As Beautiful November Ends....

Good evening!As November draws to its ever darkening end, I am looking back on this favorite month. We have had sunny days and winds, and storms, but it was finally Autumn, that sweet finale of the year. Today the sky was filled with puffy grey clouds and the horizon maintained a sunrise/ sunset apricot color all day.  The month goes much too fast, perhaps like for many of you, October does.

The Welcome  Pineapple is all done except the final applique of the hearts.

Probably I will not send it for quilting until after the expensive holidays have passed.

I also finished the sweet little TQC October quilt. As it's a present I'l l post more detailed pics after it has been gifted.

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

Encouraged by the long awaited arrival of Fall, Mo and I took many slow sunset walks as I gathered leaves to press and draw.

These will prob just go into a blank notebook or folder. They are fragile once dried, and they fade.

I finally found found some oak leaves in Home Goods parking lot. Dry and dessicated, probably blew in from the marsh behind the store. Two species, pin oak and white oak [swamp oak].

 

I loved this idea of many tiny leaves, but the glue would not stick, not for nothing.

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

I found a few sweet books on an international used book site. I was charmed by this Autumn Flower Fairies book. It was old and foxed and falling apart,

but so sweet with its faded illustrations and carefully pressed--in just the correct spaces---leaves.

Most of the trees are familiar to me from a Midwestern childhood, where woods and old orchards filled afternoons with secret spaces to explore and study.  Others are very English. We had buckeyes, not chestnuts.

Then from my bookshelf, inspiration from a tiny book by Dutch artist Marjolein Bastin.

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

I've mentioned the large flocks of black birds we see each evening.

This is the early winter pages of the children's nature book I got this summer.

Starlings, at least sometimes---though today's unraveling skeins of black were sea ducks over the ocean.

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

More nature drawings in the scribble journal. Nancy asked what the little notebooks are: they're just Mead grocery or jotter/ list books, I buy a stack of 5 on Amazon . 5" x 7". I did find a couple of lovely unused watercolor notebooks one day last week as I was hunting for special jewelry tool. But maybe that would spoil the fun, the spontaneity?

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

In my Santa Workshop moments I've been repairing the old wooden toys that turn up in my dad's Shaker boxes. The little horse cart is almost repaired, so I began work on this minute brass band.

They are so finely painted and so cute, each little man is different. Not marked but I estimate c.1880-1900, Germany. Perhaps 1 1/4" tall.

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

In the cottage, all traces of Fall have gone; the red and white quilts are out and airing in a big stack, to be distributed after the monthly cleaner works her Dyson magic tomorrow. 

I hope to put up my tiny tree and finish a simple sort of decorating over the coming week. 

Tonight, again, a nor'easter storm approaches. 60 mph wind, one site said 70 mph off the ocean. Much as I love it here, sometimes the storms make me weary; I yearn for a sheltered place with gentle weather. But I suppose I'll be here forever, sand in my shoes, the wind in my hair.

A sweet cocktail napkin from Thanksgiving, its design echoing my found leaves. To be pressed with other memories.

Mo enjoyed Thanksgiving very much!

Have a good week.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach....

pics from a friend, early one morning, his beach.

for Bonnie, a pic of my small collection of real agate marbles, early 20th century. Called aggies and highly prized.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 back in the day....

                                                       

Gather together, share love and be thankful, dear friends.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

for a bit of a laugh, throw back Thursday post:  "Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your Turkey."

Happy Mail

 

Good evening, friends! Recently the mailman has brought me lovely unexpected presents from far far away. A slightly crumpled envelope arriving on an unprecedentedly frigid November day is such a treat, so heartwarming. Quilters and blog friends are so generous and so kind. I am so touched.

From Penny all the way from South Africa!--an assortment of treasures small and smaller.

I became friends with Penny through my blog, with our common interests in antiques, quilting, gardening, and food/wine. I had no idea she is such a fabulous knitter.  

Aren't these mittens just the best. I love open fingers  for access to keys, doggy treats, phone. These are the softest sweet yarn, slightly more pinky lavender than in photo. Rowan yarn. Note the perfect tiny cables.

Plus thrifted Liberty lawn fabric! I had just used up almost all of the pansy print from Lori /HQ, so this was a special treat. [not similar, just that they are my much loved pansies]; the wonderful ashes of roses color similar to the mitts.

Other bit and bobs and treasures,like pencils in a fave fabric pattern, and of all things, a much needed drawing eraser.A charming fan for those hot days when the power fails, an issue P and I both experience more often we'd like.

Darling tags, to encourage me to keep doing my tiny paintings, or to at least try?And all these wonderful vintage patterns. I do love them all. The patriotic traditionals are so inspiring.

I may have to look for more of these for the quilt shown. The ship and the eagle/ date; center w flags especially appeal to me. Oooh and a Pineapple. The needle turn applique would keep me busy for many summers on the deck.

I fell in love with this pattern immediately.

I was all set to start cutting when for once I looked at the size and it's big, a full sized quilt. But so beautiful, so Lizzy.  I set it aside while i think about how/ if I can reduce the size.

.....

Then , when I admired a thrift shop find of a vintage Cheri Payne pattern booklet,  FB friend Rosemary immediately messaged me that she had two copies and would share one with me. Yes, yes, yes.

So many cute Cheri ideas, 

love the kitty.

And this angel!

I am liking the idea of a small Christmas Log Cabin quilt this year [my home alone project during hols], like a candle mat.  Inspsired by this pattern in the book--maybe w Kitty?   

---and this postcard quilt, December 2023 from TQC.

And last, my dear brother sent me a big box of pink Christmas ornaments!

I  said I want to fill my big wooden bowl w pink ornaments!

And also need some to repair the wreath he made me years ago now. Sadly due to much love and use and storage  few of the original balls have cracked. Now I can replace them.  Also in the box were these gorgeous pink kugels! I love them! Put them out right away in my bittersweet bowl.

You can see how inspiring how exciting, it is to receive gifts and ideas from friends. I do hope the return mail, the thank you mail, pleases as much. What fun we have.

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

I  finally fixed my printer, so catching up on two scribble journal pages. [I color on a printout, not on the original bec printer ink is more stable]

 November is noticeably less colorful than the summer pages were. I wonder what I will find in the dead of winter? May be drawing rocks and shells.

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

The zinnias keep on, bravely flourishing. We had [bogus] frost warnings Monday so I brought the rest inside.

Here is Mo, come to see what mommy is doing and where his ice cream is! Too cold for ice cream is not in his mindset, it will take me months to train him out of looking for ice cream at 3 PM, sigh.

And the nasty pods from the ugly locust trees planted in public areas. The pods wrap around Mo's ankles and scare him.

Have a good weekend? Did you get your turkey, bake your pies yet?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...