Grist for the mill.....

...and stuff near and dear to quilters *VBS* Sweet Pea, at Coffeetime Quilt Studio is having a contest. She wants us to show a container that 'aids' us in our quilting. My 'aid' is a snaplock plastic pencil box, sold everywhere just before school begins. I've struggled for years with storing spools of perle cotton. Getting them all in one spot, and being able to find them when I want them. Thess boxes are PERFECT for the size of the spools. They hold a single layer and it's easy to see what you have without them roling around. They stay dust free and out of the cat's reach. I currently have 4 of them, filled with a rainbow of colors.
 And I wanted to share part of my 'collection' of quilt books. I was surprised when I began putting them in this tall bookcase. Surprised at how many I really have....LOL
 Even more surprised at that they don't all fit into one case. There is another bookcase across the sewing room from them...with still more quilt books. Many, many of them date back to the 1980's and a time when everything was templated. I've found some older books by Michael James, Nancy Crow and Jeanne Ray Laury to round out my collection. I add only 3 or 4 books a year now. With so many books, I'm more careful what I buy these days.
 But books by Gwen Marston are always the exception. I have nearly all of hers *VBS* When the "String Quilts" book came out, Betsy and I talked and she bought it for both of us to share. We are doing that more and more. We each own quite a few of these "TWenty Little ---------" books. The Twenty Little Four Patches book was published in 1996 and several of the quilts show the trend of the upcoming "Liberated Quiltmaking" which was coming next! Most of the quilts in all the "Twenty Little ------" are traditionally pieced. Interstingly enough, there seems to be at least one in each book that 'leans' towards the Orphan Blocks or Liberated style....'atta girl Gwen!!!

Thoughts on being 'stuck'...and other quilty stuff...

I've been STUCK. Isn't that just the oddest word? You say outloud...."I'm stuck", and then wonder, what the heck does that mean, really? I think about the "tenses", learned in years and years of English, at school. "I stick", "I am stuck", "I have been stuck". The dictionary is clinical...I'm not a marshmellow, squewered on a stick. Nor a pig to be butchered, stuck with a knife to bleed out...yuk! I'm the kind of "stuck" you can't see. Even I couldn't see it until recently, but I sure have been feeling the effects of being it. It seems like you wander around the area, and never quite GET to 'the area'. Last evening I did. I sure as heck don't know why, because I spent the entire day wandering around in my nightgown doing almost nothing.
And rhen BOOM! I stepped up and pulled out the "stuck" by doing something that has been left undone since our failed family Christmas gathering on Dec. 23rd. No rhyme or reason to it...and not that big a deal, except to me. Once it was done, I felt wonderful, refreshed, relaxed and re-newed in spirit. I guess that's what success feels like...who knew??? It started me thinking about what "being stuck" means beyond the simple explaination of "unable to go forward". I think maybe we get "stuck" in our opinions, our way of looking at things, all sorts of ways. Some habits are good, some....not so much. And I'm beginning to wonder if we are to go forward as a civilization, maybe we aren't going to have to work on getting "un-stuck" about some things.
And...in the quilty department, my friend Sue over at From the Magpie's Nest showed her cutting area last week(or earlier this week). She thought it was pretty bad. Well, Sue, hope this makes you feel better *VBS*A week ago, the cutting board was EMPTY..cleared off and neat for Jean's sewing day at my house. Then I went back to cutting for my Clare challenge *S*.
And then I brought home Betsy's scraps and started a new project late Monday evening...no sense cleaning up just yet.
Last but not least, part of my stash closet and what is leaking out of there. Doesn't look too bad right now.
The boxes hold fabric that is not in use at this time. It will re-appear as needed *VBS* How does YOUR cutting table look???? Are you stuck?

Sisters?...sisters...

