dead women's notions

I stopped by an estate sale a few neighborhoods away from ours after class this noon. My friend Sharon Sikes refers to the sewing supplies we find at estate sales and thrift shops as "dead women's notions".
I find myself at these estate sales tidying up their sewing areas. Today I had the workers move the cams boxes from one machine to the correct one. I made sure the right bobbins were with each.

Mrs. Kahler was a woman who loved her neighbors--she had a Altoids tin filled with clippings of estate sales, real estate listings, and death notices of her neighbors. A Sucrets tin held her labels for projects beyond what she completed.
There were lots of spools and buttons and an iron I was interested in but when plugged, didn't work.

So I came away with just this beautiful little Wiss scissors.
Violet, I will take good care of them and use them well.

circa 2016 sew-a-long--center completed

FINALLY, a chance to do a bit of sewing. Only knitting and some bindings have been worked on since February.
I stole away the morning to finish the center of the Temecula Quilts sew-a-long.
These blocks finish 2 1/4 inches. Instead of the instructed setting pieces, I cut the side triangles from 6 inch squares cut both ways diagonally, and the corner triangles from 4 1/4 inches squares cut diagonally once--but I should have cut those squares closer to 5 inches as they just barely fit. Then I squared it up to 14 inches and added the hourglass blocks.
I look forward to catching up on the 3 inch blocks.

Tulips are blooming and I'm wearing my new hand-knit socks.
Thanks, Janna for the bulbs, Seth for planting them, and Marcia for the socks!

Up in the roof--259 East Erie

Looking southeast.
Another in a series of rooftop views, this time from Green River restaurant.

hand knit orange socks!

Over the past few weeks I did some wound dressing care for a friend and in gratitude she knit me some socks!

up on the roof--255 South Franklin

Looking northwest.
Another in a series of roof top parking garage views.

visiting my quilts--confirmed

Today I visited my friend Marcia who was our oldest son's confirmation teacher. I made this and a duplicate quilt for the students to give the teachers.
So nice to see it in a place of honor in their dining room.
Made 2002.

up on the roof--5145 N California

Looking southeast

Another in a series of parking garage roof views

childhood dresser

When I was 10 years old, my mother bought this oak dresser at an auction and refinished it. I have used it ever since and love the familiar sound the handles make when they are released.

The bottom drawer needed to be lifted to close as the runners were broken.
Every time I closed it a bit of me would wonder why mom never got around to fixing that.
Until it dawned on me recently--this dresser was in her house for about 11 years.
I moved it with me to my first apartment at age 21.
Which means I have had possession of it for 36 years.
It long ago should have become why did I not fix it.

So, off this week to Time Treasures furniture restoration.
They repaired the runner and several drawer bottoms that needed work.

Mom's refinishing work is still in great shape so nothing to do there.

And, now it is off to Eve's apartment!

St Patrick's Day is a fine day for a wedding

1984

32 years ago!

up on the roof--221 West Adams

Looking north.

Another in a series of rooftop garage views.

when buying flowers, and orange is a choice, your decision is already made.

Gerbers from the farmers market in Carpinteria, California.

circa 2016 sew-a-long

Temecula Quilt Company is having another sew-a-long and I decided to join in even though it has those ridiculous 2 1/4 inch finished blocks in the center. I have most of them done now and look forward to the much more reasonable 3 inch blocks on the next round.

I must say these little blocks are adorable.

shoo fly, top completed

82.5 by 95 inches
block finishes 7 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches

The background is cut four pieces 4 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, two pieces 2 by 3 1/2 inches, and 2 pieces 2 by 4 1/2 inches.
The shoo fly is cut from solids, one square 2 inches, and four squares 2 1/2 inches.
The larger squares are sewn onto the larger rectangles in the sew-and-flip method.
Block is sewn in three columns. All pressing is away from the triangles.

In sewing blocks together, I only matched the corners, not the internal block seams.

My design--use at your pleasure!

shoo fly

I have again been working with the wonderfully ugly fabric scraps from the home furnishings maker. She makes lots of kitchen curtains and napkins, and also sews for nursery decorating. The scraps are such fabrics I think I would not choose myself, but, I have been able to pull many to join them from my own stash, so I must have a tendency to buy wonderfully ugly fabrics.

I drafted a block that finishes 9 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches and has a floating shoo fly.

The background is cut four pieces 4 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, two pieces 2 by 3 1/2 inches, and 2 pieces 2 by 4 1/2 inches.
The shoo fly is cut from solids, one square 2 inches, and four squares 2 1/2 inches.
The larger squares are sewn onto the larger rectangles in the sew-and-flip method.

I am aiming big on this quilt--probably setting it 11 by 10 to finish 82.5 by 95 inches.

seeing stars sew-a-long, top completed

Seeing Stars sampler
80 by 99 inches

Turning Twenty had a sew-a-long Seeing Stars. I altered their set a bit, making extra blocks to make my version work. I used several yellow solids for the block backgrounds and found this fun yellow floral for the setting blocks and borders.
It was a fun sew--I look forward to seeing more versions.

visiting my quilts--tea at Sharon's edition

My neighbor Sharon and I try to meet for tea each a week. The sun in her house this morning was so lovely, and lead to me getting beautiful pictures of how she displays two of my quilts. 

Pepper the Dog approved.

stars sew-a-long

Turning Twenty had a sew-a-long and I kept up! I am now setting it together, playing with the setting a bit to make best use of my fabrics. I am making some extra blocks to make my adaptation work.

It really is a lovely pattern and is available:

https://www.turningtwenty.com/store-detail.php?cat=80&ID=15

red cross

57 inches by 70 inches
block measures 4 1/2 inches finished

I pieced this in 2010 in celebration of 30 years in nursing. And, finished it in 2015 in celebration of 35 years!
Crosses are made from deconstructed red plaid shirts

Crosses are cut from 2 inch strips to 2 inch squares and a 5 inch rectangle
Sashing is cut 3 1/2 inches, finishing 3 inches
Borders cut 4 inches, finishing 3 1/2 inches
Bound with red solid

And, faculty week is over, so I am back with students in the classroom, clinicals, and the lab.

visiting my quilts--a churn dash

We spent new year's eve with friends who several years ago gave us a beautiful week at their dacha when I was recovering from surgery. In thanks I gave them this churn dash quilt.

Blocks finish 7 inches, with the triangle squares finishing 2 inches and the center square finishes 3 inches, the strips finish 1 by 3 inches. (triangles cut from 2 1/2 inch strips with ez angle, center cut from 3 1/2 inch square, strips cut from 1 1/2 inch cut, then into 3 1/2 inch segments.)

jack and jill--a quilt for Beth

Jack and Jill. Measures 60 " by 78".

Made with rectangles cut 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches (finish at 2 by 4). I ran out of the teal and decided to keep going with the strong yellow. I debated what was the top of the quilt and the yellow kept saying it belonged on the bottom.
Backed with a delightful toys fabric given to me by a quilting friend--when I showed her how I used it she said she could not for the life of her figure out why she gave it away.

I usually don't like cute quilting patterns, but this tumbling boys and girls continuous line one seemed made for this set. Quilted in red.

For my sister Beth with whom I spent many times rolling down the hay and straw bales in the haymow.