Flower Friday

 49 days until Spring!

I woke up this morning with a decision about my garden:  I would not grow vegetables.  I must have been dreaming about garden plans.  Apparently the soundtrack to this dream must have been Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant" because that has been going through my head as well.

Anyway since I lack real flowers, here are some textile ones to start the weekend:

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Scrap Blocks

On my last blog post, I mentioned that I was working on two pieces right now.  One is a orphan block/scrap quilt.

When I local sewing shop decided to move and only focus on machine repairs, all the fabric and kits went on sale.  I bought a bunch of little bags of Thangles kits--not because I wanted to make HSTs but I just liked the 1930s fabrics.  Honestly, I prefer making HSTs the old fashioned way.  After years of moving the little baggies, I ended up making 4-patches.  Then the 4-patches sat around here until I had a big basket of 1930s scraps.

By December, I had decided I must do something with them.  And if I could also use the Kona Snow that's been living here for years, that would be great too!

I didn't count anything just cut the 3.75 squares to go into the blocks and let it at that.  I was hoping to get a lap quilt and maybe even a baby quilt out of the blocks.  The blocks came out to 7 inches square and that can make a nice quilt.

On Tuesday, I told Beth I had finished the blocks.  "So how many blocks did you get?" she asked.  And then burst into laughter when I told her--159.

After my post on Tuesday Sue commented that she has boxes of 1.5 inch blocks she's cut through the years.  Sue's mission is to sew at least five 9-patches a day.  This is a really honorable quest and I wonder how many blocks she will get.  

I found this idea online:

For some reason this reminds me of a Florence Peto quilt you can see an adaptation here.  

Sue doesn't know what she will make with the 9 patches but it is honorable work and I can't wait to find out how many blocks she got from her boxes!  Sue is one of the best quilters I know and whatever she makes will be fantastic!

Have a safe and happy day!

Snow Days

 

So we got a foot of snow over the weekend!

How much did you get?

It's Tuesday and the kids are still out of school.

I think they are attending virtually today.

We are expecting more next weekend.

My back is out due to shoveling and walking an overexcited puppy.  Our neighbors all were out yesterday and working to get everyone's parking space and pathways clear.  Brad was out there and said he felt really old in comparison to the neighbors (he is old).  We are the seniors on our block and they didn't want us out helping.  We do pay our one neighbor to keep us clear and he did a great job as usual.  

I still can't get the puppy to go to the bathroom in our yard.😒  I have to walk and walk him to get him to go.  I dug out some space in the backyard for him but he still wouldn't use it.  I don't mind the snow.  I do mind walking for a half hour or more in weather that feels like -7 farenheit.  ("Lucky, will you go please!!!")

Still I'm happy for a real winter.  This really reminds me of the 1995 and 1996 snows that just seemed to go on and on through the winter.

Projects I'm working on:

Sewing themed  ladder quilt.  Yes, it's wrinkled I just put it up to see how much more I have to add.

Orphan blocks (four patch) and scraps.  I'm almost done making the blocks.  I wonder how many there will be?

I'm also binding a quilt for Nora's second birthday in February.

How did you make out in the storm?

Have a safe and happy day!

Bored in a Storm?

 

So if you don't lose power and are bored you can sew, bake, eat, shovel, watch tv, or play on the internet.

I'm not interested in buying anthing these days but I sure enjoy looking at antiques...especially sewing themed ones.  

Here's a website that has a lot of things available on auction.

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More vintage and antique inspiration is available at Dana's Auction.  Lots of antique quilts to study and some really neat sewing notions.  There's a pin cushion on this site that made me laugh out loud.  Can you find it?

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There are fun paper snowflakes you can enjoy and study here!

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An interesting article on the return of letter writing and typewriters is here!

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Of course you and sew and that is what I hope to be doing (in between shoveling and walking the dog).  I have a hand project to work on in case we lose power...do you?

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Stay safe and warm!

Update

 

Greetings and salutations!

So here's the scoop:

We switched to Verizon recently.  It was good for a few weeks.  Until the past week or so.  Now everything stops about 5 times a day.  The internet goes down but so do the regular tv channels (we're on verizon cable).  Hopefully by the time you read this, it will be repaired as they are coming Thursday afternoon.

I'm writing this early in case it crashes again.

I did work on Lucky's coat last night.  Can velcro wear out?  I had a tough time keeping Lucky's coat on him (okay he also gained weight like me).  Last night I attached snaps and voila!  His coat stayed on.

I'm wondering how many of you are expecting snow this weekend?  We still have no idea how much will fall.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

The Reset

 

Sorry about the rant on the blog last week (I took it down).

The mood derived slightly from the consistent grey days.  A lot of the negativity had to do with the utter cruelty and lack of democratic values displayed in the U.S. these days.

So last week I went to see Tom and got my hair cut, fairly short for me.  That helped!

Also I cleaned out old craft supplies and took them to a local store called "Cut the Scrap!"  This is a sustainable craft store.  Instead of throwing out craft supplies (including fabric), people donate it to the store (you can earn store credit that way).  

I donated scrapbooking supplies I've had since the grandkids were young.  I was just happy to get the stuff out of my attic.  I also rummaged around and picked up some Jinny Beyer fabric.  

But guess what?  I did get my snow days--2 in fact.  Over the weekend we got 7-8 inches---not the half to 1 inch predicted. 

That helped my attitude.  I sewed and we visited neighbors as well.  It was a fun weekend for us.  Lucky doesn't revel in the snow like some of my dogs had in the past.  We walk and then he wants to come in and play with his toys.  It wasn't so called over the weekend but now we will have limited exposure to the bitter temperature arriving.

