Welcome September!

Good golly, here we are in September already! DH and I have been away for a couple of days and I'm just now getting around to welcoming the new month. In a few weeks, we will say farewell to summer and hello to autumn. The weather we've had here lately really has been feeling like fall.

I did take time to make an August collage, so let's review the highlights.

TOP ROW: Granddaughters and quilts seem to rule my world, a fact that suits me in every way. Cate enjoyed a day at the pool with several of her cousins. Reagan gets a warm snuggle from her great-grandmother Jeannie. Cate's family have moved into a new home and that means a new school/daycare for her. This is her with her new (big!) backpack on the first day.

MIDDLE ROW: Reagan gives us a big smile after getting a bite of chocolate pudding. All the Wensleydale blocks are finished and I've laid them out for sample of the quilt that will be forthcoming. I finished all 60 blocks much more quickly than I expected after doing about half of them at the retreat.

BOTTOM ROW: The last Wensleydale block was especially eye-catching, however each one has its own simple beauty. The low humidity and pleasant temps here this final month of August made for some spectacularly blue skies. I've always loved that shade of blue against a stand of leafy-green trees. The final fussy finishing bits are now complete on my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. I know I have said that before, but this time I really mean it! It is ready for border stitching.

August's quilt retreat (11th-14th) will always be remembered, by me anyway, as the Wensleydale retreat. Now, I think this whole last month will be known as the Wensleydale August. Making those blocks was so very satisfying. They are such different blocks - being rectangular rather than square - and they are foundation paper pieced, a technique I'd not done in a very long time. Using those fabulous Tilda fabrics added to the increased level of satisfaction. I am very eager to stitch the blocks together.

My to-do list for September is quite ambitious. I will bring you all along for the fun, so stay tuned!

Happy Quilting, Friends! 

Jayne 

September Has Arrived

Never one to be mindful of timely posting, I am just now getting around to posting my first-of-the-month missive in which I recap last month and look ahead to all that September promises to offer.

My August collage is short on quilts, isn't it? But gosh we did have a ton of fun with family and friends. Here's the rundown of highlights.

TOP ROW: Even though her birthday is at the end of July, we celebrated Sharon early in August. You see her here admiring a gift of some 3Sisters fabric. Pappaw Kevin gets in a little swimming with granddaughter Cate, who takes to the water like a fish. We had a family gathering one Sunday afternoon, and the final picture in the top row shows 3 little cousins - Boone, Cate, and Archie. Absolutely adorable kiddos!

MIDDLE ROW: At that same family gathering, our older generation posed for a picture. Seated in front is my Great Uncle John, my mother's uncle. He's in his mid 90s. Behind him is his daughter Marilyn, Mom's first cousin, then two of my aunts - Carol and Ann - who are my mom's sisters-in-law. Finally, there's Mom. The center picture shows her again, this time with Cate. What a treat for Mom to spend time with her great-granddaughter! The last picture in the middle row is of the quilt top made with Inverted Fat Quarter Stars. I wrote about it in my last post.

BOTTOM ROW: I attended a quilt retreat with some dear quilty friends and made a super-simple quilt with some remnant yardage I uncovered in the sewing room. On the final day of the retreat, I worked on the stars in the middle, and as the month closed out, I was heavy into taking out the big sewing desk I've used for the last 10 or so years in an effort to make room for the long arm machine to come into this room.

And that consolidation effort continues. I have the aforementioned desk moved out and headed to a yard sale. I have taken everything off the cutting table (shown below, but loaded up with stuff!) and it is ready to be moved out. Once it is out, I will dismantle the long arm machine and move it to this room. That will all be accomplished in - perhaps - another week. I hope!!

This picture shows you the other end of the room. Gosh, I have things piled high! The good news is, though, that this table is now empty and much of what you see here has been sorted and reorganized. And, of course, the work is ongoing. My goal is to put a lot in the yard sale, or make significant donations to Goodwill.

The long arm machine cannot be moved until this quilt is finished and removed from the frame. Tiny Nine-Patch Challenge has been loaded for over a month, sadly. I was having issues (seems like that happens a lot!), but I finally have corrected the problem. Yay! I stitched quite a lot on it yesterday. It will be my goal to finish the quilting today.

The Frankfort girls will be here for sewing tomorrow morning, so I will need to stop the upstairs sewing stuff long enough to tidy a bit downstairs and make some refreshments.

