WILD HORSES SET FREE

                                  Remember these wild horses, running free...??
they have been corralled in my UFO drawer for quite a while now and needed to
                                                                     RUN FREE...

Our friends who once owned a horse farm have just moved to a condo and we are going
to visit them in 2 weeks...so a housewarming gift would be in order...

I thought that this table topper
                                                                  "SAVE THE WILD HORSES"

...would be a lovely  remembrance of
their younger years as horse owners and riders...

I cut out the backing and the batting and need to layer it up tomorrow--then
quilt it "envelope style" .  

This  and a nice bottle of Champers should do the trick...;))))

Hugs, Julierose, La bBageuse ( tabletopper-euse)

LEFTOVERS

 

                The start of our leftover pork fried rice dinner on this gray gray Sunday....

I use chopped, cold roasted pork, onions, celery and shredded carrots and
 pre-cooked white rice...with:

these additions; frying the pork bits with the Five Spices in olive oil until browned and
then adding veggies .  Lastly the cold rice, mixing well with Soy Sauce and Toasted Semsame Oil..........

and you get this:

A lovely "gibbilot" of tastes--set to simmer on lowest heat for about 45 minutes--
checking often to see if any liquid is needed...

one of our favorite Sunday leftover meals...

Luckily, Thom is the "Leftover King" here and often makes his own mixtures with various
leftovers, too...{waste not, want not--is that you Grand-mere, 
reminding me up there?} ;)))

*************************************
And here are the (sad) leftover Easter tulips....

these were a vibrant ochre with orange and pale green streaks...I plan to Winter
them over...and I even like how they faded into these....

these leftover tulips started out a lovely pale lavender;
 from my daughter for Easter...

Hoping I can save the bulbs and replant them in containers for next Spring;
I cannot put them outside as the deer consider them their own special
dessert !!! ;(((

I hope your Sunday (no sun here though, today!!) is a restful one...

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (in my "cheffette's" hat-euse)

SURPRISE FROM JACKY

                           So, the front doorbell rings; it's the mailman--he says to me 
                                              "I have a surprise for you" 

                        I go to myself "Whaaaa?" A present from the mailman?? 

Then, I see it's from my friend Jacky (no blog--hey Jacky time for you to get a blog--jes sayin' *;))) ) . My mailman says with a big grin "This made my day"  !!

And it's 
                                                       HAPPY MAIL

this is a list of the contents with a funny little saying for each one...

                    Look at all this booty!! All those little fiddley items that I have never
mastered making: a key fob (B &W in front)--look how tiny that is!! Tea bag holders, various pockets and CANDY and Lorna Doones to go with that Earl Grey tea...

                               And this cute fabric covered bunny plate to hold it all...

Thank you so much Jacky--you are so kind and thoughtful to send me this cornucopia 
of goodness...;)))

 *************************
So, I had to include your lovely note(s) in my daily illustrated journal:

I used your note as a tip-in in my journal underneath the photo of my Willa gathering

her surprise....isn't she just adorable....

So, this way I can still read Jacky's lovely note and remember her 

thoughtfulness..

I love making tip-ins to put cards, postcards, notes etc--

instead of just putting them into a drawer somewhere--

so when I flip through my journal 

I can recall all these wonderful things...

I feel very lucky to have such 

thoughtful followers..

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

So yesterday was quite the banner day, folks;

I not only finished Campfire Melodies

I received a lovely present....

Hugs to you all 

Julierose, La Blageuse (doing my happy-dance-euse)

A FRIDAY FINISH

                             [I ran out in between raindrops and snapped a few pictures of my:]
                                                                          FINISHED ;)))

                                                                CAMPFIRE MELODIES 
                                                                                     for
                                                                             my son, Jeff

I wan't going to even sew today, but my shoulders felt better and so I decided to
go for it.....

                                      I used the rest of the guitar fabric for the binding....

