I Did Nothing This Week

 

I did nothing This week. I really didn't. Seems like we've been waiting for this stupid storm to arrive for like, forever. More than a week for sure. So slow. If not for internet nonsense we'd just see a 

moderately snowy day and a sudden list of school closures. 

edit/ next day 1/25: snowing finally...//Update Monday: I m pretty sure this is wrong, but my area is the final almost 16".

It was so cold last night, I couldn't keep my drafty bedroom warm. I slept in my daytime clothes [sweatpants and two tee shirts, socks] and huddled in my new Pottery Barn sherpa throw, getting up each hour to check on Mo. He insisted on sleeping in his usual ''nook''...the floor was outdoor temps cold. He's not a fan of covers so  every hour I d find something new to wrap hm in. We survived, [He sleeps in his bed, my bed is too high for a senior pug to jump or fall from. He doesn't like to cuddle anyway.]

I did see the doctor this week . A friend went with me bec this doctor is not the best communicator. I babble to his unresponsive back as he rereads my computerized chart. I mumbled at one point, "am I talking to myself here?'' and he turned briefly and motioned me to go on. Bottom line he Rxed steroids and antibiotics for post-flu lung inflammation. My cough had almost entirely subsided, but seems to be be returning as as Rx is tapered off?

Ordered tulips, how pretty.

Tulips box of two colors, ten stems each, from local NJ grower @hollandridgefarms . They do a great shipping service, twenty stems/ free shipping. The tulips arrive pristine and tightly budded, bloom overnight. Usually you get whatever colors they have that day but I asked for red or red stripey and they came through for me. Such a cheery self-gift in the dark of January. [They ship all over US, very easy to use website ordering! Reel w details HERE].

Worked on a few just for me hearts. I wanted blue to add to my brown collection. I am just not a brown fabric  person.

On IG there's been amusing to me tutorials on How to Make Your Own heart template. LOL. The brown one is my oldie, cut freehand, usually filled with lavender or herbs; the white one is the circle template and ruler version via IG. Soooo close.

I don't have a good selection of repro blues, isn't that odd?

Used these from my favorite fabric basket. 

The toadstool maybe  doesn't fit in, but I love it.

Cooking now but why? If the power goes we'd have to leave; if the power stays on we can cook. sigh I used to love winter. Day two, now I'm making biscuits and roasted apple slices. To use the oven for additional warmth. The apples smell lovely.

This is my teatime real book for this winter. The header pic above is page one. I can't tell yet if I like it, the print is so tiny, I really can't read it, not even just enough to see if I want a readable Kindle version. Disappointing.

Mo is baffled by staying in now that the snow happened. There's a huge chest high drift against the deck door and outer front door too. Dogwalker cancelled, of course. But ''stay in / stay safe '' is not Mo's mindset. 

Back soon with more, some quilty thoughts are emerging.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

today's beach in the snow, photo from a friend....

snow globe..

 

Good morning! How pretty--light snow flurries like in a souvenir snow globe. 40* here so it won't pile up, at least  for now. Glad I didn't wash the windows though.

A friend asked me what I was doing these days--she meant new quilt wise, after my oh so busy [imaginary] list of projects, previous post. But I felt like such a slacker. The Christmas stuff came down the day after non-Christmas and is tidied up in a tote, but I have not boxed it into its bin for storage in the far closet nook! But despite my still bad choke-inducing cough, I put in the storm windows and also ''fed'' and polished the pine furniture. The salt spray watermarks have looked especially awful in photos, so I hope this gunk worked.

Meanwhile, back in the little sewing room, no new projects.  I've been working on a challenging doll dress. Little friend chooses the fabric and draws a sketch, I add my own sketch as she supervises. We have fun!

But then---the skirt fabric, sent by a designer friend along w trims and laces---was very odd. Late last night I tried to tell myself it is okay, but no.

Woke up with a redo plan that worked! I know at age ''almost-6'' LF is not too critical, but I can't give someone poor quality work. This is better! And easier to dress the doll, 14" American Girl doll.

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Otherwise I'm still finishing 2025 projects. Good for post flu brain fog as no plan or choices need to be made.

Old Red Baskets: Binding done. Isn't the veggie toile backing wonderful, I love it. Saved it for so many years.

I didn't wash this yet; the quilting made the old blocks look so fresh that I decided to leave well enough alone. I did soak the corners briefly to remove glue stick residue and darned if the one red calico didn't run.

Good to know for future use and washing.

No tulips yet for its glamour pics, tho I still have October's pumpkin, lol. Saving it for the beach critters, a no-no here so I must sneak it into t he dunes on a silent day. It's still so pretty though.

Then what a surprise ending! Silent Night is DONE, yawn, sigh, yawn. It is renamed Snow Day.

And I'm amazed that the finishes like faces on the pets and additions of the snowbabies turned this tedious behemoth into something adorable. I like it! Maybe---love it?.

Once the kiddies came out to play, I knew it was a daytime scene of shouts, laughter and snowball fights. Snow Day it is. I'm so glad it came out cute, it's maybe the most time consuming quilt I ever made, both in hours spent sewing and years in work.

