SUNDAY'S WIPS

I put "Blue Moon" up on my design wall as it uses 1.5" strips and thought that it, along with my new project over at Diane's ,

 (her beautiful and well thought out pattern for her star sew- a- long also uses strips-- but 2.5" ones--who knows how one's mind works, but there it is!--;))) --go and check it out--just really cleverly worked out!!) would be good to sew using the leader-ender method...
Uhhh, do you get what I meant--both strip works??? Anyhoo.....;*)))

Here is the Blue Moon fabric that sparked my whole idea for using all sorts of blues and teals in close color families for the bands...(a lot of older stash in this one) .

I also, it seems, began another colorway--if I recall-- to use up my H U G E pink stash that I never seem to use...

So here, pinks and purples...with a bit of light blue thrown in and whites...
I have no idea where this is going (either I've forgotten, or never really knew in the first place...which may be more likely considering how I seem to work LOL).

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AND...Butterflies Are Free has reached this point:

I finished up appliqueing those golden leaf-ey circles...I am happy with them...
and so...now what?? 

Am thinking maybe a little flange all around of what's left of that
circle fabric...and then the low key strips I have already cut...

But then, of course, someone mentioned that flowers go with butterflies--should I do a flower-ey border too??  

Decisions, decisions--borders, of all kinds, I guess, are difficult for me to figure out--
But,at least if you don't like how they look, you can un-pick (gasp!!) them fairly easily....
so that is where this one waits....fluttering....

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Sewed the binding onto Star Rise--finally!!;000-- yesterday, despite the fact that I am a bit under the weather--both the DH and I seem to be feeling like we have some kind of stomach bug...I was determined to get this one done...I folded it in half and over after sewing it on,,,haven't done that in a while, but I like how it came out...

the binding is a big array of scrappy binding bits--all
in blues that I had in the leftover
bindings bin...
So, that worked out well...





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I will leave you with my latest flower in bloom, my glads...

I have a yellow just budding and another
shade of this yummy apricot...

I cut this one about 4 days ago and it is still 
ok inside...do you put sugar in your flower water?
I do and it seems to work well...





I hope you are enjoying your Sunday--it is a beautiful Fall-like day here--cool breezes
and sunshine...ahhhhh
Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (binding-euse)

TYING MADAM EAGLE, ET AL

                              Ms, Improv Eagle is being thread basted in place.....

That cone of white thread belonged to my Grand-mere...it is just perfect for basting....

                          And that little Depression glass dessert dish was also hers....

(I only have a very few of her things as she broke up housekeeping moving to 

California to live with my Aunt Mildred, Mom's sister when I was a 

young teenager...)

.

Here is the new thread I purchased for quilting....I just love these colors....

aren't they gorgeous--what a treat....

The good news is.........

Madam is holding pretty still for me while I baste....

{the trade off from pin basting using this method, is my back gets sore from

 bending over so long; but then, afterwards, I don't hurt my 

fingers taking all those pins out ....} 

6 of one kind of scenario I guess.....

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A N D 

I have a few SECRET projects that I am working on these days....

Using some of these x-tra butterflies that flew in a few days ago...

across our rocky shoreline.

I have sewn them all using batik fabrics--I really do love batiks a lot....

Plus.....I have sewn a GA-zillion of my favorite 2-sies together, too.--uh

in TWOS..(lol groan)

Oh, look!!

this one flew in over a snowy field...

she must have missed the migration South..

I will have to put her someplace warm....;))))

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (secret sewing-euse).

BUTTERFLY SEASON

Look what I won  From Terri at Quiltncards....

Isn't she lovely--all paperpieced you should SEE all the seams on the back--HOLY COW, gal!!
I've only done a small bit of paper piecing myself and can't imagine the patience needed to do this baby butterfly...

And--my lucky day--
 it will go with my 2nd Chinese Coins Toss strips...
See...

thank you so much Terri--I just love it!!;)))) Check out her other pretties....
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And speaking of Butterflies--in 2015 I made these "Butterflies Are Free" using
machine applique for the first time: testing Helga....

there are a whole lot more, too---some already appliqued some to be done...
and I am embroidering with black DMC No.12 cotton thread...on each one...

Like this

And this

The background fabric is an impressionistic rendering of Venice--to remind us of our Italy trip a few years ago...

All the butterflies are batiks from my collection..
These have been my deck work (or AC like today if it is too hot).  
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Do you like cruciferous veggies?  I love them...cabbage is my very favorite--;))))

as a matter of fact for lunch today I am frying some shredded cabbage in a bit of
Virgin Olive oil with salt and pepper...for my lunch...YUM YUM (Mr. Hubster is not
fond of veggies, so I just make some pour moi!! )

And so I will leave you guys for now --I hope to machine applique more Flutterbyes (lol)
this afternoon...and manger le cabbage...

hugs, Julierose La blageuse (embroidering-euse)

ORTS

While waiting to hear from my Tommy re x-rays' results, I went to my sewing machine for some comfort---VOILA! the 2nd Rail Fence block is born!
AND

I have decided to take a page from RANDY'S BLOG and multi task by using leftovers from the Rails to start a quilt I have always wanted to make:

from Bonnie Hunter's freebies "Scrappy Trips".  

She explains that any scraps will all go together in the end--boy, this is a bright one for me!! It uses leftovers from both the rail fence blocks and also an eye poppin' green and cheddar.....WOWSERS!!!!  ;--)))

Notice--I am NOT apologizing for adding TWO more quilts to my long list of UFO's....

