Weekly update: celebrating, a field trip, rummage sale, a finish + reading

 

Happy birthday to me!  I look forward to a *prime* year.  

I caught the sunrise (5:17) at the marina this morning. I stuck my toes in the water at the north beach. 

On Friday I took advantage of an unscheduled day and went downtown. "Dressed in History" is on exhibit at the Chicago History Museum featuring items from their costume collection. The garments were donated by Chicagoans, some of whom wore them.   Quite a variety!

The white Dior gown in the center is so elegant! (Worn by a debutante in 1949.)  The donor of the 18th century court dress (lower left) purchased it in the 1920's for $150 ($2700 today). 

The Yves St. Laurent Poliakoff dress, lower center, is timeless.   

Remember how scandalous the topless bathing suit was in 1964?  

CHM used have an endless-loop video of Sally Rand dancing with her fans.  Stevens remembered when we saw it, not so much because of Sally but because we watched two boys (maybe 8 years old) watch, agog when Sally's fan slipped and revealed a glimpse of Sally! 

Lincoln Park Zoo is just north of the Chicago History Museum. I hadn't been to the zoo in many years.  LPZ is a unit of the Chicago Park District and admission is free.  

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I went to the last day of a church rummage sale on Saturday.  $5 for a big white trash bag.  I filled it with two dozen packages of vintage cotton trim (bias tape, mostly), some quilt fabric, and a lot of men's shirts.   

The shirts have been deboned and put in the bin.

Majesty was Ben Franklin brand. Trueworth is labeled McCoy Jones & Co., Chicago. 

In the studio:   the scrappy squares quilt is finished!  

Serpentine stitch quilting following the zig zags. 

I used three different prints on the back. 

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  Our AAUW book group will discuss Real Food Fake Food in July.   From Parmesan vs. Parmiggiano (quite a difference), all the varieties of olive oil, kobe/wagyu/Angus beef, and of course wine -- there are a lot of false claims for the food that we eat. 

I've listened to all the Cork O'Connor series (in order!). This is #20, the 2024 installment.  "Dependable," as Stevens would say, and very good.

Linking up with Design Wall Monday Monday Musings (thanks for the shout out, Brenda), Sew and Tell  Oh Scrap!

STAY  COOL!

Friday check in: it's a flimsy

 

On Wednesday the Zion Woman's Club (Kathy, Jeanne, and I) staffed the t-shirt sales table at Camp I Am Me.  The Illinois Fire Safety Alliance sponsors the week-long overnight camp for children and teens who have suffered burn injuries.  This is the 34th year and there are 52 campers from all over Illinois.  There's no charge to the campers (even transportation is provided).   YMCA Camp Duncan is a century-old campground that used to be way out in the country. 

There was a parade with fire trucks from departments all over the area, sirens wailing.  Brats and burgers for lunch.  

The Zion Park District summer concert series began yesterday with Hollywood Swinging, a tribute band for Kool and the Gang.  Not my usual kind of music but fun (and free!) on a beautiful evening.   Though pushing S across the grass in the wheelchair had become a challenge, I missed his company.  Yes, I could have called around to find a friend to join me but I made the decision to go at the last minute.  Glad I did. 

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In the studio:  it's a flimsy!   

I had to do some ripping and resewing to get the blocks oriented correctly.   I don't think there will be a border.  66 . 72. 6" blocks.

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday

 

Midweek: a day trip, turning up the heat, and WIP

 

On Monday I drove 75 miles west to Rockford for an overdue (get the library joke?) visit to my long-time friend Lynn. She's the executive director of the Rockford Public Library   Her creativity, vision, and hard work for more than a decade resulted in the award-winning Main Library that opened last year.

Lots of natural light. Flexible furnishings. 

  

When Lynn retires later this summer she'll move to this area to be closer to her grandchildren and their parents.  That will be closer to me, too, and we hope to get together more often.

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The heat and sunshine continued into Tuesday.  I combined my walk with some errands so I was out in midday.  

Next time I'll be prepared to wade!

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In the studio:   blocks finished, almost finished with the rows.

My evening sewing is accompanied by binge-watching Outlander.  Seasons 1-6 are on Netflix. I signed up for Starz to get Season 7.  I loved the books and though I read/listened to them long ago I recalled the story right away.   I am forgiving historical inaccuracies because, ohhhh, Jamie!    (I have four episodes left of Season 7.  Season 8 will come out next year.)

We're getting badly-needed rain today. I'm helping at an outdoor event today--I'll take my raincoat!  

Linking up with   Wednesday Wait Loss

Weekly update: wildflowers, blocks and scraps + reading

 I joined the nationwide protest marches in spirit only.  I fulfilled a prior commitment to staff the Rotary booth at the Zion Juneteenth celebration at Illinois Beach State Park.   

After my shift was over I walked along the trail at the south end of the park. 

 

Lupine, Ohio Spiderwort, puccoon, sulfur cinquefoil, prickly pear, a hillside (actually a duneside) of lupine.

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In the studio:   I made 24 blocks for Cynthia's current block drive.   3 yards used.   And now I have an idea for next year's RSC.

I saw a photo of a quilt with this design on a FB group.  I'm using 2.5" squares and 2.5" x 6.5" rectangles.   If I make 121 blocks it will be 66 x 72.

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In 2023 I thoroughly enjoyed Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.  Last week I listened to Vera's second case in which she gives advice for "snooping on a dead man."  The narration by Eunice Wong is perfect.   Vera is in turn infuriating, inspiring, and very determined -- and she's right (most of the time).  

I highly recommend both books (and the audio if you can get them).

Food writer Anya von Bremzen traveled in search of the dishes that define cultures.  Despite shifting national boundaries and melting-pot cities there are deep local roots.  Pot-au-feu in Paris; pizza and pasta in Naples; ramen and rice in Tokyo; tapas in Seville; mole and maize in Oaxaca; meze (dishes with many roots) in Istanbul; borsch in Ukraine and Russia.   I learned a lot, and now I want to read von Bremzen's other books.

Linking up with Design Wall Monday Sew and Tell Monday Musings (thanks for the shout out, Kathleen), Oh Scrap!

Friday check in: Gators are done!

  It was so nice to have lunch with Pat yesterday.   She lives in a senior residence in a suburb 60 miles away and no longer drives.  I will be more intentional about visiting her.  (A bit of nostalgia because she and Stevens got along splendidly so our previous visits were the three of us.) 

The restaurant has quite a history

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In the studio:   Gator Party is finished!  

I've had the backing fabric for a really long time. 

5-7/8 yards used in all. 

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday

I'm confined to quarters most of the day while the central A/C is being replaced. I have paperwork to attend to.  Then a busy weekend ahead!

Midweek: topalong and round robin

Sunshine and somewhat warmer temps were conducive to good walks on Monday and Tuesday.  

This is looking west from Spring Bluff Forest Preserve.

 

I love wild "flag" iris!  

Gator Party, the June installment of the Running Doe Quilts topalong, is now a flimsy.  I used shirtings (most of which I purchased at a rummage sale last weekend) and solids (from my overflowing solids stash . . . I don't purposely purchase them so how is it that I have two big bins full?).  

The patches are 5 x 6-1/2 finished. The accent pieces began with 3" squares.

2-7/8 yards.

Since the guild round robin is a surprise all I can show you is the starter.   DT made one 9" T block.  The  70's/80's floral she used inspired me to go into the vintage bin and choose similar florals for my addition.   (This was the first round of five.)

Linking up with  Wednesday Wait Loss   Thanks for the shout out this week, Jennifer.

Weekly update: rummage sale score, orange stars, topalong start

 

Friday's walk at the state park:  lupine, daisy fleabane, coreopsis, blue flag iris (native), hybrid iris (I look for it every year), golden Alexander, Canadian anemone, yellow flag iris (non-native).

On Friday I went to a rummage sale.  As I looked at craft items I mentioned that I'm a quilter. The woman said she had some fabric leftovers in the house that she'd bring out.  I bought all of them -- contemporary prints -- for $10.  The woman's mother was managing the checkout and said, "I have some old fabric from my mother.  I can bring it tomorrow."  I went back on Saturday with two of the potholders I made last month. I gave them to daughter and mom thanking them. (Daughter's fabric was 38 yards including 1-yard pieces and FQs, not many actual scraps.)  The mom gave me two bags of fabric. "I'm sure it's all cotton.  There are some feedsacks. Are feedsacks okay?"  Yes!   "And here is a quilt and a quilt top. I won't do anything with them."  I paid $10.

Wow! 

