Happiness Squared

Working my way through bins of completed blocks-of-the-month, I ran across these nine blocks from 2023. The class was "Aspiring Stars" taught at my LQS. They were just begging to be set together~  "Circle of Nine" to the rescue!  This book contains plenty of inspiration for unique and attractive settings for those occasions when you might have less than twelve blocks (not to assume that I am a class drop-out or anything!). I added the outer border of Economy blocks from the leftover scraps. All of the setting fabrics came from the stash, nothing was purchased to complete this flimsy; which makes me very happy. The fabrics are bright and lively, too, all combining perfectly as the name for this one: "Happiness Squared". It just fit. 😊

Life is Good!

Picking Strawberries

Yes, I am picking strawberries! You might think that's a stretch since the ground is snow covered and that wouldn't be physically possible; but, yes it is, I am picking strawberries in the sewing room!  First, I am readying this years-old project for retreat weekend. The pattern was one from Westwood Acres.  I have dusted off the bin on the shelf with all the necessary fabrics and, hopefully, will be setting these bright and plump pretties together before the weekend concludes. 

Strawberry Garden  is this year's BOM offering at my LQS. Naturally, I am front and center in the classroom for this one! I have already completed the assignment for the first month and am digging deep into my stash of hoarded strawberry prints for this one.

I'm going to have fun with these! 

When it comes to blocks, I am picking strawberries!

It's perpetually strawberry season around here.

🍓

Life is Good!

Winter Wonders

I finished this cross-stitch pinkeep over this past snowy/icy weekend; I hope and pray that you were spared any dangerous conditions and/or power outage. We are experiencing severe cold today; but thankfully, we only received several inches of sleet which didn't accumulate on the trees or powerlines. I've begun another cross stitch piece, this one is a sampler~ Sarah Barker. 

If you've been a reader here for a while you may recall a post that I did many years back regarding a thimble that my grandmother gave to me. I am including the link here, for context. A friend discovered this sampler pattern and alerted me to it a few years back. I have done some research through my hometown document center to see if this sampler could possibly be one made by the original owner of my thimble. The dates align. There were six nine year old girls named Sarah Elizabeth Barker living in the United States in 1840. Considering the fact that this child had her own gold, monogrammed, thimble; and the high quality of needlework skills exhibited in this piece of work, chances are high that this sampler was made by the same person as the one buried in my hometown. I am going with that. And so, my version of Sarah's sampler has begun, I am switching out the colors of mine from the original, though. Here is the pattern as printed:

This magnificent Amaryllis continues to bloom forth and be a bright spot on the kitchen table against the frozen landscape beyond. 

Patience has received a border! This particular black-on-black print has been in my stash since the late 1990's. I was glad to put it to good use at long last! I hope to add another, wider, border beyond this one but I have stalled out on the decision making process for now; and so, Patience is hanging neatly in the closet while I ponder what's next.  There was supposed to be a quilt retreat this past weekend, it was postponed and rescheduled due to the weather. It's just as well, I have pulled out a mostly completed BOM from a few years ago and am using the time between now and the upcoming retreat weekend to cut pieces for the blocks to finish up this one. All the blanks will soon be filled in with smaller pieced blocks. 

Sew...what's new and exciting at your place?

Stay warm and safe!

Life is Good!

Getting It Together

These Lemoyne Star blocks are from last year's block-of-the-month at the LQS. They'd been neatly stored away (well, truth be told: eleven of them had been, I had to catch up and make that twelfth block!) and practically forgotten about until this week. Schools  began classes again around here on Wednesday, the summer has ended for all intents and purposes. This time of year always puts me in a deliberate "focusing" mindset. Maybe it's years of conditioning: back-to-school always triggered something in me along the lines of planning, organizing and goal-setting. Nothing like thinking along those lines to begin getting these blocks set and this quilt on the way to being completed!

I found this setting idea in a booklet called "Mix & Match Sampler Settings" by Scott Flanagan. It has some terrific ideas! Plus, I have piles of orphan blocks that could use some getting setting together; I'd better keep the book handy!

SEW, all the setting pieces are organized, in place and ready to go. 

I've got a nice terra cotta piece saved for an outer border too. There's no stopping me now.

