SNOW? ICE? and Striped Christmas Stars

Striped Christmas Stars

Hey y'all, I'm waiting for this weekend's upcoming weather system: snow-ice-sleet-rain (Snowmageddon or Icepocalypse). Our forecasters can't decide between 24” of snow or 1/2” of ice but they do know it will be very cold for several days.

I figured a Christmas themed quilt for today's blog might bring on some simple snow. I am still catching up on projects that I cut out in 2024 before our move. This one I finished in early December 2025 and displayed on our bed during the holidays.

Red dots, teal print, and a coordinating plaid look nice with natural muslin. This pretty die from Blue Wren is called Eight Point Star of Stripes. Even though it looks complicated, it is very easy to sew. It was fun to design in EQ8. I added plaid sashing and a perky border of half-square triangles.

Quilting was done with cream thread using a utility zig-zag stitch in vertical lines every 2 inches. A bright teal blender for the backing and binding finish it off beautifully. Striped Christmas Stars is 48” square.

Whether we get record breaking snow or dangerous ice remains to be seen. Nashville's record snow was 17.2” in 1892, more recently 8” in 2016. The most I've ever seen is 10-12” in 1964. Cookeville's record is 15” (1966) and the county had 17” (1993).

The Tennessee weather forecasters and the internet have people in a panic, emptying grocery shelves of bread, milk, eggs, cheese, and lunch meat three days before the event. We have food and water and will be fine. At least I have hundreds of quilts to keep us warm if the power goes out. Plus, a Singer with a hand crank so I can sew by lamplight if necessary.

Dies used:

Blue Wren
    6466 Eight Point Star of Stripes 12” finished

Accuquilt
    55021 Value die 2” HST, square
    55017 Strips 2”

Breezy Evening

The last few nights around here were refreshingly cool and less humid. We had windows open with a fan circulating a breeze. Lovely weather!

For this quilt, I cut black, blue and cream batik into parallelograms, paired with light blue triangles and rectangles, and arranged them into mosaic blocks. I laid out the simple but striking design in EQ8, using the batik again for rotary cut 5” borders. Breezy Evening is 51” square.

I quilted free motion with dark gray thread in an overall meandering pattern. I switched to a satin stitch to make a square in each block center.

Now our weather is changing back to hot and humid...it is Tennessee, you know...so windows are closed and the AC is running. That's ok, my plan is to sew and clean all week.

Accuquilt dies used:

55797 Qube Mix & Match 10” Block

55017 Strip 2½”

Take time to delight in cool fall evenings 

Five Fabulous Things About May in Tennessee

I love my home state of Tennessee. Each season has special qualities, and I try to enjoy all of them.  Here are five fabulous things about May, in no particular order.

Portland strawberries

Strawberries -- These sweet, succulent, bright red, juicy berries are my favorite fruit. I prefer them this way: shortcake, pie, cake, right out of the field, on ice cream, on cereal, on biscuits, coated in chocolate, with whipped cream, in a salad...you get the picture. Too bad they only produce for a few weeks. Fresh is best, but homemade jam or preserves run a close second. 

 

Festivals -- Tennessee has a wide spectrum of festivals and events during the month of May. We celebrate strawberries, barbeque, arts & crafts, colonial and renaissance fairs, music, main street and downtown, heritage, gardens and flowers.  Search online or go to www.tnvacation.com to find one close to you. 

Flowers –- Roses, peonies, and iris are blooming abundantly now. These romantic flowers are both delicate and hardy. Amazing arrays of color and exquisite fragrances delight my senses and sometimes cause a bit of sneezing! But their beauty is worth it.

Holidays -- Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day bring celebrations with family and friends. Mexican food, guacamole, and drink on the fifth, spending Sunday with mama in the middle, then a big finish grilling out or heading to the lake. Good times.

 

Yard Sales -- Warm weather around here sprouts more than flowers. Watch for bright signs with arrows that make diehard junkers slam on brakes and hang the corner on two wheels. Spring cleaning has produced lots of stuff from the depths of closets and basements. Ready to shop?

Useful Notion:  Be selective about the bargains you find at garage sales...think how you'll use, repurpose or incorporate it into your life before you bring it home. 

"Enjoy May's colorful blooms, green grass, songbirds and all of nature...soon it will be too hot to go outside at all!"  -- Anonymous

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