Hi! My name is Lizzy and I have NO will power. LOL!
My friend Lori at Humble Quilts began a new quiltalong last week! As if Flags isn't keeping me busy enough? But oooooh---the new quiltalong is mystery! And it's a 1" postage stamp doll quilt, how adorable is that.
But no! At first I was good. I decided I'd save the doll quilt til January, something fun to look forward to after Christmas. With my problem hand, I can only cut and sew so much and my etsy shop needs fun stocking stuffers and hostess gifts. [maybe an angel too?].
But then, well, you know---I was sorting through my Civil War repro fabrics for inspiration for the Flags sawtooth star block, and all that beautiful calico just kept calling to me. "Use me. Use me! Just a tiny bit? Please?" Because some of the vintage and antique fabrics, I just don't want to chop up.
I figured I could give the mystery quilt two days, a couple hours each.
One day to cut a zillion 1 1/2" squares and another to piece the little four patch blocks.
Fine. (Yeah, okay, took me three days. I'm slow...and I had a helper.)
Isn't it pretty!?
Whatever will it turn out to be? It's called the Cascadia Mystery quilt. What is Cascadia anyway, sounds like bottled water to me. Or maybe it's a place?
Maybe the little quilt will be something like this? A 1" postage stamp doll quilt top or larger quilt section.
I decided not to use this piece because it is so charming as is, and quite old, perhaps preCivil War. The little squares aren't pieced with running or back stitch, they are whipstitched together from the front, with the tiniest finest stitches you can imagine. Need a magnifier to really see them. Maybe if you click and enlarge you can see the tiny stitches on the edges of the brown squares?
Besides my collection of recent repro fabrics and my antique and vintage yardage, I reused some c. 1875-1890? blocks, using the unsoiled, un-tattered remnants. I think they blend in okay.
It's interesting to see hoarded fabrics finally used. I've been collecting fabric for a brown and blue quilt for many years, and these are the fabrics that now appeal to me the most. (Despite my large collection of double pinks and chrome orange/ chrome yellow.)
Now when you have a project you need a helper, right?
If you look at any Pug breed description it will say pugs have been only lap dogs for thousands of years. Their sole function is to cuddle and be cuddled.
And one of their main personality traits is that they hate to be ignored.
These are just a few of Mo's contributions over the past couple days.
He ate my Thanksgiving gourds:
He demolished Mel's package and tore up the cashmere! yarn and embroidery thread, and hand written notes inside.
He ruined my alpaca hat from Hunter's pattern This is the third time! This time he added blue duct tape to the messy mix. Oh, yes, he really hates knitting, lol.
And he chewed four rolls of Charmin, and a giant roll of paper towels, and my new grey cashmere sweater. Then he threw up.
Just in two days! I for one was exhausted, but not Mo!
And for Kelley [and everyone]--- Look! I went out late last night to pick the last nasturtiums in case that cold front came to the beach---
and look what I found. My sweet peas are blooming. Just a few but, to me, Wow!
See---it's never too late to try!
love
lizzy
gone to the beach.....
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| silhouettes of little brown birds, like a William Morris print |
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| warm November evenings |
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Hi from IL...Ok, Mo is the PICTURE OF INNONENCE...note, I said, Picture, not that he is innocent. So much energy and inquisitiveness, so little time for Mom to appreciate my talents.
ReplyDeleteStrawberry Sue
Haha! Not so innocent. It s all in The Face.
DeleteDid you have snow?
OMG, Mo is starting to sound like the dog from the Stephanie Plum books, eating everything! Was any of your yarn salvageable? I'm not surprised the threw up. Eww. Poor dog, and poor you! I guess you aren't allowed to leave ANYTHING out.
ReplyDeleteThe tiny quilt is going to be so darling, all those tiny squares. I saw a full-size postage-stamp quilt once and all I could think about is OMG, cutting and sewing all those tiny squares! I think it was an antique scrap quilt, and some of the squares were singles - probably all that was left of fabric for other things, and/or the 'good' spots left in worn-out clothing. It'll be fun to see the finished doll quilt. Can you imagine making one bed-sized?!
The late flowers are so pretty - they seem extra special because they're so unexpected, don't they! My thought-it-was-dead geranium surprised me with blooms just before this last hard freeze, I hated to see it die....but if I brought it indoors my CAT would just eat it!
Pets are so loving and fun, but they can be annoying sometimes!
I think you re right about the treasured last of fall blooms. I loved it when my parents would send me Xmas greens from Cape Cod and tucked in would be tiny roses and blue heather, still blooming in December there.
DeleteCascadia....a new country...ok, good luck with that.
ReplyDeleteYou are a glutton for punishment, cutting all of those little squares. It is looking mighty cute.
Lol, Mo, what a terror he is. I'm learning that training myself is as important as training the animals. Like Mel said, 'I' have to learn to keep things out of their reach. I knew that Fussy (the cat) liked to play with my ponytail elastic bands. They all went missing and I just assumed they would turn up under the couch or the bed or somewhere. She wasn't feeling well last weekend and just before I was getting ready to whisk her off to the vet, I found a PILE of recently thrown-up elastic hair bands...there must have been at least 8-10 of them. Now, I ALWAYS put them where she can't get them. The little turd. Next day one came out the other end.
I LOVE the little sweet pea, it is so sweet! Almost more special because it's just the one. Does is smell? What do you have it in? Something frosted? Very cute. It IS never too late!
Kel
DeleteOMG poor Fussy! And it d kinda put me off my ponytail bands,lol. My hair is pin straight and silky, so the rubberbands don t stay in my hair. I know it s tacky but I have to use scrunchies--black only!---instead for my ponytail. One of Mo's best tricks is to leap on the back of the sofa where I m sitting and tear the scrunchie out of my hair. YUM! Oh it hurts, and puppy slobber in my hair, just, just---eeew. I gave him his own scrunchie [orange] which he likes but he loves my hair bows better.
Fingers crossed that more sweet peas bloom. I didn t notice a scent, I ll check. It is in an old medicine bottle, frosted from the sea, found on my beach. [no, no scent]
Oh that Mo, he must keep you on your toes. Look at that face. Can't help but forgive him. He's a cutie! I can't imagine cutting all those teeny tiny squares. I've heard of Cascadia as a movement for a new country ... perhaps you are creating a new country flag. :) Lov the blues and browns. Have a wonderful weekend. Tammy
ReplyDeleteCascadia The New Country? Interesting.
DeleteGreat quilt! Yikes, that is one busy dog. That's why I have a cat...LOL Kit
ReplyDeleteGotcha, didn't I?! I love what youve done. To go anywhere I have to go through the Cascade Mtn range and it is a darling little town I went through recently.
ReplyDelete