This and That

 I was so ready to put these pieces together!  I just knew I had made all the flags needed to assemble...

And I begin--alas, I'm two--just two blocks (flags) short!  how is that possible?  I know I counted and counted--guess I can't count!  Now, I'm working on the two lost blocks so I can finally gather all the flags into one quilt!

There is a good amount of blocks here!  I cut 2.5" or 2.5” squares when I finish cutting and add them to the pile--as an leader/ender project, I sew together these 16 squares into blocks--I have several ideas on the quilts they will make.  Alycia Quilts had some ideas on how to set her blocks.

This is one of the ideas--spool blocks to act as a vase for my EP (English pieced) hexies--

I can't decide on how to arrange the flowers, so took several photos to get some perspective--

the flowers can be nestled with stems

Or they can be free standing 

Here's a cluster--not liking this so much

with stems

clusters without stems

 

On to a break in the week--I attended a quilt show presented by a church sewing group--they worked for two years and their presentation was just perfect for their display of quilts.  The one in front is

friend's Judy--Stars and Scraps Forever.  So many eye catching quilts!

It was such an inspiration morning!  met several expat friends, browsed the vendor section--no, didn't buy anything--although very tempted!

 

Bevy Of Hats!!

Word of the Day:  Hope:  a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; feeling of trust;

I'm not bragging--but I am!  I recently sent off these knitted hats to Linda's Hats For Hope

Initiatives   

I like knitting hats--the above hats were done over a period of 2-3 years.  I just knit and save until I find a worthwhile cause.  This time I found Linda and sent them off to her for distribution.  I'm happy!

She's happy! and the recipient is happy!

If you don't knit, yarn will also be accepted.

Another great cause is Hats for Sailors, which has collected over 8300 hats for 2022!

Our Mission The Hat for Sailors' mission is to provide deployed sailors of the US Navy and the Coast Guard with handmade 100% washable wool hats made by loving volunteers from around the world. These beautiful hats are delivered in time for the December holidays, a bit of warm love and thanks to those who unselfishly take time away from their families to serve our Country.

Knots of Love is another opportunity to donate your knit and crochet items. 

 

It Wasn:t Me!!

Word of the day!  Disclaimer: a statement that denies something, especially responsibility.

 Nope! Not ME!  I didn't do it!  Have you ever used an excuse to deny it wasn't your fault?  Of course, it wasn't your fault!!  I have the perfect card for you to pull when you need an excuse--a disclaimer card!

The other day I was cleaning out my desk nook and cubby holes and found this prize possession!

Years ago at our annual spinners conference, we had several spinners (you kown who you are!) claim they couldn't get their project finished--well, spinner, you had a whole year to accomplish that one task above all others that needed attention.  There were all kinds of excuses--"dog ate my fiber!; didn't hear the subject matter; it went down the toilet" etc. etc. etc.

One of our bright members came up with disclaimer card to use in case of charges made--"it was you"!

We can all relate to "it wasn't me" at some time in our lives!

so here you go--your own disclaimer ticket to pull at any time you see fit--

BUT, you can only use it once a day!  no more than that!  

Just accept responsibility and go with pride you claim even it it’s someone else's mistake!  

Clickety Clack

 Some days!  It’s like this……….

I finished spinning a bump of brown cotton as the wheel sang to me—“Clickety clack”.     It doesn’t always sing—has something to do with which bobbin I’m using—newer bobbins are quiet and peaceful.

It’s slow going with cotton—lots of twist please, the fiber says.  Three bobbins have been plied.  One at bottom right needs the finishing touch of two together.  I’ll use inside and out side thread to ply—I do that most times.  The ball comes out even. 

To satisfy my curiosity I purchased 4 oz of “ dye-able” cotton.  As a fiber, cotton doesn’t take dyes so easily, hence, this product sounded like a winner!  Years ago we bought sliver of silk cotton blend that was dyed beautifully!  And spun beautifully!  That vendor sadly stopped production! I hoped this dye able cotton would work—not a fan though!  Guess I’ll stick to natural color cottons until I can learn the basics of cotton dyeing.

Now, it’s time to tackle this pile of white cotton—and listen to the Clickety clack of my wheel! 

