Label Maker

Everyone knows you should always label all your quilts. 

But like many, I didn't start out labeling my quilts. It's only recently that I realized how much I wanted all my quilts to be identifiable as mine. Many of my early quilts may one day go unknown ... But that's ok, too. I kind of enjoy the idea of future people puzzling over them. 

For as many quilters there are, there are ways to label your quilt. So far, my quilt labels have all been lino cuts, or stamps that I created myself. I imagine it give my quilts a punk rock jacket kind of look. 

There's also a wide variety of info that can be conveyed on a quilt label. I like to keep it simple. I put the name of the quilt, the month and year it was completed, my name (well, my moniker)... and that's about it. 

There's so much cat hair in the world, but I seem to have the majority of it. 

There's so much cat hair in the world, but I seem to have the majority of it. 

I created a Pinterest Board with some lovely examples and ideas for quilt labels. I also included some stamp making ideas if you want to try it my way!

I'm adding this to my Q1 2015 Finish Along finishes. Check out On the Windy Side for more info on the 2015 Finish Along. One of my Q1 goals was to repair and label a quilt for a friend. Done!

What's your favorite technique for labeling your quilts?

 

On Quilting Community + Something New

Growing up, one of my best friends and nemesis was named Eleni. We were in the same homeschooling group and our moms were friends. I loved to visit Eleni's house bc she had a piano and her mom sang songs. Eleni had tall mice dolls that she made an amazing Borrowers-esque style doll house for, with acorn top bowls and stoves made out of egg containers. We celebrated cool holidays like Passover and Hanukkah. Eleni could be a brat, too, (as I'm sure I was as well) and sometimes we fought. Sometimes I was jealous of her dollhouse. We grew up and apart. Eleni became a stage actress like she always wanted. I hear she got married. Maybe she has children of her own now. 

I've been thinking of her recently. She was the only person I had ever heard of with that name. 

When I heard about Rachel's (Stitched in Color) daughter's difficult birth and the long, hard road they have ahead of them, I was heart broken. This is a person I've never met, will never meet and know only thru their website. I read all about how Rachel wanted more kids, and her struggles to realize that dream. She didn't write about it too much, and honestly, I never read those entries too thoroughly. It wasn't what I came to the site for. I certainly don't mind knowing about sewists lives, but I tend to read quilt blogs for inspiration in sewing.  
But at some point in the last few years, while reading that site for her quilting knowledge, I became emotionally invested in her life.

I was shocked at my own reaction; a tightening of the throat, and tears welled in my eyes. The only way I can explain it is that by reading these blogs, by writing them, we have formed a community. And when one member of our community is hurting, we all are. Our community fosters inspiration in sewing and quilting, but also in living, growing, and teaching. 

When I discovered Jodi's (Tales of Cloth) call to make #flowersforeleni, I felt compelled to join in, even tho I had only experimented with EPP, and never appliqued before. 

I'm linking this Something New up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching (a little late....).

I'm linking this Something New up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching (a little late....).

I must say, the results are not the best. Something went wrong with the measurements, I think.... And my applique is decidedly bunchy. But the intent of comfort was there and the prayer for healing. So I think they will do. 

I was very happy to be able to join in and feel close to the quilting community. Just as we hurt together, we heal together also. 

2015 Goal - Reading

In January, I wrote down some goals I have for the year. I only marked down my general goals. I didn't want to get overwhelmed! I think it would be good to expand on each of the main topics. There are very specific things I want to accomplish within each goal section. 
I'll be breaking down what I want to get done for each goal over the year and posting updates. See the first goal I tackled here.

The second goal I want to address is Reading. 

Here's what I originally wrote:
Read More - I can only remember reading three books last year. Pitiful. 

The three books I remember finishing are Sara Gran's Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead and Claire Dewitt and the Bohemian Highway, and Mark Mills' House of the Hunted.  It's possible I read one or maaaaybe two more, but these are the only ones I remember reading. 

I love to read, I should be reading more. Reading should be a priority. So that's my goal this year. 

