Category: Turkey Tracks: My Life in Maine

Our Life in Maine, My Craft Projects, Quilting, Recipes, Book and Media Reviews

Turkey Tracks: It’s Summer: Bryan, Corinne, and the Girls Visit

Turkey Tracks:  July 10, 2017

It’s Summer!

Bryan, Corinne, and the Girls Visit

Hello everyone!

I have not posted in a while, but…IT’S SUMMER.

And I have been enjoying it!

Summer brings many happy hours outside in my garden.  It’s always hard for me to shift gears from mostly sewing to mostly gardening, but that shift has now happened.

Summer brings my family to Maine–in two batches this year.

Son Bryan, DIL Corinne, and their three little girls have just come and gone.

I picked them up in Portland, and we always stop by LLBean on the way home.  It is now mid-afternoon, and these folks started out around 4 a.m. to get here.  This LLBean is the home store of the chain.  If you don’t know, LLBean made its reputation with this boot.  When I was growing up, to have a pair of LLBean boots was really special.  LLBean would resole them upon request, and these boots wore and wore and wore and wore.  As a girl, it didn’t occur to anyone to get me a pair!!!  Can I say that I bought myself a pair when we first moved to Maine thirteen years ago now.  And I love them.

The girls are 6, 4, and 2.  The six year old will be SEVEN in November, which is hard to believe.

I love this series of photos–of a very good daddy with a tired 2-year old in LLBean:

This little one had very clear ideas of what kind of rain boots she might like.  She took them from the display wall and tried them on.

Breakfast at Boynton McKay in Camden is a “must do.”  They make the best pancakes and serve real maple syrup with them.

Pictures on the harbor green are also a “must do.”  Here’s where the July 4th music, picnics, and fireworks take place.

You have to be quick to get the picture:

Here’s one of the bouquets the two older girls put together from my garden.  They are both getting interested in “gardening” and liked picking the strawberries and raspberries in my garden.

I’ve picked a quart of raspberries on each of the last three days, and there are many more to come as the bushes are loaded this year.  I have no idea WHY.

We had a great visit.  I was remiss in not taking more pictures as interesting outings occurred every day.  But…I get in the moment and forget to take pictures.  These girls live near one of the wide sandy southern beaches, so our rocky Maine beaches fascinated them as they discovered so many critters than were new to them.

The oldest won her “Maine Water Wings” for getting in our cold bay water!!  She now has bragging rights with her cousins–who are coming later this month.  She also went home a “wounded warrior” from a downhill fall July 4th night.  She’s a trooper though, and her face has already healed up according to Mom.

I miss them already!

Turkey Tracks: Bag Obsession–June 2017

Turkey Tracks:

Bag Obsession–June 2017

Here are two more bags made with the pet screen.  Yes, I am bag obsessed.  I’d like to make a few more that are 16 inches or so as those would store a 12-inch block project.

The little green bag is in my “traveling” kit and holds thread.  The big one is, right now, empty.  It may wind up being a gift.

I kind of feel like I’m living out of the cold frame these days in terms of food.  I’m so enjoying the fresh, fresh, fresh lettuce.  I’ve reseeded the cold frame and I noticed this morning that the seeds are sprouting.  BIT, the days are getting hotter too, which does not bode well for tender lettuce and greens.  The sprig on the left is a garlic that seeded itself into the cold frame.

I seeded this cold frame last fall and covered it–after replenishing the dirt and laying the worm castings on the top.  A raised bed is ONLY as good as the dirt inside it.  You can grow pretty things, but they will not have the nutrients you need.

Look at the blush on this particular lettuce variety.   So pretty.

I am quilting the Big Star quilt–made with selvages:

I quilted the selvage pieces on the long arm and pinned the charcoal pieces before taking the quilt off.

Now I’m using my Janome 8900 to quilt the charcoal pieces.  This machine is new, and I do love it.

A friend here fixed my sewing machine table so that I can pull it out and use the back leaf to support a quilt.

This quilt is NOT perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m learning the intricacies of the Janome 8900 (wide throat space) and enjoying being able to lay in a grid on a quilt.  I don’t have the skills to do that work on the long arm.  In any case, this quilt will be functional and fun.  You can READ it.

