Wednesday, April 3, 2019

It's A Finish and More

Chimney Sweep is done!


I started this little quilt last year. You can read about it here.


Since that post I ended up adding a border. I felt the binding would have been too close to the leaves without one.  


I did simple straight line quilting in the sashing, vertical lines in the leaf hsts and corners, cross hatch in the blocks and straight lines following the stripes in the border. I used Quilters Dream Request batting. It's so soft.


One yard was enough for the backing and I found the perfect binding fabric at Sew Jersey, our local quilt shop.


Thank you, Sandy, for sharing these wonderful turn-of-the-century Indigo scraps with me! They are fantastic! More to come . . .  :)
 

It was almost a year ago when I bought this neat vest at the NJ Shakespeare sale. It really spoke to me. 


I thought it would be a fun gift for my granddaughter who turns 18 this Sunday. I added a new label:)

Wildlife news . . . 

This robin is back attacking the window in my husband's office. We went through that last year. It also attacks the mirrors on my car. 

No pictures for the next true story . . . 

I was out for an early morning walk today (6:00 a.m.) and ended up cutting it short because I was being stalked by a fox. Yes, a fox! I got halfway down the next block and realized what was happening. 

I tried yelling at it to go away but it just kept following me--sometimes in the neighbor's yards--or in the street. I started walking backwards so I knew where it was. 

When I was close to home I saw a shadow in the yard next door and ran up the driveway and went in the house. That fox followed me all the way to the door. He stood there and we looked at each other. Then he disappeared. Wow! Was that ever scary!

In all the years I've been out walking early in the morning I've never experienced anything quite like this. It didn't look rabid but I'm calling Animal Control to report it. 

On another note . . .


Happy Spring!




__________
Copyright 2019, Barbara Schaffer 

 

12 comments:

  1. That Chimney Sweep quilt is absolutely gorgeous! I thank the border is perfect for it. I love that you are giving your key vest to your granddaughter. I like the label! As for your fox encounter - wow! I can only guess that she was a mother and you may have gotten a bit close to the den with the kitts. Glad you called animal control anyway!

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  2. Whoa! The fox story is crazy! I thought they were pretty shy creatures.

    Love your latest finish! I've always been a fan of the chimney sweep block.

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  3. Love the Chimney Sweep quilt! Amazing that the fox stalked you for so long, as you obviously weren't a threat. And especially in a more urban area. We've only seen them a couple times very fleetingly crossing a corner of the hayfield toward the hedgerow. Though we've had black bears right in the yard about 20 feet from the house, and four cougars were spotted one evening resting under a huge shagbark hickory tree about a hundred yards behind the house. It always pays to be mindful of your surroundings.

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  4. Your border that incorporates your sashing fabric was a good call. Nice little finish!
    I look forward to seeing what you do with your indigo scraps. I may have to make a couple of little ideas that are tumbling over each other in my brain. :)
    The key vest is a hoot! Very fun idea for your granddaughter.
    Oh, my goodness. That fox story is creepy. Glad you made it home safely, but wonder what made it feel you needed to be watched?
    I just saw that my daffodils had started blooming on Sunday. Isn't that a lovely sight?

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  5. Your chimney sweep quilt is so nice. We have a robin attacking my sewing room window as well. What a mess he’s made on the window and the house. I put bird decals on the window, but it doesn’t deter him at all. Your fox encounter sounds very scary. Glad you made it home in time. I’ve had a huge buck encounter on the side of our house two summers in a row. Jumped out of the bushes about 10 feet away from me. If the thing charged me, I’d be a goner for sure. Stay safe out there.

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  6. I'm glad you finished the Chimney Sweep quilt. The border frames the blocks in a positive way. The wildlife seems a little crazy. The fox encounter seemed a bit out of character. Hope it's okay. And glad you were too. What a delightful gift to your granddaughter and love your indigo scraps. You'll come up with an interesting use!

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  7. Your quilt is truly beautiful, and I agree the border was needed. I bet your granddaughter will love the vest! It's probably good you didn't turn your back to the fox. While my uncle was plowing years ago, the big metal disc plow hit a fox den in a field, killing the mother fox, an injuring her babies. My uncle brought one of the babies to me and my sister. Daddy enclosed one of his chicken pens and allowed us to keep it there. It was as gentle and loving as a dog, believe it or not, but it was a pet from birth. I have a picture of me standing by my sister, and she was holding the full grown fox in our front yard! He did finally get a bit dangerous, and we donated him to the local zoo. You story reminded me of mine.
    (Sorry this is so long!)---"Love"

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  8. Your quilt is beautiful as always ! Congratulations for this finish !
    And the story with the fox.... oh là là !! You are very courageous ! He wanted to be your friend maybe...

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  9. Who knows but that fox may have been your guardian angel and got you home before something bad happened to you. It is always good to be watchful.

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  10. Excellent job on the Chimney Sweep quilt, Barbara! Your piecing is perfect, and it doesn't look like an easy block. That vest is a trip! I'm certain your granddaughter will love it. Interesting comments on the fox. I, too, found it a bit strange as they are usually shy. I like the 'guardian angel' theory. And of course, I can't wait to see what you do with the scraps!

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  11. This is such a beautiful quilt. All the colors and prints are working in perfect harmony! I love the look of the stripe on the border.
    Sweet label on the vest - great gift.
    lovely daffodils and what a crazy story about the fox. I wonder what that was all about! hungry? maybe protecting a den and making sure you didn't go near it? funny.

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  12. It is a beautiful finish. The striped border really adds a lot.

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