Ocean Waves: The In-Between Times

Ocean Waves Quilted

This pattern was always on my bucket list. It was often found among Amish and Mennonite quilts shown in vintage quilt books, but rarely have I seen it in person. I've mentioned it was a Craftsy kit from way back, but I really loved how the fabrics were good replicas. I'm tickled how subtle the pinwheels show, but it's just enough to think it would make a good Christmas quilt, too.

Last winter as I was putting it together, snipping dog ears in the shade, we were still pulling down debris from hurricane Ian. Almost a year after it hit, we are starting the rebuild. Sanibel Island is still devastated. Some restaurants are open, but few shops. Many teardowns are in progress. The rows of condos along the southern beach empty shells. The last hurricane, Idalia, grazed it with wind and rain only, but again flooded parts of the island on just the bayside. The beaches are back, and it's beautiful again looking out at the ocean, but turn your head, and it's a stark reminder. I wonder how many years it will take to fully recover, but I know it will happen eventually. This in between time is just a little sad. 

The gold gingham backing was part of the kit, and so pretty. I used an E2E to quilt it, and kept it simple. It's on my binding pile, and that will keep me busy as I have customer quilts coming in for fall. I keep one ear on my longarm, and at my sewing machine I stick to binding.

I spend a lot of evenings working on my EQ8. I have one table topper in progress I'll show you soon, but have been playing with individual blocks a lot. This one is very interesting to me. The coloring I used made it fully 3D, and I wondered how that could be used in a quilt. 

Fall is my favorite time of year yet seems like the quickest to pass. Maybe because the beginning is fuzzy. You get inklings of it with pumpkins at the vegetable market, a few leaves that are turning or falling, or just that bit of chill in the morning. Winter and summer seem like they hit you hard with either frost one unsuspecting morning or a day where you go looking for shade out of necessity. Maybe it's the feeling of needing to prepare that comes from all the little signs. Getting ready to hole in, and wait for the hard times to pass. Either way, it's here now. 

We are foraging more in the woods and fields around us. Blackberries and raspberries this summer, looking for elderberry stands, mints, and the changing mushrooms and fungi now. This delicious fungi slice is a puffball grilled in olive oil and drizzled with sundried tomatoes and basil. We were given this from a seasoned forager along with a lion's mane which tastes exactly like lobster! What a treat for those of us with fish allergies! It goes without saying, never eat a mushroom you are not absolutely sure is safe. Many are not.

My days are full of picking, and canning. Tomatoes, beans, tomatillos, or whatever bounty comes my way. I put it up, and have some peace of mind it is there. I look at canned food as fast food. Work in the summer for simple meals all winter.

The doxie girls, Minnie and Effy are in their golden years, and spend a lot of time sleeping.

Effy always sleeps half on or half off everything. 

Barron is my constant companion wanting to help or at least be involved in whatever I do. He's a clotheshorse here as I pull out wet laundry, and doesn't mind a bit--and he has a little announcement. Two more little Japanese Chins are joining our household in about a month. Two little girls who will rule the roost, I'm sure, and he will love to pieces after they grow up. 

I'm throwing around names like Rosie, Franny, Lulu, etc. Do you have any old favorite names? I'm all ears. 

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.