About Me

My photo
Shoreline, CT, United States
I would love for you to join me (a retired senior)in my zany crafting adventures with quilting (waaaaay too much fabric); scrapbooking (will I ever catch up?); redwork; counted cross stitch; crossword puzzles; reading; and cooking.

Friday, June 28, 2024

TWO QUILTLETS FINISHED, et al

 

My machine sewing thread arrived yesterday
so i was able to finally bind my
"August Zinnia"...

I used some leftover dotty strips for the 
binding in various colors
I liked how the colors mimicked the circle....

And:

"Hugs & Kisses"
is also all bound
I was able to find some 
garden-like fabric for the borders
and used up
the rest of my green/white
hydrangea fabric to bind this one...
I even like how the back came out...
I have just a very few strips of that pretty
rose fabric left....
I hope to showcase in somehow in
a future project....

****************************
Here is a picture of blocks from 
that I'd like to try...

I think they are just darling
;)))))

******************************
Our weather has cooled down a whole lot
overnight....
Only 51 this morning and now a 
low DP of 50 has led to our
deck sitting...

I hope you have a wonderful
weekend....and can get some
fun sewing time...

hugs, Julierose
La blageuse
(finishing-up-euse-projects)









Thursday, June 27, 2024

BATTING BOOK: PAGE THREE IN PROCESS, et al

 

To the right is my sky fabric which I have
"invisible basted" down--
for my next page which I am calling:

"Earth, Sky"

"Earth" layers upon the sky---
yet to be sewn and decorated.

I crinkled up the old sari ribbon and
added metallic beads on the
ribbons; all were laid over
the "gray soil" fabric to mimic
the earth...and its core...

Here is what the two facing pages
will look like...I will be doing some
satin stitching on some of the
 sky's clouds to add a bit of definition...

[I would like to figure out how to add
title labels to each page also..
any suggestions??.]

******************************
And...
Here are a few of my front garden bloomers:

Every year, like clockwork,
my beautiful lavender
blooms and attracts many
bumblebees...;

My asiatic lilies by the big rock ;

The first lily bloom along my front walk
resting in the prolific ferns...

AND...
My big corner lily is all budded out;
I hope after last night's 2" of rain that
it will be blooming soon....

I have a question for you:
Our entire yard, front and back,
is loaded with clover--But, 
why haven't we seen
any bees gathering their honey?????

Is our honey bee population in trouble? 
does anyone know???

Hugs, Julierose,
La blageuse
(still-stitching-euse)














Monday, June 24, 2024

A SMALL FINISH, et al

 

Strawberry Moon
June 22, 2024

A finished page in my batting book...
And.....
Here is my little page's "story":

I finished stitching the "cosmos" surrounding
my moon this morning...

And then added 
a little bit of "shirring" on the bottom
"waves" fabric to indicate 
the ocean's movement
under this full moon...

It all began like this:
↓↓↓↓

Just a simple idea....;)))
But,,,,
 the more i thought about it,
the more my little story emerged.....

This was a really simple and
fun page to finish...

**************************************
We like to sit out here on
our front patio
under our new umbrella at
4 o'clock
for
cocktail hour...
before dinner...

Here is our view of the street...

and
just
L👀👀k
how big our 
Blue Colorado Spruce 
has gotten...!!!

It does a beautiful job of screening us from
any traffic coming around our cul-de-sac.

*****************************
It was so HOT
this morning...I thought we
wouldn't be able
to sit out,
 BUT
a nice cool breeze has sprung up
and the dewpoint is only 61...
Soooo,
A Lovely deck day....

Hugs,
Julierose
La Blageuse
(stitching-euse)







Saturday, June 22, 2024

ALMOST SILENT SATURDAY;)))

 

STRAWBERRY MOON 
June 22, 2024--
Batting Book
work in progress..

[Little bits of ocean being
tossed by this full moon
surrounding the sky]

Below is how this page began:
I had just that little bit of "ocean" wave
fabric leftover from long ago and
decided to add it to my page...
[above]



Hugs, Julierose
La blageuse
(Batting-Book-WIP-euse)




Friday, June 21, 2024

QUILTLET BINDINGS, et al..

 

Here are the front (L) and
back (R) of two little new placemats I made
for us this week...

