The Spider and the Fly!

Good morning to everyone, or good evening, if you are in another part of the world!  How are you doing?  I hope everyone is well and chugging right along!

Above is Annie's Spider and the Fly quilt.  Annie lives on an island...a beautiful island with goats and green and loveliness!!  I wanted to share our quilts together, as we had planned to do, but......

Here is my quilt!  LOL!!!  I am delighted and excited to say, that as of this morning, I finished all of the blocks!  HURRAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited to be getting closer to done.

Have a lovely day, each of you.

Julie
 

Sometimes you just have to have a finish!

I just wanted to start and finish something, all in one sitting...so I did!  This is a zipper pouch, and the pattern is free, and found here:

https://agilejack1.com/2018/10/21/annes-zipper-pouch-tutorial/amp/

It makes a well finished pouch, and takes a bit more time to create, but I think it is worth it.  I will give it to one of the nurses at work...in fact, the first one who says she likes it, shall have it!

I also made a few of these zipper key ring pouches, just right for a few coins or a credit card, to run to the grocery.  If you would like one, please comment below, and I will have a drawing.  If there are more than two...the others are already given away.  So leave your comment!

I made some patient pillows today.  These are 13 inches x 16 inches, and do very well to support a head, nodding to sleep in a chair, or sometimes a surgery wound brace.  Our volunteers used to make them, but the lady who did most of the sewing is 95 years old, and since covid came along, she decided she was finished with that, and did not want to sew for the second half of her life.  (Her words!)  

I made a hat for a lady at work who wanted a blue one.  Covid has us in the worst way at work...people text me all the time with the latest that is going on.  And guess what?  They are letting covid positive nurses take care of patients.  I am livid about it...and will wear all the protection I can...stay out of the break room and take every precaution not to get sick or take it to my hubby.  Not just our hospital, this is happening all over the country.  We just do not have any nurses, so they are letting everyone just work...craziness!  Time for the managers and educators and directors to come out of their safe offices and take care of covid patients!

 AND THE MOST FUN THING OF ALL IS HAPPENING!  I AM GETTING TO LEARN TO KNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Annie sent me these!!  And more yarn, and needles.  I am doing it!  I know you all have heard me prattle on for years about learning to knit...well, here I go!!!!!!  

YAHOO!!!

Julie

Mysterious quilts are so much fun!

Happy Sunday to all, or Monday to you in Australia!!  Above is my Quiltville mystery quilt progress.  There are still more pieces and parts to sew together, so I do not think these are the final blocks.  But it is lots of fun to wonder about how it will turn out!!!!!  It is also so much fun to do with a friend.

I have all the parts sewn, so I am just enjoying sewing blocks together.  FUN!!!

A lady who was in our quilt guild made all these hats, for premature babies. I was given these to take to our director of neonatology, but I wanted to take a picture first.  Aren't they just darling little things???

Hope you are having a great day today!

Julie
 

Happy New Year!!!

Good afternoon!  I worked the New Year's holiday, and so I am taking this moment to catch up a bit.  I am working hard on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, at Quiltville.  All the clues are still free, and you can get them here: 

Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Rhododendron Trail

 But hurry!  I don't think they will be free...or a mystery...for that much longer!

 I love these soft colors...a summertime, soft looking quilt.  Only a bushel basket full of blocks to still make, and there you go!!!

How are you doing...any goals for the new year???  My mind is whirling with possibilities!

Julie

Borders...

I got a border on the doggy quilt, just today.  I tried several puppy prints, but none looked right, so I am calling it good with a solid.

 This quilt...I am really trying to use what I have, so this fabric will be the border!  Hurrah!!!

Hope you, each of you, are doing really well!

Julie

Mystery quilt progress

I received this quilt back from the long armer. She did an all-over small stipple, which is just what I would have done.  Hurrah!!

The pieces in this quilt are 1/2 an inch finished.  Whew!  That is a lot of pieces!  It is a very heavy quilt.

Just some trimmings...

 And here is a terrible picture of my progress on the mystery quilt, from Quilt Ville.  I am all caught up...wow!  amazing...I usually drag behind, LOL!  There is this little thing called work that interferes with what I am quilting on!

Merry Christmas Eve!  I am headed off to work...the hospital does not stop for holidays!

Julie

Last Year's mystery quilt

I don't think I ever showed the mystery quilt all finished from last year on the blog, so here it is.  It is prettier than the pictures, full of a variety of fabrics and colors.

It is a monster quilt!

 At least king sized!!!

Anyone doing the mystery this year...the Quiltville mystery?

Julie
 

On we go toward Christmas!

