The Fourth and Beyond

Independence Day is usually low-key since our community doesn't put on a fireworks display. Still, we got out. This was the scene at one (of three) of our town squares. It was hoppin'! Twirlers, a drill team performance, stilt-walkers, a live band, street vendors, a car show, and people! And it was hot! The temp was 88F with 70 percent humidity, so the feels-like temp was 97F (36C). Guess that's not a whole lot different than what other parts of the US have been experiencing. 

With Hurricane Elsa heading toward the Florida Keys, and expected to become Tropical Storm Elsa by the time it hits the Florida Gulf coast, we're anticipating strong winds and rain to be in our area by late Tuesday/early Wednesday. In anticipation, I've been doing project prep work. I went to Sew Together (quilt shop) to get background fabric and binding to make an Urban Ababus quilt. I paid $12.99 and $13.99 a yard for fabric - higher prices I predicted would come about in 2021. Many things are increasing in price, so this isn't unexpected. 

Urban Abacus pieces cut

As well, fabric has arrived that I bought from Sewtopia for the QuiltCon Fabric Challenge with Windham Fabrics Artisan fabric. When I first looked at Sewtopia's Artisan colors online, each was $9 a yard. Several days later, when I placed my order, four of the six fabrics I needed had gone up to $11 a yard. Could it be because they're challenge colors? Or because quilting cotton prices are rising? 

This will be the first time I've sewn with two-tone woven fabrics. I always pre-wash, so I enjoyed pressing each one, studying color shifts between two different warp and weft colors. From top to bottom the colors are: charcoal/white; coral/aqua; aqua/blue; tan/beige; wine/pink; and blue/orchid. 

I've worked-up a rough design in EQ8 for a large quilt, and am excited to get started. 

Currently though, my Curve Around Challenge quilt is on the design wall. This is the latest block I've pieced. I don't think it has a name (couldn't find it in The Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Blocks), but I saw it in a mid-century modern art painting and wanted to to try to duplicate it. I did so using the Classic Curve Ruler to cut half-circles, followed by a whole inset circle, and Applipop circles as embellishment. I plan to make more of these. 

I've been focused on quilting and finishing the Mini Runner (free pattern), made with the Mini Quick Curve Ruler by Sew Kind of Wonderful. I used the ruler to mark curves that I quilted with a walking foot. 

Then, I quilted straight lines with a ruler, and finished-up with free motion quilting. 

It felt so good to quilt again! The runner is 14½ X 35".

It looks good on the dining room table, and will coordinate nicely with our colorful Fiestaware. 

From the back.

Binding is single-fold, cut 1¼"-wide, and sewn with my favorite machine-mitered corners. 

To finish my latest spiral-braided rag rug, I picked up these pieces at Goodwill for only $17: two household textiles (sheet and tablecloth) and two t-shirts. I'm excited to get back to braiding!

Actually, I'm excited about all my projects! That's why I've been project-hopping - doing prep so fabrics are ready to sew and braid.

Now bring on Elsa! I'm ready to hunker down. 

Book Recommendation

Skylarking by Kate Mildenhall begins as a charming story about best friends, Kate and Harriet, growing up together along a desolate coast of Australia. It's the 1880s, and Kate's father is the lighthouse keeper. The girls spend their days helping their mothers, and escaping on adventures from the cliffs to tide pools, and the brush to the rocky shoreline. When a single man moves into a nearby cabin, the girl's thoughts and dreams turn to the women they must become: wives and mothers. However, Kate wants more adventure, but it's Harriet who gets to leave for three months to experience life in the big city of Melbourne. When Harriet returns, nothing is as it was once was. Womanhood forces them to leave childhood behind, and look at the future in new ways.

I wasn't familiar with the term "skylarking" before listening to this book, and felt sad at the negative use of it in this story.

The narrator, Kate Gilbert, did a great job of conveying Kate and Harriet's innocent, and I adored how she spoke the Australian accent with the up-rising vocal notes typical of Australian speech patterns. 

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

Just in case you haven't yet registered to receive my blog posts via email, I'm reminding you (one last time) that you can do so by submitting your email address on the Follow It form at the top right of this home page.

Google is discontinuing its email delivery of blog posts (called Feedburner) sometime this month... if it hasn't happened already. I know; these are changes none of us want, but there's not a bloomin' thing that can be done about it. 

More than 1,500 email addresses followed my blog with Feedburner. Now, with Follow It, 128 of you are following me by email. That's great! I'd rather have 128 followers willing to engage, than hundreds who do not. Thank you very much! Linda