s'more sewing

 

this is the latest on the second half of the s'mores quilt flimsy....3 more rows to the pattern, but hoping i have enough of the sashing fabric to add at least one or two extra.  coming along quite nicely i would say....

unearthed a zipper that was a rescue from something so one more project bag is on the to-do list...

and with temps see-sawing into the high 60s, the daffodils on the south side of the building are up about 6" now...there aren't anywhere near this many but i just had to post for all you winter weary readers...

somewhere along the coast of maine perhaps....and couldn't close without a tribute to my dear mom who arrived at 95 today....for nearly 73 years she has been my caregiver, confidante, disciplinarian, teacher, faith model, referee, champion and best friend...our family knows how blessed we are that she is still our touchstone....

olympic success

 

on this closing ceremony day, my first task was the binding for "stars in a time warp"....with just a few stars left to quilt and then the setting triangles around the edges, planning on a finish by week's end.  which will give me next weekend to quilt the mini in time to see march come in, like a lamb i hope!  and this got worked on today as well....

most of my time was spent making lots of setting flying geese units and binge watching a 'murphy brown' DVD.  thinking that light blue block will have to go.  *** time passes at a supersonic rate even though life is pretty much mundane.  masks have once again been dropped for indoor locales with skittish optimism.  i believe the governor has opened all state offices as well.  anxious to do some fun things despite rampant gas price elevations that are keeping me close to town.  sporadic days of spring warmth not yet consistent enough to eradicate winter blahs.  eagerness building for family visit in just over a month.  so hurry up and wait is where it's at.  *** two weeks now of a full 150 minutes cardio each week, trying for a third if the tylenol holds out...LOL

st. valentine's day

 

pattern by patrick lose....

olympics break

the superbowl has provided a brief hiatus from olympic watching and a chance to do something besides quilt....today made 2 project bags for my upcoming travel....went to the stash and chose 2 of the spring-iest fabrics i could find for these....and one project i'll be taking is this one....

these will be appliqued onto borders of the dutch tree of life wall quilt....anxious to move this project along a bit....the other i'm taking is the 'midnight at the oasis' to do the applique on the viney border, then i can go ahead and sew up the final 2 borders, baste and quilt.  i might also take a cross stitch something.

quilting on 'stars' continues and i confess, is a bit tedious at times.  it is densely quilted and going to be iffy if i'm able to finish it as my february OMG as i'd hoped.  will get back to it later today when more olympics are available for viewing....

had a dusting of snow this morning that is now just about gone since sun came out.  we're having more and more days of 50+ temps so spring is on its way.   milestone week at gym getting in 4 days in a row, then a day off, and then another day giving me over 150 minutes of cardio.  oh what a feeling!

weekend sewing

lots of sewing happened over the weekend....alas, no finishes but progress was made.  got to the halfway point on this flimsy....

good thing i like this a lot as the sashing is fussy....my plan is to start the other half at the beginning and then sew two halves together...plus for once i bought enough of the sashing fabric and will be able to add a couple of rows to make it longer than the pattern....i think it is 57" square but mine will be big enough for a twin...

and probably you, like me, watched a lot of this....

the winter games are my favorite of the two (instead of summer) although i am definitely NOT one who plays outdoors in the winter.   otherwise, whipped up a pot of spaghetti sauce, some cookies and soup along with the necessary exercise....fortunately spring returns this week so some put-off errands will get done.  and of course, counting the days to see my mom and siblings again for some long overdue hugs!

February Monthly Goal

since i was a january OMG flunkie, my goal is getting these two projects moving along in february.  my official OMG will be the "stars in a time warp" finish....the quilting is about 2/3 done, thanks to a frigid and stormy weekend spent inside and some britbox binge watching.  with the olympics coming up, lots more quilty time is on deck.

seven years isn't too long to a finish, do you think?  me either....as for the current machine project, more s'mores were sewn for this and big enough for the design wall....

a couple of those blocks are too light and will need replacing...nearsightedness benefit is that from six feet away, details disappear and design clearly emerges....would like this to be a flimsy when march arrives, a possibility.  the only other thing on my quilty plate is the february mini (in progress) and the small cross-stitch piece.  *** now counting the days until family visit...here in maryland we are a mere 5-6 weeks to spring, regardless of the rodent...LOL!  *** passed the 9-month anniversary of hip break and delighted that my leg continues to strengthen...blessings from other health positives and family issues, plus lengthening days, all help to relieve ongoing restraints from pandemic and just maybe the senior center will open sometime soon....

january mini

second pandemic winter plods along, making for long days requiring creativity to keep from uber boredom...for this month's mini, pulled out a book filled with mini ideas....

 selected a pattern called 'lincoln's logs' that is ideal for scrappy...

it's about 18x24, big for some mini makers but mini to me....hand quilted, a couple of small pieces got used up...the backing is the pigs showed in an earlier post...and while digging thru the stash, found a piece for the february mini, which has already been started!  a pretty piece that was begging to be showcased....

vintage-y red with a bit of gold thread....can't wait to show the finished project!  ***  quilting on "stars" continues and sewing s'mores as well.   *** and many quilters know this product but i've resurrected mine and it is a winner for indoor dryness and sore fingers from hand quilting...

bag balm, originally used by farmers to treat cows' teats so it's safe from chemicals and perfect for dry skin anywhere.  ***  our big winter storm resulted in 0.6" of snow but now very cold and windy...watching live feed from new england and the wallop of a blizzard up there...thankful my family members are safe and warm "til the storm passes by".....

monday report

winter drags on and even tho temps modulated some yesterday, easy for boredom to become status quo...hoping this is the LAST pandemic winter---so how did i keep occupied?  while cutting s'mores blocks, the pile of repros loomed large, sooo....

cut some of these large, elongated triangles for a scrappy top....will donate or maybe sell, if i can, but no plans to add this to the UFO pile, just to use up some of the excess.  had seen this done in greens/neutrals and it was quite appealing...

and on the dueling hobbies front, cross-stitch has made a return in a small, controlled way.  inbetween machine sewing and hand quilting, have picked this up again...started a needlecase from this small sampler....

before starting, finished my pinkeep....

unlike quilty projects, goal is to FINISH one thing before doing another....have downloaded a few free patterns from the web and dear daughter gifted me some aida for christmas....no big, complicated samplers, just small, easily finished things are planned. 

and a bit of baking was done....batch of cookies and these yummy oatmeal rolls....

i never met a carbohydrate i didn't enjoy and fresh, artisan bread tops the list...commerical types are way too salty--extends shelf life of course--so pull out some tried and true recipes and make my own.  these are ideal with a cup of hot, homemade soup or for a slider with soup...or by themselves as i can attest...LOL!  

no appointments or fun things planned so it'll be another needlework-heavy week and just maybe the week the vacuuming gets done!
 

wacky winter weather

first snow, then rain...no, first rain, then snow, warm then cold, then colder...confusing!  thankfully sewing works in all weather...so what have I been doing?  i did wash 2 small floors first, then hit the machine for more s'mores....and progress on the flimsy...

see that lightest block on the right?  it's going....too light for overall plan....but as you can see, plenty to take its place...they really do sew up pretty fast...helps to have lots of stash choices for variety.  speaking of stash, in the interest of full disclosure, have to show 2 more photos to be added to the shelf stuff...the repro stash i'm working from and the oversize shoebox of all my plaids....out of sight, out of mind doncha know....

there is at least one more plaid WHIMM (Work Hidden In My Mind) but might have to stretch that to 2-3 given the size of the pile....and in addition to s'mores, got my january mini top all done, ready to baste and quilt.  came across this small piece just right for the back....

can't recall that I ever made anything requiring pig fabric in my 43 years of quilting so safe to use up for a back.  stashbusting continues slow and steady, a few pieces at a time, that'll hopefully add up to big numbers by year's end...with only one FART (Fabric Acquiring Road Trip) planned for April, counting on more shelf space to come.   and since starting this post, the SUN has come out....wacky indeed!

