Gone To The Beach: 12.07.2023

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Bramble Blooms and Snow

Hi everyone! Today, just now, and tomorrow, are the earliest sunsets of the year. The Solstice is later but only dawns are effected after tomorrow. [Earth tilt]. And we had snow! Even though it's 40*. I blinked and missed the first snow, but some cars had a dusting late morning.

It's been getting dark/ twilight at three pm all week. below taken 3.30 pm yesterday 12/6

I'm glad I put up my tiny tree to bring light and joy in the dark days.

Mo wore his Christmas robin sweater today. More bec he has an ear ache than it's cold. The hood is very windproof and stays on.

Meanwhile, Audrey has paused Bramble Berries Improv #bramblebloomsQAL due to personal issues. I am very sorry for her distress and hope things will improve for her. The break works out for me though, as I am sadly behind, mostly in the dithering stage. This is just to remind you of my Tulips in a Blue Jug fabrics:

I did piece together my central square's background. Mine is pretty square--I like square quilts, Audrey makes long rectangular quilts,. Plus i can always trim. Or add. Bad news is no matter how I press or that all the parts measure square, the piece does not lie flat. Why is that? I think it is a remake.

Then I did the assigned scribble drawings. They aren't much more useful than my inspiration painting, but you'll recognize my scribble journal style here. Yes, done on the phone as I waited for appointment confirmations, "Can you spell your name again? Date of birth? And you have insurance? What was that again?" [been a patient there for years.]

My thinking with the tulips---and boy, everyone is doing Tulips, yeesh---is to make a couple of pointy oval templates, cutting inner edges with a pinking shears to create the parrot tulip fringe, plus an egg shaped template for the pink and the yellow tulips. Fusible on the backs, cut a bunch of stems and petals and make my Bouquet. Add long pointy leaves in chartreuse shades. Straight stitch machine applique is current planned mode of applique, bec I won't have time to sew it by hand anytime soon.

I do know I want a pitcher. That will be needleturned. First choice is too pale.

Then I dyed it and another with indigo blue RIT. Colors looked ok until I used the mordant Retayne which drabbed them out to ugly.

So no. These were ideas I had online, another is a black and white modern print.

[yes, I know we're supposed to use what we have but I don't have what I need for this, so why go with muddy ugly?]

If that's all a fail I may do my nautical themed Whale and Flag or I even thought about using this beautiful antique block. It's on my list to be used soon.

Last idea floating around is this wonderful Kaffe Fassett fabric, Beach Balls.

I got it for Mo's ugly down pillow he loves. I gave him a new fresh pillow a few weeks ago, but he refuses to sleep on it, and is shunning his sofa-back perch. He found the old one and sleeps on it instead.

So I got the fun fabric to recover the oldie. Of course he may reject that too, though he seems okay with pillow covers as long as it's HIS pillow. (I don't dare wash it, it's down, plus I am sure he is attached to its scent. I air it out in the sunshine instead.] The fabric got mixed up with BBI fabrics and one day I sat in the little quilt room and thought, "Maybe Blue flowers would be cool?''

Last quilty note: new from Kaffe Fassett--I am in love with this new Spring 2024 grouping. It could make the best summer blue quilt. I want it. [Santa, I was good! Really!]

If nothing else, these will be pillow cases for ME next summer!

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Looks iffy for my annual trip to the Christmas garden center. Wait and see or repost from a long ago year? Will anyone even notice, hahaha--or HoHoHo? Your thoughts?

PS for the kind friends who asked about my much dreaded eye surgeon appointment: it went ok, though the special drops and exams w blinding lights were distressing. I couldn't see much til today at noon. Hence snow miss. This doctor is kind and I trust him, he is not one to rush me off to surgery until it is, if ever, useful. Results are that nothing is worse and no surgery soon [unless things suddenly change, I suppose].

BLOG note: If you leave an anonymous comment, pls sign your name. All comments w no email will be replied to here as best I can. Thank you! And--sometimes Google and always Typepad/ .com blogs that I read to see your updates on Improv, do not always allow me to comment. Pls know I read and enjoy and if your blog has an email attached I'll try to comment that way.

much love and holiday wishes from....