I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Beach Days - October Projects





Hi everyone! Good week so far, I hope?



Since the handwork of Pokeberry is finished [!] I have begun a new wool applique project for my late September and October beach sewing project. I am making a version of Lynda Hall's "It's a Crock".

awesome:





Doesn't it look a lot like my little crock collection?



I decided to use the designs for a fall table runner. I knew the pattern pieces were large but they are VERY LARGE. I couldn't fit them, even divided, onto my lovely thrifted linen runner [on right] as planned, so I am using this remnant of linen and cotton instead [left.]



I sketched up my plan to redistribute the motifs. I may add a pumpkin and a butternut squash at the end, not sure. I changed Lynda's mystery flowers to pink coneflowers.




I rummaged through my antique buttons for sunflower centers. These are hand carved mother of pearl with odd rusty cut steel studs or beads. Perfect!


I worked hard last week to get the projects all prepped for the beachy weekend--hot and sunny and lovely.



Sadly Sunday seems now devoted to football so one of the days it was just me and my little friends.








I can't sit inside on a day like this.
I got all the way down to the beach---I live right on the beach dunes but the water is a half mile trek at low tide right now---and found out that I had forgotten my sewing thread bag. Oh no! All I had was the tan thread that stays in my beach bag. Too hot and too far to run home so in the spirit of make it do, I decided to sew the busiest sunflower wools in the tan thread. I think it's fine and I had a lovely day.






See the two little envelope bags? These were made by my friend BJ, from "The Civil War Sewing Circle" by Kathleen Tracy here  One holds needles, the other holds my tiny scissors. I love them both, they come to the beach with me every day. So useful and pretty.


The day was windy though. I see staples in my sewing future, to hold these big pieces down. A nice young guy chased the 1876 letters all down the beach, returned triumphant. Yay.

While I sat and sewed a small bridal party appeared. They were pretty much intruding on my space, despite the big open empty beach so I felt okay taking their pictures, discreetly.


At first I thought it was a photo shoot,because the bride and groom--no entourage!--looked so beautiful and perfectly beachy-chic. He wore white shorts, she wore a white sundress and a lace bolero or shrug that left her back bare. Both were barefoot, she wore a crown of silk sunflowers.


Best wedding I've ever seen, just lovely.

***

Now the weather has changed. Today is grey and silent, with no hint of rain or storms. We haven't had a grey days in many months. It's a bit of a relief actually. Mo and I will sit on the deck and sew the final stitches on Peace and Plenty [Humble Quilts Cascadia, renamed by me].  I must finish this little project before I begin the next doll quiltalong, now in progress here . I'm funny that way, things must get done so I can enjoy a new challenge. No UFOs in my closet, nuh-uh.
[oh okay, a few!]


Tomorrow the sun returns with a first day of Autumn heatwave and I'll be headed back to the beach of course.

What are you up to? Pumpkins and sweater weather?

love 

lizzy  

gone to the beach



thousands of tiny shorebirds arrived

Gully and Big Boy

9 comments:

  1. I'd be right there with you on the beach. When the weather's nice, I don't like to be stuck inside. No sweaters and pumpkins here. Although it's getting down to mid-80s at night, it's still above 100 during the day. At least it's less than 110 most days. :) A sure sign of cooler weather to come. Ha! For us, 80 something is cooler. The table runner is going to be lovely. So sweet of the young fella to chase quilt pieces for you. Happy Fall!

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    1. think the guys feel sorry for me with my bandaged leg. I was happy I didn t have to be the patchwork piece chaser!

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  2. I don't get so excited over any sport, the beach sounds more appealing to me. I love your new table runner, it looks fun. Haha about you getting a young guy to chase your blown-away pieces on the beach - how do you find these nice guys?? The wedding on the beach had the right idea - no long formal dresses in the sand - I've always thought that seemed kind of silly unless you had a platform or pavilion of some sort...

    Not sweater weather here yet, either, although it has cooled off some. MIGHT need a light sweater if you're out late, I guess. I like sweater weather, though, so I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures.

    Thanks for sharing and have a great day!

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    1. There was a wedding the day before---long eggplant dresses [remember Valerie's wedding in 10 Big Ones!? lol], black suits on the guys. We counted 14 attendants! They looked odd, imho. They ceremonies are held either in the domed kiosks I ve shown you, or the next beach has really cute wooden Victorian gazebos that people use. But they all traipse down to the water at some point.

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  3. The table runner is going to be wonderful! Ahh, so gentlemen do still exist :) So nice of him to come to the rescue.

    Lovely little wedding party. Definitely the way to do it. No fuss, no muss.

    I love a grey day. It's very hot here again, and humid. Looks like it will last through the end of the month. I'm still in cut off jean shorts, and tank tops. Can't imagine needing a sweater anytime soon.

    Is that unusual to have so many shorebirds arrive? My gosh. The beach does look very inviting. Hard for girl, or bird, to resist.

    Kel

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    1. Mel & Kelley----As I said to Tammy, I think the guys feel sorry for me with my bandaged leg!

      Jean shorts and tank top sounds perfect!

      The huge flocks of tiny shorebirds in the photos are sanderlings. They do arrive every late summer and early spring. About half will stay for the winter, the rest go further south, but not far I don t think. Then in the summer---June---they all fly to the far Arctic to have their babies.

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  4. It has been beautiful since I arrived home.
    I had a good LOL at the letters blowing down the beach with a fellow chasing them!!

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  5. Love your 1876 project! And so envy your beach!! Beautiful wedding! What fun you must have!

    Blessings
    Gert

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  6. The last wedding I saw on the beach was actually funny.

    Huge white dress, long veil, spike heels...She didn't take her heals off even as she sunk into the sand when she walked.

    We renewed our vows here on our 35th anniversary. We dressed the same way as the couple you spotted. Our son joined us and we had a Hawaiian elder bless us. The four of us enjoyed a fabulous sunset. That's my idea of a perfect wedding ceremony.

    Hope you're feeling better and better.

    Hunter

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