Author: louisaenright

I am passionate about whole, nutrient-dense foods, developing local markets, and strengthening communities.

Turkey Tracks: Social Distancing: Ongoing Sewing Projects

Turkey Tracks:  March 20, 2020

Social Distancing:  Ongoing Sewing Projects

I’m ok.

I hope you all are all ok too.

I am social distancing.  AC and I go every possible day to the woods, to the beach, and to the grocery store as needed.  I am connected to friends and family a good chunk of each day via technology.  Except for worrying about getting the virus in a serious way, about family or friends getting it and not faring well, and about my seriously diminishing stock portfolio, I am peaceful.  I am enjoying all my sewing projects.  It’s good to see ongoing planned projects getting finished.  And working with my hands is, as always, soothing.

I am reminded that life is what it is, that we have to take it as it comes, and we can do that with joy and purpose and some laughter, or we can just let it all overwhelm us.  That’s a spectrum, of course.  I’m sure I hit the highs and lows of it every day, but mostly I’m…ok.

Here are some of my ongoing sewing projects:

The Galactic wall hanging top is finished, layered, pinned, and waiting for obtaining some Wonderfil GlaMour thread—a rayon with a metallic strand—that designer Tara Faughnan used and loved.  Marge Hallowell at Mainely Sewing is going to carry this thread.  I am hoping she can mail me some.  I LOVE this quilt and this pattern.  Tara Faughnan designed it and curated the fabrics in THE COLOR COLLECTIVE online class by Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia.

I am also playing with a two-round smaller version with the extra fabrics I have.  I have no idea where this project is going.  Play without a goal is important too.

Here is Gumdrops—another Tara Faughnan project from The Color Collective.  The blocks are English Paper Pieced, and we learned how to use a cardstock that one’s printer would take to make the six different patterns.  I’m making a wall hanging with this one too—probably about 30 wide by 30-40 long, with three staggered rows.  I will, of course, move blocks around a whole lot more as each combo gets finished.  I hand sew at night while watching tv.

I’ll be layering and pinning the solid scrappy trip/granny quilt from Then Came June (Checkered Garden) today.  I want to diagonal grid quilt it on a domestic, but will pin it on the longarm.  I loved Then Came June’s version and thought it would be a good use for the solid scraps I have.  It’s bright and wild.  And maybe that’s it’s name?

I cleaned and oiled my serger over the holidays—and replaced the knives.  There’s a blog post on that project.  It’s running like a dream.  But I’ve been having so much fun with quilty projects that I have not circled back to making garments.  There is a pile of knits to be used.  I cut out two tops this week.  Here is the Linden Sweatshirt from Grainline.  I made this top a while back and wear it a lot, so will enjoy this one as well.  This top can be hacked to make other interesting tops.  There is a short-sleeved version as well.  I wear it both layered with a high-neck t-shirt and all by itself when the weather is a bit warmer.  This particular jersey knit is so, so, so soft on the skin.

Be well!

Take care of yourselves!

 

 

 

Turkey Tracks: I LOVE BRAIDING SWEETGRASS

Turkey Tracks:  March 10, 2020

I LOVE BRAIDING SWEETGRASS

 

See that pencil in the fold of this book?

I know that when I get a pencil and start underlining and writing in the text margins that I’ve gotten hold of a book that is making me think, is creating strong emotions, and is engaging me in deeper ways.

BRAIDED SWEETGRASS is that kind of book, and I highly recommend it to you.

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a professor of botany AND a native American.  In this book, she is calling us to think about a blending of the “objective” dictates of western botany science with the native American view that we humans are part of a complex interrelated world of being.  Western botany describes and labels, but Kimmerer, with her enchanting stories, argues that this practice misses the song that plants sing to the world.

Kimmerer’s arguments, told by comparing cultural stories and her lived experiences which are imbued with native American culture, demonstrate how the stories cultures form create and sustain how we act in the world.  Western botany, with its taxonomies, creates “things” that can be owned and controlled, while native American stories place people within the web of all that exists.  With the latter sensibility comes responsibility for the web and a demand for gratitude for all its riches so freely given to us.

I finally understand why native Americans did not seek to own land, but to share it in ways that support both the land and the people who live on it and all that the land supports.  Kimmerer illustrates this principal of strength in shared community with real-world botanical examples.

Today, as humans face how our misuse of the land and its riches has created global warming and terrible poverty for many, maybe it’s time to step back and at least think about the songs other life forms are singing.

Kimmerer’s writing in no way turns its back on science.  In lyrical, beautiful prose she takes modern botany and uses it as a springboard to create a much deeper understanding of how various plants’ relationship to the world relates to her own life experiences and to the specific history of her people.  She asks “why” goldenrod and purple asters bloom together in the fall—and answers in scientific terms that also shows these plants interrelationships with other life forms at this particular season.

I am fascinated with this book.  And, grateful to Kimmerer for her life, her science, and for her writing.

 

PS:  there is an earlier book, GATHERING MOSS, and yes, I will be getting hold of that one as well.

Turkey Tracks: Celebrating Spring Snow Drops

Turkey Tracks:   March 9, 2020

Celebrating Spring Snow Drops

The Snow Drops are here—at least in some warm, sunny places.

I have not seem mine yet up here on the hill, but Lion Jerry Stone has some, which gives us all joy.

He celebrated with this message and picture.

Thanks Jerry!

****

February 29, 2020

Fine friends & friendly foe,

Nothing more excites me as March crawls closer to introduce Maine to spring than the precious, plucky snowdrops along the front cellar wall at Bette’s & my modest Camden home. Few things in life attempt “gilding the lily”, for they are themselves already perfect. And so, annually, snowdrops revive my restless soul & poetic pursuit. Enjoy my early spring welcome with picture & poetry.

This Leap Year spring arrives on March 19th.

Blessings to all who hope & dream!

Jerry Stone

 

 

Oh, Brave Snowdrops Now Here!

by Jerry Stone, 2.29.20

 

Oh, gentle & glad surprise!

Oh, now-exposed, perennial plant pals.

Oh, slender & slim, at-risk snowdrops.

Oh, cute cotton swabs just before green flap & flower.

Oh, feeble friends, sneaking up this hardest early hour

In February’s frosty earth this Leap Year Day.

Among snow & stone & lazy tannic leaf you lay.

Oh, surprising bloom, Heaven-sent & hope-filled!

You signal mild winter’s end & salute spring’s slow start.

Oh, modest firstborn, oh, feeble firstling, “lily gild”,

By example, I’m also here, vulnerable but humble in heart.

 

Turkey Tracks: “Stacks,” A Wedding Quilt

Turkey Tracks:  March 8, 2020

“Stacks,” A Wedding Quilt

The wedding is in May.

And this quilt got mailed last Monday and is now in the hands of the bride, who lives in Colorado.

Tara Faughnan of Sewtopia’s The Color Collective online class designed the block and curated the fabrics.  I added more greens as I had them on hand.  The quilt is called “Stacks.”  I think it looks a bit like a modern, graphic version of stacked mountains.  And I love the lines of triangles that form between the rows.  I freehand quilted in a medium grey.  I wanted lots and lots of movement—like winds blowing and moving air currents.

I knew thia fabric was my backing fabric the moment I saw it.

Yummy!

And here it is, in the hands of the bride, where I hope it will hug and cuddle and warm this special couple.

Turkey Tracks: Sugaridoo QAL: Row 9, Delta

Turkey Tracks:  March 5, 2020

Sugaridoo QAL:  Row 9, Delta

I am making two versions of this QAL:  one in the solid rainbow fabrics (Kona) and one in, hopefully, Cotton+Steel from the fabrics I have on hand.

For the solid version, I printed out patterns on newsprint and foundation pieced the blocks, which then got sewed into the row.  The block is BIG, so sections needed to be taped to make the pattern.  And, afterwards, the paper had to be pulled out, which is always a pain.  But the blocks are perfect—with sewing room above all the points.

The printed fabric row I made with the freezer paper method, which I love.  BUT, I think I am not sewing quite close enough to the folded line and that might account for some points being a bit close to the edge.

I also moved the highlight piece (grey, blue) away from the right hand edge, partial block to the block next to it.  Given the overall schema, this position will not impact other highlighted blocks in the quilt.

April will be here before I know it.

Turkey Tracks: A Quilty Visit

Turkey Tracks:  February 25, 2020

A Quilty Visit

Megan Bruns dropped in for a fun visit yesterday.  She brought two projects to share with me.

Megan loves Anna Maria Horner fabrics and both of her projects involve those.  She is using her collection to make this version of Katja Marek’s “Quilt-lets” quilt.  You can search on the right sidebar for my version, finished a few years back.  But I love what Megan is making here.  The centers are Essex Linen and the sides/backs are Anna Maria Horner.  Each block stands alone.  Each block will get some kind of “quilting” before assembly, which is done by using a ladder stitch to sew the individual blocks together.  She is making a king size quilt.

We discussed several ideas for quilting. What kind of thread, what kind of intensity, what kind of pattern.  I am looking forward to seeing what she will do.  The linen is…sturdy…so dealing with quilting knots will be an issue.

 

 

More on her second, very interesting project, as that one develops more.

Turkey Tracks: Amy Friend is Coming to Coastal Quilters

Turkey Tracks:  February 22, 2020

Amy Friend is Coming to Coastal Quilters

We love quilt designer and teacher Amy Friend.

She has a new book out and is coming to Coastal Quilters for a workshop in mid March to teach us about projects in the book.  She was teaching this past week at the Modern Quilt Guild’s “Quilt Con,” where she debuted this new book.

I can’t wait to see it!

Beautiful Petal + Stem Aurifil Thread Collection

February 15, 2020: Camden Public Library Quilt Show

Turkey Tracks:  February 15, 2020

Camden Public Library Quilt Show

Coastal Quilters (Camden, Maine) president Tori Manzi got a call from the Camden Public Library asking if we could mount a quilt show in February since the “show” for that month had cancelled, leaving the library with no show to hang in their Picker Room.

Tori stepped up, with help from president of the Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild (Camden, Maine) Lynn Vermeulen, and many quilters from both groups, many of whom belong to both groups.  Special thanks to Sarahann Smith, who has hung many shows and knows what to do.

I contributed my “Radiating Log Cabin” quilt from Season 1 of The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold of Sewtopia.  Tara Faughnan designed the block and chose the color palette.  The rest was up to each individual quilter.

 

I could not get a picture of the whole room as about 6 people were setting up for an event.

I did try to take pictures of the two traveling quilts that we did in Mt. Battie Modern last year.

Here is Lynn Vermeulen’s:

I did the top/right border, the word “joy,” and the little churn dash blocks over the word joy.  I also sewed the bottom third of top together, connecting remaining blocks to the top 2/3, and that arrangement remained as I came near the end of the “traveling.”

Here is Becca Babb-Brott’s traveling quilt, though I could not get the bottom due to the tables being set up.  Becca’s “saying” was “The more I wonder, the more I love.”  I think that came from THE COLOR PURPLE novel.  Becca did the words—as we all did—so we “travelers” worked in lots of motifs, etc.  I did some stars, the fabrics under the first  “the,” some flying geese (on the left), and near the “I” at the bottom, the girl figure—which copied that motif from a quilt Becca made some years back.

Here is my traveling quilt, which I did not hang in this show, but which I love so much.

 

 

Turkey Tracks: My “Bee Inspired” Block for “Beaches” Prompt

Turkey Tracks:  February 12, 2020

 

My “Bee Inspired” Block For “Beaches” Prompt

Our prompt for February was “Beaches.”

From our coast, we look out over the bay to islands in the distance.  Isle Au Haut, Blue Hill, and Mt. Desert often can be seen in the distance—and each has high elevations.  By water, one way to these outer islands or peninsulas is through the Fox Island “channel,” a journey I have made many times on the J&E Riggin windjammer.

You can see the rest of the blocks for JoAnn Moore’s “Beaches” prompt on our Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild Facebook page.  As always, the blocks for our prompts are awesomely creative.

 

Turkey Tracks: “Rolling Stars” Quilt

Turkey Tracks:  February 11, 2020

“Rolling Stars” Quilt

It’s done!

This quilt basically copies Tara Faughnan’s “Small World” design, which is the first project of Season 2 of The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia.

I fell in love with this design the moment I saw it. AND, it’s made with the freezer paper method, which I really like to use.

To remind, each month Tara Faughnan gives us a new design AND a 12-piece Bella color palette from which to make the design.  I added the darker, fern green, as I had some on hand and felt the need of green.  Tara also suggests an additional 12 color Kona choices one could add, and the brighter red/orange was in that secondary set of colors.

I put a hanging sleeve on this quilt, as it really wants to hang.  But I don’t have another logical spot in my house at the moment, having already hung a few of these Color Collective projects.

I quilted on my domestic with a 1-inch straight line pattern.  I did not want to take anything away from the quilt pattern so kept it simple.

The backing is “Confetti” from the Ruby Star Society, and I liked the soft look of it for the backing.

These “stars” really do roll!

Thank you, The Color Collective.

I’m so happy you are planning on doing SEASON 3.