UFO Review

I keep a running list of UFOs because I tend to work on more than one project at a time.  My friend Polly works on one quilt at a time and is happy with that.  She's a Chemist and her quilts are perfect - all points visible and matching, all quilting lines straight as an arrow.  I like variety, so I work on deadlines or on whims.   There are currently 17 items of all sizes on my UFO list.  One is a knitting project, two need only binding to finish, and the rest are quilting projects, one of which is missing (Hawaiian applique) and one is so long-standing that I forget when I started it (1980?).

That's not to say that I don't finish a lot each year, though.  This year I completed quite a few projects, including knitting a pair of socks and several hats for the Bags of Love project for kids in foster care.  In addition, I made two quilts using the Jane Austen at Home fabrics, one of which I gave to my mom and the other to the homeless shelter.  I also made 12 mug rugs which I gave to each library staff member for Christmas.

I finished the long-standing Pineapple throw (took 2 years, working on a few every month), the Arboretum (given to Preservation Burlington), and

  - Two baby quilts - for Daley Hoffman and for Pat's greatgrandchild

  - a turquoise house mini

  - Moon over Mt. Fuji (hand quilted and given to Pat)

  - On the Patio (small quilt that won an honorable mention at my LQS)

  - the Blue and White Hankie Quilt

  - Cakes on Stands swap quilt (sent to folks on Maui)

  - Rainbow Log Cabin throw

Then there were the Rows Parade and Guild BOM tops which have been quilted by Marie and are now waiting for bindings.  For my guild has a UFO challenge this year, I brought in my Manx quilt blocks to show for that.  I think I need only one more block to make the planned table runner.

The project that I was most happy with in 2023 was the hanging of my Green Mountain Sunrise in the Woodridge Nursing Home dining hall which I technically finished in 2022.  It's hanging over the door to their lovely patio which was renovated and rededicated this summer.  It's based on Bonnie Hunter's Purple Mountains Majesty pattern.

Are quilters more able to face failure?

Today I read a blog by author Jenn McKinlay whose topic was the importance of failure.   How will we know we've succeeded if we don't fail once in a while?

Seems to me that quilters run up against failure all the time - most of us are intimate with our seam rippers but keep at it anyway.  I have a closet full of orphan blocks to prove this - blocks too small, colors too clash-y, etc.  Yet I have not lost my enthusiasm for quilting over the last 50 years.   At show and tell and online, quilters often begin by apologizing ("it's not perfect, but...").  Every quilt has its ups and downs but generally offers a learning experience, too.

Yesterday I started working on a fabric covering for a brick salvaged from our local art center after this summer's flood.  Artists were invited to take a brick and create a piece to be raffled off.  The deadline is January 16, so I've got to get busy.   I'd been thinking about what to do and rejected several ideas as being too time-consuming (small hexies) or too difficult (appliqueing a streetscape).  I'm now weaving selvages with interesting sayings like "not suitable for children's sleepwear" onto muslin to cover the somewhat dirty brick.  I'll cut some spaces between the strips to allow the brick to show.  Watch this space...

Short row knitting

I spent yesterday morning making real progress on the collage but being hunched over was tough on my back.   We took a walk in the morning which helped get the "kinks" out, but I'll give the collage a rest today.   I hope yoga later this morning will help, and I'll work on either something else in the quilting room or knit some more on my wave scarf.  The latter is looking good!

I haven't memorized the pattern yet but hope this will come in time.  Right now I'm holding the pattern on my lap while knitting.  It is going faster, though, as I develop a rhythm.  Using #7 needles helps.

I want to turn my attention to making some placemats for Pauline.   She was hoping for something in dark greens, burgundies, and blues, so I bought some fat quarters and a jelly roll in the Winter Flurries line by Holly Taylor.    It's way more than I need for the project, but I can use the excess in other projects, too.  

I have a lot of Waverly fabric in the same colors for the backs.  It's really upholstery fabric, but I think it will soften when washed.  I used it to make a few shopping bags to give as gifts and still have a couple of yards.   In addition to this project, I have two quilts to bind and two more to machine quilt.    The collage will require quilting when finished, too, so I don't think I'll be at a loss for projects this winter!

Hope you had a fun holiday

 Well, it's back to "life" here in Vermont with another very foggy morning leading to another gray day.  No snow on the ground to reflect a little light back.  We have put the compost bucket out for pick up and in a minute I'll go down to get laundry out of the dryer from yesterday.  Exciting, isn't it?!?

We had a very nice Christmas day.  Low key as always.  Chris came for brunch, and I made his favorite - bacon - to go along with fruit and waffles made from cinnamon buns in a can.  They were incredibly easy and quick.  I had bought two cans but only used one, so I'll make them again soon.  We didn't have the frosting on top but, in typical Vermont fashion, used maple syrup instead.  Delish!  I have to admit that I prefer whole grain waffles, but these are nice for a change.

We spent much of the day talking on the phone to family, including a little texting back and forth with Paul's sister Pat in Florida.  The rest of the day, I cleaned up, read and knitted.  I'm working on a Wave Scarf made with short rows.  This is something new for me and ends up in a really interesting pattern.  

I'm using three different colors of alpaca yarn - dark purple, lighter purple, and brown - so I'll have to switch somewhere in the process.  It is working up fairly quickly on #7 needles, but I do have to refer back to the pattern as I go, with a lot of counting.  I'll share a photo somewhere along the way.  It will be a nice change from the baby hats and mittens I've been working on.

Merry Christmas!

 

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday!  

Blocks of the month

 

Here are the sixteen blocks I won at guild this week.  I can't remember the name of the block - ribbon star?  Another quilter who couldn't come to the meeting is mailing me two more, so if I make 2 more (eventually!), I'll have 20 blocks to sash (red or green?) and quilt for a nice throw.  

