Ah, September!

The weather, at long last, has cooled off a bit! Brisk mornings and clear blue-sky afternoons with a slight breeze have been the norm around here this past week; it's a welcome relief~ I'm SO ready! The Dahlias are putting on a colorful show right now. We made another trip north to New England a week ago, a quick back and forth to avoid Labor Day traffic, it's all good. My mother had been hospitalized again and is now residing at a new (to her) rehab facility where she's very happy. Health-wise, she's weak; but she's content. Following that quick visit we continued south from New Hampshire to Massachusetts where we assisted Mr. G's sister with a recent home move. Having lost her husband a year ago she was ready to sell their home and forge a new path on her own. She's settling in nicely, and so is her dog, Monty; although the move was a bit traumatic for him.
Here are Monty and Augie resting after a full day of emptying boxes and wrestling with furniture! 

I read this one, start to finish, on the road trip. Being of a "certain age" I can relate well to the time period of this one, the Viet Nam war era; it's a good read.

The Barn Star quilt, my abbreviated version (56" X 76"), is together and off the design wall.  I needed to make room for the next project, a memory quilt for my SIL made from her dear husband's shirts. I've spent much time deconstructing them this week and getting everything ready to begin. There's a LOT of usable fabric in a shirt!

Stay tuned for progress on this one. I'm deeply grateful to all who've contacted me inquiring as to my whereabouts during the recent blog post blackouts, thank you! I'm fine, we're great and you're all wonderful to check in on me.

Life is Good!

Down Time

There was plenty of down time during our visit up north last week. Time spent visiting Mom in the care facility and waiting, there's lots of waiting time, needed to be filled. Even if the TV is on I have this need to be doing something. I read. I put binding on a quilt, and I cross stitched. It's always good to have something to show for time that has passed. My hands dislike idleness. This is the beginnings of Teresa Kogut's Strawberry Manor.  It's going to be sew pretty. 🍓 Here are the two entirely different books that I began while my bones mended, and finally finished. I can recommend both, for altogether different reasons.  I have two more by Rita Mae Brown that I'll pick up this summer. Animals having conversations with each other regarding human behavior is highly entertaining. 

Our traveling companion, on the other hand,

relishes his own down time. 

It's always good to catch up on one's rest. 

Is it bedtime yet?

Life is Good!

One Quick Trip

We've only just returned from a quick trip to Massachusetts; this time, sadly, for a family funeral. Our dear friend, and brother-in-law, Dick, passed away on Friday, September 8th. He'd been sick for the last few months, we kept up constant communication with Mr. G's sister, Barbara, and knew of his rapidly deteriorating condition but still were not prepared for that phone call informing us that he was gone. We have so many wonderful memories of him throughout the years.

In this photo, taken twenty five years ago, they were visiting us in our home overseas. Dick is on the far left, then Barbara, me and Mr. G. Those were happy times; we enjoyed SO many together! As you can tell by the picture at the top, Augie made himself at home while we stayed with Barbara, trying to help out as we could. That quilt in the upper photo is one that I made for my mother-in-law, seventeen years ago. You can read about it here; I was a brand new blogger way back then; the quilt now resides with my sister-in-law. 💗

We were able to dash up the road a little further, to NH, and grabbed lunch with my Mom and Dad on Friday (fish chow-dah, 'nuf said), it was so good to see them! On Sunday, when we were getting ready to leave, Augie and Monty (Barbara's dog) had a spirited game of tug-of turtle as we were eating breakfast. They're the original Big Dog, Little Dog pair.  They really do miss each other now. 

I read this book while traveling and highly recommend it; such great insight into dog behavior!  Home again, we're back to work on the kitchen project, finishing up the backsplash.

This is totally random but I thought I'd include this topic since I only just tackled it. When we arrived home there was a water ring mark on our coffee table. I have no idea where it came from or how long it had been there. I looked up some remedies and found one that utilized combining mayonnaise and fireplace ashes. I mixed up a small amount, rubbed in into the offending mark with a soft cloth, and left it there for about an hour. When I rubbed it off the mark was gone completely; I used equal parts, probably about a TBSP of each. 

Life is Good!

Back to the Books

It's that time of year, the big yellow school buses are running and I find myself checking the clocks, once again, before I run any quick errands to avoid getting stuck behind them or in a traffic jam resulting from carpool traffic snaking its way out onto the streets around the local schools. This time of year always makes me smile and feel a bit nostalgic at the same time. Our grands are in eighth, sixth (2) and fourth grades this year! Anyway, I digress... remember those "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" essays that were assigned at the beginning of every school year? In that vein: these three books consumed my last six to eight weeks. Knighton's book: Leave Only Footprints is nonfiction and, as a National Park lover, I thoroughly enjoyed his firsthand account of his travels to them. Backman's endearing fictional characters from his native Sweden grab me and pull me in, the author is a master of character development and storytelling, I just loved these two novels. It's time for me to hit the books again and get back to the library for something new. 

What's on your bedside table right now?

Life is Good!

