Thursday, July 30, 2015

String X!!

 Tada!!  120 String X blocks completed, and they are sewn together!!  Just need a border or two...whoop!!  I used everything in this one...completely scrappy.
 You can make circles by making a four patch, then backing it with fusible web and blanket stitching it down, or needle turn appliqueing it down.  Your choice!!
You can make hearts too...out of four patches!!  Have fun!!


Have a great day,

Julie

Monday, July 27, 2015

String X blocks

 Hi Everyone!!!  I am enjoying my string piecing!!  I have made this much progress so far, making string x blocks.  You can see the free pattern HERE!

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/string-x.html
Another view.  Everything is in here, so I thank everyone who has ever gifted me a tiny string...it is in here!!!


Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Using it up!!

 Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville recently had a eye opening-stash organizing experience, and she has spurred me to greater efforts to use up my own stash.  Even string stash, which I prize and hoard above even new yardage!!  Above are 100 string X blocks, (just the beginnings) and you can find the free pattern right .HERE.
 So thank you, Bonnie, this basket is almost empty now...this is the before the string blocks picture!!  Hurrah...don't you like my basket from the eighties?  I have used it, and used it, and used it!!
 These are some old pillowcases that my sister gave me.  Hand embroidered by my dear mother.  They are precious to me, and I love them!!  All out pillow cases were embroidered and embellished...thank you, Mom, for those precious memories.
 My son recently had an over seas trip and found a hand painted fan for me..love it, and thank you dear son!
In cleaning out my sister's home, in preparation for her move, she found some salt and pepper shakers of my mothers.  My mom collected them, and when she died, they were all wrapped carefully in newspapers of the time, and stored away. All this time, they have never been unwrapped, and they were recently taken out and unwrapped and admired.  This newspaper is dated 1977...the year my mom died.  These kids in the pictures were the ones I grew up with, from early childhood.  I loved reading the article from my small home town, and remembering those salt and peppers from my mom's collection.





Just some tidbits today...




Have a great day, every one!!

Julie

Monday, July 20, 2015

"Seeing Stars!" Turning Twenty download day!!

 Remember that the first and third Mondays are Turning Twenty days!!  Tricia and the Turning Twenty girls are offering this free quiltalong...Remember to go and download your block....and here are my blocks!  Scrappy red,white and blues.  
 I put some small circles in the middle of the orange peel blocks, for my table runner.  I am in the process of appliqueing them down.  Liking it much better!!
And in an effort to use my stash all up, I am making String X blocks.  This is a free pattern from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville.  I love making these blocks!!  I use muslin foundations, but I think most people use phone books,  Either way...anything goes in these blocks!  Any scrap that fits is USED!!







Have a great day, everyone!!  I have a chicken roasting in the oven, and zucchini bread baking too...so supper will be yummy!!


Julie

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Some oldies!!

 My sister just got married, and she is cleaning out her home, preparing to move in with her new husband.  She was married 48 years to a dear man, who got Alzheimer's and passed away.  Four years later and totally unexpectedly (to her and all of us), she got remarried this past Friday!  Hurrah for happy endings and new beginnings, no matter how old you are!!
 This quilt top was in her house, and she does not know where it came from.  It is totally hand pieced, even those long sashing strips.  I love it...very worn and parts are missing, but it is so charming!
 I made a little heart quilt...lots of these have been made and given away.  I love hearts!!
 My mother had ALS, and before she passed away, she was starting another quilt.  This is the last quilt she worked on before her death. My sis gave this to me too.
I love the old fabrics, and the pieces of cloth that made up dresses and aprons that I recognize from my childhood and my sister's as well.  Thank you, Mom, for a glorious legacy..I love you so much, and I know you are having fun up in Heaven!!!







Have a great day, all!!

Julie

Thursday, July 16, 2015

A log cabin variation

 Happy Thursday!!  I am attempting to make a quilt like Lori's, at the Humble Quilter. She had the coolest quilt on her bed for Fourth of July...and I asked permission and she granted it, to try and duplicate it!!  If you click on the picture, you can see the colors better.  It is made from leftover shirts and plaid strips.
 But as you know, those quilts take on a life of their own!!  So here is where I am.  It is much brighter in person...I am enjoying it so far!
 The blocks centers are fun, made of a plaid, almost gingham. I will keep working on this one...
And Rosie is always in on the action!!  My constant little helper...Love her!!