Molas and Puzzles

 Recently we visited our friends who moved into military senior residence.  It’s amazing the amities they have!  I think they deserve special treatment after years of service to our country’s security.  They took us on a tour of facility, a treat. 

In each hallway, residents decorate for the season, which is now Easter—one room was their puzzle room.  There were two puzzles laid out under construction. The ones they finished are framed for wall decorations.  Here are a few examples of their past triumphs. 

Doesn’t look like puzzle, huh? 

see the pieces!

So fun to see Easter breaking out in their neighborhood!

Another one with bunnies and Easter flowers.  I always ask the question--why are bunnies associated with Easter?  Alas, I always find the same answer!

One of the residents has a nice selection of Molas that she decorates near her apartment for everyone to see and appreciate! 

They were stationed at one time in Panama and that is where she find her collection.

each one is different and unique in their own style.

This one has very elaborate stitching!

Here husband was a dentist in the army--this mola shows his status.

My daughter always shops at the mola booth during International Quilt Festival.

She likes the small ones that are fashioned into a purse

I was gifted this one and I turned it into a hotpad for the kitchen

The stitching on this reverse applique is awesome!  Wish my stitches were that small!

W.I.P—Finally!

 Time to get some works off the table and finish something.  I’ve procrastinated long enough!  Why not finish a project, then begin a new one—-NOT—begin 3 new projects instead of finishing one!  

Wonder where these dog ears belong?

Here is where the dog ears belong--on top of the heart --second clue in the Fat Quarter Shop

charity quilt along.  There are five hearts in this clue

Another clue has heart shaped design as well--definitely, Heart felt quilt along.

Five hearts also in this clue

Third clue has been released--but I'm behind......

January, February, March blocks from A Quilting Life.  April block is released mid month--

I've cut way back on the number of quilt alongs I'm doing--would like to finish those UFO's in the bin!

Ready to be assembled--Paris postcard sew along!  These are the last three rows--M, N, O

And ta da~  all finished!! Although I think I got one row backwards but who's going to know-- with that much color.  You can't tell if I miss one or not--I couldn't make out the design element==just sewed along with the pattern!  Now to decide how to quilt and what binding to finish!

One down==several more to go!

Stuck !

Word of the day:  Wend--to direct one's course or to proceed on

I love Books!  No doubt that I've read hundreds of books in my lifetime--some good, some remarkable, some disappointing--lots of words on a page have penetrated my eyes. you realize that the alphabet contains only 26 letters but look at all the words that are written on a page—words from only 26 letters!  Amazing!

Lately though...........

I've been reading books about WWII--don't have the foggiest idea how I got on that subject but it just seemed to snowball.  Maybe, it has to do with the events of this year with Russia and Ukraine War.

It began with reading "Book of Lost Names" by Kristin Harmel--I'd not read any of her books before, so thought this would be interesting--a book of lost names can get you involved immediately--questions were asked--what names, how were they lost, why were they lost?  Soon, you learn that the names belong to people who suffered harsh journeys through the war.

If that wasn't enough about WWII, I move onto "All The LIght We Can Not See" by Anthony Dorr--starts out great--girl and her father live in a museum world; then she slowly loses her eyesight--you would think that would be depressing--no, she learned to cope with this disability with her father's help; among war teaming around her.

I put that book down often to lighten my thoughts some--so, what did I pick up next "Betrayal of Anne Frank" by Rosemary Sullivan--thinking this is a documentary, that has to be interesting.  Gee whiz--how could a family with four other friends live in small cramped space to survive 28 months, only to be found within the last few months of the war?  Who betrayed the family and why?  And they lived in Amsterdam, not Germany!

NOw, it’s  time for something completely different--"The Last Thing He Said To Me"!  Not about WWII--thank goodness! a modern day intriguing tale, edge of your seat, can't put down the book tell.

I have several others waiting in the wings--but, first, I must finish "All THe Light You Can Not See" before the movie is released.  There is a movie in the works for "The Last Thing" too.

I'm wending my way to the bookshelf to find something really light and laughable!

Learn Something New Every Day!

Word of the Day is WORDLE--are you obsessed with this game?