One person attached a note saying that she was sorry but she forgot to wash her red fabric, but I will give try hand washing it in the sink.   I imagine some of the reds will run, so the first time I wash them all as a quilt, I'll use color catchers.

Interestingly enough, I promised my friend Pauline that I'd make her some placemats after the holidays, and the colors are burgundy, dark green, and medium blue, so very similar to these blocks.  I have a nice Waverly print to use on the back.  But first I'll be concentrating on the holidays AND the collage quilt!

Settling into the season

We put our Christmas "tree" up Sunday and then set the packages that had come in under it.  Our stockings are hanging at the mantel, and cards have also been arriving.  It's really feeling like Christmas now at our house.   I even did a little baking over the weekend and hope to do some more in the next few days.  I want to put together some tins of cookies for neighbors and friends.  The rain on Tuesday wiped out most of our snow, but we never worry about not having a White Christmas.  It invariably happens!

Yesterday I took a little time to work on my collage quilt and finished the tree tops - a major part of the whole wall hanging.  Now I'm working on the houses a little at a time.  I'd love to finish this week, but there's just too much else to do.  

Yesterday afternoon I attended a "Stay Steady" class at the Senior Center and found I am currently considered at low risk for falling.  What a relief!   They gave us tips to continue steadiness, many of which I already do.

Then I went to quilt guild at a new, better (brighter, good parking) location and had a great time.  I sat with two friends and met two new members.  I won all the blocks of the month, the door prize, and a prize when we played a few rounds of LCR (Left-Center-Right).  It was my lucky night!

I counted up all my UFOs and realized I have 16 to work on in 2024.  This far exceeds my usual count, so I have a lot to keep me busy this winter.  I'll move some along when we go to Alabama in February and on the usual snow days.  On the Quilting Board this morning, someone asked what folks' new years resolutions are, and I guess mine must be to whittle down my UFO list to a more manageable size before finally starting on a purple Exploding Heart quilt.

Green tea and sweet beans

 

These are all the blocks I've made so far for this Jen Kingwell designed quilt.  (What a name!  I keep forgetting it.)  I have a ways to go but am enjoying it quite a bit.   I am using the same background, a cream with a small brownish print, and scraps of cotton and wool.  

As is typical with Kingwell, we make a lot of blocks, then some filler pieces, and then put the quilt together in sections that mix up all the blocks.  There are appliqued borders, too, and we'll have to wait and see if I have the energy to make those.  The wool makes the applique a bit easier, and I love how it feels.

Yesterday's snowstorm wasn't as bad as it might have been.  This was the third Monday in a row we've had wet, sloppy snow.  We had about 4", but because the temperatures hovered around freezing, the roads didn't look too bad.  Luckily, we didn't lose power so I was able to make a nice lunch - bacon, eggs, and raisin toast.  

We did lose the cable which provides internet, TV, and phone.   Paul had a Zoom meeting that he couldn't dial into, but he could use my cell phone to participate.  My preventing diabetes Zoom class was cancelled, but it all came back on in time to watch the TV news.

Because of the possibility of losing power, I didn't do much that required it like laundry, sewing, or baking.  But that meant I had a chance to finish the latest Marie Bostwick book, Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly, which I really enjoyed despite the unfortunate title.  It is set in Asheville, NC, and has some quilting in it.  I will have to go look at Bostwick's website, though, because there is a recipe for Caramel Cake, which the characters talk about all the time.

The bests of 2023

This morning's New York Times newsletter mentioned all the "best" lists that have been coming out, so I thought I might list a few of my own...

Best book read - Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby van Pelt.  A cleaning lady befriends a giant octopus at an aquarium.  Yes!  A very interesting group of characters.  Lots of fun, and a great book to gift to family this year.

Best movie, either in person or on TV - I know that Oppenheimer is the most high quality movie I saw this year, but I really liked All the Light We Cannot See.  It was a wonderful adaptation of the book I loved a few years ago.  I also enjoyed The Holdovers for a feel-good experience.

Best new recipe - hands down, the Facebook Bread Machine group's "Antique White" continues as my favorite loaf and roll recipe.   It never fails me.   I looked for easy recipes this year, and my sister in law Linda's fruit tart became another favorite I can make again and again.

Best quilting project finished - Arboretum was a lot of fun to make and swap blocks for.  It just seemed to go together so quickly and easily.  I was glad to give it to Preservation Burlington for a fund raiser.

Best outing - we went on a few long trips as well as day trips, but I think I enjoyed going to Staunton, VA, and Asheville, NC, last March the best.   That trip included visiting the Virginia Quilt Museum with its thrilling Jinny Beyer retrospective, attending two plays at the American Shakespeare Center, and getting together with cousins I hadn't seen in 50 years.  Along the way, there were other fun experiences, making for a very full vacation.

Best thing I did - turn over the treasury of the Barre Town Democrats to a young man who actually seems to know what he's doing.  I'm so glad to have a little more free time and hope to continue to make more time for myself in 2024.

Back to sewing

Today I'll be working on some Drunkard's Path blocks for my Green Tea and Sweet Beans quilt, a Jen Kingwell pattern.  It's slow going but will eventually get done.   I bought several yards of a beige-ish print for the background and am using scraps for the pieced blocks and some wool for the applique.  

I don't know if I'll make the same appliqued border.  We'll have to wait and see.   Amy Stewart, an author I enjoy, says she's a very "imprecise" person who likes to paint outside the lines and do her own thing.  When I read that, I realized I am a pretty imprecise quilter, too.  I start a pattern but then diverge somewhere along the line.

This week I also made the guild block of the month (one for the lottery and one for myself), a few gift bags, three tote bags, and some disappearing four patch blocks for a demo I'm doing in January.   After  last week, when I was lighting up the library, I am happy to be back dabbling in my sewing room and in the kitchen.  

This morning I tried a new recipe for easy Christmas treats - M&M Pretzel Kisses. 

