Whale Teeth Mini - A Finished Mini Quilt
Whale Teeth Mini (thanks for the name @crimsonrobot!) measures approximately 11 1/2" x 12" and uses a scrap of a shirt as backing (thanks @internettrevor!). The batting is also scraps and it was quilted with green and blue cotton thread.
What does everyone do with their mini quilts?
Mad Cat Capsule: Summer (July - September)
In April 2017, I started my first capsule wardrobe and I really enjoyed it! Wearing and remixing just a few items for three months was a really interesting experiment. I've been trying to pare down the amount of clothes I have for years, and Spring was a good taste of what it would be like to live with less. I couldn't wait to try my hand at the next three months.
It took me a while to finalize my new Summer capsule. I'm still using a pretty loose capsule method, so it may not even be finalized yet! Last time I tried to stick to around 50 items in my capsule. In the future, I'd like to get this number way down, but for Summer I'll have about the same. Even if each season has 50 items, that would give me an over all wardrobe of 200 pieces which is way less than what I have now.
For Summer 2017, I rolled over quite a few items from the previous capsule. I also added items, either from my stash, or that I recently purchased. The skirt above I bought second hand years and years ago and when I pulled it out of my old Summer box, it became my color inspiration for this capsule. Spring was blues, teals, green, and purple with a little black and white and my signature grey. Summer is blue again, grey of course, lots of white, some black and pops of coral orange.
These two band t shirts, plus a shirt from our work picnic and one from a local brewery got the most use and fit this season's color scheme, so I was happy to roll them over. The plain blue shirt, a lighter blue crew neck, and a grey V also got rolled over. The blue silk tee and the striped oversized pocket tee didn't get as much use, but were useful in certain circumstances so I've kept those too.
I have added a few tees to my Summer capsule; a brighter blue V and another graphic tee that can be turned inside out to be a solid tee.
I've been using a lot of over shirts for layering, and wearing a lot of lightweight button downs lately. The white shirt is a million years old from American Eagle via Marchell's. I've had it for at least 15 years. The denim was from a previous job's lost and found. The grey Gap sweater I got from a friends stoop sale in Brooklyn. All three of these got a lot of wear last capsule and will probably be around for a while!
I recently bought this shirt at goodwill. It had lace on the sleeves, which I thought I liked, but ended up hating. I cut it off and the rough edge is way more my style.
I'm adding a few more button down style shirts to this capsule, too. The white is very old, and I have a similar one in blue and white. The plaid is one I bought locally when I lived in Brooklyn but haven't work much. The polka dot and black linen are some of my newest purchases, but both are second hand. I also have a short sleeved grey button down (not pictured).
I had a lot of tank tops in my last collection and I did use most of them (great for layering!). This capsule I still have a lot, but they reflect my new color scheme a little better. Only two or three of these are rolled over.
For Summer I have several pairs of shorts, and a few skirts, and of course, jeans and pants. I've discovered that I really need pockets in all my shorts, skirts, and pants of any kind so it makes it easy to narrow down what I already have. This collection has the skirt I used for my color inspiration, a chambray shorter skirt, and a grey high/low with unique details. I bought a pair of linen joggers 2 Summers ago that I couldn't wait to bust back out. I've been wearing these lightweight orange pants for years now, and they fit it perfectly!
All the jeans I currently have were in my Spring capsule. And all of them are thrifted!
Last capsule, I couldn't decide on any dresses. I tried out a few but none ever really worked. But this capsule, I already have two! Both have pockets - pockets are a must! It's possible that I might add another dress if I can find one that works. Right now, I have the orange one that I bought several years ago from a local Brooklyn shop, and the other I bought about 3 years ago. Although I love this blue dress from Old Navy, it was the purchase that made me decide I would never shop there again.
Not pictured, I have included one sweater in this collection, too. All these items bring this capsule up to 44 items. That breaks down to 27 tops, 14 bottoms, and 2 dresses. As with my first capsule, I'm not including any undergarments, outerwear, shoes, accessories, gym clothes, or hoodies.
This was a fun capsule to work on bc I know the weather/temperature will mostly be about the same. I really felt like I could play around with a wide range of style and fabric. It was nice not to worry too heard about warmth. I'll be interested to see how this capsule progresses. I hope you'll join me for updates over the next few months.
Is anyone else getting their Summer (or whatever season your currently living in) capsule together? Maybe you don't even go by seasons? Shout out any links to recent capsule posts! I'd love to see what some of you have been wearing!
2017 FAL Q2 Wrap Up + Q3 List
1. Do everything for the mystery Gift Quilt.
2. Finish Quilting, Bind and Lable Maybe Lyz Quilt.
3. Finish quilting, bind and Label Tom Mat.
4. Finish Top, Create Back, Baste, Bind and Label MCQBOM2016 Quilt.
Some work was done on each of these quilts is Quarter, but sadly no finishes were made!! I did have a few off list finishes, so I do not despair. But I would really like to get more done in Q3.
