How a dog quilt is made...

Hi all!! Above...sigh...is a project, a UFO about ten years old. It is circles, hand cut by me, then machine stitched onto backgrounds. Think raggedy quilt! The edges are raw, so when it is washed, it will fray just so nicely. I can't imagine where I got these fabrics...I must have used most of them up, because they are not in my general stash anymore. I finished the last 20 blocks today...ZOOMM!! It was great fun to sew circles onto the backgrounds... (wonder why I used 3 different backgrounds? ) Probably did not have enough of one fabric, that is the usual story. To make things more a mystery...I made three different sizes of blocks! why??
Then after a good press with a shot of steam...cut them into fourths. Then let the playing begin! I made bulls eyes...and wiggly lines...and just had a general good time messing with the blocks. I have a ton of blocks! At least two big quilts worth...wonder what I was thinking, cutting out all those circles...with scissors!
Wiggles....Too much open space for me...hmmmmmm
Anyway, I had only 20 of the littlest blocks, so Rosie asked me to make her a doggy quilt. And I did...machine quilting it myself! I am such a terrible machine quilter, but this is better than some I have done.
Washed and puckered up! This little quilt ended up in Rosie the poodle's bed for her to snuggle with.
A finish! A mug mat...I have been admiring all yours all over blog land, so made one out of scraps from cutting step two of Bonnie's mystery. And machine quilted it too!! amazing.... I did finish step two of the mystery quilt from Quiltville...how are you doing??
Finish number two! This will be going in the mail soon...an angel to watch over a dear friend! This one is hand quilted and hand appliqued.
And finish number 3! A big hot pad, made of strings..little ones, trimmings really, sprayed with starch, pressed down and quilted over...makes the best hot pad!




Have a great day, all!!!

Julie

Happy Thanksgiving! the day after...

Sawtooth borders have appearing on the Friendship Plaids quilt...no corner is alike due to lack of planning (serendipity?). I would have liked them to match...but hey, original is good too. Big stitch quilting for this one!! It is just lap sized...dear husband mentioned he would like it bed sized, but I already had the borders on at that point. Every fabric is a plaid in this quilt, except the background. I would like more plaid backgrounds, but I can never find any...
The apple pie...with enough apples for two! Really, all these will cook down and it will be just right. This was made at 3 AM...an insomnia pie! Yum!!! Does this insomnia thing end when perimenopause ends?? Just curious, you ladies who have been down this path. The kids are coming today, to celebrate...I can't wait to see them and the grand-dogs!!


I hope everyone has a fun and relaxing, wonderful day!

Julie

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi all!! I just wanted to wish each of you a most wonderful Thanksgiving! I am cooking mostly on Friday...I have done a bit today, to get ready. As I am a nurse, health care goes on 24/7...so I work tomorrow. That is just fine! We will be thankful for my job...and celebrate Friday. Above is a gift for a friend, hand appliqued and hand quilted. I just need to finish the binding, and I can call it a UFO finish!
And, I have been making a few pincushions out of a few nine patches. I put a button in the middle...old, old buttons from my mother's button tin. I like them!
One of the pies I make today...the crust kind of looks yucky...but tastes just fine!


I pray each of you has such a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Mine will be spent in CVICU...I hope I have a great connection with some patients tomorrow, who will also be spending the holiday in the hospital.


Julie

An unexpected day off leads to....

Hi Y'all! I was supposed to work today, but we only had 8 patients in the whole unit, and ten nurses scheduled, so I was called off at 5 AM this morning. An unexpected day off! I have been cleaning and scrubbing and baking...all the usual stuff. But! I am supposed to be finishing UFO's too. So, I worked on the Plaid Pineapple Friendship quilt! So named because every piece of fabric in this...I mean all the plaids...came from other people! Joyce in Arizona! (no blog) I know you will recognize some of these...and Crystal (no blog) in Canada! I know you will see some you sent...and Sylvia!! do you see yours? And Amy!! And Annett! Do you see your bright turquoise cornerstones? Just click on these ladies names to go and admire their blogs!
OK, after all you helped me decide...I decided to finish with a very simple border...frankly, that is all the fabric I had left, and I did not want to bury the checkerboard border...which I love to pieces...under another border. so! this is it!!! Please, no applause for the model...she is truly on everything I work on!




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


The weekend (not telling which one)! ( Remember, lots of details are omitted for privacy issues...but the story is true.

I was a "customer service recovery expert". I had a little old man who had fallen several times on the general floor...very confused...broken arm, concussion...really bad falls! So, the doctor sent him to Critical care so we could watch him...and I hardly left the room. He was so precious, so sweet...and so very, very confused! Many times he was trying to get out of bed and nearly falling...quick little fella!! I am so elated that by the end of the weekend, he was lucid for the most part, and still having a few mild visual hallucinations (bats on the walls?), but knew my name and that I was there to help him. Such a sweet little old fellow...polite and always a please and thank you...even when he was absolutely nuts! Much, much better by today! I am so thankful...what a darling person. I hope he is all better so soon...it was such a pleasure to care for him, even though very, very labor intensive!!