Yum!  You can't eat just one and they go pretty fast, so I'm going to have to make another batch.  This will require another bag of Hershey's kisses, but that's OK.  I know some guys who will love them.  I used red and green M&Ms today, of course.  Over the weekend I hope to make some shortbread, too, and put it in the freezer.  It's fun to be getting into the holiday baking routine.

Lighting Up the Library

The Friends of the Library's second big fund raiser (besides the book sales) each year has become Light Up the Library, with donations of trees, wreaths and other decorations from local businesses, clubs, and individuals.   This photo shows one of the two first floor reading rooms last year.  That's an inflatable snowman peeking out behind a tree.  I find them tacky, but the kids love them.

It looks a little different this year because we are able to spread out a bit more.  Last year, a friend put on a play of A Christmas Carol in the other side of the reading room and stored props there.  This year, the play is going to be at the Congregational Church across the street.

The library has been my home away from home this week as I've been taking in all of the items which will be raffled off in two weeks.  The fun of the whole project for me is meeting and greeting all the donors who are excited to be setting up their trees and other items in the library.  

This morning, I'm expecting two young women from a developers' office with their little tree.  Several people have mentioned what a challenge it is to drive with a fully decorated Christmas tree.  It's amazing that most things arrive intact on the trees!

Yesterday we managed to find a good spot in the children's room for a toboggan with goodies and gift certificates.  Today I also hope to set up a tree with tools donated by the local hardware store.  Then I'll run to the dollar store for paper goods for tomorrow's open house to start the season.  All this activity really does get me in the mood to do a few holiday things around the house, but on the other hand, I'd just like to take a nap today after all this activity.

Gift quilts

I have so many quilts and only two beds.  We use quilts in the living room, too, while watching TV or reading.  I rotate the one on the beds frequently.  Yesterday, when our power was out for 7 hours after a sloppy wet snow storm, we both hunkered down under our quilts to read.  

Whenever I can, I like to share my quilts with others in need.  This year I sent quilts to various charities and individuals such as fire victims on Maui, the local homeless shelter (Jane Austen at Home and the Bonnie Hunter mystery at left), my cousin undergoing chemo, and children moving to foster care.

Recently, a high school friend began living in a senior care facility.  He's been a good friend to me all my life, offering free legal and other encouragement over the years.  I am sure George and his wife Susie must have made this decision with difficulty.  We are all getting older and face tough decisions.  I went thought my stash of quilts and thought Bonnie Hunter's Dancing Nine Patch would be just the thing to make his space more homey.  While I tend to gravitate toward making floral quilts, seeing this picture tells me I need to create a few more that appeal to men.  

Post turkey day

We had a nice Thanksgiving - just Paul, Chris and me, as we like it.  The Macy's parade was on TV twice, and we caught a bit of the dog show.  I talked with my mom and one brother, too, which is always nice.  Last weekend we went to Paul's niece Amy's for the traditional meal which was very nice.  There were six of us and 9 dogs!  I had made rolls, and Amy made most of the food.  When we had the B&B and Paul's mom was alive, we had quite a few people at our house for Thanksgiving, and Amy made the turkey even then.  But I like the lowkey way we celebrate these days, too.  

Our menu included turkey breast cooked in the crockpot, mashed potatoes (grown by Chris), peas, pumpkin bread, and apple crisp for dessert.  I thought I had a jar of gravy in the cupboard, but when I looked at the sell-by date - 2015 - I decided to pass!  The guys don't like gravy much anyway.  Today's lunch will include turkey sandwiches with cranberry mayo - yum!  And tonight?  Well, I may make a little turkey tetrazzini which I love.  

No Black Friday shopping for me today.  I will try to get packages ready to mail - how to wrap a teddy bear is my challenge - and then settle in with a little sewing.  I may begin with a little gift bag for that teddy.  Then I'd like to get a few miscellaneous blocks, including the guild BOM, made before turning my attention back to the collage quilt.  It takes up the whole guest bed in my sewing room so is a constant nag.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

When I was a little girl, my dad always bought me candles for holidays.  For Thanksgiving there were Pilgrims and for Christmas there were angels.  I loved them, but I didn't like lighting them because the faces were always burned away first.  That seemed mean to me.   A few years ago, I saw some at a card shop in the mall and nostalgia made me buy them.   I get them out every year, and I definitely don't light them.   They still make the holiday a little happier for me.  May yours be fun, and may you leave room for dessert!  

Fun with technology

Monday was a day when it seemed everything was "off," literally.  I arrived for an 8:45 dental appointment only to find the office closed.  It seems they are now closed on Mondays, but they forgot to reschedule me when they changed hours.  They had a cancellation for next week, though, and I'm rescheduled for then.  

I returned home to find Paul on the phone with the cable company.  Last week he called them to reduce the number of channels we get.  We never watch about 95% of the channels anyway, but the cable is bundled with our internet and phone.  They sent a new modem and router which should allow us to use our Roku to access TV from now on.  OK...  We aren't fans of DIY technology upgrades, but Paul valiantly took a stab at it, almost immediately encountering problems with the online installation directions.  He had to call a service person and was told to disconnect and reconnect.  Nothing, including the phone, worked.  

Thank goodness we had a cell phone and, after a long session, managed to get everything up and running again.  Then we had to make our devices - laptop, Kindles, Alexa, iPad, cell phone - all recognize the new network.  It was worse than changing the clocks.  All this to reduce the number of TV channels we subscribe to!  Our phone worked for a while and then didn't work anymore.  At about 9 pm it rang once and then we had a dial tone.  Did some fairy godmother at Spectrum check on our connectivity?  We'll never know.   We're just glad that's over - at least until the next "upgrade."

Meanwhile, my cellphone was busy most of the afternoon as Friends of the Library called with one question or another about our Light Up the Library project.  Everyone is busy soliciting donations of holiday trees, wreaths, and other decorations which will be shown and then, after two weeks, raffle off.  In the middle of all of this busy-ness, I managed to applique three Dear Jane blocks.  What a soothing, relaxing activity hand applique is!

