Spiral

Thursday

2012-01-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

We made the rounds to several of our local thrift shops this morning, in search of an **interesting** framed mirror to use in the downstairs powder room after it has been redecorated. Didn't find the right thing yet for that, but I did come home with this $10 treasure:

Schoolgirl's Puzzle

The fabrics in this quilt appear to be circa 1900 - 1920. It's hand pieced and hand quilted. Some of the fabrics show age deterioration, but there are no gaping holes. The binding has frayed away most of the way around. It's about 72" x 80". If you look carefully, you'll notice that the block in the center of the top row, and also the one on the lower right corner are turned the wrong way. Also, two of the red blocks have the small triangles facing 'the other' way.

This is just the kind of quilt I try to create when I'm making a vintage/repro quilt project! It's scrappy, with random color placement. The pieces and the backgrounds fabrics include a wide variety of prints, and some are repeated while others are not. The workmanship is good, but not perfect -- the maker was a real person, not a machine!

I hope someone will enjoy one of my quilts someday as much as I'm going to enjoy owning this one!

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GRATITUDES

1. Got the museum newsletter finished up early this month!
2. Gulls circling over the lake
3. Date night -- fish tacos and horchata for supper, and then Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close at the movies

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Ready for February

2012-01-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ha - remember how I was getting confused about the color changes in these blocks?

I finally finished it, but I'm relieved to know I wasn't the only one having a hard time! It's a Jan Patek pattern from the winter 2011 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine, but Jan previewed the design and discussed it last year in her blog: Jan Patek Quilts

As she said: "The piecing is easy - just triangle squares, squares and strips - but when you make the blocks, each corner churn part goes to a different churn. It can mess with your mind."

My experience exactly!! :)

Jan's name for the block and the quilt is "Lincoln's Platform." Since my version is done in Valentine/love colors, I'm calling mine Mary Todd, in honor of Abraham Lincoln's beloved wife.

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Monday

2012-01-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

On my work table: I've started piecing a flock of "Darting Birds" blocks using the greens I pulled out last week. I also have a bag of block-a-day blocks out to be considered.

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A new home improvement project is under way! Tony spent the day stripping wallpaper from the downstairs powder room and the upstairs hall bathroom. Our master bathroom needs re-doing also, but I wouldn't let him tear apart all three bathrooms at the same time.

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GRATITUDES

1. A rainy/snowy/sleety day -- the forest is getting a drink

2. Telemann trumpet concertos playing in the sewing room this afternoon

3. Beef lo mein and spring rolls for supper -- Happy Year of the Dragon!

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Stash report - week 4

2012-01-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 4.50 yards
Used year to date: 19.75 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 20.75 yards

Net used for 2012: -1.00 yards

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Friday

2012-01-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

I'm caught up for the month with comfort quilts, so I started a brand new project today! Several of these greens came in the fabric order I received last week, and I already had the bird print, so I've been itching to get going on it. First step was fussy-cutting those birds to see how many alternating/setting squares I could get ... the rest of the plan will build from there.

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Here's an interesting quilt site to explore:

Online Quilter.com

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GRATITUDES

1. Enjoyed lunch with Mother at McDonald's
2. I'm good at organizing
3. The sun setting behind the pine trees across the road

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Off on my own little sidetrack :)

2012-01-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, Lori at Humble Quilts began offering instructions for a quilt-along for this cute vintage doll quilt. I did the first step -- the six whole shoo-fly blocks -- and then set it aside on my worktable. She has since finished her instructions, but when I went back to my little pile of fabrics yesterday, the pieces suddenly had a mind of their own.

Here's my version, ready to be hand quilted. (That's batting and backing you see, not borders.) I'm thinking of calling it Echinacea.

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My room

2012-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Come take a peek at my little sewing room at the top of the stairs ...

The small bed was mine when I was a little girl. I often use it to pile fabric and UFOs on, or to make the dogs more cozy :) This is our third bedroom, and it's also used (infrequently) as a guest room -- the second one, Tony's office, has a big bed and is much more comfortable.

Not very messy today, just a few mounds on the floor, and all three dogs happened to be outside, so it's not as crowded as usual. On the worktable I'm sewing the binding around yet another comfort quilt.

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Stash report - week 3

2012-01-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 6.75 yards
Used year to date: 15.25 yards
Added this week: 20.75 yards
Added year to date: 20.75 yards

Net used for 2012: -5.50 yards

I knew this order was on its way, and that it would set me back for this week's stash report. These weren't impulse purchases, though -- the pine trees, reds and blues on the top of the stack are for a ***not patriotic*** red-and-blue project. The greens will go with a bird print I already have. I'm collecting the purples for a berry project. And the big piece of dark green is a clearance item that goes with my Christmas fabric stash. Ha, so now I have plenty to keep me busy for a while! :)

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A good afternoon

2012-01-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

A cute little doll quilt completion, fresh out of the dryer! I'm a member of SmallQuiltTalk Yahoo group, hostessed by author Kathleen Tracy. She's offering a small quilt challenge of the month, and I just completed my first one. It's based on the Mourning Crosses quilt from her book Prairie Children and Their Quilts. Kathleen's blog, A Sentimental Quilter, also has info about the monthly small quilt projects if you're interested.

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I was very pleasantly surprised to receive the spring issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine in today's mail! I wasn't expecting it for weeks yet! Marcie Patch's charming design, Old Soul, has immediately been added to my To-Do list :)

And meanwhile, I am persevering with those confusing churn dash blocks ...

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Waaay harder than it should be ...

2012-01-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went back to this project that I'd started before the holidays, and for some reason I'm having a terrible time with it! I think it's a right brain/left brain conflict ... churn dash blocks are easy, but these change color four times within each block. Actually, the blocks aren't even churn dashes, they're quarter churns with center crosses. I keep getting the wrong color in the wrong place facing the wrong way. It's not a problem with the pattern, it's just the way my brain is processing it. By the end of the day it was a good lesson in patience and humility :)

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We went to the movies last night and saw War Horse. It was OK. Very predictable. War is such a waste.

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Wednesday

2012-01-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

Another finish! I sewed until I ran out of fabric for these blocks I pulled out last week. I'd hoped that this would be a comfort quilt also, but it's on the small side. Anyway, another ziplock bag of blocks and scraps is done!

