Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'd like to say we are wildly celebrating our Irish heritage today but in reality we are getting ready for a yard sale tomorrow and caring for an ill cat.

We are however having cornbeef and cabbage for dinner and some homemade Irish bread...a little celebration!

I took down another "mystery UFO" box yesterday.

In it was about 34 8-inch blocks that I made during a Barbara Brackman year long block of the week.  It must have been at least 4 years ago!

Anyway, I put it up on the design wall and promised myself a quick finish...ya, right...like I do anything quick anymore.

So after an hour of auditioning sashing (a good part of that hour was unearthing my reproduction fabrics that I hadn't used for awhile.)

I decided to go with this blue stripe...which of course has to be fussy cut (back to that nothing quickly thing!)

The cornerstones were necessary since I only had a half yard of the stripe (again, why do it quickly...)  I ended up going with a butterscotch cornerstone to keep the attention on the blocks and to keep it from getting too dark.

I figure a couple days of sewing should get this at least to top stage.  I have two candidates for borders already.  Then it can join the tops hanging in the closet instead of hidden in a box!

sewing machine vs toe....

Have you set any goals or resolutions for 2017?  I'm still working on mine...

One that I was considering was getting all my vintage sewing machines in order or out the door.  I only want to hold on to the ones that are either "beautiful or useful." - W. Morris.

So far the progress isn't good.  I took out my green Necchi to give it a good going over.  Then I realized I hadn't put the plastic cloth on the table.  So I moved the Necchi (not a small task as it weighs a ton...ok, not a ton but more than I want to lift!)  I put the cloth on the table then the Watson barks at the back door so I go to let him in and what do I do?  Trip over the Nicchi breaking my toe (btw...the Nicchi is so heavy it didn't tip over when I kicked it!)

Urgh!  So I am starting 2017 with blue, gray and green toes.  Not a great quilt inspiration.  This Nicchi may be looking for a new home!

On the up side I am making a list of quilts I am going to finish this year.

This pattern is in Bonnie Hunter's new book.  Believe it is a Carolina Chain...but since my foot is elevated I can't confirm that right now!  I have backing for this already so it is making progress!

Anyone else happy for Autumn?!

I'm back...it was a long hot and difficult summer for me.  Not sure I've ever been so happy for Labor Day to come around!

Not going too far into the details (feel too much like I'm whining) but lets just say I went to the doctor for one thing and ended up having so much more for them to work on.  In some ways it was very lucky...but it made for a long hot summer.

So my DH celebrated September with some chocolate, fabric and pumpkin spice coffee.  He knows me well!  I go in this week for a follow-up and hope for a clean bill of health (ok...at least nothing unexpected!)

So even though I wasn't as active in the sewing room as I'd like I did a few quilt-y things since I last posted.

This Singer came to live with me!  It was a fun project to take her apart and get her working again.  This is the model I learned to sew on!  Amazing how quickly muscle memory came to play...I threaded it without even thinking...

Her name is Bonnie...she sews really, really fast so I named her after Bonnie Hunter who used to come to the guild retreat and finish a quilt top before I had finished my morning coffee!

My wool group got together last week to start stitching again.

They are so creative

and productive.  Figured it should get me back into gear again!

On the design wall

I'm jumping from project to project these days...

This is what is on the wall today...above is a quick table runner to use up some of those 5 inch charm packs that seem to multiplying in the studio.  (I'm blaming it entirely on Missouri Star and those daily deals....duh!)

Then there is this other pre-cut that uses 10 inch blocks...

and finally is this project.  This one has a long story...

Started out when I though "what a neat process" when I saw a women demo a technique to make these "easily."  So bought the pattern and the past few days have used ever nasty work I learned in the army.

cause this is what one of the first 5 blocks ended up like!  Easy my #@%!  So I went back to using my easy angle and in a few minutes had 4 perfect (ok almost perfect but perfectly useable!) blocks.

Not all techniques are right for all people (I know many quilters who have never gotten the hang of paperpiecing or needleturn applique!)  I like to think I will try just about any new method...but that doesn't mean I have to stick with it!

Helpful things...

Though I am pretty much a traditional quilt when it comes to techniques I am always on the lookout for something to make the process a bit easier (and safer!)

A Splendid Sampler block from Pat Sloan's sew along....

So here are a few of the things I've added to my sewing space the past couple of months that I like.

First, a new sewing chair!  The difference between this and the office style chair I was using is "huge!"  This one goes up much higher making it easier to get to the right height for us vertically challenged folks (aka...short!)  Also the seat is much larger giving me a larger landing spot...yes, this purchase was sparked by my missing the seat on my old chair and landing not so gracefully on the floor!  Duh!  I think the base with the rollers may be larger and more stable as well...

Also in the photo above is my new peg-board!  How many times have you gone out and purchased a new _____ (fill in the blank)___ even though you knew you had one?  I'm hoping this pegboard will help eliminate some of that!

On the smaller side...I am loving this tinted 2-1/2 inch ruler from Missouri Star!  The measuring lines sort of glow making them so much easier to see!  And it is small so easy to carry in the sewing tote.  Even on a bad MS eyesight day I can use this ruler...now, that my friends is sayin' something!

