Miscellaneous March ~ Found Objects and Spring Flowers Emerge from The Snow

 

Hi everyone! Is it cold at your house? High winds and frigid temps here at the beach. No amount of sunshine can make the weather more tolerable. The other night I finished some tax prep and opened Blogger  to do this post, and BOOM, the lights went out. Blackout. No warnings, no wind alerts, no storms; I was totally unprepared, though I did have prepared food. But low batteries everywhere, pretty late at night and oh so dark. Usually a clear storm breaks down my wifi and landline phone, but not a total blackout. 

Hard to know what to do; finally got out all the stored comforters and decided to huddle underneath til dawn. Baby Mo was wrapped in many layers in his own bed. If things got really cold I'd make him come up on the bed. But he seemed happy. [Temperature 24 degrees/ windchill about 13*, wind 30 plus mph.]

Just as I crawled under all the quilts and blankets, Bang! the lights returned. Saved, yay!

Mo is currently enjoying his winter coats, so we do go on out. Looking for first daffodil shoots. Here they are, peeking out of the old dirty snow as it melted .

And I've been keeping a sharp eye out for weird collection items that emerge from the snow. Washers, coins, tiny Christmas trees in Lucite and glitter! A little yellow looped key?

I thought the this was a Lego People head. But no.

I like finding Canadian pennies. They are pretty.

We've seen a number of St Paddy's Day wreaths and door decorations, but I'm especially loving all the newly hung out seashell wreaths. Everyone is ready for summer days. And I've been noticing these interesting tall lanterns, set out on front steps or in front gardens, usually with a faux pillar candle, presumably on a timer. They are pretty big, higher than my knee--30"? We love the warm glow in the darkness. 

This lantern has especially attracted my notice. Looks very "Home Goods" and it has a candle, plus the base is filled with a small collection of special seashells. But wouldn't it make such a cute little storage cupboard for some of my tiny quilts. I am always tempted to leave a note....

Back inside, I'm filling the cottage with inexpensive spring flowers each week. Dear daffys from Ireland, 2 bunches for 3.oo.

And primroses, a favorite of my dad's. He'd plant them in a wicker basket with green moss from his woods, for the Easter table. Maybe a few Easter Eggs or a china bunny or ladybug from the dump Swap Shop, tucked in too.

I've been picturing this metal planter filled with spring flowers ever since I got it a few years ago. Next summer, it should have red geraniums, I hope.

Many of you asked how my second Crockpot recipe came out: Braised Beef with Mushrooms. No vegs. It was very delicious! I listened to friends who are excellent cooks; everyone insisted I must pre-brown the meat. I also pre-sautéed the mushrooms in butter. Served on wide noodles, my favorite pappardelli, with a dollop of sour cream.  Butter/honey glazed baby carrots and Brussel sprouts on the side.

Below, unusual especially in winter, heirloom tomatoes at my grocery store. So pretty.

Edit: today's crock pot attempt was my Fast Chili. I cooked it 2 hours on high and 4 or 5 on low. Smelled great, but is watery and undercooked. Disappointing.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

.Upcoming: St Paddy's Day and the Oystercatchers' return; Mo's birthday; spring equinox; days get longer; Daylight Savings begins. First day of, hahahahah, spring.....

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Just Checking In ~ After the Storm

Good evening, friends. Mo and I have weathered the big storm today and all is well.

Winds blew at 40-50 mph overnight and all day, with gusts of 79 mph. Hurricane winds and no plywood on my windows. I try to stay calm but was a bit scared, with the winds blowing off the water directly onto my big wall of windows, in their ancient wooden frames.  The chairs escaped their bungees and traveled around the deck. I took blog friend  Julierose's advice and finally brought the chairs indoors. Look at all that sand, ugh.