Right now it is 11 degrees and going up to 19 F.  It will plummet tonight to single digits.  

It's a night for chili!  

Growing up, my family always put sweet corn in the chili.  My husband had never heard of that but he loves it.  I'm just wondering if that was done in our family to make the food stretch.

I wish you a happy and peaceful day!  Stay warm!

Dr. Martin Luther King Day

 

Flower Friday: January 9, 2026

 

My sister aunt gave me an amarllyis bulb for Christmas.

I'm happy she did.  It provided some sunshine in another bleak week in our country.

The Amaryllis is blooming!

And blooming!

I've decided what to do with the waterlily bloom orphan blocks.  Originally was going to do a full quilt of them with lily pads or something.  I can't even find my original sketches.  I must have used the green fabric I had put aside for it.  there was only about a half yard left.  I just want it all used at this point and am working on another ladder quilt:

I actually really love this design now.  I have just enough green to finish this top off!

Wishing you a safe and happy week!

Three Trays

 

Quilters have certain times of the year.  The New Year means cleaning up the sewing room, assessing UFOs and WIP, and considering projects we want to make.

I didn't really do that last year.  I decided I just wanted to have fun and I did!  A lack of sewing resolutions seems to make me more motivated because I feel more flexible about my options.

One of the things that happened last year was that I used up a lot of scraps in my project.  Particularly 2.5 inch blocks which I used for various quilts.  

I read this meme and then realized something:

Somehow, I developed a system for my projects.  I didn't mean to but it just happened.  It comes down to three plastic basket trays I keep on a tv tray table.  

The first tray is for one scrap project.  Another is for using a UFO or orphan blocks.  The third one is for a project that utilizes my yardage.  Because there are always three trays of projects, I can move to one or the other if I get bored.  

What surprised me was that this resulted in a more neat sewing room.  When one project is finished, I decide on another to fill the tray again.  

I never really thought about developing a system but for some reason this is working for me.  

The three tray projects for January are:

UFO or Orphan block:

  

 

Above:  I made 18 of these blocks way before Covid and then got tired of the project.  I want to use these up somehow!`

Scrap Quilt:

Years ago, when our local sewing shop was moving, they sold plastic bags of strips for thangles.  I think the baggies were kits for workshops they were doing.  I only bought some because they were 1930s reproduction fabric. The strips were thinner than 2.5 inch...and again, they sat in my drawer.  In December I cut more scraps (I'm nuts) to go with the strips and assembled some 4 patches.  I'll work on making blocks this month.  

Yardage:  

To be determined.  I haven't decided on which quilt to make!

By the way, hand sewing doesn't count.  The hand sewing lives by my recliner in the living room and in the travel bag I take everywhere.  Oddly, there are three projects in that category.

I know many of my friends have decided to just have fun with their sewing.  How about you?

Have a safe and happy day!

Wayback Machine: January 7, 2026

 

The most disappointing part of the holiday season was when you had to leave any of your new toys and go back to school.

My brother and I didn't grow up with legos.  We didn't even really hear of that toy until my much younger brother was born.  I wondered why that was and apparently legos weren't sold in the U.S. until after 1961.  This was our building toy:

You might think wow, parents were lucky because they never had to worry about stepping on legos.

But our parents had something else to worry about.  Stepping on Matchbox Cars.

My brother, uncle (6 weeks younger than me) and myself spent hours playing with matchbox cars.  Nana's persian rugs were a splendid highway system and kept us occupied for hours.

If you were around then--you remember the very cool boxes that packaged the cars.  We used the boxes for garages until after Christmas when grown-ups started disposing of the boxes.  

It didn't really matter about "boy toys" or "girl toys" back then.  I don't remember any of the boys playing with the dolls my aunt or I had but there were plenty of other things that we all engaged in.

Did you play with matchbox when you were young?

Have a safe and happy day!

Tuesday's This and That: January 6, 2026

 

How is your first full week in January going?

It seems strange here because the kids and lots of the neighbors are back to work this week.

I'm sick and bummed out because I'm going to miss the guild meeting tonight.  There is a bug going around and yesterday I didn't do much besides drink tea and sleep.  Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow.  This is annoying and I have things I want to do!

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Lucky went to Jessa's for a grooming.  We had to cancel his last appointment because of the weather and he really needed a spa day.  His hair actually felt mildly tacky and that was from the salt that is everywhere here.  He's a much smaller dog than our others and being closer to the ground, he seems to be more suseptible to getting dirty at times.  Anyway, I went to pick him up and found him swinging in the hammock as Jessa finished him:

He looks great now and his hair is so soft again!  I'll take a photo of him when I am feeling better!

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Speaking of Lucky, I'm happy to report that I did finish my Christmas Quilt binding before the New Year.  

Lucky gets annoyed when I have sewing on my lap and just stands and stares at me.  I thought he was saying, "You're supposed to be paying attention to me!"  But actually he wanted to be on my lap under the quilt!

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Are you participating in any "Block of the month" or 

"Mystery Quilt" programs?  I'm not participating in those things.  I don't know but these things have never appealed to me.

But...I may do an embroidery/upcycle/EPP project.  It's a stitch along and doesn't require buying anything.  You can watch the video here.  

I was working on a hexie for this but one of the members said she was going to EPP squares instead of hexies.  Since I did so many hexie projects last year I may try the squares or rectangles for something different.  I like the idea of upcycling old embroidery and things for the project.  Let me know if you are participating!

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Hope you are staying safe and warm!

Happy New Year!

 

Wishing everyone a happy new year full of sewing and joy!