I'm not headed back to school but I am focused, and ready to accomplish some newly-set goals. 

Life is Good!

Last Weekend and Beyond...

The 50th Anniversary celebration continued last weekend with the entire family gathering for a dinner out. Mr. G and I can't remember a time when we've had more fun. These four entertained the table all evening! It was wonderful in every way!

                                                         Here we all are, it was a night to remember. 

Even though I begged for time to stand still... sigh.

💗

In other, quilty, news: 

This is "Chain Gang", it is finally quilted. Since I just mentioned the passage of time... these blocks were completed 15 years ago! I set the top together only three summers ago, I guess it was finally time. 😉 I used Urban Elementz "Wavy Gravy" pantograph by Patricia Ritter to quilt this one; I really love the soft, curvy, effect combined with the strong diagonal  element of the quilt blocks!

Maybe I was simply waiting all this time for the perfect backing fabric. What do you think? Yes, that's the story that we're going with! I have a pile of bright colored scraps to piece together for the binding... I can confidently say today, at long last, that this one is almost done. 

Using Deb Tucker's Wedge Star tool and a box of 4.5" scraps I managed to set together eighty 7" kaleidoscope blocks into this top measuring, 56" X 80", this past week. Just to make sure that this one doesn't hang around for fifteen years before quilting, I have the backing and binding all ready to go. It's up for loading onto the longarm rails next. No time like the present... right? Ha!!

Life is Good!

 

Finally, A Finish!

No, not a quilt finish but a finish nonetheless. I believe that I started this one the summer before last but it's done, in a frame and ready for its close up! I had to laugh when I read Mary's Country Threads blog the other day and she referred to quilters who've taken up cross stitch as "jumping ship"! I haven't gone all in, as in totally overboard, but I do stitch to unwind in the evenings and have an outing to a cross stitch shop planned for tomorrow! Maybe I'm in deeper than I thought. 😉  It's been hard to get into the sewing room the past few days what with getting the perennial garden weeded and cleaned up for new growth emerging, and tending to the sourdough! Seriously, keeping up with the starter and using it on a regular basis is like a adopting a baby! Last week I did a big batch of cinnamon rolls and this week I've baked rustic whole wheat loaves as well as bread bowls for soup.  

Whole Wheat

Bread "bowls"; these were yummy!

I did manage to get another (2024) BOM block together in an effort to stay ahead. I'm still working backwards (2023) too, as time allows. I'm also piecing blocks L-E style at the same time; stay tuned for those; they're cute. 

    What's on your "finished" list lately?

Life is Good!

In Like A Lion?

How did your March kick-off? Did it come in like a lion? Ours was chilly and rainy but not too cold to nip the abundant daffodils who are joyfully showing off right now. I'm participating in two blocks-of-the month currently. This one, left, is part of the Barn Star class from the book by Shelley Cavanna.

My fabric choices are from the Dry-brush Essentials line by Wilmington Fabrics. I wanted my stars to look actual barn stars; I'm not following the color suggestions in the book.

The first two blocks are huge; twenty four inches square, both of these.

This is the second 2024 block-of-the month. Lemoyne Stars w/ Variations. Twelve inch blocks. So far I'm caught up and plan to stay that way or, even better, work ahead as time allows. Last year I abandoned both BOMs that I was participating in after I broke my wrist at the end of August; I had always intended to pick them back up but it didn't happen. My plan now is to work backwards and complete those too. But, the question is this: if I am working backward on those and ahead on the current blocks at the same time, am I actually making any forward progress, or standing still? 

My Winter Winds quilt is under the needle currently. I just love this pantograph!

In an effort to USE my ages-old serger I did an overedge stitch on the entire perimeter of this quilt top before loading it onto Snowbird for quilting. I can't believe what a difference this made as far as keeping the edges neat and straight! I may do this to all my tops moving forward, it really didn't take much time at all and I can already see how much cleaner binding this will be when I get to that stage. A win-win! To stay seasonally appropriate my goal is to finish this one up before the quickly-approaching first day of spring! Fingers crossed! SEW, what are your plans for this coming month?

On March 1st my parents celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary! What a blessing. 

I found this treasure last week too, Mom and Dad leaving on their honeymoon. 