"...there were never such devoted sisters...". Anybody been watching the old Bing Crosby movie "White Christmas"? I have, and of course that song keeps running through my head *VBS*We are sisters...but devotion wasn't part of the picture, in any sense of the word. I was almost 7 when my middle sister was born, in 1947. I don't remember welcoming her with open arms. By 1951, when sister #2 came along, I was nearly 11 and DEFINITELY did NOT want another sister(or brother for that matter. Much falls to us oldest daughters...too much in my opinion.
Being so much older, I was grown and out of the home while my middle sister was in the early grades. My youngest sister was 7 when I married. I had little to no part of their growing up. That probably explains alot. Or maybe I wasn't a natural born caregiver.
But sewing is what is on my mind today. I come from a maternal background of NON-SEWERS. My Mom didn't even do buttons or patches on my Dad's pants..he did them himself.
My belowed Gram Lottie, who lived with us, didn't sew either. Neither she nor my Mom did any kind of needlework. I was the kid at school with store bought mittens, and longed for a pair of homemade ones. I finally got them from a friend at age 46. I still have them and treasure them....I was very much a lost kitten with no mittens, but I have some now.
I had a disasterous 9 weeks of sewing in 7th grade. I was in a Jr. High setting and we got 9 weeks each of cooking, sewing, art and something else I've forgotten. We made a gathered skirt. I blew it on day ONE by buying a border print fabric, which obviously could only go ONE WAY. I got reamed out royally by the teacher. The skirt was a horrid disaster that I NEVER wore beyond class.
And again in 8th grade....9 weeks of sewing. We made fitten(tailored) blouses. I chose pale blue. I suppose it turned out ok but I hated it!! I never wore it either.
After that I was on my own....no sewing for this artsy gal....only drawing and painting...ya!!
But that was at age 12 and 13. The summer I was approaching 15, I began to realize I needed more clothes than my parents were able to provide for me. I begged shamelessly and my Dad bought me a sewing machine. A nice little machine- about $50- from the local furniture store, Mason's. They put their own brand on it and Dad even bought me the cabinet for it. I figured out that I could make a soft pleats skirt with about the same yardage as a gathered one(which looked terrible on me), and I did. I put in the zipper and put on the waistband, following a simple skirt pattern. Next I tried a sleeveless pull over the head blouse with neck and armhole facings. It zipped on one side to give it shape. Now I could have a full cotton skirt and blouse to match for summer dating *VBS*. I never looked back. I sewed for myself a fair amount off and on through high school. After I married(at 18) I made curtains and then moved on to make nighties, slacks, shorts, dresses and even coats. I taught myself to knit and to crochet. I even learned to cook....LOL
But that sewing machine from my Dad, back in 1954 or '55 is what really changed the course of my life. I became accomplished at something that meant something to me. Not the same as taking shorthand or typing 60 words per minute.
For most of my married life, I made nearly all the clothes I wore for work and then baby clothes and much of my childrens clothes.
Quilting didn't figure into my life(other than sewing squares together) until 1977 when an elderly aunt got me started piecing a quilt by hand. A few years later and another move across the state, brought me to a friend who taught quilting. I signed up for a sampler class, and was almost immediately in trouble for not doing things "by the book". I've never looked back. I credit her for getting me on the path of 1/4" seam allowances and having triangles that actually have "points"(for the most part...LOL) She taught me the hand quilting part, which is my true love...running the stitches....line after line. There is a passion involved, just ask Tonya, or anyone who is a "hand quilter". There's nothing quite like it...I suppose applique comes close, but quilting gives you the 'definition' of light and shadow. The depth your eye sees when you look at a quilt.
I've been sorely missing my sewing time this week. It tends to make me a bit grumpy. And while I am truly looking forward to my children and grandchildren gather at my home....part of me is just itching to get back to my projects *VBS* Happy December 20th everyone.....shortest day of the year tomorrow....we'll be turning towards the light again soon.

After the storm....

We had quite the storm pass through here on Tuesday night. I'm guessing it was one of the 'Darcie' specials coming form North Dakota. Where ever it came from, it was in a hurry! The rain came in sheets, making the wind actually visible on Doppler Radar! Garage cans rolled up hill on the street past my house, heading east...fast! But it was a short storm, and before long, the rain stopped and the skies began to clear. Luckily for me, by that time, I was back sitting out in my little 'space' on the patio. And I'm showing you what I felt was just spectacular to view. It was already approaching 9 p.m. and the show didn't last long...but how glorious it was
for those few minutes. I suspect that Katie at http://mismatchedquilter.blogspot.com/ got her

yard, in MI, watered also..*VBS*

The air was cooler and the evening felt fresh and clean. Lots of sunshine greeted us on the morning of the 4th...firecrackers going off everywhere, lots of 'pop' and'bang'. Ebby seemed ok with the noise. I had an invitation for supper and firewords in town, and that was lots of fun. Big crowd by 10 p.m. when the fireworks started, and we were not disappointed.