In, and Under, the Weather

Since my last post was about winter storm Izzy, I thought it appropriate to continue the weather theme. This time, though, is my report from crawling out on the other side after being under the weather. Suffice it to say that there's been a LOT of reading done over the last few days, I hadn't the energy for anything else. Each one of these reads were good; very good. The Children's Blizzard is one of historical fiction, dealing with the blizzard of the Great Plains in January of 1888, happening unexpectedly on a relatively warm day. Someone who happens to read this blog emailed a few weeks ago to tell me that her grandfather lived through this event! This is a brutal retelling of the occurrence and its aftermath; made even more so when one realizes that it actually occurred, this one will stay with me. The character development in both Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe and Stars of Alabama is rich and compelling. Interestingly, and completely coincidental, is the fact that I read these back to back and they both take place in small towns in Alabama. I recommend all three for great writing and pure escapism. Hopefully I'll be back soon with more from the sewing space, just when I thought there was light at the end of the tunnel, recovery-wise, Mr. G. has managed to come down with the same thing that I have. 

It's a good thing we have nowhere to go, 

we couldn't if we tried.

Life is Good! 

September D.E.A.R.* Report

Here's the rundown for this past month; they were all good, each in their own way-- very different genres. No surprises with the Grisham novel, this one was well done, I thought. Westering Women is another historical fiction winner. I loved Beartown but I do thoroughly enjoy ice hockey and that theme runs throughout in relation to the culture and setting of this story, I'm unsure if that would be a turn-off to anyone that either disliked or didn't understand the sport, possibly.  The Wedding Quilt was a nice follow-up to The Union Quilters which I read last month; this one was of particular interest, however, in that the novel is set in the future and the historical perspectives are woven in as flashbacks. If you're a fan of Elm Creek Quilts novels, picking up one of these books is like reconnecting with old friends! I already have my books lined up for October!  *Drop Everything And Read: between politics and the pandemic some true escapism inside a good book is just what I need right now.

What's on your reading list today?

Life is Good!

Monthly D.E.A.R. Report and Something Sweet

Here's my August reading list, these were all good; actually, D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time has become one of our favorite hours of each day! I especially enjoyed the historical fiction works: A Well Behaved Woman, The Giver of Stars and The Union Quilters, as that's become my latest favorite genre but the other was a great read too. The Giver of Stars was most interesting to me because it is the second book in two months that I've read on the pack-horse library initiative of the WPA under President Roosevelt to supply rural patrons in the hills of Kentucky with books and reading materials during the 1930's. I've been giving our own local library a vigorous workout, using the library-to-go feature: ordering my books online and then picking them up in a "holding room" outside of the library proper. It works well, I put the title on hold for my local branch and when it comes in I receive an email. I'm super grateful to my daughter to turning me onto this service. The money that I'm saving on buying books can be directed toward fabric purchases; a  definite win-win!

When Lucy Ann was here the week before we made a fabulous, no-bake, freezer dessert: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake. This particular recipe is a new twist on an old-stand by and really is a keeper!

It might just be that repeating chocolate pudding/crushed Oreo layer that puts this one over the top, 

I'm not sure, but I highly recommend this as an easy to prepare and delicious summertime dessert. 

You're welcome!

Life is Good!

D.E.A.R. Time

Since we've created the new porch space to enjoy we've added a new element to our daily schedules. No matter what Mr. Goodneedle or I are doing at 4:00 PM  we Drop Everything And Read for an hour. We have really come to enjoy this custom over the past two weeks and we hold each other to it, if I'm busy in the sewing room and might even consider skipping a day he encourages me to leave what I'm doing and come sit down. This is escapism in its most basic form, it's been far too long that I have dedicated time exclusively for reading; and if we ever needed escapism- it's now!

These are my most recent additions. I've finished The Nightingale, am more than halfway through Keeping Faith and half yet to begin Then She Was Gone. If you've been frustrated by recent trips to the grocery store you might consider reading The Nightingale-- you'll rejoice at the abundance on the shelves today, even in light of the current state of the health crisis and an upside-down world. 🙃 Ann, over at straythreads, has posted a reading list to ponder if you are searching to titles to explore. What's new and different at your house during this stay at home time, how are you "escaping"?

Adapting today: I keep a can of Lysol handy and have taken to spraying and wiping down everything that comes in from the outside before I bring it in now.  We can't be too careful- wash your hands 🧼.

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." -Romans 15:4

Life is Good!

Up next: Creeping In

Lessons Learned

I hope to be a lifelong learner; I pray that I never get to that place where I think I've learned all that there is to learn. My grandmother used to tell me that every day spent without learning something new was a wasted day. Recalling that now, probably told to me when I was Jr. High age, was most likely in response to thinking that I already knew it all!  We kept the grandchildren late last week while their mommy was recovering from an outpatient medical procedure. As enthusiastic Cribbage players, we always have a board and deck of cards out and ready for a game. Lynnleigh decided that it was time to learn and PawPaw was a patient teacher. I love my granddaughter's eagerness to learn something new. This game will takes years of learning and practice for her, but she's undaunted.