Have a great day, everyone!!

Monday, July 13, 2015

Sewing it up!!

 So today?  Using it up is the name of the game!  I take very seriously and enjoy very thoroughly any little piece of flotsam and jetsam fabric that I am given, or acquire in some way.  I feel it is my responsibility to use it all up!!  So I am, with great JOY!!!  A scrappy rail fence quilt top...any goes, right???  I so appreciate my friends who have gifted me scraps and strings...I USE THEM!!
 These are the centers of some scrappy log cabin variation blocks.  Homespun is what the vision was, and I think I am right there on that, LOL!!
 The little trimmings from cutting the above quilt are all wadded together, pressed flat with lots of starch, and sewn over free motion.  So...nothing goes in the trash, and I have a hot pad I don't mind getting a little oven drippings on...because when you wash it?  It becomes better!  No poly in these...just cotton.  Poly transmits heat!  (Ask me how I know...)
 Two of these...
 Well, my old iron bit the dust.  I guess it did not like being dropped to the tile floor.  Imagine that...So I was using this old, old travel iron; the very one I sent with my son to college that he never once used! Kids just don't press much these days, they have much more fun things to do!
My husband saw that I was using this old iron (in the spirit of using things up) and went out and bought me this iron!!  I am so excited to use it for the first time.  Thank you dear hubby!!




Hey, everyone have a MARVELOUS MONDAY!!!!



Julie

Thursday, July 9, 2015

OK, inner border is on...

 It just had to be scrappy!  I had some strips in the 1 1/4 inch binding bin.  So they became the border.
I really have no clue after this...I still want the light and airy look, so I am still thinking!!!


Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

A Winner! and some progress with my scraps!

 All together now!!  I have these scrappy blocks all sewn together.  I will put a tiny flower in the empty black box bottom right.  And then on to the borders!!
 It is such a light and airy quilt, I hate to put a big dark border on it...but I have these strings all ready. Hmmm...I will have to ponder on that!!  Do answers come to you, sometimes, in the twilight of sleep??  Sometimes they do for me!  I dream in quilts, I guess!
 This is the July Binding blitz prize!!  So...bind away, friends, and this fat quarter bundle and pattern could be yours.
This is the little pattern included...of course,  you can use the fabric anyway you want.  I just loved the bundle, and hope you do too!!!  Sorry for the horrid picture, but you get the idea.


Thank you so much, all of you who participated in the June Binding Blitz.  I love seeing all your amazing creations!!  By random number, the winner is:  Audrey at Quilty Folk!!  Audrey, I will be sending you an e-mail...




Have a great day, everyone!!


Monday, July 6, 2015

Mystery day is here!!!

 Turning Twenty Mystery quilt day is here!!!  This is the first block, in two sizes.  I am making mine in red, white, and blues.  Tricia of Turning Twenty is making hers of gorgeous Kaffe fabrics...and she is offering kits too!!

Please see Tricia's blog at:  http://turningtwentyblog.blogspot.com/

To sign up, go here!!:  https://www.turningtwenty.com/


The mystery quilt blocks are being released every first and Third  Mondays of the next six months.  So here we go!!!  I was lucky enough to meet Tricia as I was caring for her and her family recently, and we have become fast friends.  I love it that we were brought together!!!




Speaking of Red, white, and blue  (and plaids)...Lori at Humble quilts had a quilt on one her beds, decorating for the Fourth of July, that I just loved.  It is a wonderful log cabin variation, and somehow, I just loved it!   I asked Lori for her permission to recreate a version of it, and she said yes.   So...I scrounged and hunted and found all my red and blue plaids, and some patriotic fabrics given to me by Nancy at http://wyomingbreezes.blogspot.com/ .   So Nancy, I am using those fabrics you sent!!  I have cut them all into strips...and away I go!  Can't wait for time to really make some tracks on this project!!