And I'm off to a good start. Or a start at least! Because I finished my first book in 2015:
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. 

I started this book way back in September 2014. My mom was reading when we went on vacation to Cape May. She was almost done, but she forgot her copy at home. She decided to buy another bc she was eager to finish. I encouraged her to, so that I could have it when she was done. Two of my good friends had been recommending Bryson's books to me for a while so I was happy for the opportunity. As my mom was finishing it, reading at night or before a leisurely vacation nap, I would here her laughing to her self and I became even more interested. It's true that this book is funny, but it's also very informational, and somber in parts, too. 

A Walk in the Woods tells the real life tale of Bryson's attempts to hike the Appalachian Trail from beginning to end. Through the series of his misadventures, he skillfully weaves the interesting and sometimes bizarre history of one of America's longest and oldest trails, with the relevance it still holds today. He imparts facts and knowledge about the trail and about hiking in America as seen through his own, at times pessimistic, world view and humor.  

More and more as I grow older, I love books with facts. I love histories, especially about the American East Coast where I'm from. A Walk in the Woods was exactly the kind of book I've come to love. It's engaging and interesting, chock full of facts about the Appalachian Trail, it's history and geography, but moves along in an easy narrative. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in American history, nature and hiking, or buddy stories. 

Have you read this book? Leave a comment!

Stormy Friendship Star: A Finished Mini Quilt

This is the first finish I'm posting for 2015. I've had a few others but with the snow stormy weather it's been hard to get any good photos. I was able to snap a few for this when the sun came out for a brief moment. 

This is also the first finish for Adrianne's (On The Windy Side) 2015 Finish Along. 

I started this mini when I was working on  another mini quilt top, so it's been done for many months. I used many of the same fabrics, vintage gingham, dots, and hearts, hand printed red cotton, and new anchors.  I added new storm cloud fabrics for borders. I made a plain red back with a vintage floral strip. When I layered them, I realized that I had made the quilt back too small, so added some dark blue borders on the back. 

I made a really scrappy pieced batting then I used cotton thread in matching colors to quilt inside the friendship star. For the rest of the quilt I used white pearl cotton.  I bound the edges with the fold over method that I like. I only bordered three sides in blue, so on the finished quilt front there's one red side. 

Stormy Friendship Star Mini measures approximately 29 1/2" x 29 1/2", but you can see, it's not exactly square. Is there a standard size or size limitation for mini quilts? This would be sweet wall hanging, or to drape over a chair or couch back. But it would also make a cute baby mat for a nautically inclined wee one. 

Bippi was probably most helpful on this quilt. But she did get disgruntled that it was so small. She prefers a larger size quilt to really give her room to sleep under. 

I'm also linking up with Kathy's Quilts today for Slow Sunday Stitching. Today she's talking about stress in stitching. Although the deadline for the Q1 finishes for the 2015 Finish Along is fast approaching, I feel pretty good about what I've accomplished the quarter.  Now I just have to make the time to blog about everything!

 

New Block: Fat Little Cross

I had been putting any new blocks I sew under the category Something New. You can see some examples here, here, and here. But I have been doing a lot of new blocks, and plan to do A LOT more this year. So, I think they are going to need their own heading. 

 I happened upon an image of this block on instagram and thought I'd try it! I'm not sure what this one is called. Does anyone know? 

I used some vintage precuts I had. This block is really similar to a churn dash block, but has a totally different feel. I started quilting this to make a pillow out of, which very may well fall into the Something New category. (If I ever finish it!)

Like churn dash blocks, these would be really fun chain piecing blocks on the machine. There are times I wished I used a machine for sewing, especially since one simple block can take so long! But since I only hand sew, I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts and Slow Stitching Sunday. 

Something New: Little Hearts

Belated Happy Valentine's Day to all (if you're into that kinda thing)!! We don't really celebrate in our house, no fancy dinners, expensive chocolates, or bunches of red roses. But we do like hearts. Doesn't everyone?