I have a whole jelly roll of those pretty blue/green
fabrics and this backing which is a "cheater cloth"
that I want to finish using...
I am enjoying making these "little"
items for a change of pace...

So today, was  a "binding" day for me...

I  made bindings and
sewed them on the first side of these:

Hugs & Kisses with the leftover 
hydrangea fabric for a binding...
and
August Zinnia with a leftover dotty binding...

I managed to machine sew up the 
two placemats' bindings on
both sides, 

B U T .......
I totally 
[and I mean totally!!]
ran Out of machine thread 
after making the placemats...

(Yikes how did that happen??) 

👿👺

I have ordered more Gutermann
thread from amazon---
this  is my favorite to use
with Helga...works a charm
for me...

*********************************
I also have been working on my second 
Meditation Scroll with Purple
Cotton Perle #8 thread...
and a Milliners needle as it is easy for
me to hold... and thread...

These scroll projects are a perfect 
"lap quilt" project...;)))

See that purple-y stripe fabric--I just love that with
all my hand dyed browns I've unearthed from
my older stash...

*******************************
I would like to start making some 
of these 
{Chart is from 
"Super Scrappy"
 RSC's blog}
I have always like little repeating 
patterns and these little spools
look like fun--
PLUS:
I am actually using empty "spools" 
in my scrolls projects...
Perfect!!
Maybe some would find their way onto
a scroll...????
:))))
***************************

It has been so hot and humid here that
we have foregone any deck sitting...
thank heavens for our AC....
I am hoping to see some rain this
evening as our lawns are
turning brown and yellow....

Hugs for staying cool everyone!!
🌞🌚🌂
Julierose, La Blageuse
(stitching-and-planning-euse)










Tuesday, June 18, 2024

I JUST WANT TO STITCH!

 

While cleaning out my batting box, I came across
this little "batting booklet" I made a long while
back.....

I know I was following a Youtube video sewalong,
but I'll be darned if I can recall whose YT it was...
(sorry, if you may recall, let me know?)
** It's "Sew For the Soul"
by Ann Brooke Textile Artist
I remembered!! YAY!!

I never got into working in this and instead had
moved onto making some fabric journals 
with fabric pages for a while...
So, this had gotten stored away 
with all my extra
batting cut-off pieces...

Lately.....
I have been watching a lot of "Susan Taylor Brown's" 
Youtube videos and her idea of just
stitching for fun really resonated with me
today...

So I began a little first page using
methods I learned on Jude Hill's online
classes I took a long while ago...

Using some of those little cut off 
strips that are not big 
enough to seam, but are still fun 
to use in the "raw edge" manner...

I wove this:
I am in the process of 
"invisible basting" 
it together.  
[A process I also learned from Jude Hill....]
I will be removing the pins as I stitch...

I want to "try out" different ideas on these pages...
I don't care if the batting shows; I don't care
if the colors are not "matchey-matchy"--I
am just using what I have on had in my
scrap baggies...
Just something to be able to 
pick up when the spirit moves me
and my hands allow, to slowly stitch...
😄
********************************
Here is the closure on my first little
Meditation Scroll..an old button
on a 
a strip of Sari silk to 
wind about it and hold it in place ,,,,;)))



One of you, I think it may have been Nancy?, said
she'd like to peek inside my little
Japanese Rice Bag.  
💕
And here is what you see....
👀💗👀
I have my completed scroll and a new one
that I just basted and is ready to 
be stitched 
next to it...
{see the little pin holding it in place?}
I will be Working on the new one
in my lap while watching tv....

*****************************
I am using this adorable little tin to hold
some little tiny pieces for my batting book ...
Some of those teeny, tiny 
strips...and bits....
*******************************
So far today, we have reached 81 degrees with 
a dew point of 70.3!! But.....
but, but but, here off the shore, we do 
get a nice breeze off the ocean which has
not warmed up too much as yet...
We do have our AC on though....
**********************
And so, I have set myself up for some
slow stitching projects for the
Summer while I finish off a lot
of my little "quiltlets": layering and
binding them on Helga...

Hugs, Julierose,
La blageuse
(stitching-for-fun-euse)









....




