Sewing hit or miss

I finished the center of my Wensleydale quilt on Thursday, but I needed to find a light blue for the first border before continuing.  Yesterday, before attending the Calico County guild meeting, I found just what I need, and today I'll proceed to work on the stop (a/k/a skinny) border and outer border.  I'll be glad to finish the top and move on to other projects.  I need to make or buy a back for Wensleydale and get some batting, but that can wait for a week or so.  We have a busy week ahead so my sewing will be hit or miss.

Tuesday I'm heading to Burlington for a trip to Trader Joe's for wine and for lunch with my friend Pauline who is recovering from hip surgery.  The wine will be for a getting-to-know-you gathering with a candidate for the town board on Thursday.  Today we'll walk around the neighborhood with invitations.

Wednesday and Thursday, I'll attend yoga classes, and Thursday morning I'll also go to the genealogy group meeting.  The candidate gathering is at 4 pm, giving me time that afternoon to move furniture and make up cheese and fruit trays.  I don't think our candidate has a chance of winning because she's up against a well-liked incumbent/business owner, but this run may set her up for a win in the future.  Our town board has a history of irrational negativity toward funding the library, and we Friends would like to change that.

Hit or miss sewing will involve making blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (pink log cabin and traffic stop), the local guild monthly raffle, the state guild raffle, and another 1989 state guild block.   I pieced the latter a few weeks ago, but as you can see, the points didn't fit well.  I don't remember if paper piecing was "invented" by 1989, but I'm going to try to make the next blocks that way.  I also have plastic "Peaky and Spike" templates that I can use on a third iteration.  We'll see how far I get this week!

Rainy days = sew days

 We are heading into a period of rain every day until the weekend.  That's fine with me - more time to sew!   There are a few things we could be doing outside, such as picking up sticks that have fallen from our white birch tree.  We'll do those when the sun comes out.  

Because bears have been sighted already, I did take one bird feeder and it's "shepherd's crook" down the other day.  I left two up in the backyard, but they are out of food.  I'll get them inside as soon as I can.  I usually wash the feeders in bleach when the season is over.   I also need to rake up any seeds that have dropped onto the ground because they also attract bears.

I only managed to make two Wensleydale blocks yesterday, but I did cut out all the fabrics I think I need for the rest.  As I lay them out to sew them together, I may want to change one or two.  I found that the papers I bought are just a bit too long to photocopy, but I can make them work if need be.  The blocks measure around 7 X 11".  But, of course, the papers include outside seam allowances all the way around.  A package of 60 papers should make a nice sized quilt, and I plan to make only 56 blocks.  I've made 40 so far, working diligently almost every day in March (except while we were away for two weeks).

Today we have yoga, and I'd like to stop by the Opera House this afternoon for tickets we've ordered for two shows.  The library book sale is this weekend, with set up tomorrow, and we have plenty of helpers this time, which is great.

Spring!

 

When I saw these at the grocery store yesterday, I just could not resist buying them.  Later in the morning, as I was sewing, a huge flock of cedar waxwings swooped into the flowering crabapple tree outside my window.  They gobbled the little fruits and then swooped away.  Still later, a flock of robins pecked around on the front yard.  I think they know that spring is near.  

In true April fashion, it's supposed to rain all week.  This is good as we need the rain AND, best of all, gives me an excuse to spend as much time as possible sewing.  I've got 36 Wensleydale blocks made - just 20 left to go!  I ordered some matching fabric for the border via etsy yesterday.  I've found etsy orders come quickly, so I'm hoping I'll be nearly ready for it when it arrives.

We went to the movies yesterday to see Project Hail Mary, and I highly recommend it.  It was fun, interesting and very touching.  Ryan Reynolds was perfect in it.  How nice it was to see the theater practically full.  The last few times we've gone to the movies, there were only a handful of other people there.

Illusive spring

I was working on another Wensleydale block yesterday and glanced, as I usually do, out the window behind my machine.  A flock of robins was hopping around the front yard!  What a great sight.  It gave me hope that spring is on the way.  It was a sunny day but chilly and windy.  Later in the day we had a brief snow shower, but my optimism about spring remains undaunted.   "The snow that takes away the snow" will inevitably give way.  My Dutch sister has been posting pictures of Keukenhof where everything is abloom.

It's one week before Easter, and my pink Christmas cactus is blooming.  Friday I drove over to the Lake Champlain Chocolate outlet and got some chocolate bunnies.  Their chocolate is delicious - almost as good as Dutch - and I like to give them away to family and friends.  This Saturday we'll be going to Burlington to see a play about Marie Curie with longtime friends Pauline and Bob.  Afterwards, we'll have dinner at our favorite Middle Eastern restaurant and spend the night.  We all have Easter things to do, so Paul and I will head home fairly early in the morning, and I'll leave them each a bunny.

My daily goal is to make five Wensleydale blocks a day, and I cut out a bunch more fabric yesterday to make it all easier.  Today we have some grocery shopping to do, and then I'll get right to it.  This afternoon we're hoping to get to the movies to see Project Hail Mary.  The theater always shows films with subtitles on Sunday afternoons.  I plan to make some chili for dinner before we leave.  So I'd better get on with my day.  Hope you have a good one!

