PICOTEE SPREE, et al

 

Three beautiful blossoms

and

more to come....

up top at least two more ready

to bloom; and on the base 

another one is starting

Such lovely shading 

and speckles 

on every petal;

and that light lime center...

It really lights up our room...

:)))))

 ****************************

Meanwhile,

my tulip stems are

 very slowly emerging..

I am debating repotting them

 in a container with soil...

?????

[the other vase was a 

complete failure,,

with rot setting in...;((((]

*********************************

After much hemming and hawing

and

trying all kinds of solids and

various prints in blues and grays

and yellows

I came upon this 

scrappy sunflowers

 cut off fabric.

I decided on this for 

the border.

Sunflowers really 

stand for late Summer

in my mind....:)))

I know it is a completely different

"feeling" to the rest of the piece,

but I kind of like it...

I will let it marinate on my wall

for a while, so I can peek

at it going by and sitting

at my machine...

********************************

In the meantime I am 

using "Go Baby" to die cut 

1.5" squares from scraps...

sorting them by color as best

I can--which with multi-colors

is not all that easy--

 as I am

sure you all know!! 

😟

AND...

I just received 3 "pencil boxes" from

Amazon and will mark them for

differing size squares:

1.5", 2" and 2.5" for

starters...

I have one more extra larger box 

{On top of the three}

which I plan to use for applique 

shapes--also die cut--and

ready to be fused...

I am attempting to re-organize 

my quilting life to fit my

physical limitations...

To move on....

💗

*******************************

It dawned pretty chilly this morning--

30 degrees with a brisk west

wind sweeping across our the skies...

I did my food shopping bundled up like

"Nanook of the North" as the winds

whipped through their parking lot right

off of the CT River...

[shocking food prices, I may say!!]

When I got home, after putting

groceries away and having 

a little mini-danish breakfast

treat with Tom,

we watched F1 (Formula One)

Practice One from Bahrain...

And so the 2024 Season has begun...

I hope you are all staying warm 

and cozy...

hugs, Julierose

La blageuse

(being-my-usual-cut-up-euse)

hahaha

NEXT , et al

 

Can you believe I actually did

a fabric pull for my next little project???

These will be for my Summer

 wall hanging......

nice, hot colors...;)))

Here is the first block that I began yesterday

the background looks gray but it is a deep

blue color [mimicking the sky in my mind].

Here I have made all four blocks and 

laid it out ready to be sewn 

together tomorrow...

These reds look like Summer to me--

perhaps a really hot, steamy day

in August..

The sashing is a gray/blue...

I really like any "fan" patterns and haven't

made any in such a long while.

Mom and I made a huge Grandmother's

Fan quilt for my first cousin, Jeannette,

long ago. 

We called  it "Chez Nous";)))

and used all vintage-looking florals... 

Since then, I 

haven't made another...

Jeannette has gone from us 

[way too early]

quite a while now

and I do wonder what 

has happened 

to this quilt...

Do you ever wonder where 

your gifted quilts

end up?

So much work and love and

good wishes that we put into them...

I often think about them...

and have to

 wonder????

***********************************

Look what PICOTEE did 

overnight.....

💓💖💝

It sent out another beautiful blossom...

they are opening up even more--

saucer like...

with more buds to come...

:)))

*******************************

After attempting to do my older PT

exercises yesterday, I feel very

sore today...I think

a nap is in my future this afternoon...

Hugs from a sunny shoreline

Julierose, La Blageuse

(still-sewing-euse)

"109 LITTLE SQ.S", et al

 

"109 Little Sq.s" is my little February finish.

.

It is hanging up in a little space by the

chimney in our side tv room;))))

This is really such a fun pattern to make;

I am going to be cutting little 1.5" squares,

as I sew other projects,

to make "seasonal" hangings for

this space...

This is the Autumnal version...

And

the first time I tried "diagonal 

cross-hatching...it came out

"so-so" but okay, I guess...

🙆

*********************************

PICOTEE AMARYLLIS

has decided to bloom overnight

for us...;))))

Right now it looks like a big, 

blowsy

tulip...

Here is a closer view of the bloom

I am excited to see how it will

fully open up...

I love those little reddish rims and

streaks on this one...;)))

You can see that there will be more

blooms coming, too...

I hope to be able to over-Summer

this one on my back deck and

have it for next year also...

********************************

Really a chilly morning here;

only 15 degrees--

I find it hard to believe that

next week they've predicted

high 50's for us.  

**************************

I am still persevering doing

just a smidgen of hand sewing

on my "Christmas Ojos #3" 

and doing one row every few days 

on my Granny Stripe Afghan...

**************************

Sunday dinner will be"

 corned beef brisket-- 

first cooked in my little 

slow cooker --

and then basted with a 

homemade  bbq sauce

and placed 

in my oven to brown up.

Served with 

boiled potatoes and

 a carrot salad...and

half-sour pickles...

Y  U  M  ;))))

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(resting-in-between-euse)

 

JUST A LITTLE SEWING, et al

 

A little taste of Spring 

in these

"Hugs and Kisses".

[again using leftover bits and bobs] 

I saw Wanda's quilt

she is making in flannels and

thought I'd give this pattern a

little whirl...

Thanks for the inspiration Wanda;)))

And

Speaking of Spring 

[which we are so looking forward to]

;))))

"Picotee" amaryllis is growing;)))))

Y A Y !!!!

