june's chookshed challenge

it was the shed's birthday this weekend with a gathering of some faithful at the down under headquarters.  i was able to join in and catch up with fearless leader and others to ooh and ahh over a variety of world-wide projects.  

without further delay, here is the june challenge from my list...

10.  tidy the stash shelves...a one-day project that will go a long way to assessing what's on hand and corral wanderers

so here's what it looked like in january....and, confession here, couldn't wait until the challenge to create order out of this chaos. pieces were flung everywhere and finding something i knew was there nearly impossible.  it's in my bedroom and was the annoying first view every morning when awakening.  

isn't that better?  and yes that is the wall you see behind....so stashbusting is in full force here at happy village....plus i sleep a lot better too.  

more inspiration....someone brought in a stack of mags yesterday and saw this....

new issue of Ameican Quilter, a quilt by kimberly einmo with roos!   the down under peeps loved it and so do i, well the roos anyway.   little gray cells percolating thinking about yes, a new project with these adorable  creatures....chooky says they are cute until they run into your car...not unlike the maine moose i'll wager.  

it's my turn as reigning queen of the stashbusters so this has come my way for an all-too-brief week....

actually it's a blingy badge of failure for not having a UFO finish when my name hit the top of the participant's list...just couldn't be helped this time around but long hot summer ahead so not for long.   off to tackle the weekend to do list!

chookshed challenge may wrap

despite significant detours in may, managed to meet the chookshed challenge of using some blue stash and here it is...

for lack of a better title it's blue lotus...the sides will get evened off and it'll be hand quilted and bound.  it's hand pieced too....thinking waterfall maybe?  

and hoped to move the dargate basket project forward as well...this is the design wall today....

there are a few more finished not yet up on the wall, but it's because the wall is too small.  and the self-challenge to finish one every day?  nope, not today....

actually got 4 done....then counted up what's left and there are 88, one for each piano key or just a smidgen under the days in june/july/august...means top to assemble in september?  that makes me pretty happy....

measured tops for scrappy DWR and the solids bow ties, so hoping can squeeze $$ out of the budget for backs and one batt to get them basted this summer as well. 

word is out that deana has pulled challenge project #10 for june....that would be tidying the stash shelves...tune in tomorrow to see what needs to be done.  *** finished cutting blocks for the blue album and happy that 4 small pieces got used up as in not going back on shelves.  along with finishing the baskets, hoping to make a dent in the UFO list as i'm woefully behind.   time to make that summer list i guess.

and juvenile delinq-cats has gone to its new home...have been promised it'll be well received.  that always makes a quilter happy.   still struggling, though, to get out of bed and go forward each morning.  

throwback thursday

decluttering?  no doubt surprises will emerge, like this....

long ago in a galaxy far, far away (massaschusetts) i belonged to a quilt group in plymouth called cranberry quilters.  ever year they had a nice small show at the carver library.  one year there was a mini challenge.  this was my entry--amish of course--hand quilted, 10" square.  i was a newbie quilter of 3-4 years at most, but realized then and there my chunky fingers were not designed for tiny quilts.  

in the on-a-roll department, 2 days and 2 baskets done...washing machine cycle takes the exact time to finish one...and it does help that was gifted a delightful project bag--with handle no less--for portability.  a flimsy before 2025?  in my dreams for sure...

header photo shows cemetery where mom's ashes will be taken.  she had the yellow flowering bush planted just behind the stone of her parents' grave.  we went nearly every year to check on it, to revisit the area and reminisce.  the first couple of years it didn't do well as apple tree branches blocked full sun, which it required.  the caretaker cut back the branches and the bush flourished, which made mom very happy.  anxious to see how it is this year.  soon all three--grace, dewey and carolyn--together again to rest in its cheerful presence.  

oops...i slipped

not going to start another project....said no quilter ever!  fondling my liberty fabrics and auditioned for a background and found these 2 pieces, probably each FQ size...

just right to highlight the delish libertys!  these were gifted to me---thank you so much mystery peep!  tucked all the parts away in the liberty bag for now.  

did some sewing, more album/chimney sweep blocks.  i am going to need 63 in all, only 30 more to make, so more blocks and backgrounds need to be prepped.  

first up, laundry....basket overflowing...than back to the blues!

quiet holiday weekend

 

isn't that the truth?  as our nation looks forward to voting, preservation of the freedoms so valiantly and sacrificially won should be uppermost in voters' minds.  it's the very least we owe them.  let us remain, "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."  

Just a few in my family....

