Practicing What I Preach

A few years ago a friend of mine mentioned an article she's read about passing along family treasures to our children and grandchildren (she has a collection of yard gnomes she is certain her daughters would cherish as much as she does.)
The bottom line of the article, they don't want our stuff.  When I was a young bride I welcomed hand-me-down furniture and home-making stuff from my mom and G-G-ma, Ma-Moo.  That is not so much the case any more.  And, that includes our treasured fabric, unless you are lucky enough to have birthed a quilter or sewist (I'm green.)

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Keeping that in mind, I've been on a quest the past couple of years to de-stash, de-clutter, de-accumulate... and that includes sewing, crafting and quilting stuff...sew up what I have.  When I graduate to that big sewing room in the sky guess what my son will do with most of my stuff ?

(I do have a couple things my daughter wants....
nothing quilting-related.)



Piecemakers Country Store is having a big sale today;  40% off everything, store wide.  Miss Kate and I have plans to go.
I have two Christmas quilts that need backing so I measured and calculated how much backing I'd need figuring 40% off was a pretty good deal if I can find something I like.  (And, the scissors sharpening guy will be there....)  But, as I was measuring and calculating this morning I thought....wait a minute!  Shouldn't I check my stash?   By cracky, I believe I already have some pretty good matches!  (I will get a second opinion from Miss Kate.)

  Most of my stash is smaller pieces, but I did have a few pieces of yardage.

Auditioning fabrics

 

 

I can save some money AND make some room in the closet.

 

WIN - WIN!

Happy Independence Day To All

Let Freedom Ring

We're coming up on our Country's day of independence.  Although in these tumultuous times and the "safer-at-home" rules still in place I'm not feeling very independent these days.  (And dare I even say it out loud?  Am I getting used to this?  Maybe even preferring this staying home?)  Well, I'll ponder that another day.

Today I want to show off my new door hanging.

Just in time for the 4th.

Calendar Quilts - July

It is from a set of calendar patterns by Kim Schaefer "Calendar Quilts."

I've had this pattern for a number of years and have made a a couple others.

February

 

April

 August is next on my list.  I like the watermelon.

Picture plucked off Pinterest

Whatever your holiday plans I hope it includes 

a little thankfulness, 

a little food and fun and 

a little time in the sewing studio.

*P.S.  July 1 is Canada Day... effective date of the Constitution Act, 1867.  Two Holidays for the price of one this week.

De-Nesting

 
Every expectant mother gets to the stage toward the end of her 40 weeks where she just feels the need to get the nursery ready.
It's called "The Nesting Instinct."



I suppose the opposite is also true.  At some point in our life we want to "De-nest."  At least that seems to be the case for me.





I continue to clean out cupboards and drawers. And that includes sewing/crafting cupboards, too.  Hard to believe, I know.

The goal was to tame the quilt/craft stuff.

BEFORE:  Lots of scraps in plastic shoe boxes.
Cut in various size squares.

AFTER:  I did keep the 5" squares.

I knew I would NEVER sew up all these squares so I posted on Facebook asking if anyone wanted some scraps (the Scrappy Girls Club.)

I ran out of scraps before I got to the bottom of the "YES" list.

Ready to take to the P.O.

BTW, the Scrappy Girls Club is a nice FB group.

This freed up space on the shelf for all the junk on my work table and in the storage cabinet that was full-to-over-flowing with little crafty doo-dads and such.  The cabinet has been purged also, with a big zip-loc bag going to the thrift store.

Before

After

My Quilting-Auntie would roll over in her grave if she knew I actually got rid of my scraps.
That was the first quilting rule she taught me .... "Keep everything, you never know when you will need it."

But, after 10 years or so of quilting I've learned that scraps have their own ecosystem and will never totally be gone. 
Like a sourdough bread starter!
(I better keep those plastic shoe boxes.  
But, then again, they are only $1 at the dollar store.)

Nyla Stoughton 1932 - 2019 - Jewels of the Universe

A Good Sign?

