LEFTOVERS and INERTIA

                           I am on a campaign to use up all my leftover 2.5" squares...

                             Here are the first few of my "new found" desire 
                                            to sew 
                                                 once again
                   
For the last 3-4 evenings, I've been sorting squares in colorways:

      Here are some of the "blues"  ↶↶↶↶↶↶

Moon phases....

                                               Sailing away... "Ahoy"

Shy Lion--
being watched by a 
Zebra :))))

                                         Christmas Angel dreams......

Whale songs....

                                     Do the whales hum Ravel's Bolero perhaps???  

                                        I now have enough to make four more blocks...
                                            So, there will be 6 blocks in total of these.

                                                With  a few strips of 6 blues leftover...
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THE BACK STORY:

So, I began these blocks, deep😷 in my 
Covid brain fog...not wanting to sew at all---
REALLY not having the desire to sew --AT ALL!!

I began dispiritedly just MAKING  myself sew twosies--
from a shoebox-full of leftovers...

S I G H ...

Just push on through it... aaargh....😔😩

Then, strangely...

I began to hunt and peck 
           through my shoebox for some 
                   that "kinda" matched up a bit...
                           and that piqued my interest a little....

            Then I decided:    why not strip sets... from those twosies...
                          using my leftover jelly roll fabrics maybe,,,hmmmmm
                                   there's a thought....not just my usual
                                     chock-a-block postage stamp quilts...

          [I know this is nothing new, but it was to me...you know how that happens?]
                                 So, I slept on that idea for a night...

I had not done any other sewing since I finished up my binding journey...

[and there are still two of those outstanding--the Christmas two pieces--
but I had had it with binding and layering for a while.;0000 
So they are waiting in the wings]
************************************************
I was happy to be back sewing a bit at a time now...
And still sorting by colors: red/green--I have a lot of those
and the "others" just a kinda mish-mash...

And, best of all--;)))

My shoebox of those 2.5" sqs. has 
morphed into
twosies.... 

Which  will be on hand if I need them for borders or
anything else that calls my name...
************************************************

I have been reading how many of us are or have been stymied,
almost feeling paralyzed by enertia, during this Covid outbreak...

I am thankful to have come upon at least  hint of my former
"go-to--it-ive-ness"
for sewing....

I hope this find you all healthy and able to move yourself along...

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

MIRROR IMAGING

  Yesterday morning, sitting out in my spot on our deck, I worked on getting the
upper black x's part of my next butterfly in a mirror image-- Right and Left...
                  Just sayin'..........That is a bit more challenging than it looks...

And, you hawk-eyed followers may see that that I have colored in part of its
body using  my Prismacolor Premier pencil in Pomegranate.. 
                                                             ⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊

These are a few of  the complete set I own

from my coloring book days...

I first underlay with white; 

and then add a very light coat of the Pomegranate--

I am trying  to see if it makes

this butterfly part

stand out a bit more...

We'll see what this looks with the

deep maroon stitching over it...

But first I need to finish the black outlining...

Today, though, with our breezes 

and the showery weather 

it actually feels chilly 

on the deck 

so I will be stitching inside...

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

FYI guys:

You may want to hop on over to 

Dawn's blog

to see what she has made

for a G I V E  A W A Y

Really perfect for Autumn...

;))))

She is an amazing crafter....

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

And for you like-minded "foodies" :

Sunday dinner will be corned beef, cabbage and boiled taters...

Y U M M Y

Hugs to you all on this cloudy Sunday morning...

Julierose, La Blageuse 

(playing with 2.5" squares a bit-euse)

THE TEAR...

                             Here is my new diamond painting project.
                       This one is called "The Tear"--I 
                          thought it was appropriate for this 
                                  Covid  isolation time.....
                      (Note--The Tear--as in crying-- not ripping)

                          I have begun on the top left side which is the
                                    hair covering her right eye..
Lots of shades of yellows and peaches for the "blonde"..
                 so very close colors --which is a challenge...
                                 Here is what the canvas looks like:

                         A lot of what we call "confetti"...
                            S L O W,
                               meditative 
                                  placing on this one using 
                                     round diamonds....

