It's Time to Start Our Indoor Bulbs!

 Hi guys! Brrr, The polar vortex has come to the beach! Wind from the north at 36 mph, wind chill is 1*. [-17*C]

AccuWeather Alert: Arctic blast may be followed 

                                              by a big snowstorm

It feels like my work desk is outside, I think I need to add a hat. Mo is wearing his Duckie pjs and I have my heated throw going, fingerless gloves on my hands as I type. 

I found  wonderful soft brushed thermal tops at Old Navy. Very oversized so lots of room for layering even if it makes me look like a polar bear.

click HERE        

Despite the cold, the weather is sunny and beautiful and it's time to have a little boost of springtime.

Soo...did you stock up on prechilled spring bulbs last October? 

No? Amazon can fix that, as can a visit to your local grocery store. Today my store had pussy willow branches 4.oo, cut tulips , 5.99 a dozen, 2" and 4" forced hyacinths and daffodils at 2.99 and 4.99---and yes! boxes of paperwhite bulbs on sale. Amazon selection: click here

A couple years ago I switched from forcing in interesting containers, using seaglass and beach pebbles--

to reusing this very modern but perfectly shaped for function glass cylinder from Costco. You can use whatever you have on hand.

The glass cylinder came with this scary pointy vicious looking ''frog'' or bulb anchor.

I carefully store it each year after use, protected in a takeout box, firmly taped shut. Imagine stepping on that if it went astray on the kitchen floor.

This year I bought my bulbs at the garden center when we visited for Christmas. 

                                                          

Instead of paperwhite Ziva bulbs, the fragrant all white classic narcissus for forcing, I chose a new variety, called Winter Sun.

                                                  

They look so sweet and happy and cheerful with their pretty yellow trumpets. I hope they live up top their pics.

Only four bulbs but they look crisp and healthy, with nice green sprouts already.

Nestle the bulbs in their base supports, add water. Easy peasy.

   

                                                       

I was planning on starting the bulbs in this crock but it was too hard to monitor the water level. It's important, especially until roots form,  to top up the water daily. The water should just touch the rounded base of the bulb without covering the bulb.

I moved the jar to the pine bench where they've sat all week doing nothing, lol. But they should get going soon and bloom in about four weeks.

.........................................................................

And here is my little indoor nursery garden by the back door where it's cold but gets warm morning sun. 

My amaryllis is doing great! 

What a thrill. It's red by the way, for those who asked. And this is its third year.

And here is my white orchid, a birthday gift last year. [Or is it pink? I forget...]. It too is doing really well. I let it hibernate all fall then gave it Miracle Grow when I fertilized the amaryllis. Its leaves and now glossy and strong, they stand up all perky.  Nice green air roots, too. No hint of buds yet. Later when it's warmer I'll move it to a warmer more humid location. Or maybe it can go in the narcissus's glass cylinder when they're done blooming? Like a little terrarium?

Both plants need more Miracle-Gro, but I'm out. Amazon?

.....................................................................................

Mel sent me a link for my new to me Croc Pot, it was something like 75 Best Slow cooker recipes. I plan to make  a pot-roast, just like Mrs Plum, hahaha. It was odd because it called for a bone in cut of roast beef, something I have never seen. And the other recipes seemed quite odd, [sorry, Mel] heavy on spicy chicken, where are my Rolaids, and oddities such as warm creamy crab dip. Ptomaine waiting to happen. HERE

Yes I know I am way way behind on slow cooker usage; I only used mine to make pulled pork, then it went to the ski house in Vermont and was never seen again. One big drawback for me is they mostly require one to cook before noon, the earlier the better. I just can't, no I cannot cook  at 6 AM.

                                         "We are having roast beef, mommy?"//

                                            "Not tonight, little man!"

Mo is proud his warm plaid coat still fits!

PS, in regard to my previous post--I should have called it a Wish List, not a To Do List. Obviously I cannot do most of the things on my list, I was just, like, day dreaming, I suppose? And I always feel it's better to have lots of ideas, better than having no ideas at all. 😍🙄

Have a warm and cozy weekend!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

After the beach pics are a couple of wonderful links about beach art/ community installations organized by a woman in New Jersey. Pretty wonderful, I hope you'll click and enjoy. 

Let the sunshine in, the sun shine in....

Seashell community art installation, NJ click HERE

And the same community/ woman's Christmas Tree on her Beach: HERE

Planning Can be Fun ~ Sometimes

EDIT: I am renaming this a WISH LIST, fun to think about but not realistic. I hope you can njoy my dreams and plans.

Good morning! Today I am looking at the Dreaded To Do List. I don't do New Years Resolutions [and if you do, are they not oh so last year already?]. I do however like lists as we've talked about before, but my winter planning list this year has me bug eyed and confused before I have even gone into the sewing room. 

