MOON GARDEN STARS WORK

 

I spent the late morning and early

afternoon on our back deck 

and

began to hand quilt 

"Moon Garden Stars".

I haven't done much quilting 

around appliqued shapes;

but I decided to start with 

some simple echo lines

around the moon

which I want to 

stand out...

We had a storm last night that ushered in

cooler temperatures, and lower humidity--

so it was the perfect time to be

outdoors...

this was the first day in all

of the month of July here

where I felt like I could breathe

out of doors...!

Blue skies were filled with 

scudding, billowing,

white clouds and a 

little cooling breeze...

Just a beautiful day...

:)))))

Here is the 2nd row in progress

where I changed over to 

Wonderfil 

Perle Cotton No. 8 thread

--color 904-- 

from regular Gutterman quilting

thread which is my usual go-to.

I want the moon to stand out.

So,  I am doing

3 echo rows for the big

moon shape...making it 

puff out nicely...

 

I will stitch around all the 

other elements with

one row using this heavier

thread...

Then figure out what to fill in

the remaining background with...

I am only allowing myself to work 

on a few rows every couple of days

so that my hands don't get 

over tired...

It really felt so great to be

doing hand quilting --

so

totally 

relaxing...

I hope your Sunday has been

a good one...

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

{slow-stitching-euse}

CHRISTMAS IN JULY , et al

I had originally made 3 of these 

last year--I finished 2 and

gave one to my daughter and

the other to my DIL for

Christmas...

Now [finally!!], I have finished 

quilting this one for 

our Christmas decorating..

Helga really quilts beautifully

now that she is all tuned up;)))

I set my stitch length at "3"

as I like the look of a larger

stitch to mimic hand quilting...

[at least my hand quilting which

tends to be on the larger side].

These were such fun projects to

make with all my Christmas mini charms...

I had been collecting them over a period of

two years.  Not all the seams are perfectly

straight, but it's done and I 

L 💚 V  E  it!! 

Now to trim it up and find a binding...

Meanwhile I took out my next table topper

to be quilted tomorrow I hope--

But we shall see how my shoulders

and hands feel first.  

I find myself with my shoulders up

near my ears when I machine quilt!!

I have to keep telling myself to

relax, Relax RELAX!!!

Here is the reverse which I like just

as much as the "JOY" side:

There is such a lovely vintage feel to that

print and the really old fabric at the

top and bottom 

[shown here]

Really adds to that old timey look I think.  

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

Note:  If you are looking for my post on

Needleturn--

L👀👀K

no more--I deleted it as I thought

my lumpy, bumpy results were

just awful 

and 

so 

I deleted it..👹

A few of you asked how come 

they couldn't view it..

Uhhh just too painfully lame

😓😕😒

It has gone away into the deleted

post ethernet somewhere...

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

[happy-with-quilting-results-euse]

 

SHIP AHOY, et al

 

Here is the latest incarnation of 

my "Moon Garden Stars" 

applique effort:

Here's my story so far:

You see, pirates attacked my 

little boat and stole away 

Mr. Eagle and Miss Kitty!!!

[I tried to make the eagle 4 times, 

and the kitty 3 times--

ENOUGH ALREADY!!]

SO.....

that's my story and I

am sticking with it!!

👀😆👀

Instead my serene scene, now

includes a lovely moon

sailing across the sky...

Those are pretty rough waters out there--

and the little cabin is tilting a bit,

as my moon boat makes its

way through the rough seas..

I need to applique two more stars (R side)

and Mr. Moon and the cross bars..

But...

S  I  G  H  ...

I sewed the ENTIRE cabin down today 

and the chimney 

and 

one star--

AND

uh, 

I strained my neck in so doing 

and

now I am recovering from a

migraine!! 

Luckily I

caught it in time to

ward off a really bad one

with:

A cup of strong coffee, Aleve,

and a Zyrtec

along with a nap in my

darkened room

has helped me a lot...

I have been sewing 

leaning over my dining table

and straining to see where to

stitch. 

I think I will have to use my clip-on

magnifier to finish this up...

But I am enjoying 

the applique process a lot

more than I thought I would.

Next up--trying needle turn...

💅💃

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

Guess who's back home

(back in her place with a 

nice shiney face);)))

She is sewing like "brand new" now...

Helga will be set up for machine

quilting tomorrow

(those 3 table toppers

and the one Christmas wall hanging).

