It’s Fall–Time for a Christmas Frivols (#10 is finished!)

October 16, 2018January 11, 2026 Elizabeth E.14 Comments

What does fall mean?

It’s fall, when — if you live in the Northern States — leaves turn colors and fall off the trees. Here in Southern California we know it’s fall because all the pumpkin spice food shows up in grocery stores, even though the temps are still in the 80s.

We pretend it’s fall, and serve fall-colored food, like this Carrot Cauliflower Soup, and we’ve gotten out the fall-colored placemat and napkins, and you can bet there are pumpkins on my table.

And if you answered “Christmas!!” in response to the prompt, you — unfortunately — are also correct. So to take photographs of Frivols #10 finish, done up in a Sweetwater Christmasy line of fabrics, I headed to Costco for the photo shoot. I’m calling it Christmas Corner, because all those quarter log-cabin shapes remind me of street corners.

Here are the finishing up photos for this little quilt, finishing at 32″ by 36″: arranging the quarter-log cabin square, pinning, then quilting it. I didn’t have any red fabric for the binding, but in my Christmas bin, found a piece of an earlier Sweetwater Christmas line, and yes–it works quite well.

So I’m tucking and arranging, and a woman comes by and says “They sell quilts at Costco?” Turns out she’s a quilter (takes one to find one in Costco) and she agreed to hold up the quilt for me next to the ribbons and bows. I never did find out her name, but we had a great chat about quilting groups, how beginners would be more successful choosing simple quilt designs, the advantages of working with a complete line of fabric in quilts. It was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had in that giant warehouse store.

Here are couple other photos:

Almost looks as if the snowmen are helping me. Interestingly enough, aside from the quilter, nobody else thought it was weird that I was taking photos of a quilt…or at least they didn’t say anything. Here are some photos of the quilt in my garden:

I especially like the look of the stack on that last one.

Ten done — two to go — so onto Frivols #11!

Starry Sky Mug Rug

October 12, 2018June 9, 2019 Elizabeth E.15 Comments

Starry MugRug_4 Starry MugRug_3

This summer, my niece Abby, let me have one of her hand-thrown mugs, of which I was thrilled to get (I love hot chocolate). I meant to send her a little quilted mug rug in return, but that project seemed to get stalled for one reason or another. But last week, I decided not one more thing would be done until I finished it and sent it off. (Sometimes you just have to give yourself a little talk.)

I used the Starry Sky block pattern, by Kylie Kelsheimer ~~(a downloadable pattern from Craftsy). In this new version of her pattern, she has three sizes, and the 6″ size is perfect for a mug rug.~~ Note: It has been taken down from Craftsy/BluPrint.

UPDATE June 2019: The pattern is now up on PayHip, in three sizes.

Starry MugRug_1 Starry MugRug_2

My niece likes to go hiking, and lives up in the Northwest, so I used colors of purple mountains, green hills and aqua-and-blue waters. I bound it in navy.

Starry MugRug_5

I used an agate-stone looking print for the back, one of my favorites lurking in my stash.

It took me a couple of hours from start to finish. It’s a paper-pieced pattern, so all the star points are sharp and it goes together easily. I kept a photo of the block near me when putting the pieces together, to keep myself straight.

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I listened to the latest Bruno, Chief of Police book, The Resistance Man, and that kept me going. Then I ran it to the Post Office, and off it went. I hope Abby likes it.

A couple of days before I’d made Simone’s blocks for the Gridsters Bee, a wee bit late, but she forgave me.

And then I got right on October’s blocks for Joan, for the Gridsters Bee. She asked for a black-and-white New York Beauty block, with a touch of solid color. Hope she likes these.

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I liked this old photograph of women sewing, found on the website for the National Gallery of Ireland, reminding me of my travels (I’m finally over the jetlag).

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Here’s your reminder: the perfect is the enemy of the good, Stephan Pastis style. As some long-time readers know, I believe in this quote and used to keep it on my syllabi when I was a teacher. Sometimes it’s good to just be *good,* and not strive for perfection. Hope that idea helps you “lead a sane and balanced life.”

Quilts · Travels

To Dublin, Berlin, and Back (part Berlin)

October 9, 2018October 2, 2018 Elizabeth E.14 Comments

As I mentioned in the last post, this is a visual sampling of some of the patterned surfaces and interesting places that caught my eye while in Berlin, not an exhaustive travel write-up.

Berlin Brandenburg Gate

The first full day was the Berlin Marathon, with 40,000 runners and a record-beating time. Because of this, we had more access to the Gate and enjoyed seeing it all lit up.

Berlin Brandernberger Tor Station — Underground stop for the Brandenburger Gate

Berlin Frau Tulpe_1

I made my way to the former East Berlin, where Frau Tulpe’s shop was located, and ended up buying some fabrics of her own design. Berlin Frau Tulpe_2 Berlin Frau Tulpe_2a Berlin Frau Tulpe_2b

It was a fun place with lots to look at.

Berlin Handwerker

A lot of times I’d go to look at a sight the guidebook suggested, then wander off course and find interesting places like this: the Berlin Craftsman Association building, with wonderful light coming in through that back double door:

Berlin Handwerker2

You can hear the Singing Lesson in this IG video clip.

Berlin curvy building

This was seen on one of my many bus rides. I’d climb up to the top level of the bus, try to sit in the front and have my own private tour.

