dancing by the side of the road

I was doing the happy dance 
down at the side of the road again.

Yes, that crazy lady is back in the neighborhood :)

But I have a good excuse - really!
I ordered more fabric - 
bad, bad me. :) 
When I heard the mail truck coming down the road

(there is a distinct sound to our mail truck -

a combination of mising engine/old muffler sound...

I'll miss it if they ever fix/replace it)

I decided to mosey on down the drive.

I arrived as the mail lady was pulling away,

and she waved as I waved.

And she smiled (probably 'cause she knows what pushes my buttons!)

But I think my smile was bigger

when I opened the mail box and saw a package!

Fabric package!

Just in time to put together a couple of quick grandkid quilts in time for fall.

Yep, crazy lady dancing at the side of the road!

Happy weekend!

unfinished stacks - aka UFOs

I decided,

since I was still feeling under the weather and

that I was bored,

that I should sew a little...

Even though I wanted to START something new,

I went back to the messy, messy studio

and found a box of fabric strips -

left-over strips from a long ago project.

A whole bunch of one & a half inch strips,
UnFinishedObjects from a quilt from a year ago.

SO, the good thing about this UFO

is that I DID finish a quilt a year ago.

But I had a bunch of leftover strips that were almost enough to make the blocks for another quilt!!

Some of the strips had been sewn into blocks -
OK, MOST of the blocks had already been sewn!

I only had to make an additional 9 blocks...
yes, NINE!! and I would have another quilt top!

Why did't I just finish this a year ago
instead of leaving it as an UFO?

What's up with me and unfinished projects??!

Anyway, I've made the additional 9 blocks and pieced the the blocks into strips...
then sewed together those block strips, and am ready to attach some borders!
Yay, me!

Wait - that makes another quilt-top-flimsy to put into THAT unfinished stack!

Uggh...  

What's up with me and unfinished projects??! :)

3H & barometer

August! Already!!
The 3H time of summer is here -

not the 4H/fair time H's:

head

heart

hands

health
(though it is almost local fair time around here)

No, I'm talking the big 3H of August:

hot

hazy

& humid...

You know, August & it's going back to school weather!

And speaking of weather,

I've been way under the weather - 

(though it's not been the weather causing my problems...)

I've not felt like doing anything, not computer, cooking, visiting blogs...

not even stitching!

That's my barometer of wellness:

you know I'm not well if I don't have a needle in my hand!

This week, finally, I did a little needle-turn applique...

I worked on the last installment of my "Flower Garden" hot pad blocks

for the four month, ongoing class at the LQS.  
From a request from the gals in the class, I've added a bonus month -
an extra pattern with FOUR blocks, not three.

This way they could choose to do the 

original 4 month/12 block layout

OR

add the fifth, bonus month and have a 

16-patch layout of four across by four down...

Three HOT PAD blocks done! (above) and 

one (below) still needs some more needle-turn before it gets 

set on point, sashing added, layered, quilted, and bound.

I can't wait to see the class girl's projects!

They have all been up to date with the hot pad blocks each month,

and you can tell they are loving this project 

as much as I have enjoyed leading the class!

And, as I've mentioned before,

I LOVE hot pad block construction!

Finished little quilt with each block constructed!!

And,

with the HOT PADS I've been working on, 

it's almost as if I'm feeling all better and 

back in the kitchen cooking, also!

Happy Stitching,

and Happy August, too!

Even with the 3H weather!

Busy: quilts, flowers, food

Just like everyone else, I have too many, too little...

projects/commitments are on the list of too many,

and time, or the lack of, is the main thing on the too little side.

I also have an issue (surprise, surprise) -

as in I need to say no occasionally :) 

But everything is just so much fun!!

Anyway,
Quilts #1:  I'm working on a couple of LQ shop pieces (: don't have a pic of the almost finished quilt from the hand-applique class I get to teach - don't know how I always forget to take a pic of my own stuff :) 
Quilts #2:  some meandering for customers -

First is Janet's dinosaurs...

so cute with dinos and dots. 

So I quilted dinosaur "eggs" :)

This quilt is for her new nephew - isn't he so lucky?

Next is Louise's cute quilt for her great-grand daughter

that is coming any day now!

In this one I quilted daisies

to go along with the theme of the fabrics used. 

Another lucky little babe.