 Doesn't matter how old you are--you can always learn someting new each and every day!  What did you learn today that was new and exciting?   Many are taking up the challenge of the game "Wordle"--

What I've learned is --I Don't Like THis Game!!  will not waste time on it--because, once you begin, you are hooked!  

Another thing I learned today is hexagons can be created in a couple of ways. I should have known that the technique of English Paper Piecing would be easier several ways.

 I've been printing hard copies of one inch hexie, cutting them out, stitching around the piece with needle and thread (sort of my evening tasks as we relax), taking out the cardboard hexie to begin anew--you could also buy the precut hexies as well as making them yourself.

Here are the inch ones ready to be stitched--I like to keep them contained in this bowl--easy to pick up and put down.

and here are my small hexie blooms--these are going into a spool project from Debby Brown Color Block group on Facebook and website

How about stamping your hexie onto cloth, cut and stitch each hexie?  Well, I'll be!  Why didn't my brain think of that sooner??  There are several vendors that sell the clear plastic stamps!

I'm just amazed that my brain took so loooooong to hook into that idea!

Why?? you ask?  

Answer is simple--I used stamps many moons ago to stamp different designs and stitch to create nice small quilts!  I'm like--"duh" you're certainly SLOW to remember that time in your past life.

I collected these framed pieces from mother's house several years ago--I made them as a gift to her and also gave some to my mother-in-law

This is log cabin design

Another log cabin creation.

So, another lesson learned today is--don't forgot your past lessons learned!!

And I'm still not going to play WORDLE!!

Family LOVE! Waylon Day!

 April 3rd was the baptism of our great grandson!  It was a perfect day for this happy occasion!  He's now 9 months old--I was hoping he could wear the christening gown I made for our grandchildren--which was made with handspun silk that I spun and wove their mother's wedding dress!

  Alas, the grandchildren wore the gown when they were only 2 months old but our great is a older lad and couldn't fit his arms through the sleeves!  besides, his dad, who did wear the gown at his christening--said, it looked at a "GIRL outfit!  

 I know I could alter--it would have had my eyes leaking tears to see him in that gown from 30 years ago--My eyes still leaked some as I watched a new generation pledge their commitment to raise this young one into the Lord's family.  We celebrated with a family brunch after the service--Lots of good eats and the saying goes "a good time was passed by all!"

Waylon's custom made cake!  Yummy!  white cake with fondant frosting!

Waylon on the back of Joe sitting on his new saddle!  He needs shorter stirrups before he really rides

He wanted to make the horse go--but the saddle needs a longer girth belt--he looks

like he's ready to ride like the wind!

Baptism day—mommy holding Waylon, daddy to left, The Godfather and godmother on end

Godfather, Micky holding Waylon standing with the

dad, Josh aka Boy—as he is called at work and best friends. 

Oma treated him to grassy walk! 

Oh holy day—a real treat to celebrate this special occasion! 

Spring has sprung!!

No April Fool joke here! Just pure satisfaction!

“She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:

"Winter is dead.”

A.A. Milne - When We Were Very Young.

Yes, Spring is definitely here! I know the official date was March 20 but that day it wasn't quite spring in our neighborhood! We know spring is arriving when we see the mesquite trees turning that fantastic yellow green--and pollen falls from the trees. The sure sign that spring has sprung--pecan trees bud out! oh, joy! It's spring! The daffodils pop up, bluebonnets soar in the fields, indian paintbrush dot the roadsides with their lovely shade.

Oh new growth for new year! Lean into the feeling of happiness that Spring brings forth--new beginnings! Ditch that jacket; go forth and explore! Plant seeds and enjoy the new growth as it breaks through the soil! There is nothing like renewal--

The Secret Live of Color--World of Colors continued

And now we come to this new addition to my color library.

The author, Kassia St. Clair, has taken 75 shades, dyes and hues of color to tell a story about how color has changed the world.  She has taken brown, way battles were fought, to white that gave protection against plague;  Picasso's blue period to charcoal on cave walls--scarlet women to industrial pink--a thread through history.

As the pages show the different tints and shades of color, we learn how each hue creates

our moods and temperture; how we choose a color to wear, decorate with, speak about--

adventures abound in this book--I'm enjoying each page as I turn from color to color.