Charles F. Thorne Jr., WWII at Utah Beach, July 1944

Joseph F. Thorne, Civil War, 17th Maine Regiment, at Appomattox Lee's surrender

Calmon White Jr, WWI, injured in explosion on USS Trenton; WWII off coast of Normandy rescuing the living and documenting casualties on D-Day

Ansel White, WWI, mustard gas exposure with permanent health issues

Lt Joel Whitney, Revolutionary War, Battle of Margaretta

many more served honorably and faithfully....I salute them all

muggies are here

humid holiday weekend and the to-do list is made and ready.....a/c on already

on the sewing front, it's still s'mores...plodding along with the quilting, sometimes so difficult these days to sit and relax, only momentary escapes from the overwhelming sadness that suffocates me...

naval academy graduation yesterday and blue angels in town...too many clouds to see them here--i'm only 10 miles away.  avoid annapolis when there are big crowds because like many old cities, parking is nonexistent even on ordinary days.

more blue album blocks assembled.  must calculate how many more are needed for bed size.  

blue lotus piecing by hand has begun.  if my  mojo gets fueled, might have a flimsy before may is gone, thus completing my may chookshed challenge project.  

mingled with quilty peeps at senior center yesterday, plus some exercise time as well.  they were happy with my wheelchair quilts, sent off to be quilted and then i'll bind them.  have a healthy plaids stash and plan to make at least two more.  

an unhappy twist, one of my tire rims had to be replaced...the tire was new but kept losing air and went flat.  off to mechanic...had just put on new tires, wipers, oil change, and now the rim, but still needs pricey repair.  still trying to decide if i should let it go, but putting off big decisions while still mired in grief.  God is good all time and praying clear direction evident soon.

may marches on

finally a good day with sunshine late in day after dreary, gray start...low 80s and sunny tomorrow....just perfect!  today was ideal for advancing various projects.  

the 2nd wheelchair top is done....the charm squares were a long ago senior center donation and found them in a drawer, realizing they were perfect for this project.  all gone now!

some basting got done....

more quilting on s'mores...should definitely be a june finish...

another UFO unearthed and basted...can i get this one done in june as well?  stay tuned...

picked this puzzle up at the senior center...should keep me occupied a while...

dear daughter ferried me to grocery and got some fresh flounder and fresh shrimp, so a couple of seafood meals for a change.  doing some at-home exercises, nowhere near the level i get at the gym but better than none...so i really AM a reformed couch potato!

and it really works!  shopping the stash and not buying really does reduce the piles on the shelf.  noticed this morning when re-shelving some pieces i'd been working with...a great way to start a monday!  

keeping busy

the daily to-do list is hefty but needed to keep me busy; not all get done but leaves little free time to cry.  so what have i been doing?

the wheelchair quilts....one top is done, the other almost.  the panels are from the senior center and other fabrics from my stash.  should both be done by next friday and off my conscience! the blue border fabric on this one was gifted by a dear friend and there's enough for the back...a solid navy binding should finish it off nicely.

more blocks for blue album/chimney sweep got prepped...

and played around with the dargate baskets a bit, hoping to ramp up mojo to finish more...and just for a look see....should bust a lot of my repro neutrals.  this will be bed size eventually....

while rummaging in the stash for the wheelchair quilts, found a piece i just knew would be perfect for some of my tiny 9-patch blocks.  not all of them, but the plan was to make a few small pieces anyway.  the inchie border was actually a gifted strip of 3" piano keys that got sliced and diced...only a few more inchies needed.

out of curiosity keeping empty spools this year and so far i have these; only one small was completely full, the rest only partial, but impressive anyway i think.  the little basket is native Passamaquoddy, at least that's what mom told me.  

have also been decluttering, an ongoing task of mine ramped up since emptying my mom's apartment.  important papers got filed, the rest shredded; another bag for the thrift half full, a stack of old magazines also gone.  

i posted my cats piece online to sell and many admired and inquired, a couple made plans to come and get it but nobody did.  i have zero success selling my pieces in a variety of venues even though they are priced reasonably.  i know i'm not a blue ribbon quilter but they are well made and pleasing color-wise.  must be the general economy although it's always been the case for me...sigh.  

car still out of commission.  if mom were here, it would have been fixed as she never wanted me to be trapped--perhaps she has spoken to God for me?  i do hope so...needing the gym for lots of good reasons.  am fighting the overwhelming urge to pack a bag, lock the door and just wander....

sunday funday

in order to keep my mind occupied on mother's day, planned several tasks, most got done.  vacuuming, homemade pizza and lots of sewing rounded out the day.  finished this sew-along challenge piece:

juvenile delinq-cats ready for its new home, not sure yet where that will be.  

