I'm Baaaaaaack ! ! !

Never say never. Suddenly I have a reason to blog and it's about quilts.  Here's the story: A bunch of us were sitting around a table having lunch when our hostess got out a slip of paper with Agenda scribbled on it. She proposed that since we all are in our 70's that the time to use up our stash of fabric is NOW.  We have all given away as many quilts as our relatives can easily collect, and have in our closets more than we need in the increasingly short years we have left, so let's make quilts and give them away to needy causes. The idea had merit and while it sunk in we discussed how we could do this as a group. Nothing was decided at that first meeting but soon afterwards a series of events at my church led me to undo the third floor sewing room and bring it all back home to my sunroom. Three machines, work table a small pin up wall and lots and lots of light made this a great place to meet and sew. Not to mention it isn't on the third floor, and parking is free and close. No one need bring a machine, just their fabric. I am just as eager to use up mine since it was collecting dust for lo these many months of inactivity. I had a bunch of batting too, plus yardage for backing, but soon we used those pieces up and we decided to order a huge bolt of batting and save some money.

We'll be making Charity quilts yes, but not boring old simplistic get 'em out quick designs, although that wasn't uttered, but knowing us, it aint gonna happen. Our Instigating Member had a box of scraps to start us, and I grabbed a bagful and in a few days returned for more. Here's the quilt made from some of those scraps.

 I found it really easy to use someone else's fabrics, willy nilly getting them sewn into large sections and then trimming them down to 14" squares. I found ideas for settings on Pinterest and even used scraps for the white X's. Initially we were using up scraps as a goal but that very quickly led to including yardage we hadn't even touched and planning designs that were color or pattern based. This next one was inspired again by Pinterest (what did we do before we had that site?) and uses lots of leftovers in neutrals and yellows. We sewed this one as a group and it went so fast that is took only one four hour session to sew the strips. After everyone left I did the last of the connecting and it was ready to quilt. 

 O yes, the quilting. Easy enough to make tops as a group, but the quilting would be done by our expert Illustrious Member who has a long arm and volunteered. She also contributed an Accuquilt cutting machine which makes perfect 2.5 inch strips, and squares of several dimensions. This stellar device temporarily resides in the sunroom and is gonna be pretty hard to live without. 

Since we collected yellows for the first quilt and had leftovers, they were combined with some precut strips of blues and other darks for #2 in the striped category.

 We weren't just sewing together, but also on our own and adding them to the pile. Our Downtown Member made this great top which I have so desired to make from my own colors. 

And this one too: Decidedly modern, yes? As you can imagine, getting us together on one day a week took some organizing and not everyone could be here every time, but we settled on Thursdays as our weekly meeting and that seemed to work for most, most of the time. This meant that I would be missing my weekly Knitwits meeting, but sacrifices were made by everyone for this truly epic project, so I was very willing to concede.

Our Instigating Leader had to go on a vacation that was planned before we started, but she managed to cut up her collected men's shirts and produce this outstanding top, now already quilted. 

Then this complex but fun design was chosen by our Downtown member and we all cut and sewed it and completed in two 4 hour sessions. Homespun cotton plaids which were a giveaway from another quilter who also realized that time is slipping by. 

Many bins of scraps were beginning to accumulate and I took advantage of a large collection of darks, which combined with my sweet pastels took this staggered form. I enlisted my quilting pal from the Knit Wits to come sew with me on Tuesdays and we assembled this together. Now I've got her and another church friend to join us regularly and sew. Two groups meeting weekly at my house... HEAVEN!!!

 I found a nearly completed top that only needed seven more blocks to finish at the suggested size of 60x80ish and voila it was added to the pile. 

This wonderful design, Garlic Knots was suggested by our Downtown Member and completed in two sessions. So delicious!

  The Tuesday group is not as advanced (or as old!) as the Thursday bunch, so I am teaching them basic blocks which can be introductions to many design possibilities. The four patches combined into 16 patches, paired with half square triangles, and set with cornerstones were three lessons combined into one top.
 Then half square triangles cut again to make hour glass blocks combined with nine patches, was our next foray into basics.
Now here we are at the last week of the month since we began and our Thursday group is making Delectable Mountains from 10 inch square out of my stash, YES! Today we'll be cranking out more of these and deciding on a setting, of which there are many choices.

 I never thought I would have this opportunity, or feel this energized to use up the stash as I do now. The friendship factor is amazing and is deepening with each meeting. Love this so much! I was never a fan of some of the colors or patterns we chose but that has also changed and now I am crazy about everything we tackle.
The idea that my fabric is too precious to use is history. I want it all gone, but I am not alone, we all want to get it out of the closet and into a quilt that someone will use/love/need. No one wants to leave our fabric to be disposed of after we're gone. We want to use it up while we can enjoy doing it.

