Almost Done....HQDQ

Hi! Yes I am still picking away at this little project!

Probably only the die-hard quilters are still with me at this point,lol.

It isn't trimmed because I was short on fabric for the corners, I may have to redo them....

                              

I was taught that the back of a needlework project should look as good as the front....
No way is anyone gonna see the back of this little guy. I am going to choose a backing and layer it up right away, even though I won't quilt it til summer on the beach....

First though I was auditioning borders. I like a border on a doll quilt because it makes it look a true miniature instead of a block from a large quilt that has been trimmed down and bound.
So we have:

Repro (but vintage? selvedge says 1994) indigo (no)...

Repro 1994 red..(no)...

Cheddar #1 (maybe?)...no corner squares though.

Cheddar # 2: (too pale?)...

Turkey red print that I think is antique, I forget....(maybe?)

One fun thing about digital cameras and quilting: you can really step back and get a good look at try-outs and effects.



For the backing:

First I wanted to use a feedsack (logo type, not floral print), just for fun and to emphasize the make-do quality of my rendition of this quilt. I have one with a lighthouse and one with a turquoise elephant! (neither of which I can find right now, but...).
Or:
antique calico from an old quilt:

repro double pink (a yes unless I find the feedsacks)....

Let me know what you think? And please don't look too closely at my piecework! Boy, am I rusty!

And as a reward for sticking with me and encouraging my progress, here's a sprig of springtime! Just one of my forced bulbs is NOT paperwhites but an adorable baby daffodil.

enjoy!

love

          lizzy

new snowstorm coming up the coast...[sigh]



gone to the beach.....

A Snow Day Visitor...and doll quilt

I've been keeping busy with the Humble Quilts doll quilt challenge...and imagine my surprise when I glanced up from my sewing machine and saw...him! Peering in at me from the lamppost.

Note the coy turn of his head, he doesn't like his picture taken!

Remember this little guy from last summer? With his green tennis ball? I guess he followed me home one day (I feed the gulls on the winter beach; naughty, I know, but---they're hungry). Here he is on the roof of the pool house, staring in at me:Yoohooo! Lizzeeeee! I'm hungry!

And with the beach really snow-covered by the latest wet snow (19"!), probably there is not much food for the gulls. Even the big landfill on the mainland is totally snow encrusted and inaccessible to the gulls. So here he is, looking for a handout! Today he came back, brought his mom! If he brings all the relatives, I am NOT gonna feed them, geez.

All I have is stale bread, wonder if he'll eat apples? Should I go to the fish store (or bait shop, lol!) and get him....? Scallops? Clams? Bait fish?

Anyway, he and Mom ate their Wonderbread and I got back to work on The HQDQ Project:

The blocks are together and here is the layout with the blue spacers.

I tried it with one black and white calico piece [below, top row], a "poverty patch". It is all I have of this c. 1890? treasured print.

But I think the blues look better, the "grey" patch is distracting? I have an indigo repro that I could use for the spacer squares...but I want to use these antiques, despite the rather chaotic effect of mixing designs and grains due to fabric scrap constraints....

The top should be done by the weekend. I hope!

 love

               lizzy

gone to the beach.....

[Good] Winter Blues

Hello! How's your snow day going?....I am snowbound again and happily looking around my peaceful blue and white living space...

Don't get me wrong! I love pumpkins in the fall, and all the glitz, glitter and bright reds of Christmas...but every January when I have tucked away the last precious holiday treasure, I restore my home to my favorite blue and white decor.

This is a new pillow. I bought the early-mid 19th century quilt scrap to make hearts...but how could I cut this up? Gorgeous.

My interior spaces are actually entirely white: white sofas, bleached wood floors, and pale oatmeal rugs....thus the easy switch to red and dill pickle green ( or rose & turq; silver & grey...) at the holidays. And I love the all-white look so popular in blogland...but the brilliant ocean light is very draining and all white just looks sad here.