Reviewing what I've been reading

My friend Pauline, also a retired librarian, enjoys edgy Scandinavian mysteries, both in books and on TV.  She often recommends books to me, but I rarely do to her since I seem to be reading a lot of cozy mysteries these days.  I had lunch with my friend Sonia, also a retired librarian, a few weeks ago and knew that my recent reading wouldn't suit her either even though her all-time favorite author is the same as mine:  Georgette Heyer.  Sonia has recommended few books which I reserved as e-books at the library.  They are definitely cozier-sounding than Pauline's suggestions which can be pretty dark.  

So far, I've 46 books this year, and of those I've read nearly 20 books that feature Aunt Bessie. The author, Diana Xarissa Dunn, has made a book available free on Kindle every two weeks in 2023, and, because they are titled alphabetically, I am up to "T" now.  I enjoy these books because they are set on the Isle of Man, in in the Irish Sea off the coast of England, and Aunt Bessie is a feisty older lady whose common sense and island connections helps the cops solve their cases.  I got interested in this island when I learned about Manx quilts and started working on one.

For a change of pace, right now I'm reading the latest No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency book, which I wouldn't really call mysteries since people rarely die in them.   And one of the books Sonia recommended is queued up on my Kindle so I'll have to read that next.  It's due in two weeks.  

I know I'll go back to seeing what's up with Aunt Bessie soon.   I do hope there's a Christmas one coming, too, because I'm in the mood for that kind of book lately - only two weeks to Thanksgiving!

My old friend, Dear Jane

This week I'm happy to be back working on Dear Jane, starting with block #D-1.  I was pleased to find that I have made 36 blocks so far this year.  Of course, there are 108 left to make!  And then there is the triangle border, although at this point, I doubt if I'll make them.   

I really enjoy the challenge of making my own pattern for each block.  Sometimes that's frustrating, but other times, it works well.  There are a couple of websites with foundation piecing directions for individual blocks, but some of them just haven't worked out well for me.  

I'm learning to fuse the little bits rather than struggle with applique, with varying results.   I did hand applique block D-9 today with all the lights on in the living room.  It was pretty gloomy outside because it started snowing about 6:30 am and looked really pretty.  After it started warming up, it stayed gloomy and the roads got pretty slushy.   Winter's here!

Tonight, I'm going to try making a broccoli quiche with a potato crust.  Chris came over last week with a large box of potatoes that he'd grown.   I'm busy looking for recipes and hope they keep indoors OK.  The garage is too cold, and the house too warm except in the kitchen.   Potato soup or corn chowder may be next.

Precious Ramotswe

I think I have read all 24 of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books, and I just started #25.  There is something so comforting about checking in with Precious and the gang when outside it's Stick Season and gloomy.  While the stories are simple and the writing so repetitious that I want to scream sometimes, I do like her wit and wisdom.  

Yesterday I cut out more flowers for the collage quilt and found I need even more.  I'm awfully glad Marie suggested putting some light blues behind the flowers to fill in gaps, too.  Today I'll move The Beast from the ironing board so I can do a little more fusing.  I may sew a little with my machine.  I haven't touched Dear Jane since June.

I know the collage is going to take quite a while to finish, but I really need variety in my quilting.  I'm not the kind of person to work on one project at a time.  I'm looking forward to my hand sewing group meeting Saturday - miss the fun chats we have.

The yard has been winterized.   The grill and hoses have been put away, and my bird feeder posts are ready whenever the bears finally go to sleep.  A big, noisy project is about to happen behind our house, courtesy of the power company which will be cutting down a long line of white pines that is beginning to die.  Our HOA will be replanting in the spring after the area is cleared.   Meanwhile, our backyards will be more exposed to traffic and passers-by.

A day off

Life has been so busy lately, that it's been a while since I last blogged.  I've been involved with the Friends of the Library annual meeting, the state quilt guild's fall meeting, and getting ready for the Genealogy Fair this coming Saturday.   Paul's brother Jim was here from Alabama all of last week, so we did some sightseeing and got together with family members twice.  Yesterday was, finally, a day "off" for me, and I enjoyed it immensely.

The morning started with fusing and cutting some more items for the collage quilt.  I have a lot of floral fabrics to cut for the treetops and am so glad to have those new padded Karen K. Buckley scissors.  I have some of the pieces scattered over my piece, but it will be a while before I am sure where everything will go.  Today I'll drive over to A Quilter's Garden to pick up the scissors I left behind after class.  We were all borrowing items from each other during class, and I couldn't find them when I was packing up.  They are quite sharp, so I was glad when Marie let me know I'd left them behind.  While I'm there, I may end up with a teensy bit more floral fabric, too.

Yesterday morning also found me finishing up the details for posters about the Friends' Light Up the Library project and its accompanying A Christmas Carol play.  They have been sent to the library for artwork and copying.  I wanted to get things out early as the staff is busy training the new director who I had lunch with Monday.  She seems very enthusiastic about our various projects.

After lunch, I made a big batch of oatmeal cookies for Saturday's genealogy fair.  They're to fuel the energy of the volunteers who'll be tabling (yes, that seems to be a verb these days).  We'll have tables for people to find out more about searching for ancestors from various countries and ethnicities, as well as learning how to use online resources.  I'll be introducing our special speakers and filling in at various tables for breaks and lunches.

In the late afternoon, while the furnace man was busy cleaning and getting us ready for winter, I finally found time to read the latest mystery, Home at Night by Paula Munier, a Vermont author who features Mercy, a veteran of the Afghanistan conflice and her dog Elvis.  This one takes place around Halloween so is just right for now.

Collage class

I took a day-long class in Laura Heine collage Saturday.  It was fun but intense.  Six people came, and our instructor, Marie, spent the day running between us, guiding us in making the collages of our choice.  One young woman had never made a quilt before, while others were seasoned quilters.  We all had different patterns, too, and plans for our pieces.  

