Thank you!!

 This is another cotton version of the Primitive Gatherings wool version block of the week from this summer.  I still need to stitch it down and complete the embroidery.  Hey, guess what?? I bought a piece of yellow fabric today...don't know why, but it tickled me to no end!!  So I can make another block...hee!!

 Wagon wheel experiments....hmmmmmmmm

Don't know where this is going....

THANK YOU!!!  Last blog post decision was unanimous...LEAVES it is!!!  So I am putting that on the to do list....

Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

Which way to go?

 I was just taking pictures, trying to clarify in my mind if I really want all those little leaves on the sashing vines or not.  It looks pretty busy, up close...

But in the picture, I like it...may I ask your opinion?  Leaves or no leaves...that is the question!!!  LOL!!

Have a great day all, and Rebecca!!  You were chosen at random to receive the scrap book...congratulations and please send me your snail mail address.  Stay tuned..more giveaways to come...thank you everyone for your interest.


Julie

Wagon Wheels!

I am working on the wagon wheel quilt today.  The circles are appliqued over the nine patches, which are 6 inch finished.  The brightest ones are my favorites, with the most contrast.  I have quite a bit of work to do yet on this one.

And I hand quilted a table runner for a friend...all from plaids of course!!

*****************************Keeping house...kind of....*********************
Monday is house keeping day for me. Lots of times I work the weekends, so this is my day to catch up.  I vacuum, sweep and mop floors, dust, clean mirrors, empty trashes, organize magazines, and change all the linens and toweling.  This is the basic Flylady plan...look her up if you are in need of an organizer type email listing.  How do you do your housekeeping? Really, I would love to know!!!

**********************Nurse's notes***********************

Floated to different nursing units...lots during the last three weeks. And I was cancelled twice, so that means if I am to be paid, I must use my vacation hours.  So we are having our summer slump...I teasingly said we need to offer two for one heart surgeries?  Just kidding of course...but I will worry until we get busy again...

I had a delightful lady who is 92 years old, and she thought she was just getting old.  She came in for a heart monitor...and her heart rate was low 30's, sustained.  So she got a pacemaker, and feels so very much better!  Her husband is a dentist, who still practices, believe it or not!!  They also have a cabin in Colorado that they travel back and forth too...pretty good for a couple in their 90's!!!  Again...there is that activity thing.  The most active patients are the ones who do the best!!  I so enjoyed this couple.  She said it was fine to blog about her, and she is a quilter too...and a retired RN.



Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!!

Julie

Back to our originally scheduled program...

 Now that the big stitch quilting obsession has passed, I am working on my block of the week blocks again.  Above is my simplified cotton version of Lisa Bongean's wool version, which is below.

 This block need lots of stuff still added to it, but it is coming along.

While I was in the hand quilting frame of mind, I hand quilted this one too.  I am doing something wrong with the blanket stitching...it is pulling away from the edge of the circles to the center, after rinsing the quilt.  Tell me how to do it right??  Is my tension not tight enough??  I do this by hand...Thanks!!!  Remember to sign up, if you like, for my giveaway last post...


Julie

Ok, here is a close up...I am muffing it up somehow...it looks great at first, but then it pulls like this...now you experts, what in the tarnation am I doing wrong??

Julie

Quilting is finished

 Progress on the woolie Primitive Gatherings block of the week has been stalled, due to my obsession of big stitch quilting this quilt.  TA DA!!  I am done with the quilting!

 I did baptist fans across all the blocks, and a cross hatch in the black and white border squares.  It was fast and furious...and fun!

So if you have hung out with me this long...how about a giveaway?  I would love to give away this duplicate book to some scrappy quilter.  Just leave me a comment about where your summer dream vacation would be!!

Julie

Worked the weekend

 I know you all have seen this quilt before, but I am loving it especially today, because it is hand quilted and made all from old plaids from the thrift store and other places. It is big stitch quilted, all by hand.  It is soft and worn and just one of my favorites.

 Here is Rosie on the quilt...she is in the middle of whatever I am doing...I love that little doggie!!

 Above is my current big stitch quilting project...the latest plaid sampler I made.  It is fun to see it all shrunken and becoming so soft and homey looking after stitching and washing.

 Twosies!!  I have been sewing lots and lots of 1.5 inch squares together;  the goal is to make a postage stamp quilt.  Here are the first three rows...it is doubled back due to the difficulty of taking a picture of just a long strip.

I have been stealthily cutting a few 1.5 inch squares from every fabric I have, or maybe eek one square out from a scrap...so this quilt is truly a work of scrap!!!


Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

Julie

For Sale!

 Good afternoon, everyone.  The time has come, folks...I must part with some treasures.  Many people are downsizing, and I am one of them.  It was always my intent to hand quilt the above quilt top, but I am just not getting it done, so I would like this quilt top to go to someone who will complete it, or enjoy it as it is.  It was told to me that this quilt is from the 1880's, but I have no knowledge of this.  It is entirely hand pieced.  The middle blocks are pinks and indigos, but the outside blocks are different colors...a little maverick.   I paid $120.00 at the Dallas quilt show for this, and am offering it for 1/2 of that...$60.00 plus whatever postage is.   (Update!  Claimed!!  thank you!)

Some quilt books too...Some brand new, others older...how about $25.00 for these.  I am sure I will find some more to throw in the box as well...  ( Claimed!)  thank you!


I am going through kits and fabric too...I feel the urgent need to finish some things up in my life...do you ever feel that way?

Have a great day!!!

Julie

Borders on the plaid!