I keep my "general population" of stash upstairs in my sewing room, but also have another wall of fabric tote tubs, batting rolls, etc. down in the garage. With the 130 yards I consumed last year I was able to condense down and eliminate one of those tubs the other day ... at this rate, I'll have the garage stuff used in just another decade or so! On the other hand I'm expecting a fabric order to arrive any day now :)

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GRATITUDES

1. Bright sunshine and blue skies
2. Pizza for supper
3. A happy phone conversation

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UFO Challenge - January

2012-01-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in Judy's 2012 UFO Challenge, and she chose #5 as our January project. On my UFO list, #5 is this set of Block-a-Day blocks. As you know, some of these blocks have been lurking in my closet for nearly two years now -- I did B-a-D in 2010. I haven't been very inspired to finish the remaining block sets because they feel stale already, and even when I originally pieced them I was using fabric I didn't like and wanted to get rid of. Sigh.

This month I decided to just plunge in and get the challenge done, so I can take the finished comfort quilt to my guild meeting next week. One down, eleven to go with the B-a-D sets. I'm really tired of sampler quilts.

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Stash report 2012 - week 2

2012-01-07T23:36:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 8.50 yards
Used year to date: 8.50 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 0.00 yards

Net used for 2012: 8.50 yards

My first stash report of the new year! And now that I have a full year of statistics from 2011, I have a "record" to beat for this year. So far, so good :)

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Twelve Days of Christmas

2012-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

I've been doing this "mini" mystery offered by Temecula Quilt Co, and today was the reveal. Each block is only 3", and each day corresponded to the days of the song -- on the first day, the block had one piece; on the second day, two pieces, etc. This was such a clever idea!

My little top is 20" x 23". I used the scraps from my Civil War Christmas quilt. I'll slowly work at hand quilting it, and will have a new little quilt all done for next year's holiday season.

I'm enjoying the idea of doing little doll quilts -- they're quick and don't require much fabric. Lots of inspiration at author Kathleen Tracy's SmallQuiltTalk Yahoo group if you're so inclined.

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Mild weather

2012-01-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

The road coming up the hill behind our house. Mild weather means a lot of the snow has been melting -- not so good for the ski slopes.

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GRATITUDES

1. Dave and Jessica both had the same days off this week, so they came up for a quick visit

2. Lotion on my dry hands

3. Reading before bedtime

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Wednesday

2012-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

I had good luck with Judy's Basic Bread recipe today! Baking is sometimes tricky here because of the altitude, but everything went well today :) And the aroma of fresh bread is wonderful!

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Around the house - January

2012-01-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

I spent some time today puttering with January home decor. Actually, it has been kind of nice to have all the Christmas stuff put away and have everything plain and simple for a couple of days! But this is snow country, so the snowman collection does need to be out on the hutch, right?

Info about all these quilts can be found in my Webshots album

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Monday

2012-01-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

Now that we've made it past New Year's, the holiday season is finally over, and I can get back to regular life at last! Whew! Early in December the decorations and activities all seem so appealing, but by the time January rolls around I just want to get everything tidied up and peaceful again.

It has been more than three weeks since I turned my sewing machine on, and I'm soooooo ready to get back to work. Last evening, I did spend a half-hour in my room, trimming hourglasses for Orca Bay. (Which I'm waaaay behind on!) (But no guilt in 2012, right?) Anyway, it was too late to do anything really creative, but I was determined to at least spend some time up there yesterday -- you know that old adage about whatever you do on New Year's Day determines how you will spend the year ...

To get the ball rolling for real this morning, I pulled out this set of mile-a-minute blocks leftover from who-knows-when, and started adding strips -- could be my first comfort quilt of the new year in the making! I'm just winging it here, instant gratification being the goal. We'll see how far I can make those light and dark fabrics go. It just feels good to sew again!

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I ran across this hilarious blog article the other day, and wanted to share the laughs ~

Hey girl!

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If you're up late tomorrow night (Tue night - Wed morning) step outside and watch the sky ~

Quadrantid meteor shower

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GRATITUDES

1. Rosemary-scented shampoo
2. I reversed my cutting mat and put in a new blade, and I'm in rotary cutting heaven
3. An ordinary day (!!!)

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2012 UFO Challenge

2012-01-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

1.   Orange Autumn B-a-D
2.   Blue Snowy B-a-D
3.   Brown Sonnet B-a-D
4.   RWB Patch B-a-D
5.   ~~Aqua B-a-D~~ completed January 10, 2012
6.   RWB Burgundy B-a-D
7.   Holly Jolly B-a-D
8.   Trees B-a-D
9.   Rose Potpourri B-a-D
10. Blue Periwinkle B-a-D
11. Blue and Yellow Kismet B-a-D
12. Camouflage Browns B-a-D

Since I have only/exactly twelve Block-a-Day sets remaining to finish, I'm going to go ahead and list them for Judy's UFO Challenge.  Because they're pretty much destined to be donation quilts, I'm hoping be finishing most of them this year anyway.

I completed seven of the twelve on my UFO list last year, and then got distracted with Dad's broken hip and fizzled out. This year I'm going to take life as it comes, and not be stressed about scheduling. What will be, will be ...

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Looking ahead

2012-01-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

2012 is going to be the year of Not So Much Planning. I want to try new things and get lots accomplished in the coming year, but I'm NOT going to lay out the whole year for myself in advance. Rather than feeling stressed and boxed in and guilty about being off schedule, I'm going to allow more empty time and space for new experiences, and just let things flow ...

Healthwise, the intentions are simple: less fat, more fiber, calcium every day without fail ( I often forget to take it).

Housewise, we're hoping to get the sunroom redone -- it's chilly and drafty, and it leaks quite a bit when the weather is wet. It's going to be a major $$ consideration, though, so we'll see how that project develops.

Quiltwise, I have a nice list of suggestions and possibilities. But generally, I'm just going to work on whatever I feel like at any given moment, be it from my inspiration list or elsewhere. This is a HUGE change from previous years, when I had schedules and commitments and quotas galore. When the Muse whispers in my ear, I will answer ... and if there are times when I don't feel like toiling away at my To Do List, then I'll just sit back and enjoy the quilts I already have in my collection.

