Pass the cough drops

Hi there friends! how are you? I've been coughing up a storm, not sure if I've caught whatever Bret has or I'm just having problems with the smoke in the air, but cough cough cough is all I do.  It's a toss up considering all the smoke in the air from the fires buring away in California. 

In the meantime I've tackled another Moda Blockheads 2 block.  I may or may not have been influence by my ironing board!

 

Lots of triangles in this block by Lynne from Kansas Troubles.  My triangle piecing isn't that great, but I made my little half square triangle blocks and got out my Clearly  Perfect Slotted Trimmers  from Kari and trimmed them up. Holy cow my segments went together perfectly with no nudging or pulling and I felt like I was winning at life.

I've tried all kinds of methods and tools but this one is my favorite.  I'm just not the piecer I used to be and honestly I was never that great.  I've had to use a lot of gentle persuasion over the years to make things line up.  This time, all good.  Of course I did get a little prideful and the last corner unit I attached had to be talked into working out which goes to show me I ought not get too full of myself.  Pride and all that!

 

My blocks are looking like a jumbled mess, not sure how I like the combos I have going. Everyone's blocks all look so good together, mine look like they have an identity crisis going on.

 

Oh well. Whatever, it's all in fun right? I have spent some time thinking about how to handle the three blocks I haven't done yet and how I can use them to make these make sense.  Or maybe I'll slam them all together and just say hey, what the heck. Or maybe I'll get distracted by something else and WHO KNOWS WHAT CAN HAPPEN.

 

So that's it.  Happy weekend people! Stay safe friends! xop

Why lie?

Hi there friends!  Hope you're doing well.  What are you up to? I've been staying indoors, the air is smoky from all the California wildfires.  Most of the time I have my phone in my hand waiting for updates from Elizabeth about her situation in Murphys (she's safe so far) and walking around my house figuring out ways to avoid any housework. (Definitely not complaining, the smoke is way worse for Elizabeth and NorCal people)

 

Speaking of housework, do you wear an apron?  I have a million white tops so I always wear an apron.  I always think about an old original series episode of Queer Eye when the guys lament that the contestant's wife got dirty from her own house.  OMG THAT'S ME. I'm constantly leaning into something so I always put on an apron when it comes time to clean.

 

 Look at how cute my favorite  apron is! Elizabeth made this for me for Christmas one year, and I love it.  Love the fussy cut vintage tablecloth. Elizabeth is such a talented seamstress. 

It's super cute on.  And it looks perfect hanging up in my kitchen. 

 

 

Which is where it went about 5 minutes after this photo because duh, you can't do dirty stuff in this apron.  I'M NOT PERFECT PEOPLE.  I am trying to use stuff and not save it but some stuff needs to be saved.  Like this apron.

 

Ok, that's all the nonsense from these parts, FOR NOW. What's up with you?

 

 

Give me an A

It's the last week of the Spelling Bee! I can hardly believe it! So many blocks!   Thanks to Fat Quarter Shop and Lori for inviting me to play along!

 

Don't worry, Lori isn't out of cute ideas! That fall quilt and the new Vintage Christmas book will be here before you know it! Thanks for the cute recap of the year Fat Quarter Shop!

TGIF

Hi friends!  How are you?  I can't believe it's August already, and as I'm sure I've mentioned before, time is flying by at a record pace.  My sewing room is still a mess and stuff is all over the place, but I did manage to get a couple of Moda Blockhead Blocks done.  They're the easy ones of course.  This cute block is by  Stacy Iest Hsu and you can find the instructions here.

 

This little chubby plus block is by quilting idol Laurie Simpson and you can find it here.  Mine looks a little funky due to the fact that I had to lean way over some crap to cut it out.  Not all that accurate considering it's all squares and rectangles.  Oh well. It was fun to dig thru my larger scrap box for some older PKM fabrics like that red. 

 

In my renewed effort to use things I've been saving, get a load of this pretty ironing board cover!  It was a gift a least at year ago if not more... and I've been saving it. Duh. But with the duct work came a fine layer of dust all over my sewing room, making it the perfect time to change that old yucky cover for this pretty one. 

