Friday check in: flinging, finishes, and a flimsy

Vintage Fiesta and vintage tablecoth  

Sunrise 12/28

 

 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were very cold but clear.   On Christmas Day we had time for presents and a festive breakfast (pancakes, bacon, and eggs) before the Sunday service for which I was liturgist.   Our Christmas dinner was at regular suppertime:  roast beef, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, popovers.   We watched several PBS/Netflix Mary Berry cooking shows where she made turkey. British friends said that nowadays turkey is for Christmas since they don't have our Thanksgiving holiday.  I'll stick to the old-fashioned menu.  (Especially since we still have leftover turkey in the freezer.)     

We celebrated Christmas with my sister and her family on Wednesday.   My nephew, his wife, and their daughter were there.  Rusty, the puppy, is a Vizsla.   (My sister and BIL are hunters and their dogs--right now an elderly Vizsla, the puppy, a springer, and a pointer--are workers.)

(BTW, the entree was venison.)   

We took advantage of the warmer temperature on Thursday.  Though the trail was muddy (snowmelt) I had a good walk.

Lower right:  collaborative effort by the beavers and the forest preserve guys.  (That kept the tree from falling across the road.)    

Flinging in-- my sister flung our mother's jewelry box.  The box is Bombay Co., circa 1991.  I know that because mine is just like it.  Much costume jewelry was sold in the 2002 estate sale.  I think this jewelry box was for current (at the time) and sentimental/valuable items.  I identified M's original wedding ring (a plain platinum band;  M said they were saving to buy furniture) and the Scottish Rite ring Dad wore in lieu of a wedding band. 

Top right:  the good stuff.  The little gold bar is stamped 10K/ 120 grains, worth about $250 per a gold-value calculator.  Bottom left: M liked rings. Most are costume, one diamond/gold, some turquoise/sterling. Bottom right: hers and hers.

 
Top left:  definitely costume; the copper base metal has corroded.   Top right:  I knew I'd given M an Alpha Gamma Delta Mother's Pin.  She had it made into a charm.  Bottom:  P.E.O. convention souvenir from that moment of stickpin revival in the 80's.   Right:  luggage keys from M's last set of suitcases.  No value at all, just a fond reminder.  Stevens used the larger suitcase until the zipper gave out.  When I packed the smaller one for our trip this summer I found M's i.d. in the i.d. pocket.   

Flinging out -- I sent a box of scraps to a quilting friend.   I also took a box of clothing (too big for me now!) and "misc. household" to the thrift shop.  I used great restraint and did not buy two all-cotton sheets, but I did indulge in six new-to-me quilt books.  Two had Amazon shipping receipts inside and I know the person who'd owned the books.  

Finishes -- three of the eleven wheelchair quilts are finished.  A fourth is quilted.   I'll bind it this evening.

I made the December guild BOM blocks (one of my OMGs for the month).  

A flimsy -- I've kept a box of 1.5" x 3.5" rails going for years.  They've been the basis of five red rails quilts. In October I began sewing the rails in a different design that was inspired by Lynn/Klein Meisje "thirteen" Here's how it turned out.  

The blocks are 9.5" unfinished.

There are more 1.5" x 3.5" rails in the box!

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday

P.S.  Happiness is a warm puppy!

 

Weekly update, part 2: woodland walks and playing with scraps

 

This early fall weather is glorious -- lots of sunshine and blue, blue skies.  We went to Waukegan Savanna, Independence Grove and Old School, three of the designated sites for this year's Hike Lake County challenge.  

This is prairie dock, also known as Lucy Braun's prairie dock. Had the flower and the spent flowerhead not been on one plant I wouldn't have known they are the same.

Here  is more about the eponymous Lucy Braun.  

This pretty purple flower is brown knapweed, also called French hard-head (!).  I've only  seen it at Wadsworth Savanna.  Since it is invasive it can stay there! 

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In the studio: 

 I've made several red rails quilts over the years. 

This one is from 2016. (There's a label in the side bar if you want to see all of them.)  

I've kept 1.5 x 3.5 rails in a two boxes -- one with just red and the other with everything else.  

Lynn's recent finish Klein Meisje "thirteen" gave me an idea.  

These 18 blocks (9-1/2" unf) have nearly emptied the "everything else" box. 

