WEDNESDAY WORKS & THANGS

HELGA GOT A COMPLETE CLEANING THIS MORNING. 

 Not being mechanically minded, this is something I always put off doing!  (Bad girl!!) .;-000 

I mean after quilting the "surprise quilt" on every (stinkin') seam--there was an amazing amount of dust and lint in there! 

 The hardest thing was replacing her bobbin case correctly--each time I tried to pull up the bobbin thread, the top thread kept getting caught on the case!!  Yikes!!

 I FINALLY figured it out... (phew) 
plus:  it is totally necessary to use my left hand (the injured one) to do everything.  (OKAY I'm through whining!! ) DONE FOR A WHILE.....;--)) )) yay!!!

I also wound up 15 bobbins. 

Then I made this :

                          The scrappy binding for someone's surprise....

****************************************************************                     


You will notice a new gadget on my sidebar called "Postage Stamps" ; I have joined that group and as I am a "newbie" I will be getting free sets of 50 (2.5") squares in the mail from all over the world!! You can find more info on this group at The Curious Quilter.  I am really excited to embark on this quilting journey.  


******************************************************************

Miss Spring has brought a few hours of warmth here to our home...we were able to
sit out on the deck for an hour before the cold winds came rushing through once again.

She hangs on my quilting room wall--a harbinger of warmer weather to come....

********************************************************************** DH took me out for breakfast this morning: not a diet one either: a egg, toast, bacon and
homefries with great coffee....tonight will be his homemade Beef Barley Soup...
I think I'll keep him (LOL) ;-)))

Hugs 
Julierose, La Blageuse 

TUESDAY'S MAIL: A NEW READ

It has finally arrived!!          Sherri Lynn Wood's new Book:
                         THE IMPROV HANDBOOK FOR MODERN QUILTERS....
                    
 I am so excited!

 ( I have been a follower of DAINTYTIME (her blog) for a long time--AND..................
in fact:     my snakies are a result of one of her tutorials....I can hear them even now.....
hisssssing in antisssipation of being finally incorporated in their own ssssspecial sssssetting....lol)
                                              

After just reading a few pages I am already enthralled and engrossed...
.
Could even I be original? Creative? Perhaps even innovative in my work?

plus:+

it just sounds like fun.....;-))) No rulers, no templates....no hard and fast "shoulds".

I can see working my way through this for sure...I already have an idea to add to my 
RSC15  blocks forming.....

I like the idea of working freely and then having another stricter work going on. How one 
could "feed" the other....because I love beautifully planned quilts as well as innovative  art quilts....kind of like working on both Bach and Debussy at my piano....

More to fun come...hugs 
Julierose, La Blageuse 

SUNDAY MORNING CATCH UP

(HAVING ONE TATW CUT OUT................I NEEDED TO CATCH-UP ON JAN-MAR FOR RSC COLORS....)

Here are my blue, pink and yellow TATW so far....just pinned up, waiting to be sewn...

BLUES




and here is my favorite  fabric
below

Really love this type of old print....it looks worn....

YELLOWS bring out the Geisha in me ;-))) lol:

She is surrounded by good luck crows eating the cherries from her trees....

I guess i cannot get away from all these novelty prints that call my name.....

and FINALLY................ PINKS block.....

Again the center is a VERY old print...just managed to get one 2.5" square out of it..

THINK THIS MAY BE THE VERY COLOR OF MY VEST THAT I AM KNITTING!!!

This morning GO!BABY and i had a  FUN cut-a-thon...;--)))

I am going to machine sew these in rows (I think) as my first foray into hand piecing these was not too encouraging--
the seam crossings and flip-flopping to check if seams are aligned made me frustrated--and my failing eyesight didn't help. 
 Then I thought --well maybe EPP--
but the seam allowances were too small for my FAT  (piano)  fingers--so HELGA TO THE RESCUE.....
                                     
                                                       LIVE AND LEARN

I am thinking white-on-white surround for the final rows--I will wait until our RSC year has finished to make that decision  ...

Sewing rows  postage stamp style will be my next trial.....

hugs, from 
Julierose, La Blaguese (square-euse) 

PURPLE JOURNEY

My first TAW (Trip Around the World) block is cut and set up for slow hand stitching
tomorrow.....(these are some leftover fabrics from a certain "surprise quilt" that I am now in process of machine quilting).  My sewing area is set up for machine quilting so I thought
I'd give hand piecing a try....

