CHRISTMAS OJOS-- FINALLY A FLIMSY, et al

 

And,,,, after lots and lots and lots [!!!!]

of sewing.....

I STILL have scrap bags LEFT!!

that are

  a good 1/2 full of reds and greens...

[Plus...a whole container of 1/4 yds 

of Holiday themed fabrics...

for future projects]

Some of these scraps date from the time I began

quilting...around 40 yrs ago!!! 

I've begun sewing the scraps from the 

Christmas Ojos Flimsy cut offs into

slabs for place mats to go with

this table topper...

{craziness for sure!!--but, I 

just cannot

throw those scraps away}

I am sewing the really 

small pieces along 

longer strips and then

building from these into

 "Franken-Slabs" for

the place mats.

Needless to say, this will be

an ongoing project for just

"sewing for the sake of sewing"

😀😁😂😃😄:)))

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

A few days ago we purchased a

Rhoomba and are busy having

it "map" the layout of our rooms...

I've named her:

"Rochelle, Rochelle"

[you older "Seinfeld" fans will

recognize this I am sure]

:)))))

We thought this would be a good purchase

for us, as both of our backs are not

happy with vacuuming these days.  

It will not, of course, take the place of using

our cleaner, but we think that it

will cut down the number of times

we will have to do a "deeper" clean...

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

I made a Shepherd's pie  for

our supper this evening--

and the leftovers will serve as 

Sunday's meal also...

Love casseroles that can

do "double duty" for us.

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

Well, my ironing board died this

afternoon...it just collapsed --

luckily I had only piled some fabric

to be ironed on it 

and had put my

iron away--

 (amazing as that sounds!!)

😊😍😅

So, I am in the market for a new one...

Anyone have any suggestions for 

a good, inexpensive one?

Hugs for a great weekend....

Julierose

La Blageuse

(resting-hands-still-euse)

CHRISTMAS STRAWBERRIES, et al

 

My first Strawberry block is all quilted....

I echoed around the berry and then

did diagonal corners.  

Lots of texture...:)))

The red berry I quilted in dark red

and

the top little cap 

in a lighter green....

Next will be the upper and lower borders 

leading to the other two

berries...

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

AND

Dark Days' first two blocks

are all sewn together 

and quilted with various

simple stitches:

running stitch, whipped 

running stitch, little crosses,

whip stitching and some

blanket stitches...

{this looks so different from anything I've ever made...}

The radiating stitches  and the whip stitches all

around the pomegranates

are finished....

Here is what the back looks like:

In the top section you can see how it was joined...

[that long white strip]

The backing on the top log cabins 

was trimmed back evenly and

I turned the extra fabric from 

block one [which was quite wide]

 and folded the raw edge in 

and then did a simple

whip stitch  to hold it in place 

as K3N recommended...

I may add more stitching later on--

but for now I am resting until

next Wednesday when the 

next block info is aired.

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(resting-hands-euse)

WONKY LOG CABINS, et al

 

I have begun stitching the logs on my 

Dark Days wonky log cabins...

I did the joining strips first.

⇊⇊⇊⇊

I decided, as the block is busy to begin with, 

that plain running stitches would be best.

So, darker brown on neutral logs and

medium blues on the darker blue logs...

I want the stitches to show...

And as a bonus,

I even like how the back is looking:

↧↧↧↧

I will continue working on this and on

adding more stitches to my first 

block...

I need to finish adding the radiating

stitches  on block 1 

and then more running

stitches throughout...

Our next prompt will be 

this coming Wednesday

when we shall see K3N's method

of joining these two blocks....

I am still debating over

whether to sash or not..

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

Sunny skies 

and 36 here this morning

may allow us to take our daily walk

outside if the wind doesn't ramp

up as it has all week long...

I miss our walks by the CT River...

So beautiful and refreshing....