 Yep!!  I have Startitis!!  It is a very contagious disease that quilters are quite susceptible to...STARTING NEW PROJECTS!!  Never mind that we are not done with the old ones...it is infectious!!  BE CAREFUL OUT THERE...you might get it too!!!  Hee!!So above, is a block I made for another quilt.  But I love this block...so I cut out twenty more and they are all ready to go too.

That is my story, and I am sticking to it!!
 Kyle R, who blogs at:  http://kyleredente.blogspot.com/, recently sent me this wonderful basket and labels and such a cute card!  I won a drawing on her blog.  Now Kyle is a real quilter...a quilter's quilter!!  Please click on her blog and pay her a visit...you will love her quilts!!  Thank you, Kyle!
And an early birthday gift!!  All the way from Australia, from my darling friend Lyn.  Please see her blog too!  oldburycottage.blogspot.com:  Lyn and I have known each other for so many years, and I am so lucky to be her friend, and she a marvelous quilter too!!




And I am off work today!!  So I am doing laundry and cutting fabric and generally having a ball.  Hope you are too!!!


Julie

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Happy Fourth!!

 Happy Fourth of July!!!  Here is my old stand-by table runner, made from scraps, from the Orca Bay Bonnie Hunter quilt.  Just pieces and parts!
 This is the only one of this series of small decorative quilts that I finished...what's up with that?!
 And on my wall...a flag!!  All made some years ago, but I still decorate with them, each year.  Happy Birthday, America!!
 A few straggling flowers, blooming in this heat.
 And a sweet pepper, growing and growing!!
 Star gazer lilies are blurry, but oh, so pretty in real life.
And my poor tomato is struggling in the heat, but still putting on tiny tomatoes.


I worked half of the day, and now I am home, and fixin' to make Turkey burgers, coleslaw and potato salad!!  Happy Fourth to everyone!!!




Have a wonderful day!

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


Hey, the guy from yesterday's post?  Much better today!!!  Hurrah!!




Julie

Friday, July 3, 2015

Turning Twenty Mystery Quilt!!

 Have you ever used your cookie sheets in this way?  I am trying to clean out every drawer and nook and stashed place...using up my scraps!!  I love this, by the way...love scraps the best of anything!

This time, I am concentrating on my 2 1/2 strip drawer.  I faithfully cut my leftovers and put them into respective sized drawers...but this particular drawer was getting pretty full!  So I decided to make some bright, funky churn dash blocks.  I have seen these paired with log cabin blocks, and it makes a gorgeous quilt!!

The drawer looks much better now, LOL!!
SNEAK PEEK!! I am making blocks for the Turning Twenty mystery quilt!!  It was going to start on the first of July, but Tricia decided to have the free patterns come out on the First and Third Mondays of the month, just for ease of remembering for all of us.  SO ON MONDAY, STAY TUNED!!!  Above is a blurred-on-purpose sneakity peekity!!  Oh, you will love this quilt, friends...


To see Tricia's blog go HERE.

To see her website, go HERE.

You can still sign up for this free BOM...hurry, hurry!!  Just go to the website and click on the "Register" tab.


DID YOU SEE ALL THE COOL QUILTS FROM LAST POST,  FOR THE BINDING BLITZ???  Magnificent!!!  I am so delighted to see all your amazing work!!!  The drawing will be late on the fifth for the winner.





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


The patient survived a 13 hour surgery.  But...his kidneys did not.  Poor fellow had to be started on dialysis...and the depression is about doing him in.  Poor guy!!  I just gave him a big hug this morning...he says he does not want to be dependent on the dialysis machine.  He wants to travel, and go out with his friends...and just be independent.

He felt some better, however, after a sweet visit from his wife, a cup of yummy coffee and the paper.  Just ordinary things, but it made him feel more in control...just doing every day things.

The lesson??  Do it now, folks.  Whatever it is you dream of...do it now!!!  Later...may never come. So live right now, in this moment!!!



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



Have a great day, all!!

Julie




Hexies, rainbow quilts and plaids!

Good morning to all!!!  Above is a hexagon, for English paper piecing.  My kitten Lucky has discovered them, and decided that they are great...