HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL

                                     HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS...

                                            MAY YOUR NEW YEAR BE FILLED WITH 
                                                                       LIGHT💗💝
                                                                      HUGS,
                                                    JULIEROSE, LA BLAGEUSE

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER

  "This":         TAH_DAH  : Swiss Crosses is all quilted....
                 And I love  💗💝💟 how it came out 
                                       now for borders....
                                         red, I think

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"That":

Little South West Ojos
flimsey--



I love these
colorways...so
warm ;))))

                                           Flowery Ojos....

                              this one is more old-fashioned with those
                                         florals and smaller prints....

I love making these both on paper and on muslin
squares......
                    I can see more of them in 2020 using up scraps...

************************************
And the "Other":

An off-the-cuff way to use up 2.5" pre-cuts 
that I am swimming in...

      

                     The start of a long table runner with leftover precut B&W squares....
                                             for my dining room table....

*******************************************
This is what my design wall looks like this morning..BUT.......
But wait a minute..

What, you say?? And Where is Red/Pink??

Well, it is hanging in the "time out" closet until it decides to un-warp itself!!!!!!!

           (Evidently, It went through a "Black Worm Hole")

Evidently, (duh) someone cut the long strips unevenly and all the bias
edges decided to pull to one side...very skewed....at warp speed....
SOoooooooooo, break time.....
Enough already...S I G H 

[One bright sunbeam is that I DO like the Christmas Doggies}

                                        See what I mean?  
That is not just uneven pinning on the wall, it is out of "true" 

I will have to rip out every vertical seam and try to straighten out the
strips...and, to be honest, I am just not up for it...now....💁💩 💩(!!)

This has been nothing but trouble...woe and trouble...
and it is my OWN fault...
but I have learned something: I do know this but evidently
I don't practice it:
                         Trim everything EXACTLY-- FIRST (DUUUUUH) .  

No fudging on long strip sewing....

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

I am really pushing myself to get back into my sewing room and
find my lost "joy" in sewing....

And: I need to pull out another piece that
is ready for quilting in the evenings...

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (searching for mojo-euse)

SORRY, KERMIT, ET AL

                                                 Too Too green,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
                           [apologies to my friend Kermit, the Frog]
                                               
                       All you see is KAPOW--👀👽👾😝
                                                 green green green....
                                                       6 rows of it--
                                                          down down down...

                                      So now what?  

                 Not crazy about these either....gold and pale blue.....

Perhaps these strips should be divider rows themselves in between 
bigger blocks of some sort? 

                                  I just cannot figure this one out...
so,  it will sit on my "time out"  wall and see what happens...

                                    💁 Hello, quilt Fairy???👸

maybe she will come and
figure out a solution for me.....
                                              or not ;(((((
*********************
In the meantime, in between time, I am making great progress
on Swiss Crosses:↓↓↓↓ My happy place quilt;))))

I am so enjoying this slow quilting process...
               I am just quilting on the white fabrics and
                      leaving the burgundy to stand out....
                              One and one-half more triangles to finish...

I rarely use white in my quilts--but this piece has really changed
my thinking...I love how the hand quilting looks on the 
white/off white fabrics...💗💝

[This project is from  Lori at (click) Humble quilts...thank you👍]
*****************************************************
And that is where I am in this interim between Christmas and
New Year celebrations....

and this is FRIDAY? RIGHT?
Mid week holidays always get me bamboozled as to what day
it really is!! 
Uh.............. have I said that before????? hahahaha
********************************************* 
We are having leftover meatloaf tonight --sandwiches and fries--
easy dinner--
then... I am soaking some Navy beans and de-frosting
a small piece of ham for my Senate Bean soup which I will be making
tomorrow...we just love soup around here...

Quiet days..........thankfully...;))))

Hugs, 
Julierose, La blageuse (in a quandry-euse)

THURSDAY, REALLY? AGAIN??

