Exploring the Boxes

Not much sewing going on around here lately.  I worked outside one day, and in the barn sanding some reclaimed furniture.  (Nothing to show for that yet.)  I have been working on the fabric I received from my MIL during the great basement clean out. You can read about it here.

Since most of the stuff from the MIL was dropped in the barn, and we were trying to get ready for the sale DH decided to bring in the fabric so I could sort through it.

Two big totes, and three boxes, as well as some fiberfill stuffing.

I opened a box and started.  In one small box I pulled out this pile.

All of this is yardage.  At least 3-6 yards.  Most of it are colors which were popular a few years ago, but they could come in handy as backings.  I thought they may be a blend, but I did the flame test and they are all cottons.

More yardage in smaller amounts and pillow ticking.  I figure I could save the pillow ticking and instead of buying pillow forms I will make my own using the ticking.  I had a bolt of polyfiber batting, which I tried to donate to the quilt guild but they decided they didn't want to use that kind anymore, so I will use it to stuff pillows.

I opened this box and there were oodles of cut up pieces.  They look like vintage sheets which had been cut up.  They were not square, some were cut up and had huge blank spaces in the middle and only small pieces of the motif, and you can see the lovely poison green looking fabrics.  There were also a bunch of HST that were sewn all wonky with some really neat fabrics.

I actually took them apart, and started sewing them together again, and I will square them up with my bloc_loc rulers.

I cut some 5 inch squares, and strips, 2 1/2 inch strips, 2 inch strips, and 1 1/2 inch strips, hexies, and tumblers.

Here you can see some of the tumblers that I have cut.  While cutting I have also been cleaning up my scraps. 

There is also some holiday cuts.  Isn't this cute with the bunnies and carrots?  I really need to be able to finish going through these boxes.  I am down to one full tote, another part, and one box.  I always wonder how people go through gift boxes of fabric so quickly and get it into their scraps systems etc.  Maybe I am too distracted with life to focus that much.

An Orange April

 Orange is the color of the month for April if you participate in the RSC.  I put on a big push to get them done early.

The Navajo block in oranges.  The dark is called longhorn, and the light is an apricot.  I mean apricot is light orange right?

Setting them all together love the secondary pattern where the corners meet.  I have been choosing the colors based upon colors I think of in the southwest.

Then a review of the rest of my blocks.

Twisted Blossom

Crown and Star

Saw Toothed Square

Fancy Foxes

Since I have this stuff done, maybe I need to start working on finishing some quilts for the quilt show, and the guild challenge. 

Oh Boy Spring Has Arrived!

We finally have managed to string together a few beautiful spring days.  No freezing temperatures overnight, or sudden snow/ice storms.

How can you tell?  Well our favorite frozen custard stand opened.  Yep it was the weekend of the snow/ice storm but we braved the cold for our favorite small business on opening day which was April 8th.

We decided to get a head start on our  pumpkins and planted them on the sun porch/mud room.

 Tomatoes got there start there too. 

We have actually had to transplant the pumpkins to larger containers already, and the tomatoes experienced the culling of the herd.

And we finally had some outside blooms.  Why is it that weeds and stuff grow so fast compared to everything else?  I am trying to decide if I should just give up on my ground cover and tear it all out and start again since there is so much grass in it. 

When I am not outside messing around in the yard I have been sewing.

 I laid out allietare, and started sewing the rows together. 

I also did the twisted blossom in Orange for the April RSC.

I am getting better at putting this block together.  Finally.

I'm thrilled that spring has finally seemed to arrive, yet I still have time to sew.

Weekend Cleanout

A couple of years ago the MIL basement flooded.  All I can say is Oh My!  DH did clean out one room, which was about 6 X 9 it was where his father used to escape from the family.  DH's dad liked to hunt arrowheads, and he had quite the collection, which he fussed with and mounted on boards.  At that time, one of the nieces cleaned out the summer canning kitchen, DH cleaned the furnace, and water heater area, and the niece and DH cleaned where the old laundry, and canning shelves were, but no one ever touched.....the dreaded craft room. 

Until this past weekend.  We took a trailer which was 8 X 20 and told the sisters if there is anything you want out of there you better get it out now. When it was all said and done we filled that trailer, to go to the dump, after all the stuff had been in a flood and sewer back up.  But there a few totes that were water tight.  What the MIL did not want and we thought was salvageable we packed up in the pick up and brought home to sort through.  Some we kept, some was donated, and some will go to the sale.

 A bolt of cross stitch fabric, enough batting for at least 3 lap quilts, and a roll of polyfil batting which will go to the quilt guild , 2 huge bags full of vintage linens (mine), 2 boxes full of doll making supplies (sale), a box of plastic canvas supplies (sale), I sent a shopping bag full of plastic lacing, and another bag full of ribbon home with the daughter.  A box full of lace and eyelet to be donated, 5 boxes of fabric (mine), 2  boxes full of supplies for making decorative wreaths (sale), a  box full of sequins and supplies to make beaded/sequin ornaments (sale), a  box full of supplies to make lighted Christmas decorations (sale), and 6 boxes full of needle punch thread and fabric for needle punch (you can see 3 of those boxes to the right  in the photo below, they are the ones which are about the size of those pizza making kits you get). Yes these too are going to the sale. 

