GRAY AND CRUMBY SUNDAY

Even my daffodils, it seems are sad with this continuing gray weather....

I love this variety....
and

This IS lovely too.....

*******************************
I have embarked on a "Crumby" adventure--my scraps are overtaking my storage
...so

Here are the beginnings of my journey...in blues, yellows and oranges...
***************************************************
And here is my little liberated basket piece I am trying to get to go together...

I have a few extra snippets that I machine appliqued on...

an Apple a day............

little leaf

                                                                     A Lovely pear













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                               and this gal flew by to take a look...still tying away
                                                          on "VENETZIA"
                        using different colored ties on the butterflies and ecru on the quilt .....

*AND.................                                  *********************
Sunday supper is leftover Chicken and Rice casserole from yesterday....

The usual round of laundry, stretches and walking finishes my Sunday round--and
a Red Sox game later on....
Happy Sunday
Julierose, La Blageuse 

HEXAGONIA HERE I COME

Since I won't be able to hand sew hexagons anymore, I have decided to use all my
rosettes as as appliques for some table runners...(added: joining with Sarah
on her hexagon linky)

These fabrics are from 1989!!  I used to work on these when we would spend
 long Summer afternoons at Harkness State Park relaxing and taking in the
lovely ocean views and cooling breezes...

I have a lot of rosettes with varying numbers of rounds left over from 
a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt I had planned..

these three





all have a white 






surround

And I used Helga to applique them

As it is white on white fabric I thought this stitching with pure white thread would
look good....

I am trying to figure out how to utilize all those stitches on my machine as I can no
longer hand quilt either...my hand problems just won't allow it...

Everything comes and goes in cycles in life........

and I am really surprisingly thrilled {;-))}
at how nicely this stitching came out...

So, I will be reading up on machine applique and trying to refine my almost
 non-existent skills...
*******************************************************
The sun is trying to break through these low, gray clouds here today and our daffodils
are finally emerging...Spring has finally sprung here----I think???!!

Hugs to you all
Julierose, La Blageuse (in the meantime also tying Venetzia-euse )

FLYING FREE FINISH

                                                   RUNNING FREE...................

                                              RUNNING IN THE WIND....

                                            "SAVE OUR WILD HORSES"

This is my first "small project" for 2018; Since it is a tabletopper, just minimal quilting -- don't want
to corral those horses do we??? ;))))
AND....

                       Here is the reverse--the woodsey landscape for them to frolic in....

            All labeled and ready to be gifted to our very dear friends...in their new home....

************************************
AND THIS MORNING:
I peeked into my "closet of shame" and
                                                           SURPRISE!!

guess what I found all pinned and ready to be
tied... my project depicting our last big trip to Italy....

                                                              "VENETZIA"

these butterflies are ready to fly free, too...so it's all laid out on my dining table for
some slow tying...

                                 this project has no time restraints, so easy does it...
I had honestly forgotten all about this one...talk about a "Senior Moment"!!;-000
******************************************
We are finally enjoying a mild and sunny day here...we went for a mile walk this morning, did some
errands and  Thom did a bit of yard pick up.
 I decided it was a MEATLOAF day for our Sunday supper...with
 boiled potatoes and french fried onion rings--oh yum....

There is nothing like a FINISH--big or small it doesn't matter...you just get such a great
feeling, don't you??

hugs to you all,
Julierose, La Blageuse (flying fee-euse)

WILD HORSES SET FREE

                                  Remember these wild horses, running free...??
they have been corralled in my UFO drawer for quite a while now and needed to
                                                                     RUN FREE...

Our friends who once owned a horse farm have just moved to a condo and we are going
to visit them in 2 weeks...so a housewarming gift would be in order...

I thought that this table topper
                                                                  "SAVE THE WILD HORSES"

...would be a lovely  remembrance of
their younger years as horse owners and riders...

I cut out the backing and the batting and need to layer it up tomorrow--then
quilt it "envelope style" .  

This  and a nice bottle of Champers should do the trick...;))))

Hugs, Julierose, La bBageuse ( tabletopper-euse)

LEFTOVERS

 

                The start of our leftover pork fried rice dinner on this gray gray Sunday....

I use chopped, cold roasted pork, onions, celery and shredded carrots and
 pre-cooked white rice...with:

these additions; frying the pork bits with the Five Spices in olive oil until browned and
then adding veggies .  Lastly the cold rice, mixing well with Soy Sauce and Toasted Semsame Oil..........

and you get this:

A lovely "gibbilot" of tastes--set to simmer on lowest heat for about 45 minutes--
checking often to see if any liquid is needed...

one of our favorite Sunday leftover meals...

Luckily, Thom is the "Leftover King" here and often makes his own mixtures with various
leftovers, too...{waste not, want not--is that you Grand-mere, 
reminding me up there?} ;)))

*************************************
And here are the (sad) leftover Easter tulips....

these were a vibrant ochre with orange and pale green streaks...I plan to Winter
them over...and I even like how they faded into these....

these leftover tulips started out a lovely pale lavender;
 from my daughter for Easter...

Hoping I can save the bulbs and replant them in containers for next Spring;
I cannot put them outside as the deer consider them their own special
dessert !!! ;(((

I hope your Sunday (no sun here though, today!!) is a restful one...

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (in my "cheffette's" hat-euse)

SURPRISE FROM JACKY

                           So, the front doorbell rings; it's the mailman--he says to me 
                                              "I have a surprise for you" 

                        I go to myself "Whaaaa?" A present from the mailman?? 

