September Quilt Finishes

 

"Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves.

We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves." 

Humbert Wolfe

We're having a clear storm today, hot and sunny. The ocean is sparkling like sequins. By mid-afternoon the winds should reach 50 mph or more. 

Oddly despite annual hurricanes I don't really associate  Fall with wind storms, but all week I've been trying to clean up the pervasive sand that coated everything last week during that unexpected wind event. Scary! My heavy wooden Flag blew away.

I finished two quilts this past September: one small---fast and fun; one fun but long term. I love them both. This is my project round up, for my personal record, so forgive if a bit repetitious or overly photo heavy, please.

First Starry Eyed Jack, a pattern by Jan Patek. He is so cute and happy! Approx. 18" x 18".

I mean[t] him to hang on my entry door,  but so far he is in the bedroom; he makes me smile each morning when I wake up. 

I used rather loud, exuberant prints. Jack wanted to be a pink and orange warty pumpkin! And while the borders could have been sedately high contrast, since this was a just for fun for me project, I went ahead and used goofy Halloween prints, plus some traditionals for color. No rules in Happy Jack Land, right?

I did part machine quilting and part hand quilting.

The pumpkin body is  a bit puffy after washing. Not sure if I should go back and quilt it more or leave well enough alone?

I added wool circles to the corner stones. I love the antique gameboard effect. 

Appliques were needle turn or raw edge, using black quilting thread. I like the accent of the black thread.

For the backing I used  this funny text print. 

Normally I do not use death images on my quilts, but since this is a wall hanger not a sleep under quilt, I went ahead and used this print. [I had ordered the print online thinking it was ravens and crows for my Blackbird quilt; I should look more closely. I like it anyway, no need to be rigid about  images for Halloween, especially.]

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And a final finish on Year in the Country, a vintage pattern by Sarah Sporrer, sent to me from South Africa by blog friend Penny. It dates from the late 1990s, a time when I didn't quilt or buy patterns, but was always a fan of S Sporrer. This quilt was a joy to make and now finished, it gives me so much happiness to see it, temporarily hanging on my  living room wall unit.

Yes, as usual for me, it is awfully bright!  

Maybe someday , a hundred years from now, a collector will enjoy seeing all the different sashing prints, each set of four chosen to represent the the month of the central block. No attempt made to coordinate month to month.

I love when an embellished quilt is all done and the creatures have their eyes and faces, and little treasures added. They really come to life.

hollyhock centers, a beady eye for the Rooster, 

plus a plastic pig I found on the beach as I was making this block.

a winter moon button for the Crow.

The backing is a brilliant yellow Provencal-ish? print I found on FB Marketplace.

My quilter, Lori C, did a wonderful job, using a spaced Star pattern. We always discuss and choose each quilt pattern together, but it is always a surprise, to see how her work finishes the project and gives it dimension and life.

The binding is all saved scraps of binding leftover from other quilts. You know I'm not a scrap quilt person but for some reason I have always carefully hoarded these cutaways for years, wrapped around or folded into Smuckers jelly jars with blue gingham lids.[omg! clutter!]

The final quilt is about 40" x 52". I reduced the pattern to 75% of the original size. I wish I had a place to display it. The bright colors and extremely prim, almost cutesy, images do not work in my cottage. Can it just hang on the jelly cupboard? Or Corner cupboard?

Or can I toss it over the sofa for a few weeks?

As I was mulling this over, I was thinking that if it was done in much more muted tones, brown, grey, blue, entirely, it would be very primitive and actually useful in my home. You can tell how much I loved making this quilt, because here I am two years later, considering making another version. Very uplifting, in our currently nightmare filled world.

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Mo is hiding today. He knows it is too windy to sit out to sew Baby Pineapples' binding---but maybe? 

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

instead of all beach pics, today I will sign off with blog readers' darling kitties.

From Kelley. [Kel].

And from Penny:

I think Mo needs a little friend!

