A Year For Change

Hello everyone, welcome to 2025!

I have big news...the Useful Remnants blog will be on pause for a while, starting now. We have several major home projects lined up that will temporarily take me away from quilting. In fact, the sewing room will be all packed up (I'm sure I'll be having withdrawal symptoms).

It's really quite exciting with many busy days and positive changes ahead for us. Sometimes you need to prioritize and focus on what's most important. I'll check in periodically once things settle down or if I get a chance to stitch up a little project.

Meanwhile, y'all keep quilting and if you need ideas, browse through the blog.  I've been writing since January 2011, that's 719 posts and 413 quilting projects. 

Cheers to a happy year ahead!

Believe It Or Not...

I don't have a quilt to share this week!

It's not because I haven't been sewing...I have three quilts started and another ready to cut. They're just not finished.

Things keep getting in the way: yard work, spring cleaning, birthday celebration, appointments, delays, and odd little distractions.

At first it stressed me out, but life is too short to fret over self-imposed deadlines. So I've been going with the flow, taking care of essentials, and letting go of expectations. It's very freeing to change my routine and consider new options.

Maybe that's just what I needed. Perhaps the universe was trying to get me to slow down and pay attention.  Reflection and mindfulness turned out to be my birthday gift to myself.  See ya next week!

Fresh Start

The soft shades of this quilt are fresh and relaxing.  I found peach, pale green and aqua fabric in my stash that matched the diamond print to create four 18” quatrefoil blocks.

Using larger pieces makes for quick work.  I quilted using peach thread in a decorative stitch along seam lines. Backing and binding are the same peach print. Fresh Start is 37” square.

Accuquilt dies used:
55000 square 6 ½”
55005 rectangle 3 ½” x 6 ½”
55006 square 3 ½”
55456 flying geese 3 ½” x 6 ½”

Side note: During this COVID pandemic, I have had an opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and make positive changes in my daily life. I don't mind staying at home; I like a simple life. I enjoy the peace and quiet of my cozy house. It's ironic that I don't really like grocery shopping, yet that's one of the few places I've been since March. I do miss eating out, especially breakfast omelets and catfish.

I wear a mask when I venture out for supplies – for my own health as well as those around me. Apparently most people that I see do not, so I'll choose to stay in a while longer since cases and deaths are still rising.

I don't like negativity. I turn off the news and avoid the endless sensationalized blather about the virus, politics, and other inflammatory topics. A lot of things are happening that I don't think are right or even make sense. If something or someone offends me, I will not watch, listen, or support their efforts. I've got better things to do.

Do what you can, 

with what you have, 

where you are. 

Theodore Roosevelt 

Bits and Pieces

This colorful quilt uses some of the smallest pieces I've ever sewn into blocks. Talk about saving scraps...women of the 1930's would be proud.

When I got the spider web die for my birthday, I started cutting fabric remnants. Selecting different colors, I randomly stitched them together. Because of the tiny pieces and many seams, it took several days.

I used a natural muslin for contrast to showcase the web shapes. I chose a meandering stitch to quilt in free motion, with cream thread. Bits and Pieces is 36” x 48” in size.

I love the final product! The die is awesome for using up the smallest of remnants. It looks like an old fashioned quilt that my grandmothers would have made. I can't wait to make other versions with different background colors.

Bits and Pieces

It seemed like a perfect project to sew around Mother's Day. I thought about how women during the Depression years would have spent their time. They'd cut up old curtains, housedresses, shirts, and feed sacks to create a warm quilt for next to nothing, using faded blankets for batting.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about saving every cent, although I do get a certain satisfaction out of using leftovers to make a bonus quilt or two. It must be my rural Southern thrifty dirt farmer roots showing.

Accuquilt die

55487 Spider Web 6"

Sweet Music Man

My all time favorite singer is gone. The distinctive voice of Kenny Rogers caught my attention back when he was with The First Edition. But I fell in love with him at a concert in 1978 when he sang Sweet Music Man, She Believes In Me and I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again.

So many memories made with his music. I spent the night on a sidewalk outside TicketMaster to score front row seats on several occasions. We never sat further back than the 6^th row, at all his Nashville area concerts.

