Quilts at the NEQM! and new kitchen!

Last weekend David and I went to Massachusetts for a brief overnight to see a few old friends and visit my Medallion with Sashiko quilt hanging at the New England Quilt Museum;).  Many thanks to Barb Vedder for including this quilt!  It was a thrill to see it within such a wonderful exhibit of creative, quirky quilts.  We sort of dashed through because somehow I didn't realize the museum closed at 4:00!  We then went on to NYC for a couple of days.  It is very easy to fly between Raleigh and New York City, happily.  

This one of Barb's was my FAVORITE in the show, so timely - 

In other news, my brother makes fine cabinetry, and he has re-done our little kitchen.  It was so fun to plan this with him in terms of the cabinetry.   We kept the footprint, flooring, and lighting, but replaced cabinetry and appliances.  The cabinets are painted Sherwin Williams' "Alabaster."   The counters are quartz Miraggio Gold. The electrician's assistant took the old appliances, and the plumber took all the old cabinetry, so that was a win-win for everyone. 

I absolutely love having my cookbooks close at hand, but behind glass.  My recipe binders are in the little cubby.  New white KitchenAid, coming full circle to the white KitchenAid I inherited from my Mom and later gave to my daughter.  

The green of the island and backsplash was color matched from an old floorboard found in the 1740's home we had in Massachusetts.  "Hartwell Green" we are calling it.  It is very moody and I love it. 

I'm so happy with the slightly deeper hightop counter my brother made, in such a lovely Cinnamon stained oak. 

There are a couple of little things to finish with the kitchen but it is all but done, and such a pleasure.  

The day my brother finished, our step-mother Denise visited for a week from Denver.  Noelle came over from Raleigh to see her one day.  

Back to quilting...  I've come to a sort of deflating decision to stop with the Mathilde Mystery quilt.  I adore the quilt, but some of the choices I have made are just..... no.   I'm going to put all these pieces into the "parts department" and challenge myself to use some or all of them... someday.... maybe in some baby quilts, who knows.  

And so very happily... I am going to continue making scrappy Ohio stars.  I will either set them in red like this, or do my favorite setting, a split square for a diagonal stripe-y vibe.   I'm looking to make it a wintery quilt appropriate for December - February (or anytime really).   I love this kind of scrappy piecing because I know eventually the quilt will be so "wabi sabi".   

I am loving the cooler, sunny days!  Where did October go? 

xo

Cynthia 

Catching up

Another month has flown by, super busy.  I'm quilting here and there when I can.  In the sewing room I'm hard at work finishing up the Lovebirds quilt top. 

And, I'm loving the "Scrappy Star Stitch Along" from Repro Quilt Lover (Taryn) on Instagram, info here.   It is not too late to join in!  It is really fun.  I'm not being too fussy about reproducing the blocks super closely - just using what I have.  This reminds me of the "stars in a time warp" project years ago.  Love it so much.  

For the following block I broke out some vintage Japanese indigo: 

And there is also the Susan Smith Mathilde mystery quilt, in Quiltmania magazine.  I'm catching up -  

Again challenging myself to use only stash!   I hope it all fits together nicely in the end.  I guess you never know.  

David went fly fishing for a couple of days in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains - to catch up in terms of contemplation and renewal. 

Look, he saw a barn quilt - what a beautiful setting! 

I've been enjoying reading, and also listening to books as I quilt.   I finished listening to Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (narrated by Meryl Streep).  I'm a big Ann Patchett fan and this novel was just so delightful, funny, poignant, relatable.  

Before that, I had read Lessons in Chemistry which I also highly recommend.  It sort of felt like a companion novel to the Barbie movie!   

And before that, Abraham Verghese's epic The Covenant of Water.  A masterpiece.  I carried it around ALL summer long.  

Do you have any good book recommendations? 

Meanwhile the twins turned one recently - "young" in their development, having been preemies, but catching up!  

xo

Cynthia 

Quiltmania mystery quilt - a start

I have jumped into Quiltmania magazine's 2023 mystery quilt!  It is called Mathilde and designed by Susan Smith (I love her quilts).  There will be six installments over this year. 

Part one - in the 2023 Jan/Feb issue - a bunch of 4-inch sawtooth stars, and four of these cute appliqué blocks.  I'm about halfway done. 

I am using a piece of Japanese fabric for the stars and hopefully for other elements of the quilt too.  

Have you made Mystery Quilts?  It takes a leap of faith.  

We went over to Kaela's for the Super Bowl.  Charlotte and I made Rice Krispie Treats.  Most of the marshmallows made it into the pot;).  

We also visited David's brother and sister in law Jon and Dottie in their beautiful new home in the North Carolina countryside.  Dottie and I have shared a love of quilting for many years.  We pin basted two of her quilts, including her Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.   We contemplated whether either one of us would ever make another EPP hexie quilt.  The jury is still out on that one. 

I am listening to the second Thursday Murder Club installment, The Man Who Died Twice.  It is SO good, if you like cosy mysteries.  Beautifully read by Lesley Manville.  

xo

Cynthia