Mid-May Miscellaneous---And Something for the weekend

                                                                   Tiny quilt by Sue McQuade

Good evening! Another Friday. A spring thunderstorm just rolled through. It's chilly, don't believe the Weather Bug fake news that it is hot in NYC. Here at the beach: 54* with a 20 mph wind off the ocean, from the east. Still wearing winter clothes. We did have one nice day this week. Mo and I had our first real sewing hour on the deck for summer '22. 

I only have one chair out. I put out Mo's deck bed but he was doing his guard dog surveillance and hid behind the flower pots.

Seeds and canna tubers planted too.

Old crock for my sewing table. 

I went inside briefly and ooops, when I came back 2 minutes later, look who hoisted his chubby butt up onto my chair.

He was all set. Not. Gonna. Move. Mommy Later Mo was not happy there was no ice cream though. Dogs DO have long term memories, he won't forget his decktime ice cream treat ever. [He  can count and tell time too. ]

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I didn't have my TQC handwork prepped so I sewed on my crows for my Winter Marsh quilt. I am trying to accumulate hand work for the summer afternoons ahead, but always run short

Yesterday I cut random cute-pie fabric squares for a requested real world/ child use doll quilt. It was fun to get out all my saved special fabrics.

I don't know anyone except me who loves these funny novelty prints. But I buy them and hoard them anyway. Maybe a 2 1/2 year old will like finding the pictures, like a simplified I Spy quilt? And she can sternly put her stuffies down for naps beneath it.

Sorted TQC Shop Scrap Bag for TQC sewalong too. Must cut tomorrow.

After looking at Cartwheels, hung on the jelly cupboard all week, I did decide to add the cheddar side borders. It makes the quilt look finished. I can always later cut them off. This will hopefully address a measurement issue too, as one vertical side came out about 1 1/2" longer than the other, despite all my efforts at staying even and square. Hopefully a little ease, a little stretch will make the difference less. 

For Winter Marsh, my May goal is/ was to make the five or seven smaller star blocks. I messed around with it for awhile but finally had to admit that a Hobby Lobby bundle of blue plaid fat eighths was never going to enough material to create the stars.I ordered this fat quarter set of plaids from Fat Quarter Shops. I love the flannels, deep rich blues and  soft but not stretchy or flimsy hand.

Isn't it pretty. Cozy too, for January's dark cold nights.

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In the cottage, I'm removing the earlier spring accents: eggs, forsythia, yellow throw pillows, adding a few touches.

The ugly locust tree bestowed upon me a tiny branch for my seaglass bottle, and it has sprouted.

I moved this framed tiny quilt out into  the living room. It was gifted to me by friend Sue McQuade, a dragonfly in the style of Janet Bolton, whose work we both admire. It always hangs in my sewing room, but I brought it out to welcome summer days ahead. Janet Bolton

I put my prize gift, the dandelion pin on it too. From my IG win. @weepeaceofnature 

And parrot tulips from my grocery delivery, 6 stems/ 5.oo. Made them last.

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This was the week I had my IV treatment [13 years, every 8 weeks! who knew?], so actually not much got done. I am enjoying this book, below, recommended by blog friend Julie. It is more an autobiography than a painting how-too manual. Her musings about her own paintings resonate the most, along with her gorgeous high colored paintings. Descriptions of other painters' works, such as Matisse, fall down a bit because we don't see, or always know, which paintings she is speaking of. When I have a chance I'll reread the other artists chapters while looking up their work online.

And I treated myself to Amazon/ Brit Box free subscription and watched Season Six of Ann Cleeves Shetland . Six episodes, one story arc with many sub plots. I admit I couldn't tell the bad guys, male and female, apart and sort of lost the plot so to speak, yet some of the sub plots were glaringly obvious, something that always irks me. And I couldn't remember who used to be married to, or lovers with, whom.

Loved the general story, actors, Shetland itself, all the distinctive Scottish sweaters, lambswool on Inspector Perez, cashmere on the woman candidate for Parliament, handknits, some spectacular, on others, especially Sister Caroline; good cars, clothes, parkas, interiors, beaches, town scenes. 

It fascinates me that Perez's second in command Tosh wears the same two plaid tartan blouses through six seasons! And Perez wears the same awful Hush Puppy shoes and doesn't try to hide his greying old dude stubble. Oddly Cassie, Perez's daughter, has aged about 15 years though  it's the same actress who now looks 35 instead of 15; everyone else is still the same age as in season one. Tosh's boyfriend has matured nicely, Sandy is still an idiot--and oh wow, huge cliffhanger season ending. If you like Ann Cleeves books [Sue, Penny?] give it a try! Her Vera series is up next, also free for a month. Something for the weekend.

[I can't get a link up that doesn't go to my account, so just google Shetland on Amazon or Netflix.]

Shetland books by Ann Cleeves

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

Seaglass found by my kids after full moon eclipse high tide.

Mo and I, enjoying the longer brighter days. Pink snow and fairy garden rocks.

This week's art so far: The Pug Glare, Immortalized

I just had to share this painting from Room Portrait Club, with the artist's generous permission. @sosunammy https://www.instagram.com/sosunammy/ Many of her paintings and drawings have Pugs! This one is so amazingly creative. The pears [see last week's post] have taken flight and become Pugs who are also bees? Or fairies, or butterflies. But tiny pugs! I am smitten!

                                                                    by @sunammy