Monday, April 24, 2023

A mystery quilt finale...or almost.

Good morning!!!  Above is my almost finished quilt top from the mystery quilt on Facebook.  Here is the link, if you would like to pursue this one. All the patterns are free and under files.   I took a few liberties and made it my own.  Only one more border to go!!!

(2) EQP Mystery 2022 | Facebook

A picture in progress.

And another picture in progress!!!  I machine appliqued for the first time in my life.  Those little petal blocks were really slowing me down, and so I wondered what would happen if I sewed some of them  on my machine...and it was fine.  Not heirloom sewing here, but this is not for show, and will be just fine and warm for someone on the bed.



 I resurrected these blocks, and sewed this much together.  Of course it needs to be much bigger!



UFO busting here, folks!!!


Happy Monday to you!


Julie

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Chunks of sewing time

Good morning to you!!!  I have been working on UFO's.  All these blocks were completed, and laid out in perfect sequence, ready to sew. Why didn't I do this long ago!!!??   Some concentrated time with them, and I have this top together (minus borders) all done.  Hurrah!!!  This is a small quilt, because the blocks are quite tiny.  A border is in order.  I adore it, because it is all scraps.


I finished the next round on the Squirrel Star quilt, so named...because it is a squirrel!!!  I love the pastels, chosen to match the center star colors, which are cut off triangles, saved and now used up.  I tried to choose star colors based on what I had, and also on the inner triangles...something to go with those bright Easter colors.    On to the next border.  My dear friend and I are working on similar quilts, and Annie's are in reproduction colors.



This quilt also had all the blocks all made, and laid out, ready to sewn. Putting the pedal to the metal did the trick, and this is a larger quilt top.  Scraps, every strip!! A true UFO.

 


 I took out this little quilt, and hand blanket stitched the lettering, which took around five hours.  Geesh!!!  I love to do that, but it took a small forever.  Next round is coming up!

 

 

How are you doing on your UFO's?  Any to speak of?  I feel like I have made a great dent in finishing mine up, and that feels wonderful. After all, what is the purpose of all this sewing?  To give to other people...geturdun, self!

 

 

Have a super day!

 

Julie



Thursday, April 13, 2023

Growing things!!!! and quilts too


Good morning!!  Oh how the sun and the spring beckons us outside!!!  It is so pretty.  Back in February, I think, I started these tomato plants from seeds purchased at the nursery.  Every single seed came up!!!  I used an old plastic egg carton for my planting soil, and rapidly, rapidly, they grew up!!  I mowed the lawn day before yesterday and put down fertilizer.  


I have transplanted them outside now, only losing one plant, from an tragic accident involving a trowel and a careless moment!!!  I now have bell peppers and jalapeño peppers growing in that same egg carton.  Soon they will be ready to transplant outside too.  And the big news!!!  I am making a real garden spot in the backyard!!!  Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited for this!  As a farm girl, I really miss the growing things, and the animals.




This quilt seems the same, but it is  not.  I added the plain white border on the outside, and cut out 24 blocks to go around the outside of quilt, for the next border.  This quilt is growing!!!




I have a zillion of these blocks cut out, and while cleaning and going through things...this one came up.  In the middle of the night, I sewing these four blocks, and just loved the process of it.  All plaids!! from  shirts!!



 Here are some of my seedlings in a large planter box.  They are just taking off like crazy.  I also have squash in there...maybe I will have squash to sauté and also make squash casserole.  Yum!!!



**************************Nurse's notes************************
Hospice is going well.  I also float to oncology, open heart, and ICU.  I can have anywhere from one patient to six patients in a day..so just have to keep flexible and go for it, whatever it happens to be day to day.  I love my hearts the best, and also love a new way of caring for hearts in hospice.  



************************1940's!*******************************

I am continuing my study and reading about this fascinating era.  I read every night before I go to bed, and it is great fun!!  I am learning a lot.  Ration cards!  Do you know about this?  In order to save almost everything for the war effort, many things were rationed for people here in the USA.  You had to  have a coupon, so to speak, and redeem it for things you needed.  I found some of these ration coupons in my MIL's things.  The national spirit and coming together for the common good and war effort is inspiring...wish we could all come together these days, too, don't you!!!






I wish each of you a blessed and wonderful day!!


Julie

Thursday, April 6, 2023

A ufo finished!



Good morning, or afternoon!  or good night!  I finished the borders on the above quilt of valor.  I am so happy to have it all completed, at least the top.  Hurrah!




I made a squishy out of the tiny trimmings from this quilt.  I take a basket of these to my work and they disappear throughout the day.




 I also completed a needle book.  The center is an amazing, appliqued circle, sewn by a friend, with a sheep in the fabric.  I used to raise sheep, and so I love it, and the lovely, tiny stitches used to sew it.




Hope all is well with you!



Julie

Hand quilting on the plane!

Greetings!!  I have been on a journey!  I got to go visit my grand babies, and had a lovely time. I wanted to have something to sew on the p...