Happy Mail

 

Good evening, friends! Recently the mailman has brought me lovely unexpected presents from far far away. A slightly crumpled envelope arriving on an unprecedentedly frigid November day is such a treat, so heartwarming. Quilters and blog friends are so generous and so kind. I am so touched.

From Penny all the way from South Africa!--an assortment of treasures small and smaller.

I became friends with Penny through my blog, with our common interests in antiques, quilting, gardening, and food/wine. I had no idea she is such a fabulous knitter.  

Aren't these mittens just the best. I love open fingers  for access to keys, doggy treats, phone. These are the softest sweet yarn, slightly more pinky lavender than in photo. Rowan yarn. Note the perfect tiny cables.

Plus thrifted Liberty lawn fabric! I had just used up almost all of the pansy print from Lori /HQ, so this was a special treat. [not similar, just that they are my much loved pansies]; the wonderful ashes of roses color similar to the mitts.

Other bit and bobs and treasures,like pencils in a fave fabric pattern, and of all things, a much needed drawing eraser.A charming fan for those hot days when the power fails, an issue P and I both experience more often we'd like.

Darling tags, to encourage me to keep doing my tiny paintings, or to at least try?And all these wonderful vintage patterns. I do love them all. The patriotic traditionals are so inspiring.

I may have to look for more of these for the quilt shown. The ship and the eagle/ date; center w flags especially appeal to me. Oooh and a Pineapple. The needle turn applique would keep me busy for many summers on the deck.

I fell in love with this pattern immediately.

I was all set to start cutting when for once I looked at the size and it's big, a full sized quilt. But so beautiful, so Lizzy.  I set it aside while i think about how/ if I can reduce the size.

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Then , when I admired a thrift shop find of a vintage Cheri Payne pattern booklet,  FB friend Rosemary immediately messaged me that she had two copies and would share one with me. Yes, yes, yes.

So many cute Cheri ideas, 

love the kitty.

And this angel!

I am liking the idea of a small Christmas Log Cabin quilt this year [my home alone project during hols], like a candle mat.  Inspsired by this pattern in the book--maybe w Kitty?   

---and this postcard quilt, December 2023 from TQC.

And last, my dear brother sent me a big box of pink Christmas ornaments!

I  said I want to fill my big wooden bowl w pink ornaments!

And also need some to repair the wreath he made me years ago now. Sadly due to much love and use and storage  few of the original balls have cracked. Now I can replace them.  Also in the box were these gorgeous pink kugels! I love them! Put them out right away in my bittersweet bowl.

You can see how inspiring how exciting, it is to receive gifts and ideas from friends. I do hope the return mail, the thank you mail, pleases as much. What fun we have.

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I  finally fixed my printer, so catching up on two scribble journal pages. [I color on a printout, not on the original bec printer ink is more stable]

 November is noticeably less colorful than the summer pages were. I wonder what I will find in the dead of winter? May be drawing rocks and shells.

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The zinnias keep on, bravely flourishing. We had [bogus] frost warnings Monday so I brought the rest inside.

Here is Mo, come to see what mommy is doing and where his ice cream is! Too cold for ice cream is not in his mindset, it will take me months to train him out of looking for ice cream at 3 PM, sigh.

And the nasty pods from the ugly locust trees planted in public areas. The pods wrap around Mo's ankles and scare him.

Have a good weekend? Did you get your turkey, bake your pies yet?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Beautiful November

 

Mid November ~

An offering

On a November night

the Jupiter moon

hides

Waiting behind the moonlit clouds

                                 @mariawalker art

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November has always been one of my favorite times of the year, sunny autumn days and starry black-velvet nights.

You couldn't ask for a nicer fall day than the day we enjoyed today.

If you look closely lower-right side, below, you can see a bench high on the dunes. Today a man and his big chocolate Lab sat there for hours enjoying the view. I am determined to go out with my pocket knitting [scrubby yarn dishcloths] to sit there too. Perhaps a thermos of hot tea and a cooky if it's chilly.

I know I'm repeating myself but Mo and I are loving the bright [if short] afternoons.

This little sparrow and his wife visit every afternoon too, picking up crumbs from Mo's jerky sticks, sipping from his water bowl.

I wish I dared feed them. Last time I fed the sparrows and they got too tame, one flew inside, you may recall. I rescued him and put him outside finally, but I fear he was injured and doubt that he survived. So now I don't shoo them away but I don't encourage them either. The two are so sweet in their humdrum brown sparrow sort of way.

Today I drew in the scribble journal and sewed a few lines of quilting on Giraffe.

All my thimbles keep falling off, why is that? Suddenly too big. I have always used a size 8. Any hints to get them to stick on.

Scribble journal is "in work''. Usually I print the finished drawing for coloring, since the printer ink is more stable than whatever pens I used that were on my desk. But the printer is on the fritz and it is very hard to replace the inks, yawn. So I stopped here.

Today's drawing was the purple Mason jar with dried brown crepe myrtle berries. I dislike crepe myrtle shrubs, the flowers are ugly and messy, but I do enjoy the berry twigs. 

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I needed a mindless task after my IV infusion the other day, so I added the black inner borders to Pineapple Welcome/ Gather. I don't recall its exact name anymore, must decide.

The hearts that were to fill the big empty spaces at the P'Apple's sides worked---will work---perfectly to instead cover the unmatched vines. I think they give the design a nice punctuation, a finishing touch that does not look make-do.

If the empty spaces bother me I'll add a few wool ''cherries'' and leaf sprigs. Or the date? Initials?

Before I can sew the hearts I have to decide on the final 4" border. I had all along planned to use the duck egg blue interspersed w Flying Geese or Sawtooths.

I decided that was not needed, but then the blue looked a bit drab to me. The sides kind of fade away to oblivion? I auditioned the pumpkin insead. Trite but punchy!

I asked opinions on IG but only dear Kit gave me an answer, and I think I do agree! Pumpkin it is.

What do you think? Tell me soon.

This is the space the finished quilt/banner is intended for. I'd remove the star for Thanksgiving week or so. The final result is far larger than I had imagined, so it won't fit on a door as a welcome flag..

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On Friday night the dregs of H Nicole may bring some gale winds but no real storm, I hope. I am tempted to fill a crock with these brave and beautiful little blooms before they are shredded by the wind.   And what about the cannas? If I leave them will they regrow like my lilies? Should I dig them out and replant, is that even worth the effort? Must go Google, I guess.

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This evening I was excited to see Mr Mockingbird with a mate---or so I thought. It is his special spot after all. But on close inspection of the enlarged photos I see it is starlings instead. Poor little lonely man. We see him often, he is now so elderly and white.

Mo says Hi and why is his walkies so late? Or early? We remain confused, lol.

Have a great weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

from a friend, his beach to the west of mine....