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(Stitching-slowly-euse)

DARK DAYS "2" continues, et al

 

HELLO AGAIN Everyone....;))))

Yup... 

the wonkiest log cabins I've ever made

above...

and all by hand and eye only...

tearing strips as I went...

[following "K3N Cloth Tales"' year long

Comfort Cloth videos on YT]

The catty-wampus cabins will attach 

to the January block like this:

↶↶↶↶↭↭↭

[I may add some sashing? ] 

Not sure yet and I still have 2 weeks

to finish the added fancy stitching 

and sort of "boro" style 

mending where needed : 

at the

wonky joinings...

on those little cabins....

[and speaking of "Wonky" --

if you need a good laugh go

to Youtube and put 

"Scottish Granny Wonky Donkey"

in the search bar for the cutest and

funniest video.  ]

I plan to extend the 

January block's radiating lines 

where they meet 

when I sew them

together...

It's pretty "dense" looking.....

But it is all a "learning" experience

isn't it....;)))

It will take me quite a while to

do stitching on these ;

my hands are much better, I

am happy to report; 

but I am 

trying to do short stints

 and taking

whole days off from working...

👀👀👀

I am really itching to just stitch

for hours, but 

no longer can I do that!!

I am just happy to be able 

to do a little

at all.

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

Here was my poor Amaryllis

(that I forgot for a year+ in 

my front hall closet)

2 weeks ago:

↓↓↓↓

and here it is today:

↧↧↧↧

Definite progress.....;)))

I wonder if it will 

bloom at all???

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

We are expecting a significant

(so the weather people say) 

snow event tomorrow--

so I did our weekly grocery run

this morning.--It was

super cold!!!! 

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(slowly-stitching-along-euse)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ALL

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Hugs,

Julierose

La Blageuse

HAND, HAND, FINGERS, THUMB...

 

 I will be on a break until my hands recuperate....;(((((

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

DARK DAYS , FEBRUARY'S BLOCK 2, et al

 

The Comfort Cloth prompt for

February is "Home".

[K3N Cloth Tales is hosting

this year long slow stitching

SAL]

I am doing wonky little log cabins....

set in two rows....

I just finished my 1st row row today...

[you can see I've set up the

next four little centers 

across the top....]

We have to leave a background 

border 

on all sides of about 

1.5"-2" for joining

the blocks...month by month...

K3N is doing her blocks scattered

"cattywampus" about her cloth using

wedge shapes where they join...

Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, s i g h ...........

I began that way last Wednesday and 

by Friday had ripped them all out.

👿👽👺

Working that way just made me 

SO

VERY

 ANXIOUS!! 

This is supposed to be a cloth

to calm you down when you are

working it; 

so,

 I decided to

do my blocks in normal--if a

bit wonky, rows,

I am just free cutting

my fabrics

as I work along to fit

So all the blocks vary in size...

The background is 10" x 18"

so about 1/2  the size of the 1st block

[which is 18"x18"].

See below

↴↴↴↴↴

I've begun adding some more 

stitching with radiating lines

on January's block...

I am using whipped 

running stitches...

and...

There is still a lot more 

stitching to

add onto Block #1...

I love using this Valdani thread...

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

AND..

Can you believe that there are now

3 blooms and one bud still left

to open on my Amaryllis...

??????????

Here are a few shots.....

You can see all four above

Here, 3 have fully opened...

and the front one has a slight 

greenish tinge to it...

I really hope I will be able to save this one 

over the Summer to bloom

again next season.....it is so spectacular...

I hope you are all having a

wonderful weekend

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(still-slow-stitching-euse)

IT'S THE BERRIES:))), et al

 

I began quilting my Strawberries 

early this morning--

What's a girl to do when she wakes up

at 5 a.m.?????

She, of course.....

decides how she wants/needs to quilt

her berries:))))

(Before someone comes along and

eats them hahaha)

Because my appliqued berries' strips

are so wide and the berries are so

large, I figured they'd have to be

quilted down or the planned

echo quilting around them would just 

POUFF out those fruits!! 

