The Day Before T Day...

And all through the house....

Not a creature is stirring, not even my spouse...

Who has settled himself in the living room recliner, meds on the chair side table (Along with other necessities for surgery recuperation, like Carmel Nips for an anesthesia based sore throat and a water bottle that he can drink from without dribbling!) remote in hand, laptop next to him, iphone right there, wrapped in quilts. This morning? Well on the mend.

We all had a good night's sleep, but I awoke...oh yes, I awoke...to the sound of SQUIRRELS in the eaves or behind the walls. (((*@#&$(*&@#$(*&))) We thought we'd patched the holes, and I have those electronic pest repellers plugged in, but this time of the year, the scratching and scrambling has returned with the little nest building buggers. Oscar was even aware there was something going on behind that wall...he was meowing, tail twitching, just waiting....but it can't be seen, just heard, and there is no way to get at it from within the room itself.

I got nearly two sides of the binding hand stitched down last night, and I'll probably finish the rest tonight, but today...what to do?!

I figured out that if I want to do a pieced border or something on the pineapple quilt, that I need only SIXTEEN more blocks and I am DONE! It's an OH NO! Moment, because I certainly hoped it would use up a lot more scraps than this. I need to keep finding scrappy paper-piece-y patterns that will use these gems. They are so fun and so cute, and the incredible variety of fabrics and colors just makes me so happy. SOOOOO..figuring out what to do with borders is on the list.

I've got the last quilt from Lisa to throw on the machine. She and Karen are coming over for a sew day on Saturday and I can get that going then.



I've also got THIS beauty that came home with me from PA that I could quilt up quickly! I just love finding quirky happy scrappy quilts, and this one came from the same antique mall as the Lemoyne Star I showed you yesterday. Isn't it FUNGLY!?



I put it over the quilting machine rails to see if I could get a better pic of the colors, more light down here even if I don't have floor space! Yes, that is my kitchen floor above, so you now know that I don't have a very large kitchen either, which is fine with me. LESS. TO. CLEAN!



This quilter even mitered the corners on this top! I love the fabrics...you know, I've said before, I'm not a big fan of 30's reproduction cutesy quilts. Too much muslin,((Don't even get me started on the use of way too much white-on-white in reproductions..bleh!)) only the pretty sweet fabrics, none of the every day fabrics that I love to see in a quilt from that time period! This is a great example of the kind of 30's - 40's quilts I DO LOVE!



Stripes, Plaids, Geometrics and Dots, weird combinations in colors and fabric choices, some really fungly-uglies, NOT just baby bunnies and little umbrellas and overload-of-pastel-sweetness. THIS! This makes me smile!



Aren't these fabrics great? There are also several decades of scraps in this quilt. It's hard to date plaids and stripes, but the fabrics include some mourning prints from an earlier time period. I also love the substitution if not enough of one fabric was available! And that green in the center? I believe it to be way earlier than 1930.



If I were to ask you to pick my fave block for me, I just know you would choose this one, and you'd be right! :c)

Remarkably, this quilt is SQUARE, not a trapezoid :c) It's 78" X 78"....and I have a hankering to load it on the machine today and turn this long-time-flimsy into a real quilt!

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When Goodies Come Home....

I have to scramble to find places to put them! I just love antique textiles. And I think of the hands that held these pieces, traced, cut, pieced, layered, quilted, and those that were covered by these works of love...put to hard use in their life-of-a-quilt duty to keep a family warm, and I just feel connected somehow.

Is that strange? Maybe just a bit. I also admit that I love looking through the old photographs in antique stores. Children, couples getting married, old ladies sitting on porches, all different stages of life. I can't make myself buy them as if they were family, but I feel like acknowledging the existence of each and every one of those individuals and wonder about the lives they lived. There was one box that had family photos all the way up through the children's lives as they had grown into adulthood and beyond.

Someone had taken the time to write on the back of each photo who was in it and when it was taken. But enough generations go by and it just doesn't mean so much to the future generations any more. Is it sad that these end up in an antique mall? Or is it a lovely appreciation and a glimpse into the lives of others? Better than in a box on a shelf in an attic? The jury is out. Makes me wonder if my photos will end up on a shelf in an antique mall some day! If so...I hope they leave out my 2nd grade pic, I really hated that one. Bad glasses, bad hair, a bump on my chin from falling off my bike... ;c)



Lemoyne Star! A TINY LEMOYNE STAR!! I've always wanted to hand piece one of these, but I know me. It probably isn't going to happen in this life time, or maybe this decade at least. But I am in love with all-things-small and this one just made me squeal right there in the store! Lois was holding it up as I turned around. I just about dropped my parcels and purse drooling over this. Yes, some many of the patches are shredded from hard use and age. But it hasn't lost its impact! It contains mid to late 1800's fabrics, some maybe a bit earlier. Let's face it, I have over 30 years worth of scraps in MY scrap bag, so did this quilter!