The feedsacks.  Actually some is yardage (no sign of stitching removed).  Check out the bubble girl in the front (one Ebay listing has that for $49). 

Not feedsack but vintage.  I love the Caribbean dancers!

There was more recent Joann's fabric (FQs) at the bottom of the bag--not exciting, but useful.

Here are the quilts.

The TATW is in really rough shape, even for a cutter quilt, but the colors are so pretty.  The purple flimsy is basted with jumbo safety pins to a blanket (for batting) and a sheet. It's kind of stained.

I felt guilty that I paid only $10 (and a potholder) so I went back later in the day and offered her more money.  She said, "I didn't think anyone would be interested," but she was happy for the extra. 

To add to all of that excitement, I went to a church rummage sale where it was $10-for-a-box day.   A friend from the quilt guild was at the cashier table. "There was a lot of fabric in the craft room," she said.  I went there first--not much cotton left, but I got three pieces.  Then I went to the men's clothing room and filled the $10 box with cotton shirts.  15? 20? I lost count.

On my way home I thought about what I could make with all the shirt fabric.  I had an idea.  

But first:  the RSC Ohio Stars quilt is finished.  

I used a bright print on the back.

And the idea for the shirts?   They're just right as the genre for the June pattern for the Running Doe Quilts topalong.  The pattern is called Gator Party.  

I cut all the patches and began sewing last evening. 

Linking up with Oh Scrap!  Design Wall Monday  Sew and Tell  Monday Musings

P.S. Last week I posted a photo of my sister, our cousin, and me.  Not the first time we'd gathered around the table.  

Karen, Nancy (now Nann), Lori (now Valerie) in 1956.  We were in Pennsylvania visiting our grandfather, uncles, aunts, and cousins.  (Karen's father being one of the uncles.) 

Have we changed much in 69 years?  (I still have curly hair.)

Friday check in: guild speaker + orange blocks

 

Carol Wilhoit was the speaker at the guild meeting Wednesday.  Her program spoke right to my scrappy heart.   

She mentioned "our" Wanda as the inspiration for the way she selects a range of prints/colors for her quilts.

"Use the good fabric!  Don't be afraid to experiment!" she told us.  Good advice.

Speaking of range of color, here are the 20 orange Ohio Stars.   I'm doing straight sets for each group of blocks in this RSC series so assembly is easy. 

There's a community garage sale this weekend. (Many people sign up and they (who?) publish a listing of all of them.)   I did a couple yesterday and will try more today.  

The landscaper just finished tilling the vegetable patch.  I'll get tomato and basil plants and sow some beans.  I am SO not a gardener but I like freshly-picked produce.

 This was fun.  

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday  Brag About Your Beauties  RSC at 

Midweek: orange, goals, and an inspiring quilt book

I had a delightful day Monday with my sister and our first cousin Karen who was visiting from Los Angeles.    Though our mother and her father (siblings) were very close, we cousins aren't.  We hadn't seen her since 2002. General catching-up and family stories made for lively conversation. 

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Orange is the color for RSC this month. I made 8 9-patch blocks for one project and I've begun a batch of Ohio Stars.  This year I'm making a wheelchair/lap quilt each month using Ohio Stars in the month's color. 

The June block for the guild BOM is in the center with the previous months' blocks surrounding it.  

Round Robin starts at this evening's guild meeting.   My starter block is a pot of flowers that I designed when I co-chaired the 2021-22 BOM.  (Three years already?!)  My requests are that subsequent rounds feature a little or a lot of light gray and that it be rectangular, not square.  

It's time to declare my goals for June.

(1)  Sort and file the fabric I've acquired recently.  (That's a carryover from May.)

(2)  Give fabric away.  

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I splurged and bought Victoria Findlay Wolfe's latest book The Quilting Experience.   It's partly her memoir but it's also a pattern book and a guided exploration of the stages of quilters' lives.  Each chapter is about one of those stages (identity, connection, aging, travel, etc.) with anecdotes by other quiltmakers.  Wolfe designed a quilt block to go with each chapter theme and puts them all together in a grand sampler called the Experience Quilt.   There are also 11 separate projects that use the blocks.  The stories are wonderful and the blocks make me want to start pulling fabric to make my version of the Experience Quilt.  

(c) Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Linking up with Wednesday Wait Loss and OMG at Stories from the Sewing Room