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(still-learning-after-all-these-years)

MOON GARDEN STARS PROGRESS, et al

 

I worked on my Moon Garden Stars this morning--

Here are the house pieces, turned and ready to sew

together,,

[you can see Jan Patek's original house on the 

pattern left].

I appliqued the top boat curve --

my quandry was it is red and white so

what color thread?  I chose

red and some little stitches do show...;((((

Could any of you appliquers out there tell

me what a better choice would have been?

Anyway....I am NOT taking it all out...

this is the 1st really big, complicated

piece I've tried; it stumped me when

I began a while ago, but I do want to

finish it...it is just so darling a pattern;)))

I've prepped the house pieces and the chimney

below:

↓↓↓↓

You can see (on the chimney) I am using the

starch and turn method on manilla patterns...

I plan to sew the house together before appliqueing it

onto the background; and also add the part of the 

chimney that rests on the side of the

house...leaving the part that goes on the

background loose until I am ready to

put the whole piece on...

at least that is my plan...

My "take" on the house is a lot

more "flowery" than the pattern,

but I do like it...

The 2 pieces left to pick fabric for are

the flying eagle and the kitty...

I am taking this slowly as my 

hands get really tired

stitching...

But I am enjoying the challenge...

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

We had almost 3" of rain yesterday and

my beautiful day lily repaid me:

Such a gorgeous plant, isn't it?  

[excuse my big finger there;!!(]

And my pot of marigolds has

a bud showing now...

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

Tonight I have put together my 

Minnestrone soup for dinner

with some home baked rolls...

A light summertime supper

for two....;))))

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

[it-is-true-you-are-never-too-old-to-learn-euse]

P.S.  I'm not kidding when I say

it is hot and humid here today!!

 Y I K E S !!!!!

 

BEFORE THE DEER--and AFTER THE STORMS

 

I ran out early this morning to see the blooms begin 

on all my day lilies

BEFORE

the deer prance in and 

eat them all up 

for their dessert!!

We only had 0.11" of rain overnight,

but there was a lot of thunder and

lightning flashing around...

Enough so that it woke us up to

sit a bit @ 3 a.m. in the

living room watching the 

sky show for a while--

Then we went back to sleep--

or at least I did--My DH has

sleeping problems at the best of times,

so he only rested and got up early.

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

I am finding that I miss my sewing machine

more than I could've imagined...

So, I am doing a clean-up,

a bit at a time and also

checking out blocks I could make

with my whittled down stash and 

scrappy bits...

Visualizing is not my forte,

so I really have to actually

"MAKE" a block to see how

I like it in the flesh, so to speak!

 I am finding that a lot of blocks really 

only lend themselves to big quilts

and I am not good at scaling down--

or I don't like how they look 

after that process!!

We are pretty much staying inside today 

as between the heat, humidity and

smokiness leftover in our air,

it is nasty out there...

Like a 

SAUNA!!!

I hope your weekend is a good one

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(searching-euse)

  

NO-SEW-A-THON, et al

 

Helga's spot is all cleaned and waiting

for her return from her Spa Treatment.

So, no sewing going on here...

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

Here are some shots of my day lilies

just coming into flower:

and

They are so pretty and never fail each year...

This big daylily is about ready to

burst into bloom...

So full of buds...

I hope the deer can pass up this

dessert!!

And 

Here are the marigolds I

started from seed...

Coming along nicely...

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

I have been trying to get my room really

organized and cleaned up while Helga is

away....

And

I am trying to eat higher amounts of protein

at each meal which requires some

planning...

What are you up to these hot, humid days?

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

{keeping-busy-euse}

 

 

RAINING CATS AND DOGS ,et al

 

As you can see above!!!

We have not had more than .03"

up to today...

Whoa--unfortunately we are having

a few little roof leaks in our tv room....

 ****************************

And, in honor of this very welcome rain

[except for the leaks, of course!],

I un-earthed my old applique

{very} long term project:

↴↴↴↴

Moon, Garden, Stars...

A Jan Patek pattern...

I am so in love 💙💙💙with this 

project--why didn't I finish it?????

Isn't that the burning question??

👀👀👀

[Lizzy, I didn't forget this one ;)))]

Here is my version so far:

I laid it out to see what needs

to be done next...

The white cardboard templates indicate fabric to be

cut and turned before I can sew this one...