Continuing on with Wensleydale

Before I left on vacation I cut a bunch more fabric for the Wensleydale blocks.  The pieces are all stacked on paper plates so I can pick them up in turn and mix the fabrics as I go.  I made five blocks in the last few days and took the papers out yesterday while watching TV.  There are now 21 blocks made.  I'll need at least 35 more, but I was running low on larger pieces of Christmas fabric.   Luckily, the fat quarter bundle I ordered before we left arrived, and I can cut those fabrics when I get a chance.

I don't usually work on one quilt at a time, but somehow Wensleydale is so satisfying to paper piece that I'm sticking with it for now.  The larger harp on my machine makes it fairly easy to maneuver the 6" x 11" papers; it would be more difficult with a conventional harp.  It's fun to see the variety of blocks as they develop.

Yesterday I took the teal tote bag I made a while ago down to Studio Place Arts, the local gallery, for their spring silent auction.  The director seemed thrilled with it (perhaps it's the only practical item in the auction so far?) and asked if I make them to sell.  Because it took me about half a day, I said it is a one-of-a-kind.  I confine my energy mostly to quilts anyway.

Then she asked if I was busy making spring clothes!  Ha!  I am lousy at garment sewing and haven't made anything to wear in many years.  Quilting is my jam!  I did tell her I bought some pink sneakers but haven't worn them yet as it still feels pretty wintry.  Anyway, I hope the tote will be a big hit for the gallery and bring someone joy.   A woman who "won" a little wallhanging of mine a year or so ago told me she loves seeing the little scrappy houses every day.

Beaufort, South Carolina

We arrived home from lovely Beaufort yesterday around 1 pm.   It's a three day drive either way, which we have decided is too long for us nowadays.  Next time we go south, we will probably fly and rent a car.  We did need a car in Beaufort - to go to the laundromat, to visit the other islands, and to go to the Kazoo Museum.  Other than that, we walked everywhere which was fine with us in such nice weather.  There was only one rainy day, and we even managed to get outside between showers then, too.

Our motel was downtown and just a block from restaurants, shops, and tour meeting points.  We took several tours, beginning with a golf cart history tour that took us by some amazing antebellum houses once owned by plantation owners, briefly run as Union hospitals in the Civil War, and then owned by other wealthy folks.  Their gardens were amazing.

Beaufort is a very nice city, perfect for tourists.  Our first morning walk brought us by Harriet Tubman's monument, and we learned about her time teaching freed blacks and organizing a raid on rice fields owned by Confederates.  On an excellent walking tour led by a ranger from the Reconstruction Era History center, we also learned about Robert Smalls, a former slave who captured a Confederate ship, and later served in the US Congress.  A major motion picture is being made of his life.  

The Pat Conroy Literary Center was high on our list of places to see, and we enjoyed our tour with a northern transplant.  A couple also on the tour were devoted Conroy fans and lent other information about one of our favorite authors.

As I mentioned, on a rainy day, we visited the Kazoobie Kazoo factory and museum for what turned out to be a fun tour.  Everyone got make their own kazoo in colors of their choosing.  Paul's is all black, but mine is purple and hot pink.  The kids on the tour really seemed to enjoy that part, but Paul and I enjoyed learning about and seeing all of the similar instruments that have been developed.

The Gullah-Geechee three hour tour on St. Helena Island was very good, too.  Our guide, who also works as a storyteller, talked to us some of the time in Gullah, a West African patois based on the native language ("Krio") of the people brought over to farm rice and indigo on the islands around Beaufort.  We visited the Brick Baptist Church where Martin Luther King, Jr., worked on his "I Have a Dream" speech, and e drove on back roads, including the one where they filmed the "run, Forrest, run" sequence in Forrest Gump.

There were lots of great restaurants to try, but the hearth-cooked lasagna at Plum's was to die for.  I did enjoy some crab cakes, but unfortunately Paul didn't get a po'boy.  Next vacation, maybe!  

Packing, cleaning, and more

This afternoon I'll be packing for our trip.  I have lots of stuff gathered or thought about and just have to fold them neatly to get into suitcases and tote bags.  I don't like to do it too early in the day in case I change my mind or take too much that I never use.  I'm not looking forward to three days' drive, but I do like to have our car with us.  When we're going for a while somewhere, I like to take food, coffee, things to do (knitting, reading, etc.), chargers, and guidebooks.  Paper towels and disinfecting wipes come in handy on the road.

This morning, I made my RSC blocks for the month.  The color for March is red and I have already made a bunch of red log cabin blocks.  I just had to make a couple of red Traffic Jam blocks.

I had to cut some more 2" and 3.5" squares of red this time.  I have a box of 2" squares that makes this the perfect block for the RSC most months.  I hope the next color will be purple or orange.  At the end of the year I'll make some brown/beige/black ones to fit here and there.

I put away all of the Wensleydale blocks just to keep them together.  I have more pieces cut for when we get home.  It's fairly easy once I get the rhythm of cutting and paper piecing.  I may even finish before summer if I keep at it.  I hope there are a few quilt shops on our trip as I need a small transfusion of holiday fabrics.  If not, I'll order some when I get home.

Chris and Marad are coming by this afternoon, no doubt to find out if we have any last minute requests for watching the house.  I hope they will fill our windshield washer fluid for me.  I need to clean the inside car windows, too, as well as the headlights and rear windshield.  As usual, we will be hoping for a little rain to wash the rest of the winter dirt away.  

