A Few Things

Here are the last three quilt-as-you-go blocks finished this week for the Soy Amado charity quilts.

 

These and my other orphan blocks have now been mailed off to Leila in Iowa, who will get them to Alison to be sewn together into quilts for street children in Mexico City.

 

There are some wonderful, colorful quilts resulting from this block drive.  You can check them out at Little Island Quilting.

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We did a little thrift store shopping last weekend.  I found these Sigvard Bernadotte-designed china cups at St. Vinny's.

They are smallish in size, a little bigger than a demitasse but smaller than a standard coffee cup.  I think they may have been part of a hot chocolate set.

Love the modern, no-nonsense design and functionality.  They fit perfectly into the curve of your palm, great if you like to warm your hands the way I do.  I'm guessing they were produced in the 1970s maybe (?), by Johann Haviland, Bavaria, Germany.

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Lately, I've been serenaded at night by a newcomer to the neighborhood.

Great Horned Owl (Image Source: Wikipedia)

"Hootie" perches in a tree just outside the house in the wee hours and starts making his presence known.  It's fun to imagine he's trying to deliver a message, like Hedwig in Harry Potter, but he's probably just establishing his territory.

If you believe in spirit animals, "When an owl shows up in your life, pay attention to the winds of change. Perhaps you are about to leave some old habits, a situation that no longer serves you or bring something new in your life."

I'm too much of a realist to put stock in such things, but it is interesting to ponder. The winds of change I'd really like to feel about now are the ones that blow in warm spring weather.

As owl calls go, his is fairly soft and soothing.  (You can hear samples HERE).  Although its repetitive nature means that about the time I nod off, he hoots another chorus.

It could be worse.  Just over the hill, about two blocks away, there was a barn owl last fall with the most blood-curdling scream.  (Samples HERE)  I would hear it in the evening just after dark as I took a walk.  I don't know how anyone living in the vicinity managed with all the ruckus.

But if they keep the population of furry critters down in my flower garden this summer, I'm good.  

Nature...gotta love it!

In the Pink

I tried something new the other day.  I'd bought some different pink fabrics online but they weren't exactly the pink I had in mind for a retro-mod type wall hanging. 

So I decided to try discharging some of the dye with a bleach and water bath.  I found this website to be very helpful in learning more about it.  I used 2 quarts of water mixed with 1/2 cup of chlorine bleach.  From what I had read, it wasn't going to take long, so I stirred it around and watched it for probably a total of 7 minutes.

In the neutralizer bath.

Then I rinsed them in clear water and put them in a second bath of 2 quarts of water and 2 capfuls of chlorine neutralizer for aquariums that we had left over from when we had a fish tank.  After that, I washed them in warm sudsy water and rinsed them thoroughly.

Here are the before/after results.  The original with the discharged version on top.  It's subtle, but there is a perceptible difference.  The lightest one is actually  more of a blush pink color, not tan as it appears in the photos.

These are Robert Kaufman Quilter's Linen (a print, not true linen). 

They're still not exactly the shade I'd like, but close enough for rock 'n roll.  I am using the discharged watermelon pink and the discharged blush pink.

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Today is my daughter's 26th birthday ~ Happy birthday Shella-Bubba!  (I am notorious for inventing nicknames.  She got stuck with that one, among others, but I think she's okay with it...or maybe she was okay with it until I announced it to the whole internet.)

We celebrated on Sunday with her favorite dessert, mint chocolate bars.  I bounced completely off the no-sugar wagon while they lasted, but they were good.

Michelle and Nick

I hope you have a great day and a wonderful year ahead, sweetie!

Declutter Report No. 1

The "Out-the-Door October" decluttering has been going okay.  I am working my way up (or down, as the case may be) to my basement sewing room.  That room intimidates me, frankly, because it's the most cluttered space in the entire house.  Everything that doesn't have another home ends up there.

So far, I have sold 11 items on eBay.  Woo-hoo!

I took photos of some mid-century tables to put on Craigslist, but I haven't gotten around to listing them yet.  One is in need of refinishing, but it is apparently a brand of mid-century Scandinavian furniture that's pretty hot right now, which I did not know until I perused eBay to research the name to get an idea of what to ask.  Doesn't look like much here.

But ho-lee-you-know-what.  Do an eBay search on this name furniture sometime and you will say it too.

Who knew when I basically trash-picked the thing 14 years ago?  I just thought it had good bones.  But after almost a decade and a half, since I've never gotten around to refinishing it (and now I wouldn't dare do it myself), it's probably someone else's chance to have a crack at it.

I went through my kitchen cupboards and refrigerator (tossed a bunch) and pantry.  I have a bag set aside for the Boy Scouts food drive this Saturday.

I unearthed stuff I totally forgot I had, like brand new Pampered Chef grilling utensils.  Might have been good to know a few months ago!

I went through my bedroom today.  I'm trying to motivate myself in baby steps, like seeing if I can get rid of 10 things per room.  It usually leads to more, but 10 seems like a manageable goal without feeling overwhelming.

