One block finished.         Another block started.         I’m on a roll!

The days grow shorter.  Today we have balmy weather and tomorrow frost.  My body craves sleep in response to sunless gray skies.  I look at my paints.  I unfold a finished quilt top.  I open a box and touch all the UFOs insid

I finished prepping this block for appliqué last night.            I didn’t get it done over the weekend.  Monday at lunch I sat in the man van and wished I had some handwork. 

I don’t remember when I started appliquéing this block.  I finished it this afternoon.               Prepping another block moved to the top spot on my weekend sewing

I finished appliquéing one block (left) and started another (right).           As I work on these I find it odd that they appeal to me.  1940’s quilt blocks don’t seem like a fit wi

A combination of family matters, lousy weather, work demands and various appointments put me behind on posting.  I have lots to show and tell, but I haven’t had much time to sit at the computer.  After today, the worst of the week sho

  Darlene Zimmerman (the Feedsack Lady) spoke at a local quilt guild Thursday and showed pieces from her antique quilt and clothing collection.  I don’t belong to that guild, so I paid a guest fee to join the fun.  In addition to

Another block with finished appliqué, and   another block ready for stitching.

Instead of sewing and busting stash yesterday, I did some cooking and took a 4.5 mile hike at a Metropark along the Maumee River.  The wind had a chill to it, but the sun sparkled off the water and the water birds graced every view.  I coul

I am having so much fun painting the WOW fabrics and using them in blocks!  I painted these pieces at retreat last weekend.  The red went into this block.  The bell shape came from the book Quick Country Christmas Quilts by Debbie Mumm

I returned from retreat early Sunday afternoon and spent the rest of the day unpacking and putting the house in order after the guys had at it.  Since I did lots of housework before I left, most of the cleanup involved laundry and food.  I

We had a three-day weekend in the U. S. for the Labor Day holiday, giving me an extra day to play in the sewing room.  So what did I do?  I prepared another Dresden plate block for appliqué.  I dyed two runs of fabric, blue/blac

I finished appliquéing the Dresden plate block today, in just under three weeks!!  That beats my time on the last block by over eight months.  I use this quilt as a filler project, so I can laugh all I want at how long it takes. 

While preparing the next dresden block for appliqué last weekend, I decided to document the process.  I love antique dresden plate blocks, so I buy them when I find them if they are good quality and reasonably priced.  I never expect

Another Dresden plate block goes into the finished pile.  You gotta love it when a week’s worth of appliqué takes nine months to finish.  After declaring August “finish some quilts” month, I’ll take any progre

My son checked this book out of his school’s library.  He has recently shown an interest in cooking.  I have no idea what brought it on, but I have no problem teaching him.  A man should know how to cook more than hot dogs and fr

My unexpected wins at quilt group raffle night increased by stash by 1.25 yards, while I donated away half a yard.  If you missed my post about the raffle, you can read about it and see my winnings here.  I prepped another antique Dresden f

I just finished one week of conscious time management.  I started out focusing on creating more sewing time, but I ended up reading and cleaning more too.  If you’ve set goals or have deadlines to meet, this is definitely the way to g

I’m registered to go to retreat near the end of March.  I’ve already started looking through my UFOs to figure out what I’m taking.  I like making the decision a few weeks ahead of time so I’m not rushing to gather s

Last Friday night I met with three of the four ladies that participated in the round robin to have dinner and return the quilts to their owners.  I started with this  and got this back.  Didn’t they do a great job?  The squa

In the summer, hummingbirds come and live at our house.  We fill feeders for them, and their calls and the hum of their wings become part of the daily background noise.  Sometimes they hover at the screens and watch us.  We recognize t

There’s not much fabric painting going on around here lately.  This time of year it’s hard to find time to take a breath, relax, and do things we enjoy.  I usually lose my sewing room/guest bedroom to actual guests during the ho