And All Through the House.....

 

 

It's raining hard, on this first day of winter.
But it's warm---my lonely mockingbird, who rules the locust tree outside my window here, has been vigorously bathing in the deep puddles. He is gloriously pearly gray, with black and bright white trim. He preens and fluffs and hopes for a lady bird to join him.
And he now sits glaring in the holly tree. He is waiting for me to deliver his daily dose of dried wild blueberries. He is spoiled!

Inside the house it's bright and cozy. At the store I found hot chocolate and Peeps Stars [marshmallows].We're ready for Santa! How about you guys?

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas, happy holidays to everyone!

 

love

 

lizzy

 

gone to the beach......

 

 

 

please click any photo for large pix/ slide show.

 

Mockingbird photo is from the web.

 

Summer Day, Summer Day....

 

Hello, my friends! Yes, today seems like a summer day. At almost 60* and no wind, after recent frigid temps and ice storms and early snow---well today is just about perfect.

Let's put on our beach clothes and go to the beach! C'mon! (Oh okay, you can wear your hoodie. And shoes, sigh.)

 

 

What's this? On the fence? A random bauble...

Look at the baby blue summer sky!

And the softly lapping waves.

The serene sand and dunes and grasses....

A wonderful huge V of sea ducks, maybe scoters? [pls enlarge]




A hint of the true date of December, the wintry grasses and tiny birds' tracks. They love the seeds here.

 

 

 

 

The fog rolled in as I headed home...just as if it was July.

On this first day of winter, a gift of this ''summer'' day.

And, tomorrow: the final flea. I am so excited, I hope it is busy and I find many traeasures. Wish me luck!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Lost Again

 

 

Have you ever won an auction on eBay? I never have, I don't think ever, not once. Even though I've been selling on eBay for years, when I admittedly rarely bid, I do not ever win. So sad! I loved this crib quilt top, above. Last night I got up off and on all night, keeping an eye on the bids, raising my maximum. But then...mid-morning. Zap. "We are sorry but you did not win" came up. No "you're outbid, please raise your bid'', nothing. Yes I should have made my maximum more....Yet how high were the other bidders willing to go!?

I was stingy and stupid. And now I am very very sad.

I kept the photos [sorry, no permission] because now I am thinking I could use it as an inspiration piece.

I could make my own version!

I wish I could see exactly what the ivory fabric is. Is it muslin with a lot of age spots or is it a cream-colored sprig calico? 

And notice the unusual ombre stripe there at the sides. I'll never find that, I 'll have to sub a more usual stripe.

I might make the center part a bit prettier. The eBay blurb said the motif is pieced not appliqued? I''ll have to explore that idea, probably do applique, though.

And maybe sub double pink calico for the unknown tan.
The picture below gives an idea of how the center can be gently modified....

I loved all the little prim, folky details, like how this small calico stripe was used only as inner corners. [upper right corner]

The piece measures 37" square. I can 'guesstimate' the proportions to make a pattern. The very cool basket corners are a traditional design. I think the sizes will be 9/18/9, so 9" cheddar Baskets made with 3" half-square triangles. Right? uh...

 

It is labelled a ''crib quilt". Not what any young mom I know would want nowadays but a fun challenge for me?
Here is another small quilt on my someday list! At one time I had the magazine pattern and all the fabrics---much dispersed by now---but I still am hopeful. Who needs a pattern, anyway? (oh it looks so complicated now that I am seeing it again. Yeesh.)  This was to be a hope chest quilt for a someday grandbaby, before I realised that quilts like this would not fit into modern style. (my borders were/are NOT going to be pea green either.)

Sigh. If only eBay posted the names of the winners! I could....maybe....email that person and offer to buy her treasure? The treasure that should have been mine!

So how about it? What if anything did you guys ever win [not ''Buy it Now''] on darned eBay?

love

lizzy

who can't go to the beach because of the ongoing ice storm!

                                                             July


a rare event for me: all photos except final beach picture were taken from the web/ public domain. Will be removed on request, if asked.