The little blocks finish at approximately 4.25". The points are PERFECT..no chopping and lopping going off on this quilt. It was pieced by expert hands. Stitches small and even..



I love how it was quilted...due to the small size, the maker simply stitched two diagonal lines through each block, corner to corner in both directions, and then did the same with the horizontal and vertical...8 lines sectioning the block like a pie, following the inner lines of the diamonds. So some of the quilting is in the ditch, some of it extends into the corner and side background patches, can you see it?

Simple but effective, she didn't feel the need to outline quilt a 1/4" inside each patch, and the quilt is stronger (probably why it survived this long) because the quilting CROSSED the piecing lines in the patchwork.

The blocks are also quilted in the ditch between the block and the sashing, and the 1" sashing has one long line of quilting down the center.

The backing is a lovely stripe, and it is turned over the edge and machine stitched down as binding.

Now wait for it...in case you think that this quilt broke the bank (or maxed my credit card!) Price? $28.00!! Now you know why I about fell to the floor! And I think Lois would have adopted it if I hadn't been there, but she thought that the guest-traveler should have first dibs. Dib I did! Thanks Lois for passing on this one!



You know, I really thought this would cure my need to MAKE a tiny lemoyne star quilt? What was I thinking? I want to MAKE one more than ever now! GAH!!! Someone help me please!

A bit of info on the home front:

We left the house at 5:15am this morning after waking up at 4:45am to get Dave to the hospital for his hernia surgery this morning. He was first on the OR schedule, and I'm glad...we could both pass on breakfast and catch something later since he had to be NPO since midnight. Everything went fine. He's always been a very healthy guy, very active. He doesn't smoke or drink, and hasn't had any anesthesia since he had his tonsils out at 6 years old...and due to this was classified as a total LIGHT WEIGHT when they put him under! He had the hardest time coming around, and feeling like he could move, get dressed, go to the bathroom, etc. I think he has a new appreciation for those of us who have had surgeries, borne children, and lived to tell the story!

He's a trooper, and is resting in bed with the remote on one side, and the dog on the other, entertaining himself with things like "Ice Road Truckers" and copious amounts of "The 70's Show" and whatever else floats his tv-watching-boat. I'm glad this is behind us. Any kind of surgery where they have to put you completely under is scary.

I did buy a turkey. I'm cooking. And basically the turkey was free...I went to Harris Teeter and bought all the "buy one get one free" type holiday items that I would have needed anyway. The turkey was even on sale, and by the time I checked out they said I saved $18.00 which makes the turkey MORE than free. So we are good. The only thing I need is some whipped cream for the pie, and some dinner rolls, and I don't want to buy those too many days in advance. My plan? Get the rhodes frozen whole wheat dinner roll balls and bake them myself to make the house smell good. Works for me...more time to sew!

The mystery still needs the binding finished, so I think that a couple of movies and my behind in the reclining side of the couch stitching away is in order. There will be more goodies from the antique mall next post, I think I've probably stretched this post out as far as it can go, and if you are still here reading along with me, pat yourself on the back, get away from the computer and go DO SOMETHING! :c)

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!

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Monday Motivation...

Anyone got any to spare?! I could use some!

First off, I need to thank those who have emailed and commented so gently and so encouragingly regarding my blogger-stranger-friend's choice to take her own life. I think the last time I felt this haunted was when Princess Diana died. Yes, someone we didn't really know in person, but someone we felt we did in some ways. It's a really odd feeling. When someone is just "GONE" in such a senseless preventable way. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with her real life family and friends. And I am renewing my efforts in focusing on my real life family and friends. I want to be more aware where I should be. There's just been a whole lot of thinking and regrouping going on.

I've just uploaded all my pics from my phone to my computer and there is a whole LOT of editing and uploading to be done! It's one of those "BUT WHERE DO I START!!" kinds of deals...so I'm just going to go with it! And if the posts over the next few days are a bit disjointed, you'll know why!

Today is my one day to get ready for this week. DH is having hernia surgery tomorrow bright and early (still don't know what time, and waiting on the doc's office to call and give all the particulars)and our whole week will depend on how he feels over the next few days.

We don't have any extended family here in NC, so Thanksgiving IS just the three of us this year. When I add in the cost of the food, the prep time, the clean up....we've had a better time going OUT for Turkey dinner and really enjoying the day, than for me to spend the entire day (or consecutive days) cooking to excess for 3 people. The one thing I do miss is the leftovers, so that is a toss up.