Meanwhile:   
I hear my butterflies flapping their wings in that box every time I open the closet..."Let us OUT!!" 
I will have to decide what to do with them--in September...before they try to migrate to South America!!  lol

Hugs to all of you--enjoy your Sunday--her today,  it is very humid and overcast.
AC is on and am trying not to EAT A LOT--whenever something happens,
I tend to want to eat --a WHOLE LOT--and usually none of it good for me
Ya think???!!! HELL-o chocolate...;--)))

Julierose, La Blageuse (in waiting mode-euse)

BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE

Last year I had made these butterflies and pinned them to background fabrics....thinking 
I would hand applique them.  Well, with my hand problems, that is not going to happen!

So, I was looking at a book on Machine Applique and happened across "William Morris in Applique"  by Michele Hill and was blown away by this book.  Being so taken with it I looked her  up and found her blog to see her work.  totally amazing! 

I left her a comment asking if she thought that zig-zag stitching would be good for her patterns mentioning my machine (which I thought didn't have a blind stitch) didn't do blind stitches--I received a reply that pointed me to a  stitch (not labeled as such in my manual) that I could use. 

 She had taken the time to look up my machine and figure out the stitch that I could use.  How's that for being kind and generous?  thank you Michele, so much!  You have opened up a WHOLE NEW WORLD for me....

 I have her book on order and in the meantime have spent the past few days fiddling with Helga and using these butterflies for practice.  

The first few were quite wonky--but I am leaving them as is; and these two  below are a lot better as I get used to maneuvering around and foot pressure settings, etc.

Here is a close up of the stitching--I am so thrilled --I will be able to applique--I still need a lot of practice, but it is DO-ABLE!!! [Doing a happy dance]

All the butterflies are batiks --( Can you see on this one that I wasn't close enough to the edge with my stitches??)

Originally I had thought that this would be a memory quilt of our Summer  trip to Venice which is the print on this block...but I ran out of fabric and added some other low volume prints.  

And.... some of the lighter colored butterflies fade into the background a bit--perhaps a bit of black embroidery may help this--it is going to take some thinking....

I have quite a few more to work on--loving Helga (after all my complaining!! ); she came with a nice open toe foot and an embroidery needle in her kit and caboodle.  ;--)))

Tomorrow I plan to hit JoAnne's (after my much-needed haircut)  and get some good Rayon top stitching/embroidery thread--Michele recommends 40 wt, and others I've read about recommend 50 wt.  I'll try both.  

It is amazing what you can learn just by asking--quilters are such wonderful people!

Hugs to all, Julierose, La Blageuse Joyeuse....

BACKGROUNDS

I just cannot use plain white backgrounds it seems....I just {heart} these:

This reminds me of our trip to Venice..it was filled with butterflies!!

My Dad's favorite tree--the birch--I can see butterflies among those branches....

And here--our snow-covered marshes.....

Lastly....

Our stone pathways....

After all:

BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE.....

Hugs and happy week's end...Julierose, La Blageuse quilt-euse

TACET THURSDAY----( Flutter-by Edition)

meow.....purrrrr

Ahhhh, Spring

A Bientot mes amies
Julierose, La Blageuse Quilteuse 

HAPPY EASTER (YARN) EGG-GHAN

This little Spring birdie flew in and rested on my Easter (Yarn) egg....

Here are a few of the Easter-Ghan squares bordered in that lilac-ey pink; I think I am

going to like it!  I have 24 squares so far and 20 more to border; then I have to decide if I need more...

And....here are a few more butterflies ready to be turned, I found more batiks hiding in my stash....

And so I am flitting from afghan to quilting and back around again...kinda like our up and down weather--warmish to chilly....

And that's where I am on this grey Monday morning....

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse 

SHE'S BAAACK!

Crochet Update (Hi MaryAnn):

I am crocheting the blocks together in rows horizontally now; 4 rows done, three
to go--I am doing one row/day; next time though, I would butt the wrong sides together and have the slightly ridged rows on the FRONT...but this is how you learn, n'est pas???

AND HERE IS MY BACK TO QUILTING PROJECT FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE WONDERING IF I WAS EVER COMING BACK TO QUILTING:
(and no, it's not an old unfinished one....big surprise...haha!)

Here is the pattern I downloaded from my internet search BUT
I have to thank Cathy for her inspiring posts of her re-make of her Grandmother's old butterfly quilt.  AND my longing for Spring weather...and don't butterflies really mean SPRING???  
And also you may notice that this is an APPLIQUE pattern.  And I am notoriously lacking in applique skills...on which topic I have lamented to you repeatedly!

BUT--I got a new book--by Tonye Belinda Phillips called: "Hand Appliqued Quilts" Beautiful Designs and Simple Techniques" that just told me in no uncertain terms that "You CAN do it!" Her easy, no-nonsense approach and free-form patterns I just am LOVING.

Here are my freezer paper/starch/prepared butterflies:

AND here are my new "best friends" in the applique world:

My Dritz mini iron, my sharp scissors and my stiletto to help me turn these seams over and just a little to the right a snippet of my spray starch....
AND her are the first results

My little work station and the first turned butterflies--oh--I am so excited!  It really works!  I did try glue stick first and needleturn--but they just do not give me the same results.  I know this may be Old News to you applique mavens out there...but this is the first real success I have had with those "pesky" outer curves that have stymied me for so long....

And here is my favorite butterfly so far--they are all batiks and I have no idea how I will set them--but that will be the fun part!  

I guess being a stubborn Taurus has its benefits--as a May birthday gal I just get onto something and stick to it--not always good, but in this case--merveilleux!!

Hugs to all, Julierose, La Blageuse