Rosie's handiwork!

 Believe it or not, I have almost all the stars sewn for this quilt!  One a day, before work...it really works!  Just about 13 minutes of sewing.  I went ahead and sewed the middle rows together, with the large center block.  It is just a matter of sewing some more diagonal edge blocks...and presto!!  It will be a quilt top!


A secret to share...this is one of five quilts made by my local quilting group.  I laid down a challenge...to make a quilt from this pattern! Five intrepid ladies took up the sword, and went for it.  Almost all are to the top stage, except mine.  These will be shown in our local quilt show, as a group quilting project.  I cannot wait to see it actually hanging in a quilt show!  All our quilts are very different, such different fabric choices!

NOW, about that Rosie Poodle...she has gone poodle quilt block surfing through these blocks so many times...that I surmised that she just wants this arranged differently. What do you think of her design?

Little stinker...she had a pretty large tumor removed from her chest/neck area...the incision is about 3 inches long.  It was cancer, but he said the margins were clean, so that was good...I hope it does not re-occur.  She is having to wear a cone, and she hates it and gives me the biggest woeful eyed looks...but I did remove it, she promptly removed some of the stitches, necessitating a follow up vet visit.  $2000.00 later.....this was an expensive thing!  That is altogether.  Makes me think about pet insurance...do you have that?




Have a great day, everyone!!


Julie

Dearest Boy update

This is the latest "Dearest Boy" update.  I love the wreath effect made by the bias vines!!!  On my pattern, the pattern acorns just would not fit into the space allowed very well, so I just made one acorn.  I need to do some embroidery still on this block.

On we go!  Please see the below bloggers...they are working on this quilt too!!  Are YOU working on this quilt, too, perhaps??

Karen:  Log Cabin Quilter

Cathy:  Big Lake Quilter
Julie:  Juliekquilts (me)
Carole: Wheels on the Warrandyte bus
Doreen:  Aunt Reen's Place

Hugs from Julie

Moving forward, and musings

 I have been thinking about things...oh dang, watch out world, LOL!!  I really love hand quilting...it is so soothing and delightful fun for me.  Above are some smaller hand quilted quilts, by me.

 I really love the soft texture and pretty colors...by the way, this was a quilt along by Lori, of Humble quilts.  She is having a Dollie quilt swap right now...better check her out!


www.humblequilts.blogspot.com

 Every day, I make a star block, early in the morning before work.  It is working!  You can eat that elephant, a bite at a time!!!

 Also, I am making one of these blocks.  I am in love with these simple scrappy blocks.  Using scraps is a good thing, and it makes more scraps...hahaha!

 I put a border on two quilts, and this is one of them.  I like a pull border, because when my guy gets a tugging hold of this quilt to pull it up around his chin, I don't want him necessarily pulling on the patchwork.  It feel more finished to me, now...I will try to hand quilt this one too.

I like this silly block.  "Of thee I sing!"  Get the notes?  LOL!!  Her hair looks a bit like mine...hmmmmm.




Some thoughts:

I have been blogging about ten years or more now...I continue to absolutely love it!! I have made fast friends, and lovely people from all over connect with me, and I with them.  Blogging has spurred me on to more quilting!  That is fun and good therapy for me. Quilting took over my life when my kiddo flew the nest and I was pretty lonesome and bereft from missing him.  It is hard to be so involved with scouts and band and sports and hockey and school...and to go to nothing, all at once.  Some of you surely can relate!  So it has been wonderful and lovely!

I have a lot of projects to finish up...so I have sent many quilt tops out to be quilted, and still have many more to get quilted.  I am hand quilting as much as time allows me to.  I am binding in the car, on trips...and piecing in the mornings, as moments allow.

What is the end goal of all this?  I think it is not the quilts, but the journey with fabric and thread and quiet moments and raucous laughter and love shared through so many of us.

So, I intend to keep on going full speed ahead, with a goal of finishing a lot up.


ALSO.... I will be selling some items, so please stay tuned if you are interested.



Just some silly thoughts from the girlie today!


Have a great one yourself!!




Julie

 

Squeezing in a bit of sewing time!