Mom says it was snowing to beat the band on that 1952 evening in Massachusetts. 💗

Although it didn't exactly greet us here with lion-like weather to begin the month

it is March and we know to expect the unexpected. 

Life is Good!

. 

Button, Button...

... who's got the button? 

I do!

This huge jar of buttons represents three generations of button hoarders keepers collectors! I have inherited the button baskets that belonged to my grandmother as well as my mother; keep in mind that I already had a very healthy-sized, full, button tin of my own! In an effort to tidy up, organize and consolidate, these buttons now all occupy the same space! This jar itself stands well over a foot tall and is nine and half inches in diameter! Take a guess at how much that many buttons weigh*!

😲

It's become a decorative conversation piece on the desk in my sewing room now, along with the buttons it holds as much sentimental value to me as anything.

In other hot-weather happenings around here:

  One of last year's Blocks-of-the-Month is now quilted and ready for binding, this one is Lady's Scrap Basket by Bits 'n Pieces. Quilted with Daisy Swirl pantograph. 

And another one, same quilt shop different BOM from last year. Timeless with a Twist by Michelle Renee Hiatt for Studio 180. Quilted with Oh, My Feathers pantograph. 

As we've continued to clean out cabinets as is necessary with the current, ongoing, kitchen re-do project, I ran across a shelf devoted to candle shades such as this one pictured. I had collected them over the years and used them, seasonally, in decorating spaces here and there around the house. I was going to give them all away, thinking them to be just "one more thing" adding to the clutter. But, I just couldn't do it. I truly love them and each one meant something to me, connecting me with another time and place. Mr. G. reminded me to think about the Japanese Art of Tidying and Marie Kondo's mantra about sparking joy. "If you love them", he said, "keep them. After we're long gone if our children want to toss out or auction off all of our belongings they're free to do that". I took his words to heart. 💗 They're staying. 

Moving outdoors: I bare-root save my front porch geraniums over the winter in cardboard boxes in the basement. Come spring, I remove them from their dark storage containers, pot them up with fresh soil and begin watering them in. Here's a side by side for comparison. L: April 1st, R: today.  I've been doing this with the same plants for years. Honestly, I didn't think I'd removed them early enough this year (I forgot), I typically start them in March; they did struggle at first but, as you can see, they've done just fine again this year. Phew! 

And now, back to that kitchen project: Along with new cabinetry we're replacing our 22+ y.o. appliances. Here's the new dishwasher, someone decided to thoroughly check it out! I asked Mr. G what cycle he thought I should use on a load like this one. His reply "A short one!"

*So, did you hazard a guess as to how much "three-generations of buttons" jar weighs?  

21 lbs!

That's a LOT of buttons. 

 Life is Good!

It's July!

Sam says 'hi"! I hope and trust that you all had a wonderful fourth. It was really just another day here as we didn't attend any fireworks or barbecues this year. Work continues on the kitchen re-do; hopefully all of the perimeter counter tops will be fully installed tomorrow. We did observe the holiday with extra flags and patriotic displays, Uncle Sam is currently on sentinel duty at the sewing room door. Sam is a Country Threads pattern. 

I began this sampler yesterday, even though it won't be finished in a timely manner it will be ready for next year and it will be a fun little project to work on in the evenings this month.

Another sampler, this one a block-of-the-month quilt variety from last year, a Bits 'n Pieces pattern, Lady's Scrap Basket, is finally under the needle for quilting. Panto: "Daisy Swirl" from Willow Leaf Studios. Mine is entitled "Red Letter Day".

And now, the most exciting news of the day! Take a look at this positively scrumptious strawberry quilt! You just know that I had to have this! Amanda over at Westwood Acres Fabrics has kitted up the fabric along with her original quilt pattern for purchase, right now, on her website. I'm always the one saying "I don't buy kits" but, the truth of the matter is that's not always the case; this one is a delightful exception! (The paper pattern-only is available too if you have more restraint than I do and can resist this beautiful hand selected collection of lovelies.) I honestly can't wait to get started on my own Strawberry Jam quilt! Hurry on over (click on the hyperlink above) before these kits and patterns are gone, I promise they're going fast! 

🍓

Life is Good!