I don't know if the stems are

usually this palest of greens

or not,  but the buds are

about to burst open...

I really had my doubts when 

it arrived in that

ghastly ghostly state...

I am so excited to see

 those blooms...

******************************

And 
Saturday, while looking through

boxes, I found a cache of 

1.5" little squares;

they seemed to be colors of

Autumn....

I need a little wall hanging

 in our tv room

so I fashioned this

little piece today....

We have a loden green sofa

 and a deep dark burgundy one

in that room...

I thought these

colors would be perfect!!

There are 109 little squares

in this piece...

[I saw a similar layout on

Beth's "My Sewing Room"

blog...]

I will be adding another border--

perhaps 2-2.5" wide of another

neutral to finish it off...

I don't usually work with sashings

and --are they called "spacers?"--

but this was a nice little

learning process for me...

I will be making other

seasonal ones now that I

"get" the measuring....😂

******************************

I was supposed to be getting

 a haircut today

B U T ...

has this happened to you?

💇

For years now I have had

a one(chin)length- bob

style which, because of my

fine hair, works really well...

Five weeks ago now

I came home with a chopped up

sort-of bob-ish style!!

VERY SHORT!!

AND 

feathered--

and

layered!!

I didn't ask for this and

just assumed she would

continue to style as before?

Did she get bored???

 

Why do hairdressers do this?

Was she not paying attention?

Aaaargh...

So I cancelled out today

giving myself another 2 weeks to

grow out a bit..

S T A Y  T U N E D.....

[And, anyone who knows me,

knows I HATE any kind of

confrontation....]

********************************

We had a lovely visit from our

 daughter, Candice,

yesterday--

her take on the hair

debacle......

"But, it does look

okay Mom"  

Being nice, I'd guess...

S I G H 

Hugs, on another cold

Wintry day here

Julierose,

La blageuse...

(back-to-sewing-euse)

 

WINTER, BULBS, et al

 

Here is our front yard; it is still snowing lightly, though my 

camera didn't capture it...

27.4 degrees and feeling very Wintry!

***************************************

I ordered an "on sale" amaryillis

from amazon that, when blooming,

should look like this:

SO PRETTY AND DAINTY!!

But.........

THIS 

is what

came:

Y I K E S 

It look like the "ghost" of an

Amaryllis!! 

👻👀

Nonetheless, 

I've watered it gently with

lukewarm water--it had been left

[by amazon delivery]

on our front step in the snow!!!!!

👽👿👹

The stems are turning a slight pale green

 so

hoping it will be okay...

Have any of you bulb growers

seen anything like this before????

**************************************

Meanwhile my tulip bulbs are

growing a treat;))))

sending up green shoots...

I love seeing this green against

our snowy landscape...

*******************************

I don't have any sewing to report --

and just one row of crocheting....

Hands are taking a long time to

recuperate....

Hugs,

Julierose,

La Blageuse

(watching-snowfall-euse)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, et al

 

My little Valentine's slow-stitched

beaded  heart is now 

sewn into

my  2024Junque Journal...

I can flip it up to journal underneath...

:)))))

My Pita Cracker Box 

Junque Journal

is getting to be

a "chunky monkey"

for sure....

↡↡↡↡

I think I will have enough room to use it

through April this year....

After that I can make another using

one of my saved emptied boxes for

the next 3-4 months....

Here are two pictures of prepared pages

featuring hearts for the future:

💖💝💗

↑↑↑this one also used part

of a label from 

 my favorite coffee blend from 

Starbuck's;))))

This  prepared page is in the

 April month's signature...

with journaling cards in the little

denim pocket...

******************************

and...

Here is the last page (L) of my 

January, 2024 signature;

followed by 

 the first page  

of February.'s

signature..

I used some fabric ruffles 

on the top and bottom here...

I don't always write a whole lot on each

page, but just something to recall 

what happened on those days...

I love working in this one...

such a free and easy

way to journal...

Hugs, 

Julierose, La Blageuse

(Happy-Valentine's- Day-euse)

SILENT SUNDAY...

 

NEED I SAY MORE....

👀👀👀

💋💋💋

😋😋😋

[pronounced "push-key]

hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(yummy-yummy-euse]

AND SO IT GOES...

Here are my 6 little tulip bulbs starting

to sprout; I ordered them from 

Amazon and they were ready to

be set in just water. 

I used taller containers to support 

the stems that I hope will 

eventually sprout...

😊👍

I have never forced tulips before--

so have my fingers crossed that

they will bloom....

**************************

On February 21st, 

Formula One's season will

begin (F1); we are looking

forward to watching another

season...

So......

Tom made me this funny little

picture :

[I have no idea how he did this;

he said he used "AI"]

↓↓↓↓

We can't wait for the fun

to begin!! 

;)))))

***********************************

there is no sewing being done here

as yet; my hands are still

pretty sore and shakey--so

I will be taking a bit of a break

and instead have been 

sorting my cut magazine images

into color envelopes for

glue booking.

*********************************

We are enjoying this spate of sunny weather

and warmer temps.

Today we went to the sports field

which has a .8 mile circular

track - and for the first time

since I was diagnosed with a 

herniated disk and had sciatica

along with it-- I was able to walk 

the whole circle.  

So encouraging...;))))

I hope you are all doing well and

i will be back with some sewing

news soon, I hope ;)))

hugs, Julierose

La blageuse

(sorting-euse)