I’ve always argued and thought that many animals are way, way smarter than we humans realize. AC Slater had a huge vocabulary he understood–probably because I talked to him all the time. Miss Reynolds Georgia and No No Penny did too, but they were not out in the woods with me as much as AC Slater. Or ball fixated like AC Slater was.
If I ever get another dog, I may try to use a small version of these buttons.
Bunny is also featured on the Netflix program “The Hidden Life of Pets,” and maybe Bunny is easier to see there. I think she is on episode 2 of 4 episodes.
“Bonanza” was inspired by a quilt made by designer Tara Faughnan, for which she does not yet have a pattern. I kept seeing it on a wall behind her head on her website. Her quilt is different than mine–she has, in modern fashion, disrupted some of the secondary patterns that will form in a more traditional placement of units. And she does not go out to the edges like I did with the dark blue/purple sashings. So, this quilt did not start so much as a way to use up solid fabrics, but because I loved that quilt Tara Faughnan made.
I don’t think I’m done with these half-square triangle units in solids–with the resulting secondary patterns that emerge. I’m still fascinated. But who knows?
I quilted with the Bayside pantograph, using a medium grey thread. Bayside gives really nice texture, with some curves, but does not overwhelm.
I love the backing.
Here are a few more up-close pics.
Here is the center of the quilt–showing its secondary patterns.
And now, back to the rest of the quilty pack in development.
Yesterday when I made a quick trip to the local grocery store, I saw bins full of locally grown collards and one filled with plastic containers of already shelled black-eyed peas.
I should have taken a picture!
Eating black-eyed peas and collards (mostly seasoned with pork in some form) on New Year’s Day is a custom in the south. (As is, now that I think about it, shooting of firecrackers Christmas Day night–and yes, that goes back to the loss of the Civil War and the refusal for a time to celebrate July 4th with firecrackers.)
Anyway, here’s an article from Southern Living magazine that tells you all about the how and why of eating black-eyed peas and collards on New Year’s Day. Rice and/or cornbread would often be included.
It’s been raining for two days now–6.5 inches on the rain gauge. But I think it is meant to fair off today.
Yesterday I spent–happily spent–a chunk of the day making a big batch of chicken soup. Eventually I’ll freeze some of it.
But before cooking I mailed “Red Positivity”to my niece. And made a run to Isle of Palms to drop off extra raw milk and some yogurt to Bryan and Corinne. I had thought to try yogurt again, but…no…that still doesn’t work. Corinne will make yogurt with this extra milk.
Today I’ll walk if the weather fairs off enough to risk the 2-mile walk which takes me a fair bit away from the house.
And I’ll sew. The 1920s-30s quilt top is coming along. And at night I’m sewing the binding on “Bonanza,” made from big half-square solid units. I’ve rounded two corners now. The binding is that dark midnight blue/purple.
Next up for binding is “Sprinkles,” the baby quilt I made. Then I will be caught up on binding and can start to hand-sew “Happy,” formerly known as “the quilt from hell,” LOL. And “Serpentine Surprise” is on the longarm waiting for me to baste it.
I love fantasy–and fantasy involving DRAGONS–so I’ve watched all of the prequel to Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon. There is…violence. So be warned if you are tempted. But there are also lots and lots of dragons.
I, like many, watched Game of Thrones over many years–as each season came out. Maybe I’ll watch them all again–or parts of all–so I can view them in one time and place. Or, maybe not. That series of books actually has not ended, so there isn’t a neat wrap-up to where the kingdom goes next–if it goes anywhere at all. Perhaps it is too broken to continue…
Yes, she’s done, and I’m very pleased with how this beautiful, cheerful, and BIG quilt came out. She is right at 90 inches square. The binding went faster than I thought it might. So that’s a finish to a big part of work started in the summer.
Here she is, folded over the back of the couch, before I washed her.
The back is a soft grey, and I just went out to the edge of the blocks and used the same Kona solid lavender (Thistle) to bind that I used for the sashing.
Some of you may recall that I sewed my finger the first time around with putting this quilt on the longarm–with a wide backing that would not lay true and that lost 20+ inches on the straight of grain when torn. The backing here is the replacement backing from Missouri Star, and it was true and is quite nice. I quilted with a medium grey, and that worked well too.
It’s a very good thing that I put color catcher clothes into the washer.
Oh my! But the quilt colors are just fine, so these cloths did their work well.
Reds, you know…are tricky when washed. And I usually prewash fabrics, but this collection might not all have been pre-washed. I’ve had them for a long time–about 18 or so years.
“Red Positivity” is going to be sent to a niece in Virginia–whose birthday is January 3rd. I’ll mail her after Christmas Day–next week some time.
My best to all of you for a very Merry Christmas, and the happiest of New Year’s 2024.
And tomorrow will begin the long march to the longest day of the year in June.
Quilter Bonnie Hunter shared this poem on her blog this morning:
The Shortest Day, by Susan Cooper And so the Shortest Day came and the year died And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world Came people singing, dancing, To drive the dark away. They lighted candles in the winter trees; They hung their homes with evergreen; They burned beseeching fires all night long To keep the year alive. And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake They shouted, reveling. Through all the frosty ages you can hear them Echoing behind us—listen! All the long echoes, sing the same delight, This Shortest Day, As promise wakens in the sleeping land: They carol, feast, give thanks, And dearly love their friends, And hope for peace. And now so do we, here, now, This year and every year. Welcome, Yule!
I’m having a beautiful morning. It’s bright and sunny, and there is frost on the grass this morning. It’s my kind of day!
I’m writing this post while drinking the last of this morning’s delicious Green Tree (Lincolnville, Maine) coffee that I ordered (Dark Harbor), and I am already anticipating the noon dinner espresso I will make (Roma). These coffees are roasted and blended and can be shipped at Green Tree.
AND, I have my little Dew Drop diffuser going with an enchanting mixture of essential oils: VANILLA, perpermint, and a bit of grapefruit. What a nice addition the vanilla is, and it is new to me. It’s good with Pine, too.
Next up: Christmas Spirit.
Diffusing essential oils is a good way to benefit from their medicinal properties–as well as the elimination of cooking odors that hang around.
Today is the raw milk pickup–which happens every other week. So there will also be more raw cream added to my freezer. I thrive on raw dairy products.
Later I’ll walk the 2 miles I’ve been doing. That distance is getting easier now, so it is better than just 1 mile. Will I work up to more distance? Probably, as I’m also getting faster.
Life seems so good this morning!
And I hope that each of you is doing some nice things for yourself today.
