Happenings here!

I am trying to keep up with the BOW Woolie blocks from Primitive Gatherings...whew! I am pretty behind...I have about half of the stitching done, and most of the prepping done...and block nine will be here tomorrow! The bottom right block need lots more prepping done, but at least I am making headway, right?
Hey, I won something! Debi of www.debiquilts.blogspot.com had a giveaway of these wonderful charms...and I won a package! Wow, what a ton of fun fabrics! Thank you, Debi...my wheels are turning and I am figuring out what to make with these...thank you!!
The string quilt had just a little bit of border left over...well, maybe a lot left over! I cut off a little bit and made a different sort of mug mat, hand quilted it with big stitches...and called it good! Just another way for me to use every little bit of fabric I have left! I am making a larger one for the table too...

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Guess what? The guy we defibrillated and got him back...three times? Sent me a big box of chocolate covered strawberries! Yum, yum!! Yes, I did share...in fact, only ate one of those...but, hey, I am on a diet anyway....so that was a bright spot in my day for sure!!


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Have a great day, all!!!


Julie

A four bobbin day!!

I actually sewed a lot yesterday! I usually just sew in the mornings, and then work on the house, etc in the afternoons on my days off from work, but yesterday....was different! I sewed and sewed and sewed! I finished putting together one of my oldest UFO's...this quilt! OK folks...I found out that working with really long, big blocks is hard! Hard to make all the seams match...I actually had to PIN something! Horrors!! Just joshing...I got it together and am so glad to have an empty project box, yahoo! The pink border is the width it is because that is all the fabric I had left. The problem with letting a project go this long is that the original fabrics for the project have disappeared or gotten used up...so the pink is different, and also the setting white is different. Oh well!!
And the final border is on, on the plaid string quilt along!!! I just love it....hey, does anyone know why when I cut the border plaid on grain, carefully...the plaids are crooked? I think this is a woven plaid, so it ought to follow the grain...this same fabric did the same thing in my first string plaid quilt too. Oh well...I like it so much anyway!!


Thank you all for joining me and encouraging me in this, my first quilt along...hope you all have fun with your strings!!!



Have a super day!

Julie

Borders on the plaid quilt along...

OK, so here is the state of the borders...this scrappy plaid border is on!! This border is more gray/brown tone than I like, but those are the scraps I had, so they all went in! I love those pops of bright colors, don't you?? Nine patches in the corner of the borders, too...those were fun. I have some plaid bright pink lame' (spelling?) in there...I have no idea where in the world I got that fabric, but it shows up in my scrap bins from time to time like an old friend!
So here is the border. In the original quilt, there are more borders, and I am thinking about that...of course, you can do whatever you want and stray where ever your mind takes you!! That is what I love about quilting...you can just do anything at all that pleases you! NO rules here!
Except for this rule...FINISH UP YOUR UFO"S, JULIE!!!! This is just a little self imposed rule that I pay little attention too, but I need to! Now, those of you who know me, you know I have quite a few UFO's...double digit numbers for sure...but this project above is one of the oldest. I have been taking a few minutes here and there and hand appliqueing all those Dresden plates down...and I am done! I just need to set the blocks together, and an old, old UFO will almost be done!!


***********************Health************************


I have had hyperthyroidism for a while now...but now my labs are much improved. When you are hyperthyroid, you can eat just about any dang thing you want to! I thought I was just being super good on my diet, but that is magical thinking, the thinking that you can have candy bars and junk food and still lose weight...it was fine when my thyroid was in hyper drive, but now?? I have gained a few pounds back! The party is over ladies! I am back on the diet bandwagon...not really a diet, but eating better and weight watching, and walking every day. I want to catch this before I gain a bunch of weight...not going to happen if I can help it! At my age, weight gain can happen quickly...so, a few of my dear friends and I have a little wager going...whoever can lose the biggest percent of body weight by Halloween gets the prize!! I am pretty competitive...and this is wonderful! Working great...a great motivator. I am please to see the scale sailing right back down again...and I am keeping on, keeping on!