Otherwise, bread baking, herb gardening, yogurt making, and more reading are all on my agenda. Hmmm, and maybe I'll get back to cross-stitching. Or knitting: I haven't knit anything since the boys were toddlers. I have a couple of areas around the house that are targeted for decluttering. And I want to sit in the sunshine with a cup of tea or under the stars with a glass of wine and just enjoy the moment :)

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Happy New Year

2011-12-31T23:13:00.000-08:00

What the new year will bring, we cannot know. I think of the year that has been, folded away in time. There has been much good in it, although some sorrow. But there are always, in any year, many lovely memories, and I shall cherish them. Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor but is made up of many small things, rather like an old-fashioned piecework quilt.

As the clock moves irrevocably from yesterday to today, I go out on the terrace and fill my heart with the intensity of the winter moonlight. This is the time when the heart is at peace and the spirit rests. Silently I say, "Happy New Year to all of us, all over this turning earth. And may we make it a year of loving-kindness and gentle hearts."

Gladys Taber, Stillmeadow Calendar

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New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

A Big Bear New Year's Eve tradition: the torchlight parade down the ski slope.

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Looking back

2011-12-31T06:32:00.000-08:00

I completed 59 quilt projects in 2011, including 27 comfort quilts. This used 314.50 yards of fabric, which was offset by the 185.25 yards I purchased. I'm OK with the incoming fabric though, as long as I use more than I acquire. Of course I'd love to spend more time quilting, but I have been getting a lot done. I'm aesthetically satisfied with most of the projects I complete. I'm very comfortable with my identity as a utility quilter, not an heirloom/show quilter :)

2011 "highlights" included redecorating and recarpeting the entire second floor of the house, Dad's broken hip, and Dave and Jessica's official engagement (at looong last). We inherited little Jake, our third dog, when my dad was no longer able to take care of him, and his perky personality is a joy. We were delighted to have all the kiddos here for Christmas -- the whole family hasn't been together for the holidays since 2007.

I served as the Comfort Quilts chairperson for my guild, and the newsletter chairperson for the Historical Society. I read a lot, including the 8000+ pages of the Outlander series. I cooked and baked more. I was grateful every single day to be living in this beautiful place. I'm totally happy with who I am, and with where I am on my life's journey.

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Stash report - week 52

2011-12-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 0.00 yards
Used year to date: 314.50 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 185.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 129.25 yards

Here we are, at the final 2011 Stash Report. It was an interesting activity for me -- I'd never kept track of my fabric habits before.

I think that this was a typical year for me, in both the "ins" and the "outs" categories. I had no idea what to expect as far as actual numbers, so it's good to see that I used quite a bit more than I purchased. I make a lot of comfort quilts, which boosts my usage number. In another century or so, I should be getting close to consuming all my stash :)

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Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T21:34:00.000-08:00

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Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

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Last minute odds and ends

2011-12-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

The kids will be arriving later today, and we're in "bed and breakfast" mode with bedrooms, bathrooms, meals and snacks, gifts, etc., all poised and ready. Our next door neighbor's family already arrived last evening, and brought those five granddogs, so when Frankie and Cholula get here we'll have TEN dogs running along the fence in the yard!

Jake HATES that bad vacuum cleaner!!

Tony finished our most recent jigsaw puzzle just in time -- I need to clear the table this morning.

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If you need new quilty inspiration for next year, take a look at this project:

Just Takes 2 intro/home

Just Takes 2 blog

It's a year-long mystery quilt finishing up at 72 x 90. It was inspired by the red and white quilt exhibit this past year, so start thinking about a two-color combo and join the fun :)

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Happy solstice!

2011-12-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

Happy solstice! This is a busy time of year, but try to spend a few minutes today quietly enjoying the beauty of nature: a bird, the bright sky. Relax, take a deep breath, and go forward feeling peaceful. Winter is a time of rest and renewal.

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Tuesday

2011-12-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

GRATITUDES

1. Dad had a minor surgery done yesterday, and everything went well
2. Christmas baking and wrapping right on schedule
3. Latkes for supper tonight, another holiday observance we enjoy each year

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Stash report - week 51

2011-12-18T07:35:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 1.25 yards
Used year to date: 314.50 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 185.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 129.25 yards

Almost all the fabric I used this past week for those comfort quilts had already been counted earlier, so this week's report just includes a little cut for one of the bindings and a feeble start on some Lincoln's Platform blocks. I think with the holiday activities coming up next week I'm probably pretty much done using fabric for the year.

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Prairie Christmas Stars

2011-12-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Several people have asked about the quilt on the bed with the dogs in yesterday's photo. I didn't realize that I hadn't "featured" it in recent blog years -- I made it way back in 2003. Ha, obviously I had a wealth of scraps even back then!

It's from a pattern by Lynda Hall called Prairie Christmas Stars. Lynda has wonderful quilt patterns, and I've been strongly influenced by her "prim" style. I've made MANY of her pieced designs through the years. She's been featuring quite a bit of applique in her more recent patterns, though, and I'm *not* an appliquer :)

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Up next

2011-12-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

Now that I've finished the Christmas quilts and the comfort quilts, I couldn't resist pulling fabrics for a new project! I decided to jump ahead to February with pinks and reds. It's another inspiration from Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine called Lincoln's Platform. Hmm, since Abraham Lincoln's birthday is in February as well as Valentine's Day, it'll be a multipurpose quilt, right? :) Realistically, I won't get much done on it until after the holidays, but I was just itching to dig in those stash tubs today.

I'm also stewing about the little house project. If I'm going to do the 366 block-a-day version, I need to decide pretty soon. They'd have to be small blocks -- not much bigger than 3 or 4 inches -- to all fit in one quilt. Or I could just make *some* houses ...

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GRATITUDES

1. Flannel sheets
2. Tamales for supper -- it's the first day of Las Posadas in Mexico and here in California (haha, we celebrate everything!)
3. My buddies in the sewing room

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Done!! (and more B-a-Ds used!)

2011-12-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

So, remember last week when I was talking about the domestic violence shelter needing more comfort quilts? Well, I've been busy up in the sewing room, and got these three cranked out in short order!