Maybe....just, maybe things are getting back to normal* ???

A few days ago I received a newsletter in my inbox from Orange Quilt Bee.  The newsletter featured some interesting and cute patterns, fabrics and up-coming classes.  But, the MOST-cute of all ... Passiflora !

 

Is she not the cutest little thing?! 

Reminds me of Angelina Ballerina.

It is a panel by Freespirit.

I decided I JUST MUST have it to make for my new granddaughter.  So, I contacted all the Needlers and asked them if they wanted to go on a field trip.  And what to my wondering ears did I hear?  "Yes" said Miss Nancy. "Yes" said Miss Kate.
"Yes" said Miss Charlotte-the-tall!

So, we all piled into my "G-Ma Mobile" van with our masks (our attempt at social distancing) and off we drove to Orange, CA.  Not a far distance...just far enough.  We wandered around the store (quite a nice shop) each of us buying a treasure or two and thoroughly enjoying the fabric experience,  And to top off the afternoon we stopped for street tacos on the way home. 
(Miss Nancy was a bit disappointed they did not have fish tacos....)

We are social creatures, Zoom is no substitute for human interaction.  It was so nice to have a morning of fun, fabric and laughter with my sew sisters.

* I realize "normal" may look very different now than I remember....when was that???  Seems like years.

Best Friend's Day

Do you have a bestie?  I have a couple...a few ladies that have been by my side through thick and thin... for years and years.

But, by far my best friend is my sewing machine!  And Today Is Her Day!

Think about what a best friend does!

• Keeps us company...Is there for us at any hour of the day or night.
• Doesn't complain about our choice of music or trashy TV.
• Doesn't get their feelings hurt if we cuss at them.
• Wouldn't even THINK of passing on our secrets!
• Never complains about their messy surroundings.
• We don't have to share our refreshments with them.
  
  
• and in return -- ask for very little .... maybe a squirt of oil and the pass over of the lint brush from time-to-time.

Thank you, Friend.

Millie (as in Thoroughly Modern...)
This is my main "friend"...I have a couple others.

Back To Our Roots

Growing up in a large-ish family, a fun, cheap weekend-day would be a drive in the country.  

Especially if my dad was the parent-on-duty.

He would pile us all in the station wagon and off we would go.  One of the most-fun games we would play.... daddy would put the back seats down, we would put one of my great-grand mothers quilts down and we would all sit way in the back, way back by the back window.  Daddy would race up on a stop sign and slam on the breaks and we'd all zoom forward....hitting the back of the front seat!  We'd laugh and laugh  " ...do it again...!!!! "  " ...do it again...!!!! "

This past Saturday Miss Nancy and I took a drive in the country.  We headed out to the desert.

In the city of Palm Desert is a VERY nice shop, Monica's Quilt and Bead.

It is a very nice-size shop with a lot of fabrics and lots inspiration hanging on the walls.

 Miss Nancy purchased fabric for her current quilt.  She is going to add sashing to these blocks.

This is the rendition of Miss Nancy's quilt from Electric Quilt 8. 

I purchased fabric for one of the Christmas Quilts.

 

 My grandsons both play football....the oldest one L O V E S  the Oregon Ducks.

His goal is to play football for the University of Oregon.

We concluded our afternoon in Palm Desert with yummy fish tacos and then headed home.  

Road trips to the country are still fun.

From the Frying Pan into the Fire

We have moved from strange times--shelter-at-home due to Covid19 to scary, crazy times--shelter-at-home due to civil unrest.  Stealing a line from the Quilted Twins blog:

"While the world around us rages, we need some beauty!"

Indeed...we quilters can absolutely do this!

The Christmas Quilts are on hold for now for a variety of reasons, not the least of which I need a break from Storm at Sea.  Last night I finished a baby quilt for a friend of my D-I-L.  Mommy & Me.

  I made this quilt before for my new granddaughter.

It is a very fun quilt to make and comes together quickly.

That is my contribution to beauty today.

Happy Quilting