Storytime Stitches (A Different Version)

 

In 2021, I did a bunch of blog posts based on my program "Storytime Stitches".  Each post focused on quilts that were inspired by illustrations in children's books or othere things children used.  

The last year or so, I've been collecting a different kind of inspiration for Storytime Stitches.  The actual illustrations from children's books and other kids type ephemera are now the inspiration for a real quilt.  Over Christmas, I thought that my first one should be to make a quilt similar to the one below...possibly in 2026:

Actually the above is a card but I liked the quilt and I have some solid scraps that might work well in the design.

I was reminded of this when one of the ladies posted in an online group that she was looking for a quilt name for a textile she saw in a vintage children's book.  I need to get back to that idea as well and thought I might feature a few of these different quilts in upcoming blog posts.  I'll just call the image "today's inspiration" or something.

Do you collect quilt inspiration ideas as well?  I'd love to know what sparks your imagination!

Have a safe and happy day!

Lucky Check-In

 

Lucky woke up Thursday with a limp so he went to the vet on Friday.  Of course Lucky didn't limp at the vet.   But I had taken a video of him hopping around because I know dogs do that when they don't want to be at the vet.

He's doing much better and the vet suspects he had a minor soft tissue sprain or injury.  He was running around the day before...for the first time since the big snow and he probably overdid or improperly landed on his leg.  He's on anti-inflammatory pills and seems to be doing fine although he's still restricted for a few days.

We also need to wait another week for grooming.  He was supposed to go last Sunday but our groomer was ill and we need to reschedule.  This reminds me of Lucky right now:

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

21 Days Until Spring!

 

So the above meme made Brad and I laugh...because it's so true.  We had a mourning dove nest in our backyard.  We know that because we found eggs on the ground and looked up.  Turned out the nest resembled a toilet more than a safe bed.  😕

Lucky is going to the vet today.  We aren't sure what happened but he woke up limping yesterday.  I can only think of 2 things:  he broke a nail (one nail is shorter) or he hurt himself when he finally ran around the yard.  Anyway, the vet can get him in today so we are going even if he seems better.  Because you know with my luck, he will seem better and then be worse over the weekend when the vet is closed.

Other than that, I'm hoping to get back to some sewing if Lucky is well enough to do the stairs.  We'll see.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Concentric Squares

 

It was the quilt that got away (well one of them).

Thirty years or more, I saw a quilt at a local flea market.  It was really graphic.  Concentric squares--each about 8 inches in wool fabric of orange and grey and a few other solids.  It was a real stunner and would have been wonderful as a wall hanging in a loft or modern house.  I didn't buy it at the time.  

The excuses:  I really don't like orange and the truth is, I could never hang it in my house because it's not modern and also, plaster walls don't accomodate heavy wall hangings.  It was also solid colors.  Remember back then, there was no modern quilt movement.  But...

I couldn't forget the quilt and when I returned to the flea market, it was gone.  I'm happy for whoever purchased it.  

But it also initiated a quest for a concentric square quilt.

I'm not talking about a log cabin quilt or a trip around the world.  Recently, I noticed on the Generations Quilt Shop that they had a concentric square pattern they called "Amish Squares".

Okay so duh--I should have thought of the quilt I had seen as possibly Amish.  So this week, I looked for "Amish Square" quilts.

Here's an antique one from Rocky Mountain Quilts.

Stella Rubin has one with a four patch center here.

Just Folk has a rayon one that they are selling as an African American Quilt.  You can see that one here.

Ultimately, I could make my own and maybe I will this year...just  not orange.

Do you have a quilt or pattern that got away and you regret?

Have a safe  and happy day!

Dodged a Blizzard

 

Hello!  Northeasterners, how much snow did you get?

We dodged a blizzard.

I'm praying for all the folks who got hammered with snow and especially those without power.  Our predictions were all over the place from .5 inches to 20 inches.  The snow amount seemed to change every hour with the predictions ending up at 10 to 20 inches.  4 inches of snow fell.  