Flowers:  The niece's wedding was beautiful.  Of course, with our usual typhoon weather and another couple of inches of rain blowing through each day, the wedding was held inside, but it was still a beautiful wedding.  

Here's a pic of one of the tablepiece groupings-

(so some of the flowers I did)

Food: I catered the local seniors luncheon again - the menu was good for the hot, humid, summer weather we've been having - sloppy chicken (you know, like sloppy joe, but with chicken in it's own thickened broth), loaded baked potato casserole, almond green beans, cole slaw, beets, homemade rolls.  And for dessert?  Pecan brownie sundae drenched with caramel and chocolate sauces, then topped with banana, ice cream and a cherry on top.

(Just typing that makes me want to go make another dessert and have that for dinner!)
Anyway, Sonny-boy was off work that day and was able to help me load/unload, serve and visit.   It was a great day (it sure is nice to have family to help out).  AND, left-overs were great for lunch/work the next day.

So that's that for now.
I'm stitching on my Lucy Boston - Patchwork of the Crosses blocks.
I might be a couple blocks behind right now...

Thanks for checking in on me, &
Happy Stitching!

Wow-za! again

This time, the wow-za is for the heat that has hit central Ohio!
High nineties, steam-sauna humidity...
and that's without the heat index!
Certainly makes you want to stay inside and stitch when you can!
But the heat sure zaps my energy -
so I'm working s-l-o-w-ly on my Lucy blocks.

I also worked on an applique project for a class at the LQS.
The (almost) finished quilt- "Our Flower Garden" turned out great I think, 
and is at a show this weekend!
You can see it in the picture from the show that's this weekend:

It's the French General faded red/pink a little left of center.

Oh, yeah, also, check out the faded cheddar bow-tie just to the left of that!

Love them both!!  OK, I really love ALL THE STUFF there!

I suppose I should get back to stitching (: & sweating, but that's a given:)Happy Stitching!

July already

WoW-za!
Don't know where June went!

But Happy July to all!

Among other things,
I'm doing a nieces' wedding flowers
for this weekend, so can't stay and chat,
but here's a quick pic of my latest quilt/wall hanging:

tumbler flag (coffee-d) apprx 40"x50"

 

And here it is hanging in the LQS above the mantel:

...I used the "Crumbler"

(which, btw, is a great ruler)
(and, no, I'm not receiving compensation for this, I just love it)

Back to "flowering" for me!
Coming soon:  more Lucy Blocks to share for last month

a few pics from NQA Colulmbus OH

I know one of the winners!!!

Civil War 150th Commemorative Quilt
Colleen, Centerville, OH

Colleen won Honorable Mention in the category Duet quilt, large! 

I was present when she saw that she had ribbons and it was so exciting!  Congrats, friend!!! 

Her quilt was made from a Barbara Brackman sew along (on-line), 54 blocks, each depicting an historical event during the Civil War.  And, my close-up of the quilt didn't turn out, so this is what I have:  She made this for a new grand-daughter, & there is much symbolism in the quilt.  Now there's more documentation with ribbons! (it was quilted by Linda French - thus the Duet category).

The piecing was perfection, as were her fabric choices.  The quilting was block specific, so it was great-looking from the back, too.

Also, I asked the winner to autograph my program, which she even personalized for me :)

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American Vortex by Marilyn Hardy, Tyler, TX

American Vortex was from an 1910 quilt design, but she added appliqued eagles and stars...and the quilting spiraled out from the center.  I loved the red and white!

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Cherry Rose by Merna Hilkert, Cambridge Springs, PA

 Very nice applique, and lots of perfect circles! Red-White-Green...very sharp looking!

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"Big Bertha" by Margaret Solomon Gunn, Gorham, ME

 A traditional Dresden quilt with a modern twist, great borders, and she named it after her grandmother, which I loved.  It had beautiful quilting! (First, I don't have a whole quilt picture, sorry.
Also, don't know why it's turned sideways, sorry again.  It was very LARGE and beautiful.)

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Redbud Ramble by Linda Roy of Knoxville, TN

This was a great tree quilt (I love trees!) She used graph paper and did all hand-work: appliqued, quilted, & embroidered!-all original!

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Well, that's it for tonight...
I get to work at the LQS tomorrow
(which is right off a main highway through the center of Ohio),
and with the quilt show in town,
many folks traveling to and fro will stop in for a visit.

It's great to see everyone heading to/from the show -
hope you can stop in too, if you're heading to town this weekend!