Here is my new little, sparkley pen that I love because its barrel is
thick and easy to hold:

                             Also it is double ended...and really nice for               
                                 precise placing .....

And here is "Blue Moon" finished⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓

Waiting to be framed.

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

Poor Butterfly (No 2) 

      is all done

Here are the first two together...

I like that some are on an angle and others straight on...

Should be fun alternating them with fabrics...

My next butterfly will be all pinks and deep maroons...

I began the black x's along the outside this morning.....

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

No sewing today....

just a bit of reading blogs and 

looking around...

Stay safe, we are not done with this virus yet--

seems a lot of places are on the uptick...

;((((

Hugs on a much cooler afternoon

Julierose, La Blageuse (crating-euse)

BUTTERFLY DAYS...

                        It was a bit cooler this morning for a while;
                            so, I made my way out to
                                 my embroidery spot on our deck..

                               Took out my new hoop and Orange
                                             Butterfly....

                   Set up my little Vera Bradley pouch that I just love....

And began to stitch:

                                  I always wax my thread as it really 
                                     helps with any potential
                                           knotting or tangling...

                                            and began stitching...

I do so enjoy the repetitiveness and preciseness of getting the needle
right on the "X' lines...slowly finding the exact spot....

Most of my life I spent practicing my piano for hours a day--
[My degree is in piano pedagogy...]

The repetitive nature of learning a piece 
and the preciseness of the rhythms therein always satisfied me.

Now that I can no longer play because of my 
hand/thumb/arm problems, I found 
that there were many long hours to fill...

And so came quilting, embroidery, diamond painting...all requiring 
the same types of patient skills. 
these have helped to fill that void for me...

                               Making ,,,,,,, Slow,,,,,,,Progress,,,,
                                      I need to still slow down more
                                           as you can see from some
                                              "missed" placements...
                                                   ;)))))
********************************************

Last year we slashed our huge, overgrown hydrangea down almost to the
ground...and look what has happened to a bush we thought we would
end up having to dig out↧↧↧↧↧↧

                                      It is going to bloom for us...;)))

***************************************************
                                                AND.....

                                      We planted this magnolia 
                                       (supposed?) tree 2 years
                                                    ago....
Does anyone know if we should be trimming this somehow and/or
feeding it??? We did have some flowers early in the Spring this
year...but it looks more like a bush than a tree...??????

************************************
Our cul-de-sac is still being torn up during water pipe replacements...
it looks like a patchwork quilt with torn up sections, tarred areas and
trenches filled with gravel--travel is perilous at best...;000

I hope you are all healthy and staying safe...💓💓👵😷😷

Hugs from my presently hot and humid area
Julierose, La Blageuse (Summer-embroidering-euse)

POWER ON--YES!!!

Our power is finally back on ;))

as of 4 a.m. just this morning...)

(New Blogger-- N O T !!😡)

Tropical Storm Isaias slammed the whole State of Connecticut

Badly.....

Over 800,000 people with no electricity, internet, cable

or phone since last Tuesday afternoon....;(((

SO.....

We resurrected our camping equipment 

for cooking 

↓↓↓↓

Tom cooked spaghetti for us one night

and we used the stove to boil water for

washing dishes...

And, sadly, this is what's left of my lovely lilies ;(((

We do have a generator, but the problem was

finding gas...as a lot of the streets were

impassable for a long time...

But hey, we've survived and no trees have

fallen on our house...

We are just totally exhausted..

[Sorry if I haven't gotten back to a lot of you

commenters....]

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

A N D ....👺👹👽👾👿💀

I have HAD to revert back to Blogger Legacy as 

my New Blogger's home page

is a M E S S !!

I cannot remove the changes that appeared on it

out of the blue:

Everything is coming out blue, double spaced and underlined

and pictures are tabbed to the left...

When I go to the top to change things they

won't "UNDO"!! 

I cannot change any fonts like I just

did here so easily....

S  I  G  H

I am too tired to deal with it for now....

😷😪💣💤

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

Here is a new project I had begun

before all this upheaval hit us

↧↧↧↧

"Grandmother's Fan"

A summer wall hanging in progress...

I shamelessly co-opted Beth Sibley's 

project from her Youtube video 

{"My Sewing Room" on youtube}

colors and all...;)))

I just love how this block looks like

A U G U S T

Doesn't it???

