Closing out June - 2015

I am so glad to see this month done!  Although it marks half a year gone, it has been a miserable month.  RAIN, tornadoes, RAIN, lightening, tornadoes, RAIN, oops there was a day of sunshine, RAIN -  you get the point.

My SIMPLE list for the month was Let's Book It, RSC15. amd Slow Stitching Sunday.

The Let's Book It project - completed.

RSC15 - light blues - completed.  BUT boy I have a lot of blues left!!

Slow Stitching Sunday - well I failed on this poor little piece.  I got too caught up in my scrap piles.  This will be carried over into July.

Oh, and I was going to clear out this area!  Well, it was cleared out once - and then filled back in.  Empty bins and racks to be put away (rained out vending), a camode (?) which has sat in my hallway for a long time - this needs donating or into the scrap, bags and items for quilt guild that need putting away upstairs (program committee items).  The bins under the hanging bags are my (1) cut batts for the to-be-quilted (2) quilts which I would like to see completed by the end of the year.

I did get a quilt finished for the month - using donated scraps from many resources for a baby quilt.

And there was a second quilt completed, but with all the rain there has been no chance to photo it outside.  BUT here is all the pretty threads that I used on it.  I find it handy to keep my bobbins on my thread stand spindle to keep a certain furkid from playing (and losing) with them.

I spent a few days working on a commission piece.  This should be back tomorrow from the long armer so I will have a binding and special label to add - both of those are made and ready.

And that scrap pile play resulted in lots of blocks.  If I had to chose just one part of the quilting process as the only thing I could do, it would be making blocks - I love making blocks.

Here's wishing for a dryer and warmer and safer July,

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Monday Making 6/29/15

On my design wall (a.ka. louvered doors to my washer/dryer) is my newest Postage Stamp quilt using 2" squares.  I have a few more rows ready to add and I probably need to make more.  Once I get those on there will be a border of muslin and then a 2" scrappy square border followed by another muslin border.  You all know how I love borders - so this one will be around for a few more play dates.

I have 30 Bonnie Hunter's Grandpa's Stars made  - thought I would lay four of them out so you can see what pattern they make.  I need a total of 80, so I will play with these thru the week, too.  They go fast as I have that box full of ready made scrap HSTs.  The skinny (1.5") braces are coming out of my string tote - cornerstones coming out of the 1.5" barrel.

  
My thread order arrived (Connecting Thread sale) and notice they are tubing them differently.  I just hope this doesn't cause a problem with my side spindle feed on my machine - and they don't stand to steady on my stand either. We shall see as my last 'piecing' color spool is just about out and I will be using the new spool.

And I had a 'duh' moment with my new lint rollers - must have these for working with scraps that leave threads every where as well as two furkids that shed non-stop.  I removed the cover (same print) and set it down to do the next one.  I looked - now didn't I just remove the cover?  Well howdee!!  Every sewing room needs a fancy sticky lint roller.  Now I have to check next time if there are other patterns.

Speaking of scraps - I sent off my 5" cut downs and a box filled with my 3.5" and 2.5" squares is heading out to a new home.  WHY??  Because I have not been able to keep up with them, used them in 20 plus projects, and I have some new bags of gifted scraps that need moving into my fabric food chain.  Why stuff them into over flowing totes and barrels - clear out and start fresh.  First clear was all the large items to either the drawers or totes.

And there were a lot of skinny strings.  Some of these will get worked into my Grandpa's Stars, but I think some serious string block play needs to be had.
I found some pieces for my July 'Let's Book It' project and pulled some reds for RSC15.  What was left will be cut down into my barrels thru out the week.

** linking up with Monday Making and Design Wall Monday **

Will you play this week?
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Let's Book It - June 2015

I hope you have been enjoying a re-visit to some old books, files, patterns, and inspiration.  Remember, it is to encourage you to dust those oldies off and start that project that so inspired you in the first place - no finish is required.

 

The project I chose for June was this very old print out with the foundations  just waiting to be played with.  Not all the instructions were there - either I didn't print off the last page or it has long been lost, but this is pretty simple to figure out.

I'll be honest, I only finished up the hand sewing of the binding this afternoon.

