July "Porch" blocks and a Question

Hi! Did anyone get rain? We got black clouds  and just a few sprinkly drops. I just lugged lots of watering cans-full out to my deck flowers.

I finished my Porch Quilt blocks for July! This has been so fun. I am really  enjoying doing the primitive applique, I'd forgotten how much I like the handwork. Easier, in many ways than hand-quilting, which requires two thimbles and a lot of exact-ness.
I may even dig out my neglected Lighthouses blocks and do some work on them.(Only lighthouses I've actually been to see...I draw a simple pattern from a photo or postcard.)

Nauset Light, Cape Cod MA

Anyway, here's July Porch blocks:

 The birdie's eye is just tacked on there to remind me. Cute, huh?

Now my question: which binding do you like for my antique Baskets quilt? You can click on any photos to enlarge them.

It's all done and got stalled because I didn't have a great binding for it.
We have [in first place, my favorite]: a double blue or Lancaster Blue tiny calico. (all are repro, sigh.)

A close second, a dusty turquoise calico. [I love it but the quilt predates the design of this cotton, which is rather 1930s-ish. Repro, so doesn't matter?

Double Pink?

I might use the one above or a more traditional like this: [not sure I have enough.]

Black and white gingham, in a slightly larger scale, 1/8" maybe?

I also have a vintage turkey red calico with yellow sprigs, my original choice. But I decided I really don't want red. It's an option though. It's the same as this basket, and it is vintage/ antique...red ground.

Now remember we're not just picking our favorite fabric, we are deciding which sets off and finishes the quilt best? What do you think?

Oh and I finished this little guy! From Cheri's blog here...

Handquilted, bound, name embroidered badly....It will get a label with  designer info and date included.

brown chintz-like floral backing

Remember the sawtooths are only 1/2"...it's so tiny! I love it.

See ya soon with some maybe yummy farmers market foods and/or a pickle update,lol.

love

          lizzy

gone to the beach

Beach Walk

Hi! I was gonna show you guys some quilty stuff, but on a glorious 70* Saturday in July I bet you'd rather go to the beach! C'mon...

Remember the boardwalk over the dunes?

It's a bit of a long hike on a hot day...but worth it! See how it goes aaaall the waaaay down through the dunes...?
This is how it ends in the summer.

It goes all the way out to the storm high tideline....[It gets removed and stored in the winter.]...

The photos aren't  out of focus, these were taken the other day when it was 94* and the white air is heat haze, heat fog!

Everything is monochrome...

even the sky and water are pearly grey with the heat...

On the other hand, look how nice and quiet it is again! The Fourth of July revelers are long gone....

A few returning sanderlings, below. Bet they think it's hot after nesting in the Arctic tundra above Alaska....

And my favorite pair of oystercatchers with [center] one big baby left to fuss over....see how he is still a bit brown not bright black?

Enjoy your weekend! Quilt pix next week, I need some opinions...so come back soon...

love

          lizzy


gone to the beach....

Thrifting with a Dash of Thunder

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Hi! Despite the hot humid weather I made it to the farmers market! Even got a parking space. The farmers were frantically packing up [man, they are fast!] because a storm cloud loomed on the horizon. I could have told them the storm, if it came at all, would take hours...no wind, not even a hint of breeze to move that dark spot 30 miles away. And most of the recent storms have passed us by; the very warm water/humid air dissipates the energy of the storm somehow.

I grabbed a few early veggies from the last most intrepid guys..and now, 2 1/2 hours later, a bit of sprinkles and some lightning has arrived. I'll tell you more about what's for dinner in another post.

It goes without saying, I think, that it is much too hot and busy for the flea market these days.[speaking of markets!] So I've really been enjoying the thrift shop I discovered last winter.

My best friend "B" was here the other day and since she is not a beach person, we decided to go thrifting. The air conditioned shops are much cooler than a flea market, or of course, the hot sandy beach.

Here's some recent ''finds'':

sweetest little English milk jug, c.1910?

Set of tiny repro crocks, for candles next fall and winter....

The $1.00 set came with this pretty third Mexican pot, below, so sweet! I didn't have the heart to discard it. Maybe it can get an herb plant and be a hostess gift? Such pretty slip decoration/ color...

Nicely sized, wide mouth jar for pickles! These are very expensive these days, if you buy them new....

I'll give it a boil and trip through the dishwasher to be sure it is clean. I just ordered funky new pickling concotions! here Can't wait til they come and the Kirby pickles are harvested....

And I bought shirts...sigh. I know I said they are not cost-effective fabric sources!

But how could I resist! Look at these plaids, the blues, turquoise!

Won't they be perfect with the French florals? Or for the Mr. Sunshine quilt which calls for lots of bright plaids....

These are for the primitive Porch quilt! I need the red and green for one of the borders. What better than a recycled Ralph Lauren Polo shirt? You know the fabric is nice quality. I do need more though, two yards! And the neutral will be the background for the kitty block. It's a gorgeous linen, more complex than it seems in the pix. I almost want it for myself...

Then THIS. You should have seen "B"'s face, ''eeeew''...she was too polite to voice her objections, lol. Yes, it's a rather ghastly long vest made in India, made up of hundreds of small silk yo-yos. Um...

You have to use your imaginations now! Just picture the rosettes on a small velvet heart, for Christmas/ winter?

But mostly I knew they'd make wonderful single accents, especially on my white lacy lavender hearts. See how pretty? Though I didn't have a white heart, you get the idea, right? I love it! Maybe I'll even post a section on etsy, in "supplies'' or vintage because I don't think I can use all of them! (Waste not, want not...? Recycle/upcycle?)

Pretty good, huh?

And my friend even got a beautiful dress for work...gorgeous blue summer shift!

W ended our day with a delicious dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant, then home for sunset on my deck and peach sun tea, iced of course, and homemade lemon bars. Yum!

The little squall has passed...perhaps it brought cooler air? And I am off to the beach for my swim and my walk.....see ya soon!

love

lizzy

...gone to the beach