SO MANY FIRSTS!

Yesterday, we woke up to a birthday party for me

 and then Christmas for the rest of us!

After a big breakfast, we drove to the boat launch to pile into son's boat and head to their special place-a sandbar/island in Nassau Sound just before it opens into the ocean.

The guys set to fishing while we girls took a walk

 and hunted for shells and sand dollars!

In Florida, when you turn 70, you no longer need a fishing license so when one of the poles had a bite, I ran to get it!  Everyone shouted advice and in a few minutes, I had reeled in my first ever fish!  It is a whiting!   

And since we caught several, we did cook them over the camp stove and enjoyed a fish dinner! 

I had never seen this colored crab shell--it looks like a leopard and guess what?  That is what it is called!  They are small and this one is 2" across.

We also found these 'lily pad' like animals and learned they are sea pansies! A type of soft sea coral. 

And when stressed, they emit a luminescence which my son learned!

It's been a great start for my new decade

and now we can say we are both in our 70's!

A perfect close to one of the best days of 2025!

 

FAMILY, FOOD AND YARN

At the outing on Thursday, I picked up some new yarn to try the solid Granny Square pattern.

The yarn is so soft on my hands!

  In no time, I have a good start on a blanket!

I am with my youngest son and family for our Christmas celebration.

A nice way to spend my 70th birthday, isn't it!?

 

A FINISHED PAIR OF SOCKS

 The first pair of man-socks are completed.

  I had only a few yards of yarn left so I guess-tamated correctly!  This is with the  Hawthorne yarn from KnitPicks in the Jade District colorway.  68 stitches on 2.5mm needles for a size 12 shoe wearer!

HALF A LOG BOWL

I used half of the log to make this bowl. 

 It is the Bradford Pear wood that my grandson brought to me.

It was reputed to be a great wood to work with 

and it didn't disappoint!

I have the bowl sanded and the first layer of sanding sealer on. First thing today, I will give it a good sanding and another coat.  Then I have to head about an hour away to a doctor's appointment-not so much fun!  But I invited a friend to come along and we will go to lunch together and do a bit of Hobby Lobby shopping to sweeten the deal!

ANOTHER KIDS' QUILT

The binding is added to the Contessa quilt 

and it has also been washed and dried! 

40" x 60"

I used a feather panto in white thread;  it crinkles so wonderfully!

The backing is dragonflies and the blue thread in the bobbin

works prettily with the fabric.  

I had to go to the doctor's for a referral appointment so I can be sent to a rheumatologist.  When I came out from there, I had a text to go and pick up my new glasses!  I went even though it felt like a long time out and about but I knew I would be glad I had gone when I could stay home all day today!

 

START OFF THE WEEK

I headed out yesterday morning to cut some more pieces of wood to play with on the lathe.  I want to make some fancy ornaments!  Practice will be the key!  On the left are several pieces of Cypress, the center pieces are of Live Oak and the two on the right are from a downed Poplar tree. It was 52F which is chilly for us but the wind was very brisk 

so I had on a sweatshirt--not something I often wear!

Back at the house I finished quilting this on the frame and then picked out some fabric for binding. 

 I will apply it this morning, I hope!

I did play with some more of the shadow blocks-

-only two more rows to go!

 

KNITTING HAS BEEN HAPPENING

I'm halfway down the body yet that means another mind-numbing 5 inches of stockinette! lol   I charted out another textured design for the yoke and I do love knitting those rows.

One pair of socks are completed for a grandchild.

And one large, man-sized sock is do; I have seven more inches for the foot before I begin the increases for the gusset.  

The sock tends to be my mobile project

 and the sweater is what I knit on during the evening.

I am hoping to finish both the sock and my sweater in a week!

 

THINGS THAT DELIGHT

Binding happened! 

 I have the quilt all ready to hand in now to my QOV group!  

67" x 76"

I played around with this idea but broke the bottom point off when I got too thin!  It is going to be partially painted--in case you miss what this is at this stage, it is a snowman ornament that has an ice sickle at the bottom.  I went out back and cut a branch from one of the many live oaks 

so there are plenty off wood to perfect my 'idea'!

Don't you love to come home

 to your home all lit up during Christmas season?  

 

BECAUSE I COULD

I spent several hours hollowing out this chunk of wood

 to make a bowl!

I have the sanding sealer on now so I needs one more coat of shellac.  The bowl is very rustic and big!

This is almost all of the sawdust from the center of the bowl.  There is a lot of mess when you play with wood! Behind the lathe in the center close-up photo, you can see a large garbage can.  That is where all of the sweepings go and when it is full, Bill takes it out and places it around his plants out back!  

The wood gets returned to the soil that way!  

