Progress

Do you remember my newly painted yellow closet?

Well the last of the shelves finally went up and I was able to move 62 bolts of fabric onto the lower one.

Yup, 62.

These are not full bolts by any means. I brought home empty cardbord from a friend's fabric shop and proceeded to wind anything I had 2 or more yards of onto the bolt. Then I wrote the yardage on the top and whether or not it was washed.

Keep in mind that some of this stuff has been packed in bins for 10-15 years. I had no idea what I had . . . but now I do.

Hopefully soon I'll be able to start using it up. Now that would truly be progress.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Valentine's Day gives us a wonderful chance to . .

. . . decorate all over again.


This heart-shaped, hand-made bowl was purchased years ago.

Being a quilter, I'm permitted to change my mind about color any day of the week, month, or year. Thus, I decided that pink and white goes with red . . .

. . . . pink and muslin goes with pink and white,

. . . heart patterned placemats are especially cheery,

. . . and red and white quilts brighten up the day any time.

What can you find in your cupboard to chase away the winter grays?

Until then, keep stitchin' . . . .

Here's another easy way . . .

to use up odd muslin strips.

Trim your leftover muslin into 2" strips. Length does not matter. Place the strip down first, then place 2" red squares on top. Use up whatever squares you have, sewing a 1/4" seam.

Before cutting, iron open each square, pressing seam allowance under darker square. Place on cutting board and trim evenly with ruler aligned vertically on seam line. (This way, if your red squares are a bit wonky, the size will come out evenly.)

Attach units in horizontal, then vertical rows to create any size wall hanging or table runner. It can be larger or smaller, and can even go to a favorite Valentine.

Here's Dolly looking fluffier than ever. Her coat is so thick now I have to wipe her down with a dryer cloth, as she carries so much electric static with her. Now everyone can get a "charge" out of Dolly!

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Back to baggies.

The day is cloudy and gray making it difficult to get a good photo, but I couldn't wait to share.

By delving into 4 baggies and re-thinking blocks started for other quilts, sections assembled for borders for other quilts, and various HST's and 4-patches cut down to 2-1/2 inches, I came up with this. Of course, having an odd assortment of muslin pieces in my muslin bin helped. Everything was starched well, making cutting and assembly much easier.

Size of 16-patch blocks after trimming: 8-1/4". Size of muslin pieces: 3-1/2 x 8-1/4. Size of 4-patch corners: 3-1/2". Size of quilt: Around 78 x 67, perfect for snuggling on a cold, gray winter's day.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Considering the drought . . .

that we had 3 summers ago,

. . . another 7-10 inches of snow is certainly welcome, so long as I don't have to drive anywhere.

Luckily, Dolly and I can stay home and enjoy the scenery. One of us, however, appreciates the close-up view. LOL

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .