BEFORE THE DEER--and AFTER THE STORMS

 

I ran out early this morning to see the blooms begin 

on all my day lilies

BEFORE

the deer prance in and 

eat them all up 

for their dessert!!

We only had 0.11" of rain overnight,

but there was a lot of thunder and

lightning flashing around...

Enough so that it woke us up to

sit a bit @ 3 a.m. in the

living room watching the 

sky show for a while--

Then we went back to sleep--

or at least I did--My DH has

sleeping problems at the best of times,

so he only rested and got up early.

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

I am finding that I miss my sewing machine

more than I could've imagined...

So, I am doing a clean-up,

a bit at a time and also

checking out blocks I could make

with my whittled down stash and 

scrappy bits...

Visualizing is not my forte,

so I really have to actually

"MAKE" a block to see how

I like it in the flesh, so to speak!

 I am finding that a lot of blocks really 

only lend themselves to big quilts

and I am not good at scaling down--

or I don't like how they look 

after that process!!

We are pretty much staying inside today 

as between the heat, humidity and

smokiness leftover in our air,

it is nasty out there...

Like a 

SAUNA!!!

I hope your weekend is a good one

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(searching-euse)

  

NO-SEW-A-THON, et al

 

Helga's spot is all cleaned and waiting

for her return from her Spa Treatment.

So, no sewing going on here...

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

Here are some shots of my day lilies

just coming into flower:

and

They are so pretty and never fail each year...

This big daylily is about ready to

burst into bloom...

So full of buds...

I hope the deer can pass up this

dessert!!

And 

Here are the marigolds I

started from seed...

Coming along nicely...

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

I have been trying to get my room really

organized and cleaned up while Helga is

away....

And

I am trying to eat higher amounts of protein

at each meal which requires some

planning...

What are you up to these hot, humid days?

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

{keeping-busy-euse}

 

 

RAINING CATS AND DOGS ,et al

 

As you can see above!!!

We have not had more than .03"

up to today...

Whoa--unfortunately we are having

a few little roof leaks in our tv room....

 ****************************

And, in honor of this very welcome rain

[except for the leaks, of course!],

I un-earthed my old applique

{very} long term project:

↴↴↴↴

Moon, Garden, Stars...

A Jan Patek pattern...

I am so in love 💙💙💙with this 

project--why didn't I finish it?????

Isn't that the burning question??

👀👀👀

[Lizzy, I didn't forget this one ;)))]

Here is my version so far:

I laid it out to see what needs

to be done next...

The white cardboard templates indicate fabric to be

cut and turned before I can sew this one...

So<<<

Cross bars, kitty, house, 

chimney, door, windows,

and our Eagle...

And

what fabrics will look best...

Luckily, [and unusually!}, 

I had put all my chosen fabrics

in the storage box along with the 

instructions, too.  For once,

I did the right thing!! 

Let's see if I still like my

 choices though!!

Quilting is so all about

DECISIONS!!

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

Pavement Blocks is all pin basted

and now I can set up Helga for

machine quilting...

I have 4 pieces to work on...

Just finished this morning...

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

Meanwhile it is still pouring down outside

Now: 3.86"

We may even get over 4" before this is over...

so far our cellar is dry...

Fingers crossed that it will stay that way...

I hope you are staying dry inside today if you

are having this deluge of rain...

Hugs, 

Julierose, La Blageuse

(pondering-euse)

P.S.  Over 4" right this minute!!

👹👀

THURDAY TABLETOPPER PROGRESS, et al

 

Pavement Blocks is all layered and

ready for pin basting...

Just getting that backing and

batting to size and laying it out really

exhausted me!! 

👀👺👀

It's the bending over, I think!!

Before i can even think of machine quilting

this one or sewing anything else,

I have to clean HELGA! 

It's been 7 months since I did;

she was stuttering along on my

final backing seam line--just

just made it before she really

clacked at me!!

👿

Hope to get to that tomorrow as my

back has had enough 

bendy-bendying...

;)))

:000

:&&&)

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

Here is my beautiful beautiful

lavender that never disappoints

me!  Every season it blooms and

the bumblebees just love it

I was hoping to capture a bumblebee, but when I approached

they all staggered away in their

drunken flight laden with my lavender's nectar...

This color is SO intense--I can't seem to catch it on

my phone's camera...but it is just amazing!! 

Mother Nature at her best...

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

Jeff took the girls-- Willa (L) and

Fiona (R)-- to Fenway Park

to catch a game.  

[Aren't they growing up fast??]

They do this every year 

when school gets out...

I do love my girls and their 

Dad and Mom, too.

Willa is now enrolled in

horseback riding camp and

can now canter....

I hope to get pix of that!!

💜💙💖💕💝💞

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

Our "feel like" temp right now is

99 degrees--talk about

humid and sultry and muggy

and close and, and...can I

come up with any other words

that describe why we are

staying  in our AC today???