(I'm saving up for linen slipcovers, lol!)

In the winter my accents tend to be cobalt blue with some hints of black and soft dark turquoise.

In summer, the black gives way to brilliant sky blue-turquoise and Caribbean aquamarine.....

The good part is, I never get bored...and I love the serenity of wintery colors. The bad part is---I can't find the rest of my blue and white transferware!!!!

On a fun note: my white etsy hearts:

were featured in this beautiful blog:  The Quilted Nest ....I was thrilled! Take a look, the other heart-shaped items are so pretty! Thank you, Joyce!

remember, you can always order a custom heart...or a dozen! Takes me about a week to make them....

So---do you change your spaces for the seasons? What do you do?...new throw pillows? a cozy afghan? candles in warm scents? a favorite wreath or flower?...

love

            lizzy

...gone to the beach

Winter Update and Some Blog-keeping

Hi! I loved everyone's comments on cabin fever!
(more on comments in a moment...).
I think I especially agree with Kit who said she is still in the mood to enjoy the quiet time of winter. I do love winter...

and heaven knows I have LOTS to do indoors!

Besides cooking and cleaning, yuck!

Here's a little touch of whimsy in my snow-picked branches...

And I managed to get one try-out block of my doll quilt  together  last night. Keep in mind that each block is only 5 inches when finally done. Again I struggled with Lori's instructions ( sorry, Lori! I know it's me, not you!).Those darn Flying Geese! She had us cut them 1 3/8 " but they need to finish 1" so I for one needed more seam allowance, Lori! I'm glad I made the try-out block...and I think it's cute, don't you?

Sunday's flea market was small but fun....

But ...BUT...I miss my beach. As often as I can I put on ALL my winter clothes (or so it seems) and waddle like an overdressed toddler down to the shoreline.

Snowy dunes...

And, look! Ratty was out! He's our resident muskrat who washed ashore last spring in the big storm, we think. His burrow is in the swale, now frozen, of course.

Sea ducks, probably scoters or mergansers? (and a big ship 10 miles out at sea)....

                        

Ice forming on the tideline...  

              

                       

 I felt so refreshed. Until, last night, 3AM, my eyes popped open and I checked the temperature readout on my monitor. It was 7 degrees at that hour and I remembered that I left a gallon of Clorox in my car, because I had so much other stuff to carry in. Uh---what do you think the freezing temp of Clorox is??? (13*). If it froze then burst, the bleach would ruin my Jeep! I bundled up and trudged out into the 30 mph wind.

                       

It had not yet turned to ice-bleach, lol! And all was well.....

PS The blog-keeping bit today: my web browser won't let me email you guys directly, it is sulking. So I can't respond to your comments unless you leave me your email as a comment. I won't publish the email addresses, I promise, so send them alone or the rest of your message will be removed too because that's how Blogger works. OK? Your interest and comments mean so much to me, so if you haven't supplied it already, I'd love your contact info.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...........

Cabin Fever? Who, me?

Hi! This afternoon on the local news some guy was talking about cures for cabin fever!

Keep busy. Clean your closets. Call a friend. Stick your head outside once or twice a day, just lean out..no need to put your boots on. Balance your checkbook. Do your taxes.

Eeeek!

So I went to the beach....
Yep, it snowed again. But it was so pretty!

Softest pearl grey, a hint of peach.

And see the brave little seabirds, sanderlings....

Here's a solitary seashell on the barren beach...

And snow falling on the huge cargo ships....

Sunset and snow squalls over New Jersey (un-retouched color!).

The beach was cold but exhilarating, the perfect cure for cabin fever. I came home feeling buoyant. And hungry.

So I made spaghetti and meatballs from scratch for dinner....Yum!

What do you all do for cabin fever?

PS On Sunday I have an even  better cure! The January flea market! It's the only market from December to April...I am hoping for a blue and white platter. Maybe some keys or bottles...or...Valentines?

love

          lizzy

............gone to the beach