BLOGGING BREAK

I will not be posting this week as we are in the midst of dealing with a family/medical issue.

I am fine {if a bit edgey;)) }. Trips back and forth to a medical center out of state and all....

I should be back next weekend....in the meantime, I am still sewing when I can and
keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome...

Hugs,
Julierose, La Blageuse

TACIT THURSDAY/IMPROV EDITION

Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse...(possibilities-euse)*-}}}

SLABS / IMPROV

I received these two lovely neutral slab blocks from Dawn today!
Just what I wanted, love them, thank you Dawn...
(and two of them also ;}}} )

I can envision my slab runner taking shape...lovely....
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AND now for (lack of) progress on Improv....(so to speak).
I am going to entitle this:

                       "BUSY-NESS"

The 4 stars:

My usual busy style; I like to think of it as texture, but
maybe not....they just look so different above--- than on my wall.

Hmmmmm the left two look like they belong together and not with the right two...ya think????

AND:

Then there's this:
Also busy....in three colorways from blocks I used in 
stars above...

AND also this:

           Another strippy in purples and the block-ey slabs...
Uhhhh... (If you look closely you will see that I got 
an "F" for this effort!! lol)


                     N O W   W H A T???

I tried placing these elements together every which way
but obviously, I need some quiet spaces... 

uhh, nothing I tried even looked passably good....

what to leave in, what to remove, what to add..some kind of form
somewhere, somehow...

I am letting it simmer for a while....Maybe more of that cocoa 
solid...............
but what shape or form???
Again I keep saying, I just don't know...????
                
                (no directions provided-- hah!!)

And so it goes....or not....

hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (confused-euse)

WHAAA???

Now..... I really have no idea what I am doing...; 
just know that I want those four star blocks, 
and coins and strips....

and I have only limited amounts of some fabrics--so making do....

Here's the other side of what is on the wall...yikes....total disarray....
(this looks like the day : feels hot --is that what is propelling me this hot,
 humid weather with all that R E D ????and my peonies peeking out? (Which
by the way is the very limited fabric!) 

I sewed 3" blocks together and then free cut them in half =/- or so
and
These are the first strips...that emerged (above)
...sewn to that mottle-y fabric...

and these, the second group (above)...sewn to the limited strip fabric--
(I had used this fabric mostly up in "Georgie Peorgie"  which is now in our back 'throne' room ;)))) lol)

I like this smaller strip set better..so I have two more set up  for tomorrow's edification/
or not!! ;(((

Here they are next to
Helga
awaiting
their fate......

Another colorway
from two of the other
stars....

Here is the mess that hopefully turn into something?
So, this is my start....such as it is....

I feel like the little girl in "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" (by Stephen King)
LOST in the deep dark woods, feeling my way ....seeing all manner of strange things...
Feeling like my brain is on overdrive even when I'm doing something else, it is churning
away at this....

;0000 stay tuned.....

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And, just to keep my head  from going totally wack-o, 
I sewed two plain, straight rows on my Star Rise--and now,
it looks so different to me--very regularly spaced (even though it has its moments of off centeredness)...

Could it be the 90 degrees and 71% dewpoint working its hoo-doo
on me??

Hugs from the AC --thank heavens....
Julierose, La Blageuse (improv-ing-euse)

SLAB-A-THON

Here is the first neutral slab I received from (Dawn's slab-a thon group)
--from Jacky--isn't it just a PERFECT low volume neutral--just what I hoped for......I love it!
  
This will just be amazing with my 2.5" neutral postage stamp squares
that I  am sewing for a table runner...
thank you so much Jacky...(no blog--
 ;(((),..) for the lovely block....


*************************** AND:
Here are a few shots of my hexagon Snow Flowers that I un-earthed from my closet of shame today...

 I worked on this a long,long time  ago...
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time to get it together...ya think???

I plan to put blue borders on it .....after sewing it to the snow "white on
white background"....

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And 

Look at this:        Beautiful Peonies............

Here is one  about to bloom...

Aren't they just gorgeous?? 

Will be posting the other slabs as I receive them..
What fun!! To get squishey mail....I am so thrilled.....
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Note to self--this Improv thing is really hard for me.....harder than I thought
it would be....you gals doing this stuff are amazing....
I sewed and cut a couple strippies today...but just don't know yet--
hmmmmm, stay tuned....


hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse... (elated-euse)

IT'S A LAZY AFTERNOON...

Lunch on our deck, shrimp and avocados and chai tea....aaaaaaaaaaahhhh
at last a beautifully warm and sunny day...

We began this morning with our coffee in hand, stretched out on our lawn chairs...
a nice quiet, slow start to our day.
Then: 
We went for a short walk by the sea on the Niantic Boardwalk 
and then 
resumed "The position" ;}}} at our table....we live out here every day we
are able...we have woods all around and privacy (except for: see below) and
quiet..........

I am working on my Pansies:

Slowly stitching and wool-gathering while watching those big puffy white clouds sail by........