I'm going to take my time replenishing the box so this project will simmer for a while.

.,,,but I'm considering using the red rails for a scrappy sashing.....

Linking up with Oh Scrap!   Monday Making Design Wall Monday

Weekly update: treats, totes, and a scrappy flimsy

On Saturday the P.E.O.s in Lake County celebrated Founders' Day.  Because I am on the round table board and because I've given programs for other chapters I knew many of the women there -- but it was a pleasant surprise to see a woman who is a former member of my quilt guild. She's been a P.E.O. for a year and a half.  She now belongs to the other guild--and a member of my chapter is in that guild but the two don't know they share P.E.O. as well as quilting.

The program was "Notable Women in Lake County History," presented by historian Diana Dretzke. Among them: a 19th century temperance advocate, an innovative dairy farmer, the first Illinois woman to vote in a state election -- and many others.

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We were hosts for coffee hour/luncheon after church this morning. In honor of St. Patrick's Day I made a loaf of soda bread and set out the components for make-your-own-Reuben sandwiches (with the little square slices of rye bread that we used to call "cocktail" rye -- these packages called it "entertainment size").  For dessert I made Hamantaschen because Purim is this coming Wednesday.
I used poppyseed, apricot, and lemon curd filling -- more of the latter two because I thought (correctly) that the kids would think the poppyseeds were gross.

As I rolled, cut out, and filled the cookie dough Stevens read the Book of Esther aloud to refresh my memory of the story.    Hamantaschen  means "Haman's pockets" and the filling is said to be the money he gave to the king. (The Wikipedia explanation is here.)  In Biblical times clothing didn't have pockets the way we know them -- rather, pockets were pouches that hung from a belt or waist cord. Hence, the three-cornered Hamantaschen isn't an odd design.

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My friend Cindy commissioned a tote bag as a baby shower gift.  She plans to add picture books.  I looked up teddy bear clip art to find the design.  It was easy to trace onto fusible web.

The second tote bag will be donated to a GFWC-IL event.  I'll add books from the seemingly undiminished stack of advance reader copies that I got at the ALA conference in January.













This is the fifth red rails quilt I've made.*  There was a ziploc bag in the orphan blocks box with 42 four-unit blocks and 24 single units. I have 1.5" x 3.5" strips already cut and it didn't take long to make more units and blocks. There won't be a border and I'll trim the edges after I've quilted it.   (3-1/2 yds.)

* I have gone back to find photos of the other four and labeled each post "red rails" if you want to see them.




Weekly link ups:
 Design Wall Monday
 Oh, Scrap!
 Monday Making
 Moving It Forward

DWM: frustration and a flimsy

My One Monthly Goal for April is to make two daisy-themed totebags. I have finished the applique and quilting -- just top and batting, no backing since the totes will be lined.   They were floppier than I wanted so I sewed the front/back units to Peltex. Then I sewed the lining right-sides together and turned the sandwich right side out.  Big mistake. The Peltex is too stiff. The lining rolls to the outside (reminding me of garment-sewing lessons about understitching).  I can take it all apart or I can start over.  Taking apart seems to be the better choice.

Red Rails #3, April, 2015

Red Rails #4 is this week's flimsy. The rails are 1.5 x 3.5, cut over several months from scraps, from "straightening up," from FQs.  The other three Red Rails are set straight. This time I sewed the rail units into 4's (6.5" blocks) and set them diagonally.  I knew I would not add a border, but I was sure I'd use cheddar for the setting triangles.  It turned out I didn't have enough cheddar. I used blue-and-white ticking print that came from Lillian's legacy. Lillian bought five four-yard pieces of the print from Montgomery Ward's for $1.75 per yard.

(I pieced the rails randomly. When I got the units up on the wall I found out that far too many were dark-red-dark. The effect was blobs of dark that suppressed the red. Rather than sew more units, I ripped out many of the dark rails and replaced them with lighter rails.)

I'm linking up at
Monday Making
Oh Scrap!
Design Wall Monday
Main Crush Monday

P.S. Saturday afternoon: staffing an information table at the annual Tech Savvy STEM conference at Oakton Community College.  Funded by a grant from AAUW (national), more than 100 middle-school girls chose four out of twelve tech sessions (robotics, creating apps, solar cells, infrared astronomy, etc.) and a skill session (public speaking, stress, leadership, teamwork, etc.)

