a change of scenery

About three years ago we started to seriously think about moving from our house, knowing to continue to live on 4 levels as we age was not a good idea.
We knew there was much to do before it could happen so we started with some home improvement projects. Redoing the yard, cleaning out the basement, fixing the garage, painting rooms. 

The past year has been a ramp up of activities as we have made plans to buy an apartment.  

In all this, I have thoroughly enjoyed my fool's errand of trying to sew my way out of the attic. The solids on prints series of quilts is a major part of it. I can use fabrics that have nothing in common other than I liked them enough to purchase them or take them off the hands of friends. 

They are rather mindless in their sewing techniques, allowing my thoughts to wander and contemplate many issues. And they are a riot of color that makes me smile. 

As I pack up my sewing space, I am so grateful for the creativity it nurtured. I cannot, and really, don't want to take everything with me. For a while I re-homed books and fabric and unfinished projects. Now, I am just binning up what I don't want and donating it. I will offer some old quilts I took in from friends' families to other quilting friends. I realize I have too many quilts of my own to add all of these to my children's duty someday, so it is time for others to take care of them. 

Thirty years. More thank half my life. Most of my adult life. 

I will enjoy these last months on LeClaire.  Several quilts yet to be made in the attic!

woven

While finishing up the needed blocks for the times quilt I am cutting for the next solids on prints quilt.
Going very simple here with a woven block. Block finishes 8 inches.
Solid: 2 rectangles cut 1 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches
Print: 3 rectangles cut 2 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches

Life is busy now with packing up the house, classes in full swing, trying to visit my mom, and just the day-to-day activities.

A simple quilt is just the sewing I need to help keep me calm.

circa 2016 Temecula Quilt Co. sew-a-long

Temecula Quilt Company sew-a-long Circa 2016. 
All blocks done. 
All rows sewn. 
Lots more work left to do.

Center blocks finish 2 1/2 inches. Others finish 3 inches. She gave instructions to make two of most blocks. I made four so I would have the option of making a bigger quilt and knew I wouldn't want to make a mass of them at the end. I only had to make 11 more to come to this size. 
Hers was set on point and was adorable. With the extra blocks I didn't want to think that much and mathematically a straight set worked with the center medallion, so I went with that.

The setting squares are a bit of serendipity.
The fabric is from my late neighbor Lorraine's stash. It is a civil war era reprint and I believe it is a mis-strike as the color is off a bit. Little rosebuds on a blue ground. I cut the piece into 3 1/2 inch squares thinking I would substitute in another fabric for where I didn't have enough. I had just enough for the exact number of squares needed. If I had squared up a strip 1/8 inch more it would not have worked.

There are several favorite blocks. Here are a  couple.

may you live in interesting times...

The plus/times quilt decided to be times.
On point is working out well, but is a pain in that I need to think as I put it together rather than mindless sewing that I usually enjoy in making blocks into a top.
I thought I had made too many blocks.
Apparently, not.