A 2020 Finish

 In looking through my "recent" posts, I see that I never posted about a fun Zoom class that our guild offered back in November.  The class was with the Material Girlfriends, and was called "Rosie Runner."  We had planned our annual guild retreat, but since that was cancelled?  We met together online via Zoom instead.

It was great fun to dig through my scrap box, rather than cut into new yardage.  I found that I had a LOT of scrap reds to play with.  woohoo!

I think I got this far on the project during the course of the day:

Here is the finished table runner:

Here is is, in context:

When a friend saw that I was making this, she called dibs.  I sent it to her, and she sent a picture of the runner in use.  I smiled when I saw that they liked the fabric on the back, as much as the top.

Other than that?  We continue to do work on our new property.  This week, the termites are being dealt with.  Next week?  The Mold Doctor will see what he can do to rid us of the icky stuff.  The job will involve removing and replacing dry wall and insulation.  Fun stuff!  But his expectation is for it to take a mere 2-3 days, so perhaps it is not all that involved after all...if you know what you are doing.  He comes highly recommended.  I'm so excited!!

And I guess that's going to do it for now.

Happy Quilting!

Estate Sale Treasures

 One of my favorite things to do on a weekend is to poke through an estate sale, or two, or three.  2020 was a horrible year for them, what with the lockdown and all.  But I keep my eyes open and my ears to the ground, and every once in a while, one will come to my attention.  This happened last month...or was it the month before?  It's kind of blurring.  Anyway, one of our dear guild members passed away in the Fall, and her house was cleared out.  I heard about the sale, and off I went.

I was most interested in her quilts, primarily because I had quilted one of them several years back.  I put hours upon hours into it, and cringed when I gave her the bill.  But she LOVED it.  It was in the estate sale, for about 10% of what I charged her to quilt it.

Oh, look at that.  It HAS been years since I quilted that quilt!  This is an old picture, taken when I finished the quilting.  In the years since, I've peeled off that wallpaper, and painted the wall...purple!  I hadn't even thought about putting it on our bed yet.  I should try that and see how it looks.  wow!

Above is a close-up of the quilting.  It is an over-sized queen.  As I said, it took hours to quilt it.  I couldn't believe it was up for grabs at the estate sale.

Next is another quilt of Phyllis', that I bought at the sale.  This one is flannel, and oh, so cozy!  I had just washed it, dried it, and was letting it dry even more in this quick photo.  (A friend wondered if this was a quilt she had quilted for Phyllis.  It wasn't.)

On her bulletin board were her ribbons.  Beautiful memories!

And finally, the piece de resistance:  Her President's Quilt, from 1993.

Each year, our outgoing guild president is presented with a box full of blocks.  When Phyllis' year ended, I had been in charge of her quilt.  I had asked everyone to make their favorite 12" (finished) block, and to sign it on the outside, so that we would know whose block it was.  Then I set them together, in a way that would give us some space to quilt.

I love the variety, don't you?  The only problem with the plan, was that Phyllis did not do much hand quilting.  We began quilting it at one of the first Best of the Valley quilt shows, and I hadn't seen it since.  When I would ask her about it, she would shake her head and say she didn't know what happened to it.

Once I finish my "current" - and I use the phrase loosely - hand quilting project, this is what I want to tackle next.  It is actually close to half done.  Quilted in the 90's, it does not have the sort of elaborate quilting that you usually see nowadays.  It's more functional quilting, to hold the 3 layers together, with little more than stitch in the ditch.  I may finish it with that, and then decide if it needs a bit more.

So, that's what I've got for today.  Some older quilts, once again seeing the light of day.  There's nothing better than a quilt made with love, to wrap up in, on a cold winter's day.

Happy Quilting!

Happy New Year!!

 wow.  2020 is in the can.  It is certainly a year that got away from me!  I don't quite know what happened to the last few months, except that we continue to be blessed with good health and family nearby.  The days were filled with a LOT of babysitting, with grandchildren coming and going and lots of hugs shared each day.

Quilting?  Definitely ended up in the backseat of 2020, which is quite a surprise for me.  I took stock of my UFO list.  Here is what I completed in 2020:

6 quilts, 5 valentine toys (stuffed hearts), 10 potholders, 23 fabric postcards, 24 quilted cards

Apparently my priority was not finishing quilts, but finishing quilted projects.  My 2020 UFO List began with 40 quilts, and ended with 36.  My 2021 UFO List has 39 items on it so far.  I am looking through my piles of projects, so see if there are any others begun and then set aside during the year.  Not TOO many, so that's good.  I don't know that I've ever begun a year with fewer than 40 UFO's.

2020 was less about my UFO list and more about prioritizing the things that are most important.  I spent a LOT of time with our sons and their families.  I spent a LOT of time with the grandchildren.  I spent more time with my husband, and less time bemoaning the hours he spends working.  Instead, I've chosen to be grateful for all that we have been blessed with, rather than bemoaning desires unfulfilled.

The result has been more than I ever would have imagined for 2020. No more unrestricted travel, no more luxury dining, no more this, no more that, no more the other thing.  Turns out, the time was right for us to invest in a second home, something we've talked of for over a decade.  

The new home needs a lot of TLC, which has already begun.  The roofer has sealed the leaks, and I meet with the plumber, and, hopefully electrician this week.  The termite man is on call, as is The Mold Doctor.  As I said, lots of TLC.  But with the state of things in the State of California?  It's not like we have anything else with which to fill our days.  This new Project is just perfect!  And when the work is done?  We'll have a delightful getaway for our family and friends, for years to come.  

As to resolutions?  I resolve to post more frequently.  I resolve to sew more, to take more pictures, and to share them with you.  Here are some Christmas presents that can be shown, now that they have been gifted:

There was a 4th set of potholders.  Somehow I lost a set, plus a potholder.  If I ever get the Studio under control, I hope to find the missing items.  One thing I did find was the panels to make these books.  I bought them at PIQF 2019, then promptly forgot about them.  I daydreamed about in person quilt shows while I stitched these darling books.

But what I've been daydreaming about the most, is the coast.

Expect to see more pictures like this in the coming year.  I plan to spend more time renewing my relationship with the Pacific Ocean.  And there you are:  Goals are good!

This sign was given to me by my daughter-in-law.  I am hopeful that there will be a lot more sewing taking place this year, in my little kingdom.  Again, goals are good!  In looking at this picture, Clean the Studio should be high priority!

Happy New Year!!