Look What the Mail Guy Brought! -Part One

 

Back from the quilter!

Such a thrill always.

These four small to medium quilts represent all my quilting for the second 8 months of 2025, [Silent Night/ Snow Day and Red Baskets,  Old Blue Baskets, and Whatnots were the first 6 months. ] So not a bad showing.

Here the new batch are excitedly displayed on my bed. Imagine me oooo-ing and ah-ing. 

Lori C's  quilting is as always, the final magic touch that brings my ideas to brilliant life. We work together on the quilting plans but in the end I leave final decisions in her hands. She never disappoints.

Keep in mind these are still unfinished. Button eyes and binding, a good wash and scrunch.

Googly-eyed Jacks:

Note the great quilting, a spider web. So cool,

Adorable backing with a pieced-in block from a J Wecker Frisch panel.

The jacks will get tiny button pupils for their eyes and a few get pearly button teeth.

Noah's Ark: a success!

Influenced by the Harriet Powers quilts, 

pattern by Jan Patek, w additions and changes by me.

You may recall I'm always trying something new. This was made w needle turn applique around a Pellon-like ''soluble'' applique base. The inner forms did NOT dissolve. But it quilted beautifully, I'm sure the bulk added a challenge for Lori.

It's quite large, like a crib quilt, even though I reduced the design to 75% of the original (Sadly I can't imagine any mid 21st century child taking an interest in the animals or story, whereas when I was a child  the exotic beasts seems as magical as dragons or unicorns. ''yawn, grandma, where's my iPad?")

Simple Waves and Stars quilting.

**********************

Merry Christmas ~Another new technique, piecing using  a fusible base sheet. 

Fun, fast, and a boon to someone like me who is a horrible pieer. Lookit those sharp corners!

Cute  faux feedsack, saved many years, finally remembered to use it.

I love the whirly quilting, like Christmas Tree ornaments. And how Lori gives as much thought, care, effort to a tiny little ''extra'' quilt as she does to a big project like Ark. I used a TQC shop pack in Christmas colors; I always add them to my annual gift of  Postcard Quilt of the Month series for stocking stuffers for girlfriends.

********************

And another Old Baskets, mourning grey, from the Basket blocks I collected for so many years.

I found one more unmatching batch still, btw. I could be persuaded to share if anyone wants to try. I'll throw in the necessary fusible that reinforces the very VERY worn old Basket blocks. This is the only quilt of the group that I forget or never planned the binding. I'll figure it out.

I think I'll name this mini:  Grey Winter Skies/ Baskets. "Mourning" is too sad right now for me.

I love sewing binding--the final touch, so lots to look forward to. 

*********************

Sorry, I am stopping now. My hand is still very painful and looks so odd. No Dr appointment yet. But rest helps so I do a bit of everything but a little less. Forgive  slow responses to your comments, dear friends.

Summer and the Scribble Journal still happen. Nature sketchbook on hiatus. I make sketches and notes and will return to them when my head feels calmer and happier. Great new book by my favorite Journaler,  Lara Gastinger HERE 

See you soon w part Two.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

The sanderlings have returned, in giant swirling flocks, synchronized, white.

Good News/ Bad News and Summer Blues ~ interiors

 Hi! Best little good news, repeating from edit of previous post: escaped, flyaway Posy block has been found and kindly returned! [I'm pretty amazed!]

Then bad news is my microwave broke/ good news is the new one is beautiful, much nicer; $219.oo including tax, delivery, installation, disposal of old one included.

More bad: My hand is not doing well, a flare up of my autoimmune inflammation. Prob triggered by hand sewing. VERY painful, can't sleep bec of pain. [Better today, Friday]

More bad, a shark was sighted here at the neighboring beach, at the surf camp. Chomp! Good news, beaches reopened immediately. Young dog shark/ harmless?

AND wildfire smoke means air conditioning, even though it's mild weather, 70s, and big breeze off the water.

Last, Christmas shopping in July...I sat there patiently waiting for this folk artist's ''drop'' on Wednesday, wanting special bandboxes for family [and me!] gifts. As the postings appeared, they were already marked SOLD. So unfair, so disappointing. I love her work, but the fight to be a winner is just too hard. 

****

I've gathered some shots of the cottage gone blue.  Probably nothing new except the slipcovers and empty space of no Mo. But---Enjoy the cool and serenity.

A tall ship made by my dad, winter evenings. I used to help him tie the rigging.

My wooden folkart animals including two beachcombed decoys, found after storms.

Pitchers mostly from the church flea. It's good.

Flowers.

And a reminder, in case you are one of these "cannot wait for Fall, I got my pumpkins out July 1st"  people: Just remember, this is what comes after the Pumpkin  fun!

Let's slow down. Enjoy each Summer day! Life is too short not to be happy and grateful for the day we have, not the day months rom now.

Have a great weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

a tad smokey?