So much for not starting any new projects...

*****&&&&&&&&&&&*****

I hope any of you in the storm's path 

came through safely. 

Stay vigilant, and don't forget 

Covid is still very much with us all...

Hugs from a recovering,

Julierose, La Blageuse (catching-up-euse)

A BRIEF DIAMOND PAINTING OVERVIEW

A few of you have asked to "see" a diamond painting canvas

in progress....

Above↑↑↑↑ I have uncovered a small area to be "painted".

 And, here I am adding a diamond (or drill as they are also termed)

to my canvas with the specialty pen. 

I have only uncovered a small area to be filled

because the canvas is SUPER sticky in order to hold 

the diamonds really securely.....

I just press the diamond  lightly onto the correct symbol.

(Above I was using the "&" symbol which in

this picture is gray, and No. 5 in my little marked boxes below)

 

Here is the "key" to the colors along the side↓↓↓↓↓

[And to the left is a section all filled in]

This chart is set up exactly like a  cross stitching chart would be

and the colors used 

are the exact same as those on the DMC (floss) chart...

Here is the "pen" with the little tube at the end that

you fill with sticky wax in order to 

pick up each little diamonds...

Here are all my colors for this canvas 

ready to be poured into the tray that has 

one funnel end for replacing those not used in the area you have uncovered...

You can see that in the above photo..

There are 25 separate colors in this canvas...

and I have been attaching No. 5...

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

This is just a brief intro to Diamond Painting and 

just how I do it...there are a 

GA-ZILLION 

Youtube videos out there 

if you are interested...that go into a lot more detail..

[And this is probably as clear as MUD!! 

It is always easier to show someone in person

that to write it all out, I feel   ;))))]

I totally enjoy this craft and so far have framed 2

paintings using simple frames from Michael's...

In a previous posting I have shown my little 

corner station set up...

(labelled "Blue Moon")

I just love these colors in "Blue Moon"

and that is what drew me to this one --

that and i love depictions of the moon....

I hope you are staying safe if you are in the path of this tropical storm...

We are getting some wind and a bit of rain so far

but the tornado watch has expired for us...

Thankfully.....

Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (diamond-painting-euse)

NEWSY: FLIMSY and FLOWERS et al

"Falling Stars" flimsy...

Full of:

Autumn leaves and varied skies...

Barn doors and apple harvests..

[Can you believe it's August already???]

I need to let this percolate on my wall for a while...

so I can stare at it and catch glimpses as I

walk by my sewing room...

Thinking about borders...

Or not....

and backing...

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

Here is ----  TAH-DAH:  

My latest "first time" bloomer

Isn't she just beautiful???

And

Aren't these just the most luscious colors???

Thinking of :

Ripe juicy peaches, deep maroon eggplants,

fresh green lettuces.. 

And my big lily on the corner

really like a bush now

Just loving those ruffled edges 

and pale green stem shadows...

soft peachy, roseate petals...

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

Hoping that this upcoming tropical storm won't decimate them all...

So enjoying gazing at them while sipping my 

cuppa Vanilla Chai...

and dipping my "Langues de Chat" cookies

(literally cat's tongue;}}} )

in the tea...

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

Tom and I did the grocery run during early senior hours this morning...

He drives and waits in the car to help me unload...

(our store only allows one person per family at a time);

and Tom bought gasoline for our generator 

just in case that tropical storm  turns out

to spawn power outages...

Seems we will be on the windy side now...

↶↷↶↷⥵⥴⥳

;000

And...so it goes...

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

I have had to put my hand quilting aside as I have developed a

huge blister on my thimble finger..;000

I had been using the rubber, metal-tipped thimble...

now I don't know if that is a good idea...

Or if using the heavier thread for big stitching

put an extra strain on my fingers....

as it is sometimes really hard to pull it through...

I also have those little sticky pads in my 

hand working stash...

I may try those when I can get back to it.

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

Tonight's supper will be leftover chicken and rice casserole

which reheats beautifully...

And that's all the news that's fit to print today;)))

Stay safe and cool 

(It's SAUNA HOT here today)

Julierose, La Blageuse (resting-up-euse)