My little "Flower" friend wanted to come along for the trip....

Hugs on this sunny Saturday--to see more journeys hook up with SUPER SCRAPPY
Julierose, La blageuse Hand Piece-euse

JOUZAI JOURNEY BEGINS

My design wall has been taken over by the Geishas; I have another batch of lozenges ("Jouzai") to be finished yet but I wanted to set some up to see how they would work----

I had first just put them up with no definite scheme, but moved my ladies to the center as a focal point. 
.
Note:
 [ I had to remove my snakies as the ladies  got the "heebie-jeebies" hearing their hissing. ]

They are used to serenity......under the cherry blossoms amid  the soft bamboo.

Hugs from the Japanese Garden
Julierose, La blageuse (lozenge-euse) 
P.S.  Still machine quilting Le Surprise quilt--- but (sigh) hurt my back yesterday, so no quilting today.

SUNDAY SAMPLER

My Santolina and daffodils are finally blooming.....Spring has come at long last.

I love those two colors together...windy this afternoon and to see the daffs dancing with the blue/grey santolina is such a treat!

this is the herb bed that my darling DH dug for me this morning--

This is to the left of my front door as you walk in; right now I have some small azaleas which I transplanted in the Fall and six lilies just beginning to poke up.  I want to grow basil, French Tarragon, and Parsley--- and put a small border of some kind of low growing shrub along the grass edge. We just had the patio paved late last summer--so it is a work in progress.

here are a few shots of my roses (behind the long ledge rock where the daffs and santolina are...)

I hope this means that they will be happy here and take hold--they were moved (by DH again--what a job!) last Fall;

You can see that the canes are pretty old--but they are still throwing out some buds--i had
no idea if they would survive as they were pretty large when we moved them.  I pruned
them back hard and kept my fingers crossed.

can you just make out those little red points?  all on old hardwood, too...

love this 

My vest is coming along--I LOVE this pattern....kind of like a wishbone shape...

Measuring about 9.5" so far.  It is 14.5" to underarm when I have to divide and work each side separately....I am enjoying working on this while watching the Red Sox....

I had my piano tuned and am working on bringing this back into my fingers....one of my very favorite Chopin Nocturnes (op 32 no. 1).....just a few minutes a day...taking it slowly to keep from hurting my Left Hand again.....

I have also begun machine quilting Le Surprise quilt...did 3 rows today before my shoulder began
to complain.  More on that tomorrow......

I made my chicken and rice casserole for dinner tonight--so I'll just pop'er into the oven at 4 pm and I can sit and knit this afternoon...

Hope your Sunday is a good one....hugs,
Julierose La blageuse jardin-euse....

PURPLE THANGS

This will definitely show you just how scant my purples are..... these are really the
final bitty bits

And here isssss a picture of my sssssnakiessss in this year's colors : cavorting on my desssssssssign wall:

                    (  I have a box of kleenex  handy to clean up from all that hisssssing....yuck!! )

Not a clue as to how they will all fit together--but then I have until December as the rest of this year's colors have to  be included.  (Phew!!) 

I am hooking up with So Scrappy this morning--so ssssskip on over and sssseee
jussst what everyone elsssse is making...lol
Hugs, Julierossssse, La Blageusssse.....(now they've got me doing it!!) :===000

PURPLE FLIMSEY

So now you can see where all my purples are...my surprise quilt has become a
                                                  FLIMSEY!

Since April is purple month and I cannot show this surprise--I thought I'd just give a peek at the back.                                                    
                                                             ;--)))

I pressed ALL those SEAMS OPEN for a really flat look.  I am just so thrilled that it is
done--
Now for the backing and binding....

Hugs on this lovely weekend...from
Julierose La Blageuse (Flimsey-euse)

"A" IS FOR APRONS

AREN'T THESE JUST THE CUTEST APRONS????










I won them in a giveaway from Martha at "Q is For Quilter" blog.
She has wonderful embroidery, redwork, and more and the cutest quilts--you should go visit her....

Here is my favorite print she used for the pockets:

What pretty and cheerful fabrics..so very Spring like--just what you need right now to cheer up this gloomy weather......
Aren't i the lucky gal?????
Thank you so much Martha for your generous gift.....

