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







Friday, January 23, 2015

Little Projects



Hello there! I love January. I get so much done.

I love the long quiet days and cozy nights. This week, with no moon, the night sky has been spectacular, Orion overhead, the big stars and planets blazing like diamonds in the black sky. I usually have scented candles burning, like these.here  I must have Peach Bellini for next summer, and Tiki Beach.
Mel recommends Fresh Apple and Firewood, too, from Henhouse Candles , they are also on my list.

snow fog and early sunset tinting the beach palest pink
The quiet is such  a change after the chaos and frantic fun of the holidays. My family traditionally all leave right after Christmas for a long week of skiing, and the sudden silence is such a change. I always plan some fun small easily finished but enticing projects for that time. A new venture wards of the melancholy of ''gone too soon...." in early January.



This year I had two things to work on.
This is the table runner I planned for the two dishtowels I got at Christmas Tree Shop in December.




Folkloric...



 I love the birds, so happy and fat, with their pompom collars.








Pretty colors: tomato and sage-y blue-green.


India print backing.



One of my current frugality efforts is making a No Cut Flowers rule, unless I need them for photo props. 10.oo a week equals 500.oo bucks a year---and right now Mo just eats them anyway. But I had to have some tulips last week.


And I finished The Twelve Days of Christmas tiny quilt. [Temecula Quilt Company free pattern]


I like my candy cane stripe binding.



Quilting and washing / shrinkage improved it a lot, I think. It looks more cohesive.

before

after

Next on my list is to hand quilt my Peace and Plenty [Cascadia] doll quilt. And I have my eye on this wonderful quilt by Jan Patek. I ordered the book but it hasn't showed up yet. I think her website response is quite slow? I am wanting another warm flannel quilt for my bed for winter. My Porch quilt is cozy but too brown. I want to do the new quilt in black flannel [plaids, checks, mottled on black, with a more pastel palette] with touches of wool mixed in with the cotton.
Black is possibly a mistake since pugs shed a lot. I sold my black ground Amish quilt while I had my other pug. He was a good boy and slept on the bed. So far Mr Pissy aka Mo is banned and I have a shower curtain on the bed to discourage visits and deposits.

Here's the Pokeberry Quilt  :
The pokeberries are what ''make'' it. They 'd be wool on my version. The wreath needs work and I don't think I can face another eagle. And that horse has to go. Maybe a black kitty?


Beautiful day, so I'm off to the beach. Yesterday Mo locked himself in the bathroom while I was out beachcombing. I was frantic when he was nowhere to be found when I got home. Having a puppy sure changes one's life, doesn't it? Before Mo I'd have taken my knitting out to the beach, found a sheltered sunny dune, and I'd have sat there quietly knitting for awhile. Like meditating....

who, me? Not me!



Those days are G O N E.

[yes, he's worth it, but still...]

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.......












6 comments:

  1. Gosh, where to start? The little quilt is darling, and I like the binding very much. The table runner turned out great. I remember the towels and also the skirt that you used to make it. Happy to see it's second life :) You sure do get busy and thanks for sharing the candle sites and scents with us. Just the thought of them makes me happy, I'm a very scent sensitive person. I always sticking my nose in something.

    Oh Mo! How DID he trap himself in the bathroom...me thinks he likes drama.

    Enjoy your time on the beach, looks like your weather might be taking a turn. Happy weekend, thanks for sharing your projects, you did a great job.

    Kel

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    1. Hi Kel! Let me know if you get some candles. BBW is having a big sale on their 3 wick scented candles. Half price.

      Mo was on a toilet paper search and destroy mission! You have to close the bathroom door to get to the linen closet which I had left open a bit. So then he was stuck. He did manage to stand up and get a tube of cortisone cream instead of the Charmin. He chewed the end and squirted it all over the [apparently pitch black] bathroom. and on his feet, but there was none on his face so I decided he d be okay. He was happy! Not scared. He is also fascinated by both the running shower/ bath and the toilet, have to be sure to keep everything closed.

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  2. Oh, yes, your Christmas tiny quilt came out adorable and I love the 'candy cane' border. I wouldn't have caught the "12 days" theme though if you hadn't explained it!

    The table runner came out very pretty, so bright! Did you quilt it? It certainly adds a pop of color to your table. I know you'll miss having cut flowers! It'd be nice if they'd either last longer or not be as expensive, but you can still treat yourself occasionally, right?

    And Mo... While we enjoy hearing about his misadventures, I'm sure it's a little nerve-wracking for you. Life without pets is certainly simpler, but not as much fun! And LOL you know you're a pet-lover when you plan your projects with pet shedding in mind! My new afghan project is mostly grays, because that way Spook's gray fur won't show up on it as bad! But then I have a dark purple one going, too, and that will be a nightmare with shedding!

    Are you going to tackle the Pokeberry Quilt next? I'm hoping you'll take the ideas and add your own twists to the blocks - like a cat instead of the horse, etc. Keep the parts you like and substitute something else for the bits you don't care for. It makes for a lot more interesting quilts!

    My order of yarn for baby blankets came today! So you know what I'll be doing for a while!

    Hope your weekend turns out nice instead of icy! Take care!

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    Replies
    1. Hi I m glad you enjoyed the projects! Yes I rather badly quilted the runner. My good new sewing machine went wonky on me just as I began quilting everything. 75 bucks repair!

      I think the 12 days motif is hard to decipher on purpose. It was originally a mystery quiltalong.
      '
      It ll take me awhile to think about P'berry and gather the materials. PIt s a little annoying that I need to sub so many of the blocks.

      How fun to be making your special blankets. Pictures? Yarn first?

      love

      r

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  3. I don't like the wreath on the Pokeberry quilt either.
    Love how your other projects turned out.
    Mo can't hang out at the beach with you? Isn't it too chilly to take your knitting and sit?

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  4. Temps are high 30s here. On a sunny winter day it can be quite pleasant in a protected spot. I love cold weather....

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