Gone To The Beach: 2022/04

Friday, April 29, 2022

Back from the Quilter ! Binding Choices and Other Quilt Project

Hello, hello on April's final day this year. Out like a lion, April thinks she is March, all blustery and cold.

blue bird [indigo bunting] in my friends' secluded backyard

What a thrill it always is --- the big box arrived from my quilter the other morning. [Lori C / Quilter's Imagination]. So fast! I think she did both quilts in just one week, and so beautifully done as always. Note the gorgeous Baptist Fans on this eye-popping beauty.

Now to choose bindings. Always good to audition with phone photos here on my big screen. It's so often a surprise to me, the final choice. I don't know how other quilters can choose and cut bindings ahead, I just adore this final step in the process.

This is my Antique Block Challenge quilt. I still am not showing it completely till it's all done, but you --and- - I can see enough.

I was sure I'd pick the red and almost did go ahead and cut it.

Then other ideas in the stack of new fabrics clamored for their turns. How about cheddar?

I was amazed at how much I love the grey mushroom sprig.

No to the red and tan lozenges, no to the dull mustard matchstick.

Which do you think I chose in the end?

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Lori C also beautifully finished this wild and colorful antique top. You'll recall its wonky piecing.

Amazing that the careless construction doesn't show at all on the front. She knew perfection did not matter once hidden. I planned to use a double pink, but considered the green backing fabric too. The green on the left is a repro from Annette Plog for Marcus Bros. Isn't the match great.

I like pink better than I like green so pink it is. [pink also from Annette Plog, Petite Perennials lines]

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Lori C also enclosed this beautiful stack of 10" cuts called Prairie Dry Goods by Pam Buda.

I never see Pam Buda's fabrics to buy when I shop online and I really am impressed, love them all. I immediately had ideas for this fun gift, but perhaps will let it simmer and not jump in too soon. Repro fabric lovers may enjoy seeing the entire line, one source listed below.

Prairie Dry Goods

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I enjoyed using Hourglass squares on my Antique Block Quilt [ABQ, as I call it], so I'm making a few red and cream squares at the end of each sewing session. To surround the redwork Giraffe in Egypt block. (Head start on next year's challenge?)

And last, inspired by blog friend Nancy who always sets a monthly goal in her quilt projects, I have been setting a goal for my Winter Marsh project each month, kind of like a solo quiltalong. April plan was to make ''a stack'' of scrappy Flying Geese, 2" x 4" sewed, for spacers and sashing/ borders.

These are untrimmed!

I made about 30+; suddenly stopped because I realized I need large pieces of fabrics for the Stars. The Geese need a 5 1/2" square for the method I use, really consumes a lot of fabric quickly.

So for May I will try to make the 8 smaller stars. Then probably set the project aside til next winter? I always write myself notes when I stop sewing for the summer, and by next January I know I ll have NO IDEA what to do next. Below is a copy I made of the basic design, for notes.

Laid out on my bed, not sure I love it anyway. Maybe a long summer nap will improve things?

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Here is Mo my little boss, wondering why our deck sewing circle is not happening yet. [A sewing bee comprised of just Mo and me.] Mo loves cold weather, he'd sit outside for sewing hour in January if I would do it.

patiently waiting

Have a great weekend!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.......

too windy, joints too painful, but we did some garden peeping instead.

www.quiltersimagination.com here

Monday, April 25, 2022

A Gift from Afar and Some Little Paintings

Hi everyone! Another cold grey Monday here. Mo and I are waiting for the groomer and her spa van. Before I begin, here's a couple blog / Blogger bits of business.

Blogger has changed commenting format. Pls be sure your comment is typing before you expend a lot of effort.

And second, for my quilting friends, I promise I will do a quilt post soon, maybe end of the week? The finishes are on their way home from Lori C in Ohio, ooo the thrill!

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shells in the photos are mine, collected here and there.

Imagine my excitement! I won a prize in an Instagram photo competition. It was the sweetest, most gentle, thoughtful challenge, by Audrey @weepeaceofnature aka @oldnewvintageandblue [her personal page]. I love her writings and poetry and nature photos, so was very intrigued by her contest. She explains her ideas far better than I can so I'll let you read some screen shots, below.

I submitted a variety of photos over the week of entry [dandelion clocks are, btw, the single fluffy dandelion umbrellas, that blow in the spring winds, each carries a single seed.]. Upcycle, beachcombing, weird found objects, but I won for my new quilt label which features a dandelion seed umbrella, symbolizing my shared love and good wishes to the quilt or other objects' recipients.

I didn't know anyone in the UK to give my prize to, so pretty much begged to receive at least the pin and small poem/ wish.

@weepeace of nature generously braved international mail and my gift arrived last week. So thoughtful, so carefully presented. I'll treasure it always.

I made this scribble doodle collage to digitally send as a thank you. The words by me are from a writing exercise about ''mindfulness''.

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A couple weeks ago I had a run in with a woman on IG, who was scathingly scornful, along with about half her many! followers: "faux spring branches? Why? When just outside your yard and woods---and the markets--- are filled with fresh real plants.'' NO amount of explanation---we don't have flowering trees, we have snow; it's illegal to cut branches in parks and dunes and public spaces; market branches, if even available, are very costly and messy. On and on. Pissed me off so bad! So smug and entitled. You know what, everyone does not live in a big house with a big yard in a flowering woods, in warm Georgia, in March! Yeeesh. Surely my silk forsythia branches with their burst of happy sunshine yellow are not all THAT tacky, a harmless indulgence that I can afford? How rude. And they wouldn't find my weird object silk flowers from the street gutter amusing at all. So different from @weepeaceofnature, for example.

I had to unfollow the page before I got insanely troll-y. Yes, I know, ignore, please myself---but it really irked me.

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This past week's tiny paintings recap: @roomportraitclubweek 62. This week we were offered, I think, 4 scenes, all close up tablescapes, not really rooms. I did two views, cropped, both in watercolor and on the computer Draw program I have.

The first photo is to remind you just how tiny the watercolor cards are. Blog friends Julie and Penny have told me not to be critical of my paintings, hard for me as a work critique is [to me] a way to learn and improve, and very much a part of one's life and work and development as an artist? But I will refrain here, just documenting instead.