Orphan Block Party

 Here is where I ended up with the first orphan in the pile

She is now 43x 63" and ready for quilting

on to our next candidate  the brown star "brick wall"

It came this way, with out the leaves

I found those later. I think I will make more 

and add another row to the bottom

< and maybe another of these to add to the Bottom

They don't all have to be any more complicated than that.

Then there will be two roughly 50x60 to quilt

But they do need backs

Here it is all done, I added more leaves 

and another row of 9 patch blocks

Time to garden.

The damask rose is blooming 

as is the clematis and the old yellow rose in the yard

This dragon quilt was donated whole with the

 flappy bits undone so I'll miter those

 somebody will love it

so this makes 6 donation quilts for the guild!

Going to an Orphan Block Party

I have this Growing Pile of orphan Blocks that I and my friends, 

Because a pile this big has help,

have contributed to over the last 3-4 months

I have made 3 quilts from this pile and it's not getting any smaller

so It's time for drastic measures

it's time to pick a block size and quilt everything in that section

Then see whats left over 

I did a gypsy quilt and I have more than plenty to do more but 

I want to eat down the pile first

Because I have a another trick up my sleeve 

to knock down the pile where,

I started with the biggest block in the pile 

I also had 6 Dresden plate blocks and these 9 patches 

that sort of matched, kinda sorta

I also have this Ginormous bag of 6.5" strip blocks

We will be seeing a lot of these babies

so now we have a 43" square I need to make it x60

so 10" of what?

I tried random blocks but they looked terrible, Hmmmm

whadoido?

AM I scattered and disorganized?

 I'm still trying to decide if i'm feeling scattered and disorganized because 

I AM scattered and disorganized or I have actually been busy.

I have quilted 9 customer quilts, 10 charity quilts, 

made 5 baby outfits for a friend
who's daughter had a baby, 

some outfits and a quilt for my grandson, a skirt for myself, 

I'm still working on the tumbling block CQ, 

a bunch of family stuff, 

going to scrap pack, going to Tuesday sew days, 

and doing my secretary of the guild thing.

Gardening, I built a bed by the studio out of retaining wall blocks

and dug in the Dhalia bulbs I got from my friend Margaret 

Finished the Parham owl Etui kit 

for the last 4 months.

I now need to gear up and sew some cloths and a quilt for my newest grand baby coming to us in September,  

It looks like the girls each need new cuddle quilts 

because these ones have just about had it

I still can't believe they take these poor decrepit things out in public!

Oiy, with a side of vey!

OK, now that I have written all that out even aggregated over 4 months

 it's been busy. 

All the better to be busy so we don't dwell on the desecration of our democracy*sigh*

Memories of Grama Ida

Quite literally this is one of her favorite stories to tell

I am 2.5 here, lower right

of me when I was a little;

One fine birthday when I turned 3 or 4, because only a 3 or 4 year old could get away with this. I received as a present a pair of shiny red rain boots, hat and clear plastic bubble umbrella.

I remember the umbrella as I had it for a good long while after that, but the boots and hat not so much.

Anyway, some adult told me in no uncertain terms, I was not to play with my gift, it was only for rain.

So with much pouting and childish outrage, and many questions of "why not!" and "what good is a present if you can’t play with it!", "it is mine after all!" They were put away in the sun room for a later time when the might be needed. For rain.

Needless to say when grama Ida was woken up at the crack of dawn, by one of the cousins Tom, who informed her that I had gone out to play in the rain. She didn’t even open her eyes.

“That’s nice” she said. But Tom wan’t finished “she’s taken her umbrella down the block” now this was LaCrosse Wisconsin in the 60’s, so safe as houses for these shenannagins.

“she’s wearing her hat”, said Tom “Mph” responded Grama, pulling the coverlet up a little more, no doubt hoping he was done tattling. “She’s wearing her boots too”,

“Yes Tom. it’s raining so I expect she is excited to show them off, now go play” Grama was getting a little tetchy by this time and wanted Tom to go away and let her sleep in a little longer.

All the cousins were visiting, for mother's day, staying in the house and as there were about 10 of us between the ages of 3 and 5, we made quite the raucous crowd when we were all together. I’m sure bedtime was just bonkers.

There was just one more little bit of information Tom had to impart, and he was hanging onto it.

For impact.

“Shes’ down the block, wearing her boots and hat and her umbrella” with a deep sigh, knowing there was no getting back to sleep, she rolled over and looked at my 5 year old cousin Tom “you said that” she said with growing frustration.