 

 

Lets see how long it lasts.  In the mean time ignore that crap that's normally behind the curtain.  We still have some testing to be done on the new furnace/ac/ductwork and they need access to the vent that's behind a bunch of stuff normally hidden by a curtain.

 

Anyway soon enough the inspections etc will be done and things can return to it's normal level of chaos.  Hope you have a great weekend pals! xop

 

One lonely block

Hi friends!  I can't believe we're nearing the end of July.  Time seems to move at a pretty fantastic rate these days.  I'm already behind 3 Moda Blockheads2 blocks, but I managed to throw together this little pineapple by Jan Patek yesterday in the blink of an eye.  It looks cheerful up on my 'design wall'.. which is really just a vinyl flannel backed table cloth push pinned to the wall in my hallway. Not sew fancy.

 

It's a sweet little thing.  I left off the little ribs that you can see in Jan's design, mostly because I was lazy.  They're a cute addition. I was happy to have some fabric that fit the bill close at hand, and the background print will  help me add more colors to the rest of the blocks.  I went off into a pink and red  tangent and getting back to my more PKM colors is a bit work considering I don't know what's coming and what will end up where.  With projects like these I have a tendency to end up with a random mishmash of things that I don't necessarily like in the end.  Is there a secret to this?  Am I on the only one who doesn't know it?  I probably should have read the instructions better.   

 

Whatever, I like making the blocks and maybe someday all these blocks will be treasure discovered in a bag at a garage sale or a thrift store.   I just enjoy making them one at a time and if they don't turn into anything else then no biggy, they've already served their purpose. 

 

I'm really not up to much else.  Just normal day stuff.  Drinking coffee, doing the laundry. What about you? I hope you're keeping cool  (or warm for you southern hemisphere folk) and things are going along as best as they can. xo

Use it or....

Hi there friends!  How are you?  Summer is progressing along here.  My air conditioning is back and better than ever. Nothing is put away though, they still need to replace all the ducting under the house next week.  Cool air is flowing  till then, so I'm happy about it. 

 

You might remember WAY BACK  when the Queen celebrated her Jubilee. It's been years, right? Anyway Frankie and I acquired some of the cute celebratory tins courtesy of her friend Martin.  My tins have been in protective custody since then.  I don't know about you, but I have a habit of putting things in cold storage saving them for later. Well I'm no spring chicken and it's later now.  Time to start using things, right? 

I had a bunch of stuff on my sewing table getting in the way so I pulled out my Jubilee tin (there's still one in cold storage, I'm not perfect) and  my biscuit tin that I did nothing with and used them to store my little collections of beads and beading supplies.

Imagine Frankie's surprise when she's cleaning out my stuff when I head to the great sewing room in the sky and she finds this stuff.  She wisely began using her tins immediately.  Most of the time she's able to fight the saving-for-later-gene and use her things.  Most of the time..

 

They're cute and I'm glad I have a blog post to refer back to when I need to find where my stuff is.  In the mean time that's just a fraction of the stuff on my sewing table.  No flat surface is safe with me around.

 

Hope you're using all your stuff and having fun.  Don't be like me!!! xop

Monday Morning!

Good Morning friends. How was the holiday for you? It was a nice time here.  Bret took a few days off here and there and the week passed quickly.  I have spent some time filling up all the empty pots in my back yard with flowers.  With the drought  we let our back lawn go, so my patio is where I indulge myself with pots of perennials and annuals.  With my big patio umbrellas for shade  it's my happy coffee place.

If you're following along on Instagram you know I made the trip to Utah again to see Nanette and her family.    We spent the time sewing and hanging out with some quilt shop shopping, lunching, tv watching thrown in.  It's always a good time there and I'm sad to leave. 

Nanette worked on baskets, you can see them here and here.  I made a pot, we used the freezer paper template method.  Old skool style.   I worked on my butterflies.  Since then I did sit down and sew them into rows but that's as far as I got.

I made two more Moda Blockheads2 blocks. 