I quickly switched from virus mode to storm mode, the survival techniques are different. Batteries in everything, all phones and Kindles and devices fully charged. Food prepped to eat cold. Take showers, wash hair NOW while we have hot water; always light a candle in the bathroom during showers so as not to get suddenly left in the dark. [I have to give the power company credit, power has not gone out so far.] Mo was directed to his indoor potty station and praised for using it; though we did venture out briefly at noon and 6.

Mo stayed alert all day, on guard and worried. The rain cleared at sunset and though the wind was still 40 mph, it seemed like we would be okay. Another challenge conquered!

Out and about, how brave we are.

Hopeful tulip buds.

Pretty furled chartreuse sprouts of? hosta?

Moss, in bloom.

Brilliant euonymous, against dark green juniper.

Bedraggled spring flowers, yet valiantly still standing. I snuck these narcissus into a boring public space many many years ago.

Someone else added tulips in recent years.

   

The forsythia is stripped of flowers, but surprisingly the pink crabapple still had blooms.

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

In the sewing room I didn't accomplish very much. I kept running to the window to assess the waves and deck damage, as if my watching could stem the storm or a flood.

Progress on Pineapple Baby.

The fabrics are a group [which I never do!], Blythe, by Wilmington Fabrics.

Boho more than beach?

I fixed the stem/ leaves of block one. Looks a lot better.

I am not adding the grey solid surrounds that will finish the blocks until I know what setting I'll use.

I'm bringing in all different greens for the stems, and I added a few with bits of turquoise in case the recipients request an aqua stop border and binding. The baby's room is palest aquamarine blue [a girl].

I also finally found a cute print for a project I've been mulling over.  It is either vintage housedress/ feed sack or repro. Blue and green little floral sprigs, I forgot to take a photo.

I got these cute cutter quilt blocks on FB Marketplace. Sort of sad to have cut up such a pretty quilt, but that was how the seller had them offered. One for me, one for a best friend.

They'll be pincushions.

Hope springs eternal in sprung. I found saved seeds, no need to shop.

I do hope your day was good and all is well, pls check in and if you comment anonymously, pls sign your first name so I know you're you!

love


lizzy

gone to the beach...

beach pics from today! a friend took them for us!

It's Flea Season Again! ~ First Church Flea Market of the Spring

HI! Temps are very cold and the wind is big, but I know spring has arrived because the little church's first flea market was held last week. Oh I was sooo excited, you cannot imagine. I know, little life, little thrills, but that's my idea of fun. All winter long I've been saving dollar bills, because the fleas here prefer cash; I have a little wad of crumpled singles set aside--I am so organized and didn't dip into this tiny hoard for tips or lunch money. Prob is less than $30.oo.

So last Friday I had it all planned out, I would be early, I'd get to the flea's Friday presale ahead of the crowds. This flea has  a preview sale Fridays and Mondays 2-4 PM. Imagine all the treasures the church ladies had accumulated during the winter?
I got there early but later than I'd hoped because I ended up waiting for a no-show friend. I arrived at the church and there was not a parking space to be found in the entire village. Not at the other church or the preschool, not at the train station or the post office or the wine shop. Nada. I drove around for an hour, hampered by the fact that this village is on a spit of land without regular cross streets and hemmed in by two busy busy busy train crossings. I finally went home, dejected, rejected.
In the end I went back Monday...again no parking! This is new, there must be something going on at the same time, like a moms' group or AA or Bible study. I finally parked about a mile away---darn it, I was gonna get there! [Please don't suggest Uber, we don't have it and it'd cost too much anyway.]

The shelves were very picked over, and the place was pretty empty, so I know all those cars came for something else. The ladies were tidying up and putting away, because this is the basketball court of the rec hall.

Here are a few things that caught my eye:
This lovely big doll house.

I loved it. It's like a Midwestern farmhouse, just what I used to dream of owning back in the day, before beach cottage times. That front porch just begs for Halloween decorations, bales of hay and many pumpkins. The interior was in poor condition but fixable. A rehab!