Instagram I took right after making my first block. 

Instagram I took right after making my first block. 

It seems like the appropriate season to post a new block I've made recently. The first little heart I made was from memory from a post by Cluck Cluck Sew. I used 4 HST and it turned out cute! 

But I decided I probably should revisit the post and see how I'd done. The tutorial was not exactly how I'd remembered it, so I made a few more blocks!

Some more wonky than the others....

We are stash busting in our house this year, so I paired the hearts, which came from very old pre cuts, with scrappy greens from the scrap bin. I was able to move 99% of that bin to 2 smaller bins, and organize, so it was a work and fun project! 
A lot of people have been following this tutorial over the last few months. Here are a few of my favorites: Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting, Random Thoughts... Do or "Di", and Film in the Fridge. And so many more I have seen, too many to find! Plus a ton on instagram #cluckclucksew.

Today, I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday. 

Sea, Sand, and Snow, for Second Anniversary

For our second wedding anniversary we headed down to one of our favorite beaches. A year earlier, the weather was warm, and mild and we spent our time in Washington DC. This year we ran into quite a bit of snow Down The Shore. 

Flat, calm, ocean before the storm. 

Flat, calm, ocean before the storm. 

We stopped by Ocean Grove on our way down, partly for business, but mostly to see the beach on a freezing, still, day. We found a bit of glass and jet but had to head on when our toes went numb. 

Sun sets over the boardwalk. 

Sun sets over the boardwalk. 

Sunrise at one of our favorite hotels. 

Sunrise at one of our favorite hotels. 

We woke up the next morning in Cape May to easier temperatures, and set out to the beach again. 

Met a shy friend. 

Met a shy friend. 

Deserted places.

Deserted places.

Ice capped jetties. 

Ice capped jetties. 

This tall fellow. 

This tall fellow. 

Cold and colorful. 

Cold and colorful. 

Ship wrecks at sunset.

Ship wrecks at sunset.

We beach combed, thrift shopped, walked, and ate as many fish sandwiches as we could find.
We are always surprised and amazed at how different the beach can be. Last time we were in Cape May, the beach was rich with finds. This trip, we barely found any treasures. Whether we find things or not, the beach is a rejuvenating place for us, and we rejoiced in relaxation. 

Blue Pig breakfast. 

Blue Pig breakfast. 

The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, we headed out into a dreary rainy NJ drive. Soon, the rain turned to snow, and the snow turned to blizzard conditions. Partly to avoid the road, but mostly out of excitement and curiosity we headed back to OG.  

Brave souls. 

Brave souls. 

No glass here.  

No glass here.  

Asbury Park in deep white. 

Asbury Park in deep white. 

We didn't find any glass or even very many shells, but the blizzard beach was worth the trip!

Another look at the boardwalk. 

Another look at the boardwalk. 

Over all, our 2nd anniversary was relaxing, calm and a little cold, but wonderful. We got to enjoy some of our most favorite pastimes. A happy way to spend a happy date. 

January in Review

It's hard to believe how fast January went. The year is one 12th over already!

There was a lot of hard work this month. But it was straight forward with no major surprises which was a nice change.  It helped the month move along promptly. 

I tried to keep my goals for 2015 in this month. To start, we rang in the new year watching the fireworks in Prospect Park. Our tradition sets a nice start to a new year. We managed to go on our annual museum trip, this year to the Neue Gallerie. It is always refreshing to see art this month! We were amazed by Klimt's work up close. 

1) Watchers have been sparse so far this year. 2) You can't not marvel at this entry way. 3) Since loosing track of my number one #myfavoritetrucksofparkslope, this one has moved into that spot!  4) The long, chilly, line to get in wa…

1) Watchers have been sparse so far this year. 2) You can't not marvel at this entry way. 3) Since loosing track of my number one #myfavoritetrucksofparkslope, this one has moved into that spot!  4) The long, chilly, line to get in was worth the wait!

We tried to create in January, as well. I sewed quite a bit but started more projects than I finished. I didn't make much progress on my 1Q Finish Along, but I was inspired for new projects. 

