Quilts etc_ Looking Forward, Looking Back. 2024-25

 

Hello, hello! Time for the annual quilt retrospective. I mentioned on Nancy's blog that I too have no finishes, or so I thought. On scrolling through photo files I see perhaps a better output than I realised.

First up is a BIG finish! Winter Marsh has been showing up on my blog for years, definitely pre-covid 2020, but that was it's moment, when our world shut down and loneliness prevailed.

The words are from the Beatles song. Here Comes the Sun, as I am an ever hopeful type of person. This is the Sun.

Yet the words still make me cry.

I finished the binding right at New Years. I was very un-thrilled with the Kaffee Fassett woven stripe I used. Thin, flimsy, ugly, expensive, invisible. Any black or dark blue would have worked better.

I forgot to take a pic but the back is a midnight blue and soft grey white print of mason jars with fleeing fireflies. I won't repeat the design's meaning, but it is filled with imagery and symbols of winter in the saltmarsh, winter in one's world, in life. Based on a pattern by Jan Patek, Morning Has Broken.

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Then another Jan Patek small quilt, ''just for fun''.

I loved the humor in the Fourth of July Pumpkin reference. Some people crazy rush each season and holiday. But after the recent election, I rather do not want to ever see another patriotic piece; I am, months later, still in shock that our country is so divided. [No political comments please, btw.]

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and last Parsonsfield,

a little quilt designed by Lori D of Humble Quilts. Her 2023 sewalong. The challenge for me was to use the pale, ''low volume'' palette. I think it is successfully done, if not a "Lizzy Quilt" in its style. Even the camera struggled to capture the subtle vanilla ice cream tones of the fabrics. I see neither of the small quilts has binding in the pics. I'll try to get better photos  after clinic .

                                                              "Try, learn, grow."

All three quilts were beautifully longarm quilted by Lori C of Quilters Imagination. She does such beautiful work and is such a lovely person to work with. [bulbs-- not yet!]

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Top completed "Silent Night'', again a pattern by Jan Patek,

though her name is different, Midnight Clear. I was determined to finish this, because finishes are a big deal to me. I truly hated every minute of making this, lol. It has put me off sewing and quilting almost irrevocably, I'm sad to say. I still have to iron it and send it off.  Blog friend Juliann sent me lovely wool pieces for the to-be-added [after quilting] children's snow suits and sled.

I do still like the design! Just hated the sewing and some choices I made before I understood the construction.

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Must stop now to walk Mo. Perhaps part 2, Looking Ahead should be a second post?/// Okay back....After cold and gale winds, today is lovely. Great walk!

It was so nice Mo sked to have his playtime outside while I prepared food to tide me over during IV recuperation week. I always make ham salad and Mo adores ham, but he loves a sunny sit out even mre.

Note above sunset time, then view from my windows at 5.20! Yes steamers of color still at five thirty now. Hopeful. Seven months til summer.

I do apologize for not responding to comments this past week. I will do my best! It was just a sort of miserable week, w pre-procedure lab work and other stuff. And Mo finally has a new groomer. Our beloved groomer in her spa van has retired. What a shock, she looks barely late thirties. The new groomer was very successful though, so that is okay. [I didn't sleep all week, worrying. For almost eleven years, Mo has only been bathed and pampered by dearest Sherry. Miss her but send the very best wishes.].

And then the high winds! On the day w 50+mph gusts, first the platters and white ironstone pitchers all jiggled and toppled  off the sideboard. So scary. Nothing broke this time though. Old pic here but you get the gist.

And then I saw that the high shelf in the utility closet had fallen.

Onto the pipes of the hot water heater and other plumbing, including pipes to the washing machine and second bathroom. And the pipe for the dryer vent feeds through it. It's high up, dusty, ugly, like my miniature attic. I was horrified. My friend came a few days later and fixed it all, plus he helped me with major declutter disposal. Next week he says he will install a new TV, a cell booster/ modem?, and new light fixtures in the bathroom and vanity areas. The buildout and sliding doors that will allow access to this utility space [so I can clean/ dust, yikes!] is a much bigger job, maybe for this spring or summer. I am so blessed to have such a friend. We also made a plan to start selling my collections, because of course he knows some dealers who may be interested. Hah! I'd pay them to take stuff away, who knewwwww!?! 

Anyway, my mental chaos w these events and various other things kept me from writing Christmas thank yous  and blog replies. My apologies, I so love each and every comment.

On a lighter note---this is so --hilarious/ awful. A friend sent it to me after I was so excited about the QM2 ship. Omigosh. I'm seasick. This was filmed on the actual voyage I saw last week leaving NY Harbor. Winter Cruise QM2

Part Two of Quilts etc_ Looking Forward, Looking Back. 2024-25 posted soon!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

no beach, bec---that wind! Instead clouds and sunset for Nancy who likes clouds and you all.