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Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!!

Julie

This is the sum total of my day!! Above is the first step completed of Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville mystery, "Cotton Boll". I had a ton of pink strips cut for another project, which I can't remember what in the world I had in mind...and they worked perfectly in this project. I found myself picking out the loudest, brightest fuchsia pinks...that color is one of my favorites. Please tell me if you are doing this mystery too!!


I went to two grocery stores getting the Thanksgiving day meal groceries together...free turkey from one! I liked that part....cleaned all afternoon, made a meal, and now I work from now until Turkey day, almost...and Turkey day too! so the day after Thanksgiving will be my day to cook for my family. We can be (and are) thankful any day!!!


The last post....I have been working non stop, so I just pulled the winner...drum roll please! Kami, will you please send me your snail mail address? Thank you...and I hope you like your goodies!!


OK, off to put dishes in the dishwasher.....and laundry in the dryer!!!

Have a super great day!

Julie

Giveaway revisited! and winners from yesterday!

Hi Y'all!


First of all, thank you, each one of you, for telling me about your cleaning tips!! I really appreciate your time...and have taken many of them and incorporated them into my plan of housekeeping. This many seem a little silly, but my mom passed away when I was very young and I had a houseful of nothing but guys, so I really never learned all those secrets a mom could tell her daughter about housekeeping...so thank you so much from my heart to yours!! I have been doing pretty good all these years, but it is heartwarming for me to hear how you do your housework!



I am so happy to announce the winners from yesterday's impromptu giveaway! Loris and Mary from Quilt Hollow! You were chosen by Rosie the poodle, who has her nose in every quilting business there is around here...she pulled out some slips from the bowl I had them all cut up into and ran away with the slips! So, I had to chase her down and dig them out of her mouth...all good fun for her! Please let me know your snail mail addresses and I will send your your gifts. Above are some blocks I am playing with...I like them! I bought the fabric for the setting squares when I visited Karen Diane in Florida, a lotta moons back. Only takes me a few years to get stuff done!!
Now, I am having another giveaway!! You might giggle at this one...but I think if I can't finish something, maybe it is time to give it away. I would like to thank Konda at Moosequilts for making this wonderful pattern, and...that's right...I am giving away a UFO!!! You will recognize this as the lovely Jelly Roll sampler...so the first person who responds that they want this, can have it to finish, along with the rest of the Jelly Roll. The patterns are still available at her website, last time I checked. I have four blocks done of the twelve block quilt. I love the pattern, and I love the work and love that went into doing this for all of us in quilting blogland...and I also know that I am up to my tootie in alligators and projects and will not finish this anytime soon. It is kind of bad for me to just keep this when someone will finish it quickly and enjoy it. So, if this person is you...just say the word and I will send it to you! Is it cheating to give away a UFO?? Hee!!!
I am cleaning, can't you tell? This is a jacket pattern, and the two muslin foundation pieced stars are to be given away to someone drawn tomorrow at 3 PM. so another quick giveaway, if anyone if interested. These are kind of dated colors, but still nice foundation piecing if you are into that.


My quilting books are next...a ton of them and just ridiculous, how can I ever get around to that many projects? Even for inspiration, I have too many...stay tuned for them! Especially when you bloggers out there have so many gorgeous projects for me to drool over...




Have a great day!!

Julie

Autumnal happenings

HI Y'all! I have been working on how to put the Soot and Ashes quilt together...and here is what I came up with so far. I think the yellow is like the Aspen leaves of my youth in Colorado...I love that golden yellow color of fall. I am going to put a flying geese border around the whole thing...the geese flying south in the fall for warmer climes. Symbology! I think we use it a lot in our quilts.
I am giving away this book...I love the quilt...but I will never do it, and I think someone may be able to use it now! So if you are interested, please leave a comment on your best housecleaning tip for me!! Hee...making you work for a chance...thank you in advance for your best tip!
I also went through all the patterns I had and this is about 1/2 of them...I am giving them away too. Same thing applies as above, just leave me your tip!I just need to downsize a little bit...things that will be useful to others, I really need to pass on. I am cleaning for the holidays...are you? One pattern was a gift, that one I kept, so I am passing on the other one. This is a quick giveaway...I am choosing a winner tomorrow at 3 PM, by random drawing.


Have a wonderful day!


Julie

Housekeeping!!

