February Plant Update

February was a great month for plants, I think. Many indoor plants were repotted and I bought several new ones. It was warm enough to start working outside and we have been formulating a plan for our yard for the year. I have started to see teeny shoots popping up!

One of the best ways to view a snow storm is through the house plants. 

One of the best ways to view a snow storm is through the house plants. 

Another good way is to view the outside plants. 

Another good way is to view the outside plants. 

Sunset lake is still looking pretty bare. 

Sunset lake is still looking pretty bare. 

Since my succulents are doing well, I felt able to get a few more. 

Since my succulents are doing well, I felt able to get a few more. 

Trying to bring some spring into the house early. 

Trying to bring some spring into the house early. 

New babies and new pots for babies. 

New babies and new pots for babies. 

I can't wait for flowers everywhere, but I'll settle for this baby blooms. 

I can't wait for flowers everywhere, but I'll settle for this baby blooms. 

What are the February plants like in your neck of the woods?

New Block: Gramma Anna's Basket (Solstice Black 5/25)

I departed heavily from the original block that was set in the Solstice Challenge but it's still a new block for me! In Pat Sloan's version there is a appliqué basket in the center of this block, but I would prefer this quilt not to include appliqué. 

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Although I did not make the appliqué, I did choose a eye catching fabric for the center of this block. And it does have a basket on it! Since I've fallen a bit behind on these solstice blocks and other BOMs I'm working on, I'll be Slow Sunday Stitching today. 

Linking up with Finished or Not It's Friday, Monday Making, Move it Forward Monday and more. 

 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

One of my goals in 2017 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here. 

I had avoided seeing the movies or reading the books in this Swedish series for many years, but when my father recommended the book on tape, I decided to give it a shot. This copy of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is read by Simon Vance. 

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It took me a while to get into this book, but Simon Vance's reading really won me over which made me want to finish.

Mikael Blomkvist is an aging but charming investigative journalist who has no troubles with the ladies, but does have a tendency to be drawn into the wrong stories. Lisbeth Salander is a young and brilliant but defiant ward of the state trying to find her place in a world of men who hate women. This unlikely pair is drawn together by a 36 year old mystery and a shared passion for justice. 

Having never seen the movies or read the books, I really had no idea what this book was about when I started. I vaguely knew there was a older man and younger woman in it and that she was a "goth" type. When I first started reading people told me to watch out as this book contained very violent scenes, particularly brutal violence against woman. Later my father told me the book had been originally titled Men Who Hate Woman or something to that effect. I knew that the books and movies were immensely popular, so I was surprised but this. After reading, I can say that this book is very violent, chauvinistic, misogynistic, and portray woman as stupid, lacking common sense and prone to falling to pieces over men and sex. What bothered me most about this was that Larsson, a male author, clearly thought he was writing the opposite. It seems to me as if he were trying to say how strong woman are to the best of his abilities, yet he still had woman make stupid, self harming decisions, and fall into the arms of, and in love with, any man who didn't rape them, and in turn fall to despair and spite when that love was not 100% reciprocated. Even if these men didn't rape them, it was still ok for them to bully and disrespect the woman in an appallingly casual fashion. I think Larsson completely missed the point he was trying to make. This aspect of the book infuriated me, more so than the anti woman theme itself, and I came close to stopping many times. It also made me question what aspect of the book that people liked so much. I feel sure that the parts of the story that I found to be intriguing are not what the general public liked or focused on. This book contains rape, murder, horrific violence, incest, degradation, animal cruelty and animal killing. Be warned. 
The aspects of the book I did enjoy were a slow build of character, family, and mystery written in a uniquely Scandinavian style and sensibility. Simon Vance's reading was wonderful, the various voices distinct and thought out.  

Overall, I have to say I cannot recommend this book and will not be reading the sequels. I'm sure many people have read this and feel differently, share your comments here!

Honey Pot Bee February

For each month of the Molli Sparkles' Honey Pot Bee there are two blocks to make. Make one, make both, make many! So far the trend has been one picture block, one more traditional. And so far I have chosen to make the more traditional blocks, as another BOM I'm working on uses picture blocks. 

For February, I only used part of the Star Kisses block (one section out of four).  I liked how this block used a variation of a sawtooth star just like the January block. Not knowing what will come net or what the finished quilt might look like, I decided to use only part of this block bc it went well with my existing block. 

I chose to use random scraps for the main features of these Honey Pot Blocks, but all with the same "background" fabric. So far, these blocks are coming out mainly neutral and I'm excited to see what happens when future blocks are added. Here are the first two:

I'm linking up with Molli Sparkles on Instagram, Move it Forward Monday, Monday Making, and more. 

New Block: Cobblestones (Solstice Block 4/25)

This is another new to me block featured in the Solstice Challenge. I made this block with 4 stones across and down (although the directions called for 3), as I had scraps that matched that size. When finishing this post, I did notice a stone out of place. Do you see it?