Proceding with Wensleydale

 I've made ten Wensleydale blocks so far and pinned a second row over the previous blocks.  Today I cut out a few more, but I may just sit down a read for a while now.  I gave Paul a haircut and helped my neighbor use my Elna machine to fix a bathmat.  Then I made blueberry pancakes for lunch - yum!

Last night we watched the movie Train Dreams which was a somewhat sad but sweet film about a lumberjack in the west who lives through the world's "progress."   William H. Macy is up for an Oscar (best supporting actor) in it.   He's always one of our favorites.

Tomorrow I'll be doing one last load of laundry and then will start packing for our trip south.  We hope to leave early on Tuesday and make it to Wilkes-Barre, PA, by midafternoon.  With the advent of daylight savings time, it's again quite dark in the mornings, so we will definitely wait until the sun comes up.  At least the longer days will be nice for traveling.

Wensleydale

 Here are my first five blocks, made yesterday.

I thought the instructions I found were for conventional piecing but, after making one block, I realized they were all cut oversized so that they can be paper pieced for accuracy and less fabric waste.  I also soon realized that I need more Christmas-related fabric.  I have lots of smaller scraps, but not a lot of pieces that are 6.25" x 42", even by using fat quarters.  I'll look for fabric shops as we travel and see if I can't get a few more to add to the mix.  I will plan to make as many blocks as are in the pad of papers - 60 - so I have a long way to go.  I view this as a year-long project anyway, and there's no hurry to be done by Christmas.

As I cut the various pieces, I'm arranging them on paper plates left over from an old Bonnie Hunter mystery.   Paul was a little surprised to see them all laid out, but this is a good way to mix up the fabrics to achieve that scrappy look.  It's a big block, measuring about 8" x 11".  The larger harp on my machine makes the piecing a lot easier.

Today I'm off to the library for some aerobic walking followed by a pedicure with my friend Debb.  We always have a nice time catching up on the past month's activities.  I especially like to hear about her grandson's latest adventures.  He's smart and likes to read, making us both happy.

February's finishes

Besides the retro fabric "Bindy" bag and the snowflake rail fence quilt, I finished a strippy teal tote and a Triple Barn Star quilt.  I am on a roll!

I got the kit (marked batting, instructions, handle webbing) from Sentimental Stitches online.  I had lots of teal fabric and hadn't made anything with it in a long time.  I still have lots after cutting 2.5" strips for the tote.  It is so nice to finish a project in a day or two!

This Triple Barn Star was designed by Amy Gibson, and I think I downloaded the .pdf from the Missouri Star Quilt Co.  It was actually very easy to make, and once I cut the pieces (which were big), it took about a day to put it all together.  My friend Marie quilted it in a swirly pattern with light blue thread.   My blue box is still full to the point of not being able to close it, but it did use up some scraps.  I love the speckled background fabric.  I used a navy blue striped fabric (part polyester I think) for the binding.  I'll get a better picture the next time I take it to quilt guild show and tell.

Today I'm planning to start cutting and maybe piecing the Wensleydale quilt, a Jen Kingwell design.  I'm making it in Christmas fabrics and hope to be done by then!  I found a way to cut the pieces on You Tube through the Quilted Chicken, but I also have foundation papers in case that pieced way is too difficult.  There are other sites that offer suggestions, too.  This looks like it will be a project I pick up and put down throughout the year,

As it's March, I will most likely start on a batch of Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks, too, although this month's official choice is red.  I have some log cabin blocks already made, so I will most likely just make two Traffic Jam blocks in red.  This is fine since our trip south beginning next week will cut into my sewing time anyway.
 

A couple of projects

Most of this past week was spent preparing for the Friends of the Library's school vacation mini-golf session yesterday.  We had 140 people of all ages, a lot of them families, play the nine hole course throughout the library - on all three floors.  Most of the Friends took a turn at directing traffic, taking donations and handing out equipment.   People from neighboring towns came, and I overheard adults say they had never really been in all the parts of the library.  The little kids were adorable, and everyone had fun.   The owner of The Portable MiniGolf Company couldn't have been more helpful and encouraging.  It was a great day, but we Friends were all beat at the end.   Today we'll take it easy!

This week I finished my round for Donna's round robin quilt.   It's not due until April but I like to get these projects out of the way.   I also managed to finish a tote bag I started last week.  I needed some magnetic snaps before I put the whole thing together and found them at my local quilt shop.  I didn't know they carried them and the webbing for handles, too.  I used my old favorite retro print for this bag.

I also tried making the state quilt guild's tenth anniversary block, which was designed by a guild member back in 1989.  I'm not sure paper piecing had been "invented" yet, but this pattern sure could have used it.  I followed the pattern as shown, but I plan to revise it before I show it at the spring state quilt guild meeting.  I'm hoping to challenge folks to make it for a block raffle at the fall meeting.

I do like the colors which were all scraps in my seemingly endless supply of blues.  I was intrigued that the block includes half rectangle pieces which are a little tricky, and as you can see, the side triangle points will be cut off if I sew sashing or another block to this block.   Paper piecing should take care of that (I hope!).

Meanwhile, I started on another tote bag which is quilt as you go.  Guess I'm channeling my inner "Elsbeth" (the funny lawyer/detective in the TV series).

