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







Monday, July 14, 2014

What Am I Doing!?


 Hi guys! I hope you went out to see the full moon this past weekend? And, off topic, how is your To Do List going?
 
The summer is whizzing by and I feel like I am getting nothing done! Between puppy care, sand sweeping, beach towel washing---and lots of cooking and company---it seems as if I never get a moment to sit down and sew or make things for my etsy shop.
I need to manage my time better? Tell that to my little helper here. He thinks puppy pads are for weenies, he wants to ''go'' outdoors. Good boy!

 
And see my worktable aka the dining room table, covered with Things To Do? You can imagine my dismay when a wind storm blew in last weekend and I had to relocate all this stuff to set the table for my indoor BBQ.

 
This is my current take-it-to-the-beach Mr. Sunshine panel. It gets a lot more stars. Hmmmm.

This is what happens when I sew rainbows on the beach in gale winds. Crooked rainbows. Third try so it stays for now.

 
A tiny sewing box and pincushions for my etsy shop. Unfinished, need I say that?
 
 The black blob on the left is Mo's snout. He thought this was very interesting and yummy looking.

This is the antique quilt top from this spring. I have gotten as far as soaking the extreme grime out in Orvus Quilt Wash. (A big disappointment. It does nothing much, I think the surface dirt would have soaked out in plain water just as well. It's clean enough to quilt though, so---okay. And anyway, I spilled the Orvus bottle and it's all gone. The floor where it spilled isn't especially extra clean either,lol.)
 
  
A few of the blocks are really ugly. Replace or consider them charming? While gritting one's teeth. {Chimney Sweep variation, Mel.)
 
My kids bought me a new real ironing board at IKEA, yay. I've used a small table board for many years. I hope this is not a hint? They gave me a new broom for Christmas so ya never know, hint hint hint?....

 

Now I can gently press the top and order backing and binding, audition fabrics below:
 
 
I am restoring this beautiful late 19th century Log Cabin runner, using antique fabrics.
 
 
 
I want to use it on my autumn table this fall. Just two of the blocks are very damaged. And again as you can see the special quilt soap did nothing to clean it. I'll soak it in mild Restore when it is repaired and quilted. Don't you love the forgetmenots?
 
 
I am trying to teach myself to crochet scalloped lace pillowcase edgings.

 
I am reading this book.


(Plus all the old "Butch Karp,NYC DA" series by Robert Tannenbaum. Whoa. Repetitious, indeed.) And knitting hats, a pattern from my friend here , Hunter, who recommended the above book but that's another post.
I saved the seeds from my Sweet William volunteer flowers, as Mel suggested. What a mess. I just left it for later, lol.

For fun  I escape and go thrifting. This week's finds:
A beautiful if pale sepia transferwareplatter.

 
 I love the delicate botanical design, perhaaps simple poppies? Arts and Crafts era, maybe 1890? Japonaise/ Aesthetic Movement style.
 

Here's the imprint on the back.
And I found this Susan Branch for book 99 cents. Christmas in July? Yes, yes. A few years ago I got rid of all my books, in a de-clutter binge and regret the loss at least once a week. Included in the discards were ALL Susan Branch's books, gifts from my mom. And now that I follow SB's lovely blog www.susanbranch.com of course I want the books back again.

 
On a possibly more focused, more productive note, I downloaded Map My Dog Walk onto my iPhone. (It's available for Android, too, and it's free. The maps are very fun!)Mo is up to 1/2 mile almost, 4 times a day! By fall I think he will be able to walk down to the beach, though I may have to carry him home.
learning "Come"
 
What do you all have planned? I know Lori at Humble Quilts is going to do a new quiltalong! Flags of the Revolutionary War, by Jan Patek. Fun.
google images
 
I got the book on eBay for 9.95, instead of full price of 22.99. I'm not sure I will be able to keep up, and all those star points!? sigh. But I am gonna try. In honor of my dad, who loved flags and made these Thirteen Colony wooden flags. The big one hung on the grey shingled side of my parents' Cape Cod house for years. If you look close you'll find his flag on Jan Patek's quilt.
 


 
As for me, right now, I need a swim and a beach walk! So ...
 love
 lizzy
 gone to the beach.............
 
 

 
 

 


10 comments:

  1. It just ate a very thoughtful and clever comment. Trust me, it was great.

    Hugs.
    Hunter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I so sorry! Mel's comment below is true, I always copy my comments before I try to post them. Plus Blogger is being ''bad'' lately, so spell check, for example. So pls forgive typos.

      Delete
  2. You have your hand in EVERYTHING and it looks like you're making some progress. Even with Mo's help. He gets cuter and cuter. Good for him knowing that big boys 'go' outside.

    The thrift store finds are fun. I'm sorry you gave the books from your Mom away. You can create new memories by collecting them again.

    Gotta go, it's a scone night...have to meet her halfway.

    Kelley

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I will slowly re-collect the S Branch books. But of course they won t have my mom's ''to....love, mother'' in them.

      Mo is very bad tonight. He is banished to his playpen. Big storms and floods here [temporay] so he didn t get enuf outside time. I think.

      Delete
  3. Try Napisan to brighten up your quilts. It's safe with colours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. found Napisan online to order thru amazon. Seems to be an Australian product. Similar in us are Biz and Vanish. The active ingredient is the same as in the product I use and like called Restore. Which I just bought but I think I'll order the napisan too. The active ingredient is sodium percarbonate Thx for hint!

      http://www.amazon.com/NAPISAN-nappy-treatment-powder-500G/dp/B0042Z42P8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405475813&sr=8-1&keywords=napisan

      Delete
  4. I think the antique quilt top looks pretty nice - and thanks for telling me what the pattern is! I don't see any UGLY blocks, unless you don't like the darker ones? I wouldn't replace them unless YOU want to keep the finished quilt.

    Your crocheted edging looks really good! You must have gotten the hang of it.

    I kind of like the flag quilt. It looks hard! One of my favorite flags, the coiled snake and 'don't tread on me' isn't on there (different version is). And sorry, but her eagle in the middle looks more like a goose!

    I showed hubby the pictures of Mo and that last one made him laugh. He said Mo sure was a pretty color!

    Today I've got a naggy sinus headache - not so much painful as it is annoying! I hope you're having a good day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hunter --

    This blog thing eats my comments so often I've gotten into the habit of selecting the entire comment and 'copying' it before I hit 'publish'. Then if the blog eats it, I can just paste it back. It's MUCH less annoying that way!

    ReplyDelete
  6. See my note above, to Hnter. It makes me sad that this happens. I m so sorry!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have been doing the same thing with Susan Branch books too! I never had them and being out of print, I find them at yard sales and grab them up. I kept thinking I had the one you just got and passed it up. What was I thinking??!! I should have bought it anyway and gifted it! Next time. :) Kit

    ReplyDelete

Hi! I'm allowing comments from everyone, even anonymous for awhile, to see what happens. With comments moderation. Hopefully the awful porn spammer has gone elsewhere. Or you can always email me! I love to hear from everyone.