I color sorted my selvages and am now making rectangles–using a pattern by Amy Friend, “Circuitry” from her book INTENTIONAL PIECING, but I’m making the rectangles bigger.  I’ve done blue, aqua, red, and yellow and am working on purple.   Here are the yellows:

I’m not worried about lining up the selvages perfectly straight as selvages are kind of funky anyway.

I’m plotting which fabrics to use for my next bag project:  a fabric “thread catcher” bag for my “traveling” kit.  I actually sew rather a lot with friends, so my traveling bag is always packed and includes everything I will need.  I only have to grab it, my project, and my machine, and I’m good to go.

I hope you’re enjoying your summer!

 

Turkey Tracks: The Completed “Farmer’s Wife” Project

Turkey Tracks:  June 21, 2017

The Completed “Farmer’s Wife” Project

A group of us started Laurie Aaron Hird’s THE FARMER’S WIFE 1930 SAMPLER QUILT a little over a year ago.

We showed the completed quilts at our June Coastal Quilters (Maine) meeting.

Here they are–in the order in which they were shown, which was ad hoc.

Lynn Vermeulen used batiks–and devised the very successful and subtle setting of pale stripes.

Lovely quilting too.

This quilt is Paula Blanchard’s FIRST QUILT.  She chose to do a selection of the foundation pieced blocks and set them in the “zig zag” setting with black.  Gorgeous Paula!

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Becca Babb-Brott’s choice of modern fabrics is a whole new learning curve for me.   I love these fabrics.  Becca used a pale grey fabric from Dear Stella Designs for her background.  AND she was the instigator of this group project.

Becca had started an earlier version of Laurie Aaron Hird’s sampler quilts, so Becca put those blocks on the back of her quilt.

Linda Satkowski used the most interesting background fabric.  I loved it at first sight!  Her scrappy blocks are so much fun.  Note how she uses the background fabric in some of her blocks so that the outer edges disappear.

Here’s the background fabric up close.

And Linda’s choice of a scrappy outer border delighted us.

Margaret Elaine Jinno wanted her quilt to have a coastal/water/blues feel.  And it does.  She has had some issues with her hand, and has since had an operation on it, but was able to get her top completed for our showing.  Go Margaret Elaine!  I could also say that M-E is the most proficient seamstress I know.  She could knock out these blocks without turning a hair while I SWEATED over many of them.

You’ve seen my quilt, but here it is again.  I added strips to the side to make the top wider and set extra blocks (not used in the zig zag setting) on each side.  My background fabric is the teal version of Becca’s grey.  This fabric comes in LOTS of colors, and I like them all.

THIS PROJECT IS DONE.  (We’re now working on Tula Pink’s 100 city sampler blocks.)

Turkey Tracks: A Completed Quilt Project

Turkey Tracks:  June 20, 2017

A Completed Quilt Project

Becca Babb Brott has worked for about two years on this HUGE Jen Kingwell quilt.  Becca combined THREE of Kingwell’s patterns into this king-size quilt–which she then quilted on my long arm.  One pattern is “Gypsy Wife,” but I don’t know the other two patterns.

There was drama with the long arm, of course.  I was using needles that were too light, and one broke, throwing off the machine’s timing.  It was way, way overdue for a check-up, so off it went to Sanborn Sewing Machine.  Those folks are beyond terrific.  The break occurred just before our Coastal Quilters’ retreat in Kennebunkport, so I was able to drop off the machine where the staff fixed it for me in a narrow window they had on Friday.

When you have to move a long-arm head, poles have to come down, which means a quilt has to be taken off said poles, etc.  When we got everything back, we were able to painlessly put everything back together, and off Becca went, sewing away.  Hmmm.  After a few tension adjustments however…

 

 

Here are some other pics, made when she showed it to Coastal Quilters’ members.

Turkey Tracks: Sewing Auto Pilot Fail

Turkey Tracks:  June 5, 2017

Sewing Auto Pilot Fail

Somebody’s Sewing Auto Pilot failed yesterday.

Oh well.  This bag is meant for the kitchen to collect recyclables for the dump.

At least the “Made in America” is right-side up!

These “glitter” blocks designed by Jen Kingwell (Quilt Lovely) are really, really, really hard.  I can’t believe Kingwell made a whole quilt from them.

Maybe they get easier as one goes along…

Today is overcast and misty.  Outside, there is a wall of intense green, all mixed up with tendrils of fog.  It is so beautiful.

I planted five tomato plants yesterday, so they are loving this gentle welcoming to the garden.

