Brimfield Awakening quilt...revisited

Always a nice feeling to check off another quilt that is completed...this one from 2018 (though I mislabeled it as 2019!) when Paper Pieces.com introduced the Brimfield Awakening project and a Facebook group was started. Doing EPP’ing is one of my favorite ways to work on a quilt block and there was just enough (I mean...just enough) of a background fabric and border fabric which was begging to be put to use.

Once the quilt top was completed, I layered it and started marking it with intentions of hand quilting. It soon became apparent that my hands were not up to the task. The quilt sandwich was folded and put away in a basket where it sat for a year+. This winter, it nagged at me...so I removed all the basting stitches, got rid of the wash out markings (thankfully), repressed it and hung it on a large drapery hanger. Fast forward to earlier this month when my friend, Jan (and travel buddy - Italy and the UK) loaded it onto her Long Arm and worked her stitching magic. Love the quilting design she did - those feather borders turned out so well...

Back to our Brimfield Facebook group...Paper Pieces provided a downloadable pattern for us - “Baby Brimfield” - so I used it to stitch a label for the back. Really like the small scale of it, but not sure I could do a whole quilt in that size! 

Here at the edge of the Northwoods, we have alternated with summer-like temps to frosty nights...making gardening a challenge as always. But for some reason, which I am not going to complain about...everything planted in the raised beds has been thriving. The summer of 2019 - I lost count of how many times peas and cucumbers were replanted. This year - the total opposite and I could not be happier! So here we are - ready to enter the glorious month of June and I am able to keep up with outdoor tasks - a first! But this 76 year old body can feel it...at the end of the day, with needle in hand, it is hard to stay awake while stitching on the Rowdy Flat...the last of the 5 applique blocks is done...

And now starting on the first border which consists of many flower pots - the pieces feel huge compared to the tiny ones in the earlier blocks, especially 

the little bugs. But I can see all ready more bugs to come as they march along between the flower pots...oh well...all in good time.

For now, still practicing social distancing, wearing a mask and missing all the quilt-related events. Our guild has decided to not meet until September at the earliest - it is hard not to see quilting sisters on a regular basis. 

For me, “gardening is therapy and you get tomatoes.” Keep up your stitching and you get quilts...

Be well everyone.

Pat

Not your average pancake...

...there has been a bit of activity in the kitchen at Taylorsoutback. Across the US baking has apparently skyrocketed during the stay-at-home restrictions. Boy, when Weight Watchers opens up meetings again, their membership is really going to increase! At our home, baking has been going on for many years, sometimes to the detriment of our waistlines. It is heartwarming to see how our son has inherited the baking genes from both his great-grandmothers and Grandpa. My Mom grew up on a farm where Saturday baking was a tradition - loaves of bread and cinnamon donuts. When Wonder bread was available, the kids thought that was great and in later years, realized how much better homemade was. (Did you know Wonder Bread has been around since 1921?)

So, on Mother’s Day, our Dave took over Sunday breakfast with Dutch Baby Pancakes. Oh.My.Word.

It was excellent! Filled with fresh fruit, a dollop of lemon curd and even a spirt of Reddi-whip.

Definitely more time needed on the treadmill...thankfully, reading on the Kindle helps to pass the walking time.

Back in the kitchen this morning, I tried out a Welsh cake recipe - I enjoyed these at Brecon Beacons in Wales last October. Used the copper cutter I found in one of the little Welsh villages we visited...sweet memories. 

Sultanas and spices add to the taste of these little lovelies - not quite a crumpet or English muffin. A little more “cakey” - (And requiring even more treadmill time)

Our hard freeze, frosty nights are hopefully now a thing of the past. Last week sure made for extra work giving all the onion plants coverage in the raised bed and keeping starter plants snug in the potting shed. Our weather guys tell us by next week we could see 80 degrees. So it goes here in Wisconsin at the edge of the northwoods. Perhaps we can finally enjoy sitting out on the deck and I can stitch some more moths and bees onto the last of the Rowdy Flat applique blocks. Looking forward to getting all the blocks together into a flimsy before starting in on the borders.

We continue to be busy here - not bored at all though missing being with friends - there was a successful Zoom session involving a glass of wine with some of our quilting sisters the other day and just got word yesterday, one of the LQS’s has reopened - again with restrictions in place, but it sure will be nice to see some new fabrics and catch up! 

Meanwhile, everyone, continue to stay safe and be well. Hoping you find ways to stay busy too. 

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” 

John Muir

Pat