this little mini also got finished, sick of looking at it on my design wall, plus i needed the space for what else?  something new!  i machine quilted this one.  camera view has it looking lopsided but it isn't.  

more blue album blocks were sewn and trimmed and some sashing added.  i had toyed with the idea of blue cornerstones, but nahhh...this project is busting my muslin stash big time.  seeing them all together like this really encourages me to make more...

and the sign of a true friend is this wee squishie of new-to-me kaffe fabrics...one i've seen but the others not....i'll be using them right away cutting leaves for my hearts and leaves wreath wall quilt.

so what's on tap this week?  must assemble the wheelchair quilts for walter reed, to get the fabric off my sewing table.  also cut more blue album blocks, begin assembling the blue lotus wall piece, quilt more on s'mores, maybe some cross stitch too and definitely the dargate baskets....ambitious list i know.  the week has started on a high note with my 30 minutes of cardio...i try to get in 3 visits, total 90 minutes, which makes cardioman happy and boosts my mental outlook.  so very thankful i was forced into it as it's made a big difference in my quality of life.  

a blessed mom

that would be me... notice i didn't say perfect?  nope, plenty of mis-steps along the way but so proud of the woman my daughter has become.  beautiful, smart, gifted, funny, inquisitive, compassionate, sensitive....wouldn't trade her for anything!

this is the card i sent to my mom last year.   she loved forsythia blooming in the spring, not the neat, manicured type but branches that exploded with color and cascaded down to the ground.  it gave her such joy, and i was delighted to find this card for her.

she nearly always felt like being a mother was way above her pay grade, not ever having one herself.   she made every effort to be the kind of mother she wished she had.  i often told her she did that and more, but it never really squelched that deep down feeling of inadequacy.  i am so thankful she is now released from that feeling of failure.  

celebrating today?  then you are truly blessed.  far too many find today painful, full of grief, disappointment and unanswered prayer.  this year i'm one of them, along with other family members.  so please keep these people and me in mind, say a prayer that God would envelop us with His love and comfort.  

this by deborah culver:

what's happening

the design wall....

oh yes, i think the stripe will do quite nicely....busted nearly all of it on this small piece....and unearthed an oldie but goodie for the diamonds...

a yours truly plastic template dated 1979!  that is the year i started quilting, 45 years ago...omigosh has it been that long?  it would be sheer heaven if i had 45 more....

as if there weren't enough UFOs around, started this little piece.  the pattern was a gift; my birthday is in august.  somehow when i can't get motivated to sew, cross stitching seems give me an oomph

this should be a fairly quick finish and then into the duck it goes....or goose?  

my daughter made this in high school....it's filled with little stitchery projects on display....pretty clever of her i think...

and last but not least, if you see this charmer today, wish him happy birthday.  it's brother #1; his is the 2nd sibling birthday of the year.  lucky sis was the last to get a card from dear mom on march 1st....

here he is with my aunt's dog, mitzi, circa 1957....happy birthday bro!

a cat's tale....

 

today while quilting on this piece, found a boo boo....immediately set about to fix it and continue my efforts to get this done in may.  see the green cat in the top row?  does he look different to you?  me neither, until today that is.  with all that's been going on, no surprise that i missed it.  fast forward to today....

now he looks more like his fellow felines....the space between the tail and body was the issue.   a fussy fix but now done.  

and during last friday's quilt group, got this basted....

all hand pieced, now to be hand quilted and made entirely from stash.  that's a win/win/win in my book.  

happy that some of my mojo has resurfaced as days are long and uneventful.  i want to go someplace where there's no sadness but it doesn't exist.  so i'll stay put and tough it out and wait for better days.  they do come eventually so i'm told.  

the gift

here is me, age 9, wearing a dress mom made for me.  there was also a red plaid with a lace-trimmed peter pan collar, both using a borrowed machine.  the year was 1958 and she didn't own a machine until 1961.  today that machine is still running like new and used by me.  

nearly 67 years ago mom sent me to 4-H to learn to sew.  she was busy with a toddler and a new baby and hadn't the time.  once a week after school, the bus dropped me off at mrs. bryant's house; my dad picked me up later.   using the singer teaching materials, i learned machine basics and how to guide the needle.  homework consisted of an unthreaded needle following lined diagrammed papers of concentric circles or squares.  mom often said she never dreamed this would ignite the spark of a life-long passion.