AND....
Re-reading this book by Sherri Lynn Wood --I have been wanting to move 
my quilting in this direction for a long time, and now that the College Quilts are done I can:
and ...looking back at my quilts, over the years, I see that I never really followed the patterns that I used exactly as written
...I always veered off in another direction--even if only a little bit...

So, because I am hesitant to just start from a "void", I will be using these four star blocks as my base and improv-ing around them -- somehow, some way--
I really don't know..I've pinned them up and need to stare at them for a bit...
pondering..........can this work even...???

Right now, I am thinking of comet tails, stars shifting across the 
summertime night sky
hot stars...hmmmm, 

I had originally cut a ga-zillion 3.5" squares for the centers and points in reds and yellows--(thinking of the usual 12 or so blocks sewn against each other in rows...... which is just fine, BUT....)

but now I am moving toward cutting these pieces into other pieces and then into small coin strips (?? )

Or something?? Quien sabe???

I really like that one old, mottled fabric strip in the middle and I think I shall incorporate it along with my own coffee/tea dyed strips--but I am not sure how as yet...
somewhere...somehow...oh gosh, who knows???

Strange way to work...That is why I am beginning with my good, old standby ruler-measured and straight-edged cut blocks...sort of a home base 
before stepping into that void....this sounds very dramatic, I know,
but inside I feel that this is a real departure and challenge for me....

The new pieces will be free cut strips of some sort...(Sherri style) --
and we shall see how  that goes!!  

Basically,
I come from a background of knitting (repetitive patterns and motions) and embroidery--which in my Crazy Quilt blocks did wander off into fancifulness...
At least a bit of free form work....
Can you tell that I am not sure??? how many times did I write that here???

And now for something entirely different...;))) 
Neighbors and such....and only seeing your own view...ahem...
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Here is where we sit for summer meals....over looking the dingle between our next door neighbors and us...which is all fine, right?? Greenery, trees, space...

WELL:

Since our neighbors decided to park an old and painted bright blue school bus right in our line of sight sitting here on our deck (! I cannot tell you how annoying this is!!)-- without a thought to our view-- (they can't see it, of course :((( )...
Thom  (brilliant guy that he is!!) went and ordered this 
barrier-- usually used around pool fences ---and installed it
so that when we are seated--NO BUS is visible!! YAY!!

We, unfortunately can see it inside our tv room which is on the same side of 
our house--a room with nine windows, a sunroom.  That is just something we will have to live with I guess...
I even invited my neighbor to come and have coffee in our sunroom so that looking out our windows she HAD TO SEE the BUS! You cannot miss the huge old thing (darn it!!).
Do you think she either made any comment or had it moved...or anything???
Of   course  not.....silly moi to think she would even notice, right?? RIGHT!!

And so it goes....

hugs to you all on this glorious Saturday
Julierose La Blageuse (chatterbox-euse)

C'EST FINI

                                                CHEZ NOUS is done--finished, complete--
                                                                              "Fini" ..

Here is the reverse:

                       (I've left the label out of the picture as this is to be a surprise gift...)

The quilting on the backing is minimal which makes for a very soft look....and feel...

I was able to use up some old paisley red for the binding...which turned out to be
 just perfect....

Ahhhh, don't you just feel a sigh of relief when the label is on and your quilt is truly DONE??
But, of course, along with that, as I have lived with this for so long, is a little bit of
sadness that it is over....and so, now what???

I do so love the "process" --even though, I must admit, that at times it gets tedious and
I often wonder why I ever began ...;0000

So, as of today, in the past year and one-half I have thought out, sewed together
 and made 8 fairly good size quilts...
AND:   that is a lot...for me, anyway...;*))))

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And now for something entirely different (to quote Monty Python...):

TAH_DAH:  
                                       SLAB FEST: news report:
             
I have begun working on Dawn's Slab sew along swap--

we have a small group of four right now;
( anyone is welcome to join in--
just contact Dawn who is our "High Priestess of Slab")

we all will be making one slab in each of the recipient's choice of color (s) and size and exchanging them....

Take a trip to her blog (above) and see what she has begun...

Oooh to get that "squishey" mailing envelope enclosing a slab of your choice 
will be exciting...
my color choice is neutral--
sounds blah, you say?? 
Not so, "me hearties...." (aaaarrrrhhh...what am i a pirate???);000

We have : browns of all hues, prints and solids, cocoas, off whites, cream-ey wonders,
and maybe maybe a few novelties to spice it up...

I cannot wait to see what will arrive at my doorstep.;))) ...
In preparation I have begun making strips of
2.5" neutral squares to enclose my slabs for a nice summer
 tablerunner {or tablecloth if I get carried away--do I ever?  ah--hahahaha #)))) }.

My slabs are a lot like "log- cabin - rounds" sewing...but they can take any form 
really...and I find them so freeing--

just grab yourself a couple pieces of fabric and sew that seam--and keep on adding bits and pieces--whatever you have or whatever floats your boat...;*))) --such fun!!

We are supposed to have a warm and sunny weekend..looking forward to doing
more Pansy sewing on our deck.....

Hugs, from SUNNY (yes sunny--but still chilly, CT) 

Julierose, La Blageuse (glad-euse and sad-euse)