making a summer quilt

So, remember this list?  My list of yearly goals for 2015.  I’ve completed several items and ever since I finished my curtains for our bedroom I have been dreaming of making a summer quilt for our bed out of the rest of the fabric that I bought from an estate sale last summer.  Something not too heavy but that would complement our summer sheets and not make me too hot on summer nights.  The fabric is old but beautiful and I am basically cutting my squares from pieces of scrap and actual pieces of old clothing projects that either didn’t fit or didn’t get finished.  I had to make the executive decision to cut down my wishes of solid squares to pieced together squares by cutting pieces half the size of my regular ones and sewing two together to make a regular size one.  I just couldn’t resist some of the gorgeous scraps that had hems and sewn seams so smaller pieces allowed me to use them.  I want my quilt to semi match the curtains in our room which has twelve inch squares.  I feel I don’t quite have the patience for teeny tiny squares and complicated patterns as summer is quickly approaching and I want the quilt to be ready.  Besides, when you make it yourself it is all about what you want right? 

Sunday morning began nicely and was a wonderful day to begin cutting pieces with a spring breeze coming through the open windows, Led Zeppelin playing on my pc and incense drifting through the air.  Not to mention my two helpers, Kate and Tommy, napping in their chosen spots in the room with me. 

As for the backing on my quilt, I had a dream of using a light top sheet and sewing the quilt top to it and possibly using the old fashioned method that my Grandmother used of tying each square in the center, which I still may do. I also wanted a bigger size than a queen, which is what size our bed is, so I can use it as a bedspread and it would have good coverage and hang down on the sides.   I wound up finding a light gray, king size flat sheet made of t-shirt type cotton to use as the backing at Goodwill for a few dollars.  It is in good shape but has a stretch to it that the top will not have.  I have decided not to worry and take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.  It doesn’t have to be perfect and I doubt it will be a fair winner but it will be my creation.  I like to think my quilt-making Granddaddy would be proud of my efforts and interest.  And all I can do is picture myself curled up in it at home or in the camper.

 

And my favorite song of the day while cutting...

The Oasis

Oasis: 1. An Oasis of serenity amid chaos. 2. A situation 

or place preserved from surrounding unpleasantness; a refuge. 

3. Something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast.

For my birthday last October I asked for and received a beautiful hammock.  My wish was to hang it in the little-used back corner of our covered porch.  We did hang it last fall but couldn't leave it up long enough to enjoy it it much due to the change of seasons and not wanting to leave it outside during the winter.  The weekend before Easter I asked my Mister to hang it back up for me and he did so gladly.

I dreamed and thought of what I could do in this space around the hammock all winter long.  I knew I wanted some of my houseplants that spend the summer outside to join the corner when it was warm enough.  So when the warmth came I moved several into the space propping one on top of a metal tin for height, some on the floor and on tables and one, that vined out last summer, in a cheery yellow  macrame hanger in the corner.  I left the wicker chair and table in the corner that was already there and added a braided rug underneath.  I moved my wicker chaise lounge and table up in case I had company and also added another couple of chairs around.  The bench by the hammock is very make-shift and is one of two, that I find very useful, that were used when building our house.  They are so handy I couldn't bear to let them get rid of them even if they do have paint and drywall on them.  The one there allows me room to put my music and cold beverage right by my side.  Last weekend I took the notion to hang three strands of one hundred bulb holiday lights around the ceiling of the space.  It illuminates it perfectly.

The fringed hammock combined with my plant friends created what I now refer to as The Oasis.  I adore it's simple tranquility as I relax there listening to birds during the day and frogs at the pond at night.  Last Saturday evening it even became a hang out which I did not expect when creating the area.  Those who came said you could see the glow of the lights coming down the driveway.  I guess that let them know The Oasis was open.  But in my space there's bound to be good music and probably a little incense... you know... to keep the bugs away.

I highly recommend creating an Oasis of you own this year.

weekend shots

can I please post now?!?!  I am having computer problems again.  I guess I have some sort of virus somewhere in the machine.  I am a laptop girl.  I don't have a smart phone or a tablet or whatever so I've been working strictly on this here gadget for several years.  I've done real well to not have crashed the thing... well maybe just the one time.  but it seems in the last few months I will have these ads popping up everywhere wasting my giga-watts (as Shaun calls them) and flashing grotesque pictures that I did not ask for.  silly things.  so I have uninstalled chrome once again and am starting over fresh... hopefully.  the last few days it had been affecting everything online for me including blogger.  ugh.  so here's a few shots for last week and the weekend.  have a wonderful rest of your week!


dc tulips

me in a bit of a fog or out of focus.

I have spotted two hummers so far.

Tater Bug got her spring hair cut... talk about sassy!

may apples in the woods.

happy about the only morel I found this year.  a couple of days after I found it.

wild iris blooming in the woods.

also the trout lilies.

not sure how I've not notices this tree and it's trees before.  it obviously grew new trees from it's branches years ago when it fell.

five leaf clover.

the dogwood trees are beautiful this year.

Katie Bug treed a groundhog on our Sunday walk.

the strangest tulips I own.

literally on the library hold shelf

A list of random items I have requested from the library. 

I do hope you enjoy this series as much as I do!

Melanie Shankle's Sparkly Green Earrings first book came from an interest in her third book as reported by The Pioneer Woman as a friend of hers.  I figure she's good if PW likes her but really... .I have to be honest here.  When I requested the book from the library on a split second whim I didn't even look to see what the book was about which is musings from motherhood and sorts.  I seriously try to stay away from the motherhood subjects even when looking at blogs because I can't be a mother myself and it makes me feel sad and not included.  Then I think "well... you're a mother to the kids at the day care during the day" and it makes me feel better for a minute but really... I don't know if I will read this book once I get it just to avoid possible depression.  I really never know how my mind will react.  So this may be a book suggestion for someone else and not me.  Booo Hiss... I should have looked before I leaped.

And then..... From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman as a suggestion to go along with a craft for the day care that I found on a wonderful little blog called BuggyandBuddy.com.  The craft looks like this...

I know.... how cute if that AND it has a free printable for the center part!  I have cheap paper plates on my Walmart list for this week already and luckily one of the pick up parents here brought me a bag of craft supplies that has striped, thick pipe cleaners!  Oh what luck I have!!!

I found the cookbook Power Foods while searching for more Martha Stewart cookbooks and noticed that the forward is by Martha so it must be pretty good if she's endorsing it right?  I hope so.  I've been stuck on Martha cookbooks for a couple of weeks now and am at the end of the line of available books from her at the library sadly.

Dumb & Dumber To.... I have to admit that I have watched the first Dumb & Dumber movie a hundred times and laughed at all of them.  I even have a couple of funny lines I will pull out of my hat and use from time to time that came from the movie.  Shaun actually took me to see the second film over this past winter.  I think it's good to see a movie multiple times if it makes you laugh even once during it!  It's healthy to laugh, remember?!?!

And now on to the weekend!  Katie Bug and I are both getting our hair done today.  Mine colored and hers shaved off.  I think we would both say "glad it's her and not me"!  I think we have a bon fire tonight, with yoga and the library pick up of the above listed items tomorrow and in the mean time I plan on starting to pull out junk upon junk to put together a yard sale soon and totally plan to include some mushroom hunting in the woods.  Wish me luck!!  

What are your weekend plans?? No one ever answers my questions here so I can only imagine that you will all be having too much fun in the sun to tell your old internet buddy here!  Whatever you do... do it with love and kindness in your heart!