Made by MER?

I found this little quilt top in the basement, and just washed it. This photo looks blue and yellow and sort of orange, but it's really pretty pink, blue and white, all hand-stitched. It's hanging across the shower rod to dry. The size is about 40x70 inches.  The blocks are 10" square; I couldn't get far enough away to photograph the whole thing. I think it would make a lovely baby quilt, taking off the bottom 2 rows of blocks. I don't remember ever seeing it before.

I've got at least half a dozen tops that need to be quilted. I could have some of them machine quilted, but hand-quilting would be better for this one and Mama's basket quilt.

Inspiration

This is a page from an old quilt magazine. It's where I got the idea for the little basket quilt. I think I still lived in the Southside apartment when I started my quilt scrapbook. I've made a few quilts based on saved pictures and patterns.

New Quilt, I hope

These blocks are four-and-a-half inches square, plus quarter-inch seam allowances. If I make a miniature quilt, maybe I can finish it this year. But a full-size one will take much longer.


I cut out all the pieces for a full-size quilt, several years ago, and sewed together the light-colored block. Each square in the box holds pieces for 3-4 blocks.

I want a brown-and-white quilt for my bedroom, and I hope this will be the one.

***

Over the past week, I've watched all 6 re-run episodes of "The Night Manager," plus the Saturday night replays of the first 3 episodes of "Poldark."

Getting Stuff Done

Thursday and yesterday were very productive. I decided that I want a prairie-points edging on my leaf quilt. I folded paper for a pattern, assembled fabrics, cut out all the squares, folded and pressed them, and removed the old binding that I had messed up from the quilt's edge.

I plan to put the points around three sides, and bind the top edge with green bias tape. That's probably going to be the centus ultimus of my quilt-making, though I'm not sure I've made quite a hundred.

The lights keep going off and on. I've had to restart the computer. Wonder what the weather's doing.

Also yesterday, I wrote a poem, or the germ of a poem. I'll probably still be working on it years from now. The subject was suggested by Joan, according to a poem some guy had written. It's a run-on bunch of words with no form or rhythm. Poetry group meets Tuesday night (May 24), or maybe it was Monday night, I'll have to check, and I plan to go, although I can't hear what's going on.

Several days ago I ordered a new pair of jeans and two tee shirts from L.L. Bean, and they arrived yesterday. Very light colors, because it'll soon be summer. But the shirt that matched the jeans was out of stock. It's always something.

I'm re-reading John Le Carre's book, Call for the Dead. Then I plan to read Dictator, the third volume of Robert Harris's trilogy about Cicero and ancient Rome.

Today I need to go to the store, weather permitting.

Free Book

I just ordered Dennis Covington's new book from Amazon--a $20+ book plus shipping charge free, because I had enough reward points to cover it.

I remember reading Dennis's Salvation on Sand Mountain. He's a good writer, and it will be interesting to see what he thinks of these times.

This reminds me that the rejuvenated Book Club will meet on (I think) Feb. 29th. Looking forward to it.

*

I'm planning a cat quilt.

I'll have to make all the patterns myself, which ought to be fun. Yeah. Anyway, I want all the cats to be black, and all the background to be yellow/autumn tones and white. Haven't decided whether to make it miniature, wall-hanging, or bed-size.

Jenny's Horses

 

Jenny made these embroidered and appliqued "Persian Puzzle" blocks back in the 1980's. I stripped them together with the red fabric. When I was selling on eBay, my sister Susan bought the quilt top from me, added the pretty borders and backing, and had it quilted in a beautiful pattern. Then she gave it back to me. Am I blessed, or what?

 

Suze also made and attached this beautiful label that tells the story.

Lots of stuff has happened in the past week.

On Friday, Dave came and cleaned the carpets, and Jennifer came and cleaned the house. We're going to try her coming over every other week to help clean, and see how it works out. She's a lovely young woman. Her seven-year-old son came with her, and I wanted to keep him.

 On Saturday, Jed, Susan, Pat and I celebrated my birthday with lunch at Carrabas, one of our favorite restaurants, and they gave me some lovely gifts. Jed went back to Atlanta, and on Sunday, Mary Anne M. phoned and asked me to have the Castalia literary club program on January 20th. So that's something to look forward to.

I gathered up most of my quilts and put them in the former TV cabinet, mainly to see how big a stack they make. If I decide to leave them here, I'll have to protect them somehow from the wood.

Sometimes They Come Back

A year later, the fleas have invaded again. This has happened just in the last few days, while Mo has been out of the house. So I'll spend today spraying and vacuuming every inch I can reach.

Maybe it was a mistake to feed the birds. The towhee seems to have forgot about feeding, he just wants to get through that window. He has tried both sides, top and bottom, and must have some bruises from collisions with the glass. What can you do? You try to be nice, and there alway, alway, something backfires.

