longer sews....happening more frequently as many age out of their beloved hobby....a day we all dread, well at least me....some patterns and kits...

a few of some finished blocks....

and lovely fabrics to make more....

as soon as the box was unpacked, my muse went into overdrive....too many projects?  don't be ridiculous...LOL!

and for all you winter weary folks (meaning me of course).....

reservations made for late summer.....counting the days!

february finish first

though a LOT of sewing got done in january, no finishes to check off....but that has been rectified with this first finish of 2021....the scrappy plaid triangles!

this is a donation quilt and it was tied with perle cotton....the ocean waves SHOULD be a february finish also....just about done with all the little triangles and then 9 feathered circles to quilt....only this corner of triangles left...

the patriotic wall quilt and sew along piece both got basted.....i used flannel on the sew along piece as it's small and will be hand quilted....the flannel will give it a nice hang....

today is guild sewing plus baste the 'stars in a time warp' ...then the table can come down for vacuuming and possibly some dusting....

when vaccine is available, the health dept people will come to our complex and do everyone....no idea when that might be whatsoever......everyone wants this like yesterday....like many, i am beyond bored but there is a faint light at the end of this pandemic tunnel....time for another mystery road trip and change of scenery!

getting ready for snow

like so many, this morning ran to store and fitness in expectation of a couple of days of hunkering down...might even get to a few house chores...friday was taken up with lengthy visit to cable company....budget demanded a downgrade and went from 125+ channels down to 25+ channels with only a meager $30 savings....cable company obviously designs viewing packages to benefit the company and never the consumer.   but did sign me up to save another $11 off my mobile service that necessitated a new (and FREE) phone, a new learning chore.  but they transferred all my stuff to the new phone and got it up and running......then to the machine!

the little sew along piece is ready to baste.....pulled out binding fabric as well to prep that

another jo morton print so naturally the colors match...will probably hand quilt, due end of may.  

then a little project for guild.  someone had given away this adorable chicks fabric and it came in handy for this little quilt.

there is enough for the backing as well....it'll be machine quilted for a quick and sturdy finish.....i'm  hoping these spring-like plaids will appeal to some little one....it's for an Easter giveaway.  

maybe now can get the folding table set up and start tying the scrappy plaid triangles....would be nice to start february with a finish!

winter day

a bit of snow overnite and icy this morning, so winter isn't quite receding...great sewing weather! after all my kitchen duties finished, went right back to phoebe and the stash....finished this small civil war flimsy, now in the hand quilting pile....

then moved on to the bea et cecile sew along project.....

started this with one idea--orange peels--and remembered these jo morton charm squares...then while pondering how to assemble, remembered this stripe print, also a jo morton, in the stash....thankful had just moved the stash onto bigger shelves, which brought it to mind.  this will be a small finish adhering to the 'curves' theme....the colors appear much brighter in photo than actual and will be hand quilted of course.  finish deadline is may--no problem at all.  i'd say one of the rules of quilting is to absolutely know your stash.  it certainly helped me in this instance.... also doing some giftie sewing than cannot reveal right now...

my group is up for vaccine but of course, there is none at present.  another resident here tested positive, the second so far.  holiday spike seems to be waning but alas, nowhere near back to normal anytime soon....

ho hum sunday....

and although i started the day with list as per usual, not many things got done....laundry yes...and some sewing and quilt related things....

needed 32 of each and did just manage to squeak them out of quarter yards....only a few scraps remain that went into the basket--could not bear to toss these lovely dutch chintz pieces...

and some of this....

2 borders are on and 2 remain to make and sew on....then it will be a flimsy....

saturday was an exhausting day with grocery pickup and put away, then made a huge pot of beef vegetable soup....lots of chopping etc. that obliterated nearly the rest of the day.   then today decided to make some artisanal bread....commercial varieties are loaded with salt, so it was the best alternative.  i do have a great cookbook for all sorts of artisan breads....first up olive rolls...i did notice the missing salt even tho the few chopped olives are somewhat salty....

and a small loaf of sun dried tomato/parmesan bread....

these will go great with my soup.  one package of yeast made both and pretty happy with outcome...my paternal grandmother was a pastry cook in a small hospital and after retirement baked constantly at home...always rolls, bread, biscuits, cookies, donuts, pies, cakes on hand....my job was donut shaker...LOL....

then what's better on a dreary sunday than a good whodunit?  nothing!

this author (aka jk rowling) has penned another great mystery (so far) featuring her detective, cormoran strike.  i've read the others... this one is a whopping 950 pages!  and no wizards in sight (so far).  just one of those disjointed kind of days where can't seem to settle on one thing or actually feel like doing any one thing....maybe pajamas will help!

did you notice?

yesterday, about noon, a gentle, refreshing, breeze emanating from south of here....filled with hope of unity and respect, kindness and truth, clearing away detritus of malice toward many, divisiveness and lies.....an old face with strong ideals and his army of believers who carry the prayers and hopes of a (mostly) grateful nation who love America and for which it stands....