My other 'share' today is a new little treasure that has come to live at my house. Not something
I probably would seek out to buy for myself, but when offered to me, brand new , in it's box, for $10....? I TOOK IT! It's really a tiny little thing. I don't think it weights more than 3 or 4 pounds. And is maybe 10" long. It has a few variations on stitches, will zigzag, and has a reverse button. I propped the tiny foot petal in from so you can see how really small it is. This would fit right into a large purse or small tote bag. I think it would handle a variety of mending(probably not denim) and simple piecing. Would be perfect for a dorm room or small apt. A 4 slice toaster is bigger than this sewing machine.....LOL.
I'm going to try it for some chain piecing, leaders and enders style, and then see what I think. I haven't checked around the web to see if I could find a price, but I'm curious and I think I will do that. And if any of you have one of these and have information or comments or advice, that would be wonderful!!

I was reminded, this morning.....

of the childhood nursery rhyme, Three Blind Mice. You probably are wondering why...*VBS* Well, think back through the rhyme...."she cut off their tails with the carving knife, did you ever see such a sight in your life?"....yup, that's the part I remembered...did you ever see such a sight in your life???? And THIS is progress altho it doesn't look like it...LOL
It began back on May 2nd when my kids switched the bedrooms for me...by May 8th I was making slow progress. 14 days later, it really IS better, but the worst is just about at hand. Time to sort out each box, figuring out where the stuff in it will go. Obviously some is destined for disposal, some for the fabric stash in the walk in closet, and then their is the rest of it.
What I really need is about 5 days of no one inviting me for lunch, supper, dinner or shopping
Not sure that is going to happen, and for sure NOT this week. Jean wants to go shopping, I have things that need returning from my last shopping trip, lunch Thursday with friend Shorty, and visiting kids on Sat. or Sunday. So I guess I'm going to have to work overtime. Translated, that means "in the evenings" just like a working gal....hope I've got it in me...*VBS*
The raspy coughing spells haven't backed off completely, and now with the Advair stopped, I've begun having wheeze again. Should see the dr. and should called the optho. guy, as things are blurrier in my good eye. AND I need to do something with my hair...darn, a cut and a perm, but when??? Every day seems like I should be doing something else and so I don't call for an appointment. But when I do finally get this room all assembled..it's going to be SOOOOOOO

awesome! I have a corner(north window) for my easel, my painting-drawing supplies, etc. I have a wooden bookcase in that corner that will hold my art and travel book and miscellaneous stuff like that. It was a lucky find destined for the trash.
This white plastic bookcase will go out into the garage and be pressed into service.
And you probably should know that in the process of removing myself from the Maverick web ring, that step was the first towards moving myself into the 'next' part of my life. Quilts have been my passion for soooo many years, and will continue to be, but the Universe is pushing other things to the front, in my being, and I'm not at all sure I am really ready, but .... here I go anyway!
I hope I will never, never stop seeing things to do in fabric, primarily quilts. But being 'un-attached' to all expectations of me is what I need. I will keep journaling here, and I will continue to pull 'pieces' from my bag of scraps, as I have all along the way. The next time you see this room, it will be MUCH better...LOL Sieze the day everyone, do your own thing, with passion. Hugs, Finn

Moving right alone...

and making progress, but slowly. Why, you wonder? Because I've gotten very slow at things this past year. My lower back is still bothering, and arthritsis has begun in my shoulders. So, I move somethings, and then I rest, and then move
more, and rest, etc. It all gets done, just not very fast...LOL. I have lots of stuff piled against one long wall, waiting for a destination. And I have the 2 shelves of lights and background fabric piled on a chair, waiting for a home. It had been in a tall bookcase with 2 shelves of quilting books. But the bookcase has moved across the room to a darker corner and will now hold folded quilts, and what ever quilt books that will fit. And I have
things piled on the window sills, waiting to see where they will be going. Scorch, my favorite dragon guards his corner again stray animals. And then there are
the two shelves of books that got displaced.
Those are still piled on the floor under the window. There are two more bookcases out in the living room, also filled with quilt books, and a few old favorite books by my favorite authors. I got rid of most of my vast collect of books when I sold the house. Just too much. Too much weight, too much space. And I no longer have the ability to read many of them due to the very small print. And so, onward I go...slowly, but making progress. I'd love to have the room together(at least sort of) by the weekend. Some of my kids will be coming for Mother's Day.