Hello October!

 Here we are once again welcoming in a new month. My, how fast they arrive.

I sorta' fell off the blogging wagon last month; I can't promise I will do any better this month, but I do promise to try. I just don't have the verve for it like I once did.

I took time to make my September collage. The highlights of the past month were mostly getting together with family and friends - not so much quilting, in other words. Let's take a look.

TOP ROW: I was gung-ho to quilt 2 quilts for my niece as the month began, and I got the blue Double Irish Chain done straight away. The benches I got in my trade with this niece have been put to great use around our firepit. We have had several bonfires, one of which is shown in the third photo in this row.

MIDDLE ROW: DH and I got really brave mid-month when we took both granddaughters to the Columbus Zoo. Our dear Cate loved the cheetahs most of all, and had a big time exploring. Get-togethers were plentiful; besides those bonfires, I also celebrated with friends from the HHS Class of '75 at our 50th Class Reunion. The two gals with me in the center photo were among some of my dearest high school friends. The next picture is my Frienzie group - we are reduced to 5 now, as we mourn the passing of our friends Lyn and Kay. They died within 9 days of each other this summer.

BOTTOM ROW: One impromptu project involved two orphan blocks joined by a center setting block for a fall-themed table runner. I am hand-quilting it currently. I changed course on niece Abby's second quilt; rather than give her a red quilt guaranteed to be pink after the first washing, I quilted this red Ohio Star quilt. I finished off the binding late last night, so I will hand it off soon - today, perhaps. And last, but certainly not least, our sweet Reagan celebrated her first birthday yesterday, September 30. She is such a cutie. She loves to patty-cake and wave and play peek-a-boo. We got some pretty smiles on our FaceTime call.

We are starting off in October by being on the go. Today we will visit my 96-year-old great uncle. Saturday is Greenfield's annual History Day at which I will demonstrate hand-quilting. We'd love to host a couple more bonfires in the next couple of weeks, so I'm sure something will be in the works to that end.

For sewing and quilting, I will load the long arm with another quilt with the goal of quilting two or three more before the end of the month. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

September Wrap-Up

It seems these monthly wrap-up posts come way too frequently. How months can just fly by like they do mystifies me! 

Let's dive into a recap of my September highlights.

TOP ROW: If an overall look at this collage indicates not a lot of sewing, that would be accurate. The consolidation of 2 sewing rooms into one has taken f-o-r-e-v-e-r! I'm still not done. For an admitted pack-rat, letting go and getting rid of things has proven daunting. I am determined, though, to keep at it until it's done. The first pic is from the beginning of the purge, when I was ready to move out the big cutting table. The next picture shows my crowning glory quilting achievement for the month - quilting my Tiny Nine Patch Challenge quilt was such a milestone finish. I have the binding prepared, but I have yet to sew it on. The final pic in the top row is of Emma in all her 8.5-months' pregnant state. We attended a shower for her with lots of family and friends in attendance.

MIDDLE ROW: One fine Friday afternoon, Kevin and I got to attend our first 'Grandparents' Day' at Cate's daycare/school. Afterwards, we had a good time walking her home with lots of 'flying' and 'swinging' along the way. Mid-month sometime, we hosted the daughters and their families for Sunday dinner. You see that I've engaged Cate's help with washing the potatoes. (She liked playing in the water.) Another family pic, this one of my mom holding little Ruby Jean, at the time, her youngest great-grandchild. Mom's name is Jean, so this little one is a namesake.

BOTTOM ROW: Towards the end of the month, I was finally set up well enough to quilt in the big sewing room where all sewing and quilting will now be housed. That earlier quilt was the last to be quilted in the previous room; the two Kaffe quilts shown in the middle picture are the first to be quilted in this room. And the month ended with the best news of all - the birth of Reagan Jayne, Emma's little one, and our second grandchild. She was a week overdue, so we were all on pins and needles with anticipation. 

October will see me continuing with purging and sorting through several more tubs and boxes of miscellaneous sewing items. Much of what my grandmother gave me is going to be offered to some cousins who are also into various facet of stitching, so I will gladly unload her things to them if they are interested. 

I should have included my impromptu project with Chelsea Garden fabric in yesterday's post. It is definitely one that I want to get back to in the coming few days. It's nothing more than a 9-patch quilt, but these fabrics along with that neutral (it's not from the Chelsea Garden line) looks spectacular.

This picture does not do justice to the actual quilt, but the neutral squares in the pieced blocks really create a nice chain across the quilt, which is the look I want. More to follow on this, for sure.

Okay, I am determined to be more diligent with my blog-posting in October. I've really gotten away from my computer and the blog, and I really do not want to let that trend continue. I must make an effort!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

September Collage

Before steeping myself in October projects and plans, let me review last month. It's nice to reflect on the highlights and remember some of the fun times.