A busy weekend

I didn't get a lot of sewing done over the last few days.  I did work a bit on the guild round robin quilt - Donna's - and hope to finish this week.  We have two months to work on this round because the quilts are getting bigger.  I like to work on them as soon as I get them and not wait til the last minute.  Donna's quilt is 46" square already, and my border will be about 5" all the way around, between blocks and a coping strip.  It's all sweet 1930s fabrics which I haven't worked with in a long time.  I hunted around for matching fabric for the coping strip but didn't have anything that looked right.  So I am using one of hers before I add the very scrappy uneven nine patch border.  It's looking good so far.

Saturday, our group held a genealogy help session at the library in the morning, and then Paul and I headed over snowy roads to Burlington.  We went with friends Bob and Pauline to a play, Murder on the Orient Express, which was quite good - funny. and well-acted.  Afterwards, we all had a belated Valentine's Day Middle Eastern dinner at a favorite restaurant and then watched a more serious version of the same story starring Sir Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot.   We spent the night and came home after breakfast.  It was a nice getaway.

Today it's off to the grocery store before knuckling down with taxes.  Ugh!  But the sooner it gets done, the happier I'll be.  

Treasures from the state guild archives

I have had the state quilt guild's archives in the basement for over a year, so last week I started sifting through the files.  They had been stored in previous historians' basements and garages, so the totes they're in are not the cleanest.   I'll be glad to get them organized, out of our house., and into the collection of the Vermont Historical Society (VHS). 

Most of the records have been put into sheet protectors and three ring binders by year, making it all very bulky.  Sheet protectors are a no-no for long term storage because, unless they are of archival quality, they tend to adhere to the print over time.  I have been removing the papers from the sheet protectors and putting them into file folders.  The guild was started in 1979, so this has resulted in a lot of trash and recycling.  There are duplicates and unrelated stuff, too, that are being jettisoned.  

Most of the files are now in a "bankers' box" in used folders arranged not by year but by topic, as I learned to do while volunteering at VHS.  I'll make a list of topics after I have the files more or less in order before turning them over to VHS for safe keeping.

Among the treasures I've found are many years' worth of catalogs from the Vermont Quilt Festival, which at one time was the biggest quilt show in New England.  Alas, the pandemic and changes in the quilting industry caused its demise several years ago.  Their files are stored at VHS so I'll give the catalogs to them to fill in their collection if necessary.  I found newsletters of other guilds in the state also which I'll pass along.  

I did find a small cookbook that the guild produced for its tenth anniversary as well as a pattern for an anniversary quilt block.  I will share those with the guild at our spring meeting in May.   I thought I'd pass out recipes for cookies, cakes and pies and ask anyone who wants to to make one to share for the refreshment table at our fall meeting.  I will also challenge folks to make a block to put in the fall block raffle.  It looks a little complicated, though, so I'll try making a test block soon.  It uses half rectangles which I've been wanting to try.  

There are several binders left to go through, but I've been happy to get started on this project.  There's o a tote marked "stationary" which I've been avoiding; I will dig in soon.  

The hat, the quilt

I finished knitting my Melt the Ice hat and wore it yesterday.  Paul was asked to talk about Montpelier's past clothespin industry by the Channel 5 News, and I went along for moral support.  The reporter and camera man were very sweet and it all went well.  Except it was mighty cold mostly due to the strong wind.  I normally don't wear a hat, making my hair do the work, but I think I should start to wear this one in order to "make a statement." 

You can't see the tassel on top in the photo, but it's there.  I started knitting a bright red one on slightly bigger needles for someone, maybe my sister who has a birthday coming up.

Yesterday I started sewing all the Kaffe and Tula fabrics that I cut out Wednesday, and today I have 16 12" blocks to put together.  I like the way it looks but plan to enlarge it with some borders.  The first will be a think black one, and then there will be a colorful one using scraps of block fabric.

Right now, I'm calling this Out of My Comfort Zone, but I do like it quite a bit.  And it was embarrassingly easy.

Quilt repair

I realized that I need to insert the magnetic clasp into the lining of the tote bag before putting it together, so I set it aside until I go to the quilt shop Saturday for a state guild board meeting and local guild sew-in.  I really miss Joann Fabrics!  Walmart just doesn't have what I need, and, when I looked on Amazon.com, I could buy clasps in bulk but not just one or two.  I sure hope the quilt shop has a couple or I will order some via Etsy.

I noticed some of the fabric in the quilt on our bed was deteriorating - probably because someone (not me!) sits there to watch TV.  Just two blocks, side by side, thank goodness.   The quilt was finished in 2015, so I guess that isn't too bad.  Today I made two new blocks and appliqued them over the old ones.  Then I quilted them from the back.  It looks pretty good.  This quilt is never going in a show but I do like it.  Luckily, it was a Rainbow Scrap Challenge sampler so I just pulled fabric from my stash.

Next I spent some time looking for a pattern that I had yesterday but can't find today.  I have a bunch of Kaffe Fassett scraps and I thought would look good against a black background.  The pattern came from last year's Modern Quilts calendar, and I have been shuffling it around since the beginning of the year.  I will probably find it when I am in the middle of making the one I sketched out.  But that's for another day - I'm going to sit down and knit right now.  I don't have far to go on that hat.