DWM: April stash report, basement update, raffle results, and another flimsy

Fabric acquired in April:  2 yards purchased ($9), 4 yards received as a gift = 6 yards, $9
Fabric used in April: 26.5 yards
Fabric acquired, 2015 to date: 22-3/8 for $73.48
Fabric used, 2015 to date: 115-3/8
(Note, too, that I did not acquire any fabric in November or December.)

Thus my stash is 93 yards lighter -- not that  anyone would be able to tell since the stash is still in the garage. This week the insurance adjuster came and made her report. We have a $5000 deductible so she paid us $803. Ah, well.  The carpenter spent two days hanging doors and door frames. He also installed baseboard. The flooring crew will come this week. The contractor says it will take three to four days.

The AAUW-Illinois state convention was in Bloomington Friday and Saturday. I picked up Jo-An at 10:00 on Friday morning and we had enough time to drive around three of the small towns en route, Odell, Pontiac (where we had lunch), and Towanda.  The state board meeting was at 3 p.m. After dinner I gave a book talk. (I began giving a book talk in this time slot when we realized we needed some kind of entertainment for people who came to the convention on Friday. Not everyone is on the state board, but some car pool with board members. Others come on Friday because they'd have too leave way too early when convention business begins at 9:00 on Saturday.  AAUW members are avid readers and they appreciate my recommendations.)
Here's the list:
Fiction
Berg, Elizabeth --The Dream Lover
Bergman, Megan Mayhew -- Almost Famous Women

 Harman, Patricia  --   The Reluctant Midwife  [sequel to The Midwife of Hope River]

Hashimi, Nadia -- The Pearl That Broke Its Shell  

Ohanesian, Aline -- Orhan’s Inheritance 

Smiley, Jane -- Some Luck and Early Warning (those are two separate books)

Tyler, Anne --   A Spool of Blue Thread

Nonfiction

Norris, Mary -- Between You & Me           

Przybyszewski, Linda -- The Lost Art of Dress    

 Rupp, Rebecca -- How Carrots Won the Trojan War  

The quilt in the photo is Lakeside Sunset , my 2015 raffle contribution. Ticket sales were $450, which will go to the Lois List American Fellowship . (I've donated quilts for hmmm, 14 state conventions. I haven't kept exact records, but I estimate raffle proceeds over $5000.)

The convention was very successful. The keynote speaker on Saturday, Prof. Kate Clancy, discussed her research about women in science (that is, some of the reasons more women aren't scientists). For more, here's her blog:  Context and Variation  I went to breakout sessions about AAUW's newest research report about women in science and about practical leadership for AAUW branches. (I am going to be the branch president for 2015-17.)  I've made many friends through AAUW and I fully support the mission -- to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.  (How can you oppose such a mission? If you agree, join us!)

And here is the newest flimsy, Red Rails #3. 4-1/4 yards (included in the April total).
Each rail is 1.5x3.5 so each unit is 3.5. I sewed units into twos, then fours, then sixteens (=12" block).

I'm linking up with Judy's Patchwork Times  and Beth's Love Laugh Quilt .

Red Rails

This is the second "Red Rails" quilt I've made. It's a quick way to use up a lot of scraps. The units are made of 1.5 x 3.5 bricks.  This measures 60 x 72.  It will be donated, but I don't yet know to whom or when.

I busted 8-1/2 yards of stash!

I pieced leftover blocks into the back.

Not a weather report, and Scrappy Red Rails

I am not going to post photos of the snow because everyone from the newspapers to bloggers have already done that. Suffice it to say that there's a lot of it! I learned that the L.L. Bean "rain pants" keep blue jeans dry while snowblowing. I also learned that if you want shredded newspaper, there are easier (and tidier) ways to get it than to run over it with the snowblower.

Meanwhile, I finished "Scrappy Red Rails." It was inspired by a quilt made by Susan -- http://thequiltasylum.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

(See "The Scrappy Monster" in her Jan. 30, 2007, post.) Mine is 72 x 84. I cut 1.5" strips into 3.5" lengths and sewed them together. I quilted it on my regular sewing machine in diagonal lines through the squares.