Slow but steady

When I get a chance, I keep working on the black and orange sampler I started in the fall of 2024.  I ran out of background fabric when I was working on the first border, but it arrived yesterday so I hope to get that on today.

I bought the fabric some time in 2024 (or maybe 2023?), so I didn't think my LQS would still have it.  Etsy seemed a good possibility, and I was lucky enough to find some more.  As usual with most Etsy orders, it arrived promptly.

While I was waiting for it to arrive, I finished piecing the next borders so that I can get those on also, if not today, then tomorrow.  I will use more of the orange polka dotted fabric for the back and then take it to Marie to quilt when I get a chance.   It will be nice to have it out of the way.

I have a few more projects languishing in the sewing room, including a small flannel pink and brown rail fence quilt.  I have already cut the pieces into logs for the quilt that I'll give to Bags of Love eventually.  And, of course, there's always Dear Jane to work on.  I have four more rows to make before finishing the center.

This winter I hope not to be tempted by anything new except maybe Karen Abrahamovich's Holland quilt in blue and white.  It's been on my to-do list for at least two years, and it should use some of my huge stash of blues.  I have a few ideas for a medallion quilt with this as the center.  We'll see how they play out.

A fun day

We had a very busy Saturday, starting with grocery shopping and then going to the library to turn on all the lights.  Later in the morning, we met some dear friends, both also retired librarians who live in the Burlington area, at our library to see the Light Up the Library display.  Bob loves Christmas and enjoyed bidding on various goodies in the display.  We all went out to lunch and caught up on goings on.  It's always fun to get together with them.  

Later in the afternoon day, some other local friends, Bill and Diane, invited us to go to an art gallery opening of an acquaintance.   Cara Armstrong is a professor of architecture whose recent sabbatical on neuroscience and architecture resulted in a series of digital paintings.  She draws on in iPad and pops paint into the spaces using a program.  These paintings were all about 4' x 5' and very interesting.  At one time she quilted her drawings but now uses digital art.  Here are a few of her works, with my favorite first.

I can see this as a quilt, with the very detailed drawing of the farm painstakingly done.

Can you see the quilt making inflluence in these two?

The last painting reminds me of Montpelier with its mountainous neighborhoods.

We had a great time at the show and enjoyed Cara's talk very much.   Afterwards, Bill and Diane wanted to go to a local diner for a bite to eat.  I just had a glass of wine because I was still full from lunch.  We stayed at the diner until closing time, talking about all sorts of things.  

Snow day = sew day!

I woke up far too early today and, after doing a little bit around the house, decided it was too snowy to go to my regular check up.  When I called the doctor's office, the receptionist didn't seem surprised I wanted to cancel and rescheduled me for January right away.

I went upstairs and got to work on the Orange Polka Dot quilt.  It's made of guild blocks of the month and some instructions the guild received from Kristin Laura Designs.  The block which I put on the bottom right was demonstrated at our last guild meeting.  It's larger than 12" finished, but I wanted to try making it anyway.  

It has aspects of Dresden Plate and is just as easy.  The ones shown at guild were in Christmas colors which I always like.  But I needed one block to add to the 15 I had made between Sept., 2024, and now.  I appliqued a cornerstone where one might have gone if it had been 12" like the other blocks.

Of course, I need a little more of that speckled black background to finish putting the top together.  I think it will be a good "stop border" and then I'll add at least one more border.  That should get it up to 60" x 60".   Of course, I bought the speckled fabric at least a year and a half ago, so I doubt my local shop will have it.  I turned to my old friend Etsy and soon found another yard and a half which should be enough.

Here's a "rough draft" of the top without borders.

-7

The photo doesn't show the orange in the polka dots very well.  But they are there.  And I have about 6-7 more yards.  I'll use some in the back, but I really would like to find another nice project for that fabric.  

Whirlwind days

I spent most of last week at the library setting up Light Up the Library.  I noticed that almost everyone coming in has the sniffles and heard that COVID is going around.  This calls for an additional dose of "Airborn" each day.  So far, so good.  The busyness continues this week with some great programs to entice folks to buy raffle tickets.

Saturday, Melissa from Thunder Road Speedway put up a tree with a host of swag from "The Nation's Site of Excitement" (really only Central Vermont's site, but they like it).  I was pleased that Melissa took a picture to add to her social media as a way to promote the Friends of the Library program.  There are 15 gift card copies pinned to the tree so we will raffle off the tree and also draw 14 more winners two weeks from today.

Other trees include a pink one with flamingos and disco balls, The Nightmare Before Christmas, figure skating, hand painted ornaments by the artists' guild, and more.  Then there are the gifts and gift certificates - something for everyone.