                           Here is that guitar fabric featured on the backing for his quilt

                                     these long panels on either side are a brushed flannel 
                                                                  nice and cozy-like

                                                    I thought that this kelim -like print
                                                     picked out the guitar colors nicely
                                                      (excuse the threads to be picked off)
{but, as you can see, I only had a little of it; so I pieced more guitar fabric squares
centered on the top and bottom...to stretch it out...} 


AND finally, the piece de resistance...the final finishing touch--the label

                       just a simple  inked sentiment and the particulars of the quilt...
                          using the camping out fabric mountain scene and bordering 
                                      it with the little guitar fabric I had leftover...
*******************************************************
Well, it is D O N E --my last big quilt work...I can feel my shoulders relaxing...
I was really so worried that I wouldn't be able to make this for my son--his is the
last of the family members to receive a big lap quilt...I am doing my happy dance...
AND:
I want to thank you all for your inspired hints, suggestions and constant
encouragement....I don't think I could have kept on going without them....
***********************************************************
I plan to bring it up as a surprise gift this coming week....I hope he likes it...

Hugs for a wonderful weekend to you all, mes amies...
Julierose, La Blageuse (All finished-euse)

ALMOST DONE

                                              Campfire Melodies is all quilted--
I decided to just do vertical and horizontal outlining of each block...on either side of the seams...

                         Just simple (mostly straight anyway -- hahaha) straight line quilting...

And this morning I have just  finished making this up 

                                           The binding all rolled and ready to apply..
                                                     Helga is getting impatient....;(((


But these shoulders, neck and hands are needing a rest day or two...so she'll have
to be patient for a couple more days....

I am happy with the quilting and thinking ahead to the label for my 
                                                                L A S T  B I G  Q U I L T

I know enough to never say "never"; but I really cannot be hauling big quilts
through my machine anymore--and I don't send out my quilts 
(not that there's anything wrong with that at all!) to be quilted...

 ************************************
The S U N came out today and it has reached 48 degrees--what a relief to see the
sunshine even though it is a bit hazy...warming to the spirit for sure.

Next week we are going up to visit my son and DIL 
(and Willa and Fiona and Kota)
for the 1st time in a long time.  ;)))))

Hubster says he feels well enough to travel a bit...(fingers crossed).  
I hope to bring up Jeff's quilt for him as a surprise present.  His is the last one....
Everybody else has a quilt that I have made from start to finish....
I've had a good long run making big quilts....such fun work....*:--)))

Now I will be changing gears a bit and making.....who knows what??? 
I am still in the dark on this and pondering...I will be de-stashing 
quite a lot--I think--although that is painful...
BUT necessary....

I do know that a bit of a respite is long overdue...

hugs from a lovely day here at long last....
Julierose, La Blageuse (finishing-euse)

READY, SET, PIN...

                                                    "CAMPFIRE MELODIES" is layered....
                                    AND....I am  ready for pin basting....at long last....

Here are a few of the fussy cut fabrics ........


Driving to the forest....

AND...

canoeing to our secluded spot.....

on our quiet lake beneath the mountains...

Amid the hush and quiet ....

The melodies are on the reverse side--which I will keep

a secret for now....;}}}}

 ************************************

The only Spring around here is the little tablerunner that

I made last year..

all hand stitched

around

Pansy centers....,
with  purple and green
threads....

the little music box piano that my piano  students gifted me when I retired....
sits quietly waiting to
play its Springtime song....

AND

Dried herbals and flowers from last year's garden lightly scent my room---
 and a shell from our beach combing. brings back Summer days' memories....

                                  *******************SIGH********************

Time for S P R I N G--- (wherefore art thou?)....I ask, I beg you....;oooo
but--not yet as it seems.......
 it is snowing again right now...(nooooooo!!)
and very cold....

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (pin-basting-euse)

HAPPY EASTER

                                                       TO YOU ALL..;))))
Have a wonderful family day....
hugs, Julierose La blageuse
("It isn't raining rain you know,
It's raining vi-o-lets....") ;*-}}}