Tote bags

Sometimes it feels good to work on something and actually finish it on the day you started.  Sunday I made a tote bag and, while I didn't finish it that day, I did finish it yesterday.  And it's very handy for holding my current knitting project, the burgundy/red Melt the ICE hat.

I really like the fabric I used on the outside - a big retro print - and the sweet pink gingham on the inside.  Both are polyester, and the big print is so old that the width was smaller than today's quilt fabric is.  I enjoyed making it, and I have a lot of both fabrics left.  

Today I cut out another tote bag out of the same big print but using a pattern from a new book, Make 100 Bags.  I hope to work on it today and tomorrow if I get a chance.   I am about halfway through knitting my hat, too.  Someone in my yoga class asked me to knit her one, but I declined because I'm really a slow knitter.  I referred her to Etsy where there are a lot for sale at a surprisingly large range of prices from $7.50 to $50.  I bought a skein of acrylic yarn at Walmart for $4.99 and can.probably make two hats out of it.

I knit a little in between working on organizing the archives of the state quilt guild yesterday.   The guild was founded in 1979 so there are a lot of papers to work my way through.  I'm hoping to turn it all over to the state historical society for safekeeping.  When I volunteered there, I helped organize a number of statewide organizations' archives, so I know that notebooks are too bulky for them and sheet protectors are a no-no.  They stick to the papers and remove the ink.  There's a lot of trash generated by this project, but it's a nice project to work on when it's cold and snowy.

Winter at its "fullest"

Our yoga teacher often prompts us to do our "fullest expression" of a pose, be it it forward fold, downward-facing dog, etc.  Well, this winter has been at its fullest expression, too.  We don't seem to get a break from the cold and snow, so that a day in the teens feels like a heat wave.  I have even gone out to dispose of trash or compost in just a sweater on those "warmer" days.  

While this picture is from 11 years ago, our snowbanks are getting similarly high around here.  There are places around town where you have to inch your car out slowly in order to see if anyone's coming.

Yesterday was no exception as I drove downtown in the latest storm, sliding some of the way.  I had arranged for a speaker at the library who was coming from the Burlington area an hour away, and he had bravely said he'd give it a try.  Who was I to wimp out on my 5 minute drive down a major hill?  Only 8 people came to hear his talk on using DNA for genealogy, but it was an excellent program.  The road was "greasy" but I made it down and, later, uphill.  

The temperature started to drop into the single digits all day, so I was glad to be indoors, knitting and  baking a chocolate cake.  Here's my recipe for the very easy Wacky Cake:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a square baking pan.

  Mix together 1 1/2 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1 t. baking soda, and 4 T. chocolate in a bowl. 

  You can add this to the pan and then make 3 indentations in the mixture.  Or you can add the following to what's in the bowl:  1 t. vanilla, 1 T. vinegar, 6 T. oil, and 1 c. water.  Mix well and bake 30-40 minutes.  (I find mixing it in the pan makes it stick, so I generally mix it all in the bowl and pour into the pan.)  Cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  

You end up with a moist and delicious cake.  I have doubled the recipe and put it into a 9" x 13" pan for potluck suppers.  People love it and don't know how easy it really is.  

Today I'll head back to the sewing room to work on a tote bag.  I've never worked with "soft and stable" before, so it will be an adventure.  Have a great Sunday!

February's color = green

I've spent mornings this week making blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.   First, I made 10 log cabin blocks mostly out of strings in my stash.  While pawing through my greens, I found a few more strings that I added to the bag.  These blocks measure 8" finished.

Next, I made three Traffic Jam blocks, which are really nine patches with the center strips made of 2" squares.  

Yesterday I started working on a table runner made of blocks left over from Double Date.  I am now able to close the green box of fabric now that I have set aside a bunch of fabric to put on the "free" table at guild.  Today I sewed it all together, quilted and bound it.  Next week I'll go down to the florist's to sell this table runner and pick up the Christmas ones that she is probably sick of seeing by now.

I noticed that the quilt on our bed, made back in 2015, has some blocks that are beginning to deteriorate.  Before I put my green box away, I'm going to dig deep to see if there's any matching fabric I can use to repair the damage before it gets worse.

What's next?  Today I cut some very wild fabric from the 1980s into pieces for a tote bag.  The lining will be a pretty pink gingham poly-cotton blend.  I have quite a bit of that poly-cotton stuff that is pretty but I don't like it for quilts.  Tote bag linings seem like a good use.  

Tomorrow IF the weather cooperates (and it threatens not to), I'll be hosting a program on DNA and genealogy at the library.  We have a speaker coming from the Burlington area 45 minutes away, so my fingers are crossed.   We have an alternate date already planned just in case he can't make it.  Winter!

Pixilated

Yesterday I made a push to finish my Pixilated Holland piece.  I'm not sure what I'll do with it, so I have put it in time out in the closet.

I put extra strips on the sides but only squared up the top and bottom.  I am thinking of quilting this piece and then again putting it into time out as I make borders to go around it.  I was considering tulips and windmills, but I also have some Dutch prints that might be fun to add.  And do I want to branch out into some other colors?  And do I want a throw or a bed-sized quilt?  Too many questions!