Time waits for no one! I might just now be getting around to welcoming September here on the blog, but I am keenly aware that the month is marching on! My main goal will be to finish quilting this quilt, bind it plus another one waiting in the wings, and - most of all - complete the major portions of the consolidation of 2 sewing rooms into one. That will be quite enough!

Oh, yes. One more thing. We are due to gain a granddaughter in about 3 weeks, too! Yippee!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

It's September!!

 Welcoming a new month - these monthly welcomes appear far too frequently!

My blogging last month was sporadic, at best. Perhaps I can commit to being a bit more reliable this month. 

I've just gotten back from a 4-day quilt retreat, so there are several reports to be made regarding that. Plus, I have several things to share that did not appear on the blog. In other words, I have no shortage of content; just a mindset that avoids blogging. *smh*

My August collage will show you a sneak peak at some of those unblogged subjects. Let's  have a look.

TOP ROW: Early in August, we spent a lovely Sunday afternoon with extended family at my sister's house where we enjoyed her beautiful pool.We had 4 generations in attendance, and most of my siblings were there! Next, my Posies and Polka Dots Quilt was a highlight finish for the month. Last, two first cousins on my father's side joined me for an impromptu photo op at a local event venue.

MIDDLE ROW: DH and I took a day mid-month to investigate some notable places in our local area. Besides Mound City, the ancient burial grounds in Ross County, and Mount Oval, an 1880s home in Pickaway County, we visited Slate Run Farm in Franklin County. This barn is part of the farm, where all operations are performed in the fashion of the early-to mid-1800s when the farm was first established. In the center is my Snowflakes at Dusk quilt, which I quilted about a week ago. The final pic in the middle row is of DH and I holding our dear granddaughter Cate while she naps. 

BOTTOM ROW: The Frienzies (all retired co-workers at CHS) met for a really fun murder mystery luncheon. We came in costumes and solved the case while we celebrated one friend's birthday. From a floral layer cake, I made a lap quilt with 3"squares. It was super easy, and my first project at the retreat. (I'll share more on the retreat in a future post.) Last, I couldn't make a monthly collage without including our Cate. Growing so fast, she gets more and more adorable every day!

Goals for this new month include doing several quilts on the long arm. I will also try to make some little outfits for Cate. And I have learned of another baby coming soon, so a baby quilt will be forthcoming, as well.

I am stoked for a productive month! It will be great to gradually work our way into cooler weather. I do love summer, but Ohio is really pretty in the fall, so there is much to look forward to!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

September Is Here!

 Omigoodness. Can you believe we are here in September already? It just boggles the mind.

 

In my usual manner, I am wrapping up the old month with a collage. I didn't have many actual finishes, but I do have many, many starts. Let's see the highlights.

TOP ROW: In possibly the only quilt I quilted, another of Kay's quilts is done and bound and ready to be passed along. I have only alluded to this ongoing project of finishing quilts for Kay; at some point, I will post a more complete write-up of it, but timing plays a part. The middle quilt of the top row is a pretty pink floral 9-patch quilt made for the pending arrival of our first grandchild in October. I will definitely be quilting this (and a few others, hopefully!). The final pic of the top row is of the lush hydrangeas along the side of our house. We had some gorgeous humidity-free days in August bringing the clearest blue skies. I love living out here in the remote country farmlands. We are so blessed with acreage, trees, and all manner of wildlife. This picture contains the beauty of the white blooms, the varied greens of the trees, and the vivid blue of the sky - a winning combination.

MIDDLE ROW: At quilt retreat I made a 3-yard quilt called Crossroads, and here you see a closeup of the fabrics used in it. Center stage is one of my 70 stars for Lil' Orphan Scrappy, a quilt I worked in earnest on at retreat. All 70 stars are finished, and down below you will see an updated picture of my progress. On a Sunday evening about a week ago, we went to Columbus to meet our daughters and their fellas for dinner - to celebrate Emma's 30th birthday! On the way, we drove through a pretty nasty thunderstorm, but as we approached Columbus, the skies cleared and we were blessed with the most brilliant rainbow I've seen in a long time. It lasted and lasted - we could still see it as we entered the southern suburbs. I probably took a couple dozen pictures of it. Note that a faint second rainbow is in the upper right corner.

BOTTOM ROW: Another quilt still in progress is my green and beige snowball/9-patch. I have all the blocks made and now need to take an afternoon to sew the top together. Just this past weekend, DH and I visited his niece, her family and several extended family and the afternoon included a pontoon ride on the Ohio River. My first river ride, and it was perfection. Finally, my current focus is finishing up the blocks for Lil' Orphan Scrappy done in my scraps of William Morris fabrics. 

