Little things!

 These blocks are a continuation of my project from last year...I have lots more cut out, so I intend to sew them all up.  I like them, and they are four inch finished.

 I made a springtime purse!!  Just a small fun thing.  I have friends who spend tons of money on purses, and to each her own, but I love my little handmade purses.

 Just a start on the bowl fillers...I have really no idea what I am doing here, and just made a heart and stuffed it.  Ha ha!  I will experiment with this idea...and peek on Pinterest.

 Thank you, Karen, for the pin cushion above!  I just need to whip the seam closed.  I appreciate you!

The string quilt that I have been quilting on is unique to me in several respects.  I have no batting in the quilt, since it is backed with flannels, and the blocks have a foundation of fabric, so that part is unique.  Also, the backing is folded around to the front to form a facing, not a proper binding.  I remember my momma doing this, and leaving about a inch facing on the front!!  So I guess this quilt is an experiment to me....and on I go! It is definitely a bit lighter without the batting.


One thing I would like to ask, should I expect pilling of the flannel, with washing and wear?  What is your experience with working with flannel?



Have a great day!

Julie

An idea!!!

 Good morning to everyone!  Hey, I have an idea!  I was given a brown grocery stack full of old flannels...see below.  The lady that gave them to me knows I make quilts for patients, and she was taking them to the good will, and she saw me and said, "Would you like this sack I have designated for the good will?"  YEP!  I would like it!   I kind of separated them into "boy" colors and "girl" colors.   Here is the block I am making. Simple and fun to make!  I am thrilled that something got saved, and thrilled to be working on patient quilts!

 The cool stack...

The warm stack.




What are you working on?  I am going to do more Log Cabin quilts this year...I have strips, and I have a rotary cutter, and I have a desire to use every scrap I have!!!!  I also want to make some bowl fillers, and some more mug rugs, and of course continue on my projects from last year.

Hugs to all!!!


Julie

Hand work in the New Year!

 I have been thinking of this for a while...mug rugs for the year, one for each month.  Here is my version for January.  I made three of them, and already gave one away...there are three sisters in my family, and each of the girls will receive one.

 I have been hand quilting like crazy on this quilt!!!  I am pleased with my progress so far.

I finished the hand quilting in the sashing, and now I am working on quilting the string blocks.  I love hand quilting!




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

We have been so slow during the holidays!!  Well….today we made up for it.  Our census went from ten patients to 32, many critical...just in the last 24 hours!  WOW!!!!  I was worried about not getting my work hours, and now it is totally nutty with being called every day to come and work!!!


My challenging patient from late last year came to see us!  He is absolutely, wonderfully recovered.  It truly is a miracle...this is the patient who was totally abusive to us because we would not let him out to smoke during his heart attack. He was in intensive care with us more than a month.   Now?  He stopped smoking and drinking!  He is in cardiac rehab!  He came and brought us all goodies to celebrate him making it!!!  He is grateful and loving toward his family!


SUCCESS...and BLESSINGS!!!

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


Julie

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Julie

Happy New Year!!

 Happy New Year to everyone!!  I have been pondering about hand quilting.  I took out this quilt, and was going to use pink flannel on the back.  Alas, I did not have enough of it for the backing, so I used it for borders!!!

 It is a subtle plaid check, and it is pink.  Love, love for me!!

I am doing a impromptu quilt block swap with some local quilting friends.  Here are my ten blocks to swap.  All blocks will be different, as the only rule is to make the block 8 inches finished and to use blue...wonder what I will get back?  There are ten swappers...and I don't know how many months this will run.





HAPPY NEW YEAR, EACH OF YOU!!!




Julie

Mrs. Lincoln's sampler quilt!

 It is the 30th!  So, it is time to post my progress, along with the following quilters, on our projects in the works.  I am working on Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler Quilt, pattern by Lori Smith.  I am enlarging the blocks to 10 inches, from the original five inches, so I can make a bigger quilt.  The bottom two blocks are my work of the past month.

 I had originally made the red pieced block...yuck! Very muddy looking!   I changed the red for pink, and the cream for white...much cleaner looking!!  So on I go.  Never fear, though...that red block will look great in another quilt, someday.






  The following quilters are participating.  We will be showing completed blocks on the 30th of each month!  Take the time to visit them to see their completed monthly blocks!

Karen – Log Cabin Quilter (Lead)

Cathy – Biglakequilter

Jennie  – Overthehillandrunning

Julie K –  Juliekquilts

Robin –   solsticestudio

Nanette – Doitrightquilter

Jan – Nanette will show her progress on her blog.  

 I made this quilt for a friend's grandchild, so it is very special!...the pattern is here:


https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/pineapple-blossom.html
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/pineapple-blossom.html

I cleaned my kitchen, and found this tiny quilt in the pot holder drawer, way in the back.  It was made by me, very early in my quilting career.  Maybe 1988. It has polyester batting, and has a melted place on the bottom, from being used as a pot holder.  I quilted only that little heart in the middle square!  I guess I thought that was enough quilting...LOL!!!  I think I will quilt a little more on this old thing.






