Gone To The Beach: 09.30.2016

Friday, September 30, 2016

30 Dots Has September ~ Dottie 365 plus Nature Notes

"The days go so slow but the years, they go too fast."

Hi! Today is the last day of September. How come March and April don't fly by like these late summer, early Fall months do?
I have all my Dotty 365 blocks finished for the month, hooray! September 30 block is block 330 only 35 [36, it's Leap Year// 50 to even the rows] more to go! The year has gone too fast.

I continue to enjoy this project, I find it relaxing, yet interesting. I'm excited now to see the final textile that will result from my year's efforts. This month I tried to use darker toned Dot fabrics to increase the graphic impact and contrast in my Dots.

Mostly the choices were things to remember, or references to old times, fun times. A few are scraps from current projects, especially P2, which was my main sewing focus this month.
Morning glories, Monarch butterfly migration...

Full moon and a medical appointment day.

A sad day, a beach day...

Hydrangeas, P2 flowers, shells....

Dragonfly migration days....

P2, first day of School, Kitties visited, Cape Cod blueberry memories...

a Mo day or two...and more Cape Cod days, butterflies on the late roses.

-------------

A nature note, for those who don't visit here for endless quilt quandaries and musings! [and for me.] As I sit each day sewing on my deck I am now seeing flocks of birds filling the skies. The migrating birds follow the coastline west, then south. The empty saltmarshes here provide safe resting territory and abundant food, plus I imagine the coast makes a good sight map for their travels. Lately I've been seeing small flocks of oystercatchers. They are easily recognized by their odd awkward flight. In the spring they arrive in small groups of two or three, often nesting as threesomes once they arrive. This is an oystercatcher decoy or carving.

But in the fall they form larger flocks of perhaps eight or ten birds. Maybe they are the parents and babies from summer? In late September they begin their practice flights, round and round the beach. Tomorrow they will stll be here, stalking small somethings yummy along the tideline. But Sunday they will be gone. Just as they arrive always on St Patrick's Day, they leave for their winter homes on October 2nd. I've lived here many years. Some things never change....Have you ever kept a birding journal or nature journal?

PS Finding ''madders'', red-brown prints, once created by a vegetable dye called madder...for Lori's new sewalong. So excited, i's again a mystery quilt.