RSC Blocks, Little Plaid Basket, Locust Trees, and the Ocean

Autumn has been moseying its way into central Ohio, even now at the end of October.  The temperatures are cool but the colors are still mostly green.  It's an autumn without the bright colors we associate with fall.  The colors and timing this year is similar to the the year I made the maple leaves quilt.  That year I decided if nature wasn't going to provide autumn colors, I would make them myself.  I think we'll still have green leaves in November again this year!

These six blocks below are probably the last I'll make for my Rainbow Scrap 9-patch quilt.  Last month Angela suggested sea colors--blues/aquas--but I had plenty of those and made these instead.  

Oops!  I finished stitching this Little Plaid Baskets with Zinnias block.  How can I have spent so much time with it in my hands and not have seen the problem?!

It looks like I'll be doing some unstitching soon.  (Color above is more accurate.)

Lizzy and I both talk about locust trees.  I love our honey locusts, and was surprised when she first responded with her intense dislike of locust trees.  What's not to like? I wondered.  She mentioned the thorns she remembers from childhood and how they stabbed her feet.  But ours don't have thorns.  With a little research, I learned that there are several kinds of locust trees.  Finally, a year or so ago at a nearby park, I saw what she was talking about.  Now I understand her dislike of the trees. 

In autumn the leaves of our honey locust trees turn a bright golden hue.  When they cover the ground, they almost seem to pave the it with gold.  I feel so wealthy in the fall.  The leaves add such brightness to my world.  Their only drawback is that they are not friendly to our house:  on rainy or damp days, they cling to our shoes and if we're not careful, come inside and fall to the floor leaving a mess.  Even with that small inconvenience, I love them.  (The photo at right was taken in a neighborhood a mile or so away.

And the ocean!  We went to the dear, dear ocean the first week of October.  I was thrilled to go!  After family events at the beginning of the year, I thought our trip last September was the last time in my life I would see the ocean in person.  It was wonderful to go again.  (The weather is better in September than October.  That is, if there isn't a hurricane.)

This was our view from the hotel room on sunny Tuesday morning.  You can see the rain streaks on the window.  They were easy to ignore with the gorgeous view.  We were on the third floor this year, so a better view but more steps. Later that day we walked through beautiful Thompson Island.  It's on the northeast corner of Rehoboth Bay with a path that meanders through a forest and ends at a tidal marsh.  It's an interesting contrast to have forest just a mile or so from the ocean.

The forest floor was covered with pine needles from the tall loblolly pines. (What a fun name!)

The next day was cloudy with a calm ocean.  I love the ocean no matter what the weather but boisterous waves are more fun to watch.  It was foggy in the morning and still cloudy after the fog dissipated.

It was interesting to see the little tide pools after the tide went out.  They were gone after a few hours.

Another interesting feature of the beach this year was the ledge the waves/tide created in thee sand.  It was less than a foot high and was only along a short section of the beach.

On Thursday, the waves were stronger and the sky mostly clear blue.

This is the path we walk from our hotel to the ocean.

And this is the path from the ocean to the hotel.

I've been back from vacation for two weeks but I'm having trouble setting aside the vacation mindset.  Responsibilities?  What responsibilities?  I just want to relax.  Do you struggle with the transition from vacation to real life, too?  I need to get on with making alternate blocks for the RSC quilt....

--Nancy.

Another Little Plaid Basket Finished

One more little plaid basket is all stitched, including zinnia flowers, stems, and leaves...

and I started appliqueing the next basket.  I love this red and army green plaid even if it isn't the most generous fabric for hand stitching.

When I applique these baskets stitch around the outside edge of an empty basket first. When that part is appliqued, I place the stems, the flowers, and the leaves, decide the order to applique them.  I usually stitch the stems and leaves first, then the handle between the flowers.  Sometimes I have to juggle the order of stitching and do a little of the handle, then part of a flower or leaf or stem.  Eventually everything gets stitched.

I have this basket to finish and one more that needs flowers, leaves, and stems.  Then I should be done!  I'm looking forward to turning these into a top!

I'm linking this post to
  > Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Kathy.

--Nancy.

