Crazy Blocks 17-20, hike, garden

Can you believe 20 weeks have already flown by since the start of making Call Me Crazy blocks??

All along I've been trying to match the fabrics in Gay's block of the week--large scale, small scale, bright, dark, medium, etc.--and found myself immersed in cutting small pieces to try and be exact. Why don't I just use the scraps I already have???

So that's what I've been doing--digging into my scraps and Carol Y's (yes I still have some of hers) and substituting colors if need be. 

When I combine the two I get repro and retro :) One of Carol's is on the lower right. It adds some pizzazz don't you think?

In this block, Dawn's blue-on-blue is in the square-in-a-square upper left and tan leaf in the middle row. Carol's purple, green in the bottom row, bright red and dark brown were all bits and pieces. Barbara B's brown-white is in the middle row with blue leafy print in the lower right and all the rest were from my scrap stash. Now that's better :)

Here's what these 4 look like together :) Next time I'll try and lay ALL of them out on the floor to get a better sense of the overall look. 

Yesterday Connie and I went in search of Lady Slippers and saw this very pretty double :)

And tried to get a good photo of Starflower which is never easy. It's still a pretty little flower no matter what. 

The Community Garden is looking good! Everyone's plot is planted with either starters or seeds. 

Connie and I have decided to go a non-veggie route this year and planted a cut flower garden. We have Dahlias, Cosmos, Stock, Snapdragon and Zinnia starters. And Calendula, Marigold, Zinnia, and Poppy seeds which are already sprouting. Can't wait to see it all blooming!

See you next time :)

Copyright 2023 Barbara Schaffer

It's A Finish!

Ladies' Aid NY Sampler is done! I started this quilt two years ago when Barbara Brackman asked if I was interested in making blocks for her upcoming block-of-the month. Having just moved from NJ to NY I said 'Yes'! See Barbara's post here.

This photo was taken when I finished the top in Dec '21.

I had decided to quilt various motifs--birds, flowers, stars, butterfly, squirrel--rather than an overall design. I also didn't quilt the sashing or border. This was indicative of the style of album quilts that were being made in NY in the 1860s or so. It felt strange not to get carried away with lots of quilting.

I know it's hard to see but this one has a bird in all four corners. 

And this one has birds, a flower, and a squirrel.
 

I also quilted around each applique with minor quilting on the tops of some but not all. 

Had to put it on a bed to photograph because there's no room on my design wall.

Barbara's Ladies' Legacy fabric is on the back :)

Moving on to my next project . . .

Since I last posted a photo of my log cabin blocks, I turned them all 1/4 to the right so now the dark strips are at the left and top rather than the left and bottom. I like them this way. I plan on making another 10 giving me 6 across and 7 down. Not sure where I'm heading after that . . .

On Memorial Day let us not forget PFC James Ohlinger who was killed in Vietnam at the age of twenty-one. His final resting place is Restland Memorial Park, E. Hanover, NJ. 

Enjoy the holiday and all it entails--family, friends, cookouts, games, and just plain FUN!                                                                  

 

 

Copyright 2023 Barbara Schaffer

Mother's Day Hike Wild Flowers

For Mother's Day Connie and I hiked the Mt. Van Hoevenberg East Trail in Lake Placid. It's 4.7 miles round trip and took almost 3 hours. There were wildflowers the entire route and the view at the top was incredible.

Hobblebush was a first for me.

Painted Trillium

  Purple Trillium 

Spring Beauty

Trout Lily

The trail was constructed with low stone stairs and switchbacks making it an easy climb to the summit.

A panoramic view :)

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

I'll be back soon with a finished Ladies' Aid Album quilt. Here's a preview.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Copyright 2023

Crazy 13-16, Log Cabin, Rolodex

After I had sewn one of the strips together in block #13 double hearts, I discovered there was an error. Oh no! 

I had mis-marked a hst on the paper pattern as being white instead of pink . . . 

What to do? I wasn't going to cut another whole set of pieces and start over. So---I had this brilliant idea to cut the correct pink and glue it on top of the incorrect white and that's what I did. You can't even tell that it wasn't stitched in. And if that piece ever falls off in the far distant future it will be a surprise to the person who discovers it :)

The 2nd iteration of the log cabin blocks I've been making. I like this layout better than sunshine and shadows. Of course they're on top of the Deacon quilt which remains in a state of limbo.

I've made 25 blocks so far and still going strong. So much fun!

Some Rolodex cards with a book theme: Florence Peto's Historic Quilts, Alice in Wonderland, Arithmetic, and Betsy Ross and The Flag. 

And these are the backs: endpaper of Peto book, inscription presented to my gr-aunt Leila Bower in 1896, my mother's arithmetic book 1918 and one of my Landmark books with bookplate. I LOVED reading Landmark books, did you? Wish I still had my collection . . . 

Remember when I was on an apron kick a while ago? The one on top caught my eye on Ebay. I laughed when I read "I'm Betty Not Mary Lou." Must have referred to identical twins, don't you think? 

Another beautiful sunset and a pic of the river that flooded after all the rain we got. 

Looking forward to some sun in the next day or two!

 

Copyright 2023 Barbara Schaffer

New Little Quilt, Flower, TS, Rolodex and GBH

Two years ago I received an envelope of selvage strips from Nancy M. in MI and it took me all this time to get moving. Sometimes that happens :)

After sorting and ironing, I started stitching them onto two scrap strips of muslin with no real plan in mind. This time instead of top stitching I butted the strips and zig-zagged them together. 

I added long selvage strips on two sides . . . 

. . . then 2-1/2" borders. 

 

You can see the machine quilting on the back and it's pretty basic--all straight lines--nothing fancy. The label is done but needs to be attached:) Thank you, Nancy!

It's blooming! The Amaryllis bulb--that my friend Renee sent up via her co-worker--is absolutely gorgeous! 

I really have to stop going to the thrift shop! Haha! Recently, I couldn't resist this pair of crocheted potholders and a framed scherenschnitte with ducks, rooster, bunnies and flowers. I always thought I wanted to get into this craft but after making a couple Valentine's Day cards I realized it wasn't for me. 

I've taken a little break from my Rolodex project but thought I'd share a few cards with a Native American theme. These are the fronts . . .

. . . and these are the backs. The top two photos are sections of a wool jacket that I was making many years ago and testing my skills of machine applique. The middle left is a souvenir child's vest from Niagara Falls and on the right a weaving that I purchased at the antiques shop in LP. The bottom is a photo of other collectibles. All wonderful memories :)

Look close and you can see a Great Blue Heron in a nest at the very top of a pine tree in our driveway. This pic was taken by putting my camera up to the lens of a birding scope. I keep trying to get a good shot and this is the best one so far. There are actually 3 GBHs up there. The one in the nest takes off, circles around and comes back and extends it's head straight up. We've read this is a mating ritual. The other two squawk and "fight." It's all so interesting!

That's all for now. I'll be back next week with four more Crazy blocks.

 

Copyright 2023, Barbara Schaffer