My dilemma? Not knowing how Dave is going to feel come Thursday, 2 days after surgery and maybe he won't want to get in the car and drive anywhere, so do I run out today and buy a back-up turkey? LOL! If that is the case, I should just plan on doing a low-key turkey dinner here, just PLAN it and do it.

Dave has lost 40 lbs. I've lost 30. We are in no way wanting to over do food in any shape or form, and the thought of making a big meal just does NOT turn me on. So if I do, it would be

*Turkey (no stuffing)
*mashed potatoes & gravy (Can't get by without them....)
*Baked yams (YUM)
*green salad
*fresh cranberry relish
*And a veggie of some sort....I'd opt for sauteed green beans at this point.

And yes, there would be pie, but I don't have to bake it. And I don't have to eat it.

As far as bread goes? If there has to be, whole wheat rolls can be baked or bought.

And that is about the simplest form of a Thanksgiving dinner that I can come up with, or have the desire for.

So..back to the pictures! I know I've shown great pics of inspirational quilts from my jaunts and haunts and I've got plenty of those to share, but instead, I thought I'd share some of the WEIRDER side of things you can find when traipsing through antique malls!!

You never know what you are going to find when you round a corner in a place with many booths, and this one really brought out the weird! Somewhere in PA..I don't remember which town or location this was but it set us off to laughing til we almost lost control!



Someone....had taken dolly parts, and assembled them with miscellaneous cans and tins and jello molds and all sorts of pieces and items. You wanna talk WEIRD?! It was like walking into that movie "Chuckie"....This stuff gave me the creeps! LOL!



How bout this little guy?! We just could not "GET" what it was supposed to be about..hmmm! It's like the little tin man in training? I suppose you "COULD" set him on your kitchen counter or on top of your fridge? :cÞ



THIS ONE?! I'm not sure if it is supposed to BE a functioning oil lamp or what. Opinions? All I could think of is when my brothers used to pull the arms, legs and heads off of my dolls and I was left with trying to find a way to put them back together. This is just plain weird..LOL! And SHE has no legs....just an oil lamp bottom set in a basin? She was sporting a price tag of $125.00 I'm not sure if that is a deal or a steal!



We rounded another corner and came face-to-face full front and center with two headless male mannequins sporting nothing but throw-rug togas! Oh yeah, more hilarious laughter, had to take a picture, and make a bee-line to get OUT of there!

There were more delicious finds of the quilt-variety, and I'll show those to you next post. I just chose to go through these today for a good laugh.

So today's to-do list involves copious amounts of filling mail order, doing the grocery shopping, a bank run, a post office drop off, I'd like to get to the gym, but I'm feeling unmotivated (but would probably do good if I could just GO!) and other things.

I've unpacked the car. I'm putting stuff away...I'm going through the motions...but I really want to get back to sewing on my pineapples!

In fact, I just got off the phone with a lady who called to ask if the pattern was available yet! LOLOL!!!! I just laughed and said, no, it is a project in progress, and the quilt has to be finished first. She said "Oh! Well get on it then, I'm ready!" Thanks for the laugh, whoever you are! I needed that call and it came at the right moment!

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Part 1 PDF

SO, nothing is perfect as you are all sure to let me know!

There seems to be a typo/file issue with the pdf printer friendly version of part one and some of you can't open it. I can't fix it remotely from Maryland...until I get home and fix it, you'll just have to deal with what is in the previous blog post. Sorry about that!

I couldn't check everything as thoroughly when setting a post to send later....I couldn't make it go live to double check. But I'll fix it...just give me time! I'm driving home tomorrow and will get home tomorrow night. I'll see what I can do Monday to get that printer-friendly version more user friendly. Those of you who are having trouble, please be sure you have adobe reader installed and updated as well.



I'm having a great time at retreat, the ladies of the Southern Comforters guild have been fabulous!

My little pile of pineapple blocks is growing, my bucket of scraps is NOT going down as people keep doing a "drive by" to drop their cast offs into my bucket! But it is so fun....

I took this pic after our lunch break today. The retreat place is right on the West River, and I love looking out the window and seeing the boats moored there...Beautiful blue sky, lots of sunshine. At one point I didn't know whether I wanted to be in sewing, or out taking a walk and soaking up some vitamin D! (The sewing won out...)

Several of the ladies are also playing along on the mystery, and it was awesome to watch them making their strip sets and cutting them into units for part 1. I love seeing what everyone has chosen to use!

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