January 27, 2023: Winter Wonderland; “Renegades and Sparklers”

Greetings dear readers! Three snowstorms in the past week left us living in a winter wonderland. Usually the snow melts right off the trees in a matter of hours, but this time the first snow was wet and heavy and the temperatures plummeted, leaving the snow cemented to the branches. It was very beautiful.

But then the second storm came 2 days later and the weight of all that extra snow on the trees and branches started causing them to break and fall.

In the above photo you can see how the power lines are vulnerable to falling trees and branches. We lost power for 36 hours 🙁. There was quite a bit of damage everywhere in New Hampshire. A big branch came down and blocked the entrance to our front yard:

After the third storm I was able to take a walk through the neighborhood and see the damage. The next photo is a good representation of what I saw repeatedly, i.e. the stump on the right with the broken off top and the limbs lying on the ground:

Another example:

Of course, there are so many trees around here that once the brush is cleared away you hardly notice anything missing. A good example of how nature can be beautiful, but destructive at the same time. I took this photo on my walk – liked the lines the reflected trees made in the water and the “taupe” coloring of the scene 🙂:

I’ve been making excellent progress on my Japanese log cabin – up to 36 blocks! I’m removing basket blocks from the design wall as this encroaches 🙂:

I’m truly enjoying the process. I chain sew 4 blocks at a time. In preparation, I choose fabrics for several blocks, 5 lights and 5 darks for each one:

I cut the fabrics for each log in numerical order, per the card in the photo, and make little stacks:

And here are 4 blocks being sewn, all four “2’s” sewn on in one round, then pressed and trimmed, then all four “3’s”, etc. through #21. Then on to the next group of 4 blocks.

As I work, I’ve been thinking about and studying my fabric choices. Value/contrast is hugely important. I’ve been able to use some mid-value fabrics by surrounding them with appropriate lighter or darker fabrics. In each grouping I try to have a mix of different colors. But I’ve noticed that the log cabin design is very amenable to what I’ve come to call “renegades and sparklers.” These are fabrics that might initially seem to not fit in or feel out of place, but, once incorporated, add some zest to the overall appearance. In the photo below, the blue and white fabric would seem to be a “renegade” but actually looks fine next to those vintage darker fabrics next to it:

The striped fabric on the edge of this block is definitely a renegade. I can mitigate the effect by adding more pieces of it in other areas or I can move it to an edge to make it less noticeable. Or I can leave it there, especially if there are many other renegades and sparklers taking up attention!

The blue and white fabric in the next one is a renegade, but I think it will ultimately be OK; if not, it could become an orphan:

Examples of “sparklers” are the yellow fabric in the next photo and the gold fabric in the photo after that:

A couple more closeups:

Because I can’t really use my sewing room during power outages, I used that time this week to make progress on the border of Sweet Journeys:

Here’s the hoop I use – 14 inches square – and what’s in it right now (not the best color):

Happy stitching to you all!

Be kind, be grateful, and cherish each day, Gladi