The lettuce I seeded into the cold frame–into the top dressing of worm castings–is bearing now.  I picked these leaves for lunch.

I’m enjoying using the three selvage edge placemats I’ve knitted–I paired them with bright napkins that really pick out color in the placemats.  Funky and fun–and a boon to my sometimes thrifty soul.

I have a fourth one about half made.  I knit, using a garter stitch, on big needles.  14s I think.  About 32-34 stitches cast on.  It’s a soothing exercise for when I don’t want to concentrate much on anything.

 

Turkey Tracks: Fifty Tula Pink’s

Turkey Tracks:  June 5, 2017

Fifty Tula Pink’s

I’m halfway there!!

Fifty Tula Pink’s 100 Modern Quilt Blocks finished–which covers me through June.

I am using almost all Cotton+Steel fabrics in each block.

I have NOT got a clue about what fabric to use to set these blocks.  Time will tell…  Maybe a khaki kind of color?

These blocks are fun to make–easy and all about the fabrics.

Turkey Tracks: Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild’s “Traveling Quilts”

Turkey Tracks:  June 5, 2017

Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild’s “Traveling Quilts”

This month’s meeting was our THIRD round with our traveling quilts.

We are so enjoying this project.

To remind, each of us is able to say if we want additions connected or not, what colors we like/dislike, and so forth.

Here’s is Becca Babb-Brott’s addition to Vicki Fletcher’s quilt:  “Cherish What Is” and linking up completed parts into a whole.

Here’s Tori Manzi’s additions to Gus Bruns quilt–gorgeous and fun ROUND log cabin blocks.

Nancy Wright and Gus Bruns added to Margaret Elaine Jinno’s “village.”

Joanne Moore added to Tori Manzi’s quilt–the scattered flying red geese.

Vicki Fletcher added to Nancy Wright’s quilt.

Look at the “Singer” fabric Vicki found.  Love these bright funky squares.

Lynn Vermeulen added the spectacular circle of houses to Linda Satkowski’s quilt.

Wow!  Just wow!

Margaret Elaine Jinno is still working on my quilt AND had an operation on her hand this week.  The five coffee cups represent my sons and DILs.  Get well ME, so you can SEW again.

Linda Satkowski added the left and top portions to Joann Moore’s quilt.  Love the top frame and the red circles.  Both additions are so graphic and compelling.

I added to the first four of Becca’s words–using fabrics and themes she likes.  I needed an intervention to STOP ME as I was having so much fun.

I found this little lady in one of Becca’s quilts and took a surprise picture when she wasn’t looking.

So that’s where this funky lady came from.

Here’s my label–an idea copied from Amanda Jean Nyberg’s Sunday Morning Quilts.  I’ve fallen in love with this book and with Nyberg’s No Scrap Left Behind, which was just released.  Making the triangle was a fun project.

 

Warning to Joann Moore:  I’ve just had to make myself STOP working on your quilt!!!

(We are missing one quilt this month–it will get moved along nevertheless, so pics next time.  And we are skipping June, so the next pics will be in July.)

Turkey Tracks: “Bits and Pieces” Quilt

Turkey Tracks:  June 3, 2017

“Bits and Pieces” Quilt

“I really like that quilt,” said my friend on a visit to Alewives Fabrics in Damariscotta Mills, Maine, nearly a year ago now.  My friend is a MASTER knitter, and her expression of interest in the “Bits and Pieces” quilt was the first time I’ve ever heard her admire a quilt.

This quilt design comes from Midcoast Cottage Design, a local Maine company, and I’ve since seen it made in different color combos.  But my friend saw the quilt as it is on the pattern cover–made with Carolyn Friendlander’s “Doe” fabric collection.  Well!  “Doe” was now getting hard to find, so other friends and I scurried to round up the components.

 

I LOVE this quilt!  And it was such a pleasure to work on.

I used one of the neutrals from Friedlander’s NEW collections for the off-white background–something about “cattle” and “shadows.”  I adore this fabric, actually!

…and have it in a number of different colorways.

The backing is also from this year’s Friedlander collections.  It blends perfectly with the front and the thread I used I think.

Try this quilt!  You’ll like it!  Good stash buster…

Turkey Tracks: First Mowing and No No Penny’s Turtle

Turkey Tracks:  May 19, 2017

First Mowing and No No Penny’s Turtle

I finally was able to mow the spring grass last Tuesday as it was dry enough.  It was slow going as my electric mower does not like long grass.  The back yard just off the rock wall still has standing water, but I went back with the weed whacker.