We got to spend some time with friends this month. We got to wander around the city. The weather was pretty snowy, and Brooklyn is beautiful in it's Winter clothes.  

1) Little hearts (more coming soon). 2) Winter's garden. 3) Snowy paths around Grand Army Plaza. 4) Coffee with Crimson. 

1) Little hearts (more coming soon). 2) Winter's garden. 3) Snowy paths around Grand Army Plaza. 4) Coffee with Crimson. 

We were able to escape the city in January, as well. We headed to NJ to see family and found some great good sea glass on the bay. We also headed to our favorite shore town and did some house hunting. Seeing the ocean in winter is pretty wonderful. 
At the end of the month we headed back to Southern NJ to spend a special date.    

1) Interesting people at the library. 2) Mild skies above the ocean. 3) Static kitties in Park Slope. 4) Defeated Daleks looking dejected.  

1) Interesting people at the library. 2) Mild skies above the ocean. 3) Static kitties in Park Slope. 4) Defeated Daleks looking dejected.  

I was able to set some goals for the upcoming year, and it's been helpful to look at that list and keep on track. January was productive, but all too brief. It was cold, snowy and stark in many ways but highlighted by colorful adventures. 

February is the shortest, darkest, month, has some of my favorite holidays (and I don't mean President's Day), and takes us one more step to Spring. January whooshed by fast and furious, February, what pace will you set?

2015 Finish Along

This year, I want to blog more, I want to sew more, I want to finish more!

So I'm participating in Adrianne's (On The Windy Side) 2015 Finish Along.
For those of you haven't heard of this before, every year a lovely blogger runs a Finish Along (FAL) where sewists can make quarterly goals to finish for the year. The projects can be quilts, clothes, knits, etc... But they must be a semi started project when you link up at the beginning of each Quarter. As you finish a project, you make a blog entry, and at the end of each Quarter you link up again with all that you have completed. There's no punishment or negativity if you don't finish, but there are potential prizes if you do! More than anything, it's a way to keep a list for yourself, and also to have support from the sewing community as you go!

I'm a big fan of to do lists. I make one everyday for myself at work. Although I have included quilting on some of my lists, I have never made a list just for sewing. 

Here is my First Quarter List!
Since this is the first time I'm joining in, I'm gonna go easy for my Q1. I've picked 5 projects to get done in 3 months. 

1. Repair, Label and Gift the Friendship Star Mini.

This quilt is pretty much done (so much so, that I already blogged about it once). Although I consider it a 2014 finish, it needs repair where the binding didn't catch. It needs a label and to given to whom it belongs. I think this is a good goal to start the year and Q1.

2. Finish hand-quilting, binding and labeling All Gingham, All The Time quilt. 

This project was started way back in Jan 2014. I set it aside when I wasn't happy with how the hand quilting was going. After some months of space, we have reunited. I want to finish this one up completely for Q1.  

3. Finish Nest Block Jacket. 

I have an old red wool jacket that my mom gave me quite a few years ago. It's really red. I started a wee star block to add to it. I'm hoping it breaks up the red a bit. I have the block, but I have to figure out how to best affix it to the jacket. This seems like a simple Q1 Project, but it may go sideways if the jacket needs more work. 

4. Baste, bind, quilt and label Stormy Friendship Mini Quilt. 

I made the top for this at the same time as the yet to be named Friendship Mini. Now I've got a back made. I want to have this one finished this Q1. This should be a straight forward project.  I just have to keep on task .

5. Finish piecing, baste, quilt, bind, and label Quilt for Grandma Doris. 

This is the biggest project on the list bc it is the least done. I started this quilt Nov 2014 with very high hopes it would be done by xmas. Not to be. I'd love to have this one done Q1 with the idea to gift it for Mother's Day, maybe? But there doesn't really need to be a special occasion to gift someone a quilt, right?

OK! I'm feeling good about this list! Let's get going!
Linking up with Adrianne, of course!