Here's what I learned: Using someone else's fabric is easier than sewing my own. It has no sentimental value.
And secondly, having cut up strips and squares is THE BEST. It makes it so easy to use. I want all my stash precut and decide on the uses later. Why not? It will all get used up eventually.
Thirdly, toss out excess scraps as you go. No saving ridiculous stuff, unless you want to spend hours trimming them down into usable shapes...which I have done. 6", 5", 4.5", 4", 3.5", 2.5" and 2" squares reside in my scrap box. Not to mention strips less than 2.5" wide. But they are not getting used, so far, as getting larger pieces cut and sewn is taking priority. So I think I have gotten that frugality out of my system.
Fourthly, have a good set of seam rippers handy, as talking and laughing can lead to mistakes. We all make them, even the experts. It is so worth it.

My Hiatus

Well Friends, I guess I have some 'splainin' to do.
I skipped a few days of blogging and then that grew into more and soon I realized my routine had changed so much that blogging didn't automatically happen as it once did. And I never did get into the Instagram habit, so that languishes too.

We are fine...mostly. I have been put in charge ( for real this time) of dispensing Dave's meds in order to get him 'under control' and curb his over usage of some of his drugs in hopes of keeping him on a more even keel. While it has worked to some extent, I do have to be on top of things as he needs these meds every hour on the hour day and night. Luckily we have some time release versions which give me 3 hours of sleep between doses. I am amazed at the human brain's ability to tell time. I wake up at precisely 3am, without the use of an alarm clock. The dogs get me up at 6 for their food and that coincides with another Dave dose. So it is working. However he is still paranoid and hallucinates at bit and has not let go of his imaginary nemesis, so I have to remind him frequently that these  things don't exist.

The garden is lush and the patio is such a great retreat space for us both. It is cool and shady in the mornings and later after 6pm, but the sun blazes mid-day and we stay indoors.

In the first week of May my sister moved into her new house and that was such a happy event, ending lots of fretting about selling and finding the right new place. So I was all caught up in her life for a while. Then Dave's sister and husband came for a nice three day visit and we had a great time with them. And I am busy at church, the knitting group and with my arty friends, meeting often and enjoying the camaraderie. Life is full and wonderful.

So I ask myself..should I keep the blog? 15 years is a long time to be doing this, and now instead of blogging in the morning, I am doing a daily bible/prayer time and of course that is so good for my outlook.
I'm not so needy of the attention I once sought with 'Look what I just made' and lost interest in using the blog as a sales platform, which I once felt I needed. I'm grateful for the fact that people you, dear reader, had been following my adventures, both artistic and horticultural but I have found my attention diverted to other things that keep me away from sharing stuff with you.
I re-discovered how much I love to read and having a great little library just down the road has made it so easy to load up with mysteries and novels and put up my feet and get into a book.
My wonderful cleaner Kelly is taking over the glamorizing of our house, even down to power washing the driveway. She was just here today for her weekly cleaning and I am loving the results, as you might imagine.
In July I am having my kitchen redone...always gotta tweak the places we live to make them 'mine' and that'll be the last renovation project on my list for this house. 

So we are all caught up and I guess I am saying that I will leave the blog up for now, even tho I won't be adding new posts. Thanks for all your kind comments, and loyalty, and thank you for being here when I needed you.
Hasta la vista,

Mid-April Garden

 The white dogwood in full bloom. It was the last of the new trees to fill out, while the red bud is getting its leaves now and so is the pink dogwood. So wonderful to see it first thing in the early morning pre-dawn.

 Behind it in one of the veggie beds is the Siberian Iris, planted with the now over daffodills and crocus. The last to bloom in this bed.

 One of our four fig trees has big new figs on the stem. So adorable. This is not the only one with little figs, but the others are really small. We have four varieties, so we shall see what happens with the rest of them.

 I found just the right table (Walmart.com) and chairs, (Amazon.com) and set them up yesterday, knowing we won't have rain for a few days. The patio was covered with tree buds, making a huge mess, not to mention the pollen which blankets the whole neighborhood. But then we had terrific winds and rain and all is cleared off, no sweeping required. 

Lots of wonderful perennials fill the beds, making planting much easier this year. Plus I added all those hydrangeas and hosta from other parts of the yard, making it a much less expensive planting season. I still have petunias and impatiens to get in, somewhere. 