There was also a box of all the furniture and the doll-residents. It said ''included"; If you peer through the plastic wrap you can see the darling little quilt that was there. I think ''cheater cloth'', not pieced, but cute, very 70's calico-awful.

I didn't note the price, because I didn't want to buy it and it was tempting. I would love to have a doll house again.

A sweet beer bottle brown glass rooster candy jar, 1930-40s?

Loved the big mirror, I always wanted one of these when I sewed my own clothes.

Pretty lace and linens, too $$.

More, with embroidery.

I loved this dresser scarf's oddly colored dull flowers, maybe for sachet hearts? but not that day. Eight dollars? Insane, who but me buys these things?

Ribbons and fabric, not tempted. Next time.

I took a few pictures of the clothes racks in case my friend B can ever go with me. Not a big selection, though on another rack they sure had a LOT of big white wedding gowns in tiny sizes.

What came home with me, how did I spend my $3.oo?

A floral sheet and an apron.

The full/double sheet was 2.oo and is a possible backing for the Blue Baskets quilt. Quilt backings are one of the unmentioned big expenses of making quilts--often 6 or 7 yards at 10.75 a yard. So as much as 80.oo; a two dollar sheet looks amazing in comparison.

The bluebells are darling, aren't they, plus touches of bright yellow and the tiniest red polka dots.

I love it. My quilter isn't thrilled with using sheets but I prevail. I think using a  vintage sheet is so in tune with the idea of the Baskets being recycled old shirts. And often sheets are nicely lightweight and so soft. I do have something else in mind, waiting to see if it goes on sale before ordering.

This is my only Blue Baskets of the month for March posting, except the mention again the lovely white shirtings from Nancy.

I didn't make any Baskets this month, and in a few seconds you'll see why.

My other treasure is this great polka dot apron, in the best green and best polka dots. One dollar. I'm sure my eyes got big and I grabbed it. Think how many St Paddy's Day dinners this apron may have made. Worn but pristine and well kept.

Wonderful make do pocket, as if it was made without the pocket and the maker used all the fabric. Then needed a pocket! So she cut off some of the waist ties and pieced herself a pocket. Look closely, it's made of three carefully pieced horizontal strips.

I don't collect aprons, but I almost kept it to wear myself. In the end, I realized I don't wear half aprons, just bibbed bakers' aprons. I am a spill-on-my-shirt kinda girl.

After washing and ironing, I folded the apron and set it on the corner cupboard. Aha! The polka dotted green just had to be the backing for my fun little red doll quilt.

I made the little quilt with the unused blocks from TQC 1880 Sampler.

Just one more is left, it will be a pin keep. Since this little guy is just for me I could use the wild red horseshoes fabric that I love. Horseshoes were a very popular motif in conversational shirting prints in the second half of the 19th century, so the print is not as anachronistic and silly as it may seem. I treated myself to having it quilted professionally, in miniature Baptist Fans.

It was going to possibly be my Humble Quilts swap quilt, but on inspection I saw it perhaps had ''bad'' fabrics, not in the rules. Plus it was probably too goofy, too childlike?--and lastly. I loved it too much to give it to someone who is expecting and deserving a traditional look.

I struggle with giving my quilts away. The second---no third!--little quilt I made for the swap is so perfect with my yellowware bowls! We'll see how time goes.

These two little quilts and prepping  1880 and Sajou for the quilter took up the days that were intended for my Baskets. I'll have to do double for April! Or fall behind. @@

Mo and I found daffodils today! But no pix.

Have a good weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

PS When Lori adds the Stringalong Linky I'll add that here so you all can see the projects of people who actually got things done in March. 

 PS2: If you love the look of the 1880 Sampler, with its 4" blocks [not necessarily my version but the project], TQC is doing a new sewalong !! W/ tinier 3" blocks.  HERE  I'm thinking to do it w/ my 1930s kiddy prints. It's a fast project but it can be made at your own pace, when you feel like it. No deadlines or posts involved.