December in Review

Wow. 2014 is over. 

We spent the last month of the year gearing up to spend time with family: making gifts, cleaning house, getting things done at home and at work. When our family arrived at the end of the month we were ready and happy to take some time off with them, and show them the city we love. 

1) Festive Winter skies. 2) Library scenes. 3) Not your usual nester. 4) Squirrel brunch. 

1) Festive Winter skies. 2) Library scenes. 3) Not your usual nester. 4) Squirrel brunch. 

In the beginning of the month. I tried to stay home, cleaning and quilting and nesting. I managed to finish some things, but I started some new projects, too. The weather was cold for a bit and it was nice to cuddle up at home. 

1) One of our favorite kitties. 2) HST madness. 3) Lovely day Down The Shore. 4) Glass houses in Brooklyn. 

1) One of our favorite kitties. 2) HST madness. 3) Lovely day Down The Shore. 4) Glass houses in Brooklyn. 

We did manage to get out some, for walks and to visit some of our favorite place in Brooklyn. At home, we collaborated on some xmas gifts, and projects. 

By far, the best part of the month was the end when our family came to visit from Tennessee! I got to take them to some of my favorite spots in Brooklyn. It meant so much to me to be able to show them My Little Town. For xmas we went Down The Shore, to show them our other favorite town, and our home away from home. The weather was amazing, so warm people put their feet in the ocean!  

1) Lights on the houses, lights in the sky. 2) Cold and festive. 3) Welcoming light in. 4) Nighttime, last of the year.   

1) Lights on the houses, lights in the sky. 2) Cold and festive. 3) Welcoming light in. 4) Nighttime, last of the year.   

When family departed we headed back to BK and back to work. We spent the last minutes of the year in our traditional way, watching the sky explode over Prospect Park. 

December was a lovely, temperate month, with mild weather, easy days, and wonderful guests. January has begun cold but not too harsh. 

Over all, 2014 was a great year! Busy and productive filled with new things, learning, and learning experiences. But there was time for rest, contemplation, relaxation, as well. It was a year to reflect on strengths and weakness and what we can improve. But it was also about cherishing what we have and what is good in life. 2014 was a time to get ready for change, to prepare and plan. I hope 2015 sees many of those changes come to life, and is a time for improvements all around. 

For 2015, I have some goals. January, let's get started!

Mat Finish

I can't even tell you how long ago this finish was started. It must have been several years, at least. But in early December 2014, it was finished!

As I dimly recall, this "quilt" was started by just having lovely pieces of fabric near each other and the uncontrollable urge to sew them together. I remember that these were sewn together long ago with no real plan. And I remember later forming a plan to make an insanely long quilted strip of pieces like these. That plan never came into fruition, and the top for this mat was left to the WIP bin. After being bagged, un-bagged, tossed around, etc... It eventually made it's way to a chair top for many months where Flounder became quite taken with it. 

A few months ago, I cleaned it up, tried to get as much of the cat hair off of it as I could, made a back for it, and basted it. Then it sat in a new WIP pile, for a few weeks, and was later quilted while my friend was in town. 

I had been looking for a project to do a fan style quilting on and this was perfect. Having never used a fan design, I was worried it might be hard, or slow, so starting with something small was great! The quilting actually went surprisingly fast. I used acrylic black thread for quilting the fan designs, and I think that made a difference. Acrylic really glides thru the quilt as opposed to natural thread, whcih sometimes get caught or travel slowly. The hardest part of quilting this quilt was that some of the fabric is quite dark and made it hard to see the stitching while sewing.   

The fabrics in this quilted mat are mostly new from various fat quarters, but there are also some recycled clothes and a bit of vintage. I pieced the back with most black, some old but not vintage stars, and a bit of vintage purple which was also a backing on another quilt.  The batting was also a left over scrap. Since my quilts are never any particular size, and certainly not a standard size, I seem to always have batting scraps laying about. I folded over the backing to make the binding but only did one line of stitching, where I usually do two. This is partly laziness on my part, but also I envision this quilt to be super soft and easy to fold, roll, and carry. 

