Thursday, May 30, 2019

Half Square Hootenanny!!!

 Well, well, well.  WELL!!!  I have saved every little triangle I have ever trimmed from a star, using the connector piecing method.  It is so totally out of hand, this saving of tiny pieces; it is crazy!!!    I made a few blocks, using some...
 But there are more....
 And more!!! I think this is all of them.
So...I got to work.  I trimmed one zillion half square triangles to two inches, squared up.  And...I have a zillion ideas to go along with those tiny blocks!!





How about this?  This uses 2 inch half square triangles...just the size you get when making those afore mentioned stars.  This is a free pattern, from Quiltville!!!  Please see



HERE!!!!


And while you are there, Bonnie has so graciously posted many, many free quilt patterns. Please see her blog...and if you are a scrappy quilter, Bonnie has written many, many books, using all those pretty scraps you just can't get rid of!!



What other ideas do you have for a 1/2 square triangle quilt??




Julie

Dearest Boy update

Good morning to you!!  Here is out latest "Dearest Boy" block.  I absolutely love this one.  It all fit well in the size of block it was supposed to fir into, and was an absolute joy to stitch.  Hurrah!!!  It took me about the same time to prep as it did to stitch, for a total of three hours of work.  

Can you see the waviness?  It is caused by the tons of applique, drawing in the middle, I think.  All the sides are the right size, so this waviness will quilt out, and I might block it carefully to square it up.  

Please see these quilters, as they are also working on these blocks.  








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





I hope you have an amazing, joyful day today!



Julie

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Slow Stitching, and update on string quilt, rainbow style!

 I don't know if you can see this well, but I am hand stippling the area inside the pink arcs of the border.  I only have three more little sections to go, then it is on to the white area next to the green binding area!  I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
 I love seeing progress on this quilt, which has been a labor of love for a long time.  This is entirely created by hand and surely qualifies for "Slow Stitching Sunday!"  So...I am linking to Kathy,




HERE!  Please visit her and see what everyone is slow stitching on!





 I am sewing strings together!  I started this I think in January, stalled out a bit, but last night...I did not sleep.  Not a bit sleepy after 3AM!  So I quietly sewed this quilt top together.  WHOOP!!!  Making hay while the sun does not shine...hahahaha!
I need the top and bottom border, and then the scrappy outside border made.  A lot happened last night, and I am grateful for the quiet time to sew.




I am linking to Angela, HERE!  for Rainbow quilts.  We are working on orange this month, so I am showing green.  REBEL!!!  Not really...I have been sewing orange, too...but I think you have all seen those blocks too many times already.




Also, I am linking with Lori, at Humble quilt, HERE.  We are using our strings to make quilts there.


OK, off to do some real housework and cooking now!!




Julie

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Patchworking

 I am making a block a day, using this star pattern.  I am using 3 1/2 inch centers and two inch connector corners to make the star points.  Just fun piecing!
 Also, I am making some of these blocks, using cut off triangles from previously made stars.  I have a bin of those, and it is time to make them into something fun!
 Pinwheels centers in process!!
 For my work, I usually just carry my wallet with twenty bucks and my driver's license...so this little wallet will fill the bill.  My other one is just worn out!
This is the first tomato of the year!  Summer is coming!!





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

I have been in charge at the hospital, mostly, as of late.  I really don't like it so much, because it kind of takes me away from the patients, and more toward the assigning of patients, checking of equipment, running codes, etc.  So...I pass patient trays!  Help the nurses when they are overwhelmed!  Get patients out of bed...anything I can do to be at the bedside.  Those patient connections are so much fun...I love the 80 plus crowd, seriously.  They are so much fun and just say exactly what they mean and are hilarious in many ways!!  They are not afraid to hug me or be friends...no reservations, as with some younger people.  They have learned to live a full and fun life.  Love me some golden oldies!!!

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


Fitness journey!  Weigh in was Thursday...I gained a tiny bit, so back to the grindstone.  Really, it is not a grindstone...hey, when will I lose this bit of weight if not now?  When I am 95?  DO IT NOW!  (my note to myself...)


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


Happy Memorial Day Weekend!



Julie

Monday, May 20, 2019

Just a few things!

 OK, well I have been playing around with this bag for a couple of days now!!!  I have been looking at pinterest...actually daily.  What a lovely lot of pretty ideas...and a colossal time sucker, LOL!!!  But it is SO FUN!!  Anyway, I saw some pretty bags and decided to make one from my scraps.
 There is a lot more to see inside this bag than outside, actually.  See the patchwork peekaboo?  It is the inside of an outside pocket...there is one on the other side of the bag, too.
 And the inside...


So this was my inspiration...I like hers better, but mine will be functional for me.  See how mine turned out cutesy, and hers is elegant.  Sigh...I guess that is just who I am!!

Thank you to Raknaree for letting me share this lovely bag!!
 So...what is on your bed??  This is what is on mine...plaids and plains.  
I love it!!  I think it would qualify as scrappy, don't you?






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

They called me to see if I could work extra again today...and I didn't answer the phone.  END of the nurse's notes for today!!


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

Fitness:  My hips hurt!   What the heck is going on??  Do your hips hurt...or an I just ancient?  Maybe tomorrow will be better...I did not exercise today, hoping to give them a rest.






Hope you are doing wonderfully, whatever you are doing!


Julie

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Now that is more like it!!!

 Just one more row to go!  Now that kind of progress is more like it!!  I have three of the ten blocks finished, that are needed for the last row.  Yahoo!!!
 Another view...partially in the sunshine.
 This little quilt got a border...
 See that crookedness on the bottom left side?  It is still there with the borders.  Hmmmm...a pressing or piecing error, I think.
I just love this Cheri Payne quilt, that I made...so I took a random picture of it!!!






