SIZE MATTERS

While sitting at my sewing table I started digging in my clothes basket of blocks...I like stars so I grabbed this bag...after analyzing it...I noticed it has odd size squares...this could be a lesson here ...now all of my cut squares are 'standard' quilt sizes...why did I cut these odd?

In the picture notice that size is 1 3/4 in squares...normally I would not do that but I think I had some leftover pieces I wanted to make stars and this was the size it took...but it will call for a lot more cutting of new fabric instead of using partial strips already cut...not a good plan....so I will try to think up something to do with them without too much more work with them....good lesson to learn if wanting to use scrap...

I worked with my graph paper last night on my 'new' block and came up with 2 varieties...gotta make the other block today and with a little luck you will see pics nex time...

I have groceries to get sometime today and  hopefully I will get to the quilt meeting tomorrow...missed the last 2...so lots to do today....more next time.....

CAN A NEW BLOCK BE MADE?

I took this picture out of archives today..its an original I dreamed up one afternoon couple years ago with the size scraps I had.....now I am trying to make a new block with scraps I have using more different size squares and rectangles....can a person make a new block or have they all been made lol....Not wanting to get too involved with a defined quilt of sorts at this time ...I want something I can have fun with....I cant believe just how much small yardage I have...its prettly well stacked at the front of my work table...the goal is to use off those piles first but somehow they get bigger not smaller lol..

I laid awake for 2 hours last night trying to envision a block and when I found it useless I got up and machine quilted a small runner before going back to bed...

I've been kind of lazy so far today...I guess I am sleepy because of lack of sleep I got last night...got some laundry to do when I final get going....got binding to put on 2 small items now....I found some half finished potholders buried on the table too that I could work on....not to mention the big clothes basket of block bags I have to finish...and the list goes on.....more later.....

TO EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS SEWING?

Its been a busy weekend so far....some of those Christmas blocks I tore up are now remade into this little topper...I used some of the squares for the outside border too...I wasn't sure I was going to be able to quilt on my little machine as the last time it threw a huge temper tantrum and wouldn't sew right...after messing with it 6 months ago I left it alone  before I had a stress fit.

Well this week I decided to see if it was over it...I adjusted the tension again and low and behold it wanted to quilt... but I am sooooo out of practice...tonight I tackled it again and made a lot of mistakes and had to rip out a lot but finally got it done...now its ready for a binding...maybe tomorrow...

I'm trying to get back to the sewing I did before but after 6 months of not sewing ya know its like starting over lol....

The rest of the weekend so far I have made a big batch of potato salad and homemade cookies....made homemade pizza Friday night with the leftovers from homemade spaghetti sauce.....do ya get the hint I did a lot of homemade cooking this week  hahaha.....

Ok i'm tired so that's why the humor I get a little crazy when I am tired....but its a good tired because I was sick the whole month of June with Shingles and still being bugged by the after effects...soo its off to lay down and watch tv before I doze off.....more later

4 MORE ROWS OF HEXES TO GO

Today when I was sewing more hex flowers on my flower quilt...I was thinking I only had 2 more rows to go and it will be time for the fill-in sections..but then I happen to do some figuring and I had forgotten that I had added 2 more flowers on the end of every row so that threw off the length f the quilt...soooo I have 4 rows to do before I get ready for the fill-ins....I have a lot more flowers to make lol....

I have been wondering what color to make the border on this quilt and I think its going to be an aqua color...there is a lot of that color in the quilt...It shouldn't overpower it being its only 1 hexie wide surrounded by the beige background...actually the way I see it it should help accent the aqua...beige and aqua always look good together...

Well I am extra tired tonight....I have been up all day not doing much and my headache is very bothersome but I tried to ignore it....Wednesday I go back to the doc...I lost my voice yesterday and so far today I cant talk either lol....so I have this bug yet....ok off to bed.....more later....

SOMETIMES LOOKING BACK IS GOOD

Yesterday I must have felt better because I was rummaging around in the sewing room and ran across the 2 yellow envelopes of doll patterns I made when dressing the Salvation Army dolls about 15 years ago.....

In the picture is one of the dolls I dressed for them and my own pattern for the dress...they gave us the basic pattern if you wanted more you made your own patterns....I had fun making those dresses and this week I needed the boost of seeing them to help me feel like I am worth something....it has not been a good week...my headache has not let up since June 9 when I first got sick and I am basically still sick and will go to doc this week for more meds....I keep trying to do things here at home but after awhile my headache starts pounding so then I have to lay down for awhile...I have also been worried that the rash is going to leave scarring on my face ..it has healed a lot but there are still half dollar size places that have not....this is the worse sinus infection I have ever had and they don't seem to be draining any...