The temperatures even crept above freezing and the snow melted from most hard surfaces and the fell off trees and bushes.

Still, the kids go off from school and plenty of businesses closed so a lot of people were here in the neighborhood.

I ended up hanging out with my mom for a while yesterday and walking Lucky a few times.

How are you faring?

Stay safe and warm!

28 Days until Spring!

 

The snow is melting.  We've had a week of temperatures above freezing and it's really helped reduce the depth of the snow.  Lucky could even make it to the upper yard yesterday and frolicked in the snow there for the first time in weeks.

Funny dog thing:  Tinkerbell the chihuahua that Lucky visits every day.  She always pretends she is angry at Lucky.  The first thing Lucky does when he visits is search the floor for any trace of dog food she may have left.  Nancy says she leaves a little piece or two of kibble every morning...an act she does not repeat with her evening meal.  The belief is that she leaves that for Lucky.  They both become upset if they don't get to see each other for a while.

I haven't done any sewing this week but that's because I was taking folks to doctors.  

Brad finally agreed to go the doctor for his costochondritis on Wednesay after two weeks of pain and spasms.  He's on 4 drugs now and I'm hoping it all works.  Thursdays seem to be the busiest day of the week.  Yesterday I took Dave to the hospital to have his feeding tube replaced.  He wasn't allowed to drive after the procedure so I chauffered him.

My brother Jim has some new developments.  The epidurals on his back are not really effective anymore.  The doctor wants to try a nerve burn now.  This coming Thursday I take him for one of two appointments required before that procedure.  The doctors need to know he will respond before they do it.  However, when talking to the nurse at Brad's appointment, she said she knew of a doctor that had the nerve burn and it really helped him.  Keeping fingers crossed!

I watched a video that I found really interesting.  You might too if you enjoy women's history and/or embroidery.

It is Sarah Homfray's post on Mary Linwood:  here.

I'm really hoping things slow down soon.  We'll see how it goes.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Another Finish

 

I have a number of tops that Beth and I used for examples in our programs.  We liked tops because they were easier to pack and didn't weigh us down like the quilts.  I had a charm pack of reproduction conversational prints and used that to make a top.  

I wasn't sure if I would have the top quilted or not but now I am glad that I did.  Lizzie did a beautiful job of quilting and I really like it now.

There's a great blog post by Barbara Brackman about conversation prints here. 

Here are some of the prints in my quilt:

I hope you have a safe and happy day!

A Good Sale

 

There's a good sale going on at Connecting Threads right now.  Some of the fabric is reduced to 5, 7, and 9 dollars.

I needed some blenders so I did place an order.  The fabric color I needed most was beige/ivory tones.  For years I've been in love with white and black as backgrounds.  The first change was when I gravitated to navy as a background.

Now I am once again in love with my 19th century reproduction fabrics and of all things, I needed was beige/ivory.  

What colors do you prefer?  Do you go in phases as well?

Have a safe and happy day!

Happy Valentines Day, 2026

 Happy Valentine's Day!

Have a great day!

Happy Galentine's Day!

 

Happy Galentine's Day!

Before I got married, my friends and I celebrated together (way before there was a Galentine word for it).  These days we are all busy taking care of our families but I do miss the fun we shared!

Here's a pretty little bouquet for you.

Have a happy weekend!

Wayback Wednesday: February 11, 2026

 

I saw this on Pinterest:

What the heck are they talking about?  

I have that thermostat in my house.

If you want to go wayback, remember these light switches:

My paternal grandparents had these switches and I was always fascinated by them.  Who can resist a button?

Othe things I have:

Yes I have one of these and it still cuts paper really well.  My great-grandparents used it in the family drug store in Centralia.  I think they made pill container labels with the paper cutter.

***

I'm writing this on Tuesday and Lucky is literally barking the window while a light snow falls.

I think Lucky has had enough.

Happily, we are going to get a small amount of warmer weather...even as high as 37 degrees Farenheit!

A big change from our temps of 0-19 degrees!

I hope the weather is good for you too!

Have a great day!