The snowbabies came from another Jan P pattern, or two. They make me smile. Many thanks again to Julianne for the bright wools I used.

And of course I added a Pug.

Next projects:  Ill make backing for Googly eyed Jacks, then piece Noah's Ark and its backing. That'll keep me busy for January and prob lots of February. I also may make some new prim Basket hearts, the collection is crying out for blues. Hmmm...last set of Old Baskets to piece, Christmas mini to quilt. Try out block/ section of Boardwalk.

Busy work. Let the winds howl, let the snow fall...

Have a good week. 

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...

No beach walks, just this beautiful bird in the wind tossed locust tree. Not Mr Mockingbird, I think it's a mourning dove.

And this wonderful, although yes, it is pink, sherpa hoodie found on Amazon. $34.oo. Outerwear for indoor wear in this drafty home. My mom always forbade pink for adults, except oddly for golf shirts. She'd frown and say, You'll look like a fat pink rabbit. Me, now, as if I care! Comes in many other colors, if you want one and agree w mom.

Looking Ahead

Hi everyone! January and this is indeed a dreary day, dark grey dripping rain. Better than snow of course and if I was feeling well, I'd bundle up for a nice rainy beach walk. Not to dwell on illness but yesterday was the first day since mid-December that I have felt even somewhat normal. Quilting recently bores me to tears, as does reading, knitting, sketching--well, everything. Yet having end of year projects to finish--requiring no thought!--has truly been a blessing. A reason to walk into the sewing room and do something. I finished binding Old Red Baskets last night. I so hope to find striped tulips for at least a brief photo shoot. 

And I cut out and set up the final Snow Babies for Silent Night.

Re-found the hat pompoms and eye buttons for the animal's. too.

The little make do Christmas quilt needs its stars quilting, had that set up but undid to do pants hemming favor with useful but ugly knit specific cover stitching.

The house is again blue and white with a few interesting deep red touches for warmth, including a lovely gifted knitted throw from Boll&Branch. I'm momentarily bored with displayed quilts/ kitsch/ twee, clutter though I enjoy my winter drieds/ big bowl with new orange neroli candle: 

I wanted dried pomegranates, but they're wildly expensive. So I'll dry a few or maybe new orange pomanders would be fun?

Having said NO handmades, I am so in love with this remnant of an Ocean Waves quilt. It was a gift in my box of antique treasures from my brother and SIL. I think it is so refreshing. Maybe it will be a pillow after all?

So back to Winter of 26, what's on deck besides Noah's Ark patches turned into a top and off to Lori C for her magic?

 Usually I have the winter sewing all planned out. I had thought to make a 250 USA commemorative project. They are just so fabulously interesting in another 200 years! This was a choice: https://www.janpatekquiltsinc.com/product-page/liberty-garden-book

Or this for a smaller faster piece:

I think from Julie Porter though a pattern isn't really needed.

However with the politcal reality here in the US, I am not able to celebrate. So what to make instead. This fun Fall cutie was near the top of the maybe list--but I have so many, too many Fall quilts and only a few weeks to use the. 

Pat of its appeal was the very plain Cats Cradle [Puss in the Corner/ Variable Nine patch] nine patch background blocks.

These were ideas I like, a bit modern?

Explore String quilts?

I esp love this one, Boardwalk:

And this from TQC

, though I get confused by her ojos and always give up. [I'll make Julie's method instead if I make this one.]

For more primitive ideas: This darling Baskets, sent by Penny. Good colors, texture, interesting layout....

 But it's BIG! And if reduced it becomes too Bramble Berries?

This Cheri Payne Sampler---since Whatnots was so fun. Add in the challenge of searching eBay for affordable old blocks for the borders. [another that is rather large tho, 36 x 42" ish]. Note the old pattern photo, 1980s/90s has darkened and run, my colors will be prim but bright as one would expect.

And last-ish but a probable, this Miami Ohio sampler

a traditional regional style from my pioneer families' part of Ohio. [Once we were so proud of our land grants further south in south central and south western Ohio. Oh how history has been rewritten. No judgement as to better or worse, just confusion, where we once had pride and patriotism.]

 Anyway, I started this about ten years ago based on two patterns. In one  book it clearly states the block patterns don't fit together! And the Jan Patek version had no measurements at all. I can make do, but was discouraged; gimme a hint?  And so, a  a rare occurrence, set it aside. Penny to the rescue a few months ago. Her pattern has all the measurements! It will be a good deck time hand sewing project, I think, as would the Cheri Payne Sampler above. Images are an antique Miami Valley Samplers from my files. I believe there are about ten quilts in this style from this late 1800s community.

I think this is a modern version, maybe Lori D's [Humble Quilts? version.

So what do you think? Any opinions or suggestions? Yes I said No More big quilts but during Christmas as I refolded the little quilts--so many! a hundred? Why?

.............................

Mo is back from rainy day walkie-roo.

He has been a lovely boy for me as I struggle to regain energy and focus. Zzzzzz

And something to notice, to look forward to, tho I don't know why my local weather feed showed Philadelphia
instead of NY?

Have a good week! January is almost over, hahaha.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....