Kenny used to toss signed tambourines to the audience and I'm lucky enough to have several. I knocked over a good friend to catch my first...I gave her the next one I caught the following year.

My favorite memory is a Christmas concert at the Grand Ole Opry House. He asked for volunteers from the audience and I popped up like a red headed jack-in-the-box. We were to help him sing The Twelve Days of Christmas. And I do not sing well at all. 

Being first, I had partridge in a pear tree, so I got to sing with him twelve times. On the Opry stage. With his arm around me!  My feet didn't touch the ground for days.

He had much better luck with some of his duet partners: Dottie West, Dolly Parton, Ronnie Milsap, Lionel Richie, Gladys Knight, Sheena Easton, and Kim Carnes.

His music is timeless in several genres: jazz, folk, pop, rock, and country. He kept his signature style but tried new ideas over his six decade career. I love his many hits but the album cuts are some of his best. If I had to choose my top five, they are Lady, Through The Years, Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight, Crazy, and Sweet Music Man.

I will truly miss this wonderful, talented man. He always made me feel like he was singing just for me, even at a packed concert. I have photos, memories, and music to heal my broken heart.

"Nobody sings a love song quite like you do"

Star Island, Part 2

I did get some time in the sewing room last week, but not enough to complete the Star Island quilt. I finished stitching the last few blocks, arranged them on my design board and sewed the quilt top. 

The layers are now sandwiched and pinned, ready for quilting. Tomorrow I'll choose a quilting design and thread color. Final photos and details will come next Monday.

Camping for two weeks is wonderful, but there's a little work involved afterward to get back to normal. Unloading food, gear, clothes, and supplies takes longer at the end of the season since anything that might freeze has to come in. The camper got a thorough cleaning inside and out, then winterized for storage.

What else kept me busy? Two weeks worth of laundry. Putting away all the stuff we unloaded. The cupboard was nearly bare, so grocery shopping was necessary. (I put that off as long as possible; it is not my favorite activity.) Routine household chores.

Sometimes daily life gets in the way of quilting.

Sunday In The South

This quilt block reminds me of the Sundays of my early childhood. Cardboard church fans with colored pictures on one side and the local funeral home info on the other. Hard wooden church pews, no cushions. Dinner on the ground, fried chicken, potato salad, homemade desserts. Everyone wearing their Sunday best with hats and gloves. Porch swinging in the afternoon. A nap under a beautiful quilt.

I've been wanting to make this one for a while. I don't have a Dresden Fan die, so I had to get creative. I used the center section of the Crossed Canoes die for the fan blades. Four of them make a quarter circle. After sewing the blades together, I added a yellow triangle, and trimmed off the excess. I pressed under the curved edge, appliqued the fan to the corner of a 6 ½” square, then carefully cut away under the fan section to eliminate bulk.

Sunday In The South

The blocks set on point seem to float on the green dotted background. Calico prints in pastel colors replicate the vintage feed sack quilts that I remember. I quilted with white thread along the edges of the squares, then added a floral motif on each fan. Backing and binding are a white and green print.

Sunday In The South finished out at 41” x 46” in size. This one took longer to sew, but I thoroughly enjoyed the process. A side benefit is that I cut the whole BOB die, not just the fan blades, so I have leftover pieces at the ready for another quilt.

Accuquilt dies used: Crossed Canoes BOB 55181, 6 ½” square 55000, 6 ½” HST 55001, and 2 ½” HST 55018

Sampling Designs

Fancy Flowers pattern

I see design ideas everywhere. Magazines, blogs, Facebook, Pinterest and nature are my favorite inspirations for color and block layouts. 

Lately I've been experimenting with Accuquilt dies to reproduce vintage blocks. My resources are Granny Rose's clippings from Progressive Farmer magazine and Nashville Tennessean newspapers. I also search online for photos of vintage quilts.

Lydia Rose block

Before starting a new project, I usually sew a test block to see how it will look, especially if it is new to me. I also use EQ8 to design and test color combinations.  If that block doesn't end up in a quilt, I keep it in my sample drawer or make something useful out of it.

I found Fancy Flowers in Granny Rose's pattern shoebox, complete with templates and notes of how many to cut of each fabric. She also had one completed block in a lovely yellow, green and navy color combination.

