Another Box from the Mail Guy!

 

Good evening everyone. It's been quite the lovely summer day today, and the prettiest pink and blue glowing sunset too.

another day, another sunset

 However--the much promised cold front and ''dangerous'' thunderstorms never materialized. We had a few drops of rain, maybe last Monday? And certainly no cold front, 81* today, the deck tiles and outside house walls just radiated heat, even just now as Mo and I went to tie up the umbrella and admire the twinkly lights of the many ships out on the horizon.  Unusually for Mo, after he had his chew toy chewed he immediately asked to come back inside. He has been shunning his cozy beds and splatting out on cool wood or tiled floors instead. His tummy lesion finally stopped bleeding today; chronic eye infection back and icky. Mo is having a rather miserable time this summer, poor mite.

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So...? What was in that other box, you are wondering....

That box contained such a surprise---Christmas in July! I was so delighted. It was filled with gifts from my brother and SIL who have the great good fortune to live in the Midwest, heart of flea market country. 

Springfield Flea Market and Extravaganza  posts often on Instagram, and I have fun sending  screenshots to my no-IG brother. I sent him a pic months ago of a truck bed full of gorgeous handmade rag rugs. He texted back that he knew the seller, imagine that. And...they got me the rug. I love it. It's handwoven then overdyed  a rich indigo blue. flea links at the end of the post

I was just astounded. I will save it til Fall probably , def until Mo's tummy is healed.

It's so subtly beautiful.

And the little treasures.

My brother often asks what can he look for for me. I have many many collections and I try to limit my requests to small and not too expensive items.  His/ SIL's finds often show up in my Christmas box! How fun is that. Some years they even use thrifted or flea-ed wrapping paper and cards. 

I love sewing pincushions of the tomato variety. And emery strawberries to go with too. 

Someday I'll have enough tomatoes to fill my big wooden bowl for late summer display.

Another person's gathering: HERE

Some are newer, some older, even handmade. This one has the sweetest tiniest emery berry you can imagine.

And this handcrafted antique berry is big, filled with real emery powder [ heavy] with the leaves hand embroidered in green wool yarn.

I also collect old thimbles. Note reds, blue, orange! Two are celluloid.

Yes I admire the silver and gold fancy ones, I'd love a gold mini for my charm bracelet---but what catches my heart are the old junky  inexpensive---free! back then giveaways:  plastic, celluloid, Bakelite---even aluminum or brass utility thimbles. 

Extra points if they have ads, like this gasoline one. Imagine buying gas and being given a thimble. Beyond quaint.  It was very loved and used; misshapen by hours and years of mending, hemming, quilting.

And so many. I have more than 50 thimbles now, my estimate, they fill a small yellowware bowl at the moment. I'll have to count them.

This was just so fun for me. Christmas in July---yes!

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On a little quilting note I sewed my pineapple block for my summer handwork Sara Sporrer  / Favorite project.

But I'm lagging on the embroidery. I really hate embroidering, esp simple words in stem stitch, ugh. It's actually ruining Summer Sewing Hour for me as I uncharacteristically procrastinate to avoid the task. BUT I like the look. What to do, stop embroidering while I can? Maybe. I only have a couple done , could pick the stitched out? Your thoughts?

Have great weekend!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

Springfield Flea and Extravaganza:

https://www.instagram.com/springfieldextrav/  or click HERE

website:  https://jenkinsandco.com/springfield-antique-show/   https://jenkinsandco.com/

click here

What the Mailman Brought--Part One, Quilts

Hi! We are back, more or less. Mo is struggling with the heat and his tummy sore, so quiet days on the deck are the plan. 

After weeks of what seemed like no mail, after the Fourth, bags and boxes finally started to arrive. Such an old fashioned thrill.

My winter of quilt projects arrived from the longarm quilter. One big, two small.

Lori C does such beautiful work, never annoyed or complaining when I ask for different quilt patterns on each project. And I am sure it is as painstaking and hard to set up the quilting on a tiny quilt as it is on a bed-sized quilt. All that focus just for a ''placemat''!

First, Humble Quilts SAL Parsonsfield: Tiny fans. Note the texture of the perfect arcs, a fave always.

I had its binding all ready and on second look, I realized my choice was too dark. PF's low volume continues to challenge me. 

I set that aside for Liberty Pumpkin. Again a change of binding choice, to a black star I often use. It will be the first to be finished, maybe this weekend!

The Bird:

I need to add his eye too. He is my little sparrow who visits my deck each evening, looking for remains of Mo's chew treat and a drink of water.

The Flag Pumpkin:

This design amuses me, poking fun at ''influencers [and Home Goods*] that do Halloween day after 4th of July!

The quilting is is so fun, waves and stars, like a flag undulating in the breeze. I will use this edge to edge pattern again.

And then Winter Marsh--finally! All the years before and during Covid. Like Liberty Pumpkin above it is adapted from  design by Jan Patek [Morning Has Broken].

I'll bind it last since it is big and flannelly and hot, plus the binding needs to be taken from an XXXL thrifted shirt. I chose a larger well=spaced star for its quilting. Some details:

Of course I will be showing everything again when truly finished, washed, puffed and crinkled.

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Another box came from Fat Quarters Shop, the backing for Silent Night.

I chose the multi-confetti stars that remind me of the big Snowman on the front.

Though I really wanted the pink and red.

This quilt top is waiting to be pressed, when I can stand and do that. Lately I cannot easily press or trim big quilts. Lori kindly does the trimming of the quilted tops, not easy I know. [Lori C/ Quilters Imagination]

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Mo and I are out to the deck soon, sewing hour, always capped off with Frosty Paws ice cream. I know many of you are suffering with dreadful heat, but so far here by the ocean, breezy and sunny, I find it so delightful. Later we'll do a few minutes of garden peeping, taking it easy for my senior pug now.

Part two next week, have a great weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

*via IG grapevine, Home Goods/ Marshall's TJ Maxx will have Christmas in two weeks---yes Halloween is over, forget about Thanksgiving...