My brother's sashiko throw finished, and a little London getaway

 

Spring has started springing in sunny North Carolina.  It is so beautiful here. 

I finished the next sashiko sofa throw, this one for my brother and sister in law.  This time, I sandwiched the layers with thin batting ("cream rose").  

Front:

Back: 

Again I used a lot of vintage pieces mixed with new indigo, and some pieces of Liberty tana lawn.  After everything was sashiko-ed (quilted, really) I appliquéd some patches on to the front, for balance. 

A good way to use a small piece of vintage Katazome: 

Meanwhile David was on a long business trip to several cities and I met up with him in London for a few days.  It was such a nice getaway.  

So fun seeing friends Nate and Savannah and meeting their kiddos for the first time in Hyde Park.  

At Liberty, charm everywhere - 

These celebrity needlepoint kits were a hoot, tempting: 

Crochet flowers - 

Sometimes I want to chuck all my quilting stuff and do embroidery - 

My travel back and forth was happily uneventful.  David returned home a week later after more business travel and we both promptly got Covid which kept each of us laid low for a solid week.   Coming out of the fog now! 

I keep taking unintentional breaks from blog reading and certainly blog posting!  But not ready to throw in the towel just yet! 

Hoping you my quilting pals across the miles are doing well in this topsy turvy world.  

xo

Cynthia 

Catching up

It can't possibly be the end of October, but it is!  I took a little break from social media which was pretty enlightening (in terms of a reality check on how I spend my time) and it has prompted me to permanently pare back a bit.

I have machine quilted Noelle and Keenan's Rolling Stone wedding quilt... (better photos coming soon)

And shared it out our guild meeting.  I hadn't tacked back the binding yet.  

And meanwhile, free spirits that they are, they have moved to North Carolina!  I cried buckets of tears, will miss them so.  But David and I made similar moves when we were young and it's a good move for them, so I get it.

That week, Kaela flew in from Austin for some sister time:

And earlier this month I went with David to London - he was going there for business.  The beauty of  an empty nest and frequent flyer miles.  I can never ever get tired of London and I almost always try to hit Liberty.  Who can resist that Haberdashery Department???  And this time they had these fabulous quilts on display, and for sale.  

But let's make our own quilts!

Borough Market - so fun.... yes that is the world's best gingerbread!

Back home in NH... the prettiest time of year! 

And to top off the month.... RED SOX!!!  with Kaela and Joe repping Boston all the way from Austin. 

xo

Cynthia 

London... V&A museum

Last week right after the AQSG seminar I met David in London.  Gotta love those frequent flyer miles!  We've been to London many times but this was a first, me joining him on a business trip.



I was on my own while he had meetings, and then we would meet up for dinner.  We saw this wonderful, small, excellent, magical, intimate production of Romantics Anonymous.  Awkwardness and love.  Tiny theatre, massive talent, and delighted audience.  It is based on this charming movie.  A week later we are still talking about it.  So, so good! 






I had lazy mornings and then explored on my own in the afternoons.  Loved walking from our hotel through Hyde Park, and then on to the V&A.  I have a terrible - I mean, really absent - sense of direction, so the Citymapper App was my best friend!

First up at the V&A, the Woman's Hour Craft Prize exhibit.  LOVE.

I really enjoyed this small display of Celia Pym's visible mending work:

I 





Gorgeous esthetic.  This is what wabi-sabi is ALL about. 

I dearly wish I'd been in London for one of her mending days at the V&A.

Read her statement here:



Next, a little walk through the life of the Buddha....



I could visit the V&A a hundred times and never tire of it (and admission is free)!



x
Cynthia

Front Porch progress, and London

I'm late finishing up the bicycle.  I procrastinated starting it - thinking that I would do something different - but - I'm pretty happy with it.  A fun summery quilt after all.  It is VERY "wonky" (I hate that word but it's the only good word for this) and might be missing a few parts but it is finito!  It is counterintuitive but I will remember watching The Crown when I look back at this bicycle!




I have to say, as much as I love Jan Patek patterns..... I often come up against construction problems.... the flower pot section is too long....



So I shortened up the brown flowerpot and it all worked out:



One more section to go!

Lori has a link up on her blog Humble Quilts.  Her sewalongs are great for helping us keeping on track and motivated.   She has chosen another Patek pattern for next year - fall themed.  I had already chosen another Patek pattern (the Winter Quilt) to do with two of my long-distance sisters in law.... so I'm not sure about the fall quilt, but it's tempting!  For next year I definitely want to do Barbara Brackman's block of the month.  Looking to simplify a bit.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  David and I were visiting family in London!  Our middle daughter and son in law traveled with us.  It was a lot of fun.  We stayed with family and doing something so different took the sting out of being empty nesters!  I only wish I'd taken more photos.

A trip to Liberty is a must, if only just for browsing:





On the way out at Heathrow, "Santa" might have done a little shopping at Cath Kidston, with a little guidance from "Mrs Santa".  I wonder if English women 50+ years of age use these bags?  Well, I don't need to know the answer to that question - this American woman just loves it!  Oilcloth.  Floral. Durable. Practical.



And a quick stayover in NYC before returning to Mass:

HOPE might be my theme for 2017!