Heat Lightning

Hi everyone! Remember ''heat lightning"?
I haven't see it for years, since I lived in Illinois as a child. Those far away flickers that signaled a storm beyond the horizon, passing us by.

But last night we had heat lightning here. Dusk is the nicest time to walk now at summer's peak. Mo and I headed out just after sunset. We like to sit on the bench by the dunes and watch the fireflies rising from the dune grass.

The sky was fading blue, but to the northeast was this one billowing, towering storm cell. It flashed watery lightning the entire time of our walk.

We see many walkers at dusk, all the neighbors seem to come out to enjoy the warm evenings. Folks bring drinks or picnic dinners. On my to do list!

Sunday afternoon sizzled like a slab of bacon, snap crackle pop. 

It was truly a day more suited to loafing in the pool with a pink Styrofoam ''noodle''. But who could resist this white sand and soft blue water, the sea breeze.

A bit of treasure.

My daughter and I wondered if we can possibly have picked up all the sea glass from the beach, because there certainly is none these days.

Wash out with tiny butterfly shells.

Oystercatchers...

Here with her big baby!

Two birds, front left.

At the beach I got out my sewing, ugh. These yellow stars are awful. The dark fabric behind them shows through. They look shoddy.
My blog friend Cathy told me she isn't putting the stars on her version of Spring Break / Summertime. I decided, me neither.  If need be add---lined somehow? ---later. [the star pattern itself isn't very nice. you can see where I corrected it, in removable ink.]

I made a Pokeberry block  instead and hand quilted partway my Winter Blues doll quilt.

These are the Lazy Days of summer. Nothing urgent to do til Wednesday's farmers market and errands day. The summer is sliding by. I plan to savor every moment.

How about you all?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach

Below:

a Googly enhanced version.

 Very, uh, artistic.

PS I saw this quote on the blog Timeless Traditions:

''Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway."

-Mother Teresa

Something for me to keep in mind.

Collecting Tiny (Doll) Quilts

Hello! It's the beginning of a beautiful weekend here. I'm just back from my beach walk.

"Don' wanna!"

A few weeks ago I mentioned, apropos of what I forget, that I once had a nice collection of antique doll quilts which I had sold at a time when money was tight and space was short. Rummaging around for Pink Lemonade to show on Lori's FB page I did find a few cute little survivors. They are survivors in every sense of the word...not sold, still cherished, tattered though they may be.
This is a fave, with its pretty indigo blues. 13.5" x 13.5"; late 19th century. Pattern is a nine patch with an unusual red accented sashing.

Rebound and patched.

Too loved and worn to try to sell to the critical shoppers on eBay, it has remained with my other small quilts for years.

I especially treasure it for the fine quilting which is a miniature Hearts pattern, This little quilt was made and given with love.

This little quilt is a more recent eBay purchase.

Obviously the seller had no qualms about selling what is barely a mouse chewed rag. Of course I had to rescue it.

It was quite soiled. The purple print looked brown when it arrived.
It too is a Nine Patch.19th century. No batting, fine but plain quilting And the best binding I've ever seen on a doll quilt, measuring a scant 1/8", perfectly sewed. 9" x 15"

It needs restoration. I have these fabrics out but I know I have a better purple somewhere. So it is waiting.

The back is a very faded but wonderful Lancaster blue miniature: tiny sprigs on a fine shirting style stripe.

Either of these two little quilts would be fun to copy and reproduce as faithfully as possible.

****
Then I unfolded this cutie. Barbara Brackman has posted recently on this pattern, asking/ investigating if this pattern was used as a con or hoax, to pretend to be unusual folk art in origin.

As I recall this type of quilt was sold in museum stores years ago, no fraud intended. [you can read Brackman's blog for her scholarly opinion.] You can see it is poorly made with no effort to do fine work. Yet the front is well done and the images are so charming.

I've had it at least 15 years. I think it's adorable, but I was asked not to display it in my home because it may be offensive. I sold all my black cloth folk dolls at the same time for a similar reason, and surely I do not want to own or show a racist image or send a wrong message to my children.

So I have kept it and loved it quietly. Is that the right thing to do? I never know, except for what is in my heart and mind. [approx 15" square; c. 1980s]

This quilt, also a modern repro, was bought from the same dealer at about the same time. Of course I bought it , it's HEARTS and a great Hearts block design. I knew it was a repro and paid only a few dollars for it. I often use it around Valentine's Day. [approx 24" x 30", c. 1980s?]

I love it despite its fakeness.
****
On a beach note---here is the latest of Pokeberry. Please excuse my Mo spotted rug!

The pokes are so fun to sew. Upcoming blocks will be harder, as the pokes' stems and berries cross over multiple background pieces and have to be partially sewed then finished later.

I'm not thrilled with this ''distressed'' black flannel. It marks badly at the pressed seams.

And as I sat there on the sand, sewing the berries, I was thinking that in a hundred years someone will see these pokes and think that they are GRAPES! I'll have to make an explanatory label. Pokeberry weed is so much more unique than mundane grapes. Maybe this?

And last...these are the little green baseball squash. Just so's you know, they were AWFUL. Nasty. The casserole was a flop. Too darn bad.

Have a fun weekend? What're your plans?

And what about the little black dolly quilt? Is it politically incorrect, even offensive? And if so what should I do with it?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

"I'm just gonna sit here, like a sack of cement, mom.
Or you can carry me home.
But I'm not walking."

Mo Has a Playdate

Hi everyone! We're home! Mo was invited for a doggy playdate today.

Mo is an unusually active and athletic pug. Mo likes to run! And he's a furry little Houdini, who has never met a harness or collar that he cannot escape. We haven't been going to the dog park lately because it is very expensive to park there and it's too far to walk. So a few weeks ago I took Mo to a public area with lovely grass, fenced and hedged--- so he could enjoy a run on the cool grass. Ha! Mo yanked his leash out of my hand, tore through the hedge, dislodged his harness---and leaped the fence to freedom.

Born Free!

He raced down our six-lane, 45 mph road at rush hour with me in pursuit, cars swerving and honking. I was so frightened. He ran about a half mile, almost to the back entrance of the dog park. He stopped finally, heard me calling him. Yes he came back, but in the road still. No more outing treats for Mo.

I ordered a no-escape harness for him. It came today. He's so chubby that the Large won't close over his belly. [vet says his weight is fine, he's just a big boy.]

So my friend was kind enough to invite us over to her home so Mo could play in her luxurious grass.

Sprinklers on!

This is her big dog, an exotic, to me anyway, Louisiana Leopard Dog.

He is dark brindle brown with slightly lighter spots, very unusual coat. Oscar doesn't much like Mo, but he was a tolerant host.

And this is Brutus, my friend's grand-dog. Brutus is a teeny tiny, elderly but spry Maltese terrier. He's too elegant to play or run but Mo enjoyed making friends.

Mo especially loves the back wall with its rows of pines and hosta and mulch. He thinks he is a little lion dog. And we desperately hoped the fence has no holes. It was just redone after H.Sandy so it's sturdy and I think maybe 8 feet high.

Even Mo can't jump over that fence.

Here's Mo investigating the garden shed.

And checking out the little Buddha in the corner. I was so pleased he didn't lift his leg there.

Poor Oscar requires a muzzle and constant vigilance, so we couldn't sit and sip our ice tea like playground moms do. Too bad.
But Mo had a good run and maybe he'll get invited back someday.

Sunflowers from other friends' garden, aren't they the  BEST!? This was just one seed package, ''assorted hybrids." From Burpee I think. Wow.

love 

lizzy 

gone to the beach....