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!