Author: Lorrie Shore

A Trip with Several Ocean views

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date April 11, 2023
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Last week we decided to take a short trip away. Now that we are home I can tell you all about it.

Our first stop was in Williamsburg, Virginia for a night. The flowers and trees were blooming in all there splendid glory.

Next we traveled to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. The weather was perfect.

We drove to Sunset Beach, North Carolina. It seems to be a nice little tourist town.

Our next stop was Ocean City, Maryland. We visited with my sister’s family for Easter…then we headed home to West Virginia. The sunset ended our last day of travel.

When we walked around our yard the next morning, we discovered that the bleeding heart plants were in full bloom.

Hope you have enjoyed my photos from our trip! Where are you planning on traveling to in the near future? I would love to hear from you!

Later,

Lorrie

Ready to be Quilted

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date April 2, 2023
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I rarely buy kits, but while we were visiting our son in Colorado my husband picked this one up at Holly’s Quilt Cabin. It is a simple design. The fabric is the “star” of the show.
Here it is…ready to put on the quilt frame:

My husband loved the wildlife fabric. It matches several of the decorative elements at the cabin.

I had several fabric finds and leftover pieces to use for a backing. It is pieced and ready, too.

The central piece of fabric has cabins with moose, fishing equipment, etc. The bark looking fabric was another find. I bought both of those fabrics at yard sales for about $1 a yard…new yardage at bargain basement prices.

I bought the small woods motif fabric somewhere in our travels…maybe that same year…maybe not. I have been saving it for this project.
The rest of the fabric was leftover from the kit.

Here are some more spring pictures:

and more pansies…planted in yard sale pots.

I hope you are finding projects to work on and beautiful flowers to admire. Happy spring!

Later,

Lorrie

goals quilting scraps weather

Quilting Life 2023 Mystery BOM

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 24, 2023
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I told you a couple of weeks ago that I would share my participation progress in some sew alongs. To find this block of the month, google “Quilting Life 2023” or click here. This block of the month is run by Sherri McConnell.

Blocks for this year are available in 12 inch and 6 inch. So far, the pattern is on one page (for those of us who like a paper pattern to look at). Video tutorials are also available on YouTube.

The pattern is available on the first Monday of every month. Please check the website for availability after the fact.

I am making both size blocks.

I am using as much scrap fabric as possible, especially since I organized!

I also have a few spring pictures to share:

Volunteer white peach blossoms…growing in the compost

Now on a sad note…I am tired of deleting spam for pharmaceuticals, porn, and whatever is being sold or talked about in Russian etc., so I am turning off active comments. Please e-mail me directly.
I love to hear from you!

To wrap it up this week, I hope you are having fun making…maybe participating in sew alongs. Hope you weather is making spring flowers appear! What are you working on/ seeing in nature this week?

Later,

Lorrie

Tags BOM, Quilting life, scraps, sewing, spring

quilting scraps

Finished top, etc.

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 17, 2023
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I finally got the sashings and cornerstones on the blocks to finish the top for a quilt. I used a lovely gray batik. It does make the bright colors of the scrappy blocks pop.

…and there is more!

While I was cleaning and organizing my sewing room, I found a box of scraps. This box was given to me by a substitute teacher that frequented the building I taught in. I have had these scraps for a while…since sometime before March 2020 (when Covid lockdowns began).

All of these scraps are around 2 inches…some are a little smaller. They are perfect to trim to 1 1/2 inch squares or triangles to make 1 1/2 inch half square triangles.

I now have enough little pieces to string piece bonus blocks between all of my other projects! 😁

Have you unearthed any projects recently? I would love to hear from you!

Later,

Lorrie

Tags accuquilt, quilt blocks, scraps, star blocks

quilting scraps

Bountiful Quilt Along 2023

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 11, 2023
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I am participating in several quilt alongs this year. I will share some pictures and information for all of them here over the next few weeks and months. I am using a notebook and calendar to keep track of my progress in each one.

This week marks the beginning of the Bountiful Quilt Along for 2023. Fabric suggestions and a coloring page can be found here. New blocks are posted on the first Friday of every month from March until August. This Quilt Along is posted to collect charitable donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Fat Quarter Shop posts the patterns. There is also a YouTube tutorial available. At the end of the sew along, there is a quilt auction of donated Bountiful Quilts…made by Pat Sloan, Corey Yoder of Coriander Quilts, etc. A cross-stitch pattern is also available on the The Fat Quarter Shop site, but I am not interested.

The first block pattern can be downloaded here. This pattern makes two 24.5″ square blocks. It does take a while to assemble the many parts and pieces (98 pieces to be exact). They are large pieces that assemble easily. The directions are well written.

I watched 2 episodes of Midsomer Murders on Prime as I sewed up my blocks. I am using up scrap or fabric that I have on hand for this quilt. I did find a very interesting basket weave fabric. The first pink border looks like a color right out of the 1980’s…it might be…I bought it at a yardsale mixed in with some other scrap fabric. The star in the center of the basket also looks like it crawled on of the 80’s.

