Honey-liciousness

It's Finish It Up Friday, and today I bring you,

HONEY

Golden sweet and pure. Dripping from the edge of a hot buttered biscuit. A pool of solar delight. 

Comforting, sweet delectation,

Golden rapture from a summer's long forage,

I went to the hive today. It was time. The sun was shining, warm and bright. The bees were contentedly buzzing. The frames were bursting with the fruition of months of glorious effort. They didn't even mind when I removed the top super and reduced the size of the hive down to just their main base. Also full to the brim with enchantment. 

I'll have honey for teas, I thought!! Honey for gifts!!!! Honey for cakes, and cookies and... 

Oh MY!!!

Honey to my Heart's Delight!!!!!!

I didn't want to hurt any bees, or cause a ruckus, so I decided I would remove just this part of the hive, harvest the honey, and then come back again for the remainder. 

So, I took the top super, brimming with capped, light golden joyance, and placed it about 8 feet from the hive. I removed a few of the frames that hadn't been used, and put them away in a clean plastic tub. 

Then I had an idea. 

A Grand Idea. 

A Truly Remarkable Idea. 

Why not leave the frames there, and wait for the bees to go to bed for the night? I wouldn't have to shake them all off, breaking some of them in the process, and nobody would get hurt. 

Brilliant, I chortled. Pure Brilliance.

So I did.

I can hear my bees, from the sewing room. It's one of my favorite things, to sit there and sew and listen to the hum of the summer and feel a light breeze. Contentment!! Joy!! 

I heard them all day today, buzzing along. 

Just after supper, I went out to pick up the frames and revel in a harvest of Glee. I had stolen the honey from the bees, and they hadn't even noticed!! 

But to my surprise...................

THEY TOOK IT ALL BACK!!!

Every. 

Last. 

Drop.

HA HA HA!!!

XX!

Lori

psst,

Where do you think they've hidden it???

(For photographic credits, click to save the photo, all flower and bee photos are my own). 

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts :)

Quick Picnic Quilt

It's Finish It Up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts, and boy, do I have a finish for you!

This was originally a Quilt for Sarah. Sarah passed away this last Memorial Day. She is sorely missed! But this isn't a post about missing and sadness. This is a post about celebration and remembrance. A sharing among friends. Friends near and far, here and gone, but never absent.
This last week, I attended a retreat with my quilting ladies, the Gold Stitchers. It is always so lovely to get together for a long spell of stories and sharing. So come on in and join us!

Check out this splendid runner that Donna is making! Precious!! She's inventing it as she goes along. I mean really, people are amazing!!

Do you think she will adopt me?? I would really like that!

And Susan just has such a way with color!!! Everything, I mean EVERYTHING she makes is just wonderful! 

And Cleary has organized a drive for small quilts to go to hospice and pediatrics at our local hospital in honor of one of our ladies whose husband just passed away very suddenly and wrenchingly. The hospital staff were wonderful and the ladies just feel that anything they can do to make someone's day just a little bit better is the least we can do to thank them, and the world. Isn't Cleary something else?!! She has also arranged artisan days at the library wherein the library show a movie, and have a demonstration or display involving local artists. One of Susan's quilts is on display right now, and the Bee-Inspired Quilt and one from Rebecca Cleaver (@Cleaverr) will be on display soon. How cool is that?! You go, Cleary!

Whenever we go on retreat there are always visits to local quilt shops...

And little gifts left surreptitiously in the night

And a visit from Julia (said with your worst French accent and a pinkie in the air!)

And discussion about when we are going to make our own Calendar Girls calendar... and exactly what we are going to wear...

And fabulous Eats. Oh the EATS!!!

And Stories!! Stories of this and that, travels and triumphs, good times and bad... and stories you never knew about such as this one about the Northern Lights...

No S**t, there she was...! So, Ally is a Kiwi. There are lots of Kiwis in Alaska, I think it must be the splendor and the wanderlust. I love hearing Ally's stories of the Alaska that was here when she first arrived some 30-odd years ago... 

So Ally and her mate were driving up the AlCan (unpaved), and approaching Dawson City. Now, Ally tells me that a Kiwi just cannot resist a road less travelled or a secret byway beckoning (handy to know if you ever want to catch one!), so she and her bud turned off the highway and onto a narrow track leading out into the back of beyond. Several miles later, they came upon a large creek, a lone gold miner, and a dog. The creek was Eureka Creek, the miner is still a friend, and the dog, well, that's another story. So there are Ally and her mate, and the dog and the miner and a whole lotta nothing around, and he asks them if they would stay to help him protect the gold claim, and watch the sluice. A sluice is used to wash down the tailings from that day's digging in the creek. A section of the creek is dammed off, filled with water and let sit. And if you're the guard, you do some sitting too! And some mosquito swatting, and some long hours of thinking and just being, all whilst holding a rifle in case someone decides they need your gold more than you do. You have to watch the sluice and let water out every now and again, or it will overflow and wash your gold right on down the creek to the next guy. And trust me, he does not deserve it. 