How do you use color in your daily life?  Or your work in fiber?  

Pat Sloan is taking this book to task--she is going through the colors to create a quilt with

her shoofly block.  There is purpose!  Makes for an interesting project and goal in mind--the hardest thing to do is achieve each tint, shade or hue in each color section--

I've always thought of white as the absent of color--boy, was I wrong!

White light is a combination of all colors in the color spectrum. It has all the colors of the rainbow. Combining primary colors of light like red, blue, and green creates secondary colors: yellow, cyan, and magenta.

And now, a whole new can of worms has been open for me to explore!  Pliny Elder, 1 A.D-100A.D was the first on record of trying to make white color--never heard of him!  But, now, I"m curious and tried to track down his recipe for white--here you have it!

Think I'll just buy my white already made!  Although it would be fun to mix all the above colors to see if I can achieve that "white" which I know now is a COLOR!

How do you see "White"? 

Purity, virtue, innocent, delicacy.

white calms, balances, purifies, brings clarity

cleaniness, elegance, simplicity, goodness--

bland, unfriendness, emptiness, coldness

Here is Mary O'Neill's thoughts on WHITE

White is a dove and the lily of the valley 

and a puddle of milk spilled in an alley--

A ship's sail, a kite's tail, a wedding veil, Hailstones and Halibut bones and

some people's telephones.

The hottest and most blinding light is white. 

 and breath is white when you blow it out on a frosty night.

White is the shining absence of all color, then absence is white out of touch, out of sight--

White is marshmallow and vanilla ice cream

and the part you can't remmeber in a dream.

White is the sound of a light foot walking; white is a pair of whispers talking

White is the beautiful broken lace, of snowflakes falling on your face

You can smell white in a country room toward the end of May in the cherry bloom.

And so my reading and studying will continue into the world of color--

 

Colors of the World

Who doesn't love color?  And me, I love to find books on color--since I'm a natural dyer, I always like to know the history of certain colors.  Just recently, this book "Secret Live of Colors" came on the market.  I ignored it for the longest time--why read another book on color?  Could it have anything else to know about color?  Finally, I succumbed and purchased the book.

This book is a different approach to how color is viewed in the world.  So, it does belong in my library along with my favorite books.

Oooh, this book is absolutely lovely!  filled with Blue from beginning to end!

Blue that is derived from indigo!  What mysterious dye gave

us such lovely shades of blue--Indigo!

Blue!! “Trustworthy, peacefulness, logic, calm,

Sensitive, patient” 

"What is Blue?

Blue is the color of the sky, without a cloud, cool, distant, beautiful and proud

Blue is the quiet sea and the eyes of some people

And many agree as they grow older and older

Blue is the scarf spring wears on her shoulder

blue is twilight, shadows on the snow

Blue is feeling way down low

Blue is a heron, a sapphire ring, 

you can smell blue in many a thing:  Gentian and Larkspur, forget-me-nots, too

And if you listen, you can hear blue in wind over water

and wherever flax blooms

and when evening steps into lonely rooms.

Cold is blue:  flame shot from a welding torch is too.

Hot, wild, screaming, blistering Blue and on winter mornings, the dawns are blue"

Mary O'Neill--Hailstones and Halibut Bones

Here is the history of Cochineal--a red color you can achieve from a tiny little insect, that

thrives on cactus.  How is that possible?  All things in nature are possible--this is a fascinating

journal into the life of that little bug that colored the world and made RED like nothing the world had ever seen!

Red is Strong, ambitious,outgoing, color of heightened emotion, power; invigorating, intimidating and it's never boring!

What is Red?  red is a sunset, blazy and bright.  Red is feeling brave with all your might.

Red is a sunburn, spot on your nose; sometimes red is a red, red rose.

Red squiggles out when you cut your hand.  Red is a brick and a rubber band.

Red is hotness you get inside when you're embarrassed and want to hide.

Fire-cracker, fire-engine, fire-flicker red-------

and when you're angry Red runs though your head.

Red is an Indian, a Valentine heart; the trimming on a circut cart,

red is a lipstick, red is a shout, red is a signal that says: "watch out!"

Red is a great big rubber ball.  