Here is a picture of my block(s):

The center basket star is cute:

This makes a very cute quilt. Won’t you join in the fun?

Later,

Lorrie

Tags BOM, bountiful, mystery quilt, quilt along, quilting

quilting thrifting/ yard sale

And this goes here…

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date March 4, 2023
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This week I have been organizing my stash of fabric. I have been collecting for 30+ years…just waiting until I could retire and play! Mwahahaha! The time for leisure is here!

Here are my before pictures:

I moved a bunch of containers of fabric and projects to the dining room to sort and straighten.

Here are areas that I improved:

The dress form is looking over the room.

What did I find when I took a good, deep dive into things that I have stashed away?

My childhood dresser now has organized fabric.

Well…5 queen size quilt tops that were out of sight, out of mind, plus a table runner, a wall hanging that is pinned together but needs assembly, and 2 sets of blocks that have been kitted up for assembly.

Looks like I am going to be busy for a little while! I will not be bored, now that I am “retired”…and working harder than ever!

What have you been working on recently? Have you found any hidden treasure?

Later,

Lorrie

scraps thrifting/ yard sale

No Waste

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date February 24, 2023
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Normally, my idea of a fire starter is a crumpled piece of newspaper with sticks on top. Apply flame with a lighter, match or torch.

Our wonderful Michigan neighbor, Sheryl , made us some of her special fire starters. Got damp sticks or slightly wet firewood? These are the answer!

They are made using a cardboard, dryer lint, finely chopped up fabric scraps, and melted ugly or broken candles. Combine in layers. I put a piece of foil or a cookie sheet under it until the wax sets, to protect my countertop.

To use these, I will simply rip off one “egg cup” at a time. I place this on top of the newspaper…between the sticks, then light.

This is the best use for those garbage fabric scraps ever!

Have you ever tried making or using these? These are the best! I love hearing from you in the comments.

Later,

Lorrie

quilting

Restoration…The Beginning

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date February 18, 2023
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Recently, my sister sent me a family quilt to repair. Restore really isn’t the correct word. It can not be brought back to its original form with the pieces that are left.

It was most likely made by our great grandmother, Mettie Marie Cole McCullough. She lived most of her life in the rural farming village of Pine Glen, Pennsylvania. She was a farmer’s wife and mother of 10. Her quilts were utilitarian…the original weighted quilts.

This quilt was at my grandmother’s house.

This quilt is constructed from anything and everything that was at hand. It has wool patchwork. Straight seams were not important in construction. Warmth was the goal. Sashings are tan denim or duck, wool, and flannel. It is tied with green yarn. The batting is a badly deteriorated wool blanket. The backing looks like piece goods. It was seamed together in the middle of the back. The dark blue backing fabric is severely dry rotted. The binding is a rolled around portion of the backing. There is no label of any kind.

I need to do more documentation as I work on this quilt. I do have wool and denim fabrics in appropriate colors available. Some of the patches are in poor condition…falling apart at the seams or other holes.

This quilt should be an interesting project. I think I will try to have it refashioned into a useable quilt as a Christmas present for my sister this year.

Have you ever tackled a project like this? Please share your projects and your thoughts on mine.

Later,

Lorrie

Tags Quilt restoration

goals tranquility

📚Library Update

Post author By Lorrie Shore
Post date February 11, 2023
1 Comment on 📚Library Update
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Our house is a modified A-frame. The loft above the living room is our “library “. Years ago, we built in bookcases on wheels (so there is storage behind the shelves, if needed). We added books…and then more books. Until it looked like this:

Notice the shelves are hidden by bins, baskets and bags of books. Nothing was accessible. What a nightmare! It was no big deal…we were both so busy teaching that neither one of us had much time to read for pleasure. That all changed when we retired in June.

While we are awaiting the arrival of our first granddaughter, we are trying our best to stay busy. It took 3 days to transform this space. That kept us busy. Always be careful what you wish for!

First step, bring all of the stuff blocking the shelves downstairs to the living room…and sort, sort, sort.

Large bins are by author of multiple books. Small bins (not pictured) are sorted alphabetically by author.

To finish this project, we bought 3 mighty mover dollys (from Harbor Freight) for under the large, now sorted, bins. They can be easily moved from place to place to access any book in the room.

What project have you been putting off? I am so glad this is finally completed! No more shame over this space ! 😁

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Later,

Tags Books, organizing, reading

quilting scraps

Sampler Spree Block Finale

I started the blocks from the Sampler Spree block in September 2022. I finished all but 1 block on January 4, 2023. (That unmade block needed templates…uh, no…never.) Here is the final tracking sheet:

Tracking sheet helped move this project forward.

Here are the final blocks:

And the last few:

I am planning to use the layout in the book to assemble the top. I am going to sort the blocks a little differently though.

What project have you made progress on recently?

Later, Lorrie