 Thought I would try a picture out on the lawn...I finished the plaid checkered border!  Yahoo!!  My friend Linda O said she made two rounds of the black and white squares, so I did the same.

 Straight shot...

 The cotton version of the Primitive Gatherings block of the week.

 A little candle mat...

And some scrappy bindings all ready to go! Oddly enough, those bindings were very satisfying to make.  All bits of other bindings, saved, and now ready to be applied to scrappy quilts.  Love that!


Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

A few close-to-finishes?

 Quilted!!  A couple of quilt tops that have been lingering in the quilt closet...quilted!  I am delighted for these quilts, being to this stage.  I bought these blocks, I think on e-bay, long ago.  AND set them together long ago...then carefully pressed the top and hung it in the closet...until recently!  Darcie of October's child had started working for the post office, and recently has decided to return to quilting.  So....she quilted these for me!

 And lookie!!  A hand dyed back from her stash...it is so pretty and soft in real life...the picture does not do it justice at all.  Excuse the fold lines...I just got them unpacked!

 This is another top that has been lingering in the same closet...time to geterdun!  She quilted swirlie circles on this one...

 A bigger view.

And the current Primitive Gatherings woolie block.  I had real problems getting these wools to adhere...I think my wonder under is old!!  I look forward to hand blanket stitching these pieces down.




I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!!


Julie

Happy Fourth!

 Happy Fourth of July, for those of us in the USA...sweet land of Liberty!  Dear hubby got me a miniature liberty bell last trip he made to Philadelphia, see it on the quilt?

 Patriotic table runner...

 that was made from scraps and leftover blocks from this quilt!  This was a Bonnie Hunter mystery of several years ago.

The Star Gazer lilies are blooming!!



Happy Fourth to all!!!


Julie

Progress; a little more each day!

 Here are the cotton on cotton quilt blocks I am making, using Lisa Bongean's summer block of the month patterns.  I am making the wool version too, but these cotton ones appeal too...I am not making them exactly like hers, but using most of her elements.

 All these are fused, and just need stitching!

And this little quilt is completed, bound, and packaged to gift to the recipient.  Hurrah for finishes!!  (even little ones...)




Hey, I had a thought...now don't fall down at that news, LOL!!  Several bloggers have mentioned that blogging comments and participation seems to be down.  Would you share your thoughts about that with me?  Is it because people are so very busy?  Or that folks are using face book or instagram?

I am thinking this...that we as bloggers sometimes are our own worst enemy.  We are lurkers... We love comments...but don't comment.  We love participation..but don't participate.  I am speaking about myself here.  So...I have a period set aside every night, to comment to you...to respond to you!! I say I am too busy...well that is a bunch of bologna for me!! Yes I run around like a nut from morning to night, but I know very well that I have time for anything that is important to me...and you all are important!! I know all about what you are doing...Vicki at LA quilter, moving home to the south, Bonnie and her travels, Janet and her miniature quilts, and on and on!!  I read with alacrity every post...so...every night, I have a period of time set aside to just comment and enjoy your blogs.  I think if every blogger sat down for 15 minutes and just commented to her friends, and found some new bloggers too...it would be much more busy and fun in blog world!! What do you think?  15 minutes??



Have a great day!!

Julie

Primitive Gatherings block four, and a couple other little quilties!

 Here is my block four, the summer Block of the week from Primitive Gatherings.  Nothing stitched down on this one, but it ready to stitch!!  Wool on cotton...the wool tickles my nose!!  I feel for the poor staff that have to cut all those wool pieces...sneezes!

 This is the beginnings of a little heart quilt for a friend at work.  She gave me a much need hug when I really needed it last week...so I will finish it up and get it to her.  It is small...maybe she can put it in her office or something.  Rick rack, anyone??

And I put another border on this little quilt...just need stitching time on this one too.



I just want to say how grateful I am for each of you...friends far and near.  I have loved getting to know you through your blogs and comments and e-mails...you are a rich treasure to me.



Julie

Plaid scraps rule!!

 Country Threads had a sampler, a free offering in 2013.  Here is my version!  It is made all of plaid scraps, with muslin as the background fabric.  I made a few changes as my fancy and the materials at hand dictated; and here is what I came up with.

 A favorite block...that little pinwheel block!!  Love that one, for some reason!!  Country Threads is also having another sampler quilt along for this year...check them out!  I am saving the patterns, but I have not started it...yet!

 Many of you know I am working on the current wool sampler from Primitive Gatherings.  I am experimenting with making cotton blocks too...see above...and below!

 I like the basket!

 And the bird...

The sampler calls for lots of little four patches, so I got caught up on making all those while I had some time.



*********************Nurse's Notes*******************************

KIND OF A DOWNER!!  Warning, warning!!  don't read if you are just here for quiltish content...

I had some pretty rough days the last stretch I had at the hospital...I sure hope these next days are better, and not so emotional is so many ways.  I had to terminally wean a patient from the ventilator...and he lasted about 5 minutes without the vent support.  Just broke my heart, friends...seems like after 25 years of nursing it would be easier...but it still hurts so badly...I think it is the family pain that infiltrates my heart and makes me sad.  I know the patient is in heaven and all is well for him.  Taking a deep breath here and preparing for my next patients!!

***********************************************************************


Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

Woolie progress!

 Primitive Gatherings block number 3!!  It is on top of another quilt, so sorry about that...but I love the sunflowers!

 This is a muse...I saw a pinwheel inside of a circle...just had to make a prototype...



I have little else to offer on the quilting front this week...I have been a bit under the weather, and working, working, working!!


Have a great day, everyone!

Julie