Most of my time was spent filling in the background of this massive (38" x 50") quilt, Birch Street.  This is the pattern so you can see that much of the background gets partially covered by other things.  There's a lot of layering that goes on in these quilts.

Some people used a solid fabric for their backgrounds which seemed more difficult to me as the center motif had to be cut away to reduce bulk.  I made a scrappy background of black on white prints and managed to get one tree trunk down before leaving at around 2:30 pm.  My feet and back were tired from bending over the table most of the day.

I haven't used a lot of "Steam a Seam" before, so that was an adventure.  I think (hope!) that building the houses and trees will be fun going forward.  I watched other people in the class cutting out lots of flowers for their central motifs.  Kathy had a cat; Jen had water lilies.  I'll be curious to see how theirs turn out.  In some ways, I wish I'd chosen a mini for the first project as my quilt could take a year to complete!  It's always fun to learn something new and different.

Hopping around

I think most quilters hop around between different quilting (and other) projects, and I am no exception!  I have a long list of UFOs on the "slow go," as one friend put it.  Yesterday I finished up a knitted hat and scarf to give to kids going into foster care.  I'll deliver them along with a few more hats and a quilt on Thursday.

I also worked on my Jen Kingwell Sweet Tea and Green Beans quilt that I started this summer.  I love a mix of applique and piecing, but this pattern is meant for hand piecing which I rarely do.  I'm sewing mine on the machine when I can and hope to do more wool applique.   This will probably take me most of the next year to finish, but I do love working on Kingwell's unusual samplers.

I love the outer border with its vine and whimsical flowers.  It will be a while before I get there, though.  My quilt will be scrappy, but I am using a neutral background - cream with a brownish small print.  I think I have enough of it to get through the whole pattern, but to be on the safe side, I'll cut the outer border soon and set it aside (with a note to remind me about what it is).

Robin and I are doing a demo on "green wrapping" at the state quilt guild meeting in a few weeks, so I also made a couple of little goodie bags for Christmas.  I used a Halloween pattern from last month's BH&G American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  Today I'll make a quick Japanese knot bag which is partly cut out and maybe start knitting a baby hat with peach leftover yarn.

Getting things done

Good morning!  It's another gloomy day here in Central Vermont, with rain in the forecast, too.  We would all like to see the sun sometime, just to make sure it still works!  Yesterday was quite chilly, but the Friends of the Library's booth at the town Fall Festival went well.  We had a lot of young families stop by for giveaway books.   It was fun being right in front of the skate park which was teeming with kids.

That's Jo, one of the Friends, looking cold.  I had on my fleece jacket covered by my quilted winter jacket and gloves.   We were both happy when our two hour shift was over.  Our booth was right next to the Lions Club booth which was quite busy, too, with kids trying their hands at "corn hole" and picking up prizes.  

Today I'm trying to get things done.  I finished copy editing my friend Alan's book and sent it back to him.  It took me 11 hours over a week, reading it twice, and finding a lot I'd missed on the second pass.  I hope it is what he was hoping for.

I have some laundry going and an Indo-Dutch beef stew ("hache" my Otie called it) bubbling on the stove.   I'll most likely serve it with potatoes and peas.   An apple tart is cooling.  So I am feeling very accomplished this morning!  I'm heading to the quilting room as soon as I fold the clothes from the dryer.  I had an inspiration for Margaret's quilt in the guild Round Robin.  And if I have time, I'll put the last borders on Rows Parade.  Most likely, I'll collapse after lunch and do a little reading.  Have a fun Sunday!

A little of this and that

 Much of my time has been on the computer over the last week or so.  I've been working on publicity for the Nov. 4 genealogy fair as well as a mailing for the Friends of the Library's annual Light Up the Library program.  We solicit contributions from local businesses and groups to decorate the library with trees, wreaths, and other things during the holidays.  This year it's tricky because all of our downtown business owners suffered some sort of flood damage, with at their businesses or at their homes.  So we're trying to be sensitive in our solicitations.  It's a major fundraiser/raffle for the Friends. 

Last week, I read a couple of mysteries as "palate cleansers" in between copy editing a friend's new novella.  He usually writes creepy stuff, but this is a straight whodunit, which was a relief for me.  It has taken me seven hours to go through on a first pass, and I will now read it through from start to finish again to make sure I didn't miss anything.  By the time I finish Paul's books, I have usually looked at them at least three times and still we find typos in the final work.  So I want Alan's to be in fairly good shape when I turn it back over to him.  This is the first time I've edited anyone else's work besides Paul's, so it took me a while to get comfortable with Alan's writing style.

Today I hope to get the last borders onto Rows Parade.  One of the nine 73" rows is at left, unassembled.  With sashing and borders, it's grown to queen size very rapidly, and that makes it difficult to handle.  I hope to take it to the quilt shop tomorrow to choose a back for it and to give it to Marie to quilt.  Although I received ten yards of unbleached muslin from Paul's sister, I will save it for smaller quilt backs as it's 60" wide.

A gallery visit

 

On Saturday, we braved some heavy rain to drive about 1.5 hours south to tiny Reading, Vermont, to visit the Hall Art Foundation's exhibit of smaller Andy Warhol pieces.  Through the rain, it was difficult to see any foliage, but when things let up a bit, I was able to take a photo of part of the sculpture walk area.  Maybe next time we go, it will be dry enough to enjoy!

The gallery consists of two renovated lovely old farm houses, one of them stone, across the road from each other, and two barns.  The massive walls in the barn we visited (featuring Sherry Rothenberg) were perfect for larger paintings.  We saw quite a few of Warhol's smaller works, including the famous Campbell's Soup painting which was quite interesting.

We also stopped to look at part of a 39 minute video of Warhol eating a hamburger meal from Burger King.  He looked a little uncomfortable as if he'd never eaten a fast food lunch before.  He had a big ketchup bottle rather than little packets so it was all staged.  How many bags of food did he use to make that film?