fast forward in the blink of an eye, going back to the machine in my grief has provided a desperately needed peace, thanks to a couple of quilty peeps with their own kind of fire.  there were tears but phoebe didn't mind, she just kept on at a soothing, comforting pace,  so what did i sew? 

six more blue album blocks joined the pile, now grown to number 17....lots more to make of course, but they do sew up fast, after a marathon of block prep that is.  

this is them....and what else?

was gifted a stack of BIG kaffe hexagons....most were warm colors but a few blue, so pulled them out to play with.  my zoomer pals came up with a couple of ideas but thought i would start with this....found a few backgrounds in my personal kaffe stash to audition...my personal fave is the stripe...the two left backgrounds are way too light to compete with the big florals.  i have enough of the stripe for the setting pieces,  click on the photo to see up close and personal...in his december fabric release--kaffe fassett meets william morris--there is a lovely leaf print of white with a touch of magenta...can i hold off that long?  oh, i think i have enough to keep me busy until then.  stay tuned....

we are in a rainy spell again here...need to double efforts to stay out of an emotional sinkhole without the sunshine to cheer me.  sending missives heavenward for comfort and cheer....

new month, new challenge

may is here and with it a new challenge....deana pulled #5 on our challenge list and this is mine...

5.  start a new wall quilt 'blue plate special'....was gifted several blue scraps and a plan is formulated

have revised the plan a bit since i've already started the blue album/chimney sweep blocks.  i'll simply continue along making blocks and perhaps if my mojo ramps up, i can have a flimsy this month.  i am also going to fit in some of the dargate basket blocks, since i was an utter april failure with this challenge.  

have done a bit of applique on a UFO, gotten 'tuscan starburst' ready to baste but that's about the only sewing going on here...at home when tasks are done, mostly ruminate and stare out the window or lie in bed trying to escape.  fortunately, today's a busy day with events planned to occupy my mind and heart....

a missive

 

this is absolutely true!  i confess have hardly picked up a needle in the past six weeks....only after my heart surgery did i abandon sewing for this long.  this recent time was a different kind of heart surgery without a fix...still busy wrapping up mom's affairs, copying pictures for siblings, catching up on exercise and rest.  the hot weather is here for a day or two and will be inside with a/c running.  

i've also been decluttering....looking around apartment with new eyes, er rather my daughter's eyes, to see what can go and how to maximize space.  getting rid of stuff doesn't do anything to fill the grand canyon-size void in my life these days, tho.  just trying to keep occupied and create a new normal for my life.  

and the chookshed challenge for april?  a total bust....so back on the list go the dargate baskets appliques...sigh

in the hoop

 

finally got my sew along cats basted and in the hoop--quilting has begun!  the deadline is may so shouldn't be a problem to get it done.   then i'll be putting it up for sale...enjoyed the challenge but not something i'd keep for myself.

my mom had done a cross-stitch sampler, finished and framed--sort of.  i took it out of the frame and brought it home to make into a wall quilt.  she finished it, but again, wasn't overly fond of all those x's....found them boring...LOL!

knitting was really her thing.  she made me several things, and her favorite things to knit were complicated patterns.  but i am happy to have this....

spring today but summer all next week it appears, temps in the mid to high 80s....summer clothes all ready and popsicles in freezer!  

hello crewel world

eons ago gave my mom this crewel kit, but apparently it wasn't her cup of tea and never got finished.  hardly even started, in fact.  so this very ancient UFO came home with me and will get finished at some point.  

it's a lovely classic kit from elsa williams needlework....raise your hand if you recognize that name from the past!  turns out i liked it more than she did.   

in my early online quilting life i was in a swap with a woman named kay aycock aka cozy kitten from texas.  we swapped 30s tulips blocks, signature blocks, and at the time i included one block from my mom that she signed, telling her she would always be with me that way.  

the fabrics were given to me by dear friend marianne....she offered "scraps" but what she sent was a large box of a huge collection of 30s fabrics, all brand new.  i made four quilts from that box and still have a few bits left.  

and after cleaning out mom's place, i came home with a new and stronger resolve to declutter my own.  already 3 bags are ready for the thrift.  i am offering this book and CD to my blog followers for FREE for postage only if you please.  i've made some blocks and would be happy to send those along also if you desire.  EQ is required to print out the remaining foundation patterns, but some i printed are inside the book.  

slowly getting back to normal here, helped along by exercise and getting good sleep.  trying to stay busy to squelch the loneliness of not chatting with mom every day.  i dreamt about her last night and she told me nobody comes to visit anymore...not sure what that means....but it is true.