 Well...I have working 13 hours each, for the last three day, at the hospital.  I usually don't sew much when I work...just too tired out.  But...I have decided to change my paradigm!!  Each evening, I laid out the pieces for a star, right by the sewing machine.  Instead of playing on the computer before I went to work each morning for ten minutes, as is my habit...I made a new habit of sewing a star!  So there you go.  Four stars down!

I also sewed one of these blocks each morning.  I have no idea where this is going....




Sneak in ten minutes every day...and you will land among the stars!  Hahaha!



Julie

Starry progress

I am working on stars, for this quilt.  I have no idea why each one is taking so long, or maybe collectively, they are taking a long time!!!  But it is fun, anyway!!!

Have a great day!

Julie

Projects and progress

 I am here, only a couple of weeks behind, on the Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet quilt along.  This one is a free one, folks...and great fun!  Please see below...you can scroll through her posts and find all the patterns.  I am not sure how long they will be left up on her blog.  She writes very, very good instructions.  I love that part.  I am trying to duplicate her colors, but I don't have the fabrics from her line, so am just doing the best I can.

http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/

 These blocks are for the Meeting House quilt along on face book.  I have no idea where I am going with these...they have kind of morphed into a pink and red and blue plaid quilt.  Hmmm.  It will be OK, though...for me, as long as there is pink, life is good.

I am making more star blocks for my sampler quilt, for my quilting group.  The name of the quilt escapes me at the moment, but when it is done, you will recognize it!  LOL!!!




Hope each of you is having a great day!



Warning!  Don't read the nurse's notes if you don't want a touch of real stuff....it is sad.


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

I had a person who had taken an overdose of illegal drugs, wanting to commit suicide, according to his family. He was found down after a long time.  Now he is on maximum life support and just in the worst shape ever.  His family wants us to do everything, everything, to keep him going.  It is kind of a dilemma...of course we do everything, but I wonder what he would say if he were conscious and able to convey his wishes?

Nursing is hard sometimes.

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


Julie

Tiny Yellow blocks!!!

These are such darling little blocks, and are part of a quilt along at So Scrappy.  Please see here...it is going on all year!!

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2019/02/tiny-tuesday-9.html



Angela posts new blocks every Tuesday...Tiny Tuesday!  I am making two of each block.  Some are set on point, and others are straight set...and all are such fun to make!


A note for me...these tiny blocks take a bit of sliver trimming.  It makes them so much more accurate.




Have a super day, each of you!!


Julie

I am supposed to post on February 30th.

 Here is my Dearest Boy block for February 30th.  Due to calendar constraints of there being NO February 30th...I am posting it now, LOL!    I drafted it myself, made old fashioned templates out of a cereal box, like my mom and grandma did, and pieced it.  So there  you are!!!

Here are my blocks so far, for the Dearest Boy project.  Pretty, pretty, pretty!!!  I cannot wait to make the Cow block in the center!!

Karen:  Log Cabin Quilter

Cathy:  Big Lake Quilter
Julie:  Juliekquilts (me)
Carole: Wheels on the Warrandyte bus
Doreen:  Aunt Reen's Place

Please see these bloggers, who are working on the same quilt.




Have a super day, everyone!

Julie

Scraps are simply lovely!!

Today, I have been sorting and culling and organizing, cleaning windows, scrubbing floors...you know how it goes!!  I found this little quilt, above...I just love it.  All tiny scraps, all of it.  I think I need to re-create it, bigger, bed sized!!!  

And that, my friends, is how startitis gets started in the first place, LOL!!!!

Have a super day!

Julie

A little piecing, or...little piecing!

 I have cut a lot of these blocks out, and since the color for February, according to the rainbow challenge is Yellow, well...that is the color I am working with.

 I have more blocks cut out, but got tired of piecing, and had to fold laundry anyway...you know about the beep beep of the dryer!!  These are little blocks...I think 3.5 inch finished.

I made some yellow wonky stars too!!  I have all the colors cut out for the year, so now I just get to have the fun of piecing them according to the colors selected for each month.