Have a great day, each of you!




Julie

Merry Christmas to all!

 I made this tiny Christmas tree quilt, for December; it has sparkling beads on it, but you really cannot see them in the picture.

 I am completely finished with the "America" quilt...the sweet land of liberty quilt I have been working on for the last two years!  Hurrah!  This is a nice way to spend my day off for Christmas!!!

And I am working on the number 4 clue for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt.  Friday is the next clue, so I better get going and get sewing!!




Merry Christmas to everyone!!!





Julie

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I am greatly enjoying hand stitching on this quilt.  It was a quilt along this year, and last year too, by Lori of Humble Quilts.  I love it so much...many blocks speak to my heart.  I am one of those who clouds up with tears of pride and reverence when the flag goes by in a parade, so I just love this quilt!!  The pattern, of course, was by Cheri Payne, but we just kind of winged it and made our blocks our own, with help from Lori with sizes of blocks, for I for one did not have a pattern.

 This primitive angel with a tattered flag is a fun block for me.

 I like the arrows, and the stars, and the flowers!!

And of course the hearts and the log cabin!!!


I am so grateful for the chance to make this quilt...I would have never chosen this pattern to do by myself.  So grateful for each of you, and your unique love and contribution to my life.


I am linking to Kathy, HERE...so go and see what everyone else is slow stitching on!!




Hugs to all!


Julie

Mystery step three, and some other goodies!

 I have been steadily hand quilting on my "America" quilt each evening, and I am almost finished!!  All those tiny minutes add up to a lot of quilting done.  So?  Next up is this quilt.  I am hand quilting it too, and got it layered with backing this morning.

 Lori of Humble Quilts had a quilt along, of strings, for this year.  I love strings...those most humble of cotton pieces, tiny and thrown away by some, but cherished by others.    I love this bright feeling quilt!!!  More of them to come!!!

 I am keeping up with the Quiltville mystery quilt...that is fun!!!  On we go...are you doing this?

I guess this was a poor background for this photo, but I made a button string last night.
Included are the many buttons saved from plaid shirts from the thrift store, and also, some old, old buttons...some I believe to be ivory, some celluloid, some glass/porcelain, some just plain plastic.  It was very fun to make...I used my mom's buttons and mine to make it.






Have a great day!  Hope your holiday plans are going just as you like them!





Julie

Mysterious!!

There are lots of mystery quilt pieces in this pile!!  Are you sewing along with Bonnie, at Quiltville?  It is MYSTERIOUS!!!



https://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/frolic-mystery.html




Click on the above link to see just what all the mysterious fuss is about!!!  I am caught up...it was fast and easy....and all the links are there.  A new clue will be published tomorrow!!




Julie

Just a little quilting

 Good evening, everyone.  I am working on the first clue for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, "Frolic."  Four patches!!!  LOTS of them, LOL!!

 So here is my cutting board on the kitchen counter, and I am cutting four patch segments....

 and the tail end of the strips got strung across the oven handle!  LOL!!!  It was such a long piece to cut from, and kept falling off the counter...so I improvised, using the oven to hold the strip.

 Lori, of Humble quilts, had a challenge...she wanted each person to take an old piece or block, and use it in a quilt....so I dug these hand pieced blocks out of the giveaway pile for guild...and took a look.

 See how the block just disappears into the very busy background?

I carefully took one of the blocks apart, and was going to applique it to the background.  But I anticipate these fabrics being 80+ years old, and they were frayed and fragile....so what if I put rick-rack around the edges?  Sure makes it look a bit more modern, doesn't it?


Just playing here...and thinking of the lady who took all those careful hand stitches, to put together these blocks.  I salute her!!



Julie

Mrs. Lincoln's quilt along and Dear Jane update!!

 I am a day late and a dollar short, as my dear Daddy would have said, as I was supposed to post this on the 30th of November, but here is my post for our quilt along!  Most participating quilters are making "Celebrating Mary Brown,", but I am making  the "Mrs. Lincoln" quilt.  Here are my two blocks for November.

 And wow, I already have a whole row done!!  I made the block 10 inches, instead of five inches, so I can have a bed sized quilt when I am done.



Please see these quilters too, to see their lovely quilts in progress!!  Cathy is making Mrs. Lincoln with me, which tickles me so much!



  The following quilters are participating.  We will be showing completed blocks on the 30th of each month!  Take the time to visit them to see their completed monthly blocks!

Karen – Log Cabin Quilter (Lead)

Cathy – Biglakequilter

Jennie  – Overthehillandrunning

Julie K –  Juliekquilts

Robin –   solsticestudio

Nanette – Doitrightquilter

Jan – Nanette will show her progress on her blog.  

 I made some more of these blocks...and cut out all the rest.  Hurrah!!!  I am proud of that part!!

 Jane...dear Jane!  I looked through all the blocks and they are all pretty thought and time consuming, but!  She did have a nine patch block in there, so I made that one.  Hey, any forward progress is good...and that is my story and I am sticking to it!!

