Patient Pillows, and a completed set of Snail Trail blocks (Storm at sea)

 I found the last Snail's Trail block, that was missing in action!!  It needed to be finished, so I finished and trimmed it today.  Hurrah!  All the blocks are completed!

I finished these patient pillows, but the credit goes to Mary G, from Idaho.  She made all these pillows, sent them flat, and I stuffed and finished them.  So, these are already going to the hospital for distribution, for any patient that needs a little color or support.  These are just perfect, and big thanks for Mary for all her work and fabric!

I am not sure of what this flower is, but it seems to like life here in the backyard!  

The tomatoes are still trying to put on little tomatoes.  It is 103 degrees right now...I have to water night and day to keep them going.  SO HOT!  How are the temperatures where you are?

 This is a pot that the neighbors sold in a yard sale.  It is huge, and I snapped it up, filled it with potting soil, and planted Zinnia seeds.  The seeds seem to approve and will be a riot of blooms in a couple of weeks.  

Hope you are staying cool...or warm...depending on where in the world you are!!!

Julie

Churn dash progress, and circle of friends!

Good morning to all!!!  Above are my churn dash blocks.  Progress is being made!  I have other blocks cut out, but I am out of background, so I will look for something similar in my stash.  

I appliqued nine more Wagon wheel blocks.  Some of them look like the wagon wheel hit a rut...lol!!!  

Throwing a wheel back in the Covered wagon days was disastrous.  Glad that my folk-art quilt is not that serious.  

I finished the applique on this tiny tumbler quilt.  Next up is the hand quilting part.  Love that!

Remember, all you log cabin lunatics?  Remember these blocks?  I made substantial progress on these blocks!  Yahoo!!!  Quite labor intensive, using 1-inch strips.  I think this is the LAST quilt I make from one-inch strips, LOL!!!  Even though I love it!  Maybe I will use them all up???

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS:

If you need a specific fabric or scrap or something for a current project...just leave a note in the comments.  I will publish your email address on a blog post...and if friends have something that would help you?  They can email you and you can arrange to get it to you!!  It is working very well!!  For example, if you need 2 inch wide green strips...or orange stripes...or brown plaids...maybe someone can help you, and we can all share what we have with others!!   Just for fun!

Julie

Have a super day!  

 

Circle of friends!!!

 HI all!

Debra needs some orange or orange/white string scraps; can anyone help her?  Please email to her at:

dwdame@att.net

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, helping each other!  Thanks, Debra!!!

Wagon wheel progress

I finished the second row on my Wagon Wheel quilt, from long ago.  It feels good to have something coming along toward a finish, Especially a quilt from long ago.  

 Dot found out about this amazing quilt, from my last post!  Thank you, Dot!

Here is the information about the quilt and it's makers.  

https://christianscholarsconference.org/arts-civil-rights-and-the-csc/

I just thought is was a fun idea, but so often there is more to the quilt than meets the eye!

Hope each of you is having a great day!

Julie

Churn dash!!

I have started my churn dash blocks!  Chooky is having a churn dash quilt along.  I have mine all cut out, so the fun sewing is commencing.  Yahoo! Are you making churn dash blocks along with us????????  Mine are 9 inches finished...fast to make!

I found this quilt on the internet.  I love those smiling people...and love their quilt.  Isn't this a fun crumb quilt?  No mention of their names was given, so if this is you...please comment so we can honor you!

Julie

 

Calming the Storm at sea, and a tiny tumbler quilt!

It is slow stitching Sunday, and so this is what I am stitching away on.  A tiny tumbler quilt!  My friend Janet sent a package of tumblers, precut...what fun!!  This is what I am making from that gift.  I am loving it!

I am sewing more and more blocks for the Storm at Sea quilt.  I am making progress!  Why oh why am I missing that one block in the corner???????

Hope you are doing great!

Julie
 

Sunday!

Hurrah!  I am on the home stretch of these blocks.  I started out with a pink, instead of blue, but there was not enough contrast to suit me.  So, I started over with blue!  

There are so many ways to arrange these blocks!  Lots of fun to be had, arranging and sewing these blocks.  I used the Creative Grids ruler square in a square, loaned to me from my friend Annie.  

I am playing with an applique border on this mini quilt...just silly stuff, making it different.

I was gifted four quilt tops, for patients!  A lady in the gift shop at the hospital received them from another lady whose mom is cleaning out her home.  

 I plan to donate two of them, and finish two for my patients.  Hurrah for that, too!!!!!!!!!!!

************************CIRCLE OF FRIENDS!!!!!!!!****************************

What do you think of this?  I sent out a box...the first CIRCLE OF FRIENDS box!  If anyone needs something specific for a current project...please comment in the comments below.  Please put your email address in the comment, so people can contact you and arrange for what you need, shipping, etc.  I was going to publish email addresses on the blog, but I would rather you do that in the comments, if you need something.  I will try and send things when I have them, but if I don't have something, others will see your need and try to fill it.  