       I like:            My son and DIL posing in front of their new garbage can lol
                            she needed one-- and Jeff gave it to her as a
                                    funny gift!! 
                                        Isn't that a great photo??;)))

And 

                   I like this pix of my grandgirls getting dressed to go outside to play--
                             "See Grand-mere, we get dressed ourselves now"
And

                                         Fiona: "I can tie my own double knots
                                                      myself!!":))))
*************************************************************

I loved our Christmas Eve get together, but am also happy to rest and relax today....
And for the record......
I am re-wording this song today:
                                                   "...I didn't know what day it was..."
During Holiday Season we need a "Day Clock" to remind us where 
                          we are in the week!!;0000

Please go and visit our little positivity group at:Lee Anna's  (click)
where we post every Thursday 
and see all the uplifting posts .... 

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse, (grateful-euse for my wonderful family)

QUILTERS' GIFTS...

                          A lovely bundle of fabrics from Barbara at (click)
                             and that lovely ribbon for my Crazy Quilting....
                                  Thanks so much Barb ;)))💗

************************************************************
AND from Dawn at (click)------ this lovely grouping:   

                                  the cutest little tree mugrug and that 
                                  lovely zippered hold-all pouch ...so pretty

           And want to see what she stashed in it??? Oh of course you do;))))

  A little traveling sewing case; a lipstick needle holder; beautiful fabric squares
and a lint catcher (from Missouri Star Co.) and a cute kleenex  refill for the little
holder she made for me last year....What a haul....thank you Dawn--love it all....
*********************************
We arrived home around 10 pm last evening after a day of fun and food and
gift exchanges at my son's home....appetizers galore...spaghetti dinner, salad
garlic and Italian breads and a fabulous 3-layer chocolate-- ganache frosted cake
My DIL, Lindsay, makes such lovely cakes....

*******************************************************
We were surprised at all the road traffic on our way home
--we thought that most travelers would have gotten to their
destinations before that hour....but we arrived home tired, but
happy and safe....
*****************************************************************
Today is for "lotus-eaters"--R&R for us "ancient ones". ;))))

I hope your Holiday celebration was/is wonderful

Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (thankful-euse)

NEW DIRECTION

                                                         [ Hi Lizzy  ] ;)))click to visit

I have decided that the cornerstones were just too fiddly for me to juggle around!!
                                       [ After cutting a ga-zillion 1.5" squares...;0000]

So I  took Lizzy's advice and am going to make a Chinese Coins set,
 out  of these recalcitrant scrappy red/pink blocks....

Adding a white bottom sashing and stacking them up with a dark green strip
in between...thanks Terri  [click to visit]
for that color suggestion--now it will really
be a Christmas quilt...;)))

I feel much more comfortable with this...there is enough stress abounding
this time of year--ya think?
***********************************
Today I am making my tex-mex bean dip to bring to our gathering tomorrow--
nice, as it is made ahead of time and marinates overnight..

Here is my Merry Christmas gift to all
my loyal followers: 💗💗💗💗



Tex-Mex Bean Dip
Drain:
1 can black beans
1 can blackeyed peas
1 can shoepeg corn (be sure to get this type of corn)

Mince:
1 cup celery
1 cup red onion
3-4 jalapenos
1 small jar pimentos

Combine and heat to dissolve:
1 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup olive oil

Mix it all together; marinate overnight.
Drain and serve.  We use Tostitos scoops
ENJOY
Easy peasy and a crowd pleaser....

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

                                        MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL👩

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (celebrating-euse)

See you all after the Holiday  (maybe sooner?? lol)

NOPE, NOPE AND NOPE

Twosies

tried 


out

Meh....

                                             Don't think so...

I did a few of these despite the fact that my gut told 
me that I felt "funny" about them.....
[Silly girl!!]
and then tried some 4-sies--ever pressing forward over my 
internal objections...(why?)
AND
Nope, nope nope--just didn't do it for me..

WAY TOO red and 

WAY TOO higgeldy -piggeldy--
                                         all a-muddle...

                                        YES, even for me...;((((

So I have spent  the afternoon carefully ripping out those
carefully pressed seam allowances...... 

and here they are:
ready to be ironed again ....S I G H ..............

