aaaaahh-ctober

has to be my very favorite month of the year....especially now that there's no horrific winter on the horizon.  but would gladly return to new england if things were different...after all, it's home.   and i do have a guest staying for a month....

looking good for his age, about 41 i'd guess...he's very quiet which is required in this nursing home/mausoleum....he and i have survived all the crappy moves and disruptions life has tossed us....one more move is probably in the cards--this time to a definitely safe and comfortable place where we can both finally relax and enjoy many more octobers....

local orchard has this display every year....you know how i feel about pumpkins in general...

progress on the triple irish chain continues, as well as the ocean waves....now that the pesky medical appointments are over for the week, can spend serious time having fun!

october already???

indeed...just one day away....so you know the holidays and a new year are not that far off....no problem, i'll take a new year gladly, how about you?  have kept busy trying to ignore the antics in the periphery....the ocean waves is coming along very nicely indeed....briefly debated about not quilting each triangle but happily abandoned different options...will be comfy for fall and early winter quilting....

and the plumberry fabric finally arrived!  altho i had requested my mail be delivered on the 22nd, somehow it didn't arrive until yesterday.....a large stack including flyers, my ballot, my mail order drugs and the package from fat quarter shop were all jammed into my institutional receptacle...

someone asked me what i was going to use them for....use them, i said....just going into the pile after the wash and dry.   i will incorporate some into the current repro project....

speaking of which, been busy working on the repro triple irish chain, a messy but enjoyable project...it occupies every available inch of space with various strip sets and units at hand....no, don't need a bigger table...would only encourage a bigger mess!

and in the battle of the command hooks, 3M has these replacement strips available....so they obviously realize the product has its drawbacks....i got 3 packages and my design wall is now back in its proper place....we'll see how long they hold....

blogger acting very badly indeed this morning....has taken me nearly half an hour to get this post ready to publish and still some of the spacing is off....oh well, it's small stuff indeed....will be sewing thru the rain today!

drought over...

 the quilting drought that is....last night sat and relaxed with hoop and needle to work on the latest project...didn't get a whole lot done but was definitely in my happy place...

then first thing this morning, set up phoebe (featherweight) to attach the little orange peel blocks to the center of "midnight at the oasis"....oooh i am loving this!  the next border is wider and applique...this is a jen kingwell pattern.  

wednesday was super busy getting groceries, medical appointment etc but had to sneak in a brief morning nap....vacation is hard work...LOL!   ****  and just because i am a commoner doesn't mean i can't breakfast like royalty...

'tis the queen's own favorite marmalade....there's the royal warrant smack dab in the middle...my daughter, the downton abbey devotee and now uber-anglophile, gifted me this along with a jar of lemon curd from the british food depot.  it's tangy and only a tad sweet and yummy of course.  trust her majesty to find the best!

my mother's birthday gift this year was a gorgeous quilting calendar...

a portent of things to come when, hopefully, covid-19 will be just like the blizzard of 1978--a distant memory.  oh and the usual scrumptious blueberry pie....

i'll close with a brief video of vacation vistas....

vacation wrapup

it's been summer to fall and soon back to summer after arrival in maryland later this week...33 chilly degrees here in midcoast maine this morning but the air is crisp and autumnal evoking pumpkins, apples, cider and eruption of foliage color...we enjoyed the absolute best september/late summer weather at the beach....last thursday was 75, warm, hint of breeze and spent nearly the entire day lounging in the sand....lobster rolls for lunch of course!  my lazy needlework slowly progressed, first with the applique block...

and then some cross stitch that gets pulled out now and then....a short mealtime prayer i heard long ago and then found this sampler....

friday we visited our favorite seafood shack for one last yummy shellfish treat....

ordering to go as it was too cool to dine al fresco...fried clams for me and fried scallops for mum....aside from the clams and one hot dog, kept very close to the cardiac diet with fresh seafood and chicken...saturday morning packed up and back to mum's until departure....one last family dinner to bask in close ties only family provides...leaving with mixed emotions as always....but of course, in my mind i'll always be here...

by the sea!

tuesday check in...

and it is a very chilly morning and day here in coastal maine....46 degrees at 5 am and going way up to 60 later today, so these are now in use...

yes i packed my wool sox...and glad i did too!  warmer weather starting tomorrow thru weekend, tho....and i have been busy sewing too...

all 12 of my little orange peel blocks are done and ready to attach to the medallion center at home....before i left, the ocean waves got put into the hoop and the quilting just started....

a family luncheon was held last thursday where we served up plenty of lobster and steamed clams, fresh veggies and iced tea....it was wonderful....precious time with my family...

lobster prices are reasonable and we had the fish market cook them for us, eliminating some of the mess...they were delish!  but since only one was left over, we visited our local lobsterman's garage and picked up more...