Then, I see it's from my friend Jacky (no blog--hey Jacky time for you to get a blog--jes sayin' *;))) ) . My mailman says with a big grin "This made my day"  !!

And it's 
                                                       HAPPY MAIL

this is a list of the contents with a funny little saying for each one...

                    Look at all this booty!! All those little fiddley items that I have never
mastered making: a key fob (B &W in front)--look how tiny that is!! Tea bag holders, various pockets and CANDY and Lorna Doones to go with that Earl Grey tea...

                               And this cute fabric covered bunny plate to hold it all...

Thank you so much Jacky--you are so kind and thoughtful to send me this cornucopia 
of goodness...;)))

 *************************
So, I had to include your lovely note(s) in my daily illustrated journal:

I used your note as a tip-in in my journal underneath the photo of my Willa gathering

her surprise....isn't she just adorable....

So, this way I can still read Jacky's lovely note and remember her 

thoughtfulness..

I love making tip-ins to put cards, postcards, notes etc--

instead of just putting them into a drawer somewhere--

so when I flip through my journal 

I can recall all these wonderful things...

I feel very lucky to have such 

thoughtful followers..

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

So yesterday was quite the banner day, folks;

I not only finished Campfire Melodies

I received a lovely present....

Hugs to you all 

Julierose, La Blageuse (doing my happy-dance-euse)

A FRIDAY FINISH

                             [I ran out in between raindrops and snapped a few pictures of my:]
                                                                          FINISHED ;)))

                                                                CAMPFIRE MELODIES 
                                                                                     for
                                                                             my son, Jeff

I wan't going to even sew today, but my shoulders felt better and so I decided to
go for it.....

                                      I used the rest of the guitar fabric for the binding....

                           Here is that guitar fabric featured on the backing for his quilt

                                     these long panels on either side are a brushed flannel 
                                                                  nice and cozy-like

                                                    I thought that this kelim -like print
                                                     picked out the guitar colors nicely
                                                      (excuse the threads to be picked off)
{but, as you can see, I only had a little of it; so I pieced more guitar fabric squares
centered on the top and bottom...to stretch it out...} 


AND finally, the piece de resistance...the final finishing touch--the label

                       just a simple  inked sentiment and the particulars of the quilt...
                          using the camping out fabric mountain scene and bordering 
                                      it with the little guitar fabric I had leftover...
*******************************************************
Well, it is D O N E --my last big quilt work...I can feel my shoulders relaxing...
I was really so worried that I wouldn't be able to make this for my son--his is the
last of the family members to receive a big lap quilt...I am doing my happy dance...
AND:
I want to thank you all for your inspired hints, suggestions and constant
encouragement....I don't think I could have kept on going without them....
***********************************************************
I plan to bring it up as a surprise gift this coming week....I hope he likes it...

Hugs for a wonderful weekend to you all, mes amies...
Julierose, La Blageuse (All finished-euse)

ALMOST DONE

                                              Campfire Melodies is all quilted--
I decided to just do vertical and horizontal outlining of each block...on either side of the seams...

                         Just simple (mostly straight anyway -- hahaha) straight line quilting...

And this morning I have just  finished making this up 

                                           The binding all rolled and ready to apply..
                                                     Helga is getting impatient....;(((


But these shoulders, neck and hands are needing a rest day or two...so she'll have
to be patient for a couple more days....

I am happy with the quilting and thinking ahead to the label for my 
                                                                L A S T  B I G  Q U I L T

I know enough to never say "never"; but I really cannot be hauling big quilts
through my machine anymore--and I don't send out my quilts 
(not that there's anything wrong with that at all!) to be quilted...

 ************************************
The S U N came out today and it has reached 48 degrees--what a relief to see the
sunshine even though it is a bit hazy...warming to the spirit for sure.

Next week we are going up to visit my son and DIL 
(and Willa and Fiona and Kota)
for the 1st time in a long time.  ;)))))

Hubster says he feels well enough to travel a bit...(fingers crossed).  
I hope to bring up Jeff's quilt for him as a surprise present.  His is the last one....
Everybody else has a quilt that I have made from start to finish....
I've had a good long run making big quilts....such fun work....*:--)))

Now I will be changing gears a bit and making.....who knows what??? 
I am still in the dark on this and pondering...I will be de-stashing 
quite a lot--I think--although that is painful...
BUT necessary....

I do know that a bit of a respite is long overdue...

hugs from a lovely day here at long last....
Julierose, La Blageuse (finishing-euse)

READY, SET, PIN...

                                                    "CAMPFIRE MELODIES" is layered....
                                    AND....I am  ready for pin basting....at long last....

Here are a few of the fussy cut fabrics ........


Driving to the forest....

AND...

canoeing to our secluded spot.....

on our quiet lake beneath the mountains...

Amid the hush and quiet ....

The melodies are on the reverse side--which I will keep

a secret for now....;}}}}

 ************************************

The only Spring around here is the little tablerunner that

I made last year..

all hand stitched

around

Pansy centers....,
with  purple and green
threads....

the little music box piano that my piano  students gifted me when I retired....
sits quietly waiting to
play its Springtime song....

AND

Dried herbals and flowers from last year's garden lightly scent my room---
 and a shell from our beach combing. brings back Summer days' memories....

                                  *******************SIGH********************

Time for S P R I N G--- (wherefore art thou?)....I ask, I beg you....;oooo
but--not yet as it seems.......
 it is snowing again right now...(nooooooo!!)
and very cold....

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (pin-basting-euse)