Friday check in: lakefront in September, a luncheon, and some sewing

 

Two lakefront excursions this week. 

 Fort Sheridan is an unusual forest preserve in that it has a lot of human history as well as natural history. When the fort was decommissioned the land was divided as a natural area but also a town. The officers' quarters and even the stables are now very upscale housing.  This year's trail followed a ravine and part of the parade ground.   

Farther north along the lakefront:  the Southport Quilters is the Kenosha guild. Their annual show is an exhibit at the Anderson Arts Center.  The staff at AAC hang the quilts in the light-filled galleries.  The show is free and up for more than a month.  

The Andersons were a wealthy Kenosha family (American Brass Co. and Simmons Mattresses).  

These are a few of the quilts on display.

The Clara Cummings Book Club opened the year with Lynn Rymarz portraying Colleen Moore.   She is known to Chicagoans for her Fairy Castle, an elaborate miniature castle (not really a doll house) on permanent view at the Museum of Science and Industry.  But before that she 

was a silent film star -- among the highest paid in Hollywood.   She made a few talkies and then left the movie business.  The Fairy Castle went on tour during the Depression.  It was shown at department stores across the country. The admission fee of a dime raised more than $1 million to  aid hospitalized crippled children.   She was a savvy investor and wrote a 1968 book about how women can succeed in the stock market.  

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In the studio:    at the AAUW meeting last Saturday Dorothy gave me a bag of quilt blocks.  "I'm sure you can do something with these," she said.  

I'm meeting the challenge with a batch of placemats.  Come back on Monday to see the finished products. 


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Friday check in: a note before leaving

State park, Wednesday:  bumblebee on clover, coreopsis, spiderwort.  ("Wort" means a plant with medicinal properties. I don't know what this one does for humans, or for spiders....)

Thursday:  the Clara Cummings Book Club members were tapping their toes and clapping as presenter Susan Benjamin told us about the life and career of Neil Diamond.  And with that entertaining program the CCBC season has concluded.  Next luncheon is in September and I have the speaker lined up.  

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In the studio:    RBW Stars #2 is a flimsy.   6 yards in all.

No sewing this weekend.  I'm headed for the P.E.O. state convention in Springfield.  

Just call me Elsbeth . . .

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Friday check in: this, that, and a flimsy (almost)

 

Violets, Virginia bluebells (mertensia), trillium at Lyons Woods on Wednesday morning.

No walk on Thursday because the Clara Cummings Book Club met for lunch.  Pamela Toler told us about "the dragon from Chicago." That was the nickname given to Chicago-born Sigrid Schultz, who was the Chicago Tribune's Berlin bureau chief from 1925-1941 and a wire service war correspondent from 1941-1946.   She chronicled the rise of the Nazi party and developed an extensive network of contacts who provided insider and behind-the-scenes accounts of what was going on.  

Toler learned about Schultz when a cache of late 1890's photographs was found in a house on Chicago's north side.  They were of Schultz and her family, taken by her father who was a portrait photographer.  That led to research that resulted in a book and, fortunately for the CCBC members, this fascinating program. 

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In the studio:   I pulled out the novelties bin for the next project, an I Spy quilt.  

I've had a lot of these for a very, very long time. (One particular print was part of an I Spy that I made in 1999.  It's been in nearly every I Spy that I've made since.) 

Blocks assembled, waiting for borders.

(That 1999 fabric?  Fifth row, seventh column. Bright squirrels.    And the one just above it--a saxophone on a splotch of blue, white background--is from a baby quilt I made in 1997. I have a chunk of the squirrels but just inches of the musical instruments.)

The cut-away corner HSTs have been sewn, trimmed, and pressed.  They're 1-1/2" unfinished.

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The Christian Science Monitor's film critic gave The Choral a very positive review.  I got it on Amazon and watched it last evening as I sewed.  

 During World War I the choral society in an English mill town must regroup because so many of the young men are in the Army. The new choirmaster (Ralph Fiennes) changes the musical selection for their spring performance and recasts it to be a reflection of the war. There are subplots and twists, a lot of poignancy, and beautiful singing.

I enjoyed it!  

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday

 

Friday check in: art history made fun + a new start

 Monet Lives! was the program at the Clara Cummings Book Club luncheon yesterday.  Jim Parks put on a beret and became Claude Monet.  

 The audience participated by choosing a 4x4 reproduction of an Impressionist or other late 19th/early 20th c. painting (created by Jim: "it's a prop, not a souvenir").   As Claude walked around the room he gave highlights of the chosen miniatures.

 What a great way to brush (ha!) up on art history.

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In the studio:  I think I'm starting a Christmas quilt.....

