Hi! More rain and grayness here all week. It's as if Summer peeks out and whispers, Is it my turn yet? and big bully Winter-Spring kicks Summer's butt and send her scurrying away. Or let's just say, it's cool and rainy here.
On the few days that summer has shown her face, I have been working on my quilt project that I call A Year in the Country but the real title is A Day in the Country is like a Month [week? year?] in Town. By Sarah Sporrer, pattern shared by blog friend Penny.
I am sort of caught up--my June block is half done and June is half over. Here are the first five finished blocks.
I have been treating each block as its own design, not trying to make each block ''go'' with its neighbors. I have the notion that the colors will evolve in trite but true seasonal color ways, from frosty January to lighter spring blocks, then bright summer, then fall-y fall to winter again.
You can see that may not work so wonderfully but everything stays, it is what it is! Each 10'' block gets a scrappy log cabin sashing of four different prints that , to me, are representing that month, so, say, Hearts in February etc, Despite embracing random choices here, I plan to repeat reds and maybe browns throughout.
I choose the fabrics randomly. Sometimes it doesn't work! Two very darks here.
Better the red rotated to the left instead.
Oddly despite my huge effort to have everything finish exactly, Crow is too big, so I'll fix the sashing when I resize. When finishing, I plan to add another log cabin round, maybe not as bright as the fabric shown, which is intended for the backing instead, maybe.
As I have endlessly complained I do not like to embroider, but once I got going with the stitching, I could see that the writing/ lettering and numbers/ dates add a prim graphic appeal much needed in the very simplified Country designs. [so, okay. fine, she sighed.]
Here are the finished blocks so far: The Warm Mittens/ January title doesn't show up enough, grrr. It's actually a dark mustard, but fades away in photos.
Crow in Snow/ February: I used metallic thread here to give a cold frosty effect.
First Robin/ March - Velvet tummy!
Hare/ April This block commemorates a rare visit to the beach by my parents. My mom liked to walk after dinner and as we walked over the dune walk at dusk, there was a crescent moon and large glittery Jupiter in the pink and blue sky...and across the sand and grass of the dunes, we saw a beautiful tawny brown rabbit who stopped and studied us then carried on his way, much to our delight. I never see animals on the dunes, just tracks, so a rare sighting and special to me moment.
The antique pink pinafore scrap that is the April sunset sky, kept shredding as I sewed, but the glory of primitive is how the little fix-it patches work just fine for me.
Herbs/ May - I really labored over my bee skep and herbs block! So far it is my favorite, much to my surprise.
I had a rare redo on the herb pot, the first pot looked so blah.
Here is Rooster, June. No way was I gonna applique a fence! Mr Rooster got a mud puddle and morning glories instead.
Morning glories, blue wool dots.
A fun chicken feather-look print for his body. One red print choice for his comb, but all those points! I chose red wool instead.
All set up, glued, fused, ready for the beach this weekend. Chickens have yellow legs, right?
Two interesting notes from the quite good pattern directions---one, Sarah Sporrer says each block can be made, including quilting and binding [she did a quilt as you go potholder method] in ONE DAY. Either I am very slow or her days are very looooong?
And, two, to fix the lack of cohesiveness in each design's relationship to its neighbors, she suggests primitive tea/ coffee dying. I wonder if I'll have the nerve?
Very retro pattern, from I think 1997, since the years on the blocks are 1897. Fun and frivolous project, thank you, Penny! It's a charming break from the Blue Basket put together.
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Here is what baby Mo thinks about rainy Mondays, rainy Tuesdays etc etc.
This is his own down pillow, he keeps it on the sofa back where he has a view of the entrance door and deck both.
Have a good week, everyone!
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love
lizzy
gone to the beach....
August waves
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