Now the white daffodils along the walk are blooming.  And you can see the garlic is well up.

No No Penny rolled in the newly cut grass until she was green all over.  Mercy!

A few days later I heard her barking and barking–the I’ve got something trapped bark.  I always fear an encounter with a porcupine so I checked.

A water turtle in the Bishop’s weed above the intermittent creek.  It has probably washed down in recent rain storms.   These guys can move pretty fast, so it will find its way to the wetland below the house and on into the big creek there.

If Penny leaves it alone.

These turtles have beautiful colors–bright reds and greens on the head, feet, and tail.

I put it back into the weeds three times and tried to distract Penny–who kept picking it up in her mouth and carrying it across the yard.

I finally gave up.  She is attracted by the movement and can’t get to the turtle itself.

She was still asking to go out to check on it hours and hours later.

 

PS:  It is Sunday already.  And I mowed today as we are getting rain tomorrow.  The black flies are still so bad.  Somehow they get inside your clothes.  Come on in, month of June!

 

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Coastal Quilters’ May Retreat

Turkey Tracks:  May 18, 2017

Coastal Quilters’ May Retreat…

…Mother’s Day weekend at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunkport, Maine.

We had SUCH A GOOD TIME!!

Tori Manzi started this quilt at Pink Castle’s Glampstitchalot last year and worked on it at our last retreat.  She finished it at this retreat.  (Pink Castle has a great web site, sells fabric, and organizes the amazing Glampstitchalot each year, where high profile quilt teachers come and work with attendees.)  Each border of Tori’s quilt was designed and taught by a different teacher.  How fun is that!!

Here’s part of the group early evening Saturday night.  We came on Thursday night so by this picture we were all thoroughly punchy.

Margaret Elaine Jinno worked to put her Farmer’s Wife blocks together.   We are all going to show our quilts at our June meeting:

Deb Hazell was on the J&E Riggin’s “Slow Sewing at Sea” cruise with Rhea Butler of Alewives Quilt Shop last September.  Deb brought along Deb Torre (on the left) to our retreat.  We loved having them with us.

Deb Torre worked on Sarah Fielke’s “Down the Rabbit Hole.”  This kind of quilt lets a quilter learn a lot of new blocks and sewing methods.  Here’ the left side in process.  The blocks below are for a sampler Deb Hazell is making.

Here’s the right side in process, and the lower blocks are Deb Hazell’s sampler blocks.

By Sunday morning, Deb Torres had these blocks done.  I am tree quilt crazy at the moment, so loved these blocks–made from organic cotton:

New to our group also was Betsy Maislen, who started this amazing quilt behind Karen Martin.  Betsy had all the blocks done by the time Sunday rolled around.  We are looking forward to seeing the finished quilt top, borders and all.

Penny Rogers Camm returned to us for her second retreat and started her third quilt.  Look at her pretty fish blocks!  (There were requests for this Joan Ford pattern.  I made Joan’s version–you can see it here if you search for “fish quilts” and scroll down.)

Linda Satkowski and Karen Martin hard at work.

Penny and Vicki Fletcher at one of the cutting tables.

Lynn Vermeulen making a foundation piecing check.

Becca Babb-Brott and I brought our selvages.  Becca started this spider web quilt using a Bonnie Hunter pattern (free on her web site, quiltville.com).  Love the way the neutral circles are working in this quilt.

Jan Kelsey worked on a number of quilts which went up and down on the design walls.  I was sewing myself and missed getting pictures until I slowed down to get this Christmas funky log cabin.

Mac Saulnier worked on three baby quilts.  I love her colorful novelty fabrics.  The designated children will be so happy to get these cheerful quilts.

Tori Manzi worked on several projects as well.  Here are more.  This quilt came out of an online block exchange.  Check out Tori’s Instagram (Camden Maine Mom) to see more of her work.

And, blocks from a sampler challenge.

One of our quilters could not go with us, but she worked on this quilt while we were away:

I worked on this selvage project–a BIG star from Jen Baker, a free pattern which I loved at first sight.

I am going to put all the Tula Pink 100 city blocks in a separate post.

It was a good long weekend.  We are so glad we added the extra day.