I keep telling myself, Focus, focus!

Snow is coming this week. Projects pre-Number One are Hearts for my etsy shop [or to sell here via my blog due to photo issues], will start them today!

Then  to prep hand work for sewing during power outages. I have my Snowman's hat and face etc all ready to be attached. 

And I want to get these two tiny bowl fillers set up. They are kits I found on FB. I was disappointed that the shapes are not precut, just teeny tiny bits of wool and a pattern. I didn't need to spend $8.oo for that! I also have a mini quilt ready for hand quilting, it's just 4" square, how cute.

Back to The List [you may notice it is a very Jan Patek year! She is my most favorite designer!]:

 Number One project is to piece the remaining 11 Stars for Silent Night. That's 44 Geese blocks that make the stars' points. I plan to go scrappier with this batch as sorting them perfectly really slowed me down.

#2 item was to make more Hideous blocks and finish that 2018 sewalong. But now I'm not sure where I want to go with it.

The blocks are called Hideous because in my original post I showed a set of fabrics [first set of fat quarters I ever bought], a group called Jamestown by Nancy Gere. I said I loved the fabrics but thought they'd make an absolutely  hideous quilt. That challenge, to make the ugly quilt still looms. I do like the blocks in this colorway; I set aside the blue and white blocks I was also making; unexpectedly they were the ugly blocks, too ugly to bother with or finish.  Aren't they depressing? Eeeew.

I stalled on this sewalong because I found the history lessons that went with each block were offensive and unpleasant, not inspiring like Westering Women had been. And I was put off from following Brackman's sewalongs when I sent her a photo of WW and got a tepid, snippy reply. Quite rude! Oh my, took the wind right out of my quilty sails, lemme tell you. But that is, uh, history. What to do with the Hideous blocks though?

#3- Make a fast Blue Pineapples throw for this coming summer. Try-out pattern made.

#3A- Work on Winter Wild Geese and Blackbirds quilt. Black, grey, blue flannels, winter on the marshes.

4- Put together these wonderful Wagon Wheel blocks and layer and pin for hand quilting next summer.

5-Prep the rest of Silent Night's appliques 

and start the border for Coxcombe. 

You can see Lori's quilt HERE  HUMBLE QUILTS with her beautiful machine applique work. I plan to hand applique. I love this quilt and want to make it, very challenging. But I'm put off by its real name, Anniversary Quilt, since I have no anniversary to celebrate or be proud of. Hence my rename of Coxcombe. And another boggle, it's immense. I want to reduce it to 75%. More thought needed.

I know I'm not good at prepping applique, usually just do it as needed. But I am seeing that this will be another lost to Covid summer, a summer spent alone on my deck and I want to use my time more productively that I have this past year. So I'll leave it on the list for now.

Last these are patterns I'd love to make but realistically will not have the time:

This I love! I'll hang it on my door to welcome everyone if we ever have Thanksgiving again. I'll probably make the Pineapple's body one weekend, really want to work on it!

And this sweetie too! To replace Bitty in my Grandma's hope chest, it is about 44" square, just one giant darling basket. Hw cute is that!

The other crib quit, on  the right, could even be a gift quilt for a child. It's also adorable but simpler and not quite as whimsical. I might try to do it very low volume, almost colorless.

An Easter quilt, also for my door. I was planning to make it last winter but made masks instead. All the fabrics are gathered.

 And because I have so few patriotic quilts and now with the new leadership in our country, I feel less embarrassed  and more celebratory. Love the soft colors too. This is called Dawn's Early Light.

Below, from TQC. Just fun and charming, lots of sit and piece. These are 2" and 4 " blocks, very tiny.

Fun again. Lately a lot of ABC quilts are showing up online; numbers is so different. I'd use many of the colors from Festival of Life.

And last a far-fetched dream project. I adore this early Jan P quilt. All these small appliques would create excellent beach time hand sewing for years to come. It is very vintage, found the book on Thrift Books for under 5.oo.

I think the book is Snowbound, the quilt is Snow Day.

Organized? Or overwhelmed? Both! I do like having it all written up here on my blog to guide me through this year. But no deadlines, no competition. I plan to make it a wonderful year, I plan to embrace to restrictions and solitude. Yes Covid is winning, just today it is said the vaccines do not work on the newest mutation found. Instead of worrying, I will be satisfied to get Silent Night on the way to completion and to finish Blue Pineapples, plus have plenty of hand sewing for this summer. 

My mom had a slightly macabre sense of humor, at New Years she'd toast: "Eat, drink and be merry!" leaving out the rest but we all knew the rest of the quote.

How do you work? Do you enjoy juggling many projects? How do you prioritize?

Mo has HIS priorities straight: 

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......