Speaking of lunch, the restaurants were packed with leaf peepers from all over, including Vermont but mostly elsewhere.  The parking lot at our favorite Harpoon Brewery was impossible so we drove into Windsor to try their diner.  Good food, but rude service - an embarrassing visitors' introduction to our sweet little state.  A sharp contrast to lunch at the Hardwick diner which we visited last week.

Today I hope to put the final border on the Rows Parade quilt.  It's now queen sized!  If it's sunny out, I'll try to do a little yard clean up before going to quilt guild tonight.  My bags are packed for that, including a round robin bag - yet another UFO but always fun to work on.

Busy times

Our roads are full of tour buses and cars from out of state - sure signs of fall.  Saturday, I drove down to the quintessential Vermont town - Woodstock - and was impressed by all the people wandering the streets, standing on the covered bridge downtown, and ducking into all the cute shops.  I was coordinating a meeting about barn quilts with my friend Sharon who is our state expert on all things barn quilt.   25 people gathered at the public library, a Richardsonian building that has been renovated inside for high tech service as well as coziness.   

The ride back and forth revealed pops of color among the trees, but much of our foliage seems a bit muted this year due to the heavy rain we've had all summer.  We are having a bit of a heat wave for fall right now with temperatures in the 70s and lovely blue skies.  I have been doing a bit of yard work - not too much as I have plenty of other stuff to do.

I finished the neutral baby quilt over the weekend and popped it in the mail yesterday along with a comfort quilt for a cousin who's going to be having chemo.  I wish we lived closer so that I could be of some help.  We just reconnected after 50 years, but I remember being giggly girls together when we had to sleep in the same bed on visits to her home in Hershey, PA.  Their family lived on Chocolate Avenue, and sitting at the picnic table in the backyard, the aroma was wonderful.

Today I baked a loaf of bread and, while it was rising, started sashing the queen-sized quilt that I've been working on as a row of the month called "Rows Parade."  Each row needs to be about 73" long, so it's taking a little longer to put the whole thing together.   I have to add a little here and taking a tuck there on some of the rows.

I made most rows in colors chosen by the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, although some rows have a mix of colors.  The sashing and inner border are a "quilters linen" in beige, but I have no idea what to use for the outer border.  Hope I get inspired soon - I have lots of possibilities in my stash.

Jammin'

The Friends of the Library book sale took up most of my time since Thursday, but thankfully it's all over.  We did fine, and Heritage Days, which had been postponed due to the July floods, went very well.  People seemed happy to be together again, temporarily not worrying about sludge and stuff.  There were plenty of food vendors downtown although Al's French Fries were noticeably absent.  My neighbor's daughter sold us some great oatmeal butterscotch cookies on Friday night, so I ordered more that she delivered Saturday.  We are sorry they are gone now!  I'm not sure if she'll be at the Farmer's Market this afternoon, but if she is, we'll be shopping there.

The last few days have been filled with catching up on errands.  I also took Pauline to lunch for her birthday, had a pedicure, emptied flower boxes and pots.   I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce and plan a pot of chili today.  Temperatures are cooler in the morning these days although by mid-day it's warm enough to go without a jacket outside.  The morning fog has been quite thick, a clear indication of the seasons' changing.

I also made some raspberry peach jam from frozen fruit.  The last two batches of jam I've made have turned out runny, so I was glad to see this all jelled nicely.  I have enough fruit in the freezer to make another batch, so I just might do that soon.

Today I'm hoping to sandwich a baby quilt - another "neutral" one (ugh!).  This one's for Paul's sister to give to someone in Utah.  It won't take long as I'm planning to quilt a simple grid.

Another neutral quilt

I'm not sure what's going on in the world, but I was asked to make another neutral baby quilt.  With all the colors in the world, it seems a shame to surround a baby in neutrals.  Nonetheless, when Paul's sister sent me a suggestion, I realized that, rather than doing a custom job, I had a small top in the closet waiting to be quilted.  I quickly took a picture of the top and she loved it.  

Our Joann Fabrics is closed due to the flood, so she's going to look for some flannel for the back and mail it to me.  When it comes, I'll quilt it in a simple grid and send it to her in Florida.

This little quilt was made completely of "strings."  Foundation pieced strings were surrounded  by scrappy log cabin blocks.  I bought no new fabric for this top, always a plus!  

A little hand work

Over the last few weeks, including our all-too-brief vacation in Colorado, I did a little hand sewing and no machine sewing.  I even packed up my old Viking 100 and sent it with my brother down to my niece Evelyn.  That leaves me with just my Elna machine which is OK.   I am happy doing hand work when/if the machine needs service.

I made a few Manx blocks and started a new Jen Kingwell quilt.  Both of these projects will be on the "slow go" over the next few months, but it's really nice to begin something new.  

I love Jen Kingwell's patterns and have had Green Tea and Sweet Beans for a while.  It has both pieced and appliqued blocks, and I have several yards of a nice off white print for the background.  I decided to use mostly wool for the appliqued blocks which are scattered throughout the quilt.  It is a whimsical design that was Kingwell's first block of the month.   

The quilt finishes at about 71" x 74", but I'm not sure how big I'll end up making mine.  I am not doing the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this year so that I can finish up a few other projects.  I'm not even sure I'll do Abby's block of the month again because I still have blocks to make for that queen-sized project.

The Manx blocks are very portable, and these were worked on at my mom's house, both at the dining room table and the one on the back porch.  It was fun to watch the birds and look at all Mom's flowers, well-tended by my sister Jenny.  I am using traditional colors for this quilt - red centers, with white prints and blues.  I have so many blue scraps that it's difficult to put the lid on the bin at this point.

I made four blocks on our trip and had one already made before going.  But one does not fit with the others since I started with light blocks rather than dark.  It will be a potholder!  

