Soft Quilt Finished... election sigh of relief ... hexie update

 

Ahhhhh the election is over, and wow, what a slog that was. 
David and I are so happy with this outcome.  A decent human being in the Oval Office again, with Kamala Harris by his side!  Empathy, science, social justice, inclusion, cooperation, and did I mention decency.   And, hopefully a return to greater respect for the U.S. around the world? 

In the weeks leading up to the election, I got serious about finishing the hand quilting on my "Soft Quilt for Hard Times".  I put the last stitches in on Saturday.  And Sunday morning middle of the night (our time in Japan) we awoke to the good news.  

My whole point with this quilt was to make something easy and straightforward - a "spring palette" log cabin variation - a quilt I've made many times.   I guess the challenge with this was staying engaged and finishing it!  Lots of news, and Netflix.  I can recommend the limited series "The Queen's Gambit" - it was excellent.  

I'm not sure this quilt feels like "mine" (is it the lack of indigo?) - I will tuck it away and decide that later. 

Meanwhile, I am going gangbusters on my ongoing handwork project - Liberty Hexies.  These are large, two-inch hexies.  It is so fun to sew them into flowers.  I'm trying to include a lot of green and aqua.  Super scrappy. 

Two, almost three rows finished: 

This is (usually) my TV watching spot: 

Can I just say.... what would I do without quilting???  I am so grateful for it!!  

xo

Cynthia 

Soft Quilt sort-of finish...

Reached the next level of my Soft Quilt for Hard Times. 

I piece a large quilt this way - in four sections, then two, then one:

I used Dream Cotton Request (lowest loft) batting.  Stitched in the ditch just around the blocks. 

I had some of this soft pink/cream left over from another quilt - I love a striped binding: 

I'm tacking back the binding now.  Then I will add some simple hand quilting to each block.  Eighty blocks.  Two blocks per day, forty days?  I can try.  I am certainly home.... a lot. 

I love binding a quilt early - so that I can use and enjoy it while I finish the quilting. 

Rainy gray day in Tokyo.  Sometimes I get a hankering for these yummy nutty chocolate chip cookie bars, so easy and simple: 

Combine in a bowl with a wooden spoon:

1 stick butter (113 grams) melted
3/4 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 C flour
1/2 C oats (I use quick cooking)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C chocolate chips - I use a little less
1 C chopped pecans - I use a little more

Spread into an 8"x8" pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350 about 20 min.  (160 degrees C in my little Japanese convection oven).
Let cool in pan.  Remove, cut into bars, and try to make them last;).

x

Cynthia 

Progress on "A Soft Quilt for Hard Times"

I'm almost finished making these simple blocks.  Inspired by Fun with Barb's "soft quilt for hard times" concept.

Lots of rainy days lately....

I cut the logs to size.  It's easy piecing, four blocks at a time. 

This will be a "Spring/summer" version of a quilt I've made over and over, it seems.  I wrote about it here on my old blog.  Square in square,  raw edge appliquéd.   Combination of machine and hand quilting. 

Very improvisational, casual and scrappy, fall/winter.  The blocks are 8 or 9 inch square.  Over time, wabi sabi for sure.

The first one I made, in 2003,  has seen lots of very hard use.... and I've repaired it a lot through the years - just layering patches on very casually by machine.

This time, I'm going for a cool and smooth look.  That's why I'm piecing it in a traditional way, log cabin style, no raw edges. 

All the while, trying to keep positive.  Daily FaceTime with little Charlotte is a treat.  (When will Japan open its borders..... and when would I feel OK about traveling to the U.S.?)

What else these past couple weeks?  Masks masks and more masks...

A visit to the ever whimsical and refreshing Blue and White - limited hours these days:

My little needle books still on offer:

AND.... lastly.... I can recommend this breath-of-fresh-air animated musical series - Central Park - all star cast, a lot of heart, big laughs, catchy music. 

Quilters - "we gotta do it while we can"! 

xo

Cynthia 

a "soft quilt for hard times" and.... notebooks

More about these notebooks at the end of this post. 

I'm starting a "soft quilt for hard times" - a concept I read on Barb Vedder's blog (Fun with Barb).  Just something easy and comforting.  This is turning out to be my year for log cabins.  

Courthouse steps, really square-in-square.   

My sister in law Dottie sent me some fabrics and I pulled things from my stash too: 

The white is white-white but that's what I have and I'm using some in every block.  

So I'm just piecing along, a few a day, meditative and easy.  Listening to Spotify, watching Netflix, and listening to books on Audible.  

From my safe and cozy apartment in Tokyo, so far away from the chaos in the U.S. but it's always on my mind. 

The times keep getting tougher.... especially for some folks.  I am currently listening to "How to be an Anti-Racist" by Ibram X. Kendi on Audible. 

A couple weeks ago I listened to Jacqueline Woodson's beautiful memoir in poem form, read by the author, and I can still hear her voice in my mind : 

I think it's a time for listening and learning.  White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo is next on my list.  

So, my quilting notebook....  I started it in January and it is very casual.  I'm using a Rollbahn notebook. The pages are thick enough and lightly gridded.  The cover is very rigid cardboard.  Love the spiral bound for a notebook like this.  

This is purely a "process" notebook, bullet journal style.  When I start a new notebook, I number all the pages (on front side only, making for a two-page spread per page number) and leave two pages for an index up front.  

The good the bad and the ugly.  

I usually make a fresh page at the start of the month, listing all my projects.  But I haven't done that since February... which melded into March.... mmmmm.... 

In true bullet journal form, everything is chronological.  I just indicate where an idea or project picks up again, like this with the page numbers: 

Other notebooks:  For my regular bullet journals (calendar, to dos, lists, notes of all kinds, an occasional "tracker" for something) I have used Moleskine, and currently I use Leuchtturm1917 notebooks.   They are fantastic - I love them. They hold up well, have a good pocket in the back, and like the Rollbahn, an elastic strap. 

And, and we haven't even talked about PENS!  ha ha).   

xo

Cynthia