There was so much we had to put some into the loft until the sale in 2 weeks.  Oh did I mention several lap weaving frames, quilting frames, and floral arranging supplies, and crochet thread, and craft books?  That does not include the 10 totes of beads, and bead craft supplies that the MIL could not part with, nor the 3-4 boxes full of crochet yarn for knitted dish clothes or  the 2 bags to be donated to the senior home.   When I say boxes these are big book boxes which are about 3 X 3 X 3 or those gigantic 30 gallon totes with lids. 

Some of the treasures that we decided to keep?

An old travel iron that had never been used. 

 A book of crochet stitches.

A 7-Up bottle opener, and a stainless steel tape measure. 

It is nice having her basement cleaned, and I scrubbed the floor and walls after we cleaned the room out, hopefully we won't have to have a clean out again because of a flood. 

Free Tax Day

I had a free day Monday.  No Finn---well except for the few minutes he graced my presence while I was loading his momma up with craft supplies from the barn--that is a story for another time. 

I got to work and I made this block for the friendship block at guild.

I then grabbed the fabric for the bag ladies block.

Finished up sewing all of these.

Those are all the blocks for Allietare!  I have 18 more units which are setting blocks since this quilt the blocks are set on point, then it will be ready for the layout and to be put together. 

I got more done, which I will share later.  The IRS gave taxpayers an extra few days to file, and I had a free day too!

Toodling Along

I really have been around, lurking, reading blogs, and toodling along sewing.

Farmer's Wife all the rows are put together, now I need to determine what color I want to border it with.  I am leaning toward a dark brown or the navy.

I finished putting these blocks together.

I started on these blocks.

The rest of them all ready to sew.

I think I got quite a bit done toodling along. 

So Ready for Spring!

I don't know about where you live, but we are still pretty cold here in the great state of Michigan.  Over the past week we have had snow, freezing rain, more snow, and just downright cold, and we are in Southern Michigan.  Mother Nature needs to evict old man winter from the area.  I have learned over the past couple of years that if I want to garden and not buy everything from the nursery, I must start some seeds on my own.

These are my tomatoes.  I had some old seeds which were San Marzanoes from Territorial Seeds these were 2 years old, and bought some new seed- Amish Paste from Jung seeds.  I think my old seeds were more successful so far. I planted 2-3 seeds in each solo cup. I had bought 2 big sweater boxes and I put them together to create a little greenhouse and they sit on the sun porch.  Once these seedlings get a bit bigger, I may try to transplant a couple into the cups where no seeds germinated, then I will have to thin the herd.  Usually in Michigan you can't plant until after Mother's Day, well Mother's Day is kind of early this year, and with our wacky warm, cold bi polar weather it may be almost the end of May before DH and I and eventually these guys will finally make it to the garden. 

I keep plugging along working on Allietare, and the farmer's wife.  I have also been working on cleaning up my scrap pile which seemed to be expanding, at least to me.  It was kind of nice to have DH say that he definitely saw the pile decreasing. 

I did get the saw toothed square block done for the RSC.

 Many of the fabrics which I have used for the RSC this month actually came from my stash.  Who knew I had that much orange?!?! 

All the blocks together.  I have been trying to stick with small flowers, vines, or leaves with almost a tone on tone, I love how they look together so far. 

I did do a little stash enhancement. 

'Cause of course I needed  solids the two at the far right, but then I saw the paisley, and the mums, and the ombre type scrolls, and the wacky looking plaid I just had to buy. 

Then in the mail yesterday Monday I received a package from my quilty friend Kris at Kris loves fabric.  A great big humongous thanks, and a hug from far away to Kris for the giftie. 

Aren't these delicious?  I will put one in my batik, orange, yellow and green quilt box (which I haven't worked on forever) a couple will go into my twisted blossom quilt, and some of the others will go into this crazy idea project that I have been messing with for the past couple of weeks when I am sorting scraps. 

Today it is sunny, but chilly, and windy.  I have the boys for the next few days while their mom works her new job so not too sure how much I will get accomplished.  I have to keep the boys because it is a little too cold for them.  I have one that is ending his cycle of medication because of an ear infection, and I have to be careful with the other two because their mom has mono and it can be contagious for quite a while and the only real prevention is to keep them well, and well rested.  Anyone else ready for spring? 

Lot of Sew, Not Much Show

I have been sewing a lot.  Really sewing, but not much to show for it.

I did make the Crown and Star Quilt block. 

 Crown and Star in orange, well maybe it is more peach. 

 All 4 blocks together.  

The sewing I have been doing is son the Allietare quilt, I have been putting the blocks together.

Here are 4 of them.  I have 30 to make, I think I have about 6 more to go, then off to the next set of blocks. 

I have also been working on getting the Farmer's Wife quilt put together.  I will say there is a lot of pinning so getting a row put together on point takes a while. 

While I don't have much to show, I have been doing a lot of sewing as of late.

Orange You Glad It's April?

Orange is the RSC color for April.  I did have a few oranges, but not a whole lot, but I did have enough to start on some blocks.

1 Fox walking through the woods, stealthy and quietly searching.

Fox 2 splishing and splashing through the creek.

The third fox is watching warily.

The fourth fox is hiding in the briars.

While fox number 5 searches for his siblings playing hide and seek.

Four more foxes to join the sibling which was made earlier this year.  Now I have my five foxes for April.