MANDALA PROGRESS AND A TA-DAAAA

I have finished the circle part of Mom's Christmas Mandala and now need to mount it--I am happy with the way it's turning out so far...actually, the colors are much more vibrant than this pix shows.  

AND  TA-DAAAAA:  here is the cutest new member of our family:  

LA BELLE MISS LIBERTY (AKA LIBBY)--my daughter's new adopted puppy:

Isn't she just the cutest darling pup?  She is calm, serene and sweet. 
She just loves her new "mommy" and new family... we are looking forward to seeing them all on this upcoming Thanksgiving Saturday, along with our son Jeff and his family &, of course, 'Kota (see pix on my sidebar).  

Best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving to you all, mes amies  I am Julierose, La Blageuse

SANDY RELIEF QUILT BLOCKS

Here are my two blocks for the Sandy relief quilt.  And here is the website for Erin whose super idea to warm up all those people who were ravaged by "Sandy".  She has instructions for this super easy and fun block on her site...will you help too??? 
 Julierose, La Blageuse

"MARY MANDALA" for MOM's CHRISTMAS

Here's the start of my Christmas present for Mom.  It is my FIRST (! don't look too closely LOL!) attempt at beading --and I am loving it!!

I got this idea from my latest book purchase: "Beading For the Soul" by Deborah Cannarella.  The triangle's points are images that are meaningful to the person. The apex is a Holy Card  (laminated) from a close friend's death, the lower right are hands that symbolize all that both of us do with them (music, golf, housewifery things, soothing children etc.), and the lower left is an old button from my mother's mother's (my Grand'mere's) dress....I thought that would be a nice touch.

She resting on a modern mugrug I made with my "almost-blooming: Christmas Cactus-- with my little angel watching over her.  A very sentimental present, I know.

That is how I am feeling after my last visit in the wake of "Sandy"--we talked over old times together and cried a little at how fast time flies by us--without our even realizing it.  At 93, I don't know how many Holiday Seasons I will have with her...but this helps me to remember the "good times".  As ever, Julierose, La Blageuse

"I LOVE the SOUND of the GENERATOR in the MORNING"...

Here's a pix of the Amtrak tunnel leading out to our beach after "Sandy" came to visit!!

We are STILL without power and have just gotten tv, phone, cell and internet back late this afternoon.  Luckily, we have a generator which--my darling hubby has been handling so that we have heat and light and refrigeration.  

Let me tell you how DARK-- DARKNESS can be w/o power....talk about a reality check--and we are lucky compared to NY and NJ, I hear.  Our town looks like a bomb hit it; 4 ft of sand on all the roads leading to beaches, trees over wires, downed power lines etc etc.  

LADIES--if EVER there was a time to use your Accuquilt Cutter: TA---DAAAAA!!  Hexagon==mania took over.  Crank that handle--forget the storm raging and cut, cut cut.  Gotta love it!! I have a new "pansey Flower" hexagon thingey in the making.....

To the right of the house (near our beach, not our house) WAS a stairway....this WAS a sandy beach....

I cannot complain tho', our home is 60 feet above sea level and luckily none of our trees came down.  We have a lot of Cedars which were whipping to the ground, but bounced back.  

Today, we can get out of our street (downed trees and wires before now) and actually venture out. We even can use our Keurig Coffee Maker --it's really amazing how much a cup of coffee can mean.....

 I will return to blog about more quilt-related thingeys soon..
.no school until Mon or Tuesday here and there was no Halloween...I am just grateful for what we have......Julierose, La Blageuse

MUGGLING ALONG

Here are two of my mugrugs--Christmas side--that I am making from scrap fabrics.  I decided to make them reversible--

That way, they can be used all year long....and have finally (after making 4 or 5 "practice" ones to try out different methods)--decided to "channel" quilt them.  I love that "feel"....It took a really long (sigh!!) time to sew all those 2" squares together for the reverse sides, but, Stash the Bash I will !! They are VERY scrappy as a result:

I like the way the one on the left turned out--kinda oriental, no?  I got sick of --"twosies-foursies-8-sies etc...ad nauseum!!

I really wish that this year's "Santas" were as cute as this old fabric--this year they all seem sort of scarey...LOL!!  I am collecting for the back of Fiona's "big girl" quilt for when she goes into a twin bed...

And here is  that really cute snow people fabric, too....kinda "Debbie Mum"-ish...

And so I leave you with 13 done and 20 to go...W H Y do I get so intense and do S O (sew) M A N Y?

Because I am Julierose, La Blageuse

C O L D : Weather & Me

Here's my setup for finishing my Wall hanging for our living room: {pauvre petit lapin is all blurry }

FINALLY, this cold/flu-like bug has left me; and I was able today to finish this quilting.  The Jason Yenter fabric {In the Beginning from 2010} had been lying in wait for me to do SOMETHING with it.  I just couldn't see cutting it --yup, I have that syndrome, too, mes amies. SO-- It will be the back of Christmas time wall hanging for us --very nostalgic and sentimental.  I love the way the holly curls in diamond shapes--just perfect for use as a quilting shape.  I big-stitched this side and just took lil' bites from the other side...[I think I showed the Good Luck Crane fabric on another post here].

I still like to use that 1/4" tape to mark my quilt path--love this colorway--just a little different for Christmas, I think.  Those little old-timey vignettes are just charming.

Am still struggling with the bindings on my muggle rugs--they just look CLUNKY to me--especially around those corners.  AND....so it goes....

That is all for this time--Bundle up and have a great weekend..Julierose, La Blageuse

MONDAY'S MUGGLE RUGS (Bash That Stash Edition)

I found all these little 2" squares today--and decided to make up a "plethora"of mugrugs .  They are all random  cuts with just a few doubles; I need to make up some items for Mom's Nursing Home Christmas Sale and I thought these might be just the ticket--while bashing my stash--a twofer!!  (LOL)

I LOVE the way that little "Kissy Kitty Face" just peeks out--I didn't fussy cut--it just happened--serendipity!! I get to bash my strip stash, too.  The reverse will be Christmas bits and bobs I have left over from making my grandbabes' Christmas Big Girl and Big Boys' quilts in previous years.

Since my arm/hand/fingers are really sore from Big Stitching my wallhanging, I am workin' ye ol' machine--it's smokin', ladies!! (heh heh)

Your "hip to be squared" Julierose, La blageuse