This mat quilt is approximately 50" x 22", Which is a pretty weird shape for a quilt. I see this quilt being small and portable and taken where ever you go. It can be used as a mat for yoga or exercise, taken to the park or beach and used as a seat, folded as a chair mat or to give you a little extra back support, laid out for a cat or baby mat. It could also be used as a table/dresser topper or bed runner, but I picture it being more versatile and utilized. It's really soft and a little puffy. I really love the way the fans are very clear and noticeable even though sometimes they are black on black. 

I still have to label this quilt and write up it's entry in my quilt journal. But it was very satisfying to finish such an old WIP!! It definitely made me get out my unfinished works and assess them for potential finishes! It was also nice that this quilt had some firsts: First oddly shaped finished quilt and first fan quilting design.  

I'm linking this post up with Kathey's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

November in Review

I thought November would be a crazy month. Thanksgiving falling in this month, and other holidays nipping at it's heels, signals the high season at work (certainly when you work in a pie shop). Guests visiting, heading out of state to see family, required cooking, the weather turning very cold indeed, all these things, seem to want November to be hectic and stressful. 

But November was a lovely month. A month to work hard, but with plenty of time to relax, as well. Cold weather made my commute a bit tougher, but made my nights more snuggly. Having guests and being guests was easy as could be. Cooking was a easy pleasure not a chore. Even the most insane holiday at work went off without a hitch (everyone got their pies!). 

Partly bc we had a guest coming this month, I was able to clean and work on the house. Something that I always want to do, but that always seems not to get done (and believe me, it's never done....). I was able to care for and move around the plants to better use the Autumn light. I dream of a time when I can devote time to work on my "green thumb".   

1) Down The Shore, the off season is the best. 2)This xmas cactus knows what time of year it is. 3) Pottering about the house. 4) Rare visit to the city. 

1) Down The Shore, the off season is the best. 2)This xmas cactus knows what time of year it is. 3) Pottering about the house. 4) Rare visit to the city. 

In the beginning of the month, we were able to get away to the beach for a few days. We beachcombed, relaxed, and the weather held out. 

Towards the end of the month a dear friend came to town and there were trips to the city, shopping, and so much food! 

With the colder weather this month, quilting was a priority. Many cats and I spent many hours under cover working on several projects. 

I was able to complete a small finish in November, work on a few in progress projects and start something new that I hope to finish soon. 

Watchers were scarce. Staying away from frosty windows, I'm sure. 

1) So many quilting books to distract me at work... 2) My favorite place, in bed, with cats, quilting. 3) My helpers are very helpful. I don't even need interns. 4) SO many solids!!

1) So many quilting books to distract me at work... 2) My favorite place, in bed, with cats, quilting. 3) My helpers are very helpful. I don't even need interns. 4) SO many solids!!

Thanksgiving was insane at work, but not as insane as I thought it would be. We already have hopes of ramping it up for next year. 

Thanksgiving at home was slow and easy and wonderful. I made deviled eggs, and roasted a ton of veggies. We headed out to my families house and our house guest drove! I was able to quilt on the drive! Lovely. We ate so many wonderful things that my mom prepared, chatted and laughed, and got home at a reasonable hour. Wonderful. 

Overall, I would say November was near perfect. Not thrilling, but not stressful. It was a time to bundle up and settle down as we prepare for Winter's cold grip. I hope December holds us this close, but doesn't squeeze too hard!

 

 

Friendship Mini: A Finished Quilt

Right on the heels of making my first friendship stars, I started playing around with the scale of the stars. And this mini quilt was born!

This quilt has a name and was made for someone. But if I revealed the name, it would give away the surprise!

This mini measures approximately 31" x 31" and the star is about 25" x 25". The center of the star has vintage heart fabric and new anchor fabric. The points are the same vintage polka dots that I backed the First Friendship Quilt with. The background for the star is vintage green gingham. The sashing is a new dark blue fabric with multi colored bubbles. 