                       Ironed where those seam pressings were.... 

So.......................now, my plan is -----

I am going to set them one by one and sash them that way-
letting each block stand alone in its quirkiness...

(I think if this had been a big bed quilt the 4-sies would have been
okay, but this is a small piece--see what I mean about having made
big quilts for years...not the same at all)

At least that is PLAN B for now...

Seems this has been an un-doing week for me....
First Lori's Swiss Cross (not Swedish!!) 
and then these...

Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (ribbit-ing euse)

DID I SAY A FEW?

                                                       Is 52 a few?  
 This is not the final set up--
         I will be banking them in groups of 4....that should be fun;))))
                             What goes where??? 
                                            And with what???

                                          So that is the next step.....

                                        And where will I be?

Do we have a say in this?

This looks very Christmas-like to me;

   I think it's all the reds...which

seem to predominate....

 I will be sashing these groups

                                              with white and using red cornerstones...

                            So, that is where my red/pink project stands right now...

*******************************************
Easy dinner tonight : homemade chicken soup with snowflake rolls...;)))

hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (shuffling-euse)

THURSDAY? WAIT..REALLY?

I LIKE/LOVE : this little piece by a UK quilter , Julie Gahagen;
 Isn't it just adorable--so cute...
*******************************************
It is Fa-reezing here;((((((( wind chill 5 degrees...we are encased in ice...

I LIKE (really, I do) how my garden's "bones" look:

This shot is out our front doorway...the sun is just about to come over the hill....

*********************************
Since it's been so darn cold, I have stayed pretty much inside and
yesterday I made this : I LIKE:

My Mom and I used to make bowls-ful of these along with limes for Christmas
decorations....the aroma as they dry is great....(set on your mug rug, Dawnie;))) )
**************************************************

And I LIKE:
our sax playin' and dancin'  Jazzy SANTA:

He isn't playing all that well this year--needs new batteries...like so many
of us hahaha,,
*******************************************
I LIKE these cute Christmas cards I've received this year:

Isn't this just so sweet?






And

and.....

       This sparkling old timey scene















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

Mr. Snowman mugrug invites you to visit Lee Anna at Not Afraid of Color
to enjoy everyone's LIKES this week. 
Thanks so much Lee Anna for your
wonderful link this whole year....

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (surprised it's Thursday ALREADY! -euse)

THE FIX FOR SWEDISH CROSSES

I cut a new triangle  and pinned carefully ...

that triangle wanted to stretch and stretch...

I was hoping that the seam allowance

would hold the squares' seam together???

And it did...;))))

I had to sew and rip out a few times,

 but 

here is how it finished up

I actually didn't have any plain white fabric (!!)

So I used some white on white and

decided to call it

 "charming"...;)))

enough of worrying...

right? ;)))

I am marking with a hera marker 

and quilting the little white squares

diagonally throughout...

No more marking pencils for me...

hugs,

 Julierose, La Blageuse (elated-euse)

OKAY, OKAY...DEEP BREATH

                                       Remember this SAL that Lori had a while back?

I was SO proud of myself for getting those little squares and crosses
together and the SIDE TRIANGLES cut and on; well, I mean you know how
triangle challenged I am, right?

Whoever said "..pride goeth before a fall..", well, they were SO right!!

Look what happened when I decided to first, use a stencil to mark
a pattern and used this blue pen that advertised "erasable, removable",

See those freakin'  (pardon my french!) blue marks-well, I've tried EVERYthing
to remove them and they just won't come off..they keep coming back....

                                     Anywaaay...S I G H 

So--I pulled up my big girl sewing pants and took off the
triangle to replace it..and then.....................

THIS HAPPENED:>>>>

Can you see the seams on all those (previously perfect) little squares are
coming apart on me????????? I was careful removing the stitching, too...but
they just split apart.....

So now what...
                                                   any suggestions..???.

