Quilt Room Update ~ Santa's Workshop, IG Shamed Cleaning, and Projects in Work

 

Hi everyone! When I started this post, the weather was warmish, foggy and a gale wind was blowing! [59*/ 40+mph winds] My deck pots bravely continue to bloom!

Today is calm but crisp. That ocean dampness seeps into my bones now. My tree is up, tiny but much loved. More on that another time. 

I took advantage of the windy stay indoors day to begin a few handmade gifts. I can show you this project because these friends do not read my blog. Little ''mug rugs" but actually water bottle and phone coasters. Water bottles always drip! I find these tiny quilts so handy. 

And I love this happy group of lemon prints. 

Other projects will be mostly neglected, I fear, as cooky baking and gift wrapping take center stage. And yes I still send hand written cards with special stamps from the post office. But here they are:

Lets consider a backing for ZigZag. Should it be the matching green calico ? This green is just for color, I'd have to order the correct green.

How about a Purple? Not this one.

Or blue, a quieting influence?

This stack of fabrics is for Lori of Humble Quilts Antique block challenge. 

Since I can't do the needleturn oak leaves and acorns border I planned [new surgeon to be seen after the hols; cannot see to sew nicely with fine stitches right now.] The challenge to me (at its best, if possible), includes the notion of using the block one is given instead of one from one's stash of old blocks. Lori sent me this beautiful block. 

It's interesting and well made. Problem is I am not a fan of ''madder'' prints, I don't feel an affinity for the rusty orange red/ brick red produced by 19th century madder dye.  So the challenge is to make it into something that is "Lizzy".  So then, I also have fabrics, some gifted, some I bought, that hearken to that era too.  The other night I tried this softer palette, a change from my usual turkey reds and cheddars. I love it. Now what? I am influenced by some quilters, usually Australian, on Instagram. Medallion quilts, lots of pieiced borders. Broken Dishes borders, Triangles on end borders. Fun to plan, to experiment.

Obviously I spend more time thinking than sewing these day, too bad.

Sadly on Thanksgiving, I hung up up my Welcome Pineapple project unfinished. I may have some hand sewing times over the winter, but for now it's on hiatus. I'd love to have it pieced for quilting by the summer though.

One day I went totally off track having fallen in love with Barb Vedder's [Fun with Barb] old posts on IG about her Tiny Tree quilts she made a few years ago.   here  and HERE  I HAD to make some. I loved the Marrimekko-esque brights and also the candy cane one. I made the brights over Thanksgiving weekend. No pattern, I made mine sort of freehand, though I think Barb V suggests a pattern on her old post.  

Barb Vedder is one of my quilt/ color/ design heroes. Her blog: Fun with Barb

The color blocking is harder than it looks! And I am now sorry I began to hand quilt it in giant stitches. I may unstitch and machine quilt mine instead, much as I love the look of the colorful big stitches. This is my annual Christmas quilt, to be made and finished when all my friends and family leave for skiing on the day after Christmas.

I hung a few previous Christmas tinies on my display rack in the sewing room, because I am going minimal for décor in the main rooms of the cottage. 

Now for the This is So Pointless bit of this post.  Backstory [yawn] I began Instagram during Covid lockdown, a new skill, a photo diary. I have evolved into looking at other folks' posts. Oh my stars, perfection abounds. So--last week on @allpeoplequilt a guest post-er showed her absolutely pristine, ''you could lick the floors'' sewing room. I freaked out.  HERE   [you do not need IG to look]

My little room looks like a dumpster in comparison, even though by garment designer office spaces my room is pretty neat and nice.  Here is my desk.

This how it really looks. I could have tidied up but that isn't real life.

Here is my cutting table. The ottoman opens into a single bed; the window looks out at the ugly locust tree and Mr Mockingbird; no ocean view.

Stacks are things I am working on; bins are my fabrics by color. And Mo's unmade bin bed. He prefers it messy.

The black bags are what I cleaned and threw away. I was/ am so discouraged. But if I put everything away : 1- no inspiration for my eyes and brain, and 2- I forget about what I cannot see.

I felt like a Silver Needle reject yet again. The Silver Needle was a prize awarded yearly at my design college, not for creativity but for perfect pristine craftsmanship. Nan S won it every year and in the final year she got the prize Bernina sewing machine. I hope she is happy and doing immaculate work still, at home in Smalltown, Midwest, USA. At least my messy self and my old Singer made it to NYC and Made It Work, mess and all.

 Hee hee hee! [Actually, Nan was a friend and a lovely person, I hope she is very happy!] Je ne regrettte rien, mes amies, rien. \

*******

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Mo and I walked far at sunset. Angel clouds above us.

And a beautiful southwestern sky from my brother. The star is Venus. If you look closely you can see the ball of the entire moon, held in the illuminated crescent.