I think I have the comments thing straightened out, at least I pray I do...thank you, each of  you, so very much for helping me and commenting.  I surely appreciate every one of you, so much.  You are very special to me!!  Forgive me for not answering comments the last little while...I try to answer every comment that comes through the email.




Julie

A test post...

I am just trying to see if I can get comments back to my email.  I changed the settings, as Lori of Humble quilts suggested.


Hope each of you is having a lovely, wonderful day!!

Dearest Boy update!

So....hahaha!  I went with something a little bit different.  I tried to make the original pattern, but on my block, the circles around the little hen with her wormy breakfast was a bit distracting.  So...I put my time into doing some extra embroidery and things to make that little hen a little special!!!  This block needs a good pressing!

Please see all the quilters making this fun quilt!!!

Karen:  Log Cabin Quilter

Cathy:  Big Lake Quilter
Julie:  Juliekquilts (me)
Carole: Wheels on the Warrandyte bus
Doreen:  Aunt Reen's Place

Please help me, if you can. My comments are no longer, again, going to my email.  Why?  Please help this technically inept quilter.  boohoo!!



Julie

Old becomes new...a Valentine's quilt!

 Well, after a lot of consideration, and by the way,  THANK YOU for all your helpful comments!  I just put the blocks I had, which were the same size, together like this.  Because of the hearts, and the color, and the time of the year, I am pronouncing it a Valentine's day quilt.  I had no more of the red fabric that the setting squares were made of, so I used a red print I had for the border.

Here are the leftover, different sized blocks. I drew the primitive looking ones myself. Haha...no artist here!  I can do primitive well, because...I am a bit primitive in my drawing skills!!  This was many years ago that I drew them...maybe I could be better now.


I really appreciate all your help...thank you so much!!

Have a great day,


Julie

An old, old project

 The above blocks are red work.  I had intended to set them together like this.  I have more red work blocks, but I accidentally, way back when, cut them smaller than these.  So...I guess that is where I stalled out. Anyway, I was thinking I could maybe finish this into something....this quilt was way before the blog, so at least 12-15 years old.

I also made another block, so I am current, for Pat Sloan's Space quilt.  Hurrah!!!


I hope each of you has a wonderful night, and that you have had some fun quilting time!!!


Julie

A few blocks!

 These blocks are for the Meeting House sampler.  I added the top right block today.

 This Tiny Tuesday was yellow nine patch day, so I made these blocks...

And I am making some star blocks.


And that is all, folks!

Grocery shopping, cooking, laundry and cleaning took the bulk of the day.  And oh yes, I made some cookies to take to work.  Those kiddos (read nurses at least 30 years younger than I am) sure love home baked things...



Julie

Some progress...Ode to the 1930's!

 Lori Holt has a quilt along going on...free block patterns, featuring her own fabrics. I officially caught up today!  and then she posted another block...so on it goes!!  Go check out  Bee in my Bonnet!!

 I  like these little babies...

 Just another progress picture.

 Pretty star!!


1930's fabrics are special, aren't they?  I have a very few feed sacks from that era and will use a few precious pieces in this quilt.  My mom was a teenager in the 1930's and grew up with all the deprivation and strife that was in that era.  Frugal...yes!  and that is passed on through generations.

Speaking of that, Liz D of Gone to the Beach blog, had a very thoughtful comment, that got me to thinking.  She said there is such an emphasis on using scraps, that lovely new yardage does not get used.  I pondered that, because as you know, I love scraps!!  Love them...

But I think there is a balance to be found, with using our new pretty fabrics too.  Thus, the above blocks are not made from scraps!!  Real 1930's fabrics (reproductions)...and a few real ones.

Do you have any thoughts about this?  I just thought it was fun to think hard about this comment, and evaluate my practice!

My flowers are confused again, for they are blooming like crazy...sigh...






and it is freezing tonight, about 24 degrees, according to the weather lady.





Hugs to all from Julie

Might as well join in....IN THEM ALL!!

 Lori Holt, of Bee in my Bonnet, is having a vintage quilt along, honoring her grandmother.  Here is my first block...for of course, I think I have to join in EVERYTHING this year.  I was very, very impressed with her instructions and wit...she is really good.  This is a 12 inch block.

You can find the blocks, so far, here...

https://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/2018/12/grandmas-star-quilt-block-tutorialwith.html

 Pat Sloan is just happy...and she makes fun quilt-alongs, too.  So...this is my first block for her quilt along, and you can find her site along here:

https://www.ilovetomakequilts.com/a-flower-bouquet.html

 Cheryl, of Teapots to quilting, tuned me in to a Bible quilt along, starting with Genesis.  I made the first two blocks of that quilt too.   The pale teal one is quite pretty, but the light floral is fragile, and I may have to do this one again.   Thank you dear Cheryl!!!  Her blog is here, and the block link is below.  Cheryl is an awesome quilter!

http://cherylsteapots2quilting.blogspot.com/

https://www.quiltersgardenonline.com/bible-studies.htm

 The rainbow color of this month is Yellow...so I tried to remember if I had made yellow birds, and I had...I like those buddies!!!

Last but not least...Temecula quilt company is also having a quilt along!!!  Every Wednesday, you are supposed to make a dozen of this block, I think...totally doable, by the way.  They are super fast!!!


https://temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/2019/01/one-block-wednesday_30.html

Whew!  I think that is it for now...really.







Julie

Green!!

 Years ago, I made this green quilt top, from a magazine pattern, I think.

 Feathered star...

 Itty bitty applique and one inch triangles; quarter inch wide borders...


I have yet to quilt it, and always thought I would have it machine quilted, but maybe I will try to hand quilt it.  It takes me a good forever, though...


Just musing here, but I am finding, looking back, that I was really after the most demanding and challenging patterns I could find, back then.  I relished it!  When I look at my work now, it is pretty dumbed down, in my opinion.  What happened?

Am I just older...or did the scraps take over?  When did I get on the track of more is better??  I find great joy in what I do, don't get me wrong...


Any thoughts?

I made more blocks for the Meeting House sampler quilt...loving these!!





Julie

Strings!!

 I finished all the blocks for my limey green string quilt!  So fun, and so fast...if you have never tried string quilts, this might be your new favorite thing, ever!

Here is how is goes together.  A comment about that very dark green strip, that almost looks black.  That little piece is one of the last pieces of an Easter dress that my momma made me, as a child.  It had a satin pinafore, and a velvet skirt...dark green velvet.  I felt like a princess on Easter, when the ladies all dressed up and wore their over-the-top Easter bonnets, way back in the day.  So...that is why it is included in this quilt...so tactile and soft.  I love it!!

 And here is all the strings that are left!!  I used almost every one, and will use these all up in the border.

Here is another row on this rainbow quilt...love this!!!!  ON we go!!

I am linking to Lori, at Humble quilts...just go and see all those lovely string quilts going on!!






www.humblequilts.blogspot.com



Have an amazing day!


Julie

Dearest Boy!!

Here is the next block, for the quilt "Dearest Boy."  I love hearts, so I love this block, and tried to follow the original color scheme, using what I have.  There is something very hypnotic and soothing about stitching these applique blocks, in the quiet of the morning.

Hurrah!  On to the next...and the cow is coming up at some point!!

Please see below, to see all the lovely blocks and bloggers making this quilt!

Karen:  Log Cabin Quilter

Cathy:  Big Lake Quilter
Julie:  Juliekquilts (me)
Carole: Wheels on the Warrandyte bus
Doreen:  Aunt Reen's Place

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

Speaking of hypnotic...I have had the privilege of caring for a family from India, at the hospital.  So, I have been treated to Indian music and food!!  The music has many repeated chants, and I must say...they are stuck in my head, and I found myself swaying to the music and loving it!  What a dedicated family...The kids flew in from all over the country, and are so dedicated to their very ill dad...he is on life support, continuous dialysis, and so on.  His precious wife of 54 years held his face in her hands and told him how much she loved him yesterday...and I stepped out of the hospital room and just wept.  He will not make it through this...and yet?  I have been surprised in the past at some miraculous recoveries, which just goes to show you that a higher power is in charge of us!!!!!!

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

Julie