When life allows me the time, I'm a FAST quilt maker!! Here's a look at my process: as you can see, all three were absolutely "quick-and-dirty" projects. All the related fabrics for each quilt were already in kit bags, so no decision-making about colors, etc. The pieced blocks were from Block-a-Day, and besides that I just added width-of-fabric strips. Ha, the blue and yellow one is just strips, can't get any easier than that! I didn't calculate any sizes for anything -- however wide the narrowest w-o-f turned out to be is how wide each quilt became. And lengths were "whenever those fabrics ran out" :) No pieced backs, either, since I was already working with w-o-f. Very simple quilting, about an hour apiece, machine stitched bindings, and : taadaa, three comfort quilts!

I'll be dropping them off at Doves this afternoon, and am pleased that I could brighten someone's holiday season.

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Thursday

2011-12-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

I forgot to show this photo earlier ... the finished quilt I was working on last month from Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine.

GRATITUDES

1. Sitting in the sunroom watching the action outside at the bird feeders
2. Havarti cheese on my sandwich
3. Friendly courteous delivery drivers -- UPS, FedEx

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A little sidetrack

2011-12-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

It all began innocently enough. Earlier this year, I started following Kathleen Tracy's blog, A Sentimental Quilter. She is the author of several books, including the recently published Civil War Sewing Circle. I've long admired Lucy's, Lori's and Kathie's small quilts, and thought I might like to create my own collection.

Via Kathleen's blog, I discovered her Yahoo group, SmallQuiltTalk. I joined and am enjoying keeping up with lots of chitchat from this large active group. Among other things, they work on small quilt challenges offered by Kathleen, and I just finished up my first one -- a doll quilt done using 4ps in any desired arrangement. Mine is machine pieced and hand quilted. It crinkled up a LOT after washing, and finished at 16" x 19".

Many of the members of the Yahoo group have been discussing an interesting project they will be participating in next year. A specially-created blog, Building Houses from Scraps, gives all the info. (Scroll down in each entry to get to the English translation.) Basically it involves piecing a 3" house block for each day of the year in 2012. Because it will be a leap year, that's 366 teeny-tiny house blocks.

I did sign up, and we'll have to see how far I get with all those little houses. Since I did make it all the way through my B-a-D series in 2010, there's a decent chance that I can do this one in 2012. So this whole thing has morphed from enjoying a book to joining a doll/mini quilt group to signing up for a block-a-day activity for 2012. Ha, the internet is an enabler, isn't it?

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Recent finishes

2011-12-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the binding on this holiday quilt, just one week into December so it's not really tooo terribly late :) It's my version of Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts weekly series. Coincidentally, the red I used for the setting triangles is from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Reunion line. I had at least a half-million yards of it already in my stash, and it was a good color ... so: Go Brackman! Go Civil War repros!

And here's a very purple Block-a-Day block set that became a comfort quilt last week. It's already been dropped off at Doves, the domestic violence shelter. I still have about 12 or 14 B-a-D block sets remaining, but slowly they're getting whittled down. Two more sets will be turning into more Doves quilts this coming week. Sad that they need more quilts, but happy that I can provide a few for them!!

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Stash report - week 50

2011-12-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 10.25 yards
Used year to date: 310.25 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 182.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 128.00 yards

I cut and pieced the backs and prepped the bindings for three comfort quilts this past week. I actually thought I was done with quilting for the year, but Doves, our local domestic violence shelter, unfortunately has a full house this month ... I want to get at least these three quilts delivered to them as soon as possible.

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Tuesday

2011-12-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

It's COLD here! Temps have been down around zero the past several nights, and just up into the twenties during the day. This is great weather for our ski resorts -- they can blow snow 24 hours a day when it stays so cold. With the roads being clear and dry, and the snow base on the slopes increasing, the community gets zillions of guests, which is wonderful for the local economy!

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GRATITUDES

1. Holiday party season -- had a lovely time at the guild dinner last night, and the museum dinner is tonight
2. Silly emails that make me smile
3. Most of the holiday decorating around the house is done, and we're feeling festive!

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Stash report - week 49

2011-12-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 9.50 yards
Used year to date: 300.00 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 182.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 117.75 yards

I sewed up some curtain panels the other day, so that boosted my usage number for this week.

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December

2011-12-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

It's hard to imagine that it's December already ... the year has gone so fast! We're having a snow day today, staying in and enjoying the winter wonderland outside the window. I have a chicken roasting in the oven, my sewing machine's been humming, and nothing urgent needs to be tended to, so life is good this afternoon!

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GRATITUDES

1. The hush of falling snow

2. A stack of magazines and mail-order catalogs to browse through

3. December 1st means we get to open the first door and have the first little chocolate from our Advent calendars, a tradition we've kept since Nick and Dave were babies.

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Tuesday

2011-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

Let's all help Dad fix the curtain rod on the stair landing ...

GRATITUDES

1. House slippers keeping my toes warm
2. Rediscovering a couple of blogs that I used to enjoy years ago
3. Vegetable soup and sourdough biscuits for lunch

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Monday

2011-11-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Made some good progress on the second clue of Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay mystery over the weekend! I just need to finish up a few more of these little string blocks, and the remaining fifty little hourglasses from last week, and I'll be all caught up. My color scheme inspiration for this quilt is Granny Smith apples :)

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We had a lovely time yesterday afternoon enjoying a matinee performance of A Christmas Carol. Our community theater group is active and talented, and we always attend their productions. Scrooge just sets the mood for the holiday season! Ha, someday maybe I'll be Mrs. Fezziwig :)

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GRATITUDES

1. Back to normal after Thanksgiving -- refrigerator cleared of odd leftovers, guest bedding and towels washed, tablecloths and napkins ironed and put away
2. Flickers in the birch tree this morning
3. The warm homey yeasty smell of bread baking

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Stash Report - week 48

2011-11-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 1.50 yards
Used year to date: 290.50 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 182.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 108.25 yards

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Black Friday, Big Bear Style

2011-11-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

I'm NOT a **shopper**, and anyway the only big store we have up here is K-Mart, so no real Black Friday action ... but I did take a bag of stuff over to the thrift shop yesterday, and came home with this very nice quilt!!

It's wool and velveteen, and in perfect condition, and was only $5. If you notice along the left-hand edge, there are partial blocks, so I bet it was originally larger, and was cut down and rebound.

So that's my Deal of the Weekend :)

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Friday

2011-11-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

With grandpuppies Frankie and Cholula visiting, we're up to FIVE dogs helping in the kitchen! See similar moments here and here :)

Dave and Jessica came up for an overnight visit, and we had a lovely Thanksgiving get-together -- the refrigerator is crammed full of leftovers. The snow that had been in the forecast didn't happen, so the kiddos had dry roads for their drive up and back down. Their visit was brief, as usual, because they both work today, but it's always so great to see them!

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The second clue for Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay Mystery was posted this morning. This one involves teeny little 3 1/2" string blocks -- as usual, lots of scrappy detail in Bonnie's designs. I'm not even done with the first part yet, but hope to get caught up this weekend.

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Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

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Tuesday

2011-11-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

New snow and bright blue skies when we woke up yesterday morning ... it shur is mighty purty here!! :)

GRATITUDES

1. That first cup of coffee in the morning
2. My Guild friends
3. Feather pillows

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Stash report - week 47

2011-11-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 10.75 yards
Used year to date: 289.00 yards
Added this week: 11.00 yards
Added year to date: 182.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 106.75 yards

I added some yardage this week to supplement my Christmas project. This was from a discontinued line by Judie Rothermel, and it looked like an irresistible last chance ... so here it is, in my sewing room :)

See other stash reports here. Haha, it's a bit of a comfort to know I'm not the only one with a fabric addiction.

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Coming along nicely

2011-11-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

I had a good afternoon in my sewing room, and made satisfactory progress on my Christmas quilt. The magazine instructions were for sixteen blocks, but I've increased mine to twenty-four, so this is only about half of the top. I'll be doing a bit more with the border than was suggested in the magazine, too, so my quilt will be bigger overall.

It's so nice when everything goes together just right :)

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Thanks for all the encouragement about blogging. Several comments have been left recently as "no reply" so I can't get back to you, but I appreciate the positive feedback.

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Friday

2011-11-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

Today Bonnie Hunter published the first clue for her Orca Bay mystery. I got a few of the hourglass units made this evening, but I need to sew at least a half-zillion more -- Bonnie's mysteries are rather intense :) I'd totally planned to use a blues-and-greens combination, but this morning when I looked at the fabrics I had pulled out, they just didn't work for me ... so it was a last-minute change to browns and reds.

I also finished piecing all the blocks for my Christmas quilt project, and should get the sashing organized this weekend.

And I just discovered that Carriage House Samplings has not gone out of business as I thought it had. I'm getting the itch to do some cross-stitch again. (in my *ha* spare time)

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GRATITUDES

1. Small-town life -- I always see someone I know at the market and the post office
2. The house smells good! I made gingerbread and homemade pizza today
3. A glass of cool refreshing water -- sometimes I'm just thirsty

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Wednesday

2011-11-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

GRATITUDES

1. Rabbits scampering across the frosty yard at sunrise

2. Oatnut bread with apricot jam

3. A tidied-up linen closet

4. Snoring dogs

5. Cinnamon-scented candles

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Civil War Sampler

2011-11-15T06:23:00.000-08:00

Here's where I'm at with my Civil War Sampler. I only did about half of the blocks that Barbara Brackman offered in her weekly series, and I've had it on hold since spring.

I just resurrected it because the holiday season is fast approaching -- if I plan to use it this year I need to get it done! I have backing fabric all ready to go, and hope to get it layered later this week.

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Sample block

2011-11-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

I did manage to sew a sample block yesterday for the quilt I was admiring in the new PQandP magazine. It worked up just fine, a classic Grandmother's Choice block, so it's all systems go for this project. I plan to make twenty blocks, instead of the sixteen shown in the magazine.

Actually, I'm using leftover scraps from the Civil War Sampler blocks I did earlier in the year using Barbara Brackman's weekly series. I've made more progress on that quilt, too, since way back in April when I last mentioned it -- so with any luck I might have two new Christmas quilts for this year's holiday season!

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Stash report - week 46

2011-11-13T06:14:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 7.25 yards
Used year to date: 278.25 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 171.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 107.00 yards

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Saturday

2011-11-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

I had good luck with books from the thrift shop today -- this pile was only $2.50

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Finished up the quilting and binding on the rusty 9ps, and it's already on the couch being enjoyed by the dogs :) It was hard to get an OK photo because it's pretty big. I clipped it up to the porch outside, but then I got those branch shadows ... anyway, this is the best I could do with it today.

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Odds and ends

2011-11-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Good mail today! I've been looking forward to receiving the winter issue of PQ and P since I saw the preview on their website.

Several projects have caught my eye, and I can't wait to jump into the Country Christmas quilt this weekend!

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Bonnie Hunter will be offering a new Mystery Quilt series beginning next week. The clues will be posted on Fridays for seven or eight weeks. Her designs are always very scrappy and complex, and her instructions are detailed and conversational. If you're looking for an *intense* mystery quilt challenge, check her out! I have some fabrics pulled out, but so far I'm still at the "just thinking about it" stage :)

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MY NEW EXERCISE PROGRAM:
Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 2 lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.

Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 5 lb potato sacks. Then try 25 lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 50 lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level)

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks ...

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Happy news!

2011-11-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Jessica's birthday, and Dave gave her an engagement ring for her birthday gift! They've been together for seven years, so it's about time :) She's an absolute dear, they're totally in love and perfect for each other, and we couldn't be more delighted!!!

As a parent, the thing you want for your kids is that they be happy, and both Nick and Dave have found such wonderful partners ... just smiling to myself here :)

Dave, Jessica, Stacey, Nick

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Monday

2011-11-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

A view of the valley after our weekend snow

I've done some more pondering, and I think the problem is that I've let myself get to the point where I'm not working hard enough at blogging any more. This has become a rather half-hearted activity. Sigh. The very-easy solution would be to give up, but maybe what I need to do first is to try putting a little more effort into it :) So I'm going to attempt, between now and the end of the year, to add a little more liveliness to my blog. If I don't feel better about it by then, well -- at least I'll have tried ...