 

 

I'm behind though.  I had to stop everything to prepare for new air conditioning here.  We're currently without a/c,  believe me the complaint level has reached has reached defcon 4 around here.  Luckily we have 2 portable a/c units from Millers Air Conditioning and Heating who will be replacing our system at the end of the month.  That's what's keeping me going on these hot days.   I'm not even going to complain that access to the crawl space and attic area are in my sewing room which means a bunch of stuff needs to be moved out of there.  (that's  a lie.. I am going to complain but it will be half hearted at best.  I LOVE AIRCONDITIONING.)

 

I had good intentions of getting  a little project completed to share with you for the 4th of July, but I just didn't get it done.  This will eventually turn into a pillow, but sewing isn't that fun in the heat so it's on hold for now. 

I hope you're doing well!  xop

Friyay!

Morning... or is it afternoon in your world!  It was so great catching up with you earlier this week.  I loved your comments, Chris knows I always think of her when it comes to complaining about weather! Little Quiltsong  is working away in her garden and sewing up projects like crazy, Annelies is back in Tennessee so probably living it up but missing sewing just a bit.  And it's always nice to catch up with Suzanne. She's started a new blog and you should check it out. Coffee with friends, that's always how I have though about this blog. 

 

Of course most of you probably knew I'd be making another strawberry with a ribbon ASAP!  I couldn't help myself.  It's tempting to make a whole series of fruit coasters, lemons would be so cute.  I can see Suzanne making them and tying them onto gifts of coordinating beverages.  I also felt like you could increase the size for a cute potholder. 

 

I was on a happy sewing day so I pulled out my slotted trimmer and got to busy on half square triangles.  I'm not the best piecer when it comes to triangles and this set of slotted trimmers really helps me out.  

 

The Moda Blockheads 2 sew along started, they're on week 2 already.  The piles of orphan blocks around here is huge but I couldn't resist the Me and My Sister's post about their block.  It looked quick and fun, and it was!

 

I wasn't sure I'd even consider making more blocks, but then I was so happy sewing I had to make the first block.  A bit more of a challenge.  Not the best matching when it came to those green units and the squares they butt up to but I'm cool with it.  There are so many great quilts out there, check out the hashtag here.

 

Sewing is my happy place, and I am looking forward to getting back at it.  I don't mind sewing for the sheer fun of it, if I don't make another block or use these blocks I'm ok with it, they've already done their job. No matter how long I step away from the sewing  I always find my way back.

 

Happy weekend friends! I hope you're in a happy place!  I'm off on an adventure next week, so I'll catch up with you later! xop

 

 

Hello!

Hi there friends! What are you up to?  Summer is heating up and I'm trying not to complain too much.  It's going to be a challenge though. Just a warning!

 

 I've been trying to get to some sewing lately.  I'm working on a little blanket stitching for a project I hope to share soon.  I had a bit of a false start with it, and ended up wadding it all up and throwing it in the trash, but yesterday I started up again and it seems to be working out a lot better.  Crossing my fingers I didn't just jinx myself.  The sewing gods have not been kind to me lately. 

Did you see Nadra's cute strawberry coaster tutorial over on Amy's blog?  So cute I had to make one asap.  I forgot to add the little ribbon top in my excitement, but I'll make more of these they're adorable and perfect to catch all the condensation on my cold summer beverages!

I had a sew day with my friends "The Debbies" and it was awesome.  Debbie finished her basket quilt and it's wonderful! It was great to see Deb and Debbie after such a long period of time. 

You may have seen that I had a pretty pile of PamKitty fabrics on my cutting table recently.  Or maybe not that recently. I've finally cut them into a kit for  Nadra's charming Butterfly Dance quilt.



 

 

My mom was so happy that her little patio was a spot that butterflies visited on their migration path and often talked about them.  This quilt reminded me of how the would flit around her tulip tree so it seemed the perfect quilt to work on right now.  I'm channeling Elizabeth in cutting myself a little kit. Now I'm ready to sit down and get busy!

 

I hope you are well ! I'd love to hear from you!  xop

Make Lemonade

Good morning! I'm trying to get back in the groove.  If you follow me on Instagram  you'll have seen that I have been oh so slowly working on a table runner from Sherri's book, Tablerunner Bliss. 

I cut myself a little kit like Elizabeth used to make me. I fell in love with Brenda Walton's Limonella fabrics, particularly the lovely lemon focal print.  I paired it with a green  gingham print my friend Sharon sent me, and the blue PKM mini gingham. 

