Feast or Famine

Over the last few weeks I have done some fun stash building.

First there was the mother load of fabric from Judy's cedar chest, and then I got a sweet package in the mail from Carli at Good Earth Quilting. Carli introduced me to the tern "blended quilts" - quilts made up of both new and repurposed materials. I like the idea of blending new and recycled fabric to create something that is both beautiful and also exhibits the heart and purpose of traditional quilt making.

She sent me this beautiful fat quarter bundle of organic cotton prints. They are so lovely and I can't wait to work with them! Thank you so much Carli! 

Some I-Spy bits and pieces

I also went shopping this weekend, which is a big deal. Because I live on a remote island I only go shopping once every month or two, and it is an all day affair full of errands, driving, riding the ferry, and hauling our stuff from place to place. The ferry is "passenger only", so we have to haul all of our stuff on and off along with all of the other passengers. It can get totally crazy with everybody's boxes of groceries, building supplies, laundry bags, plants and animals, you name it.

My sign for the drill that I left on the ferry.

A couple hours after I got home, after everything was unpacked, I was super bummed out to realize that I had left my BRAND NEW DRILL on the ferry, with a huge box of screws. A well-meaning friend loaded it on to the ferry and forgot to tell me. It wasn't with the rest of my stuff and it got covered up by some other cargo and I stupidly went home without it. When I went back to get it, it was gone. Ouch.

Citrus blossoms on the marmalade tree.

What can I do but let it go. Not that I didn't kick myself for a while, but it does put things into perspective. In truth I have so much, and I only lost a mere tool that can be replaced. Thank goodness for the health and abundance in our lives, and if somebody out there yoinked my drill then that is poor karma for that person.

So there.

Besides, when I consider the value of all the great stuff that I have brought home from the Free Store, I am super lucky! Check out this beautiful print that I found today. About 3 yards of little wagons and wishing wells. Pink with grey is so sweet.

And check this sweet quilt made with Moda's 30's Playtime fabric. It is showcased on a Craftsy course called "Quilting Quickly". Yeah! Just my style! I bought a couple of charm packs of this line and now I have some pre cuts in my stash for when I feel like zipping something together like this.

That is, after I transplant about a gazillion veggie starts.

The roosters are all so cool. How to decide which guy shall rule the roost?

I finally started practicing yoga again post-pneumonia. I painfully damaged my intercostal muscles and at one point I was sure I had broken a rib from coughing. I barely even touched my toes for the last 2 months and it was hard for me to start up again.

I'm workin' on it.

Sour Pie Cherry trees in flower

Wishing you a glad heart and a grateful spirit.

May the Fourth be with you!

Fabric Score!

I was just thinking yesterday, I need more bright fabric. I have loads of beautiful dark pieces and I love dark colors but I also LOVE bright, colorful quilts. Yes, I thought. I need to buy some fabric.

Well, today I brought home a wheelbarrow load of fabric from my dear friend Judy!! Judy moved up here from California in the 1970's and she brought with her a cedar chest full of fabric and clothing patterns that remained almost untouched for the last 40 years.

Judy and her family just relocated into their new house so they are in the process of cleaning out their old place and sorting through stuff. She generously offered me anything from the chest that struck my fancy. 

There were some clothing patterns and bits of projects from when Judy was a single mom of four and made clothes for herself and for all of her children. All of the fabric is in amazing condition considering it has been in that chest for so long. I got some hounds-tooth knits and some beautiful shot cotton, lots of bright polyester, fun quilting scraps, and an embroidery project that was only just begun. I would love to finish the embroidery and make a pillow or something for Judy as a thank-you.

Wouldn't these make some fun tights?

It is amazing how sometimes the things we want or need just manifest themselves like that. A wonderful and welcome reminder to send gratitude to the universe.

Also very grateful that the beet seeds I hurriedly threw into the ground have sprouted. Now I will wait for them to get a bit bigger before thinning them out so that the roots have room to develop.

Lots of cheery flowers blooming, Johnny Jump Ups, and Purple Iris buds ready to open.

This beautiful Viburnum specimen has a heady scent like a lilac or a rose. This is a big perennial that we basically ignore all year round until the scent stops us in our tracks and forces us to notice it. I put a clump of blossoms on the coffee table and it scented the whole room. In the yard the air smells like fruit tree blossoms and dew (or alternatively chicken poop or goats, depending on where you stand). 

Hooray for Spring, flowers, and sunshine!

And a Very Happy Birthday to my older brother who is thirty today!

Horsetail on the drying rack.

This is a great time to harvest herbs. I've been picking dandelion roots and horsetail. Dandelion roots are a blood cleanser and liver tonic, and Horsetail shoots have a high silica content and they are good for skin and hair. I dry the shoots for making tea. I figure that since both of these plants grow in my garden whether I like it or not, I may as well use them.

McNugget or "Big Mac" is all grown up.

I have some work to do with the animals. We have too many roosters and one billy goat that is too big for his britches. I will spare you all of the gory details but it might be time for a BBQ.

Somehow in the midst of all this I will manage to finish that hexagon baby quilt and take some photos of the embroidery project.

Thanks so much for reading!

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day.