I just love this little piece and am so upset....😝😝😝
Tempting to just shove it back into the "Drawer of Shame", but I really want to
quilt it....
And it's layered ready to quilt...hmmmmpf, as if....;000:((((

This made today's freezing rain, sleet and snow pale in comparison...
I'll leave you to get my 2nd package of kleenex now....

hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (woeful-euse)  

(",,,problems , we've got problems, stacks and stacks
of problems..." and Perry Como won't be able to solve this either--
 for all you ancient ones, like me!!)

TEA, ANYONE? -- PART DEUX

Here's my story

I found myself tossing and turning after going to bed last night -- 

unable to get to sleep...

so, I tip toed out of bed and came into our back room and pulled

                                      my teapot out and stared at it for a bit...

It was very still 

and so quiet 

that late at night...

so hushed..
                    you could almost feel it...
So...
I pulled out my needle and thread and did a 2nd row around the teapot;
 and then
decided it needed a ring to set it off--
and I made it puffy ;))) 
oh, I like that;)))

then ............
I did an easy border
around the edges...just to frame it some more...

All I could hear was:
just that tick tick sound of my needle going in and out...
[you know, right?]
one little stitch at a time...

slowed me right down...that jumpy
feeling just melted away....into the night....

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (quilting-euse)

TEA ANYONE?

                                  The layered Teapot          ("Tea Anyone?")
                                                           is now ready for some quilting...........
I took a few stitches last night when I couldn't sleep↡↡↡
Can you see them?

I plan to outline the pot to start, and then do some kind of filler stitching; I am using
regular quilting thread on this one in a beige--the background fabric is one that I
coffee dyed a few years back when that craze "squirreled" me...;))))
                          [There's a new word to add to the quilting lexicon lol]

I will be working on this one this afternoon while watching the Patriots game....
Go Patriots............p l e a s e...;0000

******************************
Here is a picture of a scrappy quilt I saw on Youtube that may be how I put my
red/pink scraps
together...

You can see that four 4" blocks are sewn together and then finished with that beautiful
sashing and cornerstones...

...I am thinking mine will be a much
smaller project--this one is some 60x60--total madness ;0000.--
perhaps a dolly sized
little quilt or even a pillow???...

I am really trying to make my projects smaller--but after making bed size or lap size
quilts all these years,
I am finding it difficult to do this...I just think in those sizes.....

I need to make some dolly size quilts to get into the swing of things..perhaps....
this one should become the first....
'
I hope your Sunday is a peaceful one in these stressful days leading up to
the Holidays...
                                                S E W  O N 👍🙋🙏

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse ( scrapping-euse)

PINK and RED SATURDAY

                                        The start of a ( mostly) pink and red fun, scrappy piece

                                           Wrong side up here--need to iron them out
                                                (A little teaser here for you) ;)))

When I hung up this Christmas runner I made with DAWNIE at her site
Relaxing Robin blog SAL last year :

                                          The reds and pinks called my name...
[and while we're at it...
WHY don't they make more prints like this ↓↓↓↓ anymore???]

I especially like those reds and golds...

This is a little cut off piece from the 

quilt I made for my eldest grandson, Steven,

when he went into his "Big Boy" bed...

Ummmmm

Now, how did he get to be 20 years old

so quickly?  ;((((

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

I decided some fun "just sewing" was in order on this 

gray rainswept day here....

Because I needed a treat after:

Earlier this morning I made egg salad for sandwiches

as our dinner along with french fries tonight...

Changed sheets and

did another laundry load

while Thom vacuumed the house with our brand new SHARK 

vacuum which we just love 💕💕

(it was our house's Christmas present this year)

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

Looking ahead....

I picked out a first pull of fabrics for this quilt which I hope will be

my 2020 long term project 

Lots and lots and lots of applique :000

Wish me luck....

Mine will certainly look different with these

fabrics...I am trying to just use 

my stash...

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

I hope you are having a wonderful pre-Christmas Saturday and

not having to rush around all stressed out...

💖P E A C E💖

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse (pink/red-ing-euse) ;}}}