IT'S A START

This will be the back of my RSC15 blues Winter scene.

This is a 1980's Asian print that has been hiding away in my stash; thought the pink qualified it for
this month's pink challenge.  I plan to back this with the Winter scene and call this side "Cherry Blossom Time" for reverse on a little wall hanging.  The first border print is another oldie but goodie...

And I managed to also do these three to add to my White Crosses Rainbow--

(Sorry for the crooked pix!! )

I haven't been doing a whole lot of sewing this week as we have had a death among our closest, lifelong friends and some family illnesses and issues...and I just cannot seem to get myself into my room right now.  Just don't feel like it.....

We are slated to go to a Funeral on the 15th (seems like a long time away...) and we are awaiting news about our granddaughters' illness....worrying.
Also this frigid weather doesn't help at all.;--000

This morning I walked 25 minutes on our treadmill and watched a rerun of "Fraser"--my DH is making spaghetti sauce for us for tonight...in the meantime I have started reading "Sarum" by Edward Rutherford to keep myself occupied.  That and cleaning;
 I find that housework is a great antidote to worry....

hugs to you all, Julierose, La blageuse

SEWING UP A STORM

"THE SNOW IS SNOWING..............................

THE WIND IS BLOWING........................

BUT I CAN WEATHER THE STORM.................WHAT DO I CARE HOW MUCH IT MAY STORM........"

Here's what I did today....

A little Blizzard wall hanging  to finish off my blues for January RSC15...
(And this is truly the LAST Blocks!) .  

Had just a small piece of that lovely Japanese print and strips of blues--and so they
somehow came together.  This piece will always recall to my mind the Blizzard of 2015.

We've made it through without any power failure here so far.....25" of snow....drifting all over the place.  Our front windows are covered...but other spots are swept almost clean.
So far, no Town snow plows have come through, but DH has snow blown the driveway and front
walk for us.....

I hope all of you made it through as well as we did....hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse from snowy CT

JANUARY DECISIONS & STORMY WEATHER

Here are the three blocks I have decided to work on for my year of RSC ; the Scrappy Split Rails , the White Crosses, and Eye of God.  

I tried two other blocks: Cat Head's and Blue Crosses, but have decided to put those away for another year
.  
I most enjoy working on these--especially those White Crosses--I am on a 2.5" square "jag" lately.  Ever since I made Sleigh Bells Ring (which still needs binding!) I have fallen in love with mini squares.  

I still am in a quandry about those white crosses--whether to make them in each month's colors or continue just in blue and whites.  Of course that is always the decision: put away til next time around for all blue, or add different colors for rainbows.
  
I can definitely see Eye of God in a rainbow and even the Scrappy Rails--decisions, decisions...

I wonder what the February color will be....hmmmmm

I am posting this afternoon in the beginning stages of what is supposed to be a snow event of historic proportions here.  Forecast : 24" - 36" blowing snow in up to 60mph winds here in Coastal SE CT.  

We are "INSIDE" for the duration.  We have a generator and 25 gals of gas on hand; plenty of food (including that necessary chocolate lol) and water (our water company may not be able to get to us to change the batteries on our pumping station if the power goes out and lasts for more than 3 days! )  

And I may not be able to post for a while.....

I just love how these are turning out....  see those windswept chapels and the boats on big sea swells! These will surely bring back memories of this weeks' storms.......

These  little blocks on " phone book paper"-- 5"  squares--- (hip to be square, I guess lol) are such fun to make...using up those bits and bobs,  leftovers, and  orts of fabrics!! I love how they look so wonky,,,,

Off to make a cuppa and to watch the fine snow starting to mount up and blow--15 mph winds already!!  

Hugs to all, stay safe and warm,
Julierose, La blageuse

FINAL RSC BLUE BLOCK

i HAD THESE LITTLE MINI CHARMS LEFTOVERS --ALL PRETTY BLUES, SO i THOUGHT WELL, WHY NOT?  ONE MORE LITTLE BLOCK TO START A RAINBOW PIECE.....
You can see on that bottom row that my last two pieces of that very old Hoffman (I think) woodblock print are a bit shy of full size, but I put them in anyway...just love that print...wish I had gotten yds of it!  and how often do you find yourself saying that, too??? ;--(((

To me it has a "lacey" texture that I just adore!  those Japanese Irises are the only thing that reminds me of Spring today.  We got a good 4" of very wet snow --followed by cold rain and now it's drizzley...ugh! 

I am unable to do any handwork for a few days--wrenched that thumb somehow again.  It awakened me at 4:30 this morning--but----
 I got to turn on our security light and watch the snowflakes falling
--------so pretty.  

I hope you are snug and warm on this frigid Saturday.  I am linking up with Rainbow Scrap Challenge hop on over to see all the other great projects.

hugs Julierose La Blageuse Bleu--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....

STASH IS CACHED

Before my bins and bags of scrambled fabrics.....on the floor, and on all surfaces in my room!

AFTER:

HERE:  is the left half of my shelves all folded and labeled --the bigger question was how to
determine what the main color was ...(see how that red pile is so little? And on the middle shelf the first three stacks are ALL PINKS!!!!! And dark blues/light blues--very few mediums...
One thing I learned is what I don't have and what I don't collect--NO DOTS< STRIPES (MAYBE 2 OR 3)<GEOMETRICS.....

AND THE RIGHT SIDE:

THE BIN HOLDS ALL MY PRECUTS....NOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE BATTINGS????

Upper Left shelf in bins: for projects, new fabrics not yet sorted;

AND

RIGHT SIDE SHELF.
  (A few of you asked to see my before and afters--so after much gnashing of teeth and also my DH deciding yesterday morning that we NEEDED to re-arrange our bedroom and spare room --meaning empty a bookcase, decide which to donate, and re-shelve...)

 I have called it done-- finally finished for now in my room.

Golly, everything's so neat--I hate to disturb it...??? Whaaaa???

hope you are all staying warm inside on this cold freezing rainy day and enjoying your
sewing,

 slow or other

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (PHEW-euse!!) ;---000

SCRAPPY BLUES

These are the RSC15 blocks I have been working on this month. 

The Scrappy Rail Fences represent all the strips I could eke out of these scraps; the bottom crosses will be part of a rainbow smallish quilt--3 each in the color of the month;

And....I added the cute cat heads -- I will be making 2 each month;

and the little really (!!)  crumbley  strips (4 each month.) with leftovers from that month's colors--how they will be used is still a mystery to me, but hate to toss those little baby pieces...;--))) 
(note that one block is turned the wrong way!! ) 

The cat pattern is from a free online tutorial from: 
 Elizabeth Hartman's blog  which she posted a while back.  These will also be a rainbow piece.

Kitties  make me smile and this will be a homage to my dear kitty Schumee who passed away after 19 (yes, NINETEEN) happy years with us.  

Hugs to you all, Julierose, La Blageuse 

P.S.  i am taking a few days off from posting to try to once again RE-ORGANIZE MY ROOM.... need to re-fold fabrics to FIT on my shelves so that I can thumb through them and see what I have...since I will Only be using
the fabric  ;---00000
in my stash  this year, I feel I HAVE to do this...so far, no purchases...and it's almost 1/2 way through January--some kind of record for moi!  ;---))