 

I chose this runner with the large block centers, all the better to show off the focal fabric. Of course it was quick and easy as well, which makes it a great fun project.

I love how it turned out.  Of course what always holds me up?  FINISHING. I never know what to do, and I know my machine quilting attention span is pretty short.  BUT!

I saw Miss Luella's wonderful log cabin quilt on Instagram and I think that wavy quilting would be perfect.  I would only need to mark the first row, then use my walking foot with the guide on it to complete it. 

We'll see how fast I get on that! I have some ideas for other projects percolating in my mind and I might want to work on those next. In the mean time, I saw these on a trip to Home Goods recently?  Perfect right?

 

Hope things are going well for you !  xop

Happy Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother's Day friends!

Coffee on the porch

Morning friends, how are you?  The sun is shining here in PamKittyVille and all the roses are blooming up a storm.  I've been dead heading like crazy and hoping for a speedy second bloom.  You can't beat an Iceberg rose for  the wow factor. 

 

Monday morning I was using a cute little cup I brought home from mom's to have my coffee.  It's old and stained with tea and I think she probably picked it up at an antique shop.  It's a cute design and it made me happy to use it.  ANYWAY... when I walked out I saw the squired hanging off the feeder.  

 

I was sure it would run off while I tried to grab a picture.  Nope.  Then I went back in and got my camera, which turned out to be out of batteries, so I went back in and got my big camera, nearly out of battery so I went  back out and got up close with my phone and that squirrel didn't bat an eye.  Wow. I guess that's some excellent bird food. 

 

I hope all is well with you! xo

Springtime Reading

Morning friends! The weather has been lovely here in PamKittyVille and I've been spending time outside on the patio.  I don't have a fancy yard but I love sitting outside on my swing enjoying the fresh air and listening to my little frog fountain and seeing my pots of flowers.  I have the feeders all filled up and there are lots of birds coming around.  Spring is the best time of year.  Sadly it's probably over in another 20 minutes or so and there will be nothing but relentless sunshine and high temperatures but lets not get ahead of ourselves.

 

Yesterday I sat out back and read through Lissa's new book Oh, Scrap!  ( I received a digital copy from Martingale to read and review, and the following photos are from their website. ) Lissa's scrap quilts are legendary.  Oh, Scrap! reveals Lissa's secrets of fabric selection by showing swatch cards for the quilts and a bit about the fabrics on it. 

 

 

Surrounded is my favorite quilt in the book.  I've seen so many wonderful examples of this quilt made both scrappy and with two colors.

 

Of course I'm drawn to the cheerful colors of all the quilts.  This is another quilt that says MAKE ME.  The whole book is filled with them. Lissa's instructions are great, and the photography by Brent Kane and Adam Albright is wonderful.

 

The book is filled with inspiring  projects and beautiful photographs, but it also provides lessons on color, scale, density and value , fabric storage with scrap quilts in mind, and that nudge you need to get started. The introduction by Barbara Brachman gives you a history of scrap quilts in America.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Thanks to Martingale for sending me the copy of this book! It's inspiring!  Hope you guys have a great weekend. xop

An Apple a Day

Good Morning friends!  How are you?  Things are perking along here.  Last week Bret, Frankie and I took a quick trip down to SoCal for a visit to Disneyland.  We spent one day park hopping  between Disneyland and California Adventure and it was a fun and exhausting day.  I took hardly a picture the whole trip.   On our second day we headed over to the City of Orange to my favorite antique shop Country Roads Antiques and Gardens.  Then we headed over to Studio City to Bonjour Fete, a delightful little shop that Frankie had been following on Pinterest and Instagram for a while.

Back in PamKittyVille I'm still trying to get back in the groove. Yesterday we had a rainy day which was perfect for sewing. I've been unable to focus on a project but when I saw these scrappy apples on @abrightcorner 's Instagram feed I knew I had to make one. 

They're so cheerful, so thanks Andy for the happy inspiration.  The apples are from Lori's Spelling Bee Book, made scrappy by exchanging a solid print apple with 4 prints.  So clever.

 

That's it for me, what are you up to?