RSC: MARCH=TEAL

                                     My teal scrap supply is really
                                           low→→ to almost none--
                                     so I went to my leftover charms 
                                                   and began 
                                             with my Zig-Zag pattern...
                                      and "Mrs ZZ" is done for March...
                                                        ;)))))
                       

             I didn't realize that I must hardly use any teal/turquoise 
                           {or whatever you count as this color}  
                             in my quilts...hence such a
                      paltry amount of it in my little scrap baggie...

I dumped the bigger pieces in with those little scraps.....

As you can see it is not over-flowing by any means...;000

*********************************************
AND:

 Here is a "sneaky peak" of my secret project....started with layer cake squares.....
for you people who asked......↡↡↡↡

As you can see I am ironing my seams all open...it really helps to have it lay flat..

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (secretly-sewing-euse)

SQUEEZING AN ORANGE

I have been hand stitching my b i g orange dresden semi-circle
in the evenings  and whenever my hands allow....
As you can see, I've come to the white surrounding arc parts....

                                I love how this big stitching pulls in the fabrics to really
                                                  crinkle them up a lot!!  
                               there is really nothing like hand quilting to my mind...

                                       I am linking to Kathys quilts [click]
                                            to join in with the other slow stitchers
                                              this Sunday as I will be doing
                                                   just that during the afternoon 
                                                         Red Sox pre-season game...

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (slow stitching-euse)

ZIG AND ALSO ZAG

                      This is my last entry for RSC February's oranges....
I hope to be able to find scraps for each month to be made into a 
Zig-Zag little quilt..I began with 5" squares that were leftovers from
various charm packs...I consider these scraps of a sort...;)) 

I am linking up with ANGELA at (click) for the  last day of February
and will be moving on to a new color for March...can't wait to see 
what it will be.....

This also served as a "prototype" for a large "SECRET" project that
I am making for the the remaining family member who has not as
yet gotten a lap quilt....????

I have most of the front Chevrons (aka zig zags) set up on my design
wall...
they begin with 10" layer cake squares....
and I have learned a few things:
if I sew the blocks in a two layered block: (2 from top and two below) 
they match so much better than sewing a long single row....

[Also that the contrast has to be high to get that effect (see center of
Orange Zig-Zag--see, not enough contrast there....]

And if I press all the seams open the joining is much neater....
since i LOVE 💓💓💓 ironing this is no problem for me
Pandora singing in the background;
opening seams and pressing them flat------
flat flat..so rewarding...
funny huh??? how I like doing this--
well
as a child growing up i used to plead to do the ironing--so
There You Go!!;)))

I haven't decided on how to quilt this or what the backing will be--
perhaps some leftover layer cake squares ;;;

[Wha??? You say???? A large quilt?? but, I thought you said
"No more big quilts, definitely!!" 
Well....in the realm of "Never say Never":-000]

A squirrel visited me from MSQ Co.----------------------
with the tutorial that looked so do-able...
and I was in a quandry anyway................
as to what to make that went together 
easily and was more modern looking....

that I caved...plus I HAD the layer cakes right here...
sitting on my shelf...It was :
Kismet, Fated, Meant to be.....
Had to be....

More on this later...much later as this will be a surprise
Christmas present...I should have time enough to make and
quilt this one--maybe in quilt-as-you-Go mode...we shall see...

************************************
A blogging friend recently  asked me about my last year's Amaryllises....
Oopsey!! I forgot them in the dark recesses of my front hall
closet...ohmygosh.......;((((((
they were so dessicated looking when I retrieved them 
a couple days ago, but l👀👀k ⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊:

I watered them and they are sprouting...whether they will deign to flower
after my shoddy treatment remains to be seen.....

this one bloomed a



brilliant deep red; 

and I really didn't believe that this one could be saved--but can you see
that little bit of green emerging?  Fingers crossed.....;)))) this was a
luscious white and pale green one...hoping, hoping, hoping....

The mosaic tray they are on is one that my Mother made...
she was so precise and neat, ;))))💖
never in a hurry or slap dash in any crafting project she made.

I am trying this year to "take a page from her book" and slow down
and enjoy the process...💕 I miss her a lot....

She and i would get down on the living room floor and spread out
my quilts together, smoothing them; and then pinning them;
 and we would have a "Tying Tea Party" with snacks---
around the big dining table that I use to this day....
good memories....

Hugs to you all, 
Julierose, La Blageuse (remembering-mostly -euse ) 

SANTA.......ANGEL?

         Angel..........................................& S A N T A 

This:

  







Does 



not 


go with:↡↡↡↡     

                                                                     This......;0000!!!!

My color choices just didn't make it.....way too dark for my liking....

But I got some good buttonhole stitch applique practice....and reversing templates,
as a few of these needed to be reversed-- (ask me, go ahead, how I found that out!!)