I doubt if I will ever make another piece like this although I bought the "Vermont" pattern before I got this one.  This version of Holland (by Karen Abrahamovich) used strips that are 1.5" wide.   I feel it looks somewhat out of proportion, but that may just be my faulty memory.  I think the Vermont pattern I have uses wider strips, maybe 2" or 2.5".   I had a lot of difficulty with the angled pieces, particularly the islands in the northwest corner.  But they look OK in the picture taken at a distance, which is a relief.

After finishing Holland I started making green log cabin blocks as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and ended up making 10 8" blocks.  Today I cut out some scraps for some Traffic Jam blocks.  Then it was time for yoga, so I probably won't get those made until tomorrow.  I am happy that the color of the month is green, though, because I have almost as many green scraps as I do blue. 

Ready to dip into the greens

February's Rainbow Scrap Challenge color is green, and I can't wait.  I'm sick of working in blues although I have a blue and white quilt that will be coming back from Marie soon and will need a blue binding (all cut!).  I have plenty of green strings for the log cabin blocks and there are lots of green squares for "traffic stop," too.  I'll get to those in between continuing working on the map of Holland.  I'm more than half-way done with that, but it is tedious and difficult to fit together.  Still, I am determined not to create another longtime UFO.

Friday I finished binding the blue and white snowflake quilt which I will get a picture of next time I'm at guild.   The quilt currently being long arm quilted by Marie is the Triple Barn Star and measures 72" x 72".  She says she's having a problem with the long arm so it will be a couple of weeks before it's finished.  That's OK with me since I have plenty to keep me busy.

I finished reading the latest #1 Ladies Detective Agency book yesterday (it was good, not spectacular) and started on one for my mystery book group.  I'll take it with me today as I wait for Paul at the Retina Center.  Before we leave for Burlington, I'll need to get ready for the cleaning people by gathering trash, starting some laundry, etc.  I always change the towels in the bathroom when they come so it all looks fresh.

Yesterday I mapped out our March trip south, and now I'm getting excited about going.  We leave around March 10 and return two weeks later, more or less.  It all depends on the number of stops we make going home.  One will definitely be in Columbia, SC, to visit my friend Libby.  And we're contemplating a stop near Hershey, PA, to join cousins in the area.

Steadily working

Yesterday I finished knitting a little hat, got ready to bind the blue and white rail fence/snowflake quilt, and ignored the Holland quilt.  Working on the latter is quite intense and I just didn't feel up to that level of intensity.  It is a frustrating quilt because no matter how precisely I cut the pieces (all 1.5" wide), they don't always seem to go together evenly.  I took one section apart and added 1/4" in the middle of the row which helped considerably.  I'll try to get back to it today after grocery shopping and errands.  If not, there's always tomorrow.  And this is how UFOs are born!

On the other hand, I knit the little hat using leftover yarn in three days.  I'm waiting for new yarn for more hats to arrive from Knit Picks, and I also want to get some yarn to make a red Norwegian-style "Melt the ICE" resistance hat.  I bought the pattern through Ravelry, but it calls for circular needles which I hate to use.  So I'm going to have to adapt it to straight needles.  I'm sure that during WW II, some Norwegians used straight needles anyway.  

If I get a chance today I'll cut the binding for the snowflake quilt.  I was given some blue striped fabric that will be perfect for it, even if it is a poly blend.  Marie did her usual beautiful quilting job on that quilt, made from blocks I won in a raffle at the state quilt guild meeting this fall.

Yesterday we had a visit from a very nice representative from Budget Blinds.  He measured our north-facing front windows and the bathroom window for "waffle" shades which I hope will make those areas a little warmer.  It will be six weeks or more before they can be installed, and by that time it should be a little less chilly out.  Still, I am looking forward to a more "modern" look in both places.  

Four blossoms now

 

My amaryllis continues to amaze!  It now has four blossoms on one stalk with another ready to open and another stalk with three waiting to open.  I didn't do anything special but put them in a pot with potting soil.  I worried I was neglecting it by not watering often, but the tag said not more than once a week, and that's what I do for my other plants.  I had one years ago that only had one blossom, so this is just wonderful for me.

Today I'm baking and keeping as warm as possible.  It's six degrees (F) below zero right now and a big snowstorm is on the way.  I made chocolate chip cookies and blueberry bread.  That may be "it" for today although I'm not sure what's for dinner.  Maybe mac and cheese with salad?  I also did a couple of loads of laundry.  That's a whole lot more than I did yesterday which was mostly finish reading a book, The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan.  I enjoy books set in Scotland, and she does it so well.  Light but fun.

I was happy to receive a picture of a baby quilt I made out of "strings" yesterday.  And the baby, Murphy, looks very cute, too.   Guess she's a future ski bum because she lives out west.  She's Paul's sister Pat's first great granddaughter, about six months old.  The mom wanted a "neutral" quilt, and I just happened to have this on hand.  

Otherwise, I would have whined about making one from scratch.  I don't understand why young moms want "neutrals."  My niece in Holland, bless her heart, was very happy with the pink floral quilt I sent her as her new baby's room is pink.  Jules was born right before Christmas.

As for quilting, I'm working on the Holland quilt by Karen Abrahamovich.  I'm making the 32" x 32" size, but I'm not including the heart, "windmills," or "tulips," just the shape of the country.  I will turn that into the center of a medallion quilt and surround it by Dutch-themed, pieced blocks.  