next in line

the UFO train rolls along....next up is getting this project to a flimsy...it's the jo morton "s'mores" pattern and another repro throw size to which i might add a few rows in order for bed use, we'll see. 

oh i love to play in the repro stash!  and here is the very start....

after a few hours' sewing, the backside needed a change of venue....hopped over to the shelf stash to finish the new year tidy up....

and this, quilty peeps, is the (nearly) total accumulation of workable stash...not included are my kaffe fassetts, a pile's worth.  the tote contains (almost) suitable backings and large--meaning 1 yard or more--of pieces that were previously on the bottom shelf...a few are funky prints i pulled out for monthly mini backings...even tho a few pieces were flung to the thrift, it is obvious that busting is happening!  the wall can be seen in a few places...this is good news indeed.  the shoeboxes on the left side are tans, greens and reds, 3 of each.  so no time to slack off whatsoever!  full disclosure, there are 6 shoeboxes elsewhere with precuts.

and just when my mojo is at full throttle, a stormy weekend!  how great is that?  plenty of meals in the freezer and with one two three new projects calling me, no time to waste.  quick trip for pepsi and let's sew!

first finish!

 january half over and already a finish....i am on a mission!  

a small piece about 28" square but i love it!  found the inspiration from this book by betsy chutchian...

this is the 2nd project i've done from this book and quite sure there will be more to come....if you are a repro lover, you gotta get this one.  ***  and a finish means an open slot for something new....

from a recent 'quiltmania' this tantalizing quilt designed by france aubert....i love the blues/pinks but had some tuscan-inspired prints waiting to be used so will cross the border into italy for this one.  and it, too, will be smaller than pictured.  have opted for 9 blocks rather than the 16 for two reasons....1) the 16-block is a funky size, not quite bed size but bigger than wall and 2) not enough tuscan-feel prints on hand and don't want to buy more.  ***  i may cave for some of this tho....

not available until early summer but pretty tempting.   ***  then there is this possible in my future...

may get started later this year and those 'nantucket summer' prints would work in nicely....until then my dance card quilty plate is adequately full.  that takes care of 2022...LOL!

a winter monday

winter has arrived along with about 4" of snow....light and fluffy that blows off surfaces....very good!  a busy week planned with tree deconstructing and some detritus flinging.  lots of sewing got done that i can't show yet but here is what's in the hoop....

the "stars in a time warp" circa 2015 i believe....another repro bed size quilt....it was a barbara brackman sew along and finally getting quilted.  **** this next project is a wrap

it's the last 2 blocks of the 'civil war diary' book that i'll ever sew....i've a fair amount done and plan to finish them potholder style and maybe make a few smaller pieces rather than all in one...not sure yet.  

hoping the new year sorts out my facebook account, brings me continued health and gives covid the heave-ho.  plenty of sewing lined up of course.  got my april maine trip all scheduled and this time hoping for no broken bones on my return...at least that's the plan...LOL

back in the groove....

Covid continues to wax and wane, normal life resumes after holidays and winter finally arrives!  we are under a weather advisory, 2-4" of snow....which makes this new england gal roll her eyes and chuckle.  another day with no specific plans other than the usual...here is my final report from magic week and the weekend....

finished the tree runner fashioned from leftover blocks...this is done and will get packed up with christmas stuff whenever that happens....also done is this...

some time this week a pinkeep will emerge....a zoom visit with like-minded sewists resulted in more of these finished...7 done and 9 to go...

and (drum roll please).....finished 2 blocks of the civil war diary book....

this is work as i am no longer enamored with this project, but i shall persevere and arrive at surrender...tried several methods to streamline these blocks but failed, so will soldier on....fabrics and pattern pulled for january mini, a new project started for a gift, list made of a few things i'd like to do this year....and this is the 2022 motto....

