World Turning ~ A Lyric to Live By

I went to exercise this morning ~ and the world is still turning!

Fleetwood Mac has the best music to exercise with and "World Turning" is one of my favorites.  Just the right speed, just the right beat to keep me moving.    So, yes, it's my Lyric To Live By for today.

and if the world keeps turning long enough

I just might get back into the exercise game again

sooner or later or

in the next couple of weeks! 

 

Inspired by the 9-Patch

It's a take on the traditional 9-patch block.  Some call it the double-disappearing 9-patch.  I call it inspired by the 9-patch: 

My first double-disappearing 9-patch was quickly put together for a quilt guild program a few months back.   I knew the room would be filled with traditional quilters, so I thought the multitude of scraps used in this one gave it a more traditional look.  

as did the traditional quilt design.

I was hooked on love after the very first double disappearing 9-patch.  I moved from my scrap bin to the black and white in my fabric stash.  Added just a smidge of red to jazz it up a bit.  First the more traditional layout:

 

 

 

 

and since I had plenty of black and white, I put one together with a modern flair.  Oh, the fun of having no fabric placement rules to follow allowed all different size squares and rectangles that just made this one sing out loud.

When I won a great little charm pack there was just nothing left to do but add more fabric to complete this one. 

It's so bright and cheery and I smile every time I see this modern paisley quilting.

and then I ran out of white background fabric and also out of cream background fabric

so, what's left to do but to fill in with light gray

sigh

this one is now my favorite and is in the

hands of my favorite quilter

who works magic in the modern

quilting style

 

 

 

 

Simple Inspiration

A Nine-Patch

 

 

 

 

 

Another "Lyric To Live By"

While I enjoy most all music, when I'm
not listening to classical, I lean toward the blues.....

This picture of muddy waters in Louisiana prompted my "lyrics to live by" edition.  "Baby, Please Don't Go" by the late McKinley Morganfield aka Muddy Waters. 

Sing on Muddy Waters....
but there's no amount of singing going
to stop this baby from flowing
on down to the Mississippi
into New Orleans.





 

Christmas: Time's A Coming....

As long as there is a child in my heart, there will be a little gift.   I do so enjoy making gifts for all the nieces and nephews in my family.  Come Christmastime, each one will have a little idea pouch to tug along.  I still have the pens and pencils to purchase, and of course, the wrapping to do, but except for the youngest (less than one year old) and the oldest (an almost grown teen) , the kids gifts are ready for the holidays.   The Michelle Patterns.....so easy to follow and a perfect hold for the composition notebook and pens where each child can jot down that idea as it unfolds in their smart little heads. 

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm not sure what I'd be doing if I had nothing to do!  One thing I do know for sure is that Christmastime would be so slow in getting here if I had nothing to do but wait! 











 

I'm suppose to be seeking inspiration and sketching it out......

;however, I was distracted this morning with music in my head.  

I'll resume my original plan in a moment or two.   In the meantime, let's dance! 

I've been traveling the state ~

Yes, I really have been traveling this summer, but this post isn't about really traveling the state....it's about the Louisiana traveling quilt ten of us are co-authoring....one block at a time. 

Mary sent me three blocks a couple of weeks ago and they languished on my design wall for a week!  I just couldn't figure out how to add to the blocks:::::::until I just did it::::::the unthinkable!  NOOOOO - I cut Mary's grove of three trees into.  Sorry, Mary, but I just had to do it! 

 Outdoors, anything outdoors...that's the theme for this quilt. How about outhouses...the ones we don't see anymore but were once a part of the outdoor landscape.    My outhouses fit beautifully  in amongst the grove of trees. And, setting each outhouse on unbleached muslin stopped the dread that all the other blocks' background whites weren't the same.  It's my way of saying, don't set yourself up for disaster.   All ten of us just don't shop at the same store and we certainly didn't compare notes on what fabric to use! 

I had some hand dyed fabric that I pieced together to add a stormy sky, but that was way too much so off that came.  I did finally use a small piece of the sky to make the blocks fit together. 

Next I surrounded the outhouses and some of the trees with flying geese.  What?  Give 'em a break!  They flew into Thibodeaux for a little R and R and had a little too much relaxation.   You betcha!  South Louisiana is noted for its good food and hearty drink. 

Inspired by Tula Pink's 100 block sampler quilt, I added my version of her block number 59 on the left corner, then using fabric from a bundle of ella blue "terra australis by emma jean jansen"  to make my log cabin block, I filled another blank hole. 

It's now in the mail to Glenda who can slice and dice at will and add even more  outdoor magic to  Carlie's  Louisiana Traveling Quilt.

 

 

 

and we passed a good time!

 

 

 

Quilt As You Go - my latest

I've been (almost daily) doing community service quilting and quilt-as-you-go has made the process so simply, so easy, so affordable.

First you find a block that doesn't seem to fit anywhere and you make your quilt sandwich....you know - the top, the batting, the backing.   Then you add some quilting and trim to the desired size.  In this case, my little house block didn't quite measure up to the 12" block size I desired, so I added borders then squared it up on a slight angle - just to give my house more curb appeal. 

 

Keep finding blocks, quilting and squaring up until you have 12 or 20....either number makes a good size lap quilt for the young or young at heart.  Put them all together in your favorite QAYG technique and it's ready to donate. Most of the blocks in this quilt were donated to me by like-minded quilters.  Some were too small, so I just added borders.  Some were too large, so, you guessed it - I just trimmed them down.  Either way worked just fine.  Life is too short to be insecure in adding or subtracting. 

And here is QAYG Sampler No. 2  washed, dried, and ready to donate. 

 

and here's the back, showcasing all the different pieces of fabric that make the back as full of vim and vigor as the front. 

 

 

 

Oh, yes, two and counting! 

 

 

 

 

Signs of Summer

Surfacing once again from a very busy summer....

just long enough to find myself in August.....

already?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food for thought:  The Praying Mantis is a most adored insect and makes a desirable 'pet'.  It is a beneficial predator of pest insects....mites, aphids, mosquitoes and can turn its head and look over its shoulder.  I can't do that any more!

It is large, solitary, and a slow mover.  Just three descriptive adjectives

the two of us have in common!