these we just picked out and are using for lobster rolls....mmmm good!  the lobster man said they came off the boat the day before, so uber-fresh!  and finally, a view of the ocean....still warm for this time of year at 62 degrees....big waves for a few days from tropical storm paulette off the coast...

we are soaking up as much sand and surf as possible...it will be difficult to leave....i never get enough beach time......clam chowder on deck for today, ideal for cool temps...but first off to the beach and take in those big waves!  

hey diddle dee dee...

the seacoast life for me!   oh how i am loving being right on the ocean again...we've already scarfed down fresh scallops, haddock and crabmeat...taken up residence in our motel room with an ocean view....at least if there was no fog....

we did have one sunny day so far with the usual seasonal distancing typical for after labor day...

the seagulls, i've noticed, are a tad on the thin side....without tourists they are having to make do with seaweed and fish...no hot dogs, cheese puffs, sandwiches and the like...   plenty of hand sewing getting done....my eagle is ready to baste and quilt....

some 'midnight at the oasis' blocks are progressing...

and even a bit done on a camel...for the nativity piece...

today is our family reunion lunch...dear daughter and son-in-law have arrived and are taking in the smells and sights....it's lobster and steamers on the menu with fresh veg.   we are staying at the echo motel in old orchard beach....a superb lodging with the most comfortable beds...the most accommodating owners who have thought of everything....the area has lost 35 million this summer alone from lack of canadian tourists, but we are doing as much as we can to contribute to the economy...now off to the beach!

northern exposure

posts will be mostly suspended as this quilter has returned temporarily to yankee territory....boring photos and travelogue to follow at some point...applique projects on board and wool sox at hand with, of course, plenty of lobster on the menu....end of a difficult week with brief hospital visit and some disheartening cardiac news, medication adjustments and another "new normal" status...overwhelmingly thankful for superior caregivers at all levels and God's continued care and comfort.  

corona-cation, episode 48

if you follow this blog, this piece will be familiar....the new england sampler.  waiting on thread for the next hand quilting project, so spending time trying to get this to a flimsy....it's one of my very oldest UFOs and needs to be done.

hoping you notice that much progress has been made...i think i have 2 of those endless leaves left to applique and have started on flowers.  still gonna require a lot of time before it can be basted.  

and because i've made such good progress on the UFO list...pulled out a project that was slated for 2021 and started with the freezer paper.  it's another applique piece but not as involved as the sampler...

i enjoy applique and have been hoping that doing more will improve my technique but so far not so much.  this project has some tricky little pieces, but it's folk art so that gives me some fudging room.  

this will be the last post titled 'corona-cation' because, let's face it, it's no vacation.  it is the way of life now for the foreseeable future.  it stinks, but there you have it.  heard this week that the church where our quilt group meets is now off limits until at least february....nasty face masks are part of the wardrobe and endless testing reports are just plain boring.  my plans for the fall are practically none....except continue with my exercise regime and hack away at UFOs.  i do hope to take a few day trips around the area for a change of scenery.  if things worsen, well, there's always zoloft....now that alcohol is off limits...LOL!

corona-cation, episode 47

end of august and in new england, it's the unofficial end of summer but not here in maryland...another month to go....plenty of warm days yet to sew!  and another finish....rustic stars...

small quilt at 36" square but colorful and just right for somebody's country home....a friend had sent me a large baggie of plaid scraps and with some of my own, it was a cinch!  i think this makes finish #10 so far this year.

can cross basting off my august list as well....the amish ocean waves is ready to quilt as soon as the thread arrives....and this small quilt also got basted.  so 2/3 to dos get crossed off...

think i'll call it "granny smith goes amish".....   ***  another birthday a mere 9+ hours away, so was elated to receive recent lab and cardiac echo results that were both good and, in fact, a bit improved.  surely can't ask for more than that....hoping this means many more quilty days ahead!

corona-cation, episode 46

august plods along with hot muggies returning again this week.  due to vision problems, lost nearly a week working toward my august goals hoping now to make up for lost time.  no oven or stove use led to some funky food combos...LOL...finally yesterday able to drive and had a birthday lunch with my two favorite people....and prezzies too!

plenty of viewing diversion from the motherland and some delish tiptree lemon curd...her majesty favors their orange marmalade...plus a quartet of anglo-theme fridge magnets.....and earlier in the week this squishie arrived from an online quilty pal...

a beautiful applique pattern has been chosen but holding off until august's list is conquered... birthday lunch was the once-yearly prime rib that was heavily seasoned, immediately noticeable when one lives nearly sodium free, but decadently good followed by a 50s favorite of root beer floats...alas, had to return to the "abbey" (definitely NOT downton) hoping it is a temporary situation.  ***  still a bit draggy and unsteady today so fitness still on hold, but at least i can sew.  snacks at the ready in the form of no-salt peach salsa, a poor but tolerable sub for chips and dip...and yeah, i know, healthier too...

today's mantra is to keep calm and sew on!