He looked up at Grama Ida with a big grin and said “and she's not wearing anything else”

Grama’s Eyes flew open in horror as she shot out of bed, not even stopping for her slippers, she grabbed a wrap on her way out the door, down the block and around the corner, where she found me happily jumping in large puddles in my shiny new red boots, hat and bubble umbrella and indeed nothing else.

My second side Quest

 I made a thing, a very fun thing

I ordered for myself 2 Jenny Adin-Christie Kits,

And immediately had to make the Parham Owl

the minute I received them.

I have been coveting this bad-boy since I first saw him during covid

and finally got the filthy lucre to get him!

(after some froo-fraw with usa customs which wanted $287 ransom fee, outrageous!)

The kit is marvelous easy to follow with big clear pictures of each step.

If you have been thinking of making one, go get one, I highly recommend.

Isn't he Handsome!

Side Quest

 I attend a bunch of groups run by my quilt guild and some of them get a lot of donations from
downsizing families of elderly quilters. So on 10 March we got a big donation of 4 lovely bins of fabric and parts at our Tuesday at the Grange sit and sew from a lady downsizing her mothers sewing room.

In them were all kinds of goodies and amongst the boxes were finished blocks of various sizes. When we finished sorting everything there was a pile about 8" high, I took those home to see what I could come up with.

I started to organize them from largest to smallest, trowing the 4- 16.5" blocks up on the design wall. hm. found 7- 15.5" blocks put them up there with 2- 13.5" blocks. foo, still not enough for a whole quilt or even enough to fudge it!                                                                         

After scrap pack, on the last Wednesday of the month I found or was given, another pile of finished blocks. I now had 45 or so 12.5" blocks, I made a 60x60 flimsy and had enough for a 48 x 60" flimsy, mmm, not quite big enough so I added 7- 8.5" blocks down the middle, I've plenty of those. That made that one 50 x 60", hey I have an Idea, Make a gypsy quilt!

I have always wanted to do one and this was the perfect opportunity, I have a tottering stack of finished blocks!

A quick rearrange of the design wall later and here we go!

a few 6.5" 4" 2" and 1.5" insert rows where needed and we have a whole quilt!

This is the finished result, I quilted them all with a loopy pattern, all they need now is binding and these can all go off to community service donations. Woo!

Not bad for a 3 week side quest.

Now back to the dungeon of the Tumbling blocks Quilt.   Which is having trouble fitting together *Sigh*😔            I wish I could just say "Play nice!" and they would.           Why I think it will work for quilts when it didn't work with children I don't know but one does have to try anyway doesn't one?

How it's going

 Sometimes one needs to revise their design

I just hope you do it before the project is finished

Part of my boggle was that there were still some pieces that were wobbly and the  whole piece buckled in places and that is just not right. Not when I have already put so much work into it, It should at least sit flat.

And whilst I had it apart I decided to make it one row bigger up and across  

So here we are again

I am just now adjusting and resewing things back together Making sure to get it FLAT this time.

To our everlasting shame

I have been very quiet as of late, watching our country disintegrate into an steaming rusted dumpster fire rolling downhill into a asylum full of orphans and fluffy bunnies

 Now to our everlasting shame we are embroiled in this shit-show of a presidency. Buckle up Babycakes this is going to be a rant of pent up epic rage. So if you don't want to be triggered please go someplace else this is not a safe page today unless you too are mad as hell and aren't goin to take it anymore.

May we pull the ship-of-state out of its tail-spin before we crash-and-burn? Who knows it's still to early to tell though it does look like someone has woken up from their business-as-usual coma, at least. 

I won't even get too far into just how obscene it is that the only thing that seems to move the needle these days because its Not the stripping of constitutionally mandated rights by the president and the rubber stamping by his supreme court, no that would be bad enough, remember when we were loosing our shit, when he was just saying he liked to grab 'em? *Sigh* halcyon days. Not the systemic world wide human trafficking ring, selling the rape and torture of women and children, Which BTW IS an actual Manchurian candidate situation, * she said rubbing her temples in frustration* no that's not bad enough. The 34 or is it 35 now state sanctioned federal murders? nope still not bad enough. It is the possibility that somebodies name might just pop up in that thrice-be-damned file! What THe Actual Fuck!

There is no hell because all the devils are here

It’s already going to take three maybe four decades, on the optimistic side, to recover some semblance of dignity from this utter fucking clown-car of destiny. Though it was always going here as long as we appeased the republicans and the religious right, whilst everyone took money from corporate interests to pontificate on "how wonderful being US" it is! In one breath and turn around and undermine the country in congress and the press, in the next. Their big lie being "Why Should We Apologize for anything? We have Never done Anything Wrong!" BullShit!