And I learned that  I am not overly fond of having to keep on changing
threads and bobbins....;000

So,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 I think I will put some borders on Santa and then back it with Angel.......
And call it a practice run.....
********************************AND.......
On the Orange Front:

   I hand stitched the whole center during the Red Sox game (they won-- yay)
 and 
today, I will while away the afternoon finishing the blades...I just love Dresden
Plates...
this one is Improv, free form and "almost" a circle ;))) such fun...
I think I will be making an Improv Dresden in each color for RSC--if my
scraps allow--I may even have to make a tiny one...;)))

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

I hope your Sunday is as pretty a day as ours is--sun shining--a bit nippy;
 but the wind is dying down so .............
not at all bad out there....

hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (rooting-for-the-home-team-euse)

                                

JUICY, ET Al

                                    I've been hand quilting my Orange Slice 
                                in the evenings while watching tv....
                                           Slow and easy big stitching...

Here is my latest little piece for Angela's RSC 2020 (click to see
all the juicy goodness going on)
thanks for hosting
us all again this year, Angela...;)))

My latest little mini is all layered up and ready to quilt↡↡↡

                                     More orange sweetness....;)))

************************
On the home front...Thom is a lot better this morning...I was able to see
the external stitches=20 of them...wowsers!!  The swellings have also
abated a lot...Monday will be "take out stitches" day....[OUCH]

********************
Today I am making Thom's favorite Chicken and Rice casserole--
have to keep the spirits up, right??; 

and we will be watching the first Red Sox pre-season game 
to see who's left on the team this year!!  😕😞 
(good-bye "Mookie"  and "Brock" we hate to see you go....)

I love that baseball season is back as I do a lot of hand quilting
during the games...and relaxation is high on my list this week..
OMmmmmmmm
***************************
As far as my Orange shoebox of orange scraps--it's still pretty full...
I made a few coin strips and may try a stained glass mosaic piece
if i can get more time to sew this coming week...

Gosh--only ONE more Saturday left people!!
     And we'll be saying "ta-ta" to the month of February....

And we still have not had any snow to amount to more than a little
spritz...strange, warm Winter here....
*********************************
In family notes:
Our grandson, Connor, the basketball honcho (lol) is in a 
100-free-throw fundraiser this morning--We will be donating
$1.00/basket made--which doesn't sound like a lot--but then, you
don't know Connor hahaha...amazing shooter...what are we 
thinking?  😰😱🙏 
Too bad we can't be there, but my daughter
will let us know how he fares....

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend....
hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (from no snowland-euse)

SANTA'S FRIENDS, ET AL

                 I HAVE finished the forest on my main Santa block  
               and worked a bit
                      more on the surrounding blocks...
The angel, two crescent moons, and a star are complete...

******************************************
I am finding machine buttonhole applique hard on my eyes despite my
excellent lighting...perhaps, because it's so new to me---maybe 
I tense up while I am sewing?  ??? ;00

Next I will work on other trees and houses.....perhaps next week...
Here is my new applique foot↓↓↓↓

                                   Now I can SEE what's going on...

*******************************
I need to make hubster a new lap quilt--his is 20 years old--and 
starting to fray....
I made it for him upon his retirement...has it been 20 yrs already???
Time does fly away from us....
Perhaps a log cabin in blues and whites...we'll see

*****************************************
AND----FYI: on our home front:
Hubster had MOHS surgery this last Monday-- 
and I have had my Nurse's Cap on ever since...

The area  was on the side of his nose, and much deeper 
than expected--so the surgery was quite extensive; and 
he has both internal and external stitches the whole
length of his nose.. 
(not fun!!)
but, the good news is that  they were able to excise it all...;)))

As a result....
he has been pretty sore, generally uncomfortable, and wiped out...
But, today he is starting to feel better....:)))
stitches will come out next Monday--

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

So limited blogging, sewing etc...going on here...

Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (nursing-euse)

HE'S A'COMIN' CLOSER....

                                 My first fused and machine appliqued piece in the works.....
                                                      { I love those little boots;)) }

                                                   Mary Anne at Magpie's Mumblings
Sent me the nicest gmail setting out her method of using lightweight fusible for
applique...She was just SO encouraging when I told her about my sad adventure in
trying to turn the seam allowances on these tiny pieces...I was about ready to
throw this out--[as a matter of fact, I had folded it away...]
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Turns out:
I had some heat n' bond light hidden away in my drawer and I discovered:
                                                                       AHA!!!!
That my Viking DOES have a buttonhole stitch...who knew????

I just never connected their icon for it with a buttonhole stitch
and always just passed it by...(duh!!)
So much for knowing all the stitches you have on your ten year old machine....
What can I say...;000000

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Anyway.. I decided to re-visit my Santa...and am so happy that I did...
I spent two fun hours re-doing some parts and leaving other raw edged and
kind of fuzzy, but...........
This is just my practice piece, and  I am seeing how I could really enjoy working
like this...
Helga sews away like a dream...a nice little neat buttonhole stitch...love it!!

I feel like a new door has opened...💖💖
Don't you just love it when that happens...??

thanks again Mary Anne ;)))

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (appliqueing away-euse)