oooops! & More Holly Jolly

As you can see by looking at the blocks here, just when you think you're being soooo careful-lookee what happens. This is a perfect illustration of why working with stripes is a little hairy. I even cut out all the components in advance and laid them out in the pattern and still screwed it up. Well, even though they probably wouldn't have me, I guess I may qualify for the Quilt Mavericks group without even trying. Wonky blocks are us!Gwen Marston would be proud. I will keep going and try not to screw up too much more although, in the spirit of having at least one more wonky block(just to make it seem like I meant to do that-Haa!)I may screw up another this afternoon. Watch and see, now that I want to make a wonky block I won't be able to do it to save my life.

In the process of getting all the pieces cut nice and neat and lined up I committed a cardinal sin of quiltmaking. Thou shalt not leave they rotary cutter open or try to do something with it open in your hand. I gave myself a good nick on my left index finger by doing just that. The thing about a cut with a rotary cutter is that initially a small itty bitty nick goes almost without notice until the bleeding starts. You would have thought I hit an artery for cripe sakes. I am now bandaged and I think I'll have a cup of tea and a calming break before I begin again.

Since I couldn't wait to break open this fabric till I had an actual plan-I goofed around and made this little star. I will probably make a multiple bordered little quilt out of it just for fun.

Not much else happening here-the weather is stormy again and it's starting to affect my sinuses with a big time headache. Maybe I'll have a couple of tylenol with that tea. Later gators

Holly Jolly quilt & Good Reads

I got all my packets of Holly Jolly fabric out and decided I needed a little bit of a challenge. So many of the things I've made lately have been simple squares and quick fixes that I wanted to make a block with these fun fabrics that was a little more complicated. It's a modified flying geese and I'm having fun. It takes a bit of paying attention. The picture is clickable. Complicated is a good thing since it keeps me away from snacking and food in general. I'm trying to set a better example for the family. That's really hard. Anyway, I know this little quilt will be very bright and cheery for the holidays. Which holidays are yet to be seen since if you're familiar with my work habits that could translate to some Christmas in the distant future. I'm trying to keep it real and hope to see it up on the wall this year.

If you're a murder mystery fan like me, here are to of my favorite standbys. Janet's books are like eating popcorn. Nothing fancy about them and they make you laugh in the bargain. She's found an interesting formula, in the style of Sue Grafton's ABC Murder series. These are much less complicated and the sort of thing you want to read when your brain hurts. Faye Kellerman is a big favorite of mine and I've loved nearly everything she has written. I'm not crazy about the series that started a couple of years ago which highlights the daughter of the detective in her other books. Can't say why, but I just didn't love it and I love Faye's books otherwise ever since she wrote "Ritual Bath", one of the best books describing that Jewish tradition as part of the mystery. I spent some time as a child living with a Jewish family who kept Kosher and followed the wonderful, rich, tradition that is followed in that faith. Faye Kellerman knows her stuff and has, in my opinion, added a very rich layer to an already great murder mystery. This is a good one. In fact, in recent years, I think Faye has outdone her husband Jonathan Kellerman, another of my favorite writers. The last few books of his were good but a little ho hum. These are, as I said, fun books. A bit of light summer reading.

I must get back to the flying geese and the Holly Jolly....and, of course, the omnipresent laundry drudgery.

Hope you have a laundry-free day and a good read!

Stormy Weather & Quiltathon

This is about all I accomplished for the Quiltathon. Life has just gotten in the way. I began this as a piece for over the bed in our room several years ago. It has been a learning experience for what not to do and why the rules are sometimes very important. I am the Queen of not reading directions and also the Queen of carelessness. Does it matter if you do paper piecing and not all the paper is off the seams-YES! yes it does. Especially if you plan to hand quilt it. Does it matter if you don't trim the multiple layers behind the paper carefully? YES! It does matter and if you don't you will have a big hairy mess of fabric to try and pull a needle through resulting in many un-lady-like angry words and bloody fingertips. I have a dear friend who loves this piece and it is pretty so I can't seem to let it go. Stitches have been ripped out and it looks like I may just tie it to death. Possibly just outline quilting the lanterns. It will always remind me of how important basics are and a shortcut will cost you in the end. "Sloppy work habits are us!" That's my new motto. Well...that and stop eating crappy food, but I digress. This is the only Quiltathon-type work I accomplished but I was sewing along with you all. Sorry about that Judy. I will be prepared for the next one.

Yesterday, we had another wild summer storm. Not all that unusual for summer by the sea. This one, however, was very violent but not in the usual way. First it got so dark I couldn't see from one room to the other. It was like midnight. Then the wind kicked up and thunder & lightening....but wait....what's all that noise??? Wow, it's walnut and quarter-sized hail coming down in buckets. It banged and pinged off of the roof and the noise of it hitting my car didn't make me feel too good about the possible pits in the gelcoat. The yard looked like it does after a hurricane. Branches and leaves and actual walnuts all over the place. I grabbed the phone and a pillow and got ready to head to the basement since they were warning of tornadoes. It was a doozy. I never had to go to the basement, thank goodness, but it did give me the creeps..a lot!After it ended the air was so clean and it was chilly. The temp. was about 63. That's unheard of in August on the Island. Real crisp fall-like air. Just beautiful. When Roger came home he found the garbage can but the lid was about 3 blocks away in a stormy puddle of leaves where someone had kindly run it over several times.

The picture is clickable and that is big white blobs of hail. We didn't lose the power so I kind of enjoyed all the excitement.

I'm aiming for a more quiet experience today with some possible sewing thrown in.

Thanks for stopping by.