I used write daily. I used to share recipes and menus and quotes and music and books and photos and links. I used to reply to comments -- absolutely no excuses here, I just let them go now, which is rude ... sorry! I used to try harder, really.

OK, enough blithering. To get the ball rolling, here's an interesting recipe site. I've found some good ones here! I plan to try today's recipe, the Sweet Potato Bisque, later this week.

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GRATITUDES

1. Brilliant blue skies
2. Breakfast at Grizzly Manor today, a "locals" favorite - biscuits and gravy!!!
3. Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale
4. The aroma of woodsmoke around the neighborhood -- chilly nights mean lots of fireplaces keeping us all cozy :)

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Sunday

2011-11-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

These little turkeys date back to Nick and Dave's Cub Scout days, at least twenty-five years ago. This single teeny-tiny apple is the only fruit that appeared on our young apple trees this year.

It's been a sleety Novemberish day, making for thoughtful hours in the sewing room ... and my mind has been wandering. I was surprised to recall that I've been blogging since November 2004, so this week is my seven-year blogaversary! That's a LOT of posts, a LOT of years, a LOT of life's happenings, a LOT of Gratitudes recorded and gone by. I began blogging long ago for some particular reasons, but my life has changed so much since then. I'm not even sure why I'm still at it.

I only keep about two years or so of my posts listed, but even in that smaller sampling I can see how my outlook has shifted. I'm feeling like maybe I've said it all already. It might be time to refocus.

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GRATITUDES

1. Being mindful of darkness falling early on this first night of time change

2. Lighting the candles and the woodstove to make the house cozy

3. Quiet time with my thoughts

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Stash report - week 45

2011-11-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

Used this week: 8.00 yards
Used year to date: 271.00 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 171.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 99.75 yards

Here are a few of the comfort quilts I've been finishing up recently.

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Snow day!

2011-11-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

It snowed all day and we ended up with about five or six inches.

All the dogs love to be out in the snow.

The boys had a good nap when they came in.

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Tuesday, and it's November already!

2011-11-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Making progress on my rusty 9-patch project! Onward to layering and quilting ...

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Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

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Stash report - week 44

2011-10-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 3.25 yards
Used year to date: 263.00 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 171.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 91.75 yards

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Saturday

2011-10-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

GRATITUDES

1. Kettle corn
2. Orion shining above the yard
3. Bright warm quilts on a cold night

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Stash report - week 43

2011-10-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 6.25 yards
Used year to date: 259.75 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 171.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 88.50 yards

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"October's bright blue weather ..."

2011-10-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

Looking out from the back porch

GRATITUDES

1. A mellow October afternoon -- soft sunshine and crickets chirping in the yard
2. A mug of freshly-brewed coffee
3. Caught up on laundry AND errands
4. The shorthand language that has developed after decades of marriage
5. Apple pie a la mode :)

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Tuesday

2011-10-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

I won a nice set of autumn swap blocks at my guild meeting last night! I might need to *pause* with the rusty 9p project and zoom these together right away. It's fun to bring home a treasure -- I still have the set of bright blocks I won in April, waiting to be used next spring.

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GRATITUDES

1. A pumpkin bagel with cinnamon sugar for breakfast
2. Doggie antics -- they keep us entertained!
3. The forest is beginning to share its harvest -- pinecones, crabapples, rose hips, serviceberries, acorns ... a feast for the wildlife!

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Progress

2011-10-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm, bad flash, but anyway you get the idea. The rusty 9ps have decided that they needed oomph blocks between them :) I must have a diagonal-visualization handicap -- couldn't get around the corner without drawing it out on paper.

We're getting Dad over to his place for a couple of hours a day now. This involves a major mobilization with wheel chairs, walkers, etc., but things are heading in the right direction. I'm tired, though. I've lost enough weight to buy a smaller size pair of jeans (don't get me wrong: that's a Good Thing.) The coming week holds three doctor appointments for Dad and two for Mom. I'm plum-tuckered-out by the end of the day!

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Tuesday

2011-10-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Aha! Got myself going again ... working on a big stack of 9ps, aiming for 140-some blocks. So far the plan is rusty-red scrappy, and we'll see where it goes from there.

We had Dad down the hill for his appointment with the orthopedic surgeon today. He got an all-clear as far as the hip fracture healing, so now it's just a matter of him regaining his strength and becoming responsible for himself again. Sigh. It's been a long couple months.

The coyotes have been soooo active this week. I see them trotting along the road in car headlights and hear them howling and yelping outside all night long ... which means the dogs are barking and fretting all night long too. They usually stay up on the ridge above us, so they must be reorganizing for autumn :)

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GRATITUDES

1. Rye toast
2. The aspens are turning gold
3. Sitting on the back porch watching the brilliant moon rise

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Thursday

2011-10-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Our first snow of the season! We had a cold blustery storm pass through yesterday, and woke to this very-early-in-the-season surprise this morning. It will melt off as soon as the sun comes up. Whew -- wasn't it just summer a few minutes ago?

I've settled into a slower pace of life for now. The daily round of assisting Dad doesn't leave me with much time for leisure activities -- I'm finding it hard to concentrate on anything creative. We talk about him getting well enough to go back to his own home, but truth be told I kind of doubt it. His heart is bad and he doesn't seem to have the strength to get past the broken hip and begin caring for himself again. Sigh.