These four would make a cute table topper, but I'm going to aim for nine 8" blocks for a 24" square.  I need to get some pointers about putting the blocks together from my friend Soni who demo'd the technique at guild meetings.

It's a new guild year, so there will be new blocks of the month to make also.  The background color has changed to off-white, and the September block will be "No Name" from quilterscache.com in fall colors.  I try to make at least one block each month out of scraps to enter into the lottery, so I'll get busy with that today.  In that guild, I'm also in a round robin group and have an orphan Christmas Dresden plate block to start my quilt with.  That's all ready to pass along at the October meeting.

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

We've been in Colorado for a week, visiting Mom and my sister Jenny.  Mid-way through our visit, my Wisconsin brother Axel arrived.   We squeezed into the car one day (with two walkers) to go to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden.  Thank goodness it is only about 15 minutes away.  There were three quilters featured, including Lea McComas who I've seen on Quilting Arts TV.  She does some incredible thread painting.

Another quilter on exhibit was Sharon Schlotzhauer whose applique and 3-D quilts were also amazing.  I was very impressed with her use of pieced prairie points in the curvy lines of this quilt.  

Many of her quilts included beads and other shiny things, along with hand applique.

The sheer simplicity of this quilt really inspired me to try something similar very soon.

All in all, it was a peaceful trip with lots of family time.  Mom is 101 and still pretty sharp although she is a little less mobile than when I saw her last year.  We sat on the back porch, chatted, and watched the birds and gardens a lot.  I handsewed some Manx quilt blocks which are turning out pretty nice.

Now that we are home, it's time to get back in the swing of busy-ness, with lots of fall events coming up.

Cleaning up

My brother R and his wife L are coming for an overnight on Sunday, so I need to clean up my sewing room.  They are easy guests, but I still like to make things tidy.  I had asked my niece E if she wanted my Viking Classico 100 machine, and yesterday I packed it and its various auxiliary parts up to send home with R & L.   She had asked me a year or so ago what to look for in a machine but hadn't gotten around to buying one (she's in graduate school).  

I think something basic like the all-metal-parts Viking will be a good starter.  And it drives me crazy when I need to use it as I have gotten very spoiled with the automatic cutter, the needle up/down, and all the features of a computerized machine.  I still think about getting a Singer Featherweight for travel, but I also think about a new computerized model that does a better job at free-motion quilting.   Decisions, decisions!  Not to be made swiftly!

Meanwhile, I also put away all sorts of stuff - a pile of backing fabrics, orphan blocks, Christmas gifts I've bought or made, etc.  I can actually see the top of the guest bed now!  

I took six orphan blocks and made two small insulated table runners.  I need to do a fall change over of my stock at the florist shop anyway, so today or tomorrow I'll take them and 3 regular-sized table runners there and bring home any summer stuff that's still there.

With everything picked up, I'm at a loss for what to tackle now.  In the closet, there are five quilt tops waiting to be quilted.  Most of those are destined for Bags of Love (for foster kids) along with some knitted hats and a scarf (in progress).

Today may be the day I start an appliqued block for Jen Kingwell's Green Tea and Sweet Beans.  Stay tuned!

Summer's end

It's always a bittersweet time of year, isn't it, the end of summer.  Time for school to start again, sweaters at the ready, and leaves beginning to turn color and fall.  Here in Vermont, RVs head south and tour busses galore roam the state.  Road construction seems to speed up, and pumpkins and mums appear on doorsteps.  

My impatiens, which bloomed profusely this year due to all the rain look a bit out of control and spent.  I'll be taking the window boxes and planters in for the winter soon.  Will there be time to plant some more bulbs?

This summer was odd due to the flood and its continuing clean up.  Roads are being fixed and a second Green Up Day has already been held.  We are looking forward to delayed Heritage Days at the end of September, and there are several more big events to look forward to.  What are the highlights of this summer?

- my little On the Patio quilt won an honorable mention at the Gypsy Moth Quilt Shop.  I sold a quilt (Hunter's Star) and finished at least five others, including a little house medallion mini (above).  I have just a few lines to quilt on a white-on-white piece that I've been working on (and mostly off!) for 20 years.

- quilters around Vermont mourned the end of the Vermont Quilt Festival and wondered if it can be resuscitated.

- we attended a few plays:  The Addams Family musical, Popcorn Falls, and Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson:  Apt. 2B, all at different venues.  We made plans for a few more fall activities with our friends Pauline and Bob.

- I celebrated my 75th birthday with an open house for neighbors and friends, along with dinner with my two dearest men.

- we grilled between frequent rains on a new-to-us grill we got at a yard sale, and I tried to master a new artisanal bread recipe with mixed results so far

We are looking forward to our Colorado trip (here's Mom at age 98 - three years ago!) and, then, in mid-winter a return to Alabama for a few weeks.

Breezy with sun

The last couple of days have been what we always hope summer in Vermont could be all the time - temperatures in the low 70s, low humidity, breezy, sunny - in a word, perfect.  Nights have been cool, which a former TV weatherperson used to call "good sleeping weather."  I baked a loaf of bread yesterday and cookies today because I knew I wouldn't swelter (too much).

Yesterday I finished a small sampler top but didn't get a chance to take a picture.  I will when it's all quilted.  Right now there are three quilts waiting for quilting.  That will happen in late September, I hope.  We are heading for Colorado in a couple weeks, so I decided to put together some hand sewing to take along.

Last fall, my friend Soni did a demo on Manx quilting at a guild meeting, and I have been meaning to try it ever since.  Apparently, the ladies on the Isle of Man traditionally used their hands and fingers to measure the pieces for the coverlets they made.  The strips are torn (I cut mine) and folded, making a fairly heavy piece that doesn't have batting.   

