Gone To The Beach

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sunshine and Shadows: November

I love November, always have. It's such an exciting month...the countdown to the festive season begins, the weather changes, the leaves begin to turn.

I love November's weather. The days can be balmy, a final day or two for shorts, a t-shirt, and a beach chair. Or it can be sharp and crisp and cool. The wind almost always blows hard, sending clouds scudding across the sky...light, then dark. Grey, yet golden...

Join me for a beachwalk on this lovely early November day?

Below, my inspiration for today's post: traditional Amish Sunshine and Shadow quilts. The juxtaposition of the light and dark fabrics is intended to create the illusion of sunlight falling across a dark surface. Wonderful autumn colors too.
This is a classic example:

But this is my favorite! Wonderful colors, the khaki and violet, the turquoise center. It is going on my ''someday'' list!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

quilt photos from Google Images, all other photos by me, at the beach.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Haunted Spirits

Happy Halloween!

I've noticed a weird and strange trend in blogland! People who put up their Halloween decorations right after Labor Day are , yawn, oh so bored with the whole Halloween schtick. And they are proudly taking down their jack o'lanterns already! Now! Before the holiday. Isn't that sad?

As you know, I start my fall decorating on Columbus Day...and I only put out the Halloween things a day or two before Halloween. Then I put them away right afterward. This keeps them fun and fresh and cute, not tedious. But, you know, that's just me...."live in the now".
Today I have a few pix---and two very cool links, so, enjoy! BOO!

Below: I've had this guy since college!

Wonderfully odd photos by novelist Neil Gaiman here Did you look? So haunting.

more spooky stuff! be sure to scroll down.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach

Monday, October 28, 2013

Halloween Kitties - Vintage Quilt

click any/ all photos to enlarge for details...

Hello! What a gorgeous, perfect October Monday it is! I hope it is nice where you are too? Tomorrow is one year since Hurricane Sandy tried to sweep us away. We've been having power failures all weekend, as if the power company wants us to recall just how cold and dark things can be.

Anyway! This quilt: I keep seeing it on Pinterest, probably a photo saved from when I had it listed for sale on eBay quite a few years ago.* I wanted to post more pictures of this amazing and adorable treasure. Maybe I'll even figure out how to get the pix up on Pinterest, wish me luck!
www.pinterest.com

Brightened photo....quilting shows less...

Details: purchased in NYC, many years ago, from a very well known dealer/ historian. Yes, it was very expensive! Her tag is marked "1940's. Tennessee". It is all hand appliqued with tiny whip-stitches. The little faces are embroidered. It has stunningly beautiful hand quilting, with even tiny stitches. The original pencil marks, for the quilting, still remain; it has never been washed or used. Oddly I was sure it is signed, with a handstamped name, but I cannot find the name now. (Too bad...!)Very tiny, narrow black binding.

I always think of the kitties as black, orange, and pink, but there are quite a few colors here: burgundy, lavender, two shades of tan, two blues, as well. [light spots are glare from lighting.]

again, photo is lightened....

I love how the faces are all the same, but each kitty has its own expression!

(I am not sure the date of this quilt is correct. It does not look like a war years quilt to me. Perhaps 1930s? Certainly safe to estimate 1920-1950? I'd love to have another expert opinion.)

Quilting. almost like spiderwebs?

*Ebay: Well eBay can be discouraging. I was thrilled to sell this quilt to a woman who seemed as enchanted as I am with the quilt. However when she received it, she was very upset that it has "stains"! It took me awhile to find the marks, though I do admit they are there. What does one do? Wash the quilt to remove a few tiny pale dots? And remove all the old markings and pristine unused-ness? I took it back, gave her a refund...and never listed it again. [spots, below]