So here's Ally, at 3 am or so, sitting out in the Night by herself, fresh from New Zealand and the surf, listening to the wolves and wondering about Bear, when over her head these Massive green and white and red shapes appear and reach down at her, shifting and squirming and growing.... What would you do?? Well, I can tell you, she ran like wildfire, hair streaming behind, to the bunkhouse to wake the guys to save her from the skies!! And so would I! 

Isn't it grand how big the world is, and how many things there are out there that you just don't know exist, or haven't thought of in real life? 

Ally is thinking of making a quilt from this gorgeous selection of indigos and white on white swirls. I think she should, don't you?

And this is the view from out the back door,

And Celebration! A quilt to celebrate friendship, and Sarah, and women in a group, and all that is good and right with the world so long as you have love,

And although we miss our friends when they are not with us, just the thought of them brings us joy,

And when we're together, there is so much laughter and love that you cannot even sew a straight seam!!

So, Cheers!!!

I'm so glad you stopped by! 

XX!

Lori

Here is the Pattern PDF, share it with friends and Enjoy!!

Linking up with:

 

http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=250661&m=29190&u=947713&afftrack=

Web Quilt

Today, I bring you Fall-ing in Love, my quilt celebrating Late Summer turning to Early Autumn and all of the joys of the Fall Season.

I'm timely like that!! 

Here she is!

A quilt to celebrate the gloriousness of long warm summer days, that melt into velvet star spangled darkness. Just right for a bonfire with family and friends.

Oops! I still have some trimming, and then quilting to do...

Now that early Winter has arrived, she is particularly apt. 

Because her dark Navy ground entices you with comfort and snuggly thoughts, just as our Winter evenings in front of a newly laid fire, do. 

Her velvety texture beckons like our dark evening skies... Come out! Explore! 

Our drifted powdery snows reflect all of the moonlight, sparkling and twinkling in their own merry dances. Impossible to resist their call! 

What's worse, snow or sand, to get off of a quilt you're trying to get a picture of
 in the only 3 minutes of sun that day? Lol!!

Go out into the sweet night, light and clear blue, and chortle and sing and roll in the snow. There'll be hot chocolate or hot tea and snuggles under a quilt, waiting for you. 

And the next morning, A morning for Giving Thanks, 

A surprise will be waiting...

A little furry, delicious cannot resist wanting to touch its velvety, droopy nose, Mooseling. 

Mom is around somewhere... Look both ways before you go out the back door!

I hope you had the opportunity to celebrate Family and Friends and all of the wonder that the world has to offer, this Thanksgiving. 

I know that I am so very glad that you stop by :))

XX!

Lori

Linking up with:

And Fresh Sewing Day and the Small Blog Meet at Lily's Quilts! 

AND

Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday!

And

The best place to find and see Scrap-Tastic inspiration, on the Web!!!

Woot!!

Alison Glass Handcrafted Stash Sunday

It's Sunday Stash time over at the ineffable Molli Sparkles! 

And here are my purchases for this week. Well, those that have arrived, anyway!

Shh! Don't rat me out to Santa. Cause a little Naughty, makes a Girl rather Nice, don't you think??!

 Alison Glass!! 

Now, Alison's work is always stunning. And I am, admittedly, a collector of her astounding work. I like the way she uses colors that are unlike others you see everywhere else. And yet, her fabrics go so very well with everything! Wouldn't these beauties look great snuggled up with a litta Tula Pink?  Why, yes they would! Don't you think I should go make that happen?!

Now, you all know what a huge fan I am of shot cotton. I would literally sew everything from them, including a dog. But Kaffe Fasset shot cottons, although glorious in color and sheen, are on the light side, weave wise. In contrast, there are pepper cottons, by Pepper Cory, which are thick and luxurious, but generally lack that luxurious sheen a girl yearns for. So, when I received these AG prints, I was worried that they would be very course fiber or sheer. But no! They have a very nice hand! I could absolutely see everything made from these, from blouses, to skirts and dresses, to quilted items, to lamp shades and decor loveliness. So GOOD!!

 I am sorry that you can't see these in person. The colors are rich and actually glow!! I am not kidding you!! I like to buy directly from artists if I can. You can purchase AG products, including embroidery templates that will knