This, That, and the Other

Aren't these guys the cutest?   They are about half an inch high and were sitting on a shelf at a local store.

Toys a child left behind?  Part of a display or advertisement, though there wasn't anything around that seemed to be associated with little ducks.  I wanted to bring them home but there was no price tag.  I have a collection of little things and these would fit right in.

June has flown by.  For me it might as well be over since a total knee replacement surgery is scheduled for this coming Tuesday.  Preparation for surgery (making food, getting the house ready for a walker, making sure I have all the equipment I'll need, etc.) has taken a lot of time.  Hence, little progress on the quilting front.  Sadly Bramble Blooms I and II are both on hold indefinitely, at least as far as physical progress goes.  I haven't written them off or decided not to participate, though.  I plan to come back to them when I'm more mobile and my mind isn't focused on other things.  Maybe a spark of creativity during this surgery and recovery process will push me toward some decisions?  Or not.

What I have been sewing are several simple, lightweight cotton, summer dresses, similar to these.  I can cut and sew a pattern well enough but adjusting and fitting a pattern are the problem, and patterns nearly always need adjusting.  I'm not a standard size.  I'm on pins and needles cutting and sewing until I know the garment will fit.  The first of the two dresses fits and is comfortable; I hope the second one will be, too.  

You may remember this post from almost exactly a year ago about my rose-print fabrics and the challenge I set for myself to use them in a quilt.
The fabrics sat around for nearly a year.  I finally decided to cut squares and make a one-patch.  My reasoning was that I have enough fabric to make several quilts, so why not start with a one-patch.  The squares are 4½", placed in no particular order.  I'm imagining a calm, quiet quilt.

Maybe the criteria of roses isn't enough to unify a quilt?  I may edit out some of the darker prints or place them carefully.  I may also add some applique to the finished top, or add some pieced blocks, either 4" or 8" finished.  I have 200 of the needed 300 squares cut.  I've never made a one-patch quilt before and am wondering how one chooses a layout.  Do you know?

I finished this quilt I call Center Light in 2013 and have slept under it every winter night for 11 years as well as some spring and autumn nights.

I felt a spot near the top of the quilt getting thin and recently noticed this casualty of use.

I'll repair it, of course, but how?  It's a  utility quilt and part of me says to just make a patch that covers the hole, the binding, and the back, and stitch it down.  The perfectionist in me says to unstitch the binding, unquilt the section that needs repair, add new batting and fabric, then requilt and sew on new binding.  There's another colored block that is torn, also.  Huh!  I never expected it to be an heirloom quilt but I did think it would last longer than 11 years!  Except for this spot and the binding along almost all of this edge, the rest of the quilt is in good shape.  How would you repair it?

This is happening along the country roads not far from us. I believe it's winter wheat.  It was sprouting green in March so I guessed it was planted last fall.

We saw many fields, some that were acres and acres larger than this one.  It brought to mind the phrase "Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain" from the song "America."

The weather has been hot and humid, from the high 80s to the high 90s, with "feels like" temperatures in the low 100s some days.  Heat warnings or advisories and air quality alerts have been in effect all week and are still in effect now.  I went to the store yesterday and when I stepped onto the pavement I wanted to move the heat away as if it were a curtain brushing against me, it was so dense and heavy.  I'm grateful for air conditioning.  Even inside it feels oppressive but at least it's cool enough to breathe.  I feel sorry for people and animals who have to be outside.  Whatever did my farming ancestors do?!

About that knee replacement surgery on Tuesday.  (Well, first, did you know that the knee is the biggest joint in the body and one of the most complex?  That was news to me.)  I'm good with the surgery itself but I'm not looking forward to the days and weeks after.  The more I learn, the more grueling it sounds.  Infection and blood clots are the biggest post-surgery concerns for the doctor and nurses but they're also concerned about exercise, since that's what will give me my mobility.  My biggest concerns are whether I'll actually be able to do all that they expect and require, and whether I can prevent constipation.  (TMI?  Sorry.)  The expectations post-surgery are to

• use ice on top and behind my knee to keep the swelling down, because swelling can cause blood clots
• wear TED stockings:  very tight compression stockings which can be really hard to get on and are uncomfortable to wear (so I'm told)
  
• keep my knee elevated above the level of my heart
  
• use a CPM (or continual passive motion) machine for 6 hours/day to keep my knee moving which, I guess, is part of the exercise, and possibly also for swelling
• exercise hourly; the exercises take about 20 minutes; also walk for about 15 minutes every hour
  
• eat high protein and lots of fiber
• take medications, watch diet, prevent constipation (if that's possible with narcotic pain killers)
  

Just when you feel your worst after a major surgery and most want to rest, the doctors want you to keep moving.  I'll get through this and, hopefully, will be more mobile.  

That's it from me for at least a week, maybe more.  I hope you stay cool and comfortable or, if you're from the southern hemisphere, I hope you stay warm and toasty.

--Nancy.

Slow Stitching Zinnias Today

Talk about slow stitching!  These baskets have taken a year or longer, but only because I'm not in a hurry to finish them.. I sew them now and then.  This basket of zinnias is in progress, a little more finished now than in this photo taken a few days ago.  I hope to finish it this week.

These next two have been finished for a few weeks.  Does this one need another leaf on that left stem?

And this one, another leaf, too, on the left stem?  This basket is really straight on the background, I just photographed it crooked.

I have two more blocks to stitch down the zinnias and leaves, plus three more baskets to prepare for applique and three more backgrounds to choose for each of them.  Then I'll choose zinnias and stitch them and their leaves in place.  I think that will give me a total of 20 blocks, 10" x 12" finished.  If I lay them out without sashing (which is not my plan) they would become a 40" x 60" center.  But I think they're too busy not to have sashing.  I'll just keep stitching flowers and leaves for now. 

I love these little baskets.  I'm thankful for quilt blocks-in-progress that are already prepared for both hand and machine stitching.  They're easy to pick up when I don't have the time or energy to think through starting something new.  They're there and ready to go, even for just a few minutes of sewing.

I'm linking this post to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Thanks for hosting the link-up, Kathy.

I hope you have good Sunday.

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #26

Here are just a few links I thought were interesting, amazing, or just fun.  I hope you enjoy at least one of them.

These paper mushrooms made by Ann Wood (of WoodLucker) are amazing.  But don't confuse that Ann Wood with Ann Wood Homemade who uses fabric to make amazing mushrooms.

Here's a free way to improve grainy photos.  I haven't tried it but when I begin scanning old family history photos again, I'll see if it can improve some of them.  If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think of the results.

Petrichor is a word I read occasionally, forget what it means, then have to look up each time I see it. 

Petrichor is the fragrance many people smell when rain falls on dry earth.  I love the smell of rain!  I wanted to post a video but none of them are accompanied by scents!  I'm posting about petrichor because Lisa Waud created an installation in a historic Detroit warehouse which she named "petrichor."  She covered the ground floor of a warehouse with sod.  I imagine it would have been a delight to visit.  I understand that not everyone can smell petrichor and some people can smell it even before the rain starts.  I'm one of the latter and love the fragrance.  What about you?  Do you smell petrichor?

Will personalized cancer vaccines become a permanent cure for those who receive them?  Trials are in progress. If successful, this is totally exciting to me!

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #25

Here are a few finds from around the internet that I enjoyed.  Maybe you will enjoy some of them, too.

Thanks to Daniel Mennerich for this beautiful photo of the Northern Lights.

  One cold winter night in December many years ago, I saw colored lights dancing in the sky while my husband and I were travelling in Upstate New York.  It is the only time I've seen the Northern Lights and was amazed at their beauty.  I always thought they were a winter phenomenon and was surprised to see photos of them this spring.  Did you see them?
   Learn more about the sun, the Lights, and upcoming solar events here.

When nature and art meet....  See more of Susan Bauer's leaves with crochet additions at her website.

What do you think?  Agree or disagree?  The Biggest Mistake Quilters Make.

I love upcycling, especially when found objects become creative folk art.  See more of Kirsty's art on Instagram.

There are fads among teen orcas?  Probably.  But they're not much fun for humans and their yachts.

I hope you find at least one interesting post.

--Nancy.

Scrappy Stars, Scrappy Nine-Patch Blocks

It feels like I haven't accomplished much these past few weeks (or months).  I'm slow, slow, slow.

I'm making scrappy stars (a la Taryn of Repro Quilt Lover).  I intended them as leaders/enders but find myself cutting, piecing, and stitching them even without sewing anything else.  This one is my favorite so far.

They will finish at 6".  I love that the triangles in the stars can be made from either 1½" strips or from some already cut triangles.  And I love the scrappiness of them.

I'm making ones with warm colors now, reds, oranges, yellows and variations of those colors, and setting aside the cool colors for later.  (Unless I change my mind and decide to combine them.)  I have eleven red stars so far.

I've also been making scrappy nine-patch blocks, also a la Taryn.  She's currently hosting a sew-along based on an antique quilt.  Mine are scrappier than the ones in the quilt.  I chose to use autumn tones for these.  I hope they all play well together.  I'm making 3" blocks.

Adding these 20 blocks to the ones I have gives me a total of 98.  I need 204, if I alternate them with a solid/print fabric.  I haven't chosen a fabric yet, or even a color.  I also haven't decided whether to do a straight or on-point set. No problem.  I have as many to make as I've already made.  It will be a while before I start sewing completed blocks together.

Much of my time these days seems to be devoted to doctors' and medical appointments:  primary care physician, orthopedic surgeon (first knee replacement coming at the end of June), spine specialist (with upcoming physical therapy), dentist, gynecologist, mammogram, bone density scan, podiatrist, dermatologist.  My body is falling apart during this 3/4 century year! 

Our weather has been variable.  This week we had two grey and rainy days, so dark during the day that I needed to turn on the lights to see.  Temperatures have been in the mid-70s part of the week, so it's been mostly great weather.  I have to say I love those grey and rainy days, as long as there aren't too many in a row!  I'm wondering what weather the summer will bring.

I hope you're doing well!

I'm linking this post to Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Alycia.

--Nancy.

Bramble Blooms I, Unfinished

I'm a slowpoke (maybe the only one?) making Bramble Blooms I.  At the best of times I make decisions slowly and carefully, considering options and possibilities.  These days I'm low on motivation, energy, and creativity, so the decisions are taking longer and I find they may not be the best choices.  Anyway, with a May 14 deadline to post our finishes at the link-up on Audrey's blog, Quilty Folk, I put Bramble Blooms back on the floor for further consideration and decisions.

My Bramble Blooms and I were not happy with our first border efforts.  You can see them here.  The border is too wide at 7", the brown is too dark, the appliques make it too busy/are disjointed/just odd....   I will make it into a bed-sized quilt but I realized that adding two wide borders to a 21" x 28" center is not the way for it to become a bed-sized quilt.  I think this first border, at least, should be narrower, and then a wider border, or perhaps several more  borders of different widths. 

I didn't get any further than considering three other border colors and leaves for the applique (my daughter and the kitties are coming for an unexpected visit so I had to take the quilt up from the floor).  One of my problems is that I have too few mid-range fabrics but plenty of dark/intense colors and a good sampling of lights.... 

I think this red may be too bright, too intense?  I like it but I just don't think it's quite right.  (Yet.)  And do those leaves look "dotty" to you?  Well, if they were green there wouldn't be such a contrast against the red.  I imagined green leaves but only had two to lay on the quilt.  I cut the rest out of paper just to try out the arrangement/placement.  And what would I do for the next border of 4- or 9-patch blocks?!

Maybe a blue border?  In person I like the narrow red strip between the inner and outer borders but in the photo, not so much.  The green leaves show up not at all.  But off-white/cream colored leaves?  At first I said absolutely not but then realized that I could do anything I want--my quilt, my choice.  Do I want light leaves?  Do I want leaves at all, or some other motif?

And then there's this light, creamish border....  It looks too bland, I think.  All three of the borders in these photos are 4"-5" wide, so 2-3" narrower than the brown border in the photo at the link above.

It all comes down to making a quilt I like, not just a quilt that follows the prompts.  And yet, I know going with the prompts will stretch me creatively, so I don't want to disregard the prompts, either.  (A number of years ago I made another prompt-drive quilt with Lori's Humble Quilts Gwenny-Inspired Medallion Quilt-Along.  See it here.)

I don't know where this Bramble Blooms is going.  I kept thinking I would put solid arcs in red around the edges, not as big as the ones on the brown border, maybe half-circles or 3/4 circles that don't curve in at the bottom, but trying those out didn't seem quite right, either.  The quilt and I will figure this out, sooner or later.  I appreciate Audrey's comment, "There is no shame that some projects just take their own sweet time!"

If you have thoughts, observations, opinions, suggestions or any other comments, I welcome and would be thrilled to read them.  You probably notice something I didn't or have an idea that hasn't come to my mind.

You can see all the other Bramble Blooms participants' quilt here at Audrey's blog, Quilty Folk.  Thanks so much for hosting this sew-along, Audrey, and for the challenges and opportunities it's created for me to grow and push myself out of my comfort zones.  I feel a growth spurt coming soon. 

--Nancy.

Links to Enjoy #24

Here are just a few links and a video I found interesting and enjoyed over the past week or two.  Maybe one of these  will capture your interest, too.


Maybe you will enjoy Judy Martin's brief post, a language of care, with its gentle thoughts about quilts. 


Althea Crome is a micro knitter who creates sweaters that fit on a fingertip!  Watch a video interview and see her knitting at Tiny Stitches.  Read more here. 


I have always been fascinated by bird nests, how they're created, and how remain intact when so many are made of mud and sticks, bits of debris, etc.  But I think woven nests are the most amazing.  How can birds possibly create a nest with only a beak and claws?!  Watch!




And since we're on the topic of birds, can I mention how beautiful I think feathers are?  I enjoy looking at them, often pick them up from the ground, and rarely keep them (except for a few too beautiful not to save.  But there's a lot more to feathers than I ever imagined.  I enjoyed this article, Why Feathers Are One of Evolution's Cleverest Inventions, by Michael B. Habib in Scientific American, in which the author tells of a small bird that made a non-stop flight of 8,425 miles in 250 hours and how his feathers played a part in that flight.  The article is filled with information about the wonder of feathers.  Though a little long, it was well worth my time. 


Enjoy!
--Nancy.

Slow Sunday Stitching

Today I'll be appliqueing this block.  The two stems on the right are finished and I just started stitching the stem on the left.  I fold over and pin pieces (the leaf and the flower) if they're in the way.  After the stems are stitched, I'll finish the inside of the basket handle, then sew the leaves, and finally the flowers.

I'm amazed at the detail an enlarged photo will show compared to what I see through my glasses.  I was surprised to realize that some of the pins look like they are rusty!  What?!  I can't feel the rust with my fingers nor see the rust when I look at them.  I suppose I should get rid of those pins, don't you think?  Leave them in longer than a week and I'll have a rusty zinnia.  (If you want to see, you can click the photo to open it in another tab, then click again to enlarge.)

I may also continue quilting Everyday Patchwork.  I haven't put a stitch in this for several weeks, at least.

I was going to post last week for Slow Sunday Stitching but didn't manage it.  Below is the block I was stitching, which is now finished.  (Though no photo of its finish.) 

I added another leaf on the right side of the stem on the right.

I don't see any rusty pin in this block, below.

It seems that summer has waltzed into town.  We've had a beautiful, relaxed, and slow early spring.  Lately the temperatures have been in the mid-60s and low 70s, but today it's in the 80s, and probably will be for the next week or so, if my weather app is correct.  It's time for short sleeves, at least for now.  It could be in the 50s again in two weeks.

I'm sorry to have learned of the death of one of my blogging friends.  Susan Nixon, who blogged at Desert Sky Quilts, passed away last week.  She'd fought cancer for several years.  Rest in peace, Susan.  Maybe you knew her?

I'm linking this post to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Click through to see others' handwork.  Thanks for hosting, Kathy.

--Nancy.