June Ends, Welcome Summer!

 Hello, hello! June is almost over! And it was a pretty good June this year. We had some glorious late spring days, yesterday was spectacular.

After a self induced stressful doctor appointment yesterday , my friend and I got out for errands. Early in the day the town was sparkling [on the right], not busy or crowded at all. The bays were beautifully blue.

A stop at Trader Joe's for flowers and cheese, and ciabatta bread, theirs is the very best.

Tomatoes as a houseplant, how cute.

And these are the asparagus I've been complaining about all spring. Ick, thin and skinny, like grass, taste like weed whacker detritus. I got first [possibly local] yellow summer squash instead.

And hydrangeas, $2.00 a stem.

I think my friend should quit his day job, he can be a hydrangea millionaire.

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June Perpetual Nature Journal entries. These end the first book January through June. Next is Book 2 starts July 1.

[photo credit to Google image for lily of valley & lavender pics]

Looking through book two I am especially aware of how late my potted flowers are this year. Last year I had zinnias blooming by 4th of July. 

I'm very grateful for the self seeding early coreopsis.

Here is Mo on a warm breezy day.

Mo is not affectionate or heaven forbid [he says] cuddly, but he likes to be able to see me at all times. Pics taken from my desk chair. Big windows behind, now repaired. Dunes and ocean beyond.

Have a good weekend. Fireworks here tonight, how fun!

                                   cute retro quilt block idea?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

on my picture roll, from the first bridge. Light must have changed?

summer beach, no crowds here...

Nature note: we saw red-winged blackbirds in the marshes and ospreys on their high poles and twiggy nests.

Every evening we see the learning-to-fly baby oystercatchers, three of them, with their patient mom.

And unusual, every evening, at 5.45, one cormorant flies from the north/ marsh to the beach and lands. Cormorants like marsh habitat, not seen on beaches. And he is so punctual!

Flocks of skimmers and arctic terns.

Summer Blues

 

Good morning! I got so busy yesterday, bedazzling a child's camp shirts, shorts, hoodies---I forgot to write my Friday post. Eeek. I kind of lost count of the days with the contractor and crew here, so unexpected. They have finished. Wonderful repairs; a few jobs not done because they need more planning. But what was done is fantastic,

I did remember to light my Solstice candle and to welcome the full Strawberry moon.

Coincidentally yesterday's Modern Tarot draw:

Now I must get my thoughts back together for a productive happy summer. Mo insists that a freezer full of doggy ice cream and evening walkies is all. we. need.

The Favorite Things [my name] vintage blocks from Sarah Sporrer. Next is the Pineapple.

And I want to do the Giraffe pull toy.

The pattern for Noah's Ark came. 

I'm making it at 75%, in shades of blue. My working stacks, below, including wonderfully perfect choices sent from Penny in SA.

And my collection of modern-ish blues in the cupboard, yes, I know it all needs refolding but the workers were using my stepstool.

I'm going to try this new-to-me applique paper. It's like freezer paper to use, but the magic is one need not pull out the paper. It goes away [ mostly?] when washed. Before I start, I want to make a tryout swatch, just in case it's a gloppy mess of wet Kleenex in real life.

My quilter has had machine issues; I am still awaiting my quilts. I did tell her not to rush. I'd rather wait and be sure her equipment is working. But that means no lovely mindless hours of binding sewing just yet. So other projects resurfaced for consideration

I have this much loved worn out blue and white quilt to repair. 

This is rather embarrassing, I found almost the same pic ---from 2017!

...when looking for Mo baby pics. Problem is, I love the quilt, I want to fix it, but get discouraged. Closer I look, the more tattered it reveals itself. But I could at least make maybe three replacement patches to sew over the worst damaged areas? Get started?

I also have this quilt to take apart, a Mennonite top from Illinois.

It was my mom's; I lent the top to a friend who without asking me, had it ''finished''--as in tied or knotted, not quilted, using very puffy polyester batting.  It is very thick and hard to store. She used it for years in her sons' summer bedroom and one block is very frayed. Edit: Many blocks are very frayed. The original blocks were made with that early 20th century very frugal 1/16" seam allowance.

My plan was to undo the ties, fix the blocks. Maybe switch out the ghastly fuchsia for light cheddar. But just now, on close inspection, I decided it is hopeless, and have no idea what to do. [I should give it back to the friend!].   The cheddar in real life is not baby poop brown!

I did a little work on BB1, auditioning the KF Rainbows for a border. Was surprised it didn't work at all. 

Next week Ill sew the Beachballs on instead, then I can estimate how to take apart my nine-patch top from eBay If it all goes smoothly, that may be ready for the quilter by, August?

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On a positive note, some pics from a friend who def knows what she is doing. She designed and made this gorgeous HUGE 102" x 102" blue and white beauty for the bedroom in their new house. I love it so much.

Note how the slightly Art Deco feeling of her design melds so beautifully with their Art and Crafts antiques.

I think that's the first quilt she ever has had longarm finished; she does beautiful hand quilting. And then there's this wonderfully authentic Airplane quilt. Great colors and design. Her photos aren't compatible w my upload system, sorry for sideways.

Another  beautiful blue of summer: the hydrangeas just this week have burst into bloom.

We're back! Rushed in from dinner walk by a sudden rain squall. I don't mind getting a bit wet but there was lightning. Mo was baffled, had to be coaxed home with promises of "yum-yums', a word he knows well. Enjoy this lovely last few weeks of June!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

oh look, the Painted Coreopsis did reseed and regrow. Not as lush as last year, I must allow more seeds to form this year.

And my friend's red campion reappeared also.