Pieced borders are on!! This was quite a bit of piecing...made much easier due to the 1.5 inch squares already being cut and ready to assemble. I just love this quilt so much better with this border on. It seems to have squared it up and made it more "solid"...lots of seams to give it some bulk. There is another border to add, just a plain one...another piecing day. I just want to admire all those little bitty squares for a little while. Or do you think it could go without the outside border?
I know lots of you remember the Soot and Ashes blocks by Cheryl...I fell in love with them! and decided to experiment with the setting...how about this?? Maybe something in the setting with flying geese...they are flying over our home, going south. I love to hear their honking, calling to friends and loved ones in the great triangles in the sky.


************************Housekeeping*************************


I would love to have some knowledge from you about this subject. On Mondays, I vacuum, sweep and mop, empty trash, clean mirrors, purge magazines, dust, and change all the sheets. I spend lots of time each day cleaning house, it seems...chores, chores, chores! Which I do not mind in the least, my family deserves a clean and tidy home...but I never say a tombstone that read "Ethel, remembered for being a great housekeeper"! Hmmmm...what do you think about this, and how do you do it? How do you keep up??? Please give me some thoughts, if you please!!

I am sitting here typing this, and Rosie the tiny poodle is on my lap. I can feel her little heart beating against my lap...she is a warm bundle of love, so alive and vibrant.


Have a great day!

Julie

Delighted!!

TADA!! The trees have closed in, and are a forest now. This is the center, all hemmed in by a brown inner border...just one billion little squares in the outer border, and it will be done! This is Bonnie Hunter's pattern Crabapples from her book Leaders and Enders.
The Yankee Quilter sent these wonderful leftovers from her quilt of the same pattern...I love them! I have already trimmed them up and have started the border with these lovely fabrics...thank you so much!!
Finn sent me some of her precious 1.5 inch squares, and I was able to piece 4 tree blocks from them, with a lot left over for the border. Subee and I swapped some fabric for some of her squares too..they are all in there! Why is this underlined all of the sudden?? Hmmmm...gremlins??
Peg from Australia sent the most wonderful surprise! She hand stitched this gorgeous table runner...wow, it is absolutely perfect and just so gorgeous in every way! Thank you so much, Peg, I love it!!
Can you see all that gorgeous stitching? It is just wonderful!



***********************Other happenings******************

I got to meet a blogger in real life! Debi and I met at a local quilt shop...she is just as precious in real life as on her blog...and I got to explore the quilt shop! Too many ideas...I am in overload! How about you? I loved getting to meet Debi!!


************************Good news!!*******************************


I want some good news for a change...no politics, bad economy, wars, crime...I want a good news channel! Here is a little positive news for you!

Julie S...a nine patch swapper...is just the most wonderful person! I received her 3 inch blocks early in the nine patch swap...but the package had been opened and was empty (by intent or by mistake, we do not know.) I contacted Julie with a heavy heart...can you imagine how angry you might be if all your hard work was just gone? She was just the most gracious you can imagine, and I told her I would remake them...and to my great surprise and delight...she remade the nine patches and sent them again!! Wow...what a wonderful lady...so there is so much good in the world too, and she is one of the good 'uns!!!



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

We as nurses have all been informed by the state boards that we may not discuss patients on social media...so I will not...but just have to share a story. Details are changed, times are changed...so privacy is protected at all costs. But this is MY diary...and I want to remember this one! A man underwent a huge surgery...and the first thing he said to me was "please help me get better soon, so I can go home and take care of my wife...she has ovarian cancer." This was the first night they had spent apart in 50 years! You bet...I will do everything in my power to make you well, sir!!!



Everyone, have a great day!

Julie

Trees! grow crooked in my little forest...

Hi Y'all! Here is the state of the Crabapple tree quilt...Ok, I need to tell you if you are making this quilt and paper piecing? Sew further than the lines are printed...so the blocks hold better and don't stretch when you are putting them together. That is what I experienced, resulting in blocks a shade bigger than the sashing...so I am having to resew some and ease others. I like the way it is shaping up, but this quilt is not the flattest quilt I have ever sewn! I do really like it though, I think the pattern is just charming! I have a friend who is sending some blocks...and I am ready to sash them right in! Then the pattern calls for a pieced border of one inch finished squares...so I am so delighted to be able to piece that...should be fun!!
I came home from work and was sitting on the floor (Yes, shoes come off immediately after being on my feet all day)...and Rosie Posie Pudding Pie, the poodle...just needed some tummy love! She falls over on her back whenever she needs some tummy rubbing...she is a darling! I am the cross legged one in the turquise nursing scrubs.
Finnie! My friend Finn at www.finnleah.blogspot.com sent me some more 1.5 inch squares...thank you so much, they will be used immediately for the border, Finnie! thank you so much for thinking of me...such pretty fabrics too!


Well, the Texas Rangers lost the world series quite handily...maybe next time, guys! I am not a huge fan, but since they are right down the road, may as well have rooted for them.

Off to finish cleaning for company tomorrow. I had the carpets cleaned Saturday...and they are still damp. Hmmmmm....I have the ceiling fans going full blast.



Have a wonderful day, all!!!

JulieK