I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Sunday, October 19, 2025

This and That _ a Random Week in October

 


Hi everyone! It's a glorious Fall week here, sooo unexpected. But my mind is oddly blank: I cope so poorly with the little potholes of life now, I find. My phone broke, my lab app was offline [must get labs before IV tomorrow], the shower broke; my injured hand suddenly is very painful, like a sprained wrist, though the deep skin tears are healed. I hurt my ankle right by where the spider bite was. I put away some of my shorts, so sad. I had to take down, put away, some of my October/ Halloween quilts and vignette bits. It was busy and overwhelming, another thing making me sad. Another factor, the intense sun of October damages the quilts, I can't leave them out too long....

The skeptical words of a friend who asked, Why do you make quilts, why bother? That hurt.




And Mo's vet report was, um, tepid. His ears are better but incurable. End stage vestibular disease [chronic inner ear infection]. "We'll make him as comfortable as possible"--sounds very hospice, doesn't it.

I floundered around with projects: Made the Gingham Maple Leaf block, found among the Red Baskets a few months ago, into a tiny solo quilt.

Used a fun brown Harvest backing and did a swirly-twirly, falling leafy, freestyle machine quilting. And a pillowcase edge.


I think it makes a cute candle mat or bowl tuck and at least is somewhat saved from oblivion. I'd like to make a Maple Leaf quilt someday.


I'm almost done with TQC October mini. Just a bit of binding. It was also machine quilted, freestyle, by me. May add a picture later. It's cute.

Having fun with the Googly-eyed Cheri Payne Jackolanterns.




I had planned for the pupils, the smallest eye circle, to be just fused on [cheddar or black]. But when I washed WhatNots a small circle I overlooked in stitching fell right off. Good to know this fusible does wash away. But still. I decided, tentatively, that tiny black [and colored?] buttons would do instead.

I had a fun hour the other day sorting through my button jars for candidates. Found a good selection. White pearl tinies for teeth too. 

I also found such an odd assortment of older coins. Why were they there, are they from my beachcombing pocket? Were they in the jar, unsorted, that my mom found at the local thrift shop? I have no memory.

Susan B Anthony silver dollar 1979. Size of a quarter. Is it still worth a dollar? And a wheat sheaf penny, 1951 or 7 . 



A 70s dime, a modern penny; two Canadian pennies. Treasure! I was quite thrilled.

When I first moved here, an elderly neighbor taught me a lot about local beachcombing. She was so lucky, always finding gold rings or cash or bottles with messages. She saved the coins she found in Mason jars that she'd fill and bestow upon local children on their birthdays. I never had such luck, having only one half filled coin jar after so many many years. But the hunt is everything, still.

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Another day I sadly cut back my ruined garden. It was scraggly, ugly, and attracting the always scary October yellowjacket wasps. 


 I made a final bouquet.

My friend did the same before last week's nor'easter. Her dahlias are so beautiful.


Headed out now with Mo. Each day is a gift.


love

lizzy

gone to the beach..........................









Sunday, October 12, 2025

WhatNots ~ A Summer Project Completed

 


Good evening, friends. WhatNots, the little folk art quilt is finished.

I want to say, This is what I made on my summer Vacation, hooray! Though my cousin years ago, snippily pointed out that I didn't work a 9-5 job, so no vacation was deserved. 

But WhatNots: I am thrilled. It's so rare I choose and start and finish a quilt in just a few months. My plan to make only/ mostly small quilts is working, it seems. I chose this Cheri Payne pattern in the early spring, making the garbled mess of the 1" squares center, but determined to forge on as it was my choice for hand sewing during summer afternoons with Mo. [if you're new here Baby Mo is my Pug and best friend.]

The tiny motifs are so appealing. There's about 30 of them, i had hoped to sew one-ish per day.




They went quick, and off to the quilter. Dear Lori C, my longarmer, rushed it thru. 

I had this beautiful cheddar batik from an online sale, just enough for the approx 24" quilt's backing.


It is just what I panned and expected, no dismals or letdowns. 
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Over the summer I did a lot of work on Noah's Ark too. The blocks are awaiting pressing since they had to be soaked and washed to at least soften the awful non-soluble  appliqué paper.

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Today is grey and a bit of drizzle but otherwise Mo and I continue our afternoon sewing hour each day.


For October handwork, I returned to this project, Trick or Treat, another design by Cheri Payne.


I find her patterns hard to follow, but persevered.


Took me a couple afternoons to layout the funny jack o lantern faces.

I am using the quilt I found on Pinterest [?] by an unknown maker [sorry, if it is yours please let me know.] I love the bright googly eyes, how fun. 

                                                               



But what a wooly bits mess I made.





I just got a text that power was out. But mine was okay so far. Inexcusable, it is warmish, a bit of rain, a slight wind of 20 mph. This is so far No Hurricane, though online weather people with nothing to talk about keep comparing this nor'easter to H Sandy. [ not yet, fingers crossed]. I cooked  this morning, storm prep. Things that are edible cold: hard boiled eggs, meatloaf [half saved as meatballs in the freezer], butternut squash, again, some of it into  the freezer. Cornbread. Mashed potatoes. I will be eating this stuff for a week, lol. 


Did you know younger ''folks" Gen?---Y? Z? consider it in bad taste [dull, boring]  to take note of or mention the weather? I am GUILTY! The weather sets my schedule and state of mind.  I do know that when i lived in NYC/ Brooklyn, I paid minimum attention to weather, but here on the coastal wilds, it is a constant concern. We do things like buy Jeeps and Range Rovers that are drivable in floods, we ''stock up", we charge our phones, etc etc. Such is life, I guess.

Mo has been at the back door all day. He is baffled by the grey day. Tomorrow will be better, little man, I tell him. We need the rain.



Have a great week!




love

lizzy

gone to the beach...








Monday, October 6, 2025

Cheddar and Blue

 


Good evening everyone! We had a few chilly nights last week and, inspired by blog friend QB's tales of ''three quilt nights'' in her northern NY home, I was so happy to get out all my October quilts.



Of course the days are hot and sunny, the nights here just cooler, not frosty--no flannel sheets yet. I love this NY weather guy, he makes me laugh--oh so true! Yes the  quilt inducing nights were what we call First False Fall.

You can also see the leaves don't change here---not anytime soon, that big green swath on the eastern coastline. Not that we have trees right here anyway, the ugly black spruces don't get pretty red leaves, so they.

QB was also kind enough to say she enjoys my seasonal decorating, so I primped around the cottage a bit. I only used things I have! Nothing new, shopped my closets and so on. If you're bored, scroll on by, okay.



                                                  

First up, Starry Eyed Jack greets everyone with a smile. 


Then around the open living space:


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My brown and pumpkin colored bowls on a little corner stand a friend found sidewalk surfing. I painted it my turquoise. Many years ago. A tad messy bec I had moved everything away from walls due to brick guys' jackhammering.




My room...



Still deck days, my sewing box and Whatnots.



Prim Jacks, will be working on the faces during October.


Mo is doing okay. He yearns for the AC though. He likes temps in 40s-50s best...or colder.

 


Have a great week!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

nature note: The oystercatchers are still here. They should leave on October 2, but in recent years are seen here thru November. I watch them form their family flocks and practice group flying in the late afternoons. In case you are not familiar w Oystercatchers [a somewhat endangered shorebird], link to Audubon page  Oystercatchers
Below is a dune swale. The basin has seasonal ponds that form, attracting migrating birds who are attracted by the food and water and serene quietude and safety.



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Unknown maker, from my  files: [Inspiration] Autumn Leaves