I'm done with Facebook.

***

The quilt top is coming along. The angel-print fabric I wanted to use for a border is too dark, and more brown-and-yellow than orange. I tried bleaching swatches of it, but it just leaves various shades of yellow.

But I love the angels. I'll figure something out.

***

I've figured out one thing the towhee is doing: He flies over and gets a seed, then flies back into the bush. I think the nest must be in that bush, and he's feeding the setting bird. Do I have to worry about the baby birds when they hatch?

Jacob's Ladder

Don't know why my photos turn out dark. Anyway, the quilt blocks are coming along, and I think the quilt will be nice.

Good Days

Jed came over Thursday afternoon, and we played Dixit at Susan's until everyone got tired from eating too much cake. On Friday afternoon, we attended the funeral service for a good school friend, Paul B., and met up with lots of people we hadn't seen in a long time.

When I got back home, I remarked to Jed that I hoped my funeral would be as happy as Paul's was. His sister-in-law "entertained" with a eulogy that was full of Paul's virtues, foibles and funny sayings, as well as a few nostaligic tears for the loss of his good company.

Then Friday evening we gathered at Susan's again for "game night," and Jed went back to Atlanta early this afternoon.

Susan "loaned" me her bin of orange fabrics, some of which I hope to pair up with some old blue cloth to make a quilt.

*

Part of the excitement at Susan's house involved Jesse's cats and Susie's dogs. There are only two of each, but it seemed like a houseful. Lots of fun.

One Of the World's Best Poems

       In No Strange Land

           The kingdom of God is within you

O world invisible, we view thee,
O world intangible, we touch thee,
O world unknowable, we know thee,
Inapprehensible, we clutch thee!

Does the fish soar to find the ocean,
The eagle plunge to find the air--
That we ask of the stars in motion
If they have rumor of thee there?

Not where the wheeling systems darken,
And our benumbed conceiving soars!--
The drift of pinions, would we hearken,
Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors.

The angels keep their ancient places--
Turn but a stone and start a wing!
'Tis ye, 'tis your estrangèd faces,
That miss the many-splendored thing.

But (when so sad thou canst not sadder)
Cry--and upon thy so sore loss
Shall shine the traffic of Jacob's ladder
Pitched betwixt Heaven and Charing Cross.

Yea, in the night, my Soul, my daughter,
Cry--clinging to Heaven by the hems;
And lo, Christ walking on the water,
Not of Genesareth, but Thames!


By Francis Thompson

*

***

Detail of a Jacob's Ladder quilt

Palm Leaf Quilt

This is the picture  Sharon sent me of the quilt I gave her when she and O.B. married. I finally figured out how to save it in my pictures folder. This quilt also appears in one of my sister Susan's Oxmoor House quilt books, in the 80's or 90's.

Man In a Short-Sleeved Shirt

A disturbing dream:

This guy kept following me around the house, and I kept yelling at him to get out. I had already succeeded in making all his buddies get out, but he kept grinning and making jokes, while I was trying to lock all the windows. It was an old house with about a hundred windows, with those old-timey latches at the top, and some of the locks were missing. And some of the windows were just glass panels set in that wouldn't open anyway. The man finally left, and I locked the door behind him.

*

I guess the groundhog saw his shadow this morning. But I forget the significance of that. Will spring be late or early?

Four Seasons Miniature Quilt

Stunned

Monday night's poetry reading was a blast. Doris and I were the first ones there, and for a while it seemed we might be the only ones, but people started trickling in until we had a good little crowd. Our poet-artist Sherry read a beautiful winter piece, as full of color as a painting. Frank's "Mayan" poem seemed somewhere between a scold and a paean to life-as-it-is: Live life as it comes and don't worry about the end.

I was rendered speechless by their reception of my poem "Je Reviens." Joan said to leave the title in French. Her own poem was, as always, a keen reflection of her beautiful home by the river. Beth read one restating all her usual new year's resolutions, sort of tongue-in-cheek. And of course, Joe W. brought a couple of brilliant gems.
*

Old Maid's Ramble, one of the best quilts I've ever made. It measures, including the sashing and border, about 14 inches square.

(We've got our "Browse" function back!)

*

One of the most exciting group conversations I've ever heard in a  movie:

"What does that mean?"

"He's offering him a draw."

"Josh is offering him a draw!"

(The movie is "Searching For Bobby Fischer")

Happy Elvis's Birthday!

Sunday:  Season 3, episode 1 of Downton Abbey, was better than I expected. Even old Shirl was pretty good, especially the expressions on her face as she slowly realized the Family were going to hit her up for more cash. No mention was made of Sir Richard Carlisle and his ominous newspapers; at least he held off until Mary was safely married.