Linking up with  Finished or Not Friday

Friday check in: orchids in September + a flimsy

Wednesday afternoon I walked the long trail at the south unit of Illinois Beach State Park.    I found a wildflower I hadn't seen before.  Great Plains Lady's Tresses is a variety of orchid.  I recognized it as such because of a similar orchid I saw in the Burren in Ireland.  

The flowers are about 1/4".   

The Irish orchid:  fragrant orchid, gymnadenia conopsea.

Is the hole in the tree a portal?  LOL!

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No walk on Thursday.  Rotary breakfast at 7:15, then the first meeting of the Clara Cummings Book Club at lunchtime.  The speaker, Susan Benjamin, was great. The topic was interesting -- Neil Diamond.  But, unfortunately, Susan's AV presentation didn't work on the program chair's computer despite 20+ minutes of trying to install, uninstall, reinstall and finally giving up.  Susan gave the program without the visuals and the song clips -- and she'll return in May with to try again.  (By that time *I* will be the program chair and we are definitely going to have a rehearsal.)

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In the studio:   the framed squares are a flimsy.  The Kaffe Fassett Bead Stripe was just right for the border.

    

The Zion Woman's Club Bunco fundraiser is November 14.  I contribute a quilt to the raffle. Though I could choose a quilt on hand I am going to try to make a Christmas quilt.   These monkey wrench blocks are 7-1/2" unfinished.  More to come.

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Friday check in: placemats and a new start

 

Sunrise today.

"Sky-blue pink," as Uncle Wiggly would say. 

Yesterday:  the Clara Cummings Book Club ended the year with a visit from American Impressionist Lilla Cabot Perry portrayed by Lynn Rymarz.   Perry was a Boston Brahmin married to a Boston Brahmin who was a diplomat.  In France they lived adjacent to Claude Monet.  Monet didn't take pupils but he was a consultant and mentor to her.  

Many, many years ago Clara Cummings was denied membership in the Excalibur Club, a very exclusive women's club in Waukegan.  Clara began her own club, now eponymous. Members used to read and discuss books. Later they had programs by professional book reviewers. Now there are four luncheon programs a year, mostly historical portrayals. 

I bought this magnet at the National Museum of Women in the Arts circa 1999.  It depicts Lilla Cabot Perry's "Lady With a Bowl of Violets." It's been on the refrigerator door all these years but I didn't know anything about the artist.  

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My studio is not as scenic as Giverny, but I've been productive this week.

I made 10 placemants for my year-long project.  The Ohio stars were left over from the monthly RSC. The other two were from the orphans box.  

These scrappy 9ps (6" finished) began with pieces from the scrap bags I bought at the church rummage sale earlier this month. I'll make four more blocks and assemble them. . . or I'll put them away for a while and contemplate something more involved.  

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday

P.S.  The fridge with all the magnets.  

Friday check in: a letter to the editor, a luncheon, and a flimsy

 

The great cicada confluence is upon us. 

 Every 221 years the 13-year and 17-year locust broods emerge at the same time.  The 13-year brood is southern and gets into central Illinois. The 17-year brood is midwestern and gets -- here.  "Here" meaning towns about 10 miles south of where we live.   We haven't seen or heard them in the neighborhood.  

My cicada story was published in the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday.  

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Marie Antoinette visited the Clara Cummings Book Club luncheon yesterday.   She dispelled many of the legends/rumors that were prevalent during her reign and have continued for 200 years.  (I watched the Masterpiece Theater series about her last year and learned a lot from that, too.)    Reenactor  Martina Mathisen previously portrayed Edith Head for CCBC in 2022.

This was the final CCBC for the season.

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In the studio:  the "kit rescue" I wrote about on Wednesday is now a flimsy.   I pinned it against the windowpane pattern backing fabric because the light gray border didn't show up on the design wall.

As I said, I wanted to use only the fabric in the kit.  There wasn't enough gray for setting triangles so used a straight set.  [Sure, I could have used that windowpane for setting triangles but I wanted to keep the sleeker vibe of the Kaffe setting. Also, on-point would make it larger than I want to quilt.]

But now I have a lightning-round project: a quilty something for a friend's 60th birthday this coming Monday.   I've got an idea . . . 

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday   Enjoy the holiday weekend!

 

Weekly update: two luncheons and WITB leads to a finished quilt

 
"Destination Heartland History"  was the topic at the Clara Cummings Book Club luncheon on Thursday. Cynthia Clampitt enjoys discovering lesser-known sites and attractions as she travels.  She began the program explaining that the historical midwest covers a lot of territory -- Ohio to North Dakota, Michigan to Kansas.  She reminded us that Laura Ingalls Wilder (=pioneer) and Frank Lloyd Wright (=modern) were born in Wisconsin, four months and 150 miles apart.  Pioneer museums, the oldest still-operating restaurant/bar in a town/county, windmills and lighthouses -- so many interesting places.   