Taking a Look at Little Plaid Baskets with Zinnias

I laid out these basket blocks to see how they look, just to refresh my memory.  Where was I going with these?  What did I have in mind?  I know they'll need to be rearranged....

My notes are pretty sketchy.  I remember I was originally going to have them around the sides and bottom of the quilt with some other blocks in the center, then decided on just baskets.  Did I have a different configuration in mind than this, because there's one more basket that didn't fit this layout?  Was I going to stagger them?  I can't think how or why I would have thought that might work.  (Reminder to self:  keep better notes!)

The baskets will finish at 10" x 12".  As they are now, the layout would measure 40" x 60" but with sashing and a border the measurements will increase.

I wonder if these baskets will drive someone nuts. There are at least three or four different basket shapes and the plaids are cut in several different directions:  on the diagonal and on the straight grain with some plaids horizontal and some vertical.

My thought at this point is that these baskets need some space between them.  Shall I sew two 1" borders around each using different fabrics, or the same fabrics/color, or....?   I remember my Cheri Payne Baskets of Plenty (here and here) around which I sewed the same fabric.  The result was a very static quilt which I thought looked awful.  (I still have those borders to unstitch.)  Anyway, I was thinking perhaps dark greens, different shades of browns, greys, maybe reds, maybe even blacks around these baskets.  Maybe.

This is the basket I'm currently stitching.  The colors in the photo are a little brighter than in the actual block.

When it's finished, there will be one more basket to applique and flowers to choose and stitch for two baskets.  This is has been a slow quilt to stitch.  I began collecting photos of zinnias in September, 2021, so it's been 3½ years!  I guess I've had some quilts in progress longer than that, though. 

There's no great hurry to decide because I have more applique to do for these, but I think it's good to start thinking in advance.

I'm linking this post to
  > Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts
  > Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuations
  > Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts
  > Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

On a health note.
I've had one, long, ongoing headache since the middle of November when I first had vertigo.  The vertigo is still gone, but the headache persists, with varying intensity.  I went to a neurologist on Friday who diagnosed the headache as New Daily Persistent Headache.  What a name!  He thought that when they put tubes down my throat for surgery in October they may have hit a nerve or two.  He offered two options for treatment, either of which he said should break the cycle:  an oral, 2-week round of the steroid prednisone or an injection on either side of the base of my skull.  Ouch!  I chose the oral route, but there hasn't been much change yet.  He said it may take a week or so.  I hope it works because I'm mightily tired of having a constant headache.

I hope you're healthy and happy and doing well!

--Nancy.

Slow Stitching Little Plaid Baskets

I wish I were a better photo-taker.  It's probably me and not the camera, though it could be my phone's camera that's not up to snuff.  Anyway....

I finished stitching the outside of this basket probably in October before vertigo arrived.  Now I'm auditioning flowers and their placement along with the stems and leaves.  Everything except the basket itself may be moved or changed before being stitched in place.

This is the basket I've been trying to stitch for a few weeks.  After it's finished, I'll audition flowers, stems and leaves.

The stitching on this basket is of somewhat lesser quality that my usual.  Thank goodness no one will see the back after it's been quilted, and hopefully won't look too closely at the front, either.

These baskets will finish at 10" x 12". 

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

I hope you're having a good Sabbath!
--Nancy.

P.S.  This is just to say there are a total of four more baskets to finish, including these, lest anyone is getting as tired of seeing these baskets as I am.

A Crow, a Surgery, the Ocean, and a Little Plaid Basket (but not in that order)

To those of you who left comments on my last post, thank you!  I responded on the post and not to your email boxes.  There seem to be some glitches in either my computer, with my software, with my mouse, or maybe with gmail.  I lost all of your comment emails (and about two months' worth of other emails).  I hope you can forgive me for not responding directly to you.  

Knee replacement surgery was on October 22.  I think I'm doing better earlier this time than last, though walking with a walker is still slow and there's still pain.  It's hard to keep one leg elevated and do things like write blog posts at a computer, use a sewing machine, sometimes even stitch by hand.  Swelling is inevitable after a knee replacement, even with TED hose, hence the elevation requirement.

But, early in October, my daughter and I went to Dewey Beach, Delaware, for a few days.  One day each to drive down and back, but three glorious days at the ocean.  We had an ocean view from our hotel which sits just behind the dunes making it a short walk to the beach.  My daughter kept commenting on what a wonderful vacation it was, and it really was wonderful, but still challenging for me with a barely healed knee and being short on both strength and stamina.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

In my opinion you can never had too many photos of the ocean but one post can have too many of my ocean photos.  Here are a few.  We had days of both clouds and sun.  I never tire of watching the ocean.

A trip to Dewey Beach wouldn't be complete without a walk through a nearby nature preserve (whose name I can't remember).  No part of it borders the ocean but a section borders the bay. 

And then there were the seagulls at Rehoboth Beach.  We saw them practically dive-bombing people who had purchased french fries. No fries for us!

Back to knee surgery, but not about knee surgery.  If you think you might need ice packs (for scrapes or migraines or a sore back) this is a great, simple recipe.  In a gallon-size plastic zipper bag (best to use the brand-name ones) pour 3 cups water and 1 cup rubbing alcohol.  Zip and put into another zip bag, zip, then into the freezer.

It's hard to photograph the contents of these ice packs but when frozen they are like crunchy ice.  Put a towel or other cloth around them before putting on skin. I highly recommend them.

The other thing I wanted to post is a pain scale my doctor included in a booklet they gave me before the first surgery. That pain scale always confused me--a scale compared to what?--and this chart clarified it for me.   Now the doctor or nurse or physical therapist and I are all on the same page when I say my pain is at a level 6 or 2 or 9, etc.

My only stitching has been on this little plaid basket.  I wasn't sure about the fabric but have decided I like it.  I'm looking forward to choosing flowers to go inside.

Regular readers may remember that I'm not a fan of Halloween but I couldn't resist taking a photo of the dapper Edgar Allan Crow in front of the public library at Rehoboth Beach.  The librarians outdid themselves.

My daughter and I stood outside the library trying to get a good look at all aspects of Edgar and take photographs.  At one point I stumbled backward over the edge of the sidewalk and, arms flailing, could feel myself on the way to the ground.  My daughter reached out her hand to steady me just in time.  It must have been a sight to behold.  When we walked into the library, the librarian behind the counter asked what we thought of their crow and told us what fun they'd had creating him.  It was then I realized that he'd probably been watching through the large picture window and had a full view of my near-fall.  What must he have thought, I've wondered.  Drunk?  Old woman?  Dizzy with admiration for Edgar?  I chuckle about it every time I think of it.

I hope you good readers are doing well.  Thanks for visiting.

--Nancy.

One Monthly Goal Finish, and Wind and Rain

My One Monthly Goal for September was to finish appliqueing this basket block (I'm so happy I finished it) and

to prepare the edges of these two baskets for applique onto their backgrounds.  I'm glad those are done, too.

I had a little trouble with the basket on the right and below.  The bias on the handle didn't want to lay flat.  I had thread left over after folding under and stitching the edges, which I thought I might need if I had to adjust the handles, so I loosely sewed it to the basket.  If I need it I'll have it, if I don't it won't be much of a problem to cut it away.

I don't know about setting a goal for October.  The second knee replacement is coming up the third week of October.  Would I be able to post a finish even if I had one?  And this coming week we're going to the ocean.  Hooray!  We were uncertain whether we'd be able to go.  I'm thrilled that we can!

We've had wind and rain today.  I opened some of the windows that were protected enough not to let the rain in.  I love how the wind billowed this curtain.  The wind was so cool and refreshing.

And this is a view of the rain through our driveway side screen door.  Oh, and you can see our golden honey locust leaves on the ground.  I love them but they are a mess when it rains because they stick to our shoes like crazy.

It's been the greyest day we've had for ages.  It's been beautiful and I love it!

Edited to add:  The power went out about 20 minutes after I published this post.  Then I learned that my daughter, in central Kentucky, hasn't has power all day and was told not to expect it to come on until 11 p.m. tomorrow.  I've been in a bubble today and didn't realize how rotten the weather's been for people in other areas.  My thoughts and prayers are with them--or you if you're in an area that's having wind, rain, flooding, etc.

I'm linking this post to
> September One Monthly Goal Finish Link-up at Stories from the Sewing Room
> Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.

Post-Surgery Thank You and a Few Stitches

Thank you, dear readers, for your good wishes, words of encouragement, thoughtful comments, and prayers in response to my last post.  I appreciate all of them.     

It's been four weeks, almost five, since surgery, and a few stitches on this basket are all I have to show for that time.  I haven't felt very motivated and the doctor tells me no sewing on my knee-pedal Singer.  (But I did finish one book and am almost finished with another.)  (And I have a new knee!)

Knee replacement surgery is not for the faint of heart!  The surgery itself isn't the challenge (the doctor takes care of that), it's all the work that comes after the surgery.  Just when you want to go home and let your knee rest and recuperate, along come the physical therapists who give you a dozen painful exercises to do ten times each, three times a day.  My poor arthritic knees were in bad shape (and one still is) which, I think, means that the exercises are more painful or just, perhaps, harder to do.  Extend the leg so the knee is at 0 degrees; and bend the leg, heel to bottom, to a minimum of 120 degrees.  Ouch!  And then there are the strengthening exercises, which I started last week. 

I went into surgery thinking I'd done my research, knew what was coming, and was at least moderately prepared.  I won't make that mistake again....  Several websites tell me that a knee replacement surgery is one of the hardest and most painful.  Even hip replacements were not as painful as this.  I guess it takes about a year to full heal.

So, on June 3, Judy of Small Quilts and Doll Quilts had surgery.  I think she must be the poster child for quickest healing after a knee replacement surgery:  she proclaimed herself all well and healed on June 24! 

The hospital gave me a box of tissues.  I liked the box better than the tissues.

This is a view from my walker. I move with the stars around me. Haha.

I'm using the walker less and less, but I'm not up to speed yet.  I will try to visit your blogs and leave comments as I'm able.  And thank you again for your comments on my last post.

--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.

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.

This and That

Last week I needed some slow, portable hand stitching that didn't require much thinking.  I pulled out several of these little plaid baskets with zinnias and stitched while I listened to and watched a conference online.
I finished these two, above and below.  They are crooked because of the angle of the camera--they really do have perpendicular edges with square corners.

Below is one that's still in progress.  The colors of all these baskets are much more vibrant in person.

I think I still have half as many basket blocks to finish as are finished but I'm beginning to think of how to set them.  Maybe several scrappy borders around them, but no decisions yet.  There's still plenty of time.

My favorite iron that I've ever owned is this Hamilton Beach with auto shut-off, Model 1421OR.

It heated in less than a minute, stayed on an hour before shutting off (auto shut-off required for me because I forget to turn off my iron), and had a button to push to wind the cord into a storage spot at the bottom (something new to me).  I don't use the steam feature.  I've had a lot of different irons in my lifetime, including a Rowenta (that sparked).  Sadly, I set this one too close to the edge of the ironing board one day and it fell.  I almost caught it.  When it landed on the floor the light stayed on and I thought it was still working, but then the light went out and it was dead.  I was so sad.  I bought another Hamilton Beach with similar features.  I hope it turns out to be as good.

Fruit trees are in bloom all around us, but we lost two of our three cherry trees last year to disease.  The third and remaining tree has a few blossoms.  In past years they looked bounteous. 

Did you watch the eclipse last Monday, the 8th?  We were a few miles outside the path of totality so drove about 30 or 45 minutes to a nearby small town to see it and sat in the parking lot of thrift store we often visit. 

Totality lasted only two minutes, and it was amazing.  The sky did not get as black as in some of the photos I've seen online.  Instead, it was like sunset in all directions toward the horizon--at 2:00 in the afternoon.  I doubt I'll be alive in 2045 to see the next one so I'm glad to have seen this one.

Bramble Blooms is on hold at the moment while I try to imagine possibilities.  I'm actually considering redoing the first border.  I'm really such a slow thinker when it comes to creating quilts....

I'm making slow progress on Everyday Patchwork.  I'm beginning to wonder if I really like hand quilting as much as I thought I did.  But if not hand quilted, what?  Not machine quilted, but maybe big stitch or tied quilts?  Or maybe make the tops, enjoy the process, then pass them on to an organization that has people who will quilt and bind them or turn them into comforters.  I have such a stack of quilts to be quilted!

I hope things are great for you!

--Nancy.