Pat and India dropped by at 8:00 to watch the show with me. They brought me a beautiful birthday card and two lovely gifts.

Monday:  The Tide just tromped all over the Fighting Irish. Ho hum, almost, until you remember that Texas A&M beat Bama, and Miss. State (or Old Miss, I never can remember which) gave them a good run.

Is it fair, that the coaches seem to get all the credit for great teams? Maybe so. Who deserves the credit, and who deserves the blame? Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky is his name.

Tuesday:  What adventures does today hold? I think Mo has to go to the vet.

Quilting Daze

I've been working on this quilt for several days, trying to finish quilting it, and now it's complete except a couple of outer blocks and the border. Hope I can get it done by Christmas. Got holes in my fingers. This will be the third of my "Big Three" quilts, the best ones I've made, except for a couple that I've sold or given away. The other two "best:"

Bear's Paw with Flying Geese Border



Broken Sash

The one I sold was called Mountain Echoes, and the one I gave to Sharon O. for her wedding was a Palm Leaf pattern. Wish I had pictures of them, but I don't. They were both more intricate and striking than any of these. But the Bear's Paw, shown above, is still my favorite.

An Important Announcement

Ned has summoned everyone to the living room. He announces that he has proposed to Beauty, and she has accepted him. They're going to be married!

A New Quilt

Mama Doll saw the quilt Dolly found in the attic and thought, "iAy, caramba! I can do that." So she made this pink and green print quilt for Camilla in about a day and a half.

Kitty and Spot look indifferent, but both are planning naps on quilts as soon as the girls leave the room.

The girls have lots of books, and Camilla tries to keep them organized in the bookcase. But Dolly's favorite, "Mother Goose," can usually be found on top of the big dresser. She's not quite five years old, but she can already read almost anything. She finds that "Mother Goose" makes more sense than some of the adult books around the house, such as The Peep of Day by Mrs. Favell Lee Mortimer--which Dolly was not supposed to read. A few nightmares made her wish she hadn't read it.

Camilla remembers learning to read, sitting on Cook's knee and reciting what Cook called "the A-B-abs."

Dolly can't remember when she couldn't read, at least a little bit.

Poor Mo

Mo the Cat is in the pet clinic, and the vet says "maybe this" and "maybe that." But he's severely anemic, Lord-knows how old, and I don't feel optimistic. We decided to give him another day to start eating and moving around, if he can. So tomorrow, we'll see how he's doing.

*

Dolly found this pretty quilt in an old trunk in the attic, and claimed it for her bed. The girls are admiring it. Camilla hasn't decided whether she wants a quilt or a crocheted spread.

Dolly loves blue, and Camilla likes pink and green, so their room doesn't have a real color scheme. Each one expects to have a room of her own when they move to Graymont, but at present that seems to be only a temporary arrangement. The family will probably move back to their house when the renovations are done, and any extra rooms will be filled with babies.

A Cabbage As Big As Your Head

Daddy Doll pretends to hate flowers. His real motive is keeping anyone from prowling around in his study, making changes.

Lucinda the maid, jealous of all the flowers downstairs, has begged and begged him to let her put an arrangement in the study.

"No!" says Daddy. "I won't have my room being set up for the ladies' garden club meeting!"

"If I done it anyway, sir, just to see how it looks, would you sack me, sir?"

"Sack you? What do you mean, 'sack' you?"

"I mean, would you like fire me?" Lucinda has a mischievous side.

"Why, no," says Daddy, "I'd never go that far! You injure me, Lucinda! Have I ever mentioned firing anybody? Do I strike you as a cruel person, Lucinda? Have you ever seen or heard me make anyone unhappy? Doing violence to anyone's feelings?"

"No, sir," Lucinda lies.

She was finally permitted to put one blossom in the study.

"One blossom!" Daddy boomed. "Get one of those d__'d things from the kitchen garden--one of those cabbages as big as your silly head!"

Of course, they're not cabbages, but an old bush of cabbage roses that grow to gigantic size. When fully opened, they're bigger than a dinner plate. Lucinda was happy enough, so she stuck one big rose in the stein on top of the green bookcase--as instructed by Daddy. She had to use the library ladder to get up there, and nearly had a fall.

Other Stuff Around the House

The quilt on this bed was made by Grandma's cousin, a Mrs. Cleveland.

*

This is what Daddy mockingly calls "the kitchen garden!" The erstwhile* handyman, Billy Bones, occasionally plants herbs or something there, but his addiction to alcohol prevents his taking proper care of things, so they die. All except the cabbage rose which has been there all along.

*in the sense of "sometime"

*

If any spot around the house can be called a garden, this one on the other side of the house is it. Maybe you can't see him, but Dolly's pet turtle Aesop has escaped the house and is trying to climb into the pond.