Berlin Hotel Chocolate Hour

Every day at 4 p.m., the hotel would put out treats for “Chocolate Hour.” I could see this happening at a quilt retreat, although we’d need a lot more.

Berlin Wall_2

There were two main locations to see the Berlin Wall, and this one had paintings on one side. I had two favorites. This one showed the crush of ecstatic East Berliners, finally allowed to cross through their oppressive borders. I can recommend the book, Forty Autumns, if you want a taste of this (previously recommended).

Berlin Wall 1

And I like these women, who reminded me of women from the turn of the century.

Berlin Karstadt_1

While in Frau Tulpe’s, someone recommended this store, Karstadt, which called for another bus ride. Berlin Karstadt_2 Berlin Karstadt_2a Berlin Karstadt_2b

Couldn’t believe that I was seeing Free Spirit, and at a bargain price! (about 8 bucks a yard) Berlin Karstadt_3 Berlin Laundry

Everybody needs a wash day while traveling, and I brought my stitching along.

Berlin Idee

Another place we saw fabric was at idee. This one was next door to KaDeWe, a big, fancy department store, but I also saw idee. at the Mall of Berlin, next to the two-story slide. Berlin Idee_1 Berlin Reichstag

Climbing up the Reichstag Dome presented so many interesting shapes and patterns, all with a view.

Berlischer Galerie

This building reminded me of a quilt pattern. It was across from the entrance to the Berlinischer Galerie (yellow tiles). It had several wonderful exhibits.

Berlin museum floor_2a

Grill (above) and floor tiles (below) from the Neues Museum, which housed antiquities.

Berlin museum floor_3 Berlin museum floor_4

The Bode Museum had room after room of red-and-white patterned floor tiles. I’m sure the guards thought I was a little bit dotty when surrounded by beautiful art, I was snapping photos of their floors.

Berlin Dome Photo Mus

My husband is always photographing the interior of domes (above); I followed his example in the Old National Gallery (below):

Berlin Old Natl Gallery.jpg

Evelinde_1

But one of the most fun days I had was meeting up with Evelinde, and going to lunch and seeing one of her local quilt shops. We met on Instagram, and I was so blown away by her being willing to meet up with a stranger and spend some time out of her busy schedule. She’s so lovely, and shared stories with me, answering so many questions. While there are many negatives to social media, meeting quilters halfway across the world, or the states, is one of the positives, for me.

Evelinde_2

We did Show and Tell in the restaurant; this is only one of her many fabulous pieces. I only had the pathetic little screen on my phone. She is inspiring!

Evelinde Fabric Shop1

She took me here, to Hobby and Handarbeiten (Handicrafts).

I rarely buy fabric overseas anymore, but I always like to look and see. I loved the embroidery floss–mine is always in bins and tangled up, and was generally impressed with the range of fabrics they carried.

Berlin Sweet KaDeWe

Since we try to travel cheaply, I purchased my husband’s breakfast (for the next day) when I was out and about, and I thought you’d like to see what I had to choose from. I also supplemented with yogurt and juice and fruit from the local grocery store. And we ate great meals at night, mostly from small places near our hotel:

Berlin Babelplatz

Lastly, I leave you with the sight of this beautiful plaza, Babelplatz. The caption is found on the Instagram video. Click to see my farewell to this great city.

Travels

To Dublin, Berlin, and Back (part Dublin)

October 5, 2018October 2, 2018 Elizabeth E.12 Comments

I’m dividing this into two posts: first up is Dublin. As a quilter, I didn’t know what to expect in the surface decoration, the patterns of everyday life in Dublin. Certainly we all are familiar with Celtic knots and crosses and the like, but I have never been that enamoured of those style of quilts (maybe it’s because I couldn’t face appliquéing all those linear feet of bias strips), so was looking for the “flavor” of Dublin that might interest me, a quilter. So here follows not a travelogue of the two cities I visited, but instead, a sampling of visual pattern and a nod to fabric shops I encountered.

Dublin Christ Church.jpg

Christ Church, in Dublin, is undergoing renovation in certain areas of its property so they erected these fun, bold passageways to usher the visitor forward. I thought it was just genius pulled out of thin air, until we entered the cathedral:

Dublin Christchurch floor1

The designs are pulled from its floors. My husband is thoroughly trained as a Quilter’s Husband, so he started snapping photos, too, knowing how I would love the designs. Dublin Christchurch floor2

This is a panorama of one section of floor, and I recognize so many designs, as do you. You can do a search on them, and find lots of material and more illustrations, but the tiles were either original to the 13th century, or 19th century copies.

Dublin Donuts

If I lived in Dublin, these would be my preferred snack. They are nothing like American donuts–maybe a little like the filled ones, but their flavors and combinations were addicting. I could see bringing one of each to a quilt retreat.

Dublin floral building

Lots of flowers, lots of green.

Dublin National Library

We went to the National Library of Ireland, in Dublin, after I saw photos of the reading room. No photos were allowed, so I grabbed this one from the web:

Dublin NatlLibraryIreland_reading room

What a color palette!

Dublin St. Patricks Door

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, also in Dublin, brought more eye candy to this quilter: Dublin StPatricks floor1

Christ Church still is the best, I think, in terms of floor tiles.

DublinFabric_1 DublinFabric_2

Two shops: Hickey’s and Cloth. I zipped right into Cloth and brought home a tote bag (like I need another tote bag, right?). I smiled when I saw their floor tiles.

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