1. Do everything for the mystery Gift Quilt.
I'm rolling this one over. It needs to happen even if it's the only quilt that gets finished in 2017!
2. Finish quilting, bind and Label Tom Mat.
I'm so close to finishing this one!
3. Baste, tie, bind and label Little Baby Quilt.
This one is new to the list and I'm hoping it'll be an easy finish.
And that's it!! Only three finishes for this quarter; two hopefully easy, one very necessary. I'm too late to link up with the globle hosts this Quarter, but that's OK! I am linking up with Move It Forward Monday, MCM and Monday Making.
On My Mind On Friday Morning
I'm trying hard to live a less wasteful life (more on that on the blog soon) and here are some of the websites I've begun following lately for inspiration: Litterless (love this one and only wished she posted more often!), Going Zero Waste (This has some good tips for starting out, but sometimes doesn't explain concepts fully), Fairdare (combines many aspects of a website that I like, sustainability, pretty pics, memade capsule wardrobe, etc...).
And speaking of wardrobes this was an interesting quick article on sustainable fabrics.
It really boggles my mind that the prehistoric horseshoe crabs is used constantly in everyday medicine. This practice might be putting them at risk.
I'm loving this tree map of Brooklyn and NYC. I wish it had been around while I lived there!
Two weeks ago, we got out raised bed finished! My husband did all the hard work and I just helped move it to it's home spot. Now we have to fill it up and plant!
I know we are well behind for planting a garden this year, but I'm still looking for suggestions of what to plant. Especially some late yield crops! Any thoughts?
Something Nice
Little treasures from far away places.
OMG July
Not only did I not finish June's OMG, I didn't touch it! But for July, it's time to get down to business.
This WIP is time sensitive, so for OMG July, I need to get the top and bottom completed, the quilt basted and figure out how to quilt it!
It seems a little bit daunting especially bc of my lousy track record so far:
Jan - Quilt Maybe Lyz - Not Finished
Feb - Quilt Tom Mat - Not Finished
Mar - Finish Tom Mat - Not Finished
Apr - Finish Little Baby Quilt Top - Not Finished
May - Finish Little Baby Quilt Top - Finished!!
Jun - Baste and Tie Little Baby Quilt Top - Not Finished
I'm putting my head down and hoping for a OMG finish in July! I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts, Move It Forward Monday, MCM, and more!
June In Review
After years of blogging I know that the Summer months are the hardest months for me to blog. That was pretty obvious for June. I'm usually not able to concentrate on blogging when I have so much else going on. June saw the beginning of work really heating up, many exploratory trips, visits and visiting, the beach, #watchercats and more. Now that I'm living in a seasonal town, Summer is even more packed. So for this Month in Review, I'll just let the photos do their thing:
Here's a few things I learned, or relearned in June:
- Every year is different, don't hold on to expectations.
- NJ is beautiful!
- Stay away from TV and you'll get more done.
OK, June you're done and dusted. Let shake off the cobwebs for July.
June Plant Update
June was a good month for plant observations, but maybe not the best moth for photos of those observations. I did snap a few good ones. We got to spend a lot of time out doors, in the yard, neighborhood and at the beach (going nearly twice as many days compared to last month). and we also got to see some different environments, like the Pine Barrens.
Beach grass and beach roses.
This massive field loved all the rain this month.
My porch roses before it got too hot and they all dried out.
The ivy on the back fence is going nuts.
Another beach rose. I can't get enough!
And lastly, my favorite pine behind our house. The white speck is a mocking bird that was sitting in the tippy top branch and performing a complicated ritual.
This month and this year, I can't help but notice how many mocking birds there are!! Growing up I feel like I never saw them, but now they are everywhere. Some people might consider them pests, but I think they are lovely!!
What nature have you been observing in your neck of the woods this month?
New Block: Friendship Block (Solstice 16/25)
I'm stiill getting back into the groove of sewing and this was a good lock to try. Just challenging enough that I have to pay attention. Too bad I made a mistake 1/2 way thru!
This is the 2nd block I messed up during the Solstice Challenge. It's pretty noticeable and I was pretty annoyed at my self. But at the rate I'm working on these blocks these day, my mantra has to be ever forward! Otherwise, I might never finish!
Linking up with Em's Scrap Bag, MCM, and BOMs Away, plus more!!
Off Season: Whitesbog Preservation Trust
Whitesbog Preservation Trust started as a cranberry bog in the 1860s and it bacame a booming business. Later, after years of research and failure at cultivation, Whitesbog's new proprietor, Elizabeth White cracked the blueberry dilemma and successfully hybridized local blueberries! By 1916, her blueberry dream had blossomed into huge blueberry business.
Whitesbog now grows bluebs, cranberries, hosts workshops and music shows, has trails to walk and a general store to visit. They also have an annual Blueberry Festival. We attended the 33rd Festival last year, and couldn't wait to go to this year's fest!
It was another great year, with blueberry BBQ, blueberry ice cream, bluegrass music, dusty roads and pine scented everything. It's fun to see the old farm equipment and barns, and tool, but it's equally fun to walk the dusty pine trails and eat blueberries from the bushes.
I expect we'll be dropping in more often after this latest visit. We had such a great time on this visit!
Whitesbog Preservation Trust
120 W. Whites Bogs Rd. #34Browns Mills, NJ 08015
- http://www.whitesbog.org
- Cranberry bog and blueberry fields.
- Started growing cranberries in 1860s, started growing blueberries in 1916.
- First visit June 2016
Admit Defeat
It's time to admit defeat for this year's MCQBOM.
In 2016, I really enjoyed trying to make a new (to me) block every month. So naturally I wanted to try it again in 2017. The first Mad Cat Quilts Block Of the Month was all random blocks, it didn't matter what they were as long as I had never made them before. In 2017, I decided that the MCQBOM would be all picture blocks.
I now believe that this was my first fatal flaw. My second was choosing an all grey color theme. I love grey and I thought I would like to try making picture blocks bc I never make them. Turns out, I don't make them bc I don't like to make them. Combining this with a, let's face it, drab color scheme made me just not want to go forward.
I struggled with the impulse to stop a project, not even in the middle but in the relative beginning. I felt bad about not enjoying it. But I realized that it really was not bringing me joy. Each month felt like a chore.
Looking at the blocks now, I do like them and I think this could be an interesting quilt if it ever gets finished. Maybe one day I will resume this BOM but for now, I must admit defeat.
Have you begun any projects in 2017 that you just don't want to finish?
New Block: Precious Fabric (Solstice Block 15/25)
Finally!! I'm back to making Pat Sloan's Solstice challenge. I couldn't get the corners to stay down for the pic, but besides that, this block was nice and easy. And it feels good to be back on the horse.
Linking up with BOMs Away, Monday Making, Move it Forward Monday, and more!
YOTS2017/#30daysoffabricstacks
On Wednesday, Stitched in Color announced her new challange, 30 Days Of Fabric Stacks. I read the post that morning and have been thinking bout it ever since. I don't usually go in for monthly challenges, but although this one is a 30 day challenge, you have more than 30 days to complete it! I love how she says:
"Would you like to explore the possibilities of your fabrics on hand, to rekindle that spark of excitement felt upon their first arrival?"
That line got me thinking about how perfectly this challenge fits in with YOTS (Year of The Stash)!
The first challenge prompt is True Blue and here's my Fabric Stack -
Tray as I might, I couldn't keep the cats from sitting on this stack. Cat hair!
I thought of a cloudless, fading-to-night sky while putting these fabrics together. I'm not sure if they will ever become more than a stack, but it was fun to imagine while putting them together.
Racheal encourages you to do them in order, but at your own pace, and finish by Aug 6th. There's a contest and prizes, so you should check out her full post! Personally, I'm not sure if I'll finish this challenge but I plan to use it as some YOTS inspiration, for sure! Here are the rest of the prompts:
- Day 1: True Blue
- Day 2: Ethereal
- Day 3: Orange
- Day 4: New Fabric
- Day 5: Baby
- Day 6: Folksy Fall
- Day 7: Yellow
- Day 8: Hand Dyed or Printed
- Day 9: Softly Against Black
- Day 10: Fabric I Want
- Day 11: Complementary Colors
- Day 12: Green
- Day 13: Scale
- Day 14: Masculine
- Day 15: Aqua/Teal
- Day 16: Novelty
- Day 17: Pink
- Day 18: Clashy Bright
- Day 19: Gray
- Day 20: Fabric I hoard
- Day 21: Purple
- Day 22: Analogous Colors
- Day 23: Teen
- Day 24: Almost Primary
- Day 25: Old Fabric
- Day 26: Rainbow
- Day 27: Brown
- Day 28: Soft Botanical
- Day 29: All Solids
- Day 30: My Style
Are you joining in with #30daysoffabricstacks?
Jaws
One of my goals in 2016 was to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here. This is also a goal for 2017.
I have been wanting to read Jaws by Peter Benchley for a while but every time I picked it up, I couldn't get into it. Sometimes listening to a book is easier. This version is read by Erik Steele. This book was listened to in 2016 and can be added to that list.
I had a few themes to my reading/listening materials for 2016 and this book definitely falls in to one of them. I've been devouring books about shore towns, beach life, and seasonal communities.
Amity hibernates in the Winters. But the town comes alive in the Summer. The people of amity rely on Summer tourists and Summer business to keep it alive in the off season. The town leaders are willing to make Summer profitable at any coast. But Police Chief Brody's job is to protect the town, too.
The movie Jaws is a classic, of course. The book was quite different; much slower and more involved in the town itself, and the character that make up Amity. I really enjoyed that this book was about a seasonal shore town facing a devastating Summer. There's an interesting juxtaposition between the towns needs and the shark's needs. I would recommend this book for readers who live by the beach or have a seasonal life style, fishermen, or people who like books of movies based on books.
Do you have a favorite beach town novel?
Off Season: From The Garden
Ever since we moved a few years ago, I'd been hearing about From the Garden. The good word is out on this local fruit farm and apiary.
We finally visited when we met up with my family for their Spring Fling. We got to walk the grounds which were just blooming in late April. We saw some of the bees on the grounds but they have hives all over Monmouth County. We also enjoyed the little market set up for the Spring Fling. We ate our share of pastries and tried local jams, and of course bought honey!
I'm not sure what From the Garden is like when there isn't an event going on there, but I intend to find out.
From The Garden
353 Fairfield Rd Freehold NJ 07728
- Look out for events and special days!
- local@fromthegardeninc.com
- Family owned and operated.
- First visit April 2017
OMG June
May was the first month of 2017 that I completed my OMG (One Monthly Goal). Thank goodness! I really plan on keeping this momentum up by setting a relatively simple goal for June.
For June, I would like to baste the baby quilt top I finished in May and start to tie it. That's it. I'll leave binding this quilt for another month's goal.
Jan - Quilt Maybe Lyz - Not finished
Feb - Quilt Tom Mat - Not finished
Mar - Finish Tom Mat - Not Finished
Apr - Finish Little Baby Quilt Top - Not Finished
May - Finish Little Baby Quilt Top - Finished!!
Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching (I'm sewing the backing today!), Move It Forward Monday, Monday Making, and of course, Elm Street Quilts OMG!
May in Review
May was a moving forward month, May was a month that felt like the start of things!
The month flew by (which doesn't?) and we flower watched, #watcher watched, got down to work, visited friends, visited vets, went to the beach, and and work from home.
Flowers were out in May despite it being temperate in weather. We walked out neighborhood and checked our (and other's) yard for new growth. In our town the end of may marks the beginning of Summer and all the flowers made it feel tropical and summery for sure!
#watchercats were also out this month, hanging out in windows, on porches, in doorways and any sunny patches. I travelled a little this moth and saw #watchercats everywhere I went!
Headed to old hoods and catching up with friend was a lovely priority this month, seeing friends and family at home is always relaxing. Luckily I had both in May. There's something amazing about having neighbors in the suburbs, especially those who bring fresh veggies from the garden!
Of course, we are happy to have friend from out of town come visit us and next month is a great month for that! Summer by The Shore, before the crowds arrive is a special time. We eagerly await visitors and the return of Summer residents. But before they show us, we tried to get to take advantage of the empty May beaches!
I was gifted an unexpected surprise in May and it was a great inspiration for getting some finishes made this month! Besides that, quilting rolled along, but work outside the house sometimes took over.
I'm still loving the @madcatquilts instagram this month but it is a lot of work! I'm finding it fun to come up with quilty love for that space, so check it out!
In the spirit of growth, here are some things I learned, or relearned in May:
- Visiting interesting restaurants/cafes/spaces are good for inspiration but hard to make time for.
- Having 2 instagrams is twice the work (possibly more!).
- Sometimes planning things out is great, other times "just do it" is a good motto.
In April I made a pledge to get back in a blogging groove, and although that didn't go quite as planned for May, that continues to be a personal goal.
It was a weird start to the Summer, still rainy and cool, mild for May. Let's tune in for June!
Something Nice
When your neighbor brings you home grown spinach and homemade jam early in the morning!
Moth Moon Mini: A Finished Mini Quilt
This might be my favorite ever mini quilt (so far!). After winning @gypsymoonquilts mini and scraps I was quickly inspired to make some simple log cabin blocks and turn them into mini quilts!
Moth Moon Mini didn't come together as quickly as the first mini I made with these scraps, Gypsy Moon Mini, but it was a pretty quick project. After making the log cabin block, I found some scraps of batting and used a current favorite white geometric fabric for backing. I love sandwiching a mini bc it only take a few safety pins to get it ready for quilting! I quilted this mini with simple straight lines in grey thread.
I added a simple label using the same fabric as the backing. And tada! A new mini finish! This year I've been completing a lot of small projects. They are pretty satisfying, but for June I'm ready for a big finish!
How about you all? Are you feeling the mini finishes this year, or are you sticking with big projects?
Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching, Monday Making, Move It forward Monday, Oh Scrap! and more!