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse

WEDNESDAY'S MAIL & EASTER TULIPS

OMYGOSH.....

My mail brought this to me today...(after spending the morning having my crown put on I really needed a pick-me-up ------not to mention the $$$$$!! )

Need I say more about what I'll be inhaling from this fantastic book?

 So far I want to make ALL of these quilts.  SUJATA has outdone herself...I love 
her interpretations of what I think of as my Grand'mere's quilts.....

I highly recommend this book... ;--))))

S P R I N G I hear will be coming this weekend.....

And as you know, from reading here, RSC15 is purple this month.  My wonderful DIL 
brought this basket of tulips for me to plant on Easter!  Isn't that just a yummy color?
                                                                                   
                                                                                          L O V E ....

 and.....................................this little baby one almost looks pink...

I have been having a bit of a mojo loss ...now I am champing at the bit to finish up my
surprise quilt (added top and bottom borders today and cut sides so....just backing after
that and quilting!! yayay!) .
hugs to you all from another gray day....made so much brighter by my new book and my gorgeous tulips....
Julierose, La Blageuse

HAPPY EASTER ALL!!!

Here are my Easter baskets/presents for my six lovely grandchildren.

{ ON MY BUFFET UNDER MY FAVORITE FISHIES--THEY HAD BETTER NOT SAMPLE THEM OVERNIGHT!!}

I made the two wrapped baskets for Willa (1  & 1/2 yrs old) and Fiona (3 years old)

The four bags are for: Purple: (Cassidy 14) with her favorite Butterfingers;
Turquoise: Steven (15) with Reeses; one green for Gregory (12) with Jolly Ranchers); and the other green --they are twins lol!!--for Connor (12)
with Jelly Beans.  

Willa's and Fiona's baskets were such fun to put together:  the little bunnies inside are in a little plush basket of their own--I included some "Frozen" candies and snack sized varieties. 
Willa's

and

Fiona's...

The older grandchildren all got little Springtime stickers on their bags from my scrapbooking stash...

Of course, i HAD to check out a few of those mini bars --I mean, just to make SURE they were ok--right??? ;--000

                                      HAPPY EASTER ALL


Hugs, Julierose La Blageuse (aka Easter bunny-euse)

APRIL RSC15

I have done only two of these as I don't have many scraps and don't want to cut into 1/2 yd/yd pieces
Strange colorways in these 2.5" squares--not my favorite....hopefully when added to the rest of the rainbow colors they'll look OK>

Here'ssss Ssssssnakey in purples....most of these were leftovers from all my hexagon works....
I cut them freehand and just sewed higgeldy-piggeldy (duh!!)
 My yellow ones are hisssssing................................
around on their hanger wisssshing.................................... they were on the
 desssssign......................... board (LOL)..

AND I think, in all honesty, I MAY have just enough scraps left for my Eyes of God blocks; I
will be working on those this week.
FYI:

AND, ladies, I think I have to admit that I should join the CCCA=

                                            CAPE COD CHIPS ANNONYMOUS

Both DH and I are totally addicted to them.  And it is true: you can't eat

                                                        JUST ONE!!!!!!

I did lose one pound this week--am debating whether or not to return to ATKINS
or do the "400" diet or the "5/2" !  But I must keep myself in check

Hugs to you all on this rainy, gray day---
Julierossssssse, La Blageussssssse

WEDNESDAY WOOLGATHERING

After FOUR starts and ensuing " ribbits", I have gotten my vest started.  

Here is a closer look at the cables that circumnavigate this vest.  I finally
have put markers on to keep my place in the pattern.  Because the cables turn in two different directions over eight stitches, the outlining stitches are also
Left and Right surrounding them.  Hard to keep track of.  Along with a few unusual directions this made me "CRAZEE" for a week.  Now i am feeling better about it all.....

I made a little index card to keep my place in the 4-row repeating pattern
and am in the process of memorizing this pattern.  I have finished 6 rows (on top of the 4 row border of garter stitches). I am starting to relax when I knit--it's been a very long time since I did cables....very mesmerizing and meditative work.  I LOVE TO KNIT!!  ;--)))

I do like the color--very muted and the Cascade ECO+ wool is lovely in the hand.   

hugs, 
Julierose, La Blageuse (knit-euse)