Yes, I do have a few ideas brewing and stewing for September. Sharon and I have decided that we both need more Kaffe Fassett quilts, so we have plans to do those this month. 

Besides the KF project, I will definitely be finishing the snowball quilt and the William Morris quilt. I then should turn my focus to the long arm machine - I really need to quilt 6, minimum, and could easily get ahead by doing that many more! I still plan to do some sort of pine tree quilt, and I always wish I had a leaf quilt when fall color arrives, so maybe that ought to go into the planning stage, too.

Since I am wordy today, let me finish with a couple of pics to further enhance the August collage. Two more pictures of the rainbow and one more from our Ohio River excursion.

I-71 in Grove City; Stringtown Road area.

I-71 northbound on south side.

Family fun on boat heading to the Ohio River.

It's always exciting to start fresh with a brand new month, so instead of bemoaning these waning summer days, I will anticipate all the fun that September will bring. New projects, new adventures, and football!!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hello September!

 

 

August was a fun month, but as many of you dear readers know, it was a bit lacking for me in the regular blogging department. It seemed that a whole lot of other stuff was going on, and unfortunately, sewing and quilting took a back seat to that "other stuff."

I did, though, put together a collage for August, so let's delve into my highlights and take stock of the month gone by before diving headlong into September.

 

TOP ROW: Hello Stray Kitty. This little darling showed up here half starved and very needy. She looked no more than a kitten, but it turns out she was old enough to be pregnant. And now, her week-old litter is in the back of our garage. I've fed her and much to her chagrin, have made her stay outdoors. She will have 2 months to raise the babies to weaning age, and then we will turn her over to a cat rescue place in Chillicothe. We tried to find her owners as she was very tame, but I fear someone realized she was pregnant, and just dropped her off out on the road. Poor little thing. No, we are not naming her, and no, we are not keeping her/them.

Next, I did finish the Scrappy Irish Chain quilt top, and shared it early in the month. The next kitty is Rocky, our daughter Erin's precious feline. He is here for a week-plus while they are vacationing in Minnesota. Isn't he handsome?

MIDDLE ROW: Two new quilted pillows adorn our front room sofa. I like the look, and I've made enough pillow covers now that I finally feel as though I'm getting pretty good at it. 

My center picture of the American flag is my humble tribute to the Marines who died in Afghanistan. I don't say a lot politically here on the blog, but those lives deserve to be recognized and remembered, even from my small, insignificant quilting blog. God rest their souls, and God bless their loved ones.

Our mini-vacation for August was a trip to Cleveland for two Indians (soon to be Guardians) games against Oakland. We were swept for the series, and we suffered through two of the hottest days Cleveland has ever experienced. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, we did get to see the Indians one last time before the name change, and we appreciate more fully watching their games in our air-conditioned home. *grin*

BOTTOM ROW: Five of the Frankfort Girls enjoyed a 3-day mini-retreat in Nelsonville. It was just long enough for me to finish off a big item on my to-do list - make my Ohio Star blocks for the block exchange we'll be having in December.  The center picture is another Ohio Star, but it is for another quilt - daughter Emma has asked for a low-volume quilt with only this single block. It's a big block - 18" if I recall - and I now need to get it on the quilting frame. 

The final picture is my nephew Will holding his newborn son, Archie. This is the baby for whom the mystery baby quilt was made. I will post a picture of the quilt in a few days. I am pretty sure they have the quilt by now, so no surprises will be ruined. Archie was born in the wee hours yesterday, August 31. Wife Kristi and baby are doing great. *smiles*

Here's a couple of token quilt pictures. These will serve to remind me that I can't totally lose my sewing mojo. Both are inspiration pictures found online of things I still hope to make in 2021.

September. 2021. Gosh, the year is getting away from me. And we have big September plans. I will have a vacation next week with girlfriends to Myrtle Beach. Then later this month, DH and I will take a fall tour of New England, specifically Vermont and New Hampshire. Forty years of teaching never allowed for us to see New England in the fall, so this is the year it happens!

When will I sew? Maybe I won't!

When will I blog? Maybe I won't!

We shall see what the month brings. Hope you'll stick around with me.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

 

 

 

Hello September

 A new month! Are you ready for September? 