TOP ROW: Early in the month we had an afternoon of playing with Cate. I did very minimal work on Lake Effect, but it IS beginning to resemble a quilt, at long last. And that beautiful blue September sky is part of the view from my favorite spot on our front porch.

MIDDLE ROW: My mom came to visit last week. She will soon be celebrating her 87th birthday. Darling Cate has the sleepy eyes. We visit as often as we can (without making a nuisance of ourselves) and in that center photo, she is just ready for nap time. The Autumn Leaves quilt still needs border; I have the inner borders cut; the outer border awaits. It will be a priority in October.

BOTTOM ROW: On a whim, I decided to make a jelly roll quilt which is now quilted and bound. Sharon and I sew together often, but lately we've had too many conflicting schedules. However, she did join in the Frienzies' fun when we were all together for sewing a bridal quilt. And one more of Cate - we babysat one day when she was held out of daycare. Our stroller walk in downtown Columbus pleased her, don't you think?

So, what is in store for October? Plans always seem to be in the works. Not only do I have several finishes to take care of - growth chart, Cate's little dress, Autumn Leaves, binding Dusty Trails (above), to name a few - I intend to revisit my 2023 Goals List to see how I'm faring. The last time I checked (it's been awhile), I think I was about 50-50. 

And I have at least one new project in my plans. I pulled a stack of blue fabrics - all oldies in my stash - and I need an idea for how to proceed. I love this 'dreaming up' phase of the quilting process.

Hope you are having a great day!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

September Collage & October Goals

As we begin a new month, I always like to review the one just past and establish a plan of action for the the one ahead.  So let's do that today.

The September collage contains a lot more running around than quilting, but that's okay. It was a fun month, even if it might not have been the most productive as far as quilt-making is concerned.

TOP ROW: My brother-in-law, husband and I took a madcap trip to Kansas City to see the Guardians play the Royals at Kaufmann Field. It was a nutty thing to do, driving 11 hours to see a baseball game and then turning around the next day to drive home, but we had a great time, our team won in extra innings and all went well. The following weekend we celebrated our daughter Erin and her hubby Jeff as they are in the last month of pregnancy - our granddaughter will arrive later this month! Pictured is my mother and preggo daughter Erin, and aunt-to-be, daughter Emma. The final picture in the top row is taken at a nearby orchard where my neighbor and I spent a morning picking apples. When I saw this multi-generational family of Mennonite ladies tugging an overflowing apple wagon up the hill, I just had to snap a photo.

MIDDLE ROW: Finally, I finished the William Morris flimsy on the very last day of September. It is still hanging on the design wall just so I can gaze at it! To mark the first day of fall, we joined our friends on their pontoon boat on nearby Rocky Fork Lake. I grew up with this lake just across the county, yet I'd never boated on it. The weather took a chilly turn that day, so we were bundled up, but it was a gloriously relaxing day with friends. The quilt pictured next is one I made up after seeing an internet picture. Made with solids and Kaffe Fassett florals, I plan to quilt it this week.

BOTTOM ROW: The hexies are a trial run at seeing how they look sewn together. I am considering options, but for now it appears to be destined to be the center of a tablecloth. The next two photos are taken from my front sidewalk. One night we had the most interesting mixture of clouds over the sunset that produced the look of golden-tipped trees above the shadows. To the east, it looks as though the leaves have turned golden, but it is the sun shining on them. The last picture is a sunset from a different evening. Looking west toward the sunset, we had a glorious display of colors to end the day. Later I learned this was likely the lingering clouds from that destructive Hurricane Ian.

Here's a wider view of golden tree tops. It truly looked magical.

Now what do I have in the works for October? I've had to give this some careful consideration, actually. We have that grandbaby coming at the end of the month, and for 4-5 days mid-month we are planning to drive toward New England to see fall colors. Yes, tree-peepers. We missed the good color last year by being there too early, so we are gonna' try again. My quilting will have to fit around those two events - no problem!

1. I am taking the hexies with me on our New England road trip. Easy stitching in hotel rooms and on boring interstates. When we get into the pretty country, though, I will be totally immersed in the views.

2. I will continue hand quilting the quilt from History Day, Fall Foliage. It's just straight stitching and it shouldn't take long if I just stay at it.

3. Do 3-4 quilts on the the long arm machine. I have two ready to go with their backings prepped, as well. By the time I get those first two done, I will have a plan for the what comes next.

4. Sew the blocks together for my green/cream snowball quilt. I have sorta' been ignoring it, and it needs to be finished.