Good morning!  Above is an old quilt, one that I love.  I guess I love them all, though...but this one is special.  It was a block of the month, from the now defunct "Nostalgia" quilt store.  I was a newer quilter...this was a challenge.  I just love it!!  I pulled it out to enjoy.  

This quilt is my monthly mini!  My friend Janet had a baggie mini quilt challenge, and this was just the ticket to use this baggie of pieces up.    The border is new, not in the baggie, LOL!  I hand quilted this one.  I thought this candle looked good on top of it.

I found some flowers that will go right along with this theme!  Thank you dear Janet,

 https://roguequilter.blogspot.com/2021/12/november-monthly-mini-and-celebrations.html

and also Wendy, at the Constant Quilter, 

https://theconstantquilter.blogspot.com/2021/11/november-monthly-mini.html

I found a cotton field, recently!  So much cotton was blowing around, and I found this little twig, with cotton bolls still attached.  The very beginning of our quilts!  Well, I guess the seed came first, but...

My dear friend Lyn, in Australia, makes dolls, and I have received some of her treasures.  This is a nursing dolly!

I cherish them and display them all year!  This is some of her work...a fun rabbit, an Amish lady, and my raggedy Anne nurse.  I love them!

KENTUCKY AND SOUTH TORNADOES!  

Anyone from there, please check in!  

 I am sending bedding to this quilt store...the famous Hancock's of Paducah.  Samaritan's purse is a good one to send money to help. Maybe you can help; I believe these are good places to start, to help someone who has lost EVERYTHING they own.

This is from Hancock's of Paducah, Kentucky.  

Thank you to everyone offering thoughts and prayers for our friends and neighbors. If you are able to do more, here are some suggestions.

The best way to help right now is to give financially: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief

If you wish to donate warm bedding, bring donations to our store or mail to:

Hancock’s of Paducah

Attn: Tornado Relief

3841 Hinkleville Road

Paducah, KY 42001

Please label the outside of the box with the number of items included, and if they're baby/throw/bed sizes.

If you are an individual or organization impacted by the storms and NEED BEDDING, please send us a direct message or come to the store if you can.

Store hours are Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm, and Saturday 9am-3pm. We will have a shopping cart on our porch or inside our front doors today to accept donations.

For more information: https://www.hancocks-paducah.com/tornado-recovery

Hope you all are doing great and are safe today!

Julie

 

Progress for the week

Hello, everyone! It has been a bit since I updated my blog!   I have sewn three more blocks for the 1930's quilt.  This was a free quilt along from Lori's blog, A Bee in my Bonnett.  From 2019!!

I have all of the rest of the blocks cut out, and that is a huge thing for me.  Yahoo!

I finished four more blocks of the Spider and the Fly quilt.  On I go...so close!

Two more of these solid bright blocks were accomplished.

Clue two of the Quiltville mystery quilt ...but I am short 30 pieces...will make short work of that!

I am working on hand quilting the above quilt.  It is a favorite of mine.

And lastly, I finished hand binding this quilt.  I love the quilting that my friend did.!

Have a lovely day, each of you!  I hope each of you is finding some joy in this season!

Julie
 

A rainbow project approaching the finish line

 

Good afternoon!  Attention, attention please.  I have gotten this far on my rainbow scrap project...and that is as many blocks as I am making.  So there!  I am sashing it and calling it good!

I am rather please to check another one off my list of to-dos for 2021!!!

How are you doing on your list??

Julie

Just needs a border!

 Good morning, everyone!  

There is a story accompanying this quilt.  My son loves dogs...LOVES them.  He had one in college, (a dingo) and lost that one to illness and age.  They also have a dachshund, who is a joy.  Well...here is how the story goes.

In a coal mine in West Virginia, there were some explorers, who found, back away from the entrance of the mine...11 puppies!  Ragged and starving little babies, they were rescued! Not sure if they were dumped in there, or something happened to the momma dog.  Turns out they were a Duke's mixture of breeds, (yes, they did DNA testing on their dog!), but American Staffordshire terrier was among the breeds evident.  These puppies, after vet attention and care, were transported up to Maryland, via pickup truck,  to a friend of my son's.  There, one was adopted by my son and DIL. 

This dog, after training and nutrition and much love, has become a nanny dog to my grandson!  His name is Shiner...named because he is the same color as Shiner Bock beer!  I asked my son how he knew that, and he demurred...but anyway, Shiner's story reads right out of a western, to me.  Coal mines, and pickup trucks!!!

So when I saw this quilt, I just  had to make it for my grandson.  I will put a cute dog fabric border around it, to make it a bit bigger.  You can find the pattern here:

https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/p/dog-gone-cute.html

I hope you have a great day!

Julie

Plaid Strings and Hearts is a wrap!