It's another blue and white scrap quilt, and I'm all of a sudden sick of using blues!  This pattern size requires 1.5" strips which are a little tricky to work with and the positioning is a bit intense.  But I'm about a third of the way through, so it shouldn't take much longer (if I keep at it).

Two UFOs done!

 

Good morning!  It's actually warmish here by Vermont standards, in the 20s.  Apparently, we're going to have a little snow later.  I'm heading to the quilt shop to drop off another quilt to be long armed and to pick up one that's ready for trimming and binding.  Marie is a speed demon.  Sometimes I wish it took her longer, but I know she thinks hard about what she's going to do with a particular quilt and can't stand to wait before working on it.  

I did quilt this sampler myself, though, with my walking foot, and am pleased with the result.  The pattern is called "Optimism" by Aby Dolinger who ran a block of the month during 2025.  I only made 12 of the 16 blocks and then used cut offs from the blocks for the two borders.  

I love the red binding, and the back is soft, pieced cotton.  I'll be giving it to a neighbor who is moving to a nursing home as soon as bed is available.  She is younger than me, so it's a real tragedy.  Paul and her husband go out to lunch frequently as a sort of respite.  

And here is what I'm calling the "Orange and Black Sampler," which includes blocks of the month from my local guild.  I made blocks in the color prescribed for the lottery each month last year and then another for myself in the orange/black color way.  I used the polka dotted fabric for the back and added a solid(ish) black binding.  Quilter Marie was impressed by the border, which was just made of 4" blocks divided by a solid 1" strip.

I still have a lot of the polka dotted fabric (which shows up as gray) left for future backs as I bought almost a full bolt from a friend who was closing her shop.  I think I paid $8 for the bolt!  I am planning to make another quilt this year using a black background and bright colors, so I have already decided what to use for the back!

Both pictures were taken at the guild meeting Tuesday night.  In winter, it's hard for me to take outdoor photos because they involve Paul holding the quilt on the porch and me standing in snow with my phone.  We are too wimpy for that these days!  But, at guild, we are lucky that one of the members always takes photos to post on Facebook for people who missed the meeting.

Blooming despite the cold

 

It was 3 degrees when we got up this morning.  We are hoping for at least the teens later on.  Meanwhile, indoors, it's cozy with this lovely amaryllis popping in its full splendor!  There are now two blossoms on one stalk and another on that stalk waiting its turn.  Then there's a second stalk not revealing itself yet.  What a thrill when they bloom!  I hear it can be summered over and rebloom.  We'll see about that.

I went to quilt guild last night.  It had been snowing lightly but stopped as I drove downtown.  It's been very cold so the snow is light and dry - not windshield scraping necessary.  I showed the two quilts I have finished, and Marie told me that the quilt she was quilting is also ready for pick up.  I'll drop it off tomorrow and bring her another one.  

That will complete my four finished UFOs for the month!   I'll post photos of the two quilts I showed at guild when they are posted on Facebook.  I find it difficult to take photos of finished quilts in winter.  It's often gloomy out, and I have to stand in the snow while Paul holds the quilt up.  Ugh!

I have Dear Jane left to work on but think I'll do something else for a while.  Karen Abrahamovich's "Holland" is on my list.  After visiting Polly, I am armed with a whole lot of dark blue fabric to use for the country.  A 16" x 16" quilt requires 1" strips, so I think I will work on a 36" x 36" one, requiring 1.5" strips.  Karen's instructions look pretty clear, so I hope to get to it today, before and after yoga.

Red, white and blue fabrics anyone?

I've seen a lot of ads for fabric to "celebrate" our country's 250th anniversary, but I won't be buying any.  The state historical society is planning a special exhibit, and public libraries are planning a host of programs in honor of this special occasion.  

I just can't work up any enthusiasm for this right now.  Our country is in deep trouble under our current regime, and it doesn't seem to get any better.   

We've had leaders I didn't agree with in the past.  "Reagonomics" did quite a bit to hurt the needy, and George W. Bush was a weak and ignorant leader during the aftermath of 9/11.  But our current president is a bully, uncaring and greedy. The New York Times estimates he has earned $1.4 billion dollars in just this year alone through his dealings with thugs and cronies.  He could be using these funds to make life more bearable for the people he calls "losers."  He could spend a whole lot less detaining, deporting, and killing innocent citizens and would-be citizens.   The focus should be on making life better for American citizens, not roaming all over the world showing how "tough" we can be.  Optics are useless in today's world.

I have a red, white, and blue quilt on the guest bed these days, but it includes Dutch fabrics, reminding me of my Dutch roots.  The flag of the Netherlands is also red, white and blue, but the national color is orange.  The Dutch cheer "Oranje Boven" (Orange on top) for sports teams.  I was happy to learn that some Dutch military have already been deployed to keep Greenland from the clutches of our avaricious  "leader."

Friday already

 Here we are at the end of the week and I have not finished quilting the Optimism sampler.  I got side tracked with other things as usual.  Yesterday morning I made some oatmeal cookies to give to Chris for his birthday.  It was a recipe I've used many times and which Larry Brown, former printer extraordinaire downtown, called "the best" he'd ever had.  Somehow I left out a crucial ingredient - 2 cups of flour! - resulted in a soggy mess.  I tried to correct them for the next batches but they still weren't up to par.  Still, Chris was happy to receive them.  We took him and a friend to lunch which was nice.  