Ok I have rattled on enough...more of a vent after I got started but maybe I needed that too....good day....more later....

A LITTLE QUILT WITH A STORY

When looking through my photo albums yesterday I found this little quilt...a little story came to mind....

My mother in law was a long time quilter and lived on a farm..one of her egg customers was a big shot in the old Princess Peggy factory that made house dresses in Peoria, Illinois in the 1940-50's...she often brought my MIL fabric sample sheets...my MIL would use them in a quilt....

One day she gave me some sheets she didn't want....I moved them from place to place wondering what I was going to do with them ... my hubby told me to throw them out...I couldn't do that lol...

One day several years later I finally said' today I will make a quilt with these little 1 inch things'...my daughter likes old things and I had her in mind when I started...I had to find sashing and borders with something that looked very old...When it was done I told her about it ..She remarked 'I love it and it looks like it had been drug through a rainstorm and had weathered'....so I guess you would say it was a success lol....

One thing for sure I don't think I will ever make another one that ends up less than 1 inch squares.....but then I also say 'never say never'.......more later.....

THINKING OF QUILTS

Yesterday I thought I should start staying up more because I am finding it harder to sleep now that I am a little better...
So I spent some time hand sewing posies on my flower garden quilt...My mind wanders all over while I am doing that and one of the topics went back to all the quilt tops I have waiting to be quilted....It wont be long and I will have this flower garden quilt top done and I really need to get a quilt laid out and quilted....But which one?...I have an 8 ft. closet in the sewing room and it is jam packed with quilt tops all hanging up smushed together...

I have been looking at pictures of quilts tops, mine and other pictures of quilts I have collected and put in a file for future ideas trying to get in the mood to quilt when I feel much better....I might even review some on here a time for two too...but for now I am going to finish my coffee and see if I can get a load of towels in to wash and maybe move around more.....more later.....

9-PATCH BLOCK PATTERN SHOULDN'T BE CLAIMED BY ANYONE WITHOUT HISTORY

I'm going to stick my nose out there for a minute...I read in one of my friends blogs about a lady giving her a bad time for making a quilt in the pattern the woman was going to publish in a book and take claim for the pattern...its a very old pattern and I think she needs to do more history on the block instead of claiming it as hers....heres mine...

 

 

 

 

 

...I have been making this pattern for over 40 years, a simple pattern that really doesn't need claimed by anyone...
...I have more but no more pics in pc....and I am not sure but I think I have a couple bags of odd 9 patch blocks ready for sashed....more later....

P.S. Oops I forgot....just look at the labels on the side for more 9 patch things I forgot I had on here...

 

 

HATS, HATS AND MORE HATS AND SCARVES

Today I thought I would post pictures of the knitting I did over winter this year...I decided to clean out all my leftover yarn I had accumulated in the past and do something with it.....sooo I made 30 single hats and 20 scarf and hat sets...the first pic shows the single hats that will go to the mens homeless shelter in the city and the second pic shows the sets...some of which will be Christmas presents for my family and the rest will go to the Salvations Army family unit in the city....

 

 

I really didn't realize I had so much yarn but they will all be out of here by Christmas this year then I will have space in my closet....This was my project from Jan.1 to April 30 this year....

I sure don't seem to be setting the world on fire today...Call it laziness or just haven't got started...I don't know which it is but I need to overcome it and get busy....

I have been scanning ideas for quilts and other sewing this morning so that is at least something...and I also added a couple blocks to my flower garden quilt...I am on the last 4 rows of it before I start the fill ins and the border...

My mind was wandering while sewing about getting a quilt laid out to quilt...that is the only way I am going to really get involved back in my sewing...more on this later....and more later....

OLD BLOCKS REVISITED

I am finding out that it is hard for me to get back into sewing now that my knitting is done....its like I have to wear a new groove for me to fit...lol....

 

I have been looking around for small projects for me to work on to get the juices flowing again...so far I haven't found any that peak my interest....soo I went looking at pics I took in the past of some things I had been working on...and no they aren't finished yet....maybe that is the incentive for me to work on them....here are a few pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are just a few of the blocks I have in various stages of a quilt...i think I got discouraged before I quit sewing last year at all the unfinished things I have...

 

My coffee is gone and I need some breakfast so I will quit here....I do have some pics of the things I knitted that will be coming soon...more later......

 



 

 

 

 

SODA BOTTLE CHALLENGE DONE

Today when I was suppose to be doing other things I worked on an online challenge...we were to use the colors in the Squirt soda bottle to make something quilty....

My daughter liked the little basket I made while back so I asked her if she would like one if I made it...her answer was yes she would use it for scrapbooking...that was my clue on how big to make it...I even had all the scrap fabric on my table stacks to use....The basket is 3 inches tall and is 7 inches square...the corner pockets are just right for scissors or pencils...