Checking In

October

Hi on a Friday! Yes, I am just stopping by to say hello and Welcome, October. Do you have people that you now check in with on a regular, even daily basis? Elderly parents, a friend who lives alone, adult children who have flown the now empty nest?  I have a couple friends I check in with---literally. I text the phrase checking in, they respond variously with good morning or an emoji; I respond with a smiley face or a heart. No conversation, no time used, but this way we all know everyone is alive and well each day. 

My brother did this with my mom after my dad died; she lived unhappily alone, devastated with unrelenting grief. He had to call her, she didn't use a computer or her cell phone. Both were angry that I didn't take responsibility for the daily calls, but my health too was precarious, hospital stays, ICU for weeks. I could at that time provide no daily continuity, though I called every week and wrote letters.  I wish I had done more and now, by setting up our check ins during this plague year maybe I redeem myself just a little?

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Out and about: friend L and went to the health food/ gourmet organic market the other day. I was very much in need of the supplements I buy there. Liquid vitamins, as I cannot tolerate pill vitamins. The store is always interesting, though on Thursday was oddly crowded beyond its usual.

The flowers are always outstanding, if unaffordable.

Fall tulips!

Calla lilies

Cut orchids, huge bunches.

Autumn hyacinths.

Delicate freesias.

No pumpkins but, inspired by QB's blog and emails, I did get locally grown apples and gorgeous winter squash: Butternut, Fiesta [Carnival?] and Delicata. I made the Delicata right away. 

Very simply roasted in rings, sprinkled with olive oil, salt and pepper, pinch of cinnamon. I added a handful of apple slices near the end.

Also sunflower seed bread. ;White or light flour loaf with seeds] Delish. I plan to try it as a dutch oven artisans' loaf this winter. And I bought a small wedge of the most unusual and delicious aged Gouda cheese that the store was recommending to go with apples. It is very tasty and complex, nuanced; more interesting than plain Gouda, almost like a cheddar. Not a pretty cheese---a waxy sepia yellow tan. But worth the 9.00 for a treat.

Prices are beyond outrageous  at this store: beef was 24.99 a pound! Mums were 10.oo each. And so on. And not a warm friendly shop. The bored-to-tears young male cashiers watched, yawning behind their masks as I wrestled my ten pound squashes into my reusable bag. Everywhere else here now went back to plastic and the cashiers help bag. I understand not using plastic, but they are sterile and safe in this coronavirus world. [We return  to reusable bags October 19th; the law about plastic was lifted temporarily because of Covid-19 fears.]

We also stopped by the new Dollar Store that replaced Pier One in town. We have never had Dollar Stores here; interesting to check it out and see if those Dollar Store crafts are possibilities or just You Tube fantasies that fill our idle hours late at night.

 Alas we were premature, the store hasn't opened yet.

Later:

The first of two October Moons was spookily shrouded in wispy clouds last night. It is supposedly the Harvest Moon and the Halloween moon is now this year's Hunter's Moon. But I know better, if only in my own mind. This was the blue Moon, Oct 31 is the Harvest Moon! Because everyone knows the Hunters' Moon is in November. Really.

It's cooler here and pleasant; perhaps we wlll have Fall, as Mel always wishes from Kansas. No trees much on my island, just scrub pines and bayberry---no changing leaves there, and in town some sycamores that do not change color, they just shrivel and die. Oh I do miss the bright red maples and dark red cherry and oak trees of my youngest years in Ohio. Much as I love the beach.

Mo is busy making blanky nests; he must be feeling winter is coming!

I got out all my pumpkins and cheddar quilts today. Ha! The house is a mess and I just was informed guests will be coming unexpectedly. I made a BIG point of saying visits must be outside on the deck and well spaced.

We must maintain our safety measures. The virus is here still and very real.

Now: Dinner tonight is hand crafted/ store-bought cheese ravioli and roasted tomato and garlic topping. Too chunky to be called a sauce; more like sun dried tomatoes. And, yes, more squash.

Have a good weekend!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

The oystercartchers left today. All last week the families were flying over the beach, practicing for their long journey south. Safe travels my little friends!