Ocean Waves
Getting back to sewing was good, but I still wasn't in the creative mood just yet. There's still a lot on my plate. Grabbing a kit I had sitting on my shelf for some years meant I could sew, but didn't have to think much. Pure therapy.
Debbie Caffrey is an excellent teacher on Craftsy, and I've learned a lot watching through several classes. She is wonderful at teaching technique at precision. Though Craftsy no longer sells kits, Caffrey has written many books and patterns. This pattern was very well written.
One super handy tool I use when I quilt are trays. So often I lay out blocks on a table, and then move them to my sewing area. I have a stack of antique trays that make it easy work to put together several blocks at once. The older metal trays tend to be heavier than what you'll find today. After the final pressing put the tray on top until it cools, and the weight will give you a nice, flat block.
I love these plastic cases for keeping all the pieces of a kit together. If I need to pick up and go, it's all in one place, and I usually have room to stick in scissors, rulers, etc.
On a recent clean up trip to Florida I stuck the case in my suitcase. I sat under the house and snipped off dog ears. All around me I heard jack hammers, trucks, and heavy equipment. Hurricane Ian devastated Sanibel in September of 2022 as a strong Category 4, and 5.5 months later we are still cleaning. The storm surge was 8' 6" here by the water marks on the wood. Most of the property above was minimally damaged. We were very lucky compared to most.
The majority of properties along the beach are in terrible condition, and may not be occupied for a year or years. It's especially striking to see it from the beach side.
Come on, Doxie girls.
5 comments:
Well, I am sitting inside looking outside at heavy, wet snow falling. But at least, my house is intact. I am craving sunshine. I have been working on organizing my projects and fabric, but have a long way to go. Eight Days of Hope is an organization that travels across the country helping to fix/clean up after disasters. Locally, they do a big inner city fix up every summer that my husband helps in. The founder is from Buffalo, and they are scheduled to go to Ft. Myers in May for a big housing help push and showed pictures similar to yours.
I have never looked closely at an Ocean Waves block before and wondered at the two blocks in your first photo. Isn't it amazing what individual blocks can look like together in a whole quilt? It's great you had sewing to do without thinking. Sometimes that's the best! In making these blocks, do you sew rows together or do you sew the HSTs into 4-patches, then into a block? What do you find easiest?
I love my old metal trays but I've not used them to press blocks till they're cool. I'll have to try that.
What a lot of work hurricanes create. I'm glad at least part of your house is okay.
The ocean is one of my favorite places to be--always the same yet always different--and, as you say, comforting.
your hst's are looking good for the ocean waves quilt. so happy you were able to find the solitude you needed in your sewing space. me? I crumb piece blocks when I need mindless sewing...
So exciting to see that you're back to quilting and blogging again! I had the biggest smile when I realized that you had started up again. Quilting can definitely be about seasons and cycles and other things have to take preeminence occasionally. I know what you mean about not feeling creative and grabbing something to sew for the sake of sewing. It really is therapeutic just to play with color and not have to think about much of anything else. Audrey @ Quilty Folk
Hello, long time no sew. I’m just getting back to it too, it took me an hour just to work out how to sign in!
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