And look at those berries to the clerodendron trichotomum ! 

 They are turning blue!  Soon I will be able to give some wool a dye bath with these berries! 

GOOD AFTERNOON IN THE STUDIO

The binding was cut and pressed 

but I didn't attach it to the quilt yet.

I did load the small Contessa quilt onto the frame 

and began quilting it with a feather panto design.

Then I enjoyed some more piecing of the shadow blocks!  

The morning was spent at the doctor's in town, just a check-up, and a good report was appreciated!

 

A FULL DAY!

I drove just 10 miles south to our County Clerk's office to fill out all of the info to get a passport!  That is something I have never needed until now!  There is a trip in my future. This is the view over Crescent Lake;  there was a strong wind out of the south and it was whipping up some pretty waves.

A slow drive around the little village revealed lots of flowers--

I loved seeing this large bougainvillea!

When I arrived home a few hours later, I did some work at the lathe.  It is really shaping up.   I am ready to sand 

this and then I will apply some finish; 

 I like to use Zinsser Shellac sealer and then the clear coat.

I put the last rows on the QOV on the frame and now I need to make some binding and get that applied so I can turn in the quilt.

And with the last burst of energy for the day, I cut a bunch of pieces so I can piece a block whenever I pass by the machine!  

 

IT STARTS WITH AN IDEA

I watched the latest YouTube of The Last Homely House which gave me an idea to soup up the layout of the last two quilts.

  I already had all of the Batiks cut at 6 1/2" 

so that was the place to start.

I didn't like the look of the first drawings so I changed it to only 3 strips per block and then it easily fell into place. 

 I like the look of the partial blocks on the edges, too.

I grabbed some pieces and since it was afternoon, I was already in bed but I played with them there. I didn't like the look of the only darker grey I had in the stash but then I stumbled on the  blender in a darker version of the light strips. Perfect!

And it gave just the look I was hoping for 

to give it the shadow block effect!

One block for a prototype and it is just right! 

 Now I will cut a pile of the light and dark mottled greys 

so that I can piece a block whenever I feel like it!  

 

JUST SOME KNITTING

Most of the first man-sock is knitted; doesn't it look pretty sitting by my grandparents!
 

STUDIO CALLS

I loaded the latest QOV since the backing came in the mail but once loaded I couldn't do any quilting work because the On switch was stuck on ON!  Not a good thing to have it like that!  Bill wasn't home yesterday to help but we will tackle it today--hoping it is just a simple wiring mishap!

I did finish all of the blocks and then because I wasn't working at the frame, I stitched the whole thing together!  I have already cut up the next Jelly Roll to make one just like this but in Batiks with a different sashing color.

 

SOFT AND HARD

I will do another two rows 

and then arrange these blocks for their final stitching. 

 I am hoping to finish the blocks 

and start to do some rows today!  

The backing fabric for the last quilt top came in the mail yesterday and I want to get that loaded on the frame to quilt.

In between those projects, I hope to wrestle this large piece; 

 a Sycamore tree crotch bowl! 

PRETTY STRIPS

Yes, they do look good and play together well! 

 It is very relaxing to stitch them but I did find that I have to trim

 all of the 2 1/2" strips of this Jelly Roll because there is just enough variation to make the center of the block off a bit. 

 A bit of trimming cures the accuracy requirements!

 

WOOD ON WEDNESDAY

The second Black Walnut bowl is completed! 

 It's about 5" across the top.

I had originally thought it was done when it looked like this but it didn't please me so I remounted it on the lathe and I like it so much more now!  Sometimes an idea just doesn't work; gratefully this time I could remove more wood and find what I liked after all!

 

A NICE DECEMBER KICK-OFF!

It sure felt good to feel like my old self yesterday!  I did chores and cleaning and filled the bird feeders.  I cut some the last log up and took care of that and even cleaned up the sawdust!  I was anxious to get inside and do some sewing!    I finally stitched the borders on the r/w/b quilt and ordered fabric for a backing for it;  I can't load it on the frame until I get that backing!  See that blank design wall?  That doesn't happen very often but I was excited to do some piecing  and fill it with a new top.

I cut up a jelly roll and some contrasting strips for the new rendition of the Contessa pattern by Barbara Groves for Moda.  

 And I even pieced one block before it was time to fold a load of laundry!  A good day indeed!

You can guess what I will be doing today!

OUR WINTER FLOWERS

See what happens with plants that struggle all summer but adore a bit of a cold snap?!  This is a mini thunbergia vine.

Such beautiful blooms and I was pleased to see that there are many buds to look forward to even more!

I am looking forward to some more decorating today and even a bit of piecing!  I am feeling up to some action again!