Beach Day

 

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The "you are not helping here" pose from my furry little friend. To be fair, she WAS there first but she is impeding progress, LOL.

Thank you all for your kind comments about my quilt blocks. In the posts below (dang blogger) are the last sets of four including the two that did not make the cut. All the blocks are sashed and the rows are joined so today will be the border applications. Triple bordered, at that. Mom, 30 blocks with 2 inch sashing in white so the blocks float a bit as I want it to be sure to cover that pillow top mattress. It looks huge to me already but that's what happens when you mainly make kids quilts rather than bed quilts.

Oh, I should say that I was doing a bit of leaders and enders from Finn's 2.5 inch squares bag as I sewed the sashings--that is, when I remembered to grab them. Not a habit for me to always sew through a thread bunny first, I guess. I've gotten three checkboard centers together that can be used as it or for "Whatever" blocks.

Cher asked if I were going to hand quilt my sampler. I have to say, that I am considering it--certainly some blocks would lend themselves to it but should I bother if I want it quilted in the ditch primarily? I DO love to hand quilt and don't get a chance to do it anymore. Would my problem thumbs even let me--might have to try hand quilting something else first top find out. I want this on the bed some decade and this would become (or continue to be?) another UFO, I know. Okay, still debating obviously.

This is not a masterpiece quilt though I tried to do my best piecing. Two blocks were too small by a quarter inch--beyond fudging-- and had to have a little strip added. You would think that one of these days I would square them up or measure them but NO! I'm not saying that to run myself down---I still love the blocks, the fabrics and it will be my quilt made be me and quilted by me someway. Someone in my family may look at it some day and think "looks like Aunt Linda had a problem sewing this one" and LOL, they would be right though she didn't know it at the time.

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Montana and Arrowhead did not "make the cut" but they posed anyway. The Arrowhead is one I made because it a "crossing block" that at the time, I thought I needed for balance. The Montana block got dumped too but that was because of the black fabric. I believe we did that in October when the quilt shop had Halloween on the brain so the only repro fabric in it is the orange in the nine patch. Other than the black stitching around the Dresden Plate, there is not black in the top--you're outta here!

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All part of the Pioneer Sampler selections

more blocks

Lazy Saturday morning so far. It is a little cool but sunny but that won't last--the cool part, I mean. Who knows about the sunny when we are getting some pop up rain and thunderstorms. (Not suprised the Braves game got rained out when my cooking out did earlier in the evening.) The birds are chirping like crazy. Pippi is curled up on a couple quilts atop what used to be my scrap basket keeping me company. So far, I have not heard the magic words "how soon you be ready to go walk?" as I sit in my nightgown pecking at the keyboard, LOL but they are coming!

I did my cutting for my 30's sampler yesterday and began stitching. While I had the WOW out, I cut the alternating squares and borders for Gail's memorial heart quilt that will be assembled in the coming week--good thinking, huh? 3 rows or half the quilt is joined so far. When I told DJ that I was working on something just for me, he said "you won't keep it" OH, yes I will--it goes on MY bed and it is made with my favorite fabrics, I responded. His reply? "What is wrong with the quilt you have?" Nothing, says I but it is not one that I have made all by myself. Current quilt is a bowtie top that I bought, shifted the blocks around to fit my bed and quilted. I COULD have said "which quilt?", for that matter, but the point was that I did not make it start to finish.

(Looks like he is starting the laundry so I have a couple minutes reprieve--gotta love it.

So, some more block pictures--a good many of these were for the Pioneer Sampler but Rolling Stone was a Belles BOM as was Prairie Queen (gotta have a block with that name being from ILLINOIS!). I love that Dandy simple and effective--also one I chose for the quilt group: Aunt Dinah and Propeller, too. I actually like the Propeller smaller as the pattern showed on one of the Connecting Threads catalog--the pdf pattern should still be available online in their free pattern sections. Last two, tomorrow.

There we go--what I knew was coming. Best get dressed and get moving before it gets too hot and sticky------

lchj

day off?

When I last posted, I was headed back to bed. DJ kindly had left the house about the time I hit the publish button. I must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I knew, it was 1030 and he was home from his errands. A couple of my friends who were looking for me at the meeting called to check in later in the day--just told them I needed some R & R, which was entirely true.

The paperwork didn't get done and my bedroom did not get straightened up but who really cares? Not me, obviously or I would have taken care of it. But by afternoon, I was tired of goofing off and was itching to stitch. AHA, all my readers are probably saying---knew she couldn't stay away from that sewing machine long.

I've already spent a fun filled morning mopping the kitchen floor. I told DJ yesterday if he would sweep and vacuum in preparation, I would take care of it. LOL, what was I thinking? For that matter, what were they thinking when they put vinyl down with little indentations and a white background? I would love to throttle the goofball that attempted to wax the no wax flooring while I am at it. Those gray bubbles will NOT come up.
I think I will need to own stock in Magic Erasers for this floor to look really good but it is a whole lot better that it was. Enough cleaning for me for one day! I've got a project to work on!