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To fix, or not to fix? Luckily, I have a few more weeks to decide. Here is a shot with the first four blocks together:

Bc of my peculiar no measure methods, my blocks can vary in size. When creating my BOMs I don't worry much about this. It always works out in the end!

Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching, Monday Making, Needle and Thread and more!

YOTS2017: February / Gifted Fabric

YOTS (Year of the Stash) started in 2016 as a community project and link up to help quilters use up stash instead of buy new. There is no community link up for 2017, but I am continuing the challenge for myself anyway! I have written my YOTS2017 manifesto and am committed to another Year of the Stash!

I'm pretty lucky to have friends and family that know I love fabric and gift it to me from time to time. Earlier this year, my Brother In Law sent me some vintage fabric he found. 

I've been using them up when I can, especially as backing as there is a ton of fabric!! I love that I can incorporate a gift, vintage and reclaim fabric, and the thoughtfulness that came with it, into my work.  

My monthly stash report looks little different from last month. A little got used, but none came in so far!
Fabric Added from the Since Last Update: 0
Fabric Added Year to Date: Approximately 13.25
Fabric Used Since Since Last Update: Approximately 1 yd
Fabric Used Year to Date: Approximately 4 yd

So 2017 is rolling right along. Feel free to add your stash update to the comments or put a link to your posts!

Quilty Blog Round Up - Part 1

Like many quilters, I like to read quilty blogs to see what other sewests are up to. 

There are a few things about blogs of any variety that attract me to them.
My favorite blogs are ones that meet my aestectic, have useful info, update regularly (at least 4 -5 times a week), and give me a glimpse into the lives of the author and most of all are inspirational to me in some way. I also favor blogs whose posts are not novels. Mostly short and sweet, easy to read and interesting, and picture heavy, are my favorite types of posts.  
I read my blogs from my desktop's "reading list". I have a weird rule about this; If a blog doesn't update in 30 days, I delete it off my reading list. Now, of course there are exceptions to this rule. There are some blogs I love that rarely update, but I always check in to see if maybe today is the day! Blogs who fall into the once a month or less category are rare on my reading list. They have to be really special!
Even more blogs that I read are somewhere in between, updating a few times a week, or even just once a week. 

In Part 1 of my round up, I'm highlighting my all time favorite quilty blogs that follow the highest standards of my requirements. 

1 - Kathy's Quilts
I love this blog. One of the first I found when starting to quilt and read quilt blogs, Kathy's Quilts is just so nice!! Her posts highlight her quilting life and how that fits in with the rest of her life. I like that! She posts about techniques, life, and various hand crafts, and of course Slow Sunday Stitching. 

2 - KatyQuilts
Katy is one of the most prolific quilters I follow. Her out put is incredible. KatyQuilts seems to quilt in any free moment. She also discusses travel, family and her hunt for vintage quilts to restore and finish. 

3 - Stitched in Color
Rachel makes mixing life and quilts look easy, even when it's not. I love her earnest talk about how quilting puzzle pieces with her kids, her husband, and her ideals. I love her bright color palate, her tutorials, and themed contests. Her work is some of my favorite in blogland. 

Bonus none quilting blog:
Reading My Tea Leaves
This is by far my favorite non quilting blog. I've learned many useful things from Erin's blog and take a lot of inspiration from it. It sometimes makes me miss Brooklyn, but that's ok. 

Leave your favorite quilt blogs in the comments! I'm always looking for more quilty reading. 

New Block: Tide Pool (Solstice Block 3/25)

Not all the blocks in the Solstice Challenge have been new blocks but this one is! I have never heard of this block before. Tide Pool looks to me to be a quarter Log Cabin variation to me. 

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This block was super fast and fun to put together and I really enjoyed making it. I could see a whole quilt made out of these blocks, for sure. 

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Linking up for Slow Sunday Stitching, Monday Making, and more!

OMG February

Well, January was productive for me with finishes, but sadly not my OMG finish. I didn't even pick it up. (Losing the thread, quite literally, had me disheartened. But this month I plan to purchase a new spool to get back on track). 
Anyway, for my FebOMG, I want to quilt the mat I started for Tom. All the cats are laying in front of radiators and I don't see that changing this month, so they might as well have some mats to make them more comfortable. I'd like to finish the mat, but let's set small, achievable goals. 

I want to keep a little running tab on what goals I choose and the goals I finish for this year's OMG.
Jan - Quilt Maybe Lyz - Not finished
Feb - Quilt Tom Mat - 

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts for OMG. 

January in Review

Time to wrap up January, it's done. 

Some bitter cold and a little snow didn't stop us from enjoying this month, but we may have hibernated more than we explored. 

1) The pier. 2) The jetty. 3) The sea. 4) The sky, 

1) The pier. 2) The jetty. 3) The sea. 4) The sky, 

It's never a bad time to be at the beach. Some days were too icy cold to go walking, but we tried our best to get out on those that were not. 

1) Now spinning. 2) Now growing. 3) Now snowy. 4) Now quilty. 

1) Now spinning. 2) Now growing. 3) Now snowy. 4) Now quilty. 