This little wooden rotary cutter stand came from a recent quilt show...wish I could remember who I bought it from.  I usually have a fairly messy cutting table...ok, I almost always have a messy table!  Having a set place that stands out from the piles for the cutter has been a real bonus!  Also, it is easier for me pick it up when it is already almost standing.  Only down side is the stand is the same color as the table...thinking of painting it a really bright color!

Woolie gathering

I went to a gathering of my friends who like to work in wool...we call ourselves the Woollie Woolies...

Rachel's little handmade journal - mixed papers, linen, and wool

it was fun seeing them and as always I come home with my head full of ideas!

Paula's silks, cottons, and wool low-volume wallhanging

We don't always just work in wool but do try to use other fibers like linen or silks in our projects.

Rose of Sharon from my side yard...bees love it!

I unfortunately didn't have anything for show and tell.  Too much folding and moving of fabric the past few months.

A few more weeks of work (mainly in the yard) and I should be in the studio!

Gardenias in bloom make the entire yard smell wonderful!

Pansey flower theme...

I know I'm not supposed to buy fabric as I am still trying to fit my stash into the new sewing space but...

I saw this new fabric from  Philip Jacobs with these pansies on it and "needed" a yard.  Didn't realize until I looked around that I like pansies so much!

They are on some of my Polish pottery...

By my front door...

And in some of my old fabric stash that I have been sorting this week!

Writing this was a nice break from the pressing, moving, sorting...all the stuff that goes with setting up my sewing space again.  I feel as if I'm making a commercial for back-pain medication!

Electricity is back!!!

Electricity is a wonderful thing...I just went through 80 hours without it.

Funny, it doesn't bother me to go camping and not have electricity for days...but somehow in my own house it is different.

My favorite Pepper Myrtle tree came up by the roots...

I am from Boston so I know Northerners laugh a bit at Southerners and storms but this area looks more like a tornado hit than a snowstorm.  We had ice falling from the sky for about 20 hours...then it got even colder and the trees began to fall...all night long we heard the snap and crash of the trees out in back of our house.  Tough to sleep that way...even if you are covered with 6-8 quilts and 3 cats!

This tree just brushed our house...the other side of that brick wall is my sewing room!

We are lucky that our hot water is gas and we have a gas fireplace.  The temp in the house never went below 50 degrees.  After day two the ice on the roof melted to we got all the way up to 55...liveable, but just!

 I did get a bit of exercise using my hand crank Singer...need to get an iron that isn't electric before the next black-out.

In the middle of all of this we had an earthquake...I was almost asleep when the room shook and there was a loud bang.  I was sure a tree had come down on the house!  (we just hand another smaller quake...who know they had them in South Carolina!)

Brownie spent a good bit of time hiding in any pile or bag of quilts she could find...

My front room gets lots of light during the day so I cut scraps and future projects...

Still trying to get organized after it all...just finished cleaning the refrigerator for the second time...

Disappearing 9-patch

A neighbor came by yesterday wanting to know how to do a disappearing 9-patch.  How often does that happen!

She is a new quilter and had watched an online video but hesitant to go it alone...so now I have another UFO!  It is a very fun method and quick...this table runner only took a couple hours to make.  (Would have been faster if I wasn't talking someone through the process...like that saying, "if it will take one quilter one hour then it will take two quilters two hours..."  Basically to do this you make a 9-patch (my squares are 5 inches unfinished) then slice the 9-patch through the center block giving you sashing and cornerstones.

I wanted to get a picture of hers before she left - she used cat fabrics!  I think I'll finish up this Christmas one today before it gets lost in the UFO pile...(it measures 34-1/2 by 15 finished)

Update on the pets...Brownie is doing fine.  Macbeth is having problems with stairs and still sleeps most of the day.  Last night he had a panic attach (don't know what else to call it.)  We ended up sleeping on the floor in the living room for most of the night...it was the only way to keep him calm.

In a bind...

I am so torn today...I want to start a new project.  Not a project that I need to do for the quilt show challenge or for the silent auction or even for Quilts of Valor.  I want to start a project that has no real purpose what so ever...just because.

The other side of me is demanding I finish the yards and yards of black binding that is cluttering my sewing table so I can get is sewn down on my Orca Bay which I've selected to be my May finish quilt...I mean as much as I hate to say it there are no quilt-finish-fairies and this quilt isn't going to finish itself...sigh....

So what is this mysterious project?  Wool...a wool applique pillow that has been on my mind for the past couple of months.  I have all the fabric...I even have the cushion to go inside.  I just need to give myself permission to play...

It's Here!!!

Just a quick post...lots of work to do!

My new (to-me) sewing table is here!  A friend drove his pickup truck and helped with the loading and unloading.  Phew!  It was wrapped up tightly in blankets so made the hour trip ok...had to lock the pets up for a bit while we wheeled it in...they seem to like it!  (gives Dobby a great view of his backyard...)

Still loads of organizing.  Before we left I was pretty proud of myself.  The shelves were all filled with fabric and the floor was cleared. It all fit!  Then I walked down the hallway and noticed the bed in our guest bedroom is covered in a mound about 2 foot tall of fabric!  Oh no!

Need a new plan....