We can all share our stashes and help each other...like a CIRCLE OF FRIENDS!!!!!

Everyone has something different...I am a scrapper, so that is what I have, mostly.

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Julie

A circle of friends!

Good morning!!!  I have almost finished my mini for last month.  I just lack hand sewing the binding down, which I love to do.  Hurrah!  I added hearts in the red pieces of the borders, as the big red splotches were just too much.  I also added embroidery to the hearts, for some texture and interest.

Speaking of mini quilt, here is mine for this month!  Or next month?  Anyway, the wagon wheel centers yielded some off cut circles...thus, this little circle quilt was born.  

I did get three more wagon wheels appliqued.  Very scrappy; nothing goes together, which is just fine.

I made a little rug for Memorial Day and the fourth of July, coming up.  I have made this particular quilt in the past...just a little thing.  

And a tomato!  First of the season.   It is a tiny thing but is a welcoming of summertime.

*************************An idea****************************

What if you needed, say, 2-inch purple strips for a project you were working on, but did not have many purples?  (Just an example).  Or what if you needed plaid brown fabrics?  Etc... you get what I mean.  Would it be possible for us to share our fabrics with each other? A quilting circle of friendship!  A sharing of resources.  A lot of quilters have a LOT of fabric.  Wouldn't it be fun to share with each other, rather than go and try to buy something?  Just thinking of using things up, here.  A circle of quilting friends!  

If I do not have it, I could post it on the blog, and share your email so that people could help you...I bet we could widen and enjoy our circle of friends, and also share our resources, and use them up!  It would be great to share, instead of dying with a huge fabric stash some day, which gets sold in an estate sale, LOL!

So...tell me...what do you need?  Is there anything specific for a project that we could help you with?  

Just thinking here...do you think it would work?

Also, I am having the hardest time getting comments to go to my email consistently.  From now on, I am going to answer in the comment below your comment, if it does not go to my email.  That way, you know I am paying attention, and very much appreciate the comradery and fun of comments!!!

Julie
 

An old, old UFO...and binding!

Good morning!!  I have been kind of casting about, trying to figure out what to work on, which is a product of having too many irons in the fire.  I pulled out this old, old UFO...I think it is called Wagon Wheel.  It is basically a pinwheel block, framed with muslin, and then a circle appliqued on top.  I made a lot, lot of progress on it, in the middle of the night...a quiet time, where I can concentrate and enjoy the process.  What a mess, don't you think? LOL!  I am so glad I saved all the pieces and parts and sashing, etc, all in the same place.  I am enjoying the fact that I have improved on my pinwheel making...not one of these has a point that meets in the middle!  That is OK...we all start somewhere.  Also, it is interesting to figure out why I got stuck and this became a UFO.  For one thing, the applique slowed me down.  For another thing, I am missing a block!  Maybe that is what made this become a UFO! Maybe a squirrelly new project took my attention and ran with it! If you think about it, what is the thing that makes you stop work on a project?

 I am binding this quilt, the mystery quilt from last year.  I am going with a single fold binding on this one...please tell me your opinion of this, versus a double fold binding?

Happy Monday!

Julie

At long last!

This quilt was the Grid girls quilt from last fall.  The idea was to choose five coordinating fabrics and use them in a quilt along.  Here is the result.  I took it promptly to a local quilter, who then had some health issues and also was remodeling her home. She just did not ever get to it, due to these issues.   Finally two weeks ago, I asked for her to just give it back to me, and I sent it off to be quilted.  2 weeks later, here I am!!!  Just need to stitch the binding down.

Have you ever found a heart in the goings and comings of your day?  A lot of sewists are making hearts and placing them where they can be found, and kept by the finder!  Here is the link to the website.

https://www.facebook.com/IFoundAQuiltedHeart

 I am up to twelve blocks, using the scrap bag.  Hurrah!  I have no idea how to set these together!

Julie

Cross stitching??

I caught Rosie in a nap!!  She is my darling girl!

I was folding quilts and came across this plaid bear paw.  Hand quilted, as I did everything back then.  

Plaids are so much fun!

My goodness, it has been a long time since I cross stitched!! I found a free pattern on Pinterest and stitched it yesterday.  It is so much fun...but I want to make quilts, instead of this.  Anyone out there REALLY into cross stitch?

 And two more scrappy blocks!!  Fun and fast, especially if I have them cut out ahead of time.

What are you working on??

Julie

Happy Mother's Day!

