June 14, 2024: “Stormy Weather: Shine A Light” is quilted and bound!!; Basket top center done!; Earthly Delights

Greetings dear readers! “Stormy Weather” is finally quilted and bound!! Completed except for a label and sleeve:

Martha Wilson did a wonderful job on the long arm quilting:

I started this quilt in July 2020, very early in the pandemic, when we had no vaccine, no treatment, and no idea of what was to come. The gray background represents the “Stormy Weather” we were experiencing because of all the fear and uncertainty. What to do? Shine a light!! Be kind and helpful to others and find comfort and joy where you can. The lighter and brighter colors of the appliqué are the lights shining through the darkness. The appliqué was all done by hand. The top was actually completed in November 2022, but it took me over a year to decide I didn’t have time to hand quilt it. It has a wool batting and is quite heavy and big – 96 inches square. It will eventually live on our bed, but not until cooler weather returns in the fall!😊

I love this quilt and it was a joy to make, from start to finish!

Another accomplishment: all the baskets for the “basket quilt” are sewn together with sashing! It happened gradually over 2 months, sections done now and then when I had time:

So, it is now on to the border for this, though I think I will take a rest for a few weeks before starting. The basic border fabric is what I used for sashing and I plan to use the darker turquoise of the cornerstones for a narrow strip between the center and border and for the binding. I will most likely do a – typical for me 😊 – simple vine and leaf border and will probably do it via machine appliqué so it won’t take so long.
With the basket quilt getting a rest, the 9 Patch project will go back on the design wall and I’ll start sewing more rows together. Here are this week’s patches:

Earthly Delights: I’ve taken some lovely walks recently – these are major stress relievers for me, especially since I often go with a friend and I’m lucky to have several friends that also enjoy walking and sharing conversations. I discovered a new, much larger pond in a woods setting a few miles away:

We saw a beautiful large heron fly over the pond and, when it landed, I was able to capture a picture with the telephoto lens of my new phone’s camera:

We saw a turtle on the path:

Another walk by the Atlantic on a gorgeous morning:

Also enjoying flowers, of course 😊:

Finally, ending this post with another humble creature seen on today’s walk – incredible camouflage!😊:

Happy weekend to all!

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