Waiting for that first crocus

"Agatha reflected that the older she got, the shorter got the summers and the longer and darker the winters." (Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death, M.C. Beaton)  You got that right, Agatha. 

The garden show is on this weekend -- a treat for all who can wait no longer for a glimpse of spring.  And these two are waiting for me. 

The Agatha Raisin series is a British cozy --a fun, light read on a cold, damp winter's day. 

A Shot of Color

23 days to "Official" Spring on March 21.  Eager? Nah.. not me... but that groundhog better be right in his prediction of an early spring... 

When auditioning color tone or value for a quilt, I stand back and look through binoculars held backwards -- it makes the design wall appear further away and gives a better sense of values & tones.  Have been doing this so long I don't even remember how I learned this trick.   

Squinting at the photo above to focus on values, my thought is a soft blue-grey (like the floor in the background) could work as well with the red of the carnations and the blue of the countertop as that old horse red-white-and-blue.   Left from Valentine's Day, those workhorse carnations still give a visual boost sorely needed.

Much better than looking at piles of snow

Maybe it's a side-effect of the economy, but I've been receiving catalogues from companies I haven't dealt with in years.  Yesterday one such arrived from French Country Waterways http://www.fcwl.com/Cruises.html -- @ 7 years since I last requested one.  Fun for looking & daydreaming.

This was on our "Travels to Take" list -- Southern France was the focus area.

"In total luxury, dine on world-class, gourmet cuisine and savor [an] exclusive wine list ... Visit historic châteaux, medieval villages, and taste wines at world-famous vineyards. Or, relax on deck with a fine wine in hand while the beautiful French countryside slowly unfolds before you.."

Do you get the impression that wine is a VIP Feature of this experience?

"Aboard  you will find the gracious ambiance of a fine country inn. Warm wood panelling, handsome provincial furnishings and plush carpets ...  you will be served by a friendly, bi-lingual staff.  ... fully air-conditioned ..  with private baths, full-sized beds, and generous storage for clothing and luggage. . Thoughtful touches like fresh flowers, extra pillows, and hair dryers are always included..."  and there's the opportunity to take tours of local sites.

My Other Granddaughter



http://daytonabeachmainstreet.com/dirtyharrys/



doesn't quilt, but she does Ride!  (in the sidecar). 

 

And this year she's off to Bike Week in Datonia.

Is there a Quilt Shop in Datonia?

"Bikes" on a purple ground or purple bikes on a neutral ground -- those would work in a block for her purple quilt, wouldn't they? 

Oh, and she's Not dressing like a "bike moll" -- many of flickr's bike week photos need to be triple-R rated!  Naive me -- thought this was a "Mom & Dad", family type event..

A Quiet Saturday Evening

"You watch As Time Goes By -- I'm having a nap."

Please ignore the week's newspapers -- just much too cold to take out to the recycle bin, which anyway is still buried under a slow-to-melt snowbank.

See that small square of green?  That's my tin of Bag Balm -- vaseline on steroids for quilter's fingers. 

Special Quilt Morning

Dear Granddaughter came over this morning and we had a delightful time working on her quit.  She's making 6" 9-patch blocks in blues, greens and yellows.  It's from a Jelly Roll packet with some added yellows.  

We made quite a bit of progress.  Another session and the top should be together.  With the sashing it will be an American Doll size small quilt. 

After a subway lunch, she headed home and I curled up for a nap.  Tri joined me on the couch while Goldie had his on a patch of sunlight.  Tonight they will demand extra snackies as a "Thank You" for sharing Their Home.  

More "It's a Small World"

There's been quite a buzz on one of my quilt groups about Mug Rugs.  With a birthday coming up in next month, I thought this would be a great project and a neat gift.  While googling for some blueberry themed fabric, I came across this web site:
http://www.jolenesoriginals.com/tea.htm


Jolene is actually located in the same town and knows the birthday gal!  (Birthday gal doesn't have computer/internet; if other family members are reading this -- KEEP THE SECRET! -- and yes, I did mean to shout that.)  

A Special Quilt Session Planned

What do you do while waiting for that second shoe to fall (snow shoveled from roof is beginning to melt, fear of basement flooding growing like quilt scraps)?  Book a quilt day with your grandaughter!  Enjoy the duet of two sewing machines -- she brings hers and I'm dusting mine off.  After finishing the charity project in August, I took a break from quilting.  

She's making a simple 9-patch with sashing.

Valentine's Day was quite special here -- flowers and candy from the kids and grandkids.  The day ended with one of the few TV shows I do enjoy, Harry's Law.    

New England Cozies

Not quilts, but a type of murder mystery, basically no gore.  I seem to be reading cozies not just set in New England, but in locations I know well.  First it was  Drowning in Christmas, Hartford's  Wadsworth Atheneum's Festival of Trees -- a museum I have visited often and  have been to that Festival.  Now just finished Town in A Lobster Stew, set in a "cozy coastal village in Downeast Maine".  With its reference to "up in Machias" as well as the physical description of the town, it could easily stand in for Jonesport, where many a summer vacation was spent.   Both were quite enjoyable reads.