Goat On A Boat

Today I rode a rocky ferry off the island with Bessie Mae and her daughter.

Our regular ferry is being refitted and we have to ride on the dinky replacement boat. I put the goats in a large dog crate, but on this boat there is no covered area for freight and the poor goats arrived WET, having been splashed with seawater in the back of the boat!

Goodbye, dear Bessie Mae! Thanks for all the milk.

Thankfully today was not cold, and Bessie's new owner was happy to see her and her baby. They are going to a good home and soon the billy goats will go elsewhere also.

Snowdrop

This is the other one of Bessie's twins, I am keeping her. She is too beautiful and sweet! I am calling her Snowdrop because she was born on the snow.

The couple who adopted Bessie Mae also have horses and a couple of Nigerian Dwarf kids.They had decked out the back of their car for goat transport. Goats ride amazingly well in cars, a lot like dogs do - although you won't see a goat with it's head out the window! They feel safer in small spaces.

Yesterday was rainy and for fun I brought one of the other little doelings into the house for us to play with. We pet her and tried to feed her raisins. It is important to socialize the babies so they aren't afraid of us.

We returned this little girl to her mom after dressing her up in David's clothes and bouncing a balloon off of her head. Socializing, huh?

Remember that rooster that I said would make a tasty dinner? Apparently the ravens thought so, too.

We caught the raven in the act, but I had to put down the injured chicken. Luckily it was our biggest bird so at least there was some meat for a fried chicken dinner. I made mashed potatoes and steamed some leeks and greens, so everything on the plate was from the land. I love it when that happens.

Tonight was singing practice with my awesome group of ladies. We sit around and harmonize, drink steamy mugs of tea and eat popcorn. I sat with an amazing view of the ocean and watched the white caps crash as we sang. I love living on an island!

My beautiful friend Constanze was battling breast cancer over the last year. This is one of the love blankets we have made as a community for our sisters and friends who have had to deal with cancer or a serious illness. Many people contributed squares and all of the blankets are unique and stitched with intentions of healing and friendship. In addition to all of her many talents, it just so happens that Constanze has an AMAZING singing voice, the kind that stops you in your tracks and makes you shush people so you can listen.

The fruit trees are starting to blossom and sleepy bumblebees are appearing on primroses and red-flowering currants. I have been working on two quilts and I'm ready for BASTING!! Yeah baby!! I can't wait to show pictures of the finished product.

As always, thank you so much for reading.

Quilt Blocks and Fresh Dirt

Today was warm and sunny and truly felt like Spring.

Thankfully my goats don't observe daylight savings so they didn't mind that I was technically an hour late at 7:00 this morning :) Because I was up so early I actually managed to get some sewing and pressing done before the little guy woke.

May: Aunt Eliza's Star

I finished my two May blocks for the Sister's Ten Quilt.

January: Grandmother's Frame

I re-did January's blocks, the original block was just hideous. I hadn't fully grasped my color choices and plus I was supposed to make two blocks, not just one! I'm much happier with these.

March: Schoolgirl's Puzzle

These are March's blocks

April: Lady of the Lake

April's blocks are all sewn together but I am already unhappy with the placement of the HST border. I want those darn triangles to line up. I didn't iron it, I was thinking of getting out the seam ripper and trying to tidy up the lines.

Later on this morning David helped me plant some seeds in the garden.

We pulled some weeds, turned the soil, and raked it level.

I just love that face he was wearing while using the tools!

Sowing radish seeds and getting some water.

The rhubarb crowns are looking a little more lively.

I'm already harvesting chives, I'm so impatient for anything fresh and green!

The goat mamas look so skinny now that they have had their babies.

Their evening milk has a layer of thick cream on top the next morning. Maybe I can make homemade butter, after all? I will be making cheese tomorrow.

Meanwhile the chickens just keep getting fatter. I think I'm starting to be able to tell the cockerels from the hens. They are now about six weeks old. In a few months or so I'll start to expect the first eggs! They start laying around 20-24 weeks.

After heralding Spring for the last two months, I believe it is finally peeking around the corner, right on schedule.

Photos: Garden Awakening

Garlic plants are emerging from the ground. They were planted in October and will be harvested in late July or into August.

The rhubarb crowns are starting to show, as well. I just worked my way through the last delicious gallon of rhubarb wine from two years ago.

And one of my favorite wild foods is beginning - Stinging Nettles. These plants live up to their name if your skin comes into contact with them. The leaves have tiny little hairs and they make a stinging rash that lasts for days.

In spite of their venom, these little tips are akin to spinach when cooked and are very tasty and nutritious. Full of vitamin C, they are so yummy to eat in early spring. I love to steam them in a frying pan with garlic, soy sauce, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I also dry them and use them in teas or crumbled into soups throughout the year.

David brought his camera outside today and took pictures with me.

He discovered a Chinese Wintergreen bush full of ripe berries.

This amazing plant is often used as an ornamental, and people assume that the berries are poisonous. Not only are they edible, they are delicious, and they are ripe in January and February when most other things are dormant or just beginning to emerge.

It has been cold this week and there is a hoary frost in every shadow.

Thanks for checking out my quick update. Quilting progress is happening behind the scenes!