Last season I believe I shook out some seed heads of zinnias/and or coneflowers over the beds and now I have lots of  sprouts of things...I can always yank them out if they turn out not to be flowers. We'll see.

Seedlings mixed among the hardy geranium transplants. Their second leaves have started appearing, so I may soon know what they might become.

 One of our four clematis is going crazy and I am still waiting for help getting the arbor in place. Sigh. Good help is hard to find.

 Here's another mystery. It looks to me like a daisy, maybe Shasta, but its in absolutely a different bed than where they were planted last year. It's quite vigorous, so I am willing to keep it, if it turns out to be a daisy, but where are the ones I actually planted last season? Never came up. Darn.

On the other hand, here is a huge fennel colony which never actually died back over our mild winter. I shall be cutting out bulbs and grilling them soon, yum.

 

If you should think I am a good gardener, um, here is proof that I am not. This poor hydrangea was planted in loose soil which washed away over the many rains we had, and now is bare root, but still struggles to live. I will transplant it into a better spot. Poor darling. 

Plantin' in the Rain

 Rain, glorious rain. Which means a good start for all the trees and plants that are in, so far. I had Nick's men bring the blue pots to the driveway to cover the unsightly cracked pavement and to finish off the river rocks lining the edge. Satisfied! In the pots I put marigolds, petunias, Rocket Snapdragons, Victoria blue salvia, and the existing coneflowers,  hardy geraniums, rosemary and two different mints. They will be in the full sun, whenever it returns, but in the meantime they can busy themselves putting out roots. 

 The pink dogwood is much pinker than I expected, really a light red. So pretty, just opening now. 

 And we got our golden euonymus in late Thursday and Dave mulched the beds. I will be adding flowers in front when I find what I want.

In the patio bed I direct seeded Marvel of Four Seasons lettuce, 

 

and lots of Lettuce Leaf basil. I have also had a minor victory with egg carton sowing of Lupins. 9 of them have sprouted and three have tiny secondary leaves. So happy! 

I also wet-started nasturtiums, and California Bluebells.

 

 This means putting a wet paper towel on a plate, sprinkling on the seeds and covering with plastic wrap. In a few days the seeds will show signs of life and I can then get them in the soil. I'll be direct sowing green beans and zinnias. I bought two tomato plants (determinate) which are already huge, Bush Goliath and Better Bush. Also Mammoth Jalapeno and some lemon thyme. I need more peppers, but am conscious of the cool weather, as they really like hot soil to do well.

The really good news is that I did not kill my hydrangeas after all. 8 out of the 11 got transplanted to the patio bed and are leafing out merrily. Phew! I will take very good care of them from now on. 

New Trees

 O how excited I am today. I have new flowering trees and a half dozen arborvitae in the ground, thanks to my reluctant gardener Nick. I know in this light you can't see the flower buds, so I included close-ups. And notice the river rock edging along the driveway. This is to prevent the mud from getting all over when it rains. Mulch is coming to be a ground cover for all of this, again. I will be getting my blue pots to dress up this area, filled with bright annuals. More plants, YES!

And the long view. Yesterday they topped off the beds with mushroom compost and filled all the cubbies. I am ready to plant!

 And here's my darling weeping Acer Crimson Queen in its own planter, covering a deep dead tree root system. I will be planting things around the perimeter in the planter.

 The planter is in view of the porch, and those beds below are going to be planted later today with golden euonymus.

In the meantime I am having Nick and the guys make a firepit for wienie roasts and S'mores. We always have limbs and branches to supply kindling. After a year, the yard is really starting to look like a garden! So happy. Sigh.

Quilting the Tablecloth

Here's my sister's lovely find from an estate sale. Hand embroidered and appliqued with cut work too! She got this gorgeous linen textile for only $12!  It's been sitting at my house waiting for me to quilt it for months, and finally I acquiesced. Brooke ordered bamboo batting and some really nice 108" wide cotton backing fabric and I basted the top with pins and jumped right into the center.

 It was like riding a bike, altho I did have to unpick a few tentative stitches at first, but then it was smooth sailing. White is so forgiving. FYI, the handwork done by some Chinese person/s is so perfect and so sad at the same time. What a shame to undervalue this splendid artistry.

 I have a twin bed and put on the quilt to see how it fit. Plenty of drape, and lots of extra at the top for a pillow tuck, but it will never see my doggie's feet. I made sure of that.

 I took it to the church quilting room for final photography, because we have a huge wall and great lighting and the quilt was wider than the pin up wall. which is 96". Wow!

 So Brooke is trying to decide whether to follow through in selling it or keeping it. She wants $500 or best offer for it. If you are interested or care to make an offer, email me.