5. Put borders on my red and white Irish Chain. I have been wavering about doing it, but Sharon did add them to hers. Oh My! They really add so much. I will share pics of Sharon's soon. Here is mine sans borders.

It is good to have a plan. Too often I fly by the seat of my pants and consequently don't get much done. It helps to be able to refer to a list like this. Oh that urge to make new projects is still one that might grab hold, so don't be surprised to see me deviate from the list every now and then. For example, I still want to make a pine tree quilt and a fall leaf quilt. Hmmm....

Hope you have a productive month - one that sees you tick a few items off your list and allows you to create some new magic along the way!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hello October

 

After a month of being very nearly dormant here in blog-land, I am back and ready to begin a new month! September was a topsy-turvy month, to put it mildly, and that accounts for my long absence from this space.

The September collage contains only the fun stuff. I began the month stitching my heart out at our modified quilt camp held at Terry's house. I used my little Featherweight machine to make 9.5" churn dashes for a quilt called True Blue. It was a productive week, and along with those 5" churn dashes made earlier, I was in churn dash heaven for awhile. To maintain our health, we bought a couple of used bikes, which you see there in the upper right corner photo.

The kitchen remodel got into full swing, and we currently live in chaos as the work continues. A big light in the center of our dropped ceiling was closed up and wafer lights were installed - this is what is shown in the first picture of the middle row. Then I share the two quilts I have spent the month working on. Meadow Lily is a 16-year-old UFO that I continue trying to finish. I have just the outer border to attach yet. The True Blue quilt did see completion and I love that I finished an item on my yearly goals list. *Yeah*

The bottom row of pictures features our daughter's cat, Rocky, who spent a big portion of the month with us as they took a couple of trips. He loves coming to the country where he is allowed to roam outdoors and snoop in all sorts of interesting places. The middle, bottom row picture shows a good view of the kitchen in its current state. Still some work to do, for sure, but so much has been accomplished. The final picture shows our new utility room, complete with an old gi-normous cupboard that will serve as our pantry. It is an angel in the rough; given a bit of attenion and a coat of white paint, it will be a beauty. It's got doors, shelves, and drawers and will be neat as can be when finished. 

Here's a larger view of my new counters, sink and lighting. The cupboards will be painted white; that will really change things. Backsplash is going in today.

All in all, as far as sewing goes, I did not do nearly as much in September as I did in August. The construction was just too intrusive on my time. And I am back to teaching, so that takes some time, of course.

And then, there's some of the real-life things one faces occasionally. September became the month of the Emergency Room. Yes, three trips for DH and one trip for me. Geesh. Husband's issues are somewhat mysterious, but are being unraveled with several screenings and tests - all the usual stuff, like colonoscopy, prostate screening, blood work, etc. My ER trip stemmed from those bikes you saw in the collage - I crashed, and really banged myself up. Stitches in one leg, deep contusion in the other. Xrays, catscans, and MRIs verifying that nothing was broken. I am still hobbling around, but healing, thankfully. 

I am calling on October to be much gentler with the two of us. Can I get an 'Amen"?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

September Wrap-Up

What a beautiful Sunday here in Ohio! The weather is perfect; our windows are open; we have the fountain out back which sounds so nice, plus the birds, the occasional breeze that sweeps through the windchimes. I just love this time of year.

While putting together my collage for September I realized that I had only a small amount of sewing pictures to share. That makes sense, since I posted fewer blog entries this month than any in recent memory.

The first two pictures of the top row represent a major vehicular change at our house. We'd had two older cars that were just simply in need of too many repairs. They were so bad we couldn't even drive them without a jump-start or whatnot. Finally, DH found a truck he liked at our favorite used car dealer, and we struck a deal. The truck is a Honda Ridgeline, used, and will serve our needs quite well. Best of all, it will be something we can rely on, at last.

The third picture in the top row is of the Columbus skyline, taken last Sunday when we walked with the kids. I mentioned in my opening that today is a gorgeous day, but last Sunday was a beauty, too. If you skip ahead to the center pic of the collage, you will see how many steps and miles we walked that day. My legs and tootsies ached through Wednesday.

The first picture in the middle row shows you some furniture makeover work in our garage. Old, hand-me-down end tables have gotten a fresh new look and now sit on either side of our new sofa. I will do a post on the family room re-do soon.

The last picture in the middle row is my current progress on Picnic at Daybreak, aka my basket quilt. If I worked hard later today, I could have it together before the month is out, but I doubt I will muster that kind of focus between now and day's end. *grin*

The bottom row of the collage features two more sewing projects - the hexies for Lake Effect and the hand-quilting I will be taking to History Day. The middle pic is of the aforementioned new sofa along with the easy chair, which is also new.

*We also went to the Columbus Parade of Homes this month.