Red is the giant-est Color of all; Red is a show off no doubt about it-----

But can you imagine living without it?

Mary O'Neill Hailstones and Halibut Bones

I love color! I can't imagine not seeing color-- my husband is color blind-- he can't distinguish between brown and green. 

What does colorblindness mean?

 

The Art of the Palm

Have you ever had your palm READ?  I'm told there is a whole history about you, just in the palm of your hand.  The other day a friend said to me "look at your palm--do you see your life line? and do you have a M there?"

I never thought about reading my palm--but now, I"m looking more often about my palm to see how

close to my life enfolds.

 DO YOU HAVE THE LETTER M IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND?

I have this letter in the palm of both my hands...

How about you?

“Palmistry is an ancient method of predicting the future and interpreting a person's personality from the pattern of the lines of the hands. Sometimes these lines can form even numbers and letters.

One of these letters may be the letter M, the meaning of which has been investigated by many mystics.

As many believe, the lines on the palm reveal our character and destiny.

The letter M is assigned to truly special people.

They are endowed with extraordinary intuition and represent the ideal partners for any business.

If the people you love have the special letter M on the inside of the palm, you have to know that you cannot mock and you cannot lie or deceive that person in any way.

Being very intelligent and intuitive, people with the letter M in the palm of their hand easily realize that they are being lied to or deceived.

Women who have the letter M on their palm have a stronger intuition than men, even those who have this letter.

They are gifted with the power to manage and overcome any obstacle in life, and they know how to exploit the resources and opportunities that are offered to them.

The letter "M" on your palm can also mean:

• Leadership skills

• Can

• Joy

• Excellent opportunities

According to popular tradition, this sign is characteristic of the prophets ... So if you have this letter in your hand, you are really a special person! Some people hold it in one hand and others in both.” ~ Martin Santos

Credits: Quantum Physics and Kabbalah

Abandoned!

At A Loose End*!  Definitely, I don't know why this town was abandoned some years ago!

I recently looked for the box that contained the patterns and instructions, only because, 

Pat Sloan was reviving the sew along--Will You Be My Neighbor?"

When I saw that notice--I said to myself--"self, you have this somewhere in your studio"

Look for it--and there it was--all neatly bundled up in a box with fabric I decided to use--plaids.

I had made four of the blocks and then--bam!  I abandoned the whole neighborhood!

It's big blocks--18" so it's doable and I have all the fabric selected--now is the time

to pick it up again and make another street or two or just finish the town!

Only three more streets to do--it can be finished if I put my mind to it!

So why 'be at a loose end"?

*"if you see children mooching about, apparently doing nothing recognizably useful, you are likely to say--they are at a loose end.  Why not send the little dears off to sea on an old sailing ship.

That is where the phrase was coined!

As with spinning a yarn, on quiet days at sea when the weather was good, sailors would have to perform ordinary tasks.  All the thousands of ropes of sheets making up the rigging needed to have their ends bound with twine to prevent them fraying.  Anyone with no other duties would be sent to

"tie up the loose end"

*Rigmaroles & Ragamuffins, Elinor Kapp author!

 

Luck of the Irish!

 As Luck would have it is the latest sew along from Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  You can find the free instructions on their Facebook group.

The phrase luck of the Irish is commonly thought to mean “extreme good fortune.” "During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. . . 

My oldest daughter has the best luck--she finds four leaf clovers as she walks through her pasture

 The leaves of four-leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck. It's often said that Ireland is home to more four-leaf clovers than any other place, giving meaning to the phrase "the luck of the Irish." If you're lucky enough to find a four-leaf clover, look for more!

How rare is a four leaf clover? Its relative rarity (1 in 5,000 clovers) suggests a possible recessive gene appearing at a low frequency. Alternatively, four-leaf clovers could be caused by somatic mutation or a developmental error of environmental causes.

There were four steps to completing this simply made quilt top.  I didn't begin this one--now, I'm thinking I never have anything green to display for the month of March--this one could be it! 

Better, join their Facebook page to had advance information.

Look at that!  The pattern block called for is an Irish Chain!!

There will be a spring sew along in the next few weeks--

Tonight when you have your corned beef and cabbage--think of all that good luck you'll have in the coming weeks!