Sometimes I only sign the backs of my minis - no label.  Hanging corners work on such a small piece.

Finished at 12.5" x 16.5" - my little village completely from the scrap bin and a long lost pattern enjoyed.

This month's Vintage Sewing Machine Pin is joined with the Lily Bouquet Charm.

Now it is your turn to link up:

An InLinkz Link-up

National Catfish Day

I was actually trying to come up with a good Post Title and had a real DUH moment.  So went looking for any strange 'special day' for today.  Well, howdee!  Yes, there is a real National Catfish Day - proclamation #5672 by President Ronald Regan in 1987.

I do reminisce - my Aunt and Uncle's camp and family re-unions there.  Everyone catfished so there could be a fish fry.  Although as a youngster, fish was not something I craved.  BUT boy, I could go for a good fish fry now.

I am slow going with quilting this one - lots of straight line quilting with almost every color thread in the bin.  What was I thinking?  Obviously I wasn't thinking as about half way thru my SIL asked " wasn't that the quilt you wanted to try circle quilting"?  Well, yes, but too late now.  

That kind of blew my sails, plus I was getting tired.  SO I changed gears to sooth my soul.

I pulled out my Bonnie Hunter's 'grandpa's stars' pieces to make a few more blocks.  Working small units soothes - well, for me it does.  I think I will work on these today - the quilting can wait.

And what's a post without a bunch of photo's.  Remember my grand apple tree in blossom?  Maybe you can make out all the apples this is loaded with -the bees did a super job in a short time.

Can you see them?  Little green orbs growing larger each day and some starting to get a little pink color.  The mini trees are loaded, too, but the deer have been enjoying them already - easy eats when they are nose level and hidden behind the large barn where no one will see you or chase you away.

  
And we are getting new neighbors!  I zoomed as close as I could.  We have so many empty lots from homes washed away (or needing to be torn down) with the flood  caused by Irene in 2011.

A zoom in another direction - a senior living complex is going in (a lot of people are not too happy with this - we fought it for over 2 years).  I hope they issue life vests and assign row boats.  Every new house has to be raised to meet the new 'flood' specs for the valley.  Well 4' is not going to save them as we know where that water level was to our house on the hill - triple that number.  We could have used a grocery store, health center, pharmacy, youth center, even a regular appartment complex to bring families back into the community  - anything but a senior home (we already  have two) .

OK, to get off the rant and sour subject - I was shocked to find these beautiful flox had taken hold behind the woodshop.  I didn't plant these and they have never been there before - actually I had some poppies started in here - obviously they have been chooked out with these and a thick system of Yarrow, too.

Remember to enjoy your catfish today,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Monday's Play

I have my little 'Village'  quilt sandwiched up and waiting for it's quilting.  Yes, that's two layers of batt - really one layer of craft felt and one of batt, which really makes wallhangings lay so nice against the wall.  The binding is made (the red) and maybe that will even get attached for handwork later.

Remember I dumped my 2" barrel to play with the smaller 'Sister's Choice' blocks?  Well, why put them back in the barrel - play with them.  So another Postage Stamp quilt is in the works and I really hope it eats them right up.

I had a bit of a shopping spree.  This is one of three boxes that I need to go thru.  Check the slips, pull the stickers, and some will get matched up with the project they were bought for - the rest to the shelf.  I don't buy a lot of yardage - FQs are yardage to me.  BUT, there comes a time you need that size. 

Fabric.com had a super extra wide backing sale a couple of weeks ago.  I do like to piece backs, but sometimes you need to just 'get-r-done' - plus, my suppose yardage is really running low and very little choice.

I, also, like to get my white-on-white and beige-on-beige this way.  One yard of an extra wide is 3 yrds and at $6 a yard - do the math.

I know I said a couple of times that I had enough thread to last a few years.  Well, I keep my empty spools for inventory, plus I went thru my thread cart.  A lot of spools used - I know I passed on 2 cones and some of those white spools to a quilter who uses them to make Christmas trees.  AND a lot of my cart spools are at least half used.  So ........  Connecting Threads has a 30% off sale right now.  My SIL and I did up a 'really need' and 'oh, I love that' list and we are waiting on a large order of thread to arrive.