Fancy Flowers - my version

My scrappy version is cut with Accuquilt Lemoyne Star, 4½” half square triangle, 2½” square and strip dies. I made an 18½” table mat with the sample, quilted with several decorative stitches. You may see this pattern again in a larger quilt.

I am thankful to Lydia Fort Rose for her quilts, and to Hazel Rose Ireland for saving these bits and pieces of patterns and scraps. Using them to sew new quilts brings me joy.

Scrappy Spring Stars

You may not remember, but back in October I started sewing randomly sized star blocks from my collection of scraps.  In January I put some of them together to create this 44" x 54" quilt called Scrappy Spring Stars.

I used white fabric for background, arranged them in rows by size, then bordered the quilt and each row with an aqua cross print.  The backing features sweet little bouquets of flowers in pink and aqua.  The binding is made of remnant strips in coordinating colors.  

Scrappy Spring Stars

Quilting was a free motion experiment in triangular patterns with white thread, done on my Flynn frame.  It's not perfect but was great fun to stitch.  

I like learning new skills and count this one as a success even with a few flawed stitches.  Sewing for me is all about enjoyment of the whole process: design, layout, color, sewing, quilting and seeing the finished product.  

Beautiful things 

come together 

one stitch at a time

+++

When you love 

somebody, or something,

it's amazing 

how willing you are 

to overlook

the flaws.

Caroline Knapp

Make It So

2019 is just about here.  

Time for reflection, recharging, and resolutions.

Toss what's not important.

Embrace your favorite things.  

This is the beginning of anything you want.

Bittersweet Victory

Last night I had tears rolling down my cheeks when Austin Dillon took the checkered flag at Charlotte. The last time we saw the 3 car in Cup Series victory lane, Dale Earnhardt was behind the wheel. I still miss that mustached grin and hard driving style. The Intimidator was my driver, and I was rabidly passionate about NASCAR racing. Now I casually watch, and cheer mostly for Dale Jr., but it's not the same.

I guess I am happy for Richard Childress to finally get another win with that car, but I secretly hoped that would never happen. Life goes on, things change, but to me the 3 car will always belong to Dale Earnhardt. 

5 x 5 Rule

Lessons Learned and Things Remembered

It's been an interesting year. As I reflect on 2015, these thoughts come to mind.

The only person that you can really change is yourself.

Things don't always turn out like you planned, or the way you think they should, but they mostly turn out like they are supposed to.

When you focus on what you want, everything else falls into place.

There's a lot of beauty and joy in ordinary things.

Some fools aren't worth the breath needed to cuss them out.

There are people out there who pretend to be nice, honest and compassionate, but ultimately their words and actions prove otherwise.

Surround yourself with the things you love; discard the rest.

It's ok to say no to unnecessary crazy.

Choosing to be happy is good for your health.

Life is better when you're laughing.

In the end, only three things matter:

how much you loved,

how gently you lived, and

how gracefully you let go

of things not meant for you.

--Buddha

Practicing Patience

patience [pey-shuh ns]

• the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like
• an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
• calmness, stability, and persistent courage in trying circumstances

After sixty-one years, you'd think I'd be pretty good at being patient, but apparently I need more practice. I want to focus on the without complaint, loss of temper part. 

Maybe yoga, meditation, or some kind of diversion would help. 

There's always a big glass of wine or a margarita.  Yeah, I'll take that. 

“Sometimes the fastest way

isn't always the best way.

Sometimes the best things in life

take a while.”

--Emily Beth

Patience is a virtue,

except when I'm the one

who has to put up with 

unnecessary crap.

--Unknown

Last Chance

There are only a few days left in 2014. It's a time for reflection and planning. How was your year? Did you get to everything you wanted to do? What's on your agenda for 2015? 

 

You still have time to fit in a few things before the end of the year. Go out and make them happen. If not, then move them over to your 2015 list or toss them altogether. 

After all, it's your list. And your life...so live it your way.

“If you have a dream, 

give it a chance to happen.” 

-Richard M. DeVos

“I don't want to miss out on the chance of having a good time.” 

-Victor Webster

“If you don't take the chance to live life, 

what can you say at the end of it?” 