I bought this panel on the reduced table at Cabbage Rose quilt shop, long ago.  It has resurfaced...and I am thinking about how to use it in a quilt.  Lots of ideas rumbling around!!!




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


The patient is doing better, better!  WE lifted him out of bed to the chair, and he did OK!  Did not lose blood pressure and was able to handle some activity with max assist.  Ventilator is still on, but at least he is coherent and with us...his wife continues to be constantly at his bedside, so we are feeding her and making her as comfortable as possible.  Progress forward, again, is good!!!!!  This was an all-hands on deck, everyone working in unison and with lots of prayers to save this guy!!!  Hurrah!


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



Hope you are having a great day,



Julie

Dear Jane update 11-24-19 (other things!)

 I did not work on a Dear Jane block today.  The next one is very daunting, and I am nervous about it, LOL!  Instead, I have been working on these plaid Log Cabin blocks.  I made them with two inch strips, and have 80 of them made.  Good enough for a good sized quilt.

I pulled these strips our of my strings bins, so I calling it a string quilt, although it is a bit more organized than the fun chaos of most string quilts.

I am also doing some slow hand quilting on this quilt.  Above is my log cabin, portrayed as I imagine having it one day!  Surrounded by forest!  I love these hand stitches...


I am linking to Kathy, here, for Slow Stitching Sunday.



https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2019/11/slow-sunday-stitching_24.html



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


I have gotten to be good friends with the wife of the patient from last week.  He has made no progress at all, and she is taking care of 5 children by herself.  She is a doll, and determined to help in any way she can. And this is what nursing is all about for me....I love those walking wounded, the families that really need support and love, through weeks of ICU care and rehab.




Julie

Dear Jane update 11-17-19

 I have been pondering my scrap quilts...I love them!  This one was inspired by Chantal's quilt, and one by Primitive Gatherings as well.  I plan 22 more blocks for it, in a rainbow of scraps.  I made eight new blocks scattered throughout this layout.

This is Dear Jane block G-8, named Justin's Comet.  I think it was initially made by Jane of eight hand pieced diamonds.  I chose to applique one solid piece, and then add detail with my quilting.  So there, Dear Jane!!!  One more block in the works!




Hope you are having a lovely day, each of you!!




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


OK.  IN a place far away from you, there was  a patient who got mad, shoved one of the nurses and slammed her into the door. Why?  Because he was having a heart attack and the hospital rules say that if you are on a heart monitor, you cannot go and smoke outside.  She told him no, and he went crazy.   Well duh....

Fast forward...he stormed out of the hospital against medical advice.  Due to divine intervention, he had permitted lab work to be done just before he left.  Due to more divine intervention,  a concerned nurse who had just been slammed into the door, looked at his lab work after he left, and saw the greatly elevated cardiac enzymes...(they are not sure why she looked, because he had been taken off her computer list)..Due to more intervention...he answered his phone and yielded to her plea that he must COME BACK TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM!  He did...he had an emergency heart cath, and then emergency heart bypass surgery.  He survived….and if he would not have allowed the lab work, if the nurse had not gotten past her hurt and called him, and if we could not have found a emergent heart surgeon....he would have been nothing more than an obituary.


Fast forward a week...they cannot get him off the vent.  He is such a bad lunger due to the smoking, he are still on 70% oxygen....and his heart is quite damaged, requiring a lot of support.



They look forward to see what will happen...when they fast forward.




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



Julie

Scraps, scraps, scraps!

Lots of triangles here!  I am revving up for a new project, or to finish some old ones...and this is one of the oldies!!!  Just playing here...

What are you working on?

Have a great day!

Julie

Dear Jane update

Attachments area

Hi Everyone!  I myself did not get a Dear Jane block done this week...but I am working on it!  Annie did, though!!  Her blocks are above...and her message below.  I love to hear her thoughts!

From Annie:  

"Hi Julie,

Something different this time.  A friend in New Hampshire who knows that I’m tackling a Dear Jane quilt asked if she could send me a little bit of fabric to include in my quilt.  So nice to be able to incorporate some of her kindness in my quilt!    She and I have similar taste in fabrics, and the gold is from her. I’ve learned that despite the big manufacturers, fabric tends to be regional.  What my friend finds in New Hampshire shops is different from what is displayed in the few remaining quilt shops in Washington state, which in turn is not what predominates in New Mexico.

These blocks were pleasant to make.  The red one was the most difficult, only because those corner triangles are really small.  The next block to make is definitely going to be a challenge - what I refer to as a “daylight” block, meaning that it will require excellent lighting for my old eyes to avoid mistakes.  Take care!  Annie"

This one below is from Lyn!!!  Please see her blog here...a very pretty block!

https://cobblestonebridgequiltsnthings.blogspot.com/2019/11/this-weeks-block-for-dear-jane.html

And a Log Cabin Loonie finish!!!  LOOKIE!  and hand quilted too...this is by Els!!!

 Tiny blocks...

All hand quilted!  AWESOME!!! Thank you for sharing this, Els!








I hope to have some fun things of my own to blog about in the next day or so!!!




Julie