Afterwards, I got engrossed in a great book, The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans, and read steadily all afternoon.  Thank goodness my Kindle didn't run out of power which often happens if I'm enjoying a book.  It seems to like to run out just when I reach the final denouement.  

This book is told through letters by a 70-something retired lawyer and mother who has been writing letters all her life, including to someone who is, as yet, not identified, to whom she never mails.  Epistolary novels like this and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society are one of my favorite genres.  "Everyone" seems to be reading this novel, and I can see why.  There's not a lot happening, but somehow you just want to see what does.

Last night we watched the movie The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which is based on another book I enjoyed a few years ago.  Even Paul enjoyed the movie about an elderly man who decides to walk across England in an effort to keep a friend alive when she falls ill with cancer.  The woman who plays his wife is well known and recognizable as Mrs, Crawley in Downton Abbey.

I have a doctor's appointment this morning (if the roads look driveable - so far they look a bit slippery), and then there will be some grocery shopping perhaps.  I'll get back to quilting and look forward to reading more.  Happy weekend!

Christmas is over

We took down the Christmas village "tree" yesterday, as well as the wreaths outside.  They are all again stored in the basement closet under the stairs.  All of our Christmas cookies are gone, but we still have quite a bit of candy left that I'm eating just a little of daily.  I have a doctor's appointment Friday when she'll measure my A1C - after that, the sky may be the limit (or not depending on what she finds).  

Yesterday the temperature climbed to 52 so a lot of snow and ice melted.  We even took a walk around the neighborhood for the first time in weeks.  But we had snow overnight so it's back to winter driving and walking conditions.  Our January thaw appears to be over.  I hope it's OK to drive tomorrow morning so I can rejoin the aerobic walking group.  

Today I'll do a little housekeeping and then get back to quilting the Optimism sampler.  It's going to be a fairly free week, so I may even get it done if I work on it steadily.  It's fun to do each block in a sampler just a little differently.  The black and orange quilt is back from the longarm quilter, so I'll have two quilts to bind by machine soon.

Finishing stuff!

Thursday I drove over to the quilt shop to pick up the black/orange throw Marie had quilted and to give her the blue and white snowflake rail fence throw to quilt.  I love the way the black/orange sampler turned out and will put a black binding on it soon.  I have one more top to take to Marie whenever the back arrives from Connecting Threads.  It's the blue and white speckled Triple Barn Star top that ended up being 72" x 72".  It's waiting in the closet for its back.

I got last year's block of the month Optimism top out of the closet and decided to make two borders for the sides so that it would end up about twin sized.  This was a pattern designed by Aby Dolinger whose BOMs I've followed for the last several years.  Her instructions are always spot on, and, being a sampler maven, I've enjoyed them.  

The question for me last week was whether or not to participate in Aby's 2026 BOM, and I guess not because I couldn't get up the energy to gather the fabric even though I have a very nice background all set aside.  I have too many other quilts I'd like to work on this year.  I'll use that background in one of them.

I made the two borders for Optimism and then pieced a back.  I bought another batt Thursday and started quilted that sampler myself.  Before I got to that, I made a couple of blue Traffic Jam blocks (a Pat Sloan pattern) using my box of 2" squares and cutting a few more blue squares.  This will be another monthly project for me this year.  I need to reduce my collection of blues and greens in particular.  I will most likely use a thin neutral to sash the blocks when I get sick of making them this year.

Besides finishing sandwiching, pin basting, and quilting today, I'll spend a little time with Louise Penny's latest mystery, The Black Wolf. "Everyone" else has finished it and I'm still about 1/3 of the way through.   Louise sure knows how to build suspense, though!   

I also have to write up the Friends of the Library meeting minutes and do a few other little things online.  The sun is shining but it's quite icy out, so I doubt if I'll get a chance to take a walk.   And then there are still a few Christmas decorations I need to take down...

Happy New Year!

I'm looking forward to a year with less conflict and stress.  If our national leader can't supply that, I will try to do as much as I can to bring peace to our home.  As a naturalized citizen (since age 3!), I am a bit worried about crossing the border into and out of Canada this summer, but that's far ahead.  I can think of worse places to be than Ontario!  My word for the year is "Explore," as we are planning quite a bit more travel than in 2025.

Yesterday I finished making blue log cabin blocks and put them away with the red blocks in an empty (yes!) project box until February rolls around.  I don't know if I'll stick to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge all year, but I'm starting out that way.

I moved on to work on the Triple Barn Star quilt in blues.  I have some speckly fabric for the background and then chose coordinating prints and solids.  I ended up cutting all the fabric I need, which is something I rarely do when starting a quilt.  My usual method is to cut as I go, but this appears to be a medallion starting in the middle.  The pattern is designed for layer cakes which I almost never buy, but I did use quite a bit of stash.  And I still can't close my blue tub!  I have plans for more blue quilts later in the year, though.

Today I'll do some housekeeping and get ready for our open house this afternoon.  I'm anxious to put the charcuterie board together, and I have lots of cookies to set out as well.  The ice for the punch is ready to go.  Hope you have a fun First Footing (a Scottish tradition bringing good luck) planned, too!