This is the Goodwill and/or give-away-to-friends/family pile.  Also a few things to take to the local historical museum, if they'll have them.

The museum has a room named after the guy who owned these books, one of which dates back to when the state was still a territory.

Now for some really scary stuff...are you ready?  It's the basement sewing room.

Augh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Terrifying, isn't it?  My great-great grannies peeking over the detritus in the center there would be mortified.

Keeping in real, yo.

I did venture in the other day but promptly sidetracked myself into pulling fabrics for a Christmas table runner.

And so, the saga continues.

Oh, and here's a pretty scary thing that came out of the garden at my uncle's.

That is a ginormous beet!  With a normal-sized apple for comparison.

But, like the decluttering process, it is less intimidating if you cut it into smaller pieces (and roast with a little olive oil, salt & pepper...p.s., it was delicious!).

Have a great weekend, all!

Sunday Sundry 6-3-12

We spent the morning yesterday at a flea market.  The night before, I had talked about not going, as I'd had a busy week and a leftover to-do list as long as my arm.  But Saturday dawned bright and pleasantly cool, so we headed off on the spur of the moment, in spite of myself.

Armed with a cuppa joe and a little change in my pocket going ching-a-ling-a-ling, we found ourselves strolling the flea.  And you know what I bought—the only thing?  Bison.

Buffalo Gals Won't You Come out Tonight...

Yep, bison—as in meat from a local farmer who raises 'em grass fed.  And last night, it was what's for dinner.  Bison burger, a big honkin' one-third pound patty, and some grilled asparagus with red peppers on the side.  It was wonderful.  Absolutely no weird or gamey flavor whatsoever.  Better than beef, no kidding.

So where did the Pyrex come from?  Well, Norm found the chartreuse bowl for me last week.  I found the aqua casserole yesterday after we got home from the flea market.  We weren't quite done junking, I guess, because we ambled downtown and stopped at St. Vinny's where I spotted the casserole, complete with a layer of dirt and grease, but no price tag.

At the counter, I pointed out the lack of a tag to the clerk.  "How about a dollar?" I offered, expecting to get a laugh in return. 

"I was thinking more like a dollar and a half," said the clerk.  Well, who could argue with that? I took it home for an hour-long soak in hot, soapy water, and it came completely clean.

Shawnee (How I Love Ya, How I Love Ya)

Norm also bought me this cool V-shaped Shawnee planter last weekend while out with a friend.  I think it's part of the Touche line from the mid-'50s, in a speckled, or salt-and-pepper glaze. 

This thing has about a 13-inch wingspan, but it's not real deep or wide.  What would you plant in it?  

For now, I think I'll just plant some fabric.

I will be back in a day or two to share a finished quilt.  I got one back from the longarm quilter this week and finished binding it last night.  Somewhere on my to-do list is a photo shoot!

Favorite Things Friday ~ Good Thrift Finds

I have a confession.  I went back to the thrift store to see if that Singer 503 was still there.  And just what was I going to do if it was?  Stare at it some more?  Try to find a good reason to justify me not buying it?  I wasn't sure, but like a criminal returning to the scene of the crime, I went.

And it was gone.  Whew!  No longer an option.  It had found a new home.  Good!

But since I was in the store, I may as well have a look around, right? 

"Oh, look!"  I said to Norm in the dishes aisle.  "Aren't these cool?  Only 49 cents apiece."  I pushed aside the price sticker on the bottom of a cup to reveal the mark beneath.  "Well, will you look at that, Georges Briard."  No wonder I liked them.  His stuff has caught my eye (and Norm's) before.  This particular pattern is called Carousel.

When I got to the checkout, the clerk said there had been dinner plates as well, but someone else bought those earlier in the day.

I also found some fabric.  I get such a kick out of finding good fabric in the thrift store.  It's a different thrill than regular fabric store shopping.  Sort of like spotting a rare bird where you don't expect to see one.

The top four fabrics are batiks, about 3/4 yard each, except there's probably a couple yards of the purple.

So I'm joining Favourite Things Friday today, because good thrift finds are my favorite thing this week (and any week!).

And because my mp3 player shuffled up this song for me on my walk tonight, I'm sharing it as well.  I always want to stop what I'm doing and start dancing when I hear it.  Start the weekend early and sing the "Woo-hoo-hoo!" part out loud!

Sunday Sundry 2-12-12

Cheap Sunglasses
I saw these at a thrift store yesterday.  They have "stitching" around the frames and down the bows. They fit my face and are a classic shape, so for a quarter, how could I refuse?  I could not.

My dear friends Kathy and Marie came over for breakfast yesterday, and we watched the movie The Help together.  The movie was very good.  My friends had both read the book, which, it turned out, was a good thing when I needed them to clarify something, though I had first told them to "shut up" when they started discussing how the movie differed from the book less than a minute into the film.  Sorry gals.  Why they put up with me, I do not know.

