First up is finally completing my little house quilt, which I titled Celebration. I thought it was a 4th of July house quilt, but now I think it may be sort of Christmasy (or not), so I went vague on the title. It’s made from my Home Sweet Home Mini Quilt pattern, and works up quickly. I need to make a Halloween mini houses quilt. Soon.
And since I’m still jet lagging, this is the label, so I can call it done. I love that fabric on the back.
Sometimes I get discouraged about the pile of stuff around my sewing room, and realize one reason why I don’t get a lot completed (which is why I pushed forward to get that little house quilt done) is because this has been a year of traveling. Other trips not on here are Kansas City, San Diego, Sweden (which was in conjunction with Copenhagen), and Switzerland. It’s been fun, but now I’m ready to stay home for a while.
I snapped this photo of my daughter and my mother together (my mother’s namesake) while we were in Utah, another one of our trips.
I finished up my final four Chuck Nohara blocks. I really like this one, and plan to use this design again.
I finished up Cindy’s blocks for our Spelling Bee group. Our group worked together for a year, swapping blocks with each other as we made words based on the alphabet on my Quilt Abecedary Blog. She asked for dark fabrics on low-volume backgrounds for her words.
Since her blog name is Live A Colorful Life, I couldn’t resist this black fabric with little bits of colorful triangles floating around in them.
I also finished Nancy’s blocks for her request on Mid-Century Modern Bee for November. It was a slash and fill approach to making trees, one on light blue and one on green. I hope she likes them. She’ll trim them up to her preferred slant, so they are bigger than she requested (she wants them at 6 1/2″ by 12 1/2″ finished). After four years of working together, our fearless leader decided it’s time to go, so I have only one more block to complete.
I see a lot of bees collapsing and going away, as people seem to have moved on to doing QALs or 100 Block Assemblies. I am still part of one bee (Gridsters) which, as a mark of faith in the bee concept, begins next year anew. I enjoy getting to know the women I trade blocks with over time, and will continue to follow them even though the bee is ending.
Finally, a note about yesterday’s election: In 2004-2005, I lived in Washington DC for a year, while my husband took his sabbatical at the State Department. I was able to attend the Inauguration Ceremonies of President George Bush’s second term. I did not vote for the man, but attended this display of our nation’s ability to keep our system of democracy rolling forward.
That cold January day was an emotional day, full of patriotism and pride in our country. When I was in DC a couple of weeks ago, they had already started building the massive platform which will hold the band, the dignitaries, the guests, and the future leaders of our country. I applaud our country’s ability to focus on what’s important, and hope that I can some time soon feel more enthusiastic about our recently elected officials, in both the Executive and Legislative branches of government.
I still believe in our democracy, and am glad to have participated in expressing this belief by casting my ballot Tuesday morning.
Final note: usually when I can’t decide how to typify my posting, I call it a This ‘N That post, and just throw stuff up. The downside? The title is so vague, if I scroll through later, I can’t tell what I’m talking about. (I also have the same problem when I visit my friends’ blogs, looking for something.) Thankfully, the search box on this blog is run by my software, so you can find just about anything by typing it in the box.
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
Love the picture of your daughter and your mother. I am sure you treasure it already! And thanks for the post-election remarks….time to grieve, but also to move on and heal…so happy to have a needle and thread to see me through this transition….
Excited about the bee. I’ve stopped posting on the Tula Pink Sampler QAL. Just not the same camaraderie as the Farmer’s Wife. Very large group and not at all organized into anything. Make your block, post your block. Not sure what the organizers get out of it besides publicity so maybe that’s why they don’t put much into it. Also, the blocks aren’t such that there’s a technique or anything. I’ve finished up all my blocks and I’m ready to move on.
I suppose I’m still just really sad about last night and that’s spilling over. Grumpy grumpiness.
Really love this batch of CN blocks. And I got your sweet pin! I’ve never bee’d before…..
I am committed to sewing up what I’ve got for awhile. (and that’s a LOT) But I am heading to CT on Sunday to the open studios at Denyse Schmidt’s studio! I am so excited. I got the original Single Girl Pattern from the “get your quilty wishes granted” thing on IG so I’m super excited to get started. That’s my winter project. I’m going to sew up my DS stash.
So that’s MY this n that!
XO
Carol
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Lovely post Elizabeth! I can clearly see why you now need to be home for a while- it has been a whirlwind of travel for you this year. You must feel like Dorothy …”there’s no place like home!” I love that CN block too! I need to get my thoughts finalised for Gridsters- January will be here before we know it! I am looking forward to it!
I’m glad you are home safe and sound. As much fun as it is to go traveling, it’s so nice to come home (Wait, I think those are the words in a Frank Sinatra song).
I can imagine how thrilled you are to be home for awhile. I hate playing that “always catching up” game.
Love those CN blocks. They are so pretty. Your bee blocks look terrific too.
That is a priceless photo of your mom and daughter – a real treasure.
I happened to be in DC when they were setting up the stands for the Nixon festivities. It was so much fun to see the workings leading up to the big day. Gosh….that was a long time ago!
I love the photo of your daughter and mother. And thanks for adding little bits of color to my blocks. 🙂
Nice to have some beautiful quilts to work on in the midst of all the election drama. Keep calm and quilt on, right?
HI Elizabeth -I am ready to.be home too! Love all the blocks you shared ! Also curious about how you made the pic that was a collage – since losing a program I used to have – I couldn’t find another one? Wishing you happy piecing
Love your Chuck Nohara blocks especially the flower and the basket ones, I think it the colours you used in them that draws me to them. The others are also lovely. So many choices to make from that great book.
You’ve been a busy traveler great memories to keel close,
It’s been a busy year for year and great memories were made. I love your comments on the election. I would not have been happy no matter who won the election. I was just anxious for the election to be over and all the chaos associated with it. There were people who were very passionate about their candidates in all the various races and there were people who had become apathetic about the entire process. I was interested in the state proposals this year. With the division we have in this country, we as a nation have to form a scab as the first step in healing The wound is very raw right now. I personally did not feel that President Obama was my President for the last 8 years. I saw nothing that he did that effected me personally in a positive way. However, that does not mean that I did not support him and I certainly did not ill of him. Until now I have kept my thoughts to my self. Regardless, of the Presidential nominee selected by the people, that person deserves the respect and support of the people of America. The President has to work with Congress to make peaceful reform. My father was active in the Army during WWII and in the Reserves for many, many years. A few years, my mother and I would stay in a motel with him close to the Army base where he went for summer camp. One year he went to Maryland very close to Washington, DC. That was quite an eye opener for an 11 year old country girl. It was just a couple of years before George Wallace was shot. My dad called me to the television and reminded me that we had been at that very shopping center where Wallace was shot. My church group went to DC during my junior year in high school. We had planned to go swimming and did not. We had a “Negro” as Jerry was called then. He was not allowed to swim in the same pool as the rest of us. We had three black families in our entire county and didn’t think anything of it – they probably did. Jerry was a member of our group and our sponsors made the decision that we would go to an amusement park instead of swimming. I’m sure the entire group would have selected that option. This country still is dealing with some of the same issues today.