There are 100 squares in that little thing though it doesn't look like it....I could have made it easier though if not a color challenge by using just 2 colors and making the basket...the colors are a little off...the peach looks pink and the yellow looks white... if you are checking the squirt label lol....when I first heard the colors I thought what am I going to do....but I think the basket is very colorful so I am happy with it....

We had our quilt meet yesterday and it was really a good one in spite of our sweltering heat...all but 2 were there....lots of show and tell and a big variety of things...

I have not a thing planned for my supper tonight...got hamburger out of freezer but don't think its going to thaw in time....maybe good night for breakfast...bacon, eggs and fried potatoes....that really sounds good to me....

Been working here and there on flower garden quilt but not much to show at the moment....some days too hot to sew other ones I'm too lazy lol....but I have to get qulting I am so behind....stay cool (or warm)....more later....

LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

You might have noticed that i haven't posted for a bit but i have been a busy gal...if you quilt then you know you have leftover fabric and odd blocks from other projects well i am not different lol....i was getting too many little bags in my clothes basket of blocks so i started looking through them and found several that would make good small items for giving 'just because'...so i started working on them a couple weeks ago and came up with a lot of goodies....too many for one picture....

I never seem to have trouble giving potholders away or the little mug rugs...so i end up making a lot of them...I still have more in the works but my machine is giving some trouble so not too eager to keep going on them at the moment till i get it back in good condition...its easier on my nerves lol....It hasn't taken down the amount of bags in that clothes basket though i still have way too many in there...

Today its supply day so gotta get out of the house for that and maybe a late lunch....have to see what happens....more later....

NO. 7 FLOWER GARDEN QUILT AND WONDERING ABOUT THE PIONEERS

Remember when i said i was working on another grandmothers flower garden quilt this time for me????...Well i am and its no.7...mine is beige background and all the others are white background...mine is also the small flower...i like them the best to work on...

I have seeen soo many ways to put one othese quilts together from gluing the basting (always wondered what happened it you didn't wash it out)..i baste mine by hand...some use papers if you read my blog you know i dont use papers and it works perfectly fine...i would recommend this method for any to use and you will have good results...

As i sit and work on this quilt i wonder if the pioneers made theirs without papers too...back then they were lucky to have a newspaper to read....there wasn't paper till the paper mills started up...i have a old quilt mag that says to take the template hold it next to the fabric and cut around it adding a 1/4 inch as you go and that is your hex to start...i suppose they cut up their old dresses and passed them around so each person at the quilting bee has some...I guess we will never know for sure..

Any way if you are interested in making one and haven't started with some other method...give mine a try if you have the time to devote to making it...

Well its getting late so its off to bed for now...more later....

ANSWERING A COMMENT TODAY

Today i am going to answer Celia's comment...that is a good idea using a flannel back table cloth for a design wall but i dont have a wall that i can devote to that...

i still lay out blocks on the floor to check where they should go but i cant lay out a quilt top on the floor to sandwich and pin so i butt 2 tables together and lay them out there....but i have a health condition with my back that makes that hard to do without a lot of stops to let the back spasms stop....in fact i dont have floor space large enough to lay out a quilt top either....

i just need a nice big studio lol.....if i was younger i would not hesitate to have an addition onto the house but at my age i doubt i would get much use out of it for the money it would take to build it....

I am happy to see all comments on my blog...then i know people do read it and makes it worthwhile for me to write it...glad to see love of quilts comments too...glad you are back commenting i missed them when you stopped....

Today i am going to see if i can get my driving test over with....been too worried about it and its not going to stop till i get it done....just hope i pass.....another thing you have to do when you get to 75...ugh....

Have a great hump day everyone....keep on sewing....more later....

SEWING AND CLEANING IN THAT ORDER

This week has been mostly cleaning time around here...when i am sewing no cleaning gets done except for the kitchen and some laundry...i shouldn't tell anyone that i suppose but true ....i am sure most sewing people have the same problem if you dont have a family you have to take care of...

I have a lot of health problems that affect everything i try to do and cleaning is one big one....in order to scrub the kitchen and bath floors it required me to stop and rest my back several times before completing the task...this isn't like me...i used to be kind of a whirlwind with all those things getting a lot done in one day...now i am lucky to get done what i do....

Memorial weekend is here and i have had past thoughts about what our family used to do...we had good friends and we always got together on this and other holidays for family outings together....now i am the only one of the adults still living except for their kids and mine....somewhat sad to miss all those good times we had all together...my kids will be busy doing their thing this holiday and i am going to try to get a quilt laid out...if not i will be sewing i am sure ..maybe leave for a little while for a lunch somewhere over the weekend.....more later....