The backing is a deep green floral/paisley that was a gift from a friend. It has stripes of the same anchors and bubbles from the front. Both are new fabric bought on Fabric.com, I believe. 

I did a lot of hand stitching with light blue pearl cotton in and around the star, but left the dark blues un-quilted. I used my fold over double stitched method for the binding.  I like how heavy the quilting is, but there are still areas that are blank. 

I'm pretty sure that I used a scrap of batting left over from the First Friendship Quilt for this mini. All the quilting makes this one pretty snuggly. It would be perfect for a baby quilt or baby mat, and it makes for a nice pet quilt, as well. 

Tom was most helpful in the making of this quilt. Bippi wanted to help, but it was too small to work on and have her sit under, so she was mostly just annoyed. 

qfa 1.jpg

I haven't labeled this mini, yet, but I have washed it. It's very soft and supple.  Unfortunately while taking these photos, I noticed that the binding did not catch in one part of the quilt!

I knew I was cutting it pretty close,  but I've never had this happen before!! So, along with a label, this quilt will need a little repair before it heads to it's new home. 

Since all my quilts are hand pieced, basted, quilted and bound, I like to link up with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday when I can!

Something New: Ohio Star

Back in August, I finished a quilt  that had the first traditional stars blocks I have ever completed. At the time, I thought they might be Ohio Stars (or a variation thereof) but I have come to learn they are Sawtooth Stars (or a variation thereof). I'm still learning about the traditional quilt blocks and techniques. Once my mistake was discovered I became interested in sewing an actual Ohio Star. 

In the last week or so, I have made some Ohio Stars, or a variation of the traditional block, for a gift quilt I am working on. Here is my (terribly wrinkly) first attempt: 

I'm not really a fan of ironing.

I'm not really a fan of ironing.

I'm working on a fairly tight deadline (can I do it?!) so, hopefully, you will be seeing more of this quilt soon!

October in Review

October wasn't quite the feast for the mind, body, and soul I was hoping for, but it was a pretty good month.

1) Starting the month off in a different place. 2) Eating my favorite foods. 3) Sewing and sitting. 4) Halloweening in Brooklyn. 

1) Starting the month off in a different place. 2) Eating my favorite foods. 3) Sewing and sitting. 4) Halloweening in Brooklyn. 

The first days, I was away on the last days of my yearly family vacation. We spent a lovely week or so in Cape May, NJ. The weather was amazing. And our first day of Oct was enjoyed as if it were still summer.

Although I want to call my First Friendship Quilt a September finish (the vast majority was completed in Sept), it was technically finished early morning on the 1st of Oct.

The moment I returned there was some chaos at work and the first few weeks flew by. Lots of meetings. Meetings are not my favorite. By the time things settled down it was mid month and discussion of November had already begun.

I was able to enjoy quilting, cooking, eating out, watching a ton of pretty bad (but so good!) TV, and get a lot of work done (both at work, and at home) this month. By Halloween, the weather had gotten brisk. There wasn't much travel this month, but every time the seasons change, Brooklyn does, too. So, it was fun to walk around Autumn Brooklyn and see the sites with new eyes.

1) A watcher waits on 6th Ave. 2) Watcher dog in North Park Slope. 3) Cormorants in Coney Island. 4) Hidden in plain sight on 15th St.

1) A watcher waits on 6th Ave. 2) Watcher dog in North Park Slope. 3) Cormorants in Coney Island. 4) Hidden in plain sight on 15th St.

I got to take part in my favorite pastimes; quilting, watcher spotting, cuddling with cats (especially as the temp got cooler), and sea glass hunting. We even went to Coney Island to see what sea glass it had to offer.  

So, overall October was pretty mellow, with it's highs and lows. It wasn't a race, or a slow, relaxing meander. It was more like a light jog with some uphill sections. As we rush to the end of this year, I hope to keep pace, or even slow it down a bit. But sometimes those last moths can feel like a marathon. Let's see how fast November goes.