*And we got to 'kitty sit' for adorable little Rocky.

*We celebrated an 80th birthday with a college prof and his wife.

*We paid tribute to the late Burt Reynolds when we attended a movie night with friends as they projected Smokey and The Bandit on the wall of their barn.

*We learned to polka last night at Greenfield's Oktoberfest celebration. 

With September wrapped up, what is on the horizon for October? First, I will be finishing the basket quilt top. One other that simply must be finished: the triangle baby quilt. Now, I know of another new baby coming at the end of December, and I will be whipping up something for that first-time mom's baby shower in about 3 weeks. *yikes!*

Sharon is coming on Tuesday, and we will each sew a Chock Full of Charms quilt while we are together. I have several Betsy Chutchian charm packs that I will use, I think. There are other options, too, so I still could change my mind.

Yes, there will be more - I hope! - but that's what is in my immediate future.

I'm gonna' go enjoy the rest of this beautiful day!!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hello September!

And just like that, August is gone and here we are in a brand-spanking new month. Whew. That went fast, didn't it?

My collage for August includes some fun summertime activities couched between my work on the basket quilt. I only had a few of the blocks completed as the month opened, but have steadily progressed due to audio books and diligence.

The basket quilt with the curved handles is from the Circleville Quilt Show made by my friend, Sheryll of Frankfort Girls fame. I made the small pillow with remnant fabric from our family room curtains and a yard sale pillow form. The bigger pillow in the middle row is pieced for an update for our bed. The center photo is from our afternoon ball game to see the Cleveland Indians play the Twins. We spent a Saturday morning walking a 5K to raise money for sweet Michele (last pic, center row), who is fighting cancer. In the bottom row, the Frienzies enjoyed an afternoon at Susan's pool. I tackled a small re-hab project by spray painting a little shelf. And, of course, the basket quilt takes shape.

Those are the highlights worth mentioning and for which I had photographic records. Hubs and I had some fun visits with our daughters in Columbus. We also had visits with other family, both on his side and mine.

So what does September bring?

I will attempt to finish the basket quilt top. I have the border flannel for that baby quilt I worked on earlier in the summer, so I should try to finish it. I have meant to work on holiday bazaar projects all summer, yet have nothing prepared. If I am going to participate, I'd better get to work. I have some books to read. Of course, classes are under way, so I will have real "work" to do, and I don't want to get behind! I must make myself stay on top of it; I hate that drowning feeling one gets if school work is allowed to pile up.

Let's make the most of September, shall we?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Closing The Door on September

It seems impossible that another month has slipped by, but the calendar does not lie. In saying goodbye to September, I have to remark that while I had some serious issues with making myself blog regularly, I more than made up for it by getting a whole lot of stuff done.

If I revisit that list I made and shared as we began the month, I see that I set some rather lofty goals which did not even get touched. Item 6, for example, is one that will be moving to October's list. (Fortunately, that baby is not due until late December!)

But rather than focus on what I did not get done, let's see what I DID accomplish. Remember, minimal work is still progress, right??

1. All three baby quilts are quilted, bound and ready for babies. Yeah!
2. See yesterday's post for the reveal of June's UFO which is at last finished!
3. September's UFO is also revealed in yesterday's post. I had a really satisfying Friday morning, you know?!
4. I regret that I haven't made much progress on Emma's wall hanging, however I did get my triangle papers and have fabrics cut out.
5. I selected the wedding quilt from those hanging in my closet, but have not decided on a backing. You will recognize it, as I have recently finished it, but I will keep mum about it as I want it to be a surprise.
6. Nothing, as explained above.
7. 8. 9. Random stars, hexies and pincushions. Yes, yes, and yes. Some are featured in the collage below.
10. Block Swap blocks - only minimal work done here; I do finally have all the fabrics for the two or three blocks I still have to finish.
11. No one would ever accuse me of overdoing it on cleaning, but I have done some stuff; several tubs have been straightened and rearranged. As my cutting table is heaping with clutter at the moment, it just isn't all that visible to an untrained eye. *wink*

Some accomplishments that were not on the list include getting to spend a day sewing headbands with my nieces. We had such a great day together. My high school graduating class had a very impromptu get together with a classmate who was in from the west coast. On short notice, we had a decent turn out of about a dozen friends to reminisce with. And last, we served as kitty-sitter for our daughter's cat Rocky. He loves coming to the big house in the country, quite a change from his small apartment in the city.

I didn't include it in my collage, but Sharon and I did a jelly roll day together. For her, it went well. For me, well, there's a reason I've not blogged it. I promise to fill you in on the ugly details soon.I'm fixing a few things first.

Hope your September was fabulous! Let's see what kind of mischief we can make in October, okay?

Happy Quilting, Friends!