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.