I hope you are enjoying what your

day brings to you, life is

so short and goes by so

quickly..

grab that golden

ring and keep it in

your heart...

hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(pin-basting-machine-cleaning-euse)

ABJJ and PAVEMENT BLOCKS, et al

 

I have decided to join in on the latest

"Junk Journal July" 

(featured by "Meg Journals"

 on You Tube)

using

Meg's prompts each day.

 

[above is her prompt list I am looking 

over in the 1950's photo of me--

with my newly 

permed hair and my green and white

beloved dressy dress:))) ]

{ABJJ= Altered Book Junk Journal}

I will not be doing a full-page spread

for each prompt, but rather

 just a small element 

for each one.  

Here are the first three 

all on the left hand side of my page:

↧↧↧↧

Bottom left girl is No. 1-

directly above is No. 2 : the 

lovely flowers, and 

No. 3 which is "negative space"...is

the girl with her shadow...

(you can enlarge photos if you want

a closer view).

BTW I had to look up

"negative space"...;)))

I drew and water colored my 

"Moon Phase Goddesses" when

I prepped my pages a while ago...

And.....

I am also journaling a bit for each addition.

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

Here is my Pavement Blocks flimsy

which i finished sewing together this morning...

I am thinking that I want some kind

of border around them....

AND

Here are the 3 sandwiched and layered

pieces waiting for me to get PB 

ready for quilting along with

them...

Blue charms (R), Scrappy Log Cabin (M),

and the older Christmas runner (L)

that's been on hold for ages:

Here is the reverse side

of that Christmas piece--

You everyday followers may recall that

I made 4 of these and gifted 3--

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

It is a very humid and hot "in between"

long weekend day before the 4th

tomorrow...

We are having grilled hot dogs with

onions and the works and 

I made German Potato Salad for

our side...

So far we have been in the (blessed!) AC

and plan to stay in for the better part

of today.

I hope you are enjoying your long weekend

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(looking-for-a- border-fabric-euse)

USING-IT-UP-SEWING PROJECTS, et al

 

Blue Charms is all layered up,

pinned, and ready to be quilted.

I've used up all of my long-hoarded

peacock feathers fabric...

I've kept all of my very favorite

fabrics after the de-stash;

and now I will be using them...;)))

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

Here is the Scrappy Log Cabin

flimsey:

↴↴↴↴

I decided that a center-matching

red border would contain

this one nicely...

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

And here is my latest progress on

the Pavement blocks; they are

in no particular order, and in fact,

I am not sure I like them all

that much right now...

I am hoping that more blocks

will help....????

Since I am working with scraps and

chunky leftovers, doing any

kind of an even number of

pinks, yellow, and greens

is really not possible.

I did pull some other lighter

pinks from my pink bag,

and a few more greens, and I

will try to add them to the mix.

  

Each pair, if you want to match them up,

require {8} 3.25" cut triangles.

(I need that extra little bit--

.25 of an inch--

 to get the blocks to measure 

4.75" inches);

the centers are 3.5" squares.

&

?????????????????????'s

Should all the yellow centers

 be lined up together

and all the greens etc.???

Or staggered?? 

OR...

Should all the corners 

be the thing

to match?

What are your thoughts??

👀😕👀

YIKES...

I guess trying to figure this

out before all the blocks are sewn is

next to impossible...

At least for me it seems to be...

And so I will continue to sew these

up until I run out of leftover

scraps....

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

We had a rainy morning and now

the sun has come out to make

it VERY humid 

Here is a shot of our weather station..

When that Dew Point climbs up into

the 70's our AC goes on and we

GO INSIDE>>>

I hope you are getting some sewing in today...

Hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(debating-euse)

FRIDAY FLOWERS, et al

 

My belated birthday present

from Jeff, Lin, and

the girls--

isn't it just gorgeous?

I thought it was a mini petunia--

but, as you can see, it

 is a 

"Calibrachoa".

It requires full sun for at least

6 hours a day and plenty

of water;

but no dead-heading is

necessary!!

Here is the tag in my

Altered Book Junk Journal

I drew at little mushroom for company

and then added some cut out mag pieces...

I put the care tag on this page

so I can remember what it is...

Here is a close up of these lovely blooms.

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

In other sewing news..

I have finished my 12 

scrappy Log Cabins:

They are just put up on the

order I finished them--

willy-nilly--; 

and

most likely I will want

 to re-arrange them...

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

Here are the Pavement blocks

I've finished so far:

↶↶↶↶

I am liking that "spark"

of yellow in there so far...

I cut more yellow, darker pink,

and green blocks and

triangle corners this

morning. 

These will be my

weekend sewing...

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

Tonight our dinner will be my

Chicken and Rice casserole

which is all prepared and ready

to go into the oven at 4 pm for a 

5:30-ish meal...

YAY

No 4'oclock prep!!

😇

I wish you a happy weekend 

from under

our partly cloudy skies

and growing humidity...

Hugs, Julierose,

La blageuse

(sewing-happily-euse)