Friday, May 31, 2019

Stitching again

Hello everyone! Gosh, I really missed you all here in blogland! Feels like it's been months since I've sewn anything.  Our house is now listed for sale and three fourths of my life is packed away in boring brown boxes.  The list of what I've packed and now need is quite long.  Why did I pack the can opener? Also, my favorite quarter inch foot is somewhere in one of the many boxes marked "sewing room." Which box? You tell me and we'll both know!

I was thrilled this week to finally, finally be able to pull out the sewing machine again and get back to some projects. Of course, the sewing machine is stashed in the china cabinet, the project boxes are in a closet, and the scraps are disguised as something else, but I will not be deterred!

What do you do when you haven't been sewing for a while? How do you get back to it?  I chose to make some nice, easy blocks and catch up on the rainbow scrap challenge at the same time:


Okay, the sun bleached a good part of those out, but they're aqua and orange! Is there a better antidote to brown cardboard?


These are the Cut Glass Dish blocks that I am making for the rainbow scrap challenge this year.  Of course I'm behind on all those projects, but I didn't pack them so that I can work on them when I get a chance. Hope springs eternal!


These blocks are really easy, but they do have 24 hsts apiece, which takes a little time, what with the cutting and squaring and all.  For once doing all of that was an absolute joy, just to be able to handle the fabrics.  It's amazing how much you miss it!

Since the RSC has ten colors, May is the half-way point, so here are all of my Cut Glass Dish blocks together, on the very damp grass:


Not sure how I'm going to lay this out yet, but I really like it so far.  I'll have to see if I can find a picture of an antique quilt that uses these blocks to get some ideas. 


Now that I've caught up on those (for the moment), I'll be adding the aqua and orange rounds to the Boston Common quilt, and then I'll pack up the aqua and orange scraps.  This will make my husband happy, because he wants to be ready to move at any moment. 

Over the last few days, we've had some really bad storms, like most of the rest of the country.  We've mainly escaped any bad effects from these, except for this:


Yeah, that's no fun, but thank goodness nothing fell on the roof! The park where I go walking had a microburst, and dozens of trees are uprooted, with some snapped right in half.  Many years ago I taught at the University of Dayton, and what happened there this past week was just devastating.  All my friends there are safe, but if you were affected by any of the storms, I hope you're safe, too.  I'm thinking about you and really feeling for you.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back and hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed for us, because we're looking at houses again.  Will this be the magic weekend?  Will there be a house that isn't painted gray?  If so, I just may buy that one! (For the record, ours is painted in aquas, blues, and alabaster. Maybe that makes us stand out?)

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC19.

24 comments:

Kate said...

I mistaken thought I could do without sewing for a whole month the last time we moved. I was so desperate, I bought a fat quarter pack and a book and started a new quilt at my sisters when we where there over the weekend. (We had to live in a hotel for a month till our house was done). Looks like you got in some good stitching time. Hopefully this interlude will be pretty brief and you can get your sewing room all set up and get in some good stitching time before he next school year starts.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

looks like you have gone through storms too while here in Arkansas it is mainly flooding going on - I am so thankful I don't live close to the river! Pretty blocks and yes a lot of hst's for sure

Libby in TN said...

Those blocks remind me of all the cut glass I inherited from my mother who collected everything glass (except Depression, thankfully). I hope you find a suitable place soon and find a buyer for your house.

scraphappy said...

Best of luck getting the house sold quickly. Having it on the market is no fun at all. Hopefully just the right person will find it right away and you can move on to what is next.

Rose said...

I'm glad you posted today. I had already decided that if you didn't i was going to email you to see how the transition was going. Good luck house hunting this weekend.

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

I really like the blocks! This will be a very nice and bright quilt Hoping you sell your current home soon!

Julie in GA said...

Such beautiful blocks! I love seeing them all together.
Good luck with the house hunting!

grammajudyb said...

Good luck on the house hunt! It's my worst nightmare, moving! We've been in this house 30 years and you can imagine the "stuff"! shudder!!!!!
Loving your cut glass blocks! So pretty!

piecefulwendy said...

You were wise to keep some sewing at hand for some sanity in the midst of packing. We've lived in this house for 28 years, with no plans to move, thank goodness. I can't imagine packing this place up. Glad you missed any house damage from the storm, but it's always sad to lose a tree. Those blocks are lovely!

The Joyful Quilter said...

I'm SEW glad that you found some time for making your RSC blocks! Now, here's hoping you find your new home soon AND that a buyer finds your currently home just right for them. I remember what a stressful time this buying and selling can be. Hang in there!!

Laura said...

Love your sweet cut glass blocks! These will make a terrific quilt!

Hope your house sells soon and that you find just the right home that you are seeking!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I would miss playing with fabric, too, if I had to pack it all up like you are! Glad you got a chance to do a little sewing - your Cut Glass blocks are beautiful! Good luck on the house hunt, too.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I think that I shall never move.... it sounds crazy and stressful.... glad you got to sew - and that the microburst didn't get you!

Quiltdivajulie said...

Wishing you well with the house hunting. We prefer warm colors to the ubiquitous cool grays ...

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Those cut glass blocks are so beautiful! I am glad you found time to sew while packing up. I wish you the best in your house sale and move.

Pamela Arbour said...

I certainly know what you are going through. I had to pack up all of my things back in late 2015 and was limited to what I could do until I sold my house and bought another one! That was the year I started with RSC group, so needless to say, I didn't finish that one (yet). I think you are doing a great job staying caught up on this one. I wish you the best in your new location!

Katie Z. said...

My fingers are crossed for a quick sale!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Mari! I'm thrilled that all the packing, and packing, and packing, and packing hasn't deterred you from being creative. These blocks rock - I love all the colors so far. I'm sending good vibes for your house to sell and even more for you to find a new home that you love. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne

JanineMarie said...

These look like they take a lot of patience to make, but they are so pretty, Mari! I’m glad you have some time to sew again. Here’s hoping that selling and buying go quickly, so you can get a studio back again. The market is hot, hot, hot in our area—great for selling, but a bit nerve wracking for buying. I hope you find just what you’re looking for.

helenjean@midgetgemquilts said...

gorgeous blocks. Love how you pinned them to the tree for the photo. As for the 1/4" foot, I'd just buy a new one! I would never find it again

Jo said...

Good luck with the sale. Just precut what you need and keep a small kit handy and keep making blocks to get in your sewing time.

Danice G said...

'Love your RSC blocks. Best of luck in the house hunt. SO glad the weather did not damage your house. We are getting so much rain this week, but so far no warnings.

Preeti said...

You are in my thoughts, Mari. Glad you are sewing again. Thank goodness everyone is fine. Several trees uprooted in our neighborhood too.

KaHolly said...

I find it difficult to get back into the groove when I’ve been away from the sewing machine and fabrics for very long, so you’ve done well to jump right in and catch up on your RSC blocks, especially considering your present state of 'limbo'. They look wonderful! Good luck house hunting and selling yours! It sounds like a daunting task.