I told Cher when we were chatting yesterday that I was going to do something "just for me" before I start on the June goal tops that I intend to assemble. What sprung to mind is my Pioneer Sampler done in my beloved 30's repros that I had done with several of my friends as a BOM in a nearby town. The shop owner was Eleanor Burns trained and of course, had a lot of her books, notions. We did the original blocks in '04 but I knew that I wanted my quilt to be much bigger and did enough blocks for a 5 x 6 set sometime in '05 with a couple of spares that will not "make the cut". Not enough to have a 30's collection--you gotta use some of it too! If I didn't like what they had, I used my stash. I didn't miss a meeting so the first 12 blocks technically didn't cost me but $5 but you know that we always do shopping while there. Sadly, the shop closed last year.

My mind sprung to the "just for me" fabric that Finn sent me last week. I wanted to replace that Dresden Plate block that wound up in the JOY block raffle that Carolyn won. That was how I would spend my afternoon. I took the last stitch in the buttonhole (blanket) stitching I did at the stroke of midnight---that nap, you see had me really burning the midnight oil again. The blue with ducks and the sweet little yellow are two of the fabrics that Finn sent. Since I will be stitching on sashing and borders for a few days, I'll post pictures of the blocks for you to see up a little closer-- IF blogger will cooperate that is.
Isn't it just as aggravating as tar when blogger says it is done uploading but there is nothing there--good to have a fall back position. The postage stamp basket is NOT 30's repro fabric but sure looks like it plus I worked pretty hard on doing that applique so it's staying, LOL. The Log Cabin Basket is the block we used for the WTIL raffle quilt but I wanted to include one done in this palette for my quilt---I did win 12 blocks in the participants drawing and will make one in pastels at some point. Wheels? Ellen had a bunch of these blocks when she came to sew with us at the Spring Sew In in 2002. Just like the block.

The next picture--who knows where it is going to land on the page? I had made a fun kids quilt with Cyclone or Whirling Geese block some time back but also shared with the Belles how to make the flying geese units along with the no waste version shown on Patchpieces--four at once. The Shooting Star was a block we used for our own BOM and the Old Favorite? Jan. 24 on my 365 Quilt blocks perpetual calendar. Hope of Hartford, an old favorite. Cher might recognize some her of her fabric, not only in the Hope blocks but others. Thanks again my friend--not your cup of tea but sure is mine!

Here and There is a favorite that Mom got me started with by cutting up some kits a few years back. If you look far enough back in the gallery pages on WTIL you will see some that she made or the Belles and I did. (First seen at a Hands Around Quilt show in Bloomington, IL and the subject of much speculation on just how that was pieced. ) Card Tricks was started for a JOY quilt demo. 3D bowties-- just because they are so much fun. Box Star came from the Quilter's Cache pages. I hated the first one I did as the colors were just not right. This one came out much better.

Okay that is it for today's sharing. I'll post more tomorrow.

goal reached--yahoo!

I honestly did not think I would get all 7 WTIL tops quilted in a week's time-- knowing me, that seemed a bit overly ambitious. BUT, I'm "done" As my husband says, "you are never done, Linda. You just start on another one. " True, that. I just ended quilting in the chevron shape in the ditch on this one I first showed you on 5/21.

I should be getting ready to go to the quilt guild meeting in a bit but am a little ambivalent about going. I want to mainly because I have things to deliver to some of the Belles who are also members--not the most compelling of reasons. I don't want to go sit through the meeting itself. Does that make any sense? This seems more like a "bathrobe day" to me. It's dark, looks like it might rain and I could oh, so easily crawl back into bed since I have been waking up far too early for the time that I get to sleep.

The road crew seems to be finished with the bulk of the re-paving project though the outside of the lanes need to be striped. Access in and out of our lane was a little problematic Tuesday since the flagmen were parked right at the end of our lot in effect. It is a lot quieter now that the heavy equipment is not out there working.

I opened the kitchen blinds for Pippi's microwave viewing yesterday afternoon to discover some of the gardenias had popped open. Right on schedule. DJ said he had not seen a single one when he had watered it earlier in the day. This morning I see probably double the amount of blooms. It smells heavenly!

Of course Pippi thinks everytime that I go out in the utility room in her presence that she is going to get something. Her Petromalt, catnip and cat food are out there so sometimes she does. I came back in from taking the flower picture and this is what awaited me. What pet owner is not familiar with the "expectant" look or the "stare job" She just made me giggle......... As you can see she doesn't need a thing but that doesn't keep her from wanting it anyway.


Jane, I should tell you that my microwave potholder thing is just a magnetic backed hook. Some little thing I probably picked up at Walmart. Works great and I guess I have always kept my hanging potholders there no matter where I have lived. There is one on the side of the refrigerator to hold the spare keys as well.

I believe I have talked myself into staying home today. Take a day off from sewing and tackle some paperwork that has been postponed in favor of quilting. But first, I'm climbing back in bed for just a little bit--because I CAN.