This afternoon Donna "Thunder" and her band will play for the grand opening, and Wed. another local musician will entertain us on the piano with a holiday sing-along.  The weekend is taken up with three performances of my friend Alan's version of A Christmas Carol.  He never turns any volunteer away, so now there are 47 people of all ages involved.  

Hoping for driveable weather all week!  We are at the point in the year when we wake up to a little bit of snow every morning,  But there is a storm predicted for late Tuesday, but I hope that, in true Vermont fashion, the roads will be clear by mid-morning.

Thankful-ness

 Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate this holiday!  I am thankful for my family, especially Paul and Chris, and that my 103 year old Mom is still doing well and my sister Jenny takes such good care of her.  I'm also thankful to live in the beautiful, caring state of Vermont where people share and look out for each other.  It is a refuge from the meanspirited world we currently live in.  

Last year, my brother said Barre is a lot like Mayberry, that little southern town of the Andy Griffith show.  I wasn't offended as it is homey and sweet here a lot of the time - that's why I live here.  I've spent my days this week at the library helping to put up a huge holiday display on all three floors.  

In between greeting and helping donors, I've sat reading near the entrance.   I watched library users come by, including a large number of unhoused people, mostly young men.  They are respectful and quiet.  I can see the library is their refuge not only from the cold but also from their harsh reality.  I hope they have some place to go today and tomorrow when the library is closed.  I am thankful not to have their lives and that I can make the holidays a little brighter for so many people of different circumstances.   (The photo shows some of the Friends of the Library in 1984)

Small projects

The Friends of the Library's annual Light Up the Library display/raffle gets underway today with donors delivering items all week.  I enjoy meeting the donors and helping them set up, but of course it means hanging around the library all day.  I look forward to Thursday and Friday this week when the library is closed so I can get a few things done at home.

Last week I finished off the last of 21 mug rugs and started making some ornaments to give as gifts.

The ornaments are very similar to the coasters I made a few years ago - folded pieces crisscross in the middle.  This time, I used squares folded into triangles and then turned the edges Cathedral Windows-style.  The pattern came from Beth Ann Williams and can be enlarged to serve as mug rugs or potholders.  I have quite a bit of blue wintry fabric so decided to use that for these which will go to various friends and relatives.  I have four more waiting for quilting.

The last mug rug is for Paul's sister Pat.  A few years ago, she gave me a huge bag of her late husband's ties.  I made her an apron out of some of the best, and, while I was cutting them up, I removed all the tags.  I set some aside and then came across the tags the other day.  I know she'll enjoy that I've appliqued them to a Christmas mug rug.  Sewing them down, I was reminded of Jay and how dapper and fun he always was.

Yesterday I wrapped presents and put together some packages of Christmas gifts.  I'll mail the one to the Netherlands when I get a chance this week.  I noticed the USPS wants more specificity about contents on its customs forms but still gives a tiny amount of room for writing.    Once that's on the way, I'll get the others in the mail, too.  I realized that I have slowly but surely finished Christmas shopping.  Thank goodness!  Now I'll be able to spend most of my time between holidays sewing.

Table runner ready for sale

Last night we could hear sleet on the windows but the roads sound passable this morning, thank goodness.  We always wake up iin winter wondering what the driving will be like, but now that we are retired, we don't have to be anywhere most days, thank goodness.  When I lived in Syracuse, many years ago, I woke up with a stomachache thinking about my morning commute through traffic, but, somehow, after I moved to Vermont, that gradually diminished.  We don't get as much snow here and, if we have a big snow, it's usually much drier and fluffier.   The state keeps the roads in pretty good shape to attract tourists to ski areas.

This morning I have a few housekeeping things to take care of, but later I'll head down to the florist to switch out my Halloween table runners for Christmas ones.  I finished the French braid runner (sorry, forgot to take a photo) so I have two to deliver.  They packed away the patchwork Christmas stockings from last year so I'll check to see if they will put them out again.

Yesterday was raw and gloomy, so I put together the raffle blocks I won at the state guild meeting on Saturday.  I received 14 blocks and two "spares" in baggies.  The spares were from Liz who didn't have time to make the rail fence blocks but put the pieces in baggies.  I put those blocks together quite quickly, and the top went together fast, too, although two were too small (12" rather than 12.5") so I had to trim and fudge a bit.  

Snowflakes is now in the closet waiting its turn for quilting and, maybe, a border.  I don't think I'll give it to Bags of Love as it's a bit more glitzy than my usual donations.  It would make a nice winter tablecloth at 48" x 48".  Colors don't look good in this photo as it was too gloomy.  The lights are white, and most of the fabrics feature snowflakes.

Then I got out a little red and cream scrappy sampler quilt to sandwich and quilt with my walking foot.  I will continue that today and hope to finish the quilting.