Two Finishes

 

Life has been chaotic.

I have three patients these days.

My mother told my brother she was having chest pains but then refused to go to the ER.  Long story short, I got her to a cardiologist and she is "an extremely healthy senior."  So that is one problem out of the way.

My brother has been in a lot of pain.  He has osteoporosis and two years ago broke a bone in his back by doing nothing...seriously.  Anyway, this past week he was also in terrible pain and I was afraid he broke another bone in his back.  He's slightly better.  He needs an x-ray again but is being stubborn.

And of course, my husband has another episode of costochondritis, an inflammation around the rib cage.  He was moving furniture in his man cave and then went out to shovel--even though we hire a younger man to do that.  So he is a mess and just has to take it easy again.

I sew whenever I have a moment to breathe.  Since all three of my patients can be frustrating with their stubborness, I keep repeating this to myself:

ANYWAY...I have two finishes to share this week.

Nora's quilt for her second birthday (yesterday was her party).

Also a new ladder quilt, the sewing themed quilt as you go hexie piece:

I have two more quilts to bind and am working on that now.

What are you working on?

Have a safe and happy day!

Wayback Wednesday: February 4, 2026

 

Most of you remember Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop.  My brother and I thought she was hilarious but we mostly knew her from her record albums we checked out of the library.

Lucky likes Lamb Chop too.  He has a 2 foot Lamb Chop that he plays with nightly.  So much so that I recently ordered a new Lamb Chop because the old one was dingy and had much stuffing removed by a little black dog.

I forgot how loyal dogs are--even to their toy friends.

Lucky loves playing with the new Lamb Chop but his old buddy is still his favorite.

My favorite show was Mighty Mouse.  I'm not even sure what I loved about that cartoon but I can still sing, "Here I come to save the day!  Mighty Mouse is on his way!"

We didn't have a color tv or cable when I was growing up.  My parents got both of those things after I had grown-up.  My grandfather did have a color tv and we got in trouble if we sat too close, did you?

What were you favorite tv shows when you were a kid?

Have a safe and happy day!

Bless the Beasts...

 

How are you doing?

I've been talking to neighbors who have animals and asking them if their dogs are eating more these days.  Why yes they are!  I'm seeing this with Lucky.  He normally eats around noon although I put his food down at breakfast.  Now he eats as soon as I put anything down.  

I looked it up and multiple sources relay that dogs need 2-3 times more than normal in cold winter.  This is especially true for Lucky--and dogs like him who are active.  Lucky is walked different times during the day.  The temperatures have barely been above 0 degrees Farenheit so it makes sense he is hungrier.

One of the downsides of town life is the thick amount of salt when we walk.  There's still a lot of ice out there too.  Lucky's paws are getting rough to the feel and I just re-ordered another tin of Bag Balm. 

Our groomer Jessa had recommended it years ago and we've put it on all our dogs paws (none of them would wear booties).

A robin has moved into our Beauty Berry bush.  He or she is there everyday and yesterday chased a bunch of sparrows away.  I'm glad.  Many of our robins remain here in the winter.  Often we see flocks of them together at the park and learned years ago that they did that to stay warm and find food together.

Many robins die in the winter of starvation and/or cold.  One article suggested that the birds can lose 10 percent of their body weight just to keep warm in a single night.  So we have been feeding birds but the squirrels steal most of the seeds.  I'm glad the robin has moved here and is happily eating the berries.

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

Groundhog Day

 

Happy Groundhog's Day!

It's my mom's birthday today and my hubby and I have arranged for a bunch of relatives to meet us at her favorite restaurant.  I even ordered a corsage for her which I hope she likes.

My mom's having some cardiac problems and my sister-aunt Kathy has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  Kathy has surgery to remove the thyroid and lymphnoids later this week.  There are other ailments (knees, ribs, etc) but not as pressing as mom's and Kathy's.   Today should be a good day for a bunch of us to see each other and hopefully make each other laugh.

How are you spending Groundhog's Day?  Do you believe the predictions on this day?

Have a safe and happy day!

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!