So<<<

Cross bars, kitty, house, 

chimney, door, windows,

and our Eagle...

And

what fabrics will look best...

Luckily, [and unusually!}, 

I had put all my chosen fabrics

in the storage box along with the 

instructions, too.  For once,

I did the right thing!! 

Let's see if I still like my

 choices though!!

Quilting is so all about

DECISIONS!!

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

Pavement Blocks is all pin basted

and now I can set up Helga for

machine quilting...

I have 4 pieces to work on...

Just finished this morning...

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

Meanwhile it is still pouring down outside

Now: 3.86"

We may even get over 4" before this is over...

so far our cellar is dry...

Fingers crossed that it will stay that way...

I hope you are staying dry inside today if you

are having this deluge of rain...

Hugs, 

Julierose, La Blageuse

(pondering-euse)

P.S.  Over 4" right this minute!!

👹👀

THURDAY TABLETOPPER PROGRESS, et al

 

Pavement Blocks is all layered and

ready for pin basting...

Just getting that backing and

batting to size and laying it out really

exhausted me!! 

👀👺👀

It's the bending over, I think!!

Before i can even think of machine quilting

this one or sewing anything else,

I have to clean HELGA! 

It's been 7 months since I did;

she was stuttering along on my

final backing seam line--just

just made it before she really

clacked at me!!

👿

Hope to get to that tomorrow as my

back has had enough 

bendy-bendying...

;)))

:000

:&&&)

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

Here is my beautiful beautiful

lavender that never disappoints

me!  Every season it blooms and

the bumblebees just love it

I was hoping to capture a bumblebee, but when I approached

they all staggered away in their

drunken flight laden with my lavender's nectar...

This color is SO intense--I can't seem to catch it on

my phone's camera...but it is just amazing!! 

Mother Nature at her best...

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

Jeff took the girls-- Willa (L) and

Fiona (R)-- to Fenway Park

to catch a game.  

[Aren't they growing up fast??]

They do this every year 

when school gets out...

I do love my girls and their 

Dad and Mom, too.

Willa is now enrolled in

horseback riding camp and

can now canter....

I hope to get pix of that!!

💜💙💖💕💝💞

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

Our "feel like" temp right now is

99 degrees--talk about

humid and sultry and muggy

and close and, and...can I

come up with any other words

that describe why we are

staying  in our AC today???

I hope you are enjoying what your

day brings to you, life is

so short and goes by so

quickly..

grab that golden

ring and keep it in

your heart...

hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(pin-basting-machine-cleaning-euse)

ABJJ and PAVEMENT BLOCKS, et al

 

I have decided to join in on the latest

"Junk Journal July" 

(featured by "Meg Journals"

 on You Tube)

using

Meg's prompts each day.

 

[above is her prompt list I am looking 

over in the 1950's photo of me--

with my newly 

permed hair and my green and white

beloved dressy dress:))) ]

{ABJJ= Altered Book Junk Journal}

I will not be doing a full-page spread

for each prompt, but rather

 just a small element 

for each one.  

Here are the first three 

all on the left hand side of my page:

↧↧↧↧

Bottom left girl is No. 1-

directly above is No. 2 : the 

lovely flowers, and 

No. 3 which is "negative space"...is

the girl with her shadow...

(you can enlarge photos if you want

a closer view).

BTW I had to look up

"negative space"...;)))

I drew and water colored my 

"Moon Phase Goddesses" when

I prepped my pages a while ago...

And.....

I am also journaling a bit for each addition.

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

Here is my Pavement Blocks flimsy

which i finished sewing together this morning...

I am thinking that I want some kind

of border around them....

AND

Here are the 3 sandwiched and layered

pieces waiting for me to get PB 

ready for quilting along with

them...

Blue charms (R), Scrappy Log Cabin (M),

and the older Christmas runner (L)

that's been on hold for ages:

Here is the reverse side

of that Christmas piece--

You everyday followers may recall that

I made 4 of these and gifted 3--

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

It is a very humid and hot "in between"

long weekend day before the 4th

tomorrow...

We are having grilled hot dogs with

onions and the works and 

I made German Potato Salad for

our side...

So far we have been in the (blessed!) AC

and plan to stay in for the better part

of today.

I hope you are enjoying your long weekend

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(looking-for-a- border-fabric-euse)