Because the house is disarranged due to his presence, I'm not inspired to work on quilts to use for decorating here at home. I feel like I should be working on a Christmas quilt or two, but can't seem to settle on anything. I am keeping a Comfort Quilt project spread out on my worktable, and when I have a chance I chip away at it ... but that's basically just a time-filler, not a real project. I guess I'm in a slump :(

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Comfort Quilts

2011-10-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of recent Comfort Quilts finishes

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GRATITUDES

1. A huge flock of ravens circling and cawing over the lake

2. Apple turnovers

3. Freshly-aired pillows

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Stash report - week 40

2011-10-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 4.00 yards
Used year to date: 238.50 yards
Added this week: 6.00 yards
Added year to date: 135.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 103.25 yards

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Friday

2011-09-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

GRATITUDES

1. Cozy at home on a thundershowery afternoon
2. A nice phone call from Dave
3. Peanut butter cookies

Jake and Elvis are BEST FRIENDS

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Wednesday

2011-09-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

GRATITUDES

1. Warm bright days and cool nights -- love the changing seasons!
2. We're finally beginning to get past the overwhelmingness of caring for Dad with his broken hip ... life may actually return to "normal" someday. It's hard to be elderly.
3. Amy's Brisket and a lovely challah from the Farmer's Market for supper

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Stash report - week 39

2011-09-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Used this period: 22.50 yards
Used year to date: 234.50 yards
Added this period: 1.25 yards
Added year to date: 129.25 yards

Net used for 2011: 105.25 yards

It's been six weeks since my last stash report ...

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Happy Autumn!

2011-09-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

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Going "down the hill"

2011-08-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since my dad fell and broke his hip. He made it through surgery to set the fracture and he's struggling toward recovery at a convalescent hospital, but his heart and kidneys are bad, so we have a long way to go yet. We're travelling down to see him most days -- it's about 90 miles round trip.

The mountains we live in form a climate barrier -- Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean are below us on "the front side" and the Mojave Desert is below on "the back side." Dad is at a hospital in Victorville, a city of more than 100,000 population down on the desert side. Here's what our daily commute looks like:

Rounding the curve coming out of Bear Valley -- this is the first view of the desert below from Cushenbury Summit, elevation approx 6900 feet. Click on the pics to get a feel for the distance.

The first leg of the trip is about 15 minutes going down the canyon to the desert floor.

I often feel like I'm in a pretend western movie set, but it really looks like this!

When we get down to the bottom, it's a 30-mile stretch straight out across the desert. Ranches along the way ...

Looking back the way we've come -- the arrow is approximately where we live. Those are the lingering clouds from yesterday's thunderstorms.

And this is how it looks when we get back up here to Big Bear Valley -- such a change from the desert below! I'm always so glad to get back home.

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GRATITUDES

1. Dad is hangin' in there

2. It was 103* in Victorville when we left yesterday, and 64* when we got out of the car at home

3. We've settled into our new routine ... taking it one day at a time

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Super Scoopers

2011-08-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

We had a tremendous thunderstorm here on the mountaintop yesterday afternoon, and lightning strikes started a number of fires. Within an hour, these amazing planes were here to drop water on the burning trees. They actually scoop water right out of the lake -- about 1400 gallons per run. The fires are out, and we were all dazzled by the extraordinary air show!

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A bump in the road

2011-08-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

My Dad fell Monday night and broke his hip and his arm. He's elderly and has a number of serious health issues, and this newest development makes the situation very difficult. We're completely distracted with his needs right now, so I won't be around much for a while. Currently, he's in a hospital down the mountain, which is about an hour and a half drive from here, so the days are long.

His little dog, Jake, has come to live at our house -- probably permanently. That makes the dog population here three, which is a challenge in itself.

One day at a time ...

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Stash report - week 33

2011-08-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 4.00 yards
Used year to date: 212.00 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 128.00 yards

Net used for 2011: 84.00 yards

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Red Baskets

2011-08-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

Donedonedone!!!! This is the basket BOM that was offered by my guild this year. The block patterns were in our newsletter, and I figured out the layout for myself -- just a basic on-point setting.

I've been working away at it since December, so it feels wonderful to finally get it finished. Creating and attaching all those yo-yo flowers seemed to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

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GRATITUDES

1. The sun is riding a bit lower in the sky these days -- summer is waning. I love watching the seasons change.
2. The sound of children's voices playing across the road
3. A relaxing supper on the deck

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Stash report - week 32

2011-08-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 5.75 yards
Used year to date: 208.00 yards
Added this week: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 128.00 yards

Net used for 2011: 80.00 yards

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August

2011-08-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Today's the first day of school here in Bear Valley, summer is winding down already! Aaah, remember having new shoes ... and the smell of freshly-sharpened pencils?

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Here are a couple of the Comfort Quilts I've been working on recently. The tops came out of the guild's storage tub ... I'm just doing the quilting and binding. It's kind of funny that I'm finishing up someone else's UFOs instead of my own. The floral one is going to Meals on Wheels, and the patriotic one will be sent to Wounded Warriors. There are several more similar tops slowly making their way through my workroom, also :)

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GRATITUDES

1. A wonderfully mysterious foggy morning
2. Goldfinches feasting on the sunflowers in the yard
3. New calendar pages -- they both have sunflowers! :)

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Stash report - week 31

2011-07-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

Used this period: 19.75 yards
Used year to date: 202.25 yards
Added this period: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 128.00 yards

Net used for 2011: 74.25 yards

Ha -- the numbers accumulate better when I don't report for a couple of weeks :) I've been finishing several comfort quilts recently ... I get the tops from the guild storage tub, and do backings and quilting and binding. Not very creative, but it gets 'em done!

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Saturday

2011-07-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

GRATITUDES

1.   New Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine arrived -- lots of great inspiration!
2.   Rain ... we always need it
3.   A lovely dinner at Barnstorm Restaurant at the airport last evening: good company and wonderful views of the sunset
4.   Chocolate ice cream
5.   An owl hooting right across the road last night
6.   Sunflowers blooming all over the yard -- the seeds were "planted" by our busy chipmunks
7.   The aroma of coffee brewing
8.   Fluffy feather pillows
9.   Rocking on the front porch
10. Summer in the mountains!

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Basket BOM progress

2011-07-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Whenever I can catch a few spare minutes, I've been working on my guild's basket BOM. I've been remiss about sharing pics of the blocks as they've been offered from month to month, but I finally have them all done and assembled. This picture gives you an idea of my progress so far. I'm using an assortment of 30's prints, along with solid yellow and red. I'm still going to add a border, and then after it's quilted I'll be embellishing with yo-yo flowers in all the baskets. I'm aiming to have it done for our show on Labor Day weekend.

As the Comfort Quilts chairperson for the guild, I actually spend most of my quilty time these days working on small bright cuddle quilts to be donated -- I don't get a chance to focus on regular quilts as much any more as I used to. I'm really enjoying being a member of the guild, though, and they do keep me busy!! If only there were more hours in the day ...

