The Mystery quilt ...by Bonnie Hunter

In November, I joined in to do the mystery quilt, " On Ringo Lake" by Bonnie Hunter!

Lots of small pieces, lots of fun and some changes along the way!

 

Once I saw what her finished quilt looked like, I decided to use more aqua in mine and eliminate the diamond pieced coral lattice which she had done.

This meant that I had 200 pieced diamonds to use somewhere else....

I ended up making a "throw" size quilt which my daughter claimed! 

Here it is as a top....show and tell at Loose Threads....

 

Then the top was quilted....

 

And is on it's way to my daughter in Georgia!

At the same show and tell, I showed my finished mystery quilt top....now more calm with the blue lattice! It has 50 blocks set "on point"!

 

It is at the quilters and will come back to me eventually! 

It is a gift for a friend!!!!

A Tale of Spring Bulbs--sort of!

First to bloom was the Amaryllis (from Walmart..)....one big bloom, light pink, when they were bought as deep raspberry pink, LOL!

 

I painted it!

 

Then I bought a bouquet of tulips! Barely past the bud!.....

 

I set up a still life and I painted them......a lot! Other still lives were involved....same tulips....for days! (I kept them out in the chilly garage when they were not busy posing for me!)

 

 

 

And more....

. 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the Amaryllis was bursting out!

 

And I saw signs of life in the other Amaryllis which I had planed on Dec. 11.

 

I bought another bouquet...almost Valentine's Day....why not?

 

And painted them.....

 

The masking tape, while painting (it is only there until that paint dries...) ...is a fun technique....

A friend gave me a tea cup to use in still life....so I did!

Thanks, Donna Murray!

Notice the hyacinths beginning to bloom?

Here is a painting....

 

And here are those hyacinths today....

 

Wish you could smell them!!!

One little paper white just sat there, in the dish while all the others bloomed back in January!

However today, I noticed roots and a longer stem...so I put it in a glass container from French yogurt....they can stay here, until they start to lean over....

 

AND, that laid back Amaryllis, ....? .....here it is today....very promising!

 

More to come...eventually!

Watercolor and sewing, and amaryllis continued

This weekend I decided it was time to cut out and sew the Marcy Tilton dress, Vogue pattern 8813. I have had the fabric,,,jersey from the factory flat fold /remnant table.

 

I made it shorter, and used dark mother of pearl buttons on the big baggy pockets, to make a pleat and take them in!

 

I was going to wear it right away, but the weather turned nasty, cold freezing rain and icy roads. Back to warm woolens!

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Last week, I had a fun visit to a vintage shop, The Cannery, in Bentonville, AR. There I found my angel wings!LOL!

 

And I found a lovely glass bowl which seemed to have silver metallic "angel wings" in the palest of pink glass! I had to have it....(and also the Laura Ashley tablecloth which it sits upon in the photo!)

 

 

Ah, I definitely have the pink vibe at the moment! And the Amaryllis and these tulips are that along!

 

The new sets amaryllis is getting bigger...and I can see pinks in there too!

 

Today was cold and 𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕘𝕣𝕒gray!

Time to dive into some color by painting watercolor!

I set up a still life.....

 

 

And played!

 

Perhaps this will be a study for an acrylic painting....semi abstract floral, of course!

Now It’s February!

Today, our amaryllis is blooming nicely!

Funny thing is, this was supposed to be a deep pink, almost fushia!

I actually like this one just fine!

Another amaryllis bulb, which I had almost given up as a lost cause, is starting to grow!

 

Watching Super bowl now....must go dish up the pizza!

Quilting in the new year

 At our Christmas quilt guild meeting, I won 100, 5" squares of Mary Englebreit fabrics.

 

I made these into a "grandma's house" baby quilt for my friend, Liz.

Liz had given me the very first Mary Englebreit card.....in th 1980.s.....

"Life is just a chair of bowlies"

 

So, making these charm squares into her quilt brought that full circle!

I bought a black fabric with cherries (a delightful find at Joann's!) for the backing, and had enough extra to make new pot holders for my kitchen!

 

The other quilt I am working on is the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt called, "On Ringo Lake". She based it on colors from a photo taken at sunrise.

 

 

I added forest green and eggplant purple to the brown palette she chose....and I love how this photo from the Texas gulf coast has similar colors...

 

I have all my blocks made, and half of them sewn, on point, into the quilt top. The secon half to be done soon!

 

So, down to the sewing room now!

More tea time, plus some knitting!

Second cup of tea and the cake is almost gone!

 

Here is how I got to this moment (well a small part of the journey, LOL)

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the recipe!

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Right after Christmas I started knitting for the newest granddaughter....

 

A top down cardigan using some pink (of course!) DK yarn left from something for another granddaughter!

Here it is being blocked in the ironing board.

 

But I still had yarn!

So, I found a lacy hat pattern from Ravelry...and soon most of the pink yarn was transformed into this sweater and hat!

[Now in possession of that wee granddaughter!]

 

Knitting that was so much fun, I wanted more....

in the closet, I still had a bag with small skeins of yarn which I had collected thinking of the grandkids. It is sportweight mostly and merino cashmere....I had never made anything for the little ones, upon thinking it over, I realized that the parents would need something they could throw in the washing machine, not hand wash.

Then, I saw this pattern. "Milano" by Carol Sunday. Tunic length!

 

Casting on 366 stitches, I began! It is a long way around, as it has 20 inches of ease!

 

This was the first week of January, knitting in a hotel....waiting for a party we were attending.

Knitting is such a portable craft!

It relaxes and centers me. (And now sometimes makes my hand ache....🙁)

Here is the sweater a week ago...

 

And last night, after I found a skein of taupe at Tuesday Morning. These bright stripes need the neutral for balance!

 

Knitting this is no pressure, I am able to use it as peaceful meditative handwork. Hopefully there will still be a chilly day or two once I finish!