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! - baby quilts - August and September

The past four months have passed in a flash. Here is a quick catch-up about August and September!  

Over the summer I worked on a couple of baby quilts for Noelle's baby Chloe - 

At the end of July David and I drove up to Maine for a week in Ogunquit with our kids and grand daughters. 

The summer flew by! 

Then at the end of August we drove BACK up to Massachusetts to spend the whole month of September based there.  Yup, we were so hopeful about the election: 

It was wonderful to reconnect with some dear friends, and the place we still feel is "home" in so many ways.  Still, "you can't go home again" sort of resonates.  

While in MA, the most astonishing thing happened. Someone contacted me on Ancestry with a very strong DNA match, and it turns out I have a half-aunt, about my age - my Grandmother had had a baby and gave her up for adoption, later in life, completely privately and no one knew for all of these years. It has been an absolute joy and pleasure to get to know my "aunt", who is the spitting image of my grandmother, her birth mother!   

*Edited to remove a screenshot of a Zoom call, for privacy reasons 

In Massachusetts I also worked on a couple of baby quilt tops for great-nieces due in the coming months: 

I will do another post about quilty things seen during our time in New England, so stay tuned for that!  (If anyone is reading blogs anymore, lol). 

xo

Cynthia 

Continued mending on Two's quilt, quick trip to Boston

I have finished patching the (mostly purple) nine-patches on my great-grandma's nine patch, for my sister-in-law Janette. 

The quilting stitches are so so tiny! 

I used 25 weight thread to patch things up... with my giant stitches... 

Sometimes in the ditch: 

Where ever I have pins in the quilt, I need to patch up the muslin.  That's next.   

David and I got up to Boston for a few days.  Sometimes we just need a dose of "back home." 

He fished, we both caught up with some dear friends, we ate great food, we enjoyed the Museum of Fine Arts.  

What do we have here.... Prince's Feather, Mary Price Hall, about 1860, Ohio  - 

David was amazed at these teeny tiny reverse appliqué circles: 

In Boston we also saw an absolutely stunning musical,  Gatsby.  We have always enjoyed productions by A.R.T. (often pre-Broadway) and I love their entire ethos.  

Then David went on to Tokyo, and I returned home to North Carolina.  It felt good to walk in the door.  I think because we have lived so many places, many places feel like "home" and we miss them all when we aren't there. I guess you can't live in three places at once?? 

I am always trying to pack lightly (freedom!).   When I'm with David, we carry-on.  When I'm on my own, I check my bag, even though it is carry-on sized.  I hate the stress of boarding, wondering if there will be room above for my suitcase.   

My quest for the perfect carryon 'personal item' is also never ending.  I have a couple of small backpacks, but I think I'm really more of a "zippered tote" person.  I love this old Cath Kidston oilcloth tote and I tend to turn back to it again and again.  

Tomorrow is July 4th.  It will be a quiet, solo, indoors (cool) day for me.  Hopeful thoughts for democracy. 

xo

Cynthia 

Tokyo trip - days 11 and 12

 Tokyo trip, continued. 

On Saturday and Sunday, we packed in as much fun, food, shopping with Kaela and Liz as we could.  What a whirlwind with Kaela in town for only two nights, just for the concert really, before getting back to Charlotte and the twins.  

The girls LOVED the concert as well - 

We met them afterwards - 

And taxied to get some sushi - and debrief the greatest concert any of us has ever seen. 

And the next afternoon, we all flew home.  At the airport Kaela needed David's help packing in souvenirs;). 

One last sushi lunch at the airport - 

Tired and happy Kaela.  And grateful parents.  We loved seeing her and we were very touched that she made it possible for us to see Taylor Swift in concert.  

Sayonara Tokyo.  We love you. 

xo

Cynthia