                                                            Amazon pictures

Lobster Stew is the second in that series; the first is Town in A Blueberry Jam.

Looking forward to more in both these series.  Wouldn't it be great if either or both  incorporated a quilt or quilting into one of the stories?!

Also looking forward to seeing daffodils poking through spotty remains of old snow.  Need that reassurance that Spring Will Come & That  *** Snow will Melt (hopefully not into my basement).



Another "It's a Small World!"

One of the very first quilt blogs I started to read was Bonnie Hunter's.  
Well, the Greater Hartford Quilt Guild's Annual Meeting in April, hosted by the Wallingford Heritage Quilts this year, is featuring Bonnie!  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/  


Bonnie's Photo





































I made her Weed Wacker http://quiltville.com/weedwhacker.shtml but without her border.  Good way to use up those scraps, especially the extra binding that's left over.
It was given to the local batter women's shelter. 
note: preview shows something funky going on with this post & I can't seem to correct it. sorry.
teaster for tomorrow: Another "small world"

As Promised

Stencil used to quilt the chickadees in the border.  The cat's an applique pattern used for a Halloween black cat on my fall runner. 

In the kitchen entry I have a 1/2 wall bulletin board.  The space between it and the ceiling accommodates a quilted runner.  There's one for each season, plus.  It's a great quick project since it equals 3 12-inch blocks.

Morning Visitors

Today I had company for my morning coffee, first a chickadee fastidiously nibbling at the sunflower seed scattered on the patio, then two voracious squirrels (aka "Tree Rats" - lots of them from the woods behind us) came.  Tri, sitting on the table top for a "box seat" view, watched them all.  Based on the soft growling sounds made,  she seemed to associate the chickadees with her bed-time chicken-flavored Temptations, while a stronger growl warned the squirrels to "get off my patio". 

Before they gorged on the seed, the squirrels paused on the top of a snowbank and peered in at me -- well, at least someone has a use for these banks of snow shoveled off the roof. 

I have, or at least had, the stencil I made for quilting a row of chickadees in one of the borders of my "Good Neighbors" quilt.  It's not where it should be so I can't post it now, but I'll look for it to share another day.

Countdown to Spring

If my count is right, Official Spring is 43 days away.  Sigh...... must ask my DD to pick up a bouquet of flowers for me the next time she's at COSTCO.  Not only will they kindle a sorely needed lift of spirits - they'll spark happy memories of the day we went to the Alsmeer flower market in Holland. A stone’s throw from Schiphol Airport, about 20 million flowers are auctioned every day, from Monday to Friday morning.

Meanwhile, this will suffice. 
 

By the way, the geese along the top are flying south -- smart birds!  Or we can think of them as Dutch planes flying flowers west to us under our snow banks.  Could we send our ice there?-- Holland / Ice / Skating works for me! 

Small Pleasures

One of the small pleasures of retirment is curling up under a quilt for an after-lunch nap.

Tri is my nap companion.  She likes to join me on the couch and this is her petting time.

They were almost teenaged rescue kitties when they came here and decided it would "work" as their home.  They had been companions although not litter mates.  It took some time and some bribery, i.e. kitty snacks, before they accepted my touch. 
She and Goldie decided for themselves how to share my petting.  Tri has the nap spot; Goldie has the pre-lights-out bed time. 

Shimmer

  

With the afternoon sun behind them and each branch-to-twig ice encased, my lilac bushes are  shimmering.  Did a quick google search hopeing to find some shimmery white quilt fabric, but the closest  I could find was this Robert Kaufman Fusions. 

With the blue of the sky what a lovely quilt this would make -- but blue is my favorite, and I already have a blue & white sampler lap quilt.  Then again, can anyone have too many blue & white quilts?

Maybe just a touch of green in one of the blocks, or a narrow green inner border to hint at a coming spring.  

Good News (we hope)

  no shadow!
"Hear ye! Hear ye!  Punxsutawney Phil is predicting an early spring. 
I do hope Mr. Chuck, my groundhog who is most likely sleeping soundly under the utility shed, agrees with Punxsutawney Phil. 

Weary of Winter

Will it never end?  if it's not snow, it's ice.  who is out fabric shopping in this stuff? and who normally  budgets for clearing the roof as well as plowing the driveway? (that mound is part of the roof snow)  This must be hurting the small, local shop owners.  thinking especially about our local quilt shop.  when, if, there's a day with no snow on the road or water in the cellar, there are 2 First Things I'm going to do: meet my daughter for Breakfast Out and visit that local quilt shop. 

Then it's a stop at Michael's -- this winter demands a scrapbook page.