 

Good morning!  I started out to make a plaid string quilt...then I immensely enjoyed appliquéing heart with plaids...Then I though maybe a dark background would be better for some of the hearts...and here I am!!!

I still have to add a border to the quilt, which I do not have.  I do believe this quilt to be unique...all my thoughts rolled into it.  That blue plain row fabric is a surgical top that I cut apart, after being all used up as a garment.  

I am trying really hard to finish up some things so I can start the mystery quilt in two days!  Quiltville mystery, here I come!

Julie

Easily distractible!

Good morning to everyone!!!  I have been working on this quilt...well, cutting pieces out for this quilt.  I sewed the block below.  I use only scraps for this, so it takes some hunting to find pieces, sometimes. 

Purple!  I just love it!!  and lavender, too. There will be twenty blocks in total.

 I pulled out the 1930's sampler and made these two blocks, in the middle of the night.  

So, I have made a little progress!!!

Hope you all are doing well.

Julie

"The Spider and the Fly"

Hello to all!!!  I have been so, so busy, yet have not got a lot of quilting stuff to show for my efforts. I have been doing a ton of cutting of projects.   Above is my favorite, favorite applique quilt, so I got the top layered with batting and backing, and I will work on the hand quilting in the evenings.

I have also been working on my "Spider and the Fly" quilt top.  Above are some of the blocks...

And here is my progress so far!!!  This is great fun!!!

I have had some dryer troubles.  I cannot believe I had trouble with it...it is only 30 + years old!  LOL!

It is a Maytag, after all.  Maybe it will last forever!  

So it is all put back together again with a new belt, tensioning arm, and those round rollers there, and it works like a dream!  We did have problems getting new parts, so I used my washer and rigged up a clothesline in the backyard. (Supply chain problems for the parts)  I am so spoiled to have a washer and dryer...so many use the laundromat or have nothing.  Spoiled, I tell you!!

Oh yes...well, I stepped on a needle.  No harm done, but I am grateful it was me and not my dear hubby or dear poodle dog.  Must be more careful...

I am all caught up on medical testing, delayed for years due to covid and my own denial of any mortality, LOL!  I have some things I can improve, and others came out just wonderfully!

I hope each of you is having a lovely day!

Julie

 

Humble quilts quit along

Good morning!  I was making block units for Lori (of Humble quilts) quilt along.  I made all the little pieces, and somehow they wanted to become a star.  Several times the pieces arranged themselves into this little quilt, and so I went with it.  Please see all the little quilts here:  

https://humblequilts.blogspot.com/2021/11/land-that-i-love-linky-party.html

I have made several little coin purses, and will give them to fellow nurses, to keep in their pockets.

 And I embroidered this little fall quilt during church yesterday.  There are some benefits to on-line church, and one of them is sewing as I listen!!!  This was originally posted by Kathy, who blogs here:

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2021/10/design-wall-monday.html

Have a lovely day, each of you!

Julie

A deep breath!

Good morning, everyone!  I am off work today...a day of peace and on line church and laundry.  And grocery shopping!  EXCEPT!  My dryer is in a zillion pieces all over everywhere.  It was making a screeching noise, and bumps and funny sounds.  So, dear hubby took it apart, and there it is.  We have ordered parts, but they are not here...so I guess I can line dry my clothes, which is just fine.

Above is maybe my signature quilt. I have made a few of these, in this pattern, all of plaids.  This is my favorite pattern for strings in all the world!  I just love it, and it was my header quilt for many years.  I just had this one machine quilted, for it has been sitting too long, waiting to be hand quilted.  Funny thing is, is was quilted by a lady that I knew when she was 2  years old, and I was born.  We are not exactly related, but almost...my mom and her mom raised us together. My sister married her dad's brother.  She and I both raised sheep together and sewed in 4-H.  I have reconnected with her, and she is retired, and now is machine quilting for others!  

So I delighted to have this quilt, quilted by her!  She is just learned how to do this, and this was a perfect practice piece for her, and she did a great job.

Bonnie Hunter has a very cool quilt pattern out, and you can get it here.  I am making good progress on my version!

https://quiltville.com/shop.html#!/Spider-&-The-Fly-Digital-Pattern/p/392035469/category=0

Annie sent me a recipe for pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies.  Oh my, are they ever good!  If you would like to try the recipe, it is below.  Dear hubby loves them! 

 The original recipe is from Karin, at the Lovin' Life At The End Of The Dirt Road (dirtroadscrapper.blogspot.com)  Annie varied it just a tiny bit, but let me tell you...these ladies know how to bake!!!  YUM!

Please take a moment and go see Karin's blog...she is an amazing lady, a lovely quilter, and a hard working ranch wife.  It is fun to see what she is up to!