TUESDAY'S DESIGN WALL

Here are my strips n' strings that I pieced on 81/2" x 2 1/2" pieces of telephone book papers.  They all decided to get together this week and play nicely.

;--)))

I saw the pattern for "Dancing Nine Patches" and decided that I would use my UFO (unfinished opus) to make huge 18" blocks...Four together make one huge block.  I have enough left to make 3 more and will need to sew more scraps and strings (YAY!!) on papers to make 2 more after that....gettin' rid of those scraps!!

Bonnie Hunter had a video about this method and I loved it right away--hmmm
perhaps because seam allowances for piecing don't matter.....and you all are, I am sure, tired hearing about my shenanagans with that nasty 1/4" thingey.

ANYHOO................

Can you find Santa---can you find a sailboat, can you find a butterfly??????

I guess this has turned into an "I SPY" string quilt.....

What fun!!

Go to this blog to see a lot of neat string projects!  

Hugs and stay cool--man is it HUMID!!, Julierose, LA Blageuse

SATURDAY ---SNIPPIN' AND STITCHIN'

A lot of you have shown an interest in my "Noveau Ladies" that I put up again on my design wall last post.  I had stopped doing the hand embroidery as the heavier decorator and velvet etc. fabrics were too hard to sew through and hurt my hands...
BUT:  voila!! A solution I thought.....

And:    Since it got SO very hot and humid this afternoon and I couldn't really crochet with "Christmas" wool--I mean REALLY!!-- I did this!

I had pieced all of these gals on muslin foundations when I joined the CQJP2014 group online. (I've since dropped out as I thought there was no way I could finish these...and that made me very sad). BUT WAIT A SEC!!!....hmmmmm

SO, gals: I snipped out the centers,  leaving a small +/- 1/4" border around the seam lines for stability.  I hope that this will work out as I want to do  this project for hot summer days to come.....

I do so love to embroider--it takes me back to sitting with my Grand'mere; and her teaching me ga-zillions of stitches while sipping iced tea on her porch and trying to catch a cool breeze on hot summer afternoons.  I do miss her "jolly" nature and willingness to patiently teach me so much....
hugs to you all--hope you're staying cool 
Hugs Julierose, La Blageuse Embroideuse

RAINY FRIDAY

On this rainy rainy Friday I took out my strippy blocks (dark ones) and began adding sashings......I used my "Go! Baby" strip cutter as I cannot rotary cut because of some issues (I'll only say "beware of underwire bras!!)

A Peek into my box.....

Kitty likes this one!!

I ALSO TOOK OUT PROJECTS READY TO BE QUILTED AND .....

Brought out my ladies and put them back up on my Design wall....

I cannot work on my Sea glass (which is ready to be basted together) with my issues (see above) and so have to do smaller projects.  AND I have a whole lot of those to do.....

I ordered a new die from Accuquilt--Alex Anderson's "Broken Dishes" that finish at 4"--hoping to do a quilt with Square in a Square also.....

No walk today--hot, humid, rainy...

I actually ate a total chicken dinner with potatoes and gravy--first time since last September!!  

It was W O N D E R FUL 

We'll see what Mr. Scale says tomorrow morning...;---000

Hope you have a wonderful weekend...

Hugs to you all

Julierose, La Blageuse

SUNDAY BOUQUET

Here are my peonies finally deciding to bloom--wanted to get some pix BEFORE the deer eat them for their dessert! 

What a lovely shell pink...and on the same bush this bloomed:

Strange.....looks like pure white...and more are to come:

And I put this outside for the summertime--my favorite B I G Spider plant,,,right by our front door...

I hope you are all having a wonderful restful Sunday..
Hugs from Julierose, La Blageuse--Jardin-euse

SEA GLASS REVISITED-- BORDER AAUDITIONS

Remember my Sea Glass flimsy??  I am auditioning borders on my dining table for it.

I had these two pretty colored solids--I never seem to use solids and with that busy-ness in my blocks, I thought a couple of plain colored borders might set it off and quiet it down at the same time.  What do you think of these colors?

I also tried these, but didn't like them quite as much:

a sandy brownish and a brighter aqua....am still debating....

I set up my machine with a table on the left side and our card table in behind to allow me to sew without the darn thing falling on the floor every two seconds!  

I also put my 1/4" footsie on and tried a few little seams S L O W L Y!  It seems okay--I think when I get sewing I go way too fast and with my poor eyesight my seams wobble and are not a"True" 1/4".  You'd think after SO many years of sewing I'd have been able to master the 1/4" seam allowance.  I am awfully "lame" that way.  
At any rate, I am back in sewing mode:  my own lap quilt is wearing really thin and this Sea Glass will be for me!1  

I have more strip pieced blocks (27) in really dark colored prints for the back which have yet to be sewn together--I just rotary-ed (is that a word??) them into 8"--they were all askew--that darn ol' 1/4" strikes again....

I will post how I put them together next...hugs to you all and thanks for staying with me on my various forays into scrapbooking and crocheting....
hugs Julierose, La Blageuse

CHRISTMAS FLOWER CROCHET

Here are the 
StarFlower Afghan centers....I did these while relaxing on our Cruise--the ocean waves wafting...yes, it WAS really wonderful, gals....ahhhh, ,,,,

A surround of "snowfall"--I don't think you can see the silver metallic thread that flows throughout this lovely really white yarn.....

AND--TA DA:  the grey skies from which those flakes of snow swirl....

I am debating if I should add any other rounds:  dark green, maroon...still pondering....

AND:
all toted in this cute zipper bag from "Split Yarn"'s shop online....it is just perfect for my small beginnings -- enough room for scissors, hooks, yarn and centers.....

I am continuing to work on these, once home, while watching my Red Sox.  I really really love crocheting so much--it's as big a surprise to me as anyone.  As  I am a lifelong knitter who cannot knit any longer because of my left hand problems....whereas, crocheting allows that hand to just hold the work and my right to do all the twisting and turning necessary.  

Gosh--working on Christmas Afghans already???  Could these be gifts??? Well, I'll never tell.....

hugs to you all--off we go again to see our grandchildren tomorrow...and, DH loves to drive, SO, I get to crochet on the drive, too..YAY!!!!

Hugs, 
Julierose, La blageuse, Crochet-euse

A FINISH--EASTER GHAN

It's Done!!  My Easter Afghan--I did 3 rows of single crochet with the Monet variegated yarn for the border....

I think you can see it here......I just really love variegated yarns so much!

Tomorrow will be a travel day for us--up to sit for Fiona--what fun...

I am getting the "Sewing bug" again...hugs, Julierose, La blageuse Crochet-euse