Good morning to everyone!  Snuggles is having a free applique quilt along.  You can find these patterns here:

Snuggles Quilts – Snuggles Quilts

I made one twice the size, to make a Medalion style quilt.  Although!  The center block is not twice the size as the others.  I will need to put a border around it.  When designing my own setting, I am calling this a design variation, instead of cutting the block too small!  

These blocks are from a scrap bag...and guess what?  I actually bought a BOLT of fabric, background fabric!  That is my big investment...with a 40% coupon from Joann's.  This white fabric is such nice quality, not flimsy muslin; it actually has some weight and body to it!  Love, love!!!  This way I can pair it with all my scraps.  I am really enjoying it!

Rosie had to check out the blocks for accuracy.  This little girl!!!  Blind now, glaucoma, Cushing's disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension...she has all of it.  And yet?  She just flirts and prances herself around like there is not a thing in the world wrong with her!

I hope each of you had a nice Mother's Day.  Whether you are a mother of human children, animal kids, or nurture others...I think we are all moms in our own way!

Hope each of you has a lovely day!

Julie
 

New projects to work on!!

Good morning!!!  I have been working on the Red Sampler, from Bee in my Bonnet.  This was from last year, I think...and goes through her books, using this pattern and that pattern.  I am drafting my own versions as I go.  Loving it!!!

 I started something brand new!!  If you can guess what the quilt is, from this start, I have a gift to send to you!!!    First correct answer wins!

Have a lovely day!

Julie

Pillows and borders!

Yahoo! The borders are on the Ukraine quilt!  It is ready to go to the quilters, for a fast turnaround. I am delighted!!!

Hearts are just my thing, and this one was a free quilt along by Bonnie Hunter, with my twist on setting the blocks together. This was sewn about 2 AM, so it is an insomnia quilt...LOL!

 Look at all these pretty patient pillows that Mary G sent! Thank you so much!  Mary sews the pillows, and sends them to me flat...I stuff them and sew the edge shut.  These have already been distributed to the hospital. I love all the pretty fabrics, don't you? It was hilarious...I had ordered poly fill to stuff the pillows with.  I took the big bag out of the box, and untied the top of the bag...and it started expanding...and growing and growing and growing!!!  I have a huge bag  of stuffing, now, after using all of this!

Have a great day, each of you!

Julie

April Monthly Mini

 

Our dear friend Janet is a master of the miniature quilt.  The tiniest blocks and pieces are used in her masterpieces!  She inspired this mini quilt for the month for me.    Tiny churn dash blocks!  I tried a zillion different borders, and finally just did a string border.  Hurrah!

Please see Janet's blog here:  rogue quilter

Alos, please see Wendy's blog here!  She is our ring leader for our monthly mini quilts!!!  Another quilting master!

The Constant Quilter

Hope each of you is having a wonderful day!

Julie

Shelly's quilt

Hello to everyone! Shelly's quilt is almost complete!  A very gracious and kind blogger supplied the batting and quilted a marvelous design on this quilt.  All this time and love is plainly sewn into the quilt!  Thank you so much, and you know who you are!!!  It is quilted with very pretty blue thread...love that touch. 

A close up...it is so pretty!  I am binding it now and will get it to her ASAP.  Shelly is undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer with metastasis to the liver; she is my friend and co-worker...I see her each day, or did when she was well.

Just a border remains for my Ukraine quilt.  Hurrah!!!

I sewed some pink bowties, for April.  Fun, fun...they have five seams each, and hum right through the sewing machine.

The binding is on this quilt!  Just need buttons for the eyes of the bird and cat.

Annie sent me some string pieces from a spider web quilt.  I hand quilted it and will donate to our hospice, for a candle mat...electric candles for the sanctuary.  Thank you, Annie!!

I am all caught up with the Aunt Daisy quilt along.

Please click on the link to take you to her site...not too late to join in!

https://vanessavantreasequiltalongs.wordpress.com/2022/01/06/aunt-daisys-quilt-along/

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Do you make bread?  How do you make your bread, please??

 I mix my bread by hand.  I use water, about a cup and 1/2, very warm.  Mix a package of yeast in it and two heaping tablespoons of sugar (for the yeast) and let it sit in a warm place for ten minutes, until bubbles form on the top.  Then put 1 tsp salt, 3 tablespoons butter, and enough bread flour to form a soft dough.  I used to knead it, but I found out I don't need to knead, LOL!  I let it rise in a warm place until just double (more rising is not always better, the yeast runs out of energy), and then punch down and put it in my baking pan.  I just got a long baking pan, and boy it is nice...before I was just using my corning ware or glass loaf pans.  Then let it rise again, until just double the volume.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes...I covered the loaf lightly with foil the last bit of time, so it would not get so very brown.

Hope you all are doing great...what are you working on??

Julie