I think this sort of block is also called a "folded log cabin," but I like "Manx" because I've been reading some cozy mysteries set on the island.  I enjoyed making this block while watching TV yesterday and started another one today.  It should be a fun thing to work on while sitting on the porch with Mom in a couple weeks.  I'm a little fuzzy about how to put the blocks together, but I can ask Soni when I see her at the October guild meeting.

Drizzly drive

Yesterday, Paul and I drove through a persistent drizzle to the southern part of the state, about 2.5 hours each way, to meet friends for lunch and go to a play.  We had an old banjo to take to a luthier along the way and did some driving over back (dirt) roads to get to his house/workshop.  We'll have to return sometime to pick the banjo up, but at least now we know the way.  Had to make a few turnarounds in strangers' driveways, unfortunately.

Dorset is an historic town that just oozes New England charm.  Too much charm for me, but it is nice to visit anyway.  The bakery was delicious and had both inside and outside seating.  I had a panini with brie, turkey and bacon while Paul had a curried chicken wrap.  Both came with the best home made potato chips ever.  After lunch, we gals went across the street to wander in a pottery shop while the guys headed up the street to the historical society (closed) and the library (open and having a book sale).

The Dorset Playhouse is just a block from the town Green and has a reputation for excellent theater with professional actors.   Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson - Apt. 2B turned out to be a fast-moving, comedic take off on the old Sherlock Holmes mysteries with women featured in the major roles.  While we've seen better plays, this was a nice way to while away a summer afternoon.

We'll need to return when the banjo is finished, and I hope we can visit Hildene, Robert Todd Lincoln's house and gardens, at that time.  After over 40 years of living in Vermont, this is one major site I have never visited.  It's located in Manchester, VT, the town just south of Dorset, and an even bigger tourist destination.   I like driving down in this part of the state.  It's very cozy between the mountains, even on a drizzly day (hence the lack of photos - sorry).

A couple more finishes

I managed to put the binding on and photograph two quilts yesterday.  Lest you think I'm really productive these days, quilts in progress hang around for months here, and then sometime in August I realize the year is flying by.  I get busy and finish things, and then I start a whole new batch in September or so.  I already have some in my "mind's eye."  And then there's the never ending Modern Dear Jane!

I made Rainbow Log Cabin (previously Floody Log Cabin) during the flood July 10-11 and its aftermath.   While our house wasn't affected, many others in the area were, and roads were washed away.  Our favorite pizza place decided to close up for good after being nearly crushed by the pandemic and then the flood.  The lake outside their building in the middle of town was unbelievable.  

Nervous energy helped me finish this quilt, made of "strings" for an overflowing basket.  Every day, I'd work with a different color. I quilted it last week, very simply going vertically and horizontally about 1/2" either side of the seam lines.  It's an airy quilting design but with the Australian fabric on the back, it's very soft.

Next, I turned my attention to the older UFO that I spent about a month quilting in two sections and then adding some hand quilting and embroidery.  I started the Hankie Quilt last winter and used vintage hankies, a set of curtains, an embroidered tablecloth, and a little shirt I think my mom made and mended when I was a baby.

I'm happy with the way this quilt turned out.  It will be staying with me since there are mementoes in it.  And there is a section I had to repair after catching the walking foot in it, and then putting my finger through the resulting hole.  It will be a cozy throw at the bottom of our guest bed.  Someday, if Chris ever marries and/or has kids (seems unlikely at this point!), I'll pass it along.

I'm sorry these photos are so blurry.  It was a day when the sun and clouds fought for attention.  I made a loaf of bread, took a walk, and read most of the day.  Today it's raining (what else is new?) so I'll be in my quilting room playing with fabric once again.  Life is good!

Honorable mention!

The small quilt I entered into the Gypsy Moth Quilt Shop's summer contest won an Honorable Mention this week!  Today I hope to go over and get a look at it and the other entries.  Like a few other quilters I know, I wasn't thrilled with the fabric we needed to use - the floral that I used for the flower's center and the aqua that I used for the flower pot.  So I'll be curious to see what others did with that pesky fabric.

Also on the schedule today are a trip to the bank, baking a cake for tomorrow's guild board meeting, and baking another loaf of bread using the "5 minutes a day" method.  (This takes a lot longer than 5 minutes - 40 min.. to shape and rise, 40 min. to bake, and 2 hours to cool before cutting.)  In between I do a little more quilting on the "Floody Cabin" quilt.

Taking a breather

The best laid plans go awry, don't they?  I've only sewn down 1/4 of the binding on the hankie quilt and set it aside Friday so I could put the binding on the cakes on stands quilt.  It's done!  There was a spot that didn't quilt right on the long arm that I had to fix with my Elna; I did that before sewing the binding on.  

It is ready now to give to "Bags of Love" along with three knitted hats.  I have more yarn for more hats, but I'm working on a scarf right now.  It's a TV watching project.

I wanted a break from big projects, so yesterday I got out the Lazy Girl "Lily" pattern and made a small purse - in just 5 hours!  It felt so good to accomplish something on the same day I started it.  I used some fabric from a big fat quarter bundle Mom and Jenny gave me for Christmas so all the parts coordinated.  

I'm thinking of making another one now that I am comfortable with this pattern which is quite detailed and written for someone who has never sewn garments before.  The pleats and darts were no big deal for me, having made clothes since age 12.  I made the necessary pattern pieces out of freezer paper so I can use them over again as I do more cutting.  I need more interfacing for another bag and would normally buy it at Joann Fabrics.  

Unfortunately, the shop was flooded along with others in the shopping center (and many other places) on July 10.  They are still mucking it out and rumor has it, they aren't reopening.  My alternatives are Walmart, the evil Hobby Lobby (anti-gay, Christian nationalist), Joann.com, or Amazon.com.   Paul had things to buy so we went to Walmart, and it wasn't too busy.

Today I hope to gather the fabric needed for bag #2 and maybe work on a nametag to wear at various guild meetings.  I saw a cute one that uses selvages, and I have lots of those.  Small projects are so gratifying!