Friday, June 14, 2024

A LITTLE JAPANESE RICE BAG FOR MY MEDITATION SCROLL...

 

I've been wanting to make a little carrying bag
for my Meditation Scroll...
I decided on a 
Japanese Rice Bag..
they are so darling...

A N D....
I've just finished it...
💓
I used old silk sari ribbons
for the ties...
and it is
mostly hand stitched..
{the lining I sewed together on Helga;}

It is just big enough to hold my scroll
in progress and my little spool, thread,
needle, and small scissors...
A B O V E
Here you can see the lining fabric...
↑↑↑↑

Here is the rosy pink side...

I am really happy 
:)))))
with how it
turned out. 
 I am not really
a bag maker...so this was
quite the journey to understand
how it was put together..

I watched and studied 
  4  different Youtube videos 
in order to learn how to
make this ;)))
*******************************
Here I am outside 
on our deck
this morning working on
my scroll...

I am just doing a simple running
stitch in parallel lines with
deep red thread...

S  L  O  W  L  Y .....

Very S L O W....

slow stitching 
while sipping
my morning coffee 
and listening to
the birds.....


I like that this is a "lap project";
and now so easy to carry along
with me in my little
Japanese Rice Bag...:)))
😇😍😇
Hugs, Julierose,
La Blageuse
(loving-slow-stitching-euse)












Thursday, June 13, 2024

PROJECTS and SUCH....(a long one!)

 

 Hand Quilting my little 
"Spring Hugs and X's" project...

{this represents the colors better}

Out on the deck in the early mornings...
Gazing at the clouds drifting by--just
drifting and stitching.....
;)))

Here is the back using the last bits of that
lovely Roses fabric across the center...
**************************
And now for a non-sewing bit:

I went out early to do my weekly food shop and then
 when I came home to put the stuff away I found----

A N T S!! 
👿👾👽👺👹

{Notice how I saved you from a picture of ants--
You're welcome ;))) }

Creeping along some of my shelves;
SOooooo

Tom sprayed behind our stove which
is set in the middle of our wall cabinets,
and I emptied, washed and 
sprayed the right hand section 
where those little buggers appeared...
THEN
I took the time to re-organize and
put my baking stuff
[choc chips, sugars etc]
in snap/lock storage containers.
P  H  E  W!!!

Here is the result of about 2 hours working......
Everything is either in a container or jar or bottle
AND
so far, no more of those tiny ants have re-appeared...

We shall see--I know the battle will continue...
this is just the first skirmish....

Tomorrow I shall do my spice shelves--but mostly they
are all in containers...so just cleaning shelves...

********************************
Back to sewing stuff...;)))

I have been working on a 
couple of little, tiny
projects just for fun...
the first is called a 
"Meditation Scroll"
which I have been seeing 
all over YouTube..

My strip is 1 and 1/4" wide and of indeterminant
length--we'll see how much will fit around my 
little, old wooden spool at the top left.

It is one of two that I have from my
Grand-mere's old thread stash....
I just love this idea--so portable and
fun....

The cloth area is all basted down and ready
for slow stitching.  
I plan just a simple
and relaxing running stitch --varying
the thread colors...for decoration--
nothing fancy or needing much thought....
Just breathe, relax, and stitch away...

These bits and bobs 
are just those tiny cut-offs that
I have been (hoarding?) saving
in a basket...

It you look closely you can see 
the very last two bits of 
my all-time favorite
cherries fabric ;))))
↡↡↡↡
What fun to re-visit some cherished fabrics 
while doing a relaxing slow stitch...
All the fabrics are torn edged ...
love that look...
{See the cherries there at the top?}

************************
And one more thing---
[congrats if you've read this far
 on this wordy post....]
;))))))))))))


           Melisa at
"Pinkernpunkinquilts"
has inspired me with her little basket quilt
and so, I made my own template 
(shamelessly copying hers!!)--
Love your stuff Melisa💗

And I have done mine in my
favorite method of pre-turned applique
(using spray starch over template 
and ironing method)
and then 
I straight stitched around instead
working of normal hidden applique...

This will be such fun to hand quilt...

I hope you are enjoying the day...

Hugs, Julierose,
La blageuse
(slow-stitching-away-euse)