We've been to a number of them.  Now we have a guidebook for a road trip or two to see more.

(Cynthia highlighted the attractions in Sara's town.)

(80+ years ago an exclusive Waukegan women's club excluded Clara Cummings so she started a club of her own. They used to host book reviewers. Now they (we) host historical interpreters and lecturers, four luncheons a year.   AAUW, GFWC, and P.E.O. friends are among the regular attendees.)

The P.E.O. Lake County Round Table celebrated Founders Day on Saturday.  100 sisters from 13 chapters attended.  Through my participation in the LCRT and at the state level I've gotten to know so many of these women!   "The Hats We Wore" highlighted each of the seven international programs by the years they were established. The models wore hats that were fashionable in those years.  

The projects:  Educational Loan Fund, Program for Continuing Education, Cottey College, International Peace Scholarship, P.E.O. Scholars, STAR scholarship, and a proposal for a trade school scholarship.

My chapter had registration.  Ask a busy person and it will be done right:  Linda B. had it all under control.

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WITB = What's In the Box?  This weekend I uncovered/unearthed the beginnings of a maze quilt. It was a prototype for the MQG mini-swap quilt I made in 2023.   I had three rounds pieced.   I fussy-cut many, many more motifs (mostly flowers, some circles) and kept going until I'd used up all of that particular black print.    The squares and strips are 3.5" and finish at 3".  The quilt is 51 x 54.  5 yards including backing and binding.

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

P. S.   Here's the first maze quilt I made in early 2023.  Blocks are 5" finished. 

Here's the MQG swap from February, 2023.  (For which this weekend's quilt was a sample.)   This is 24 x 26 and the blocks are 2" finished.  The strips are cut 3/4".   

Weekly update: goings-on and a new flimsy

 

On Thursday food historian Catherine Lambrecht was the guest speaker at the Clara Cummings Book Club luncheon. I first heard Cathy when she gave the program for the Zion Woman's Club (in March, 2022).  This time she talked about the traditions of pie. 

Illinois grows and processes more pie pumpkins than any other state.  The variety shown in the photo is the hybrid most used. It is a cross between the Tennessee field pumpkin and butternut squash.   The array of apples are those grown in a heritage orchard here in Winthrop Harbor.  (It's not open to the public.)

On Friday evening the Zion Woman's Club held our annual ladies' night bunco party.  It was great fun!  75 women attended. We had a new venue (the Moose lodge) , served only dessert (delicious bars and cookies from a local bakery), and had only four raffles (a 50/50 cash drawing, a gift card tree, a basket with fall decor, and a quilt).   Gross receipts were just shy of $1800 which was the best ever.  

Upper right:  I cut FQs of Halloween fabric to use in the table centerpieces.  

"These are my colors!" said Reggie, who won the quilt.

Saturday evening was the Lake County Symphony Orchestra's gala banquet and concert at Glen Flora Country Club in Waukegan.    We sat with our friends Marilyn and Mike at the same table with the orchestra's CEO and conductor and his wife (the principal violinist), their son, and a friend of theirs. 

Interesting conversation, a good meal, and excellent music.  Since the venue is a dining room only half the regular orchestra performs--very intimate--and we had front-table seats.

I contributed a quilt to the silent auction but forbore to bid on anything (sports memorabilia and wine are not our thing). 

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So, two quilts have left the house!  But a new quilt is in progress.  

I saw a photo of a quilt and made a slightly different version of the block. Once I figured it out I just kept going! 

The blocks are 9-1/2 x 13.

Fabric A:  2-1/2" x WOF and 3-1/2" x 7-1/2".

Fabric B:  1-1/2" x WOF.

Cut 2 units 10-1/2"  and 2 units 6-1/2". 

Assembly has an easy partial seam.

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The ALA Retired Members Round Table Fifth Sunday book discussion met by Zoom this afternoon.  We use prompts rather than reading one book. This time the topic was "something spooky."  As always there was a variety from Neal Gaiman to Preston & Childs to Lucy Foley.  My selection was The October Country, a short story collection by Ray Bradbury.  It was originally published in 1955; I checked out a 1999 reissue with a new intro by Bradbury.  Such terrific writing -- and truly spooky (psychologically disturbing).

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

P.S.  Cosmos growing behind a garden shop, taken on Thursday.  There's frost in the forecast this week.  

Wild turkeys strolled down the block this week.

So pretty!