Turkey Tracks: May 17, 2016
Mid May Quilty Update
It’s been two days since I sewed on my sewing machine.
I’m having withdrawal anxiety–and WILL SEW today.
I’ve gotten a number of needed “things” off my plate though–including mowing the grass yesterday. A brisk cool wind worked beautifully to sweep the black flies away, and it was so beautiful outside. I do treasure spring days in Maine.
My little electric mower had a time mowing the thick, green, lush grass. No wonder the best milk and butter of the whole year is from cows eating this lush grass. Here’s my mower on the mown grass:
I had to stop five or six times to clean out the undercarriage which was jammed with heavy, dense grass. It’s mostly clean here.
I love my little mower. Yes, it’s got a long cord to wrangle, but I’ve learned tricks. And it’s light, which means I can push it up the steep hill on the west side of the house AND that I don’t have to store gas or worry with oil mixtures. John spent some time getting this mower issue right for me before he ran out of steam to mow himself, and I think of his care every time I use my mower. Last year, Stephen Pennoyer sharpened the blades for me, so I’m good to go for the summer.
I bought potting soil and hanging plants yesterday. The plants stayed inside last night as the temps dropped into the high 30s. I watered and hung them all this morning.
I love the smell of petunias when the sun is on them, and their perfume is released.
I have been hand-sewing at night. Of course I have. My little side table holds what I need–and it now includes a Lonnaberger basket–gift of Megan Brun’s mother Jill, whom we Coastal Quilters have also adopted. Jill is out in Texas, and at the retreat, we face-timed with her, and she saw all our work and our faces. She sent each of us, via Megan on Megan’s last trip home, one of her Lonnaberger baskets. I adore mine.
It holds all the small things that get lost so easily–and it has a sturdy plastic insert to protect the inside of the basket and to hold things that might slip between the wooden strips.
Next to the basket in the pic above is a pin cushion–a gift from Linda Satkowski at the retreat. She made all different kinds of pincushions and put them in a basket and told us each to take one. My goodness!! I am thrilled with mine. It’s made from selvages.
Granddaughter Mina’s quilt is on the long arm:
These are Kaffe Fasset prints from about 10 years ago–bought at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Norfolk, Virginia. You can really tell the quality of this fabric when it’s put next to the Kaffe Fasset fabrics today.
I got the triangles on the border from making the snowball blocks. (I did have to make a few more for the final border.) I really like this border.
You can see the wild backing fabric draped on the long-arm bar. Sweet and Spice–like Mina.
I had a lot of tumbler fruit/veggie blocks left from last fall’s quilt–so I cut more, found a bit more fabric on our April Shop Hop excursions, added in some coordinating stash fabrics, and will make one more–this one will be much more dense. It’s a leader/ender at the moment.
Here are the red-neutral four-patch blocks from the 4-patch marathon of last summer. These blocks are a kind of leader/ender too at the moment. I have enough to make a nice lap quilt.
The blue/neutral four-patch blocks are used up now–and this quilt is webbed and ready to have it’s horizontal rows sewn.
The “Tell Me A Story” quilt is this far along now–and the remaining blocks are all cut and organized. It will be 7 rows by 8 when finished. Remember this design is from Any Friend who has a really nice book out now.
I love this little hedgehog block:
You’ve seen the “Quilt-lets” in a separate post.
I’m going to work on the eight May Farmer’s Wives blocks this week.
The hexie quilt is ready for its borders, and that fabric is purchased. Ditto the backing fabric.
Boy am I happy at the moment–going from one fun project to another. I’m counting 8 quilts in progress. Of course there are more, just waiting to be started.
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