I realized recently that we three have been friends for 30 years this year.  We met when we all worked for the same law firm back in the day.  Our old boss passed away last week, which had me reminiscing on this fact.  He was one of those people who seemed larger than life, both literally and figuratively.  He ended up doing a stint in the clink for some shenanigans and was disbarred.  Yes, those were some strange times.  I will say one thing, though; he knew how to pick quality people for employees.  I believe he was a good judge of character, despite any shortcomings in his own.  May he rest in peace.

Thrift Spotting
So we're in line at the cash register at the thrift store yesterday when I suddenly spotted something 10 feet away that I hadn't noticed before that moment.  It was a funky green shallow bowl with a scalloped edge.  My vintage pottery radar was activated and I asked Norm if he would please go flip it over and tell me what it was.  

"Red Wing," he reported. 

Suffice it to say, that was a quick sale.

I trusted my gut on a plate too, which was all by its lonesome on a shelf.  I was immediately drawn to its mid-century aesthetics, the clean black-on-white design.

I don't know anything about the maker, but I bought it just because I liked it.  Made by Kyoto Fine China, the pattern is Mercury, according to the stamp on the back.  Named after the space program, I wonder?

I tried drawing the design on paper last night, like a quilting design.  My drawing skills leave a lot to be desired, but I think if I traced it, I could quilt it.  Wouldn't that be cool?

(Says she who has been procrastinating and freaking out a bit at the prospect of practicing free-motion feathers, this month's FMQ Challenge...)

The Day the Internet Died...and the Sewing Machine Hummed to Life
My internet and phone connections were hit-and-miss last week, and on Thursday they went down altogether.  While I waited for the cable company to fix the problem, and since I couldn't work while offline, I sewed.

I worked on another string Dresden for a quilt, which is my String Thing-Along project. I also finally got around to doing an introductory post over on the String Thing-Along blog.

I am loving how each of these string rings will be different, depending on what scraps are used.  I'm also noticing that if I throw in one bold graphic print per ring, it adds just a little extra something-something.  On the one above, it's the red/black print that overall forms a five-point star.  On the one I laid out last night, it's in blue (no pics of that one yet).

It appears that I am in need of a catnap this afternoon.  Lots of yawning going on right now.  Hope you finish out the weekend in a good way, and have a bright week ahead! 

Sunday Sundry 1-15-12

I took time to play in the sewing room yesterday.  First, I sorted some scraps and strings into piles by color, so that when I'm ready to make my next scrappy string ring, I won't have to go digging.  

I heard an organizational expert say that there are two kinds of people, pilers and filers.  I think there may actually be a third category, a hybrid—pilers who wanna be filers, or pilers-until-it-reaches-critical-mass-then-filers.  At any rate, the pile system, albeit a very loose method of organization, works for me, for the moment.

While I was sorting through scraps, I found a couple strips of fabric I had trimmed off when I was cutting prints for the Veggie Market Quilt that Mom Wald was putting together.  I had just enough to make a double hourglass block from each of the four prints, plus a length of scrappy binding.

I used Cluck Cluck Sew's tutorial, using 2-1/4" strips (mostly because that's all the wider my scraps were).  Instead of using her cardstock triangle template idea, though, I used a Companion Angle ruler that I had on hand, matching the center strip seam at the 3 (2") mark and the lower edge at the 7 (4") mark.  It worked perfectly, with only a bit to shave off the edges when trimming.  The final blocks were 7-1/2" trimmed, 7" finished.

I used a bit of a bright lime green print for a border and quilted it with a loopy meander.  Another little scrappy finish for the week!  

(For vintage pottery fans, that fruit plate up top is a Hull caladium leaf plate/bowl that I found at a rummage sale down the block a few years ago, probably from the 1950s or 1960s, I'm guessing.  It was love at first sight!)

Next up:  Making some scrappy courthouse steps blocks in conjunction with the Sew Scraps Along.  But first, I have to practice some FMQ Challenge leaves!

Speaking of the Veggie Market Quilt by Mom Wald and helpers, the auction for the finished quilt is going live today on Ebay, with the proceeds going to Japan Quake Relief.  

You can check out all the details and find the auction link, when it gets posted, over at Mom Wald's Place (Edited to add:  You can find the auction HERE).  I hope you do check it out, and if you are inclined to bid on this happy, one-of-a-kind quilt, please do so!

I changed the vignette on my hallway telephone table to something funky and retro-ish.  

It needed a little height for balance, so I added the lava lamp.  It makes me smile every time I walk past it.

There was some thrifting earlier in the week.  A stop at Goodwill yielded two identical Pyrex bowls in a favorite color.  

I already had one like it at home, but at $1.99, I couldn't say no.  Who says three's a crowd?

Have you seen the week of terrific giveaways Elizabeth at Such a Sew and Sew is having?  Head over to Such a Sew and Sew to check them out!  You have until January 19 to enter any or all five giveaways.  While you're there, be sure to leave some birthday and blog anniversary love.  She is a most generous and kindhearted soul, and her many projects always inspire!


I'll bop on out of here to Jack Johnson, who kept me dancing around the sewing room to this one yesterday.  Hope you've had a great weekend!