-Naveen Andrews

Contentment

 

con·tent·ment

 : the state of being mentally and physically satisfied with things just as they are

: peace of mind; satisfaction

: a happy or pleased feeling with one's circumstances

It is comforting to be at place in life where you know you can handle whatever comes along. You've cleared unnecessary things and exasperating people out of your path so that you can go your own way. That's contentment. 

 

Some people always strive to be somewhere else or someone else; they will never be truly content. You have to be comfortable with who you are before you can find your way to where you want to be. 

 

Happiness and satisfaction in life come from knowing you are where you belong. That doesn't mean you're stuck in one place, but that you trust yourself to go forward confidently and enjoy the journey.

“When you can think of yesterday without regret 

and tomorrow without fear, 

you are near contentment.” 

– unknown

“At some point you gotta let go, sit still, 

and let contentment come to you.” 

– Elizabeth Gilbert

Halfway Point

Butterfly plants--especially pretty this year

Half the year is gone already! That got me to thinking. I've accomplished quite a lot so far. Tried new things, enjoyed being with old friends, and relished spending time with my mama. Took care of lots of paperwork and cut through some red tape. Relaxed with and worked alongside my sweet husband. Spruced up our home, put things in order, and tossed clutter. Pushed negative thoughts and unnecessary crazy people out of my life. Carved out time for myself in the sewing room, read dozens of books, and got a sassy new haircut. The first six months of 2014 have been satisfying and happy.

Looking ahead, I have plenty of goals and ideas for the second half of this year. I'll continue my quest to simplify life and to focus on what's important. There's more home improvement on tap, and certainly a few adventures along the way. I've got people to see, places to go, and things to do. With days inbetween to reflect, dream, relax, create, and enjoy living. Who could ask for more?

Useful Notion: Whether you dive right in to your day or dip in one toe at a time, be sure to savor every little experience.

"I don't have everything, but I love everything I have!" ~Anonymous

Stuck In A Rut?

Then make a few changes to break out! Overthinking can complicate matters, so use these simple statements for a quick kick-start.  

If you're too busy, let something go.

When you're bored, try something new.

If you're stuck, take a detour.

When you're tired, take a nap.

If you need a change, make it today.

When you're confused, stop and refocus.

If you're upset, feel it, then move on.

When you're just coasting, shift gears.

If you're bogged down, lighten your load. 

Get off the hamster wheel and follow your own path. Remember, it's your life!

If you do what you've always done,

you'll get what you've always gotten. ~ Tony Robbins

Odds, Ends, and Junior

First and foremost, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won yesterday at Pocono! Although I'm not as wildly passionate about him as I was his Dad, he is my favorite active NASCAR driver. Second win of the year gives him a shot at the championship in this new format. Go Junior!

88 - 88 - 88

While we were camping last week, the deer apparently knew we weren't home and planned a raid on the smorgasbord of flowers in our yard. Massive hosta are reduced to stalks; my favorite roses were nibbled down to nubs. Of course they didn't bother the wild ginger or poison ivy. They have the whole woods, why do they need to graze up next to our house? 

Wittle do dey know dat I have my Elmer Fudd hunting hat and shotgun all weddy to twack dem wascally critters down...Wevenge will be mine!

** - ** - **

You never know what you'll see at the campground. People watching is one of our favorite activities. Some sights and sounds are indescribable and cannot be revealed. This trip included rednecks, unruly dogs, and questionable wardrobe choices. I'll leave you with this one. Picture a medium height, slightly chunky man with a beer belly, sporting a straw cowboy hat, wearing a form fitting green tee shirt with bright blue and white Hawaiian print knee length swim trunks, clomping down the path in a pair of cowboy boots, guzzling a beverage from a pink can coozie.  

No, he wasn't my guy, and yes, I was afraid to snap a photo.  

FOCUS

:a point of convergence 

 

:a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding 

 

:a center of activity, attraction, or attention

Occasionally it's hard to focus.  Distractions keep you from the things you want in life. Stress, confusion, and negative people make you lose concentration and momentum.

Staying focused on where you want to go helps you stay on track. Take a moment every now and then to reflect on what's important and where you want to focus your attention. You'll gain perspective, peace, and energy to move forward.

Focus on the things you can change and let go of the things you can't. 
 
When life gets blurry, adjust your focus.