We played records, we sewed, we did projects and we admired the outside, mostly from the inside, this month. Watchercats were scarce, sticking to warmer spots, I hope. I worked at The New School of Monmouth County again this month, and will be back in March. 

1) The Honey Pot Bee commences. 2) Boarded up, but not unwelcoming in Ocean Grove.  3) A bright and sunny day in Asbury Park. 3) Pillow for Pit. 

1) The Honey Pot Bee commences. 2) Boarded up, but not unwelcoming in Ocean Grove.  3) A bright and sunny day in Asbury Park. 3) Pillow for Pit. 

A good amount of sewing got done, some quilting, some projects advanced. It's a lovely time to sit and sew. We spent a lot of time with the cats, as well, as always,  

1) Elvis took a trip. 2) The backyard birds puffed up. 3) Pitty loves his box. 4) Tom is a cat. 

1) Elvis took a trip. 2) The backyard birds puffed up. 3) Pitty loves his box. 4) Tom is a cat. 

So there wasn't much traveling and there was a lot of staying in the house. But there was modern art, and cats and time spent with family and friends. 

1) Inspired by Cy. 2) Tommy plays the organ. 3) Elvis on the edge. 4) Sand castles, or beach construction.  

1) Inspired by Cy. 2) Tommy plays the organ. 3) Elvis on the edge. 4) Sand castles, or beach construction.  

So, January rolled on by, now we'll see how fast or slow February will go. 

Solstice Sew Along 2/25 - Day into Night

I'm telling you, sawtooth star variation blocks are hot this year! That can't be a bad thing. 

This traditional block is always fun to make and the Day into Night version is no exception. I had already decided to use a Greenery fabric pull for the Solstice Block Challenge, but this block also cemented that I wanted to use a mix of patterned fabric and solids. 

This block came together quickly and easily. I could imagine a whole quilt out of these variations being cool. 

Linking up with Monday Making, Moving it Forward Monday, and more!

January Plant Update

I've tried to keep a watchful eye around me so far this month. Here are some botanical observations. 

Seeing these made me rue not foraging them. 

Seeing these made me rue not foraging them. 

Outside, a huge snow storm, inside the plants are thriving. 

Outside, a huge snow storm, inside the plants are thriving. 

Here's how an outside plant faired. 

Here's how an outside plant faired. 

Teaching at The New School this month, I've been observing some of their growing experiments. 

Teaching at The New School this month, I've been observing some of their growing experiments. 

This is more a picture of critters than plants, but the other morning there are no less than 12 morning doves on our back porch. They were huddled in the rain, and waited for the squirrel (seen behind) to finish enjoying his breakfast before alighti…

This is more a picture of critters than plants, but the other morning there are no less than 12 morning doves on our back porch. They were huddled in the rain, and waited for the squirrel (seen behind) to finish enjoying his breakfast before alighting to the feeders. 

Have your January plant observations been what you expected? 

Please Kill Me, The Uncensored Oral History of Punk

One of my goals in 2017 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here. 

Through many years and many roommates it seems I've always had a copy of this book. Not sure who or where this one came from, but it finally came time to read Please Kill Me, The Uncensored Oral History Of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. 

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I came to punk rock music later in life, but I quickly fell in love. To me, punk is like the blues in that it gives release from the nature of feelings it invokes. Blues expresses your sadness, allowing you to let it go and punk does the same for anger and injustice, isolation and self doubt. I tend towards later, more arty punk, most notably The Minutemen, which this book doesn't even touch upon. Please Kill Me delivers only a slice of punk biased by the author's particular view of the music and the scene. But that's ok, too. 

From interviews with various leaders in the punk scene in the late 60s, throughout the 70s and into the 80s, Please Kill Me, The Uncensored Oral History of Punk weaves a story known to few, lived by less, but influential to all. 

It's amazing to think that Elvis, Libarace, Miles Davis and Iggy Pop, all lived in the same time period and their astoundingly different music was around at the same time. This book is a fascinating look at how influential punk was and how it shaped a music era unlike any other, all though the player's own words. Oral histories can be difficult to keep track of and this one falls into that category. With dozens of characters, and no clear linear narrative, this book can be hard to grasp. It has a glossary of it's rogue gallery, but unless you already know these characters it's easy to get confused. It also deals a lot with the gossip and relationship between punk's forerunners, and that often overshadows the impact and ramifications of punk on the world. Having some knowledge of the punk scene is recommended before starting this book. Those new to punk might want to check out the book Our Band Could Be Your Life, or several documentaries on the subject before diving into this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in punk rock and those who like any of the bands mentioned in the book; Iggy and the Stooges, The Ramones, MC5, The Sex Pistols plus many more are the obvious groups, but Patti Smith, David Bowie, and Miles Davis also apply. I'd also recommend this book to music lovers in general. But be warned, drugs, sex and rock and roll do apply and this book is often gross and graphic. Overall, Please Kill Me is a fast paced and easy read with an unique historic relevance. 

What are your favorite books on music?