Here's my class sample from "Fast to Fancy Freehand Feathers", the longarm quilting class that I took up in Hampton, VA. Our instructor, Bethanne Nemesh, was excellent. I appreciated her method of teaching in a manner that let us loose for stitching, and alternately drawing, in well-timed sessions as we explored a variety of increasingly difficult techniques applied to feathers in quilting. I was especially excited by her demonstrations of body placement and showing us ways to protect our spines and posture while working at the longarm. A friend told me years ago if I ever had the opportunity to learn from Bethanne to take advantage of that; I'm so glad that I listened and that I did!

Last week I was summoned to Jury Duty. My daughter told me to take a book. I am so happy to report that I did just that. This is the third time that I've been summoned but only the first time that I have had to report. My time there amounted to waiting in the jury pool room and ultimately being released to go home. 

Round two of my dental implant saga happened on Thursday. I learned my lesson from round one: plan nothing for the rest of the day after sedation dentistry! I am now the proud owner of a threaded insert. All is well and healing continues. 

I decided to try out Kim Diehl's "chubby binding" method on my latest quilt finish. I happened to have her "Simple Seasons" here but I believe this technique is outlined in all of her books. I had ordered a Clover 1" bias tube maker some time ago and it worked great. This is the second new method of binding I've tried this year-- my bias binding of curved corners happened earlier.

I do like the results of the "chubby binding"; it appears as normal on the front side of the quilt and much wider, appearing as sort of a frame, on the back side as seen here. I have since basted this down for hand-finishing. 

As my "Vision 2020" scrap quilt challenge to myself progresses I decided to stitch up cut triangles that have been accumulating in one of my bins. This is a random block that simply grew under my needle. It has distinct possibilities...

Using a copy, cut and paste feature I photographed the block and combined it with itself in various settings; these are my favorite two, with the dark pinwheel center being the overall design winner. And sew it goes... 

Ultimately we're all learning as we go as far as dealing with the current, ongoing health crisis. We're learning how to deal with hunkering down, what we can live without and daily uncertainty. The afore-mentioned book that I took with me to jury duty is Kristin Hannah's "The Nightingale". If you ever had to stop and consider what, exactly, one can live without; this is the book to point out exactly that! Sure, things might not be as convenient right now as we would like, but what can we learn?

In the meantime, take care of yourselves; be smart and pay attention.

And, above all: be prayerful! 

That's the best and most powerful lesson that I've ever learned. 

Life is Good!

Up next: Moving to the "Finished" Column!

Stitching On The Seas

All those sea days spent sailing to and fro on the big boat were not spent with idle hands, far from it. Like I did two years ago, this past trip saw many hours on the ocean spent hand stitching these itty-bitty motifs onto Essex Linen. They will soon be set into a child-sized quilt. (Click here to read a similar post from 2017.)  This time, using the same awesome book: "S" Is For Stitch by Kristyne Czepuryk,  I stitched out the boy version.


Stay tuned to see how this one is set together. The colors are much more muted this time, I love it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Life is Good!

 

Pulling It Together

Pattern is from the book "S is for Stitch"  ~ 34.5" X 39"

Last week I found the perfect border piece for this embroidered "quiltlet", I believe this color helps to pull it together. I also found, what I consider to be, the most ideal backing piece as well, a precious floral that picks up the colors from the front (left, photos below). I need for scrappy, multi-fabric pieces to be controlled and cohesive. This one is pulling together beautifully, at least it is to my eye. Yesterday afternoon I took  stole a bit of time and added the border, pressed the piece and hung it on a hanger, where it now has taken its rightful spot in the "to be quilted" queue. That brings up even more to think about. However will I quilt this one? I honestly don't know.

I don't believe that I want to quilt through the hand embroidered blocks at all. 

What would you do when faced with this quilting challenge? I am wide open to suggestions. I have a LOT of time to decide, I am counting on this little flimsy to wait patiently for its turn, there are a myriad of other tasks that require pulling together in the meantime. Stolen moments to stitch, however, provides much needed energy to this quiltophile!

Life is Good!

"S" Is For Stitch

I saw some precious projects made up with tiny, hand-embroidered, blocks using the patterns from a book by Kristyne Czepuryk: S is for Stitch. Well, of course, I had to take a hand project with me on our recent vacation. I spent many a morning sitting outside on our balcony, happily stitching away one letter at a time. These little blocks finish up at four inches square.

 By the end of our fifteen day cruise I had all of the letters and little pictures done.

The trimmed blocks, ready for setting.

Beginning the setting.

After adding the inner border I thought about adding a strippy-pieced outer border, after auditioning a piece I abandoned that idea; it seemed too strong and distracting. I will add an outer border, in a tone-on-tone turquoise color, I just need to find the right piece. This small quilt measures 30" X 35" right now, before the outer border is added.

This is the little girl version, there is a boy version too; I believe I need to do that one as well!

Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?

Life is Good!