Maybe you want to start a little friendly competition with your friends!!!


Have a super day!

Julie

Plaid quilt strings...the middle is all together!

Alrighty then!! Here is my finished middle...I like it! You may notice that I have made a few mistakes in the setting...and I am going to leave it. It really does not bother me at all...and will give someone in the future something to talk about. I set my string blocks together with nine patch cornerstones...you can set yours together any way you wish!!! I am loving this quilt...the cacophony of colors and plaids is so pleasing to me. Next? The borders!!!
I recently got to go with dear husband on one of his trips...and I saw this pretty fellow with his rack all in velvet...not too scared of me, and he had three of his deerest friends with him!! Hee!


Hope you are doing fantastic today!

Julie

Plaid string quilt along, part. next.!

Hi everyone! Above are my cornerstone pieces for the plaid string quilt along quilt...I tried to mix it up and have some dull and some bright pieces in each nine patch. You can set your string blocks side by side, or with plain sashing and cornerstones...but I love Evelyn Sloppy's original nine patch cornerstones, so I opted for this. Suit your own fancy! Now, I just need a day to set all the pieces and parts together! Hurrah!!
Yes, these are pressed...but the edges curl a little, on some of the homespuns. Some of these are printed plaids, most are woven, some tightly woven, some quite loose...and one of part of a plaid dishrag I have had for years...hey, it was plaid and was not used, so it worked just fine!
This is all the plaid strings I have left...don't know what the safety pin is doing in there! I am going to make the border out of these...and my rule for me is that I have to use everything. If I leave two or more strings...I swear they will breed in my sewing nook and I will have a whole bunch of plaid strings again to use up!! does this happen to you...LOL?!!!


I hope you are enjoying making your own quilt...thank you so much for all your encouragement!!





***********************Off the subject*************************


A lady really got my goat today. I brought a pair of shoes to be repaired, and paid big bucks for this to her. She was very curt to me when I dropped them off about a week ago, but hey, I thought, maybe she was having a bad day. I called today to see if the shoes where ready...and she was just downright nasty!! After about 10 minutes of being put on hold over and over, and she actually raising her voice to me...I had had it. I am going to vote with my feet and never go back there!! I just am so frustrated with people thinking that they can be rude to people who are paying their bills...customers!!! Do any of you have an opinion about this...or is it just me experiencing this in our world today??


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Have a great day!!





Julie

A very pretty quilt!!

At last! I have been trying to figure out how to get this picture from an e-mail to my blog!! Success!! Donna D, of Hemet California, sent and shared this gorgeous quilt...recognize the pattern, LOL?? Donna made her quilt from bright scrappy strings, and pretty nine patches. I love her quilt!!
Here is her border...so this all goes to show...you can do the great Plaid String quilt along...in other fabrics than plaids! I think a batic one would be just gorgeous!!! Thank you so much, Donna, for sharing your wonderful quilt!!


I am madly working on nine patches for my cornerstones, and will show some pictures later today.


Have a super day!!


Julie

Quilting along, and woolie blocks

OK, I got all the plaid string blocks completed, and worked on sashings today. I had precut some of the sashing fabrics, so that went faster than it could have. I am going to work on cornerstone blocks and borders next. But...the vacuum calls...the dust need to be removed, so no more sewing today!! I will not be able to post for a few days now...if you are quilting along, please enjoy!!
Here is where I am on the BOW wool blocks from Primitive Gatherings. I do love these blocks...all in various stages of construction. I am really trying to at least get the greens down when the block first comes in...then it is great fun to add the colorful flowers. all hand blanket stitched, a few minutes each evening...wonder how long it will take to get all this done, LOL!!!


Dear Jane is weighing on my mind...I must get back to her quilt, and soon!!!


Have a great week, all!!! I just want you all to know how wonderful it is to have gotten to know you...thank you so much for your friendship!


Julie