It's strange how this coming month and the approaching season toys with my psyche. I never seem to look forward to autumn like I do with the arrival of spring. I don't dislike the arrival of fall; in fact, I love all the seasons and am glad to live in Ohio where we are fortunate to experience all the delights of four distinct seasons. However, it does make me a bit melancholy to see summer fading, dusk coming earlier and the early signs of fall settling in.  I guess I am a mixed bag of emotions when it comes to fall's coming. Since I can't do a thing about holding summer a little bit longer, I will look forward to crisp, cool mornings, bright blue skies, and brilliant, bold colors. Eternal optimist, I am!

Enough philosophizing. In yesterday's post, I said I would come up with some goals and I am still working on those. In the meantime, let's do an August wrap-up.

My August collage include 6 quilts, probably the most I've ever featured since I began doing these monthly collages. The Frankfort Girls' sew-along quilt is up first; it is in the flimsy stage. The small table topper I'm calling the Key West quilt is my version of a periwinkle quilt; it is finished, as is the little mantle mat made with remnant HSTs. Another flimsy is the Larkspur 9-patch. In the bottom row is another HST quilt made with remnants; it is quilted and needs the binding to be applied and finished. Then, one of my current works-in-progress, the 5-inch churn dash quilt made with reproduction prints and shirtings.

The non-quilt pictures feature two of my kiddos who had birthdays this month, Emma, my youngest and Adam, my oldest. The remaining picture is one we took on a fun day trip to Marietta, OH, the setting of the David McCullough book, The Pioneers. Marietta is a beautiful city, full of fascinating history about the original English settlers to the Ohio territory.

We are having a good time at our modified quilt retreat. Day 2 is in the books, and I think I speak for all that we are enjoying it immensely.

Happy September, dear readers, and

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hello September!

Well, gosh. As reluctantly as possible, I am waving goodbye to sweet summery August, and welcoming in crisp and cool September.

I just can't explain why I am so ambivalent about leaving the summer months behind. I have never been prone to looking back with melancholy or sadness, but letting go of this wonderful summer is proving hard for me.

My best explanation: I feel like we accomplished so many little chores and projects around the house, all of which were exceedingly satisfying. Couple that with several mini-trips along with just enough days of no-particular-plan-at-all, and I just didn't want it to end.

Now here I am on September first, and I have finally completed my August collage. I really labored over selecting 9 pictures - so many more could have been included.

In the top row, first up is a sweet little craft made with my dear Frienzies on Friday evening. We were at Susan's house for dinner al fresco, and afterwards, she showed us how to make the candle stand out of a down-turned wine class and fall décor. Add a candle to top it off. Sweet and easy.

Top row middle is my long-arm effort courtesy of my "coach" for the day, Terry. I will have more on this quilt after my nephew's wedding. And last in the top row, the aged porch swing after it's power-washing. I am still in the process of getting the necessary hardware to hang it on our front porch.

Middle row - the Ohio State t-shirt quilt which will be quilted this coming week and then donated to the scholarship fund-raising effort of DH's fraternity alumni association. Center pic is of a long-standing tradition of swimming on the final day of summer before the kids go back to school. In this case, since all of my kids are beyond that age, we (my sister and I) used our twin nieces - they are now 6th graders! The last pic of the middle row is from Kingwood Garden in Mansfield. I sure did love visiting that garden. I never did a full post about this visit, and I probably should have. It was gorgeous.

Bottom row - Perry Monument on South Bass Island/Put-In-Bay, Lake Erie. We have enjoyed brief trips to the island for several years now; we have putzed around on a golf cart many times, and always enjoy the relaxing pace and familiar scenery. The reason we were in northern Ohio was because we had selected one afternoon game to go see the Indians; we had a bonus, as the previous night's game had been rained out. So we sat through a doubleheader, both WINS, and enjoyed every minute of it. Finally, last picture, I finished a UFO of about 15 years, Six Degrees by Miss Rosie's Quilts. It was fun to work on, and for the life of me, I have no idea why I had been so intimidated about completing this way back when.

Gosh, what a great month. Wouldn't it be great to fill September with equally fun and satisfying days? I am working on a goals list; knowing that my time is going to be limited due to classwork, I will be careful to choose projects wisely.

I do have one really big plan, and I promise to share it soon. I will tease you a bit. Hint: it involves my long-arm machine. *winky-grin*

Happy Labor Day Weekend, Peeps, and
Happy Quilting, Friends!