The question isn't why do I make my opinions known about all of this crap, It is why don't you?                 This is important stuff for our country. How we treat the people in our country is important.                        As Lincoln said A treats B so but treat C thus, Where does it end?

Better Intellects than I have already made all these arguments already, but it seems up to we the people to

 drag them out and give them a good shake in the disinfectant of sunlight. 

As they have been hidden in the back of a basement cupboard too long. Truth will out.

So there that's my Linda Blaire moment.

Showers are on the left, soap is on the shelf and fresh Towels are in the cupboard.

Don't mind the cat he likes to watch, we know, he's weird. 

Story Time

 The holidays are a time for family and cooking those special dishes everyone loves and waits all year to get. It's also the time, at least in my house, for the annual Christmas eave gourmet dinner. 
The Children when they were small and adventurous, would badger the chef until you'd break and tell them what was on the menu, my ex, or have fun with them by playing "Can you guess?" That would be me. I almost miss the constant kitchen traffic and queries of "What cha' making?"

When The children's father would cook it was lobster, crab or Prime rib. The first year we got live lobster and let the kids race them across the kitchen floor, with much laughter and joy. This is where we learned the lesson of "You don't name what you eat" It makes it hard to cook and eat them later.
The ex was all "More for me!" but I could see the the look of betrayal in the eye's of my child. 

They ate only the sides that year, of which there was plenty but that isn't the point is it?

Speaking of those sides, of garlic mashed potatoes, a large salad, Buttered broccoli and a cheesecake of which only the flavor changed from year to year. The ex had definite idea's on food.

I on the other hand liked to experiment, and for the most part my family would eat my experiments happily, no complaints, no leftovers. Every once in a while the food gods did not smile on my efforts, usually when I was not feeling well or was distracted beyond the usual big dinner, 3 kids and a husband variety. Those disasters didn't happen very often and when they did they were pretty epic.

Like the time we had to ditch the Beans because the child didn't realize the can of mushrooms should not exhibit an attitude when opened, it spit at him, and he threw them in the casserole anyway. Good thing he mentioned this behavior before we all ate!

The time I over cooked the shrimp and we could have played table tennis with them, they were so chewy. Or the year the oven door decided after 40 years it had had enough and fell off, dumping the entire roast duck A'la Orange on the floor. Breaking the pyrex, splattering lava hot orange sauce and duck parts  allover the kitchen floor my arm, one leg and leaving a divit in the linoleum, to remind us all to be very careful when using the oven. The same oven the ex swore up and down he had fixed and I must have "Done something to" the last time it flopped open after the loose spring finally broke. I had been holding it closed with a wooden spoon to bake for a month before the supposed fix. needless to say it didn't take.

Disasters aside, I'm a good cook and I like to try things I have only had or made in the restaurants were I worked before marriage. The year I decided to make Greek Youvetsi Arni a lamb shank stewed in tomato sauce served over Orzo. Roasting anything well takes hours and people get hungry, and by people I mean my family, so i decided to make a few side dishes and appetizers as well as the annual Christmas cookies, so the kitchen was a right mess. We had my ex's sister and friends over so there was even more confusion and noise,  extra children and glasses of wine. Every time I would take cookies or crab cakes out of the oven, they would disappear, so I was getting a little crabby. In order to not starve before dinner, I was hiding a couple of whatever in a cabinet, it kept them out of the blast zone and safe from the ravening hoards. 

I used to cater weddings and business meetings so I know how to feed a crowd but nothing keeps up with pre-teen stomachs. I had prepped most of the cookies stuff the day before and the dinner was pretty straight forward, hunk of meat in tomato sauce and herbs in large roaster in back of oven 3hours and your done. the rest was scoop on trays bake and serve. everything was labeled, except the salmon roe.

Between the making and the baking and the whipping of things the roe got pushed to the back of the counter, where one of the kids wanted to know what the pink stuff in the bowl was. Being busy I assumed it was one of mine and told them to try it and find out. Them not being one of my children, they did.
Ruining the joys of Terramosalata for them forever after. Though possibly teaching them an important lesson, Grown ups are not to be trusted.

Well that was fun

 So new update

it's not almost done

Something was not working out for me so 

I tore it apart.

very carefully

on the good side I was gifted a lovely Burgundy velvet skirt that just looks luscious as a border so 

I finished hand sewing on the corners before I tore it apart

of course because, reasons.

I'll get back to you on that when I have it figured out.

The plan is make it wider?

fix the blocks that bug me.

I want to embroider silk ribbon vines in the velvet borders

hopefully actually finish it and not take a year doing so.

And here is what would have been the last block

Had I not decided to shred that idea.

Embroidered water vase, Brass instruments, silk ribbon Flowers.

