Busy Work

Hi everyone, on this warm[ish] sunny day. I suppose I must admit that spring is here, I love winter and this year it passed so quickly---no snow! No snow days!

I'm back to making my To Do lists that I rely on for being productive. "Some people" have told me lists are a ridiculous thing: that "if you need a list to remember what you have to do each day, you're even stupider than I thought" attitude. But I find it very helpful, especially in such difficult times, to make a list at night for the following day. I often now wake up in a panic, with no clue what day it is or what time it is even. My lists ground me.

I have begun writing in this beautiful Quilting Diary, a gift from my brother and SIL. For a year or so I thought it too pretty to use.

I considered writing a daily diary of these crisis times, but instead  have incorporated those notations into my ongoing work. More interesting!

A pasted in page for Blackbirds:

It's stored right under my monitor so I don't forget about it. I reorganized the book format to be perpetual, so I can add info each year and compare.

I'm trying to do a spring cleaning chore each day [or often]--dust high shelves, sort out my makeup bin or the junk drawer, roll up saved, now banned, plastic bags into tiny twists for doggy pickup, etc. Little things made nice again. Nothing big or pain inducing.

I cook most days, or maybe do some project baking, like oatmeal cookies.

And I make a point of spending time in my craft room doing something, anything, again, even if small. I started by sorting and re-binning my blue and neutral fabrics. I am not ever going to finish the blue and white Schoolgirl Album project---why are the fabrics set out and waiting in silent judgement? Hideous remains on my cutting table; Cheri Payne Christmas quilt fabrics got put away, I am much too sad to make it.

I made masks for friends and family. I have no elastic, using hair ties. And some days I sit mindlessly cutting 2 1/2" squares

for this future quilt:

I am not a scrap saver but for the past year or so I've been putting small pretty bits of fabric in a dish on my desk. Now is their moment.

I love love love that the name of the quilt. I have two cheddar prints or a chrome yellow to choose from, if and when I get going actually sewing. [no rush].

My version will look scrappier.

Why did I fall for this quilt, besides its classic style? I just love the folky motifs of the border, Moons and Stars and Flowers. Just love. Plus the name of course. The bad news is that it goes together in the same diagonal method as Blue Baskets which gave me such fits.

This old book, 1990s , was well worth the used book price of 4.oo/ free shipping/ Amazon used books. I'd love to make a wool version of the Fall leaves and the Basket is so sweet.The Bittersweet vines are hemp string, couched onto the design, which I love because I'd never embroider that much.

We will see another Fall, won't we? I would add acorns.

I drew up a pattern for a country look/ farmhouse Churndash, for my red Horseshoes fabric. It will go with nothing in my house, but it'll be happy. [if not soon]

And I did the pattern for the baby quilt that is prominently NEXT on my work list. The baby has arrived and her new bedroom unexpectedly will need a quilt soon, as the virus caused her family to change plans.

The green rectangle should be two differing squares, a mistake. This is why I make a graph pattern and a try out block.

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

Mo of course still must be walked. We avoid everyone and keep far distances.

We walked to our beach access ramp, where his bench is. Mo was puzzled as to why we couldn't sit down for a treat and a bit of fresh air.

He has done that almost daily for his entire six years. But no.  He knows the drinking fountain [outdoor shower for washing off sand for humans] is turned off in the winter. I didn't check if it is turned on again now for spring.

 He was sad.

The shadblow is blooming. I miss seeing the marshes turning green and the billows of the pink volunteer apple trees and the foamy white white shadblow on its margins.

Hope you all are coping. Make a list, do small chores, call a friend. Be kind.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......

two years ago: April

Welcome Spring : Dancing Tulips

Hi! I wish you could see the grey clouds today, flying by overhead---tone on tone, grey on grey. Black gnarled branches  of the ugly locust tree in silhouette. It's a dark day as the spring equinox approaches. Often spring is more desolate than winter here at the beach.

I wrote the above Saturday as the last days of winter crept quietly by. I love winter and am sad that this winter has gone by so fast. I love winter, so energetic, so hopeful, so crisp and clear. But today [Sunday] dawned brilliantly blue and warmer, the true last day of winter. White foam churning on the big waves, and wetsuited surfers lining up for a ride.

I've been saving these wonderful 1950-60 Windblown Tulips or Dancing Tulips blocks, to show you when spring finally came.

The hand appliqued blocks are a gift from my friend Lisa [Alfonsina, to some of you]. Her grandmother was an accomplished quilter and Lisa's family has many wonderful quilts made y "Neena" as she was called. In fact there is a finished Dancing Tulips quilt in the family collection, under the Dogwood quilt,

but recently Lisa found these extra blocks and passed them on to me.

I tried to insist the blocks stay with the quilt but she said no.

Even the long border strips were still with the extra blocks. Very mid-century green.
.

I love the tiny calico.

This would actually make a darling crib quilt for a spring baby whose parents enjoy retro style and sweet baby colors.

 Neena did very fine work. The backs are so pretty! Tiny stitches, with an oh so tidy reverse.

Neena used a very small whipstitch as did my aunts and grandmas who excelled at applique. The hidden stitch we use today was not used. The whipstitch is, I think , sturdier, and makes it easier to get nice inner curves and points.

Lisa even sent me a pair of Neena's trademark earrings. Clip-ons of course, nice ladies didn't have pierced ears back then.

Neena was a nickname, like Nana or Granny: her real name was Sarah Birdena, known as Birdena. [an unusual name!]. She grew up and lived in Indiana, in the early to mid-20th century and was both a school teacher and a librarian. Birdena lived into her nineties, her life spanned the entire 20th century and in her ninety three years she made many beautiful quilts and other needlework.
She is the little girl on the left, in the old front porch photo on my side bar.



 One of my all time favorite photos and one I treasure, that Lisa has allowed me to use it on my blog all these years.
Lisa has shared a more detailed bio with me, and maybe, someday, she and I will write a longer article about the quilts, handwork, and life of  of Birdena. I feel honored to own a few of her quilt
 blocks and to have read her story.

For now I will enjoy the Dancing Tulips and wait for spring.

.............
Sunday was Mo's 3rd birthday! We took him to the park for a treat.

As usual he liked the car ride more than he liked the big open dog park.

And he got a fancy doggy cooky, a bag of hypoallergenic chews, and a new raincoat.

Happy birthday, little man!

I hope your first days of spring are warm and delightful!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...