January OMG

in the Peanuts strip, Charlie Brown wishes Lucy a happy new year...she yells at him, "I'm not done with the old one yet!"...2021 did have its challenges for sure, but starting a new year with a fresh outlook and new hopes might be just the ticket for us, the Covid-weary....a quick post to list my January OMG...it is the long-languishing civil war diary quilt....this is THE month i decide-intend-plan to finish the blocks!  it's been patiently waiting for its turn and i am more than anxious to see this one off my quilty plate.  

you can see the foundation pieces sticking out from every block still to make...i think there are about 35....so a hefty task for one month but once begun is soon done!  i'm linking up with patty over at elm street quilts to make it all legal....

welcome 2022!

 

-

many blessings came my way in 2021 and have many hopes for this year--good health, good friends, safety and prosperity for me and my loved ones, happiness for all, maybe some dreams fulfilled...planning on more sewing, more exercise, more good reads and always God's loving care and protection. unfortunately the COVID train barrels on and our county is again on mask mandate for all indoor public spaces...isolated life continues, but could be much worse...sending wishes for healthy, happy, joyful new year....we could even tolerate a bit of snow...LOL! 

december mini

here is december's mini....linking up with wendy so be sure and check out the other mini links she has posted...

only about 17" square, it's about as mini as i ever make....love the blue/white....so crisp looking and very wintry, even tho we have no snow and not even cold winter temps.  

it's already thursday so only 2 more days in magic week...this morning listed projects i'd like to do in 2022...have pulled some floss for a couple of cross-stitch tasks, planned out a quilt for next christmas giving, pulled fabrics and book for january mini leaving only laundry and a quick grocery trip.  my new year's wish is for covid to disappear entirely....sigh....

finished - one monthly goal!

 chalk up the last finish of 2021....my december monthly goal....

my apologies for not listing designer....i saw this made by somebody else long ago in blues and lavenders so have no idea i'm afraid...i went for scrappy.  it's throw size, 54" square, but nice to curl up with...that makes 45.31 yards busted for the year with only the previously mentioned 18.5 added so a respectable accounting.  i'm linking up with patty, who keeps track of the OMG stats....

today's task?  bind the december mini, machine quilt and bind the 'trees' runner, start a new quilting project and some cross stitch might round out the day.  not to mention washing dishes and doing laundry, the least fun tasks, oh, and the must-do exercise.  keeps thumper (heart) happy you know!

magic week progress

it's the dawn of day 3 and progress has been made!  first tackled this task before it became unmanageable....

cut up all the scraps in the basket and filed them away in their respective shoeboxes...do have a small stash of batik scraps that i'm keeping separate for a percolating project....next came this finish....

the guild's challenge....mine was blue and a baggie of scraps challenged my quilty muse to the max!  they were hinky scraps and i added the pink in the center, a lovely dutch chintz.  dear friend (now angel) marianne came to the rescue again with the border print she flung my way during one of her purges.... these quilts end up with a charity so no doubt somebody will love it, just not me.  *** last night started sewing the binding on 2021's last finish so that will continue today.  ***  surprise visit from santa on his way to Cancun for winter vacation.... a wayward gift in the bottom of the sleigh......

some lovely repro fabrics!  the total added to the stash for 2021 is now 18.5 yards with used up--as in done/done not waiting UFO--of over 40 yards this year!  by my dodgy math that's progress. *** as every year since i relocated, waiting for winter weather that has not yet arrived...at least by my new england inner gauge.  today's predicted 54 with nary a flake in sight...not winter but spring!

it's magic week!

 

no annoying covid talk here.....just a bit of new england winter to close out the year....the quintessential lobster trap tree!  magic week is that week between christmas and new year where the focus is off holiday prep and onto the anticipation of the clean slate of a new year.  still in the glow of a wonderful holiday with my daughter and son-in-law...and basking in the blessings we shared.  with no other family around, those hugs are so precious to me...received some lovely gifts....

also some joann gift cards for quilty supplies....the soap from a far away quilty friend...another gift card toward replacing my cd player....all are very nice and will be enjoyed..hoping to finish the christmas cross-stitch this week....but it's the hugs and warmth of family that give me the greatest joy....i'll take more of that please!