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A completion!

2011-07-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't completed anything in more than a month, so it feels good to finally get something accomplished!

I finished the binding on this project last night during TV. It's the quilt I started at the Patricia Pepe workshop my guild offered last month. The border was made using the offcuts from the blocks, so there was virtually no waste. I enjoyed working with the X-Blocks cutting tool, and plan to explore it further. I'm thinking about a more complex arrangement in autumn colors.

Meanwhile, I have several comfort quilts that need binding.

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Stash report - week 29

2011-07-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 1.50 yards
Used year to date: 182.50 yards
Added this week: 13.00 yards
Added year to date: 128.00 yards

Net used for 2011: 54.50 yards

Backsliding! I received some yardage from the newly-released Crossroads to Texas collection, but the only fabric I consumed this week was some strips I cut for binding. My numbers are going the wrong way :(

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Stash report - week 28

2011-07-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 11.50 yards
Used year to date: 181.00 yards
Added this week: 20.00 yards (it was that garage sale yardage)
Added year to date: 115.00 yards

Net used for 2011: 66.00 yards

I haven't done a Stash Report for weeks, so these numbers bring me up to date. Still in the black!

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Garage sale season

2011-07-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing here in Big Bear, and that means it's garage sale season! My recent finds include:

... a hand-crocheted wool (NOT acrylic) granny square afghan for $5 -- someone must have spent an entire winter crocheting this! A steamer trunk -- not very good condition, but only $7, and we'll work on restoring it eventually.

... twenty yards of fabric, mostly Christmas colors, for $4

... and a set of ninteen hand-appliqued blocks for $1! Of course the challenges here are the hideous colors and the fact that there are only ninteen blocks, not twenty -- but I couldn't pass them up. Someday we'll see what I can do with 'em!

Otherwise, summer is keeping us extremely busy. The kids and the grandpuppies were up for a nice visit, the garden is in bloom, and both the quilt guild and the museum are very active right now. Life is good!

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Independence Day

2011-07-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, America!

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Wednesday

2011-06-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

GRATITUDES

1. The yarrow in the front yard is blooming
2. They play music over the loudspeakers in the parking lot at the grocery store ... and today when I got out of the car, I heard the Soggy Bottom Boys! The soundtrack from 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' is one of my all-time favorites!
3. A good book: just finished reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Totally absorbing and much deeper than the movie!

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Workshop report

2011-06-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Patricia Pepe, the inventor of the very clever X-Blocks cutting tools, was our guest speaker at this month's guild meeting, and also taught the day-after workshop. Her lecture was enjoyable and inspiring, and we left the workshop brimming with ideas and suggestions.

I started with a very simple cutting variation at the workshop to get the hang of the X-Blocks tool, but I'll certainly be exploring the technique further! I cut and sewed up this block set in less than an hour and a half, and that's including the extra time necessary to use different fabrics for each one. A quilt plan involving just a few controlled fabrics would be even faster. The idea is to sew basic straight-edge pieces, and then use the cutting templates to achieve complicated blocks with angles and points. Seam allowances are included in the cutting shapes, so everything matches perfectly, even the corners that aren't 45* angles (always challenge for me!!).

I don't often use special gadgets for quilting, because my quilts are usually just plain-old traditional utility quilts, but this tool will be a real time-saver -- the complicated has been made simple!! If you happen across it at a shop or a show, check it out.

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GRATITUDES

1. The pearly light in the sky before dawn
2. Juicy plums
3. Shea butter lotion

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Log Cabin

2011-06-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

A completion! I just finished up this warm-tones log cabin lap robe. It's a replacement for an older one that the dogs shredded while nest-digging on the loveseat. They're hard on quilts, but better that than the actual upholstery :) I like to keep utility quilts like this around the house, not as decoration, but just to "cushion" everyday life.

Log cabins are my favorite blocks. I have tubs of 1 1/2" strips sorted into lights and darks, and I enjoy just pulling out some out and sewing mindlessly -- no planning for this project, just kept at it until I had enough blocks.

Meanwhile, the big buckeye top has been quilted and is waiting for binding. Summer is beckoning, though, and I'm finding it harder and harder to concentrate in the sewing room! I want to be outside, enjoying the sunshine!

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Stash report - week 23

2011-06-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Used this week: 26.00 yards
Used year to date: 135.50 yards
Added this period: 0.00 yards
Added year to date: 71.00 yards

Net used for 2011: 64.50 yards

Some big numbers this week! In addition to my cleaning frenzy the other day, I finally gritted my teeth and layered the buckeye top ... so that was another nine yards used for backing.

I counted, though, while I was cleaning, and I still have 8 unquilted tops and 24 UFO block sets lurking in the closet -- still too many UFOs hanging over my head!

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Wednesday - and it's June already!

2011-06-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

GRATITUDES

1. Lupines and poppies are blooming around the valley
2. The writings of Anne Lamott
3. Strawberry shortcake

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Tuesday

2011-05-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

Nick and Stacey are enjoying a belated honeymoon in Italy!

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I've been "lost in space" this month as far as quilting goes. I haven't done a single thing since I finished piecing my big buckeye top, and that was more than two weeks ago. I think part of my problem is that my "should do" project list never seems to get any shorter, so I never let myself work on "wanna do" stuff. I just bog down and stop. I decided to try some housekeeping and purging in the sewing room, to clear the decks and get myself back on track.

Five UFOs have been sent along to greener pastures -- it always helps to mentally lighten the load, doesn't it? Fifteen yards of fabric have been bagged up for the guild bargain table. A stack of old magazines and books have been shared with my friendship group. Things are looking tidier and I'm ready to get inspired again. Onward, to a new month ...

Can you tell I'm procrastinating on layering and quilting that big buckeye top?

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Memorial Day

2011-05-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

Remembering our fallen heroes.

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Stash report - week 22

2011-05-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

Used this period: 4.50 yards
Used year to date: 109.50 yards
Added this period: 11 yards
Added year to date: 71 yards

Net used for 2011: 37.50 yards

A bit of backsliding ... added some yardage last week, but didn't use much. At least I'm still in the black!

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