** linking up with Monday Making and Design Wall Monday **

Take time to play today,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

The Weekend 6/19-21/15

I have been neglectful of my two furkids and they have been scolded too often while I have been working the commission quilt.  That is now all pieced, back is pieced, and all packaged to be sent off to the long armer on Tuesday (she comes down to sew at the shop that day).  As you can see, my grumpiness has rubbed off - look at that face!  What is she watching?

If you know Moe, you know he loves to sit in boxes and the 'queen' is not allowing that.  I left a few boxed quilty things out while I was working on the big project - something they could actually touch. There have been a few fueds over the last couple of days.  So I need to spend more time with these two. (and I need to vacumm my rugs)

** linking to Feline Friday **

Since I have the big project wrapped up - needed some scrap fix!!  I fell in love with Sarah's little 'Sister' blocks.  I've made these before - in large scale.  I had to re-evaluate what is in progress - three leader/ender projects using my 1.5" scraps/strings - hmmm.  Well, wake up!!  My 2" barrel was over flowing so let's dump it and play.

And quickly a whole bunch of colorful 9-patches got made.  I pulled my container of lites that so desperately need a clean out, too.  The yellow completes the color wheel - yardage off the shelf for the star points.

Since this month's RSC15 is light blue (I have a few in there), I did up the blue 9-patches first.

** linking up with Oh, Scrap and RSC15 **

I was suppose to be vending Sunday, but Storm Bill is moving into our area later today and right thru the next 3 days.  So Sunday I will be joining Slow Sunday Stitching to finish up this little piece. (and get all my rugs vacummed)

Hope you are enjoying your weekend,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

I'm Not Lost

I have been behind on reading and commenting on blogs and may even be a bit more amiss, BUT I am working on a commission project and it is nose to the grind until this is finished.  I large beautiful basket full of fabric to pull from.

To work on this pattern - 'Princess' by Amy Bradley.  I have a schedule for each bit of progress.  I am now down to the adding the borders - you know how I love borders.  Then piecing a back, prep for the long armer (no, I am not quilting this one) and be sure I have the binding ready when it comes back.  Even the special label has been turned over to someone with a special machine for that process.

And I treat myself for each finished part of the schedule - and get that 'let's work tiny' fix.  I work a few of these each night after I have cleaned my machine.  I'm not even counting these yet, just letting them grow slowly in this box until I have a plan for them.

I am suppose to be vending this weekend, too (Father's Day) - first time since I fell and broke my hip.  So the lists are being made and checked.  HOWEVER, the forecast is severe storms - this is an outside venue.  So things could be cancelled.  If that happens, I will be basting up one of my quilts to do FMQ on myself.

So all is well here - those in the path of storm BILL - be safe and you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Flag Day

Feline Friday-RSC15-Tornados

Yes, we had another day of constant tornado warnings.  I powered down for most of the day - the lightening scared the beegeebers out of me!  I did get my little town into a semi-flimsie stage.  Just the borders - wonder how long it will take me to put those on?  At this point it is 8.5" x 12".

I have been working up my orphaned/gifted HSTs with the RSC15, but my storage was getting so crammed that it really needed to be addressed.  This is my 2.5" box.  I have them from 1.5" up to 4.5" in storage containers by size.

Ha, I caught her on camera this time!  I turned the camera on in the other room so she wouldn't hear it.  Dump some scraps or blocks on the table and PRESTO!  She stayed there most of the day as she gets just as nervous with storms as I do - had to stay as close to momma as possible.

  
This is Bonnie Hunter's "Grandpa's Star" from Quiltmaker March/April '12 for her Addicted To Scraps column.  Having all those ready to use HSTs made these work up fast - I got quite a few done in between power offs/power ups. ** link up with Oh,Scrap **

I put this together Thursday and the black borders are hanging off it.  Now to get those on - hmmm.  Actually I have a commission piece to finish first (hopefully no more storms for a while) - then I will knuckle down to those borders.

Now to catch up on some blog reading,
Sewingly yours,
Sharon