Decided on dark red for the berry

and lighter green for the cap...

I stopped halfway through the cap as

the "HANDS" decided they

were getting tired. 

😒😓😔

I know this will take a long time--but I

am in no hurry; this is my quilting

project for the foreseeable future...

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

We interrupt this post to

bring you a 

News Flash:

👀👀👀

AMARYLLIS SURPRISES AGAIN!!

THREE more buds appear overnight!!

and .....

not to be outclassed,

 my 

white Christmas Cactus 

is putting

forth lovely, frothy blooms:

After seeing this "Whitey" bloom

 

 "Tangerine" decided to bud out, too!!

My little window garden is coming

alive...;)))

👀💕👀

We still have a bit of snow on the lawns, 

but roads and driveways

are all cleared..

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

Today various household chores need

to get done: vacuuming, dusting, 

and general picking-up...

S  I  G  H

Housework is always 

with us, isn't it?

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(quilting-along-euse)

BACKING UP, et al

 

Here is "proof" (haha) that I am serious about

BB1's return to be finished:

[just in case you wondered?]

😏

I made this backing from very, very "olde"

fabric favorites that I have been

hoarding for years

(Why, you ask??

I don' t know why 

and it's

past time 

to use them )

Look at that lovely field of tulips

(paired with a newer floral)

and

this pink bouquet which has to be one

of my super faves paired with

another semi-new piece...

I think the reverse will contrast nicely

with this  (ahem,  & may I call it??) 

"Vivid" front--

yikers--

talk about

wild and

in your face!! 

What WAS I thinking??

I am looking back to see if I was

unusually stressed? Worried?

Anxious???

?????????????

Anyhoo....

It is what it is and 

it now layered up and

ready for pinning.

which I WAS going to do today,

{REALLY}

but,

 after food shopping early and

then putting together a 

Shepherd's Pie for our

supper tonight,

I have retired to my recliner armed

with a cuppa tea and a blankie...

👀😇👀

And

here it is already lunch time--

time flies when you are 

having fun, right???

AND because you lasted through

all  my silly

wittering..

here is the latest look at 

my Galaxy, Nymph Double 

Flowering amaryllis...

(try saying that 3 times!!);)))

Just heavenly ....

Hugs, Julierose,

La blageuse

(R&R-ing-euse)

 

AMARYLLIS ,et al

 

Yesterday, Amaryllis began to open up...

It looks like

 a striped pink one!!!....

💗;))))💗

(sorry for the dark photo--a very

gray day out there).

AND

this morning early....

She is opening more by the minute...

And....

↓↓↓↓

Now....

you can see the striated petals

Definitely worth waiting for...

So lovely against last night's 

snowfall...

Here is the early morning view from our

back deck--

You can just make out the last

of the snow clouds and the 

sun rising in the far misty morning...

A Winter Wonderland--

All so quiet and

so hushed.....

And now with the sun having 

come out...

the tops of the trees look

gilded..

.

I love the Winter landscape after

snowfall....

***********************
My friend Lizzy

encouraged me to take 

my Bramble Blooms 1

out and revisit it...

she liked my pot of 

little 

crocuses....😇

{I was unhappy as to 

how it came out before--

somehow I felt I had 

failed with this one}

It is resting on my dining room table

right now for a 2nd looksee....

I don't think I will abandon it

after all...

It measures 28" x 28"...

and

I have decided to finish it; as

it was 2024's big project

along with Audrey

for her SAL....

As my first ever effort 

making a 

medallion piece

it contains a lot of my 

favorite fabrics and those 

little yellow roses that

I made long ago...

Soooo,

I am now thinking 

it's worth finishing...

But.....

So so out of my wheelhouse...

😔

Thanks so much, Lizzy,

 for your kind words

 of encouragement.

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(watching-snow-showering-

off-our-trees-euse)