Almost Done

There Almost done sewing it all 19 blocks together, now for the corners

I feel the need to make it square.

 

The last two Blocks

 We are in the home stretch on this part of the project

The last two blocks are done

Bead Spider and web sewn with fine silver thread surrounded by greenery as is very common around here 

At this time of the year they are huge and covered with dew so at least you can see them before you walk through them.

The satin stitched Octopus was sewn over an outline and some padding of chain stitch, the coral rocks are an old piece of tatting from my mother-in-laws stash and some small charms and beads

And the last Block which is not yet done 

I have 2 sre folded flowers and leafy DMC branches in the white

A DMC embroidered vase with water streaming out is done but the seam treatments around it are not

and I have an idea for the dark panel but haven't gotten much farther than that

Thanksgiving was lovely but I still need to clean up a bit from the chaos of the run-up to the day and the day itself.

There is also all the stuff I need to do in the studio, customer quilts to be finished and projects to be started. There never seems to be enough time in the day to start, let alone finish, but it all seems to get done eventually, so I won't sweat it here.

More Tumbling around

More Tumbling Blocks are afoot
I am even sewing them all together

Here we have a sword pierced sacred bleeding heart picked out in satin stitch and goldwork, a basket of SRE flowers and a nosegay of blue SRE posies

Turkey-work moth, an Antique Tatted purple glove surrounded by SRE flowers and a Bullion Bee, Lacy Bead Owls ,seam treatments with more beads

Phases- Goldwork in couched Silver passing thread and couched braided silver flat cord, Glass Bead Pineapple,
Stumpwork Swan and lily pad

All seeing Eye made with Beads, Fairy in satin stitch with goldwork wings,

Satin stitch mouse climbing down a branch

Satin stitch cat, split stitch fox, Yellow SRE flowers and a woven wing butterfly.

 

I am so tired of this BullShit

 My Mother is a hippy so when I say "I have been protesting since birth" it is not hyperbole.

I have protested the Vietnam war, Nixon, birth control, women's rights, nukes, the gulf war, the Afghanistan war, LGBTQIA+ rights, abortion rights, women's rights again, Abortion rights again, no kings, worn pussy hats, carried signs, written letters called congress critters and seen some shit.

Because a bicycle ride through Lincoln park was our mode of transport back in the day, I was in the Chicago Riots at 4 years old. I have smelled the sting of pepper spray and felt the ring of the billy club against the metal frame of a purple schwinn.

And still, and still I have never feared the government......until now.

What will it take for america to wake up to this insanity? To the atrocities being done with their tax dollars, in their name, with a secret police reminiscent of the brown shirts of nazi fame?

It preens on a stage in front of men who should know better, about how strong they are

I have never before seen such an embarrassing display of weakness and incompetence

It rhymes already, it quacks, it beats unarmed protesters in the streets

It rappels onto the roof of apartments and arrests american citizens at 2 in the morning, with flash-bangs tear gas and tactical gear.

It Zip-ties babies in their underwear on a cold night at 2 in the morning

It crows about how it's making it safer and better, but I don't feel safer or better

It shoots protesters running away from them.

it is not out of the realm of possibility they will kill someone, soon.

In Memoriam

 It is my sad duty to relay that after a long illness my mother in Law Robin Paula Bernstein has passed.

She was feisty and jocular until the end. Her body failed her in the wee hours of Wednesday morning,

Passing peacefully at 2:34 am. She was attended by her son Adam and myself until the end.

We will Miss her gentile council, feisty nature, calming presents and sardonic matter of fact out look.

Everywhere she went she made friends, with neighbors delivery people, stray cats and humming birds

To the wonderful staff at Evergreen Memorial Hospital. We thank them for their reassurance and gentile Professional care.

"Weep You No More, Sad Fountains"

By John Dowland

Weep you no more, sad fountains;

What need you flow so fast?

Look how the snowy mountains

Heaven’s sun doth gently waste.

But my sun’s heavenly eyes

View not your weeping,

That now lie sleeping

Softly, now softly lies

Sleeping.

Sleep is a reconciling,

A rest that peace begets.

Doth not the sun rise smiling

When fair at even he sets?

Rest you then, rest, sad eyes,

Melt not in weeping

While she lies sleeping

Softly, now softly lies

Beginning the blocks

Here they all are so far sewn into blocks

And arranged on the floor

This is about 1/3rd of them, 

I haven't finished the rest yet.

So you will be seeing more as I get around to them 

but unless they are stunning 

I don't know that I will be showing the individual diamonds 

as much as I have been 


Below are the individual tumbling blocks if you care to peruse them

I wish I could bunch them up a little more 

but Bloggers, gonna Blogger