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

This is hospital week, and they have combined nurse's week with it, too.  I am so glad to be a nurse; to be intimately related with my amazing patients and co-workers.  I have been there at the birth of a person, and at the death of a person, and I have cared for everyone in-between.  I am truly blessed!!!

I had a blind patient the other day.  She knew it was me when I came into her room, and almost had a "radar" about her, just amazingly adept at traversing her new environment.  She lost her vision as a child.  Just an triumph of the human spirit...I loved her immediately!

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

Fitness journey!!

My best friend at work and I are getting it together...we have lost weight and are getting back into good shape.  Every Thursday, we weigh on the hospital scale.  It is amazing how much easier it is to do it with a friend!!!


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



Have a great day, each of you!

Julie

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Dearest Boy update

This is my latest block.  I do not have the correct green thread to sew down the leaves and pieces, so I guess I will have to go to the quilt shop.  Poor me...I feel bad for me, having to go shop at the luscious quilt shop with those delightful fabrics...oh well, someone has to do it!  LOL!




Please see the quilters below, who are working on this quilt!




Julie

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Pat Sloan's quilt-along: Out of This World

 I am making progress on this quilt.  The corner blocks really helped me to focus and see what it will look like!!!


 This is the most current block.  If you would like to sew this quilt...it is a free pattern, HERE.


Of course a few of these blocks got made in the last couple of days.




Hope this finds you well!!



Julie

Monday, May 13, 2019

Plaids!

 Plaids and plains, that is!  At last, this quilt has a border.  Hurrah!!
 I find if I cut plaids on the length of grain, and use scissors, they come out much more flat and straight.   Just cut along one of the lines in the plaid!
 The little hexie blocks I was given are becoming this.  The hexies are different sizes, and so I am appliqueing  them down to individual blocks.
Two Tiny Tuesday blocks are next.  Caught up?  But tomorrow is Tuesday again!  LOL!!!





Have a great day, everyone!


Julie

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Progress on projects, because I was on call today!

 Orange is the color selected for May, so I have some orangy tidbits.  Someone else will have to lay out these blocks for me, please, I declare it right now!!
 Some Tiny Tuesday rainbow blocks, finishing out teal and heading into that orange!!
And my progress on the Meeting House blocks.  I just could not resist making two heart blocks!!







Hope you are having some sewing time today!



Julie

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Quilt group met today!


My quilting bee, the "Unraveled" group, met today.  They are such good friends, and many of us have known each other for almost thirty years!  One has cancer...one had a subdural hematoma recently!  with burr holes placed...and all are OK for today.  I am so grateful! 

The group is making this quilt as a challenge, and I decided to get moving and finish it up already!  I was out of red, so went and got three yards of the closest match I could find today.  Who knew there were so many subtle shades of red!    It will be quickly finished, now.

 Just playing with quilt pieces and parts...such fun!


And these hexies...still puzzling about how to finish them into something.





Hope each of you is having a lovely day today!  I did not do ONE LICK of housework...well, I did take out trash and did one load of clothes...and that I IS IT!!



Rebel that I am!



Julie

Monday, May 6, 2019

Such a cool tutorial!




My first practice block.




Diamond quilt pattern blocks - a quilt tutorial by Bonjour Quilts.












 The first block is my practice block.  There is just the most fun tutorial out there...for a quilt featuring diamonds, that is pretty easy to make!
My block is not pressed yet, just finger pressed, but please check out the tutorial below for a great way to make these blocks.  Aren't her blocks just so pretty??




https://www.bonjourquilts.com/diamond-quilt/






About a decade ago, I was nursing and you could pretty much wear any print you wanted...so I made lots of scrub tops from cute prints, but now...sadly, we can only wear solid blue.  So....I have hoarded all those tops, and hey!  This is a great pattern to make and use the solid colored pants, and the print tops I have saved for so long!  Hurrah!!!  I plan to make some of these blocks from those materials.





Julie












Saturday, May 4, 2019

Aqua and teals!


As I was taking stock of the one block wonder quilt...(this is Temecula's free quilt along, on Wednesdays), I found this many blocks for the month of April.  I really love how they look together...and I will make sure they are placed correctly in the final quilt!!

I am linking to Angela, at So Scrappy.



Some folks have a years worth of blocks done already...I love it!


Have a super day, each of you!

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Here is the state of the union message...I mean the union of little quilt pieces into bigger quilt pieces!

 I have made some progress on several of the block of the month quilts...but they all look the same, so I will not bore you with them.  But above, is my Cheddarback quilt.  I absolutely love it!!  What a fun pattern...I have the next blocks cut out, just not sewn yet.




I have been cleaning like a mad woman. I have thrown a lot away and donated and repurposed a lot, too.   Above is a favorite quilt of mine.  All plaids...all hand quilted...coping strips utilized  because I had no idea how to make the border work to fit.  I love it so much...need to make a huge one, too, bed sized!!!  Do you find inspiration from your own quilts?  Hahaha!




This is a jewel box quilt...everything plus the kitchen sink in here.  Each block is 4 inches finished.


Lots of scraps in here!!  I just found this one and loved seeing it again.




Scrappy...kind of folk.  I am disappointed that I put a dark string border on this one,  because it kind of ruined the airy lightness of the quilt.  OH well...I like it anyway!!!








That is the state of the union!!


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


This nurse has become a victim...and a part of a special quilting club.   Do You want to know how to be in the club?

SEW THROUGH YOUR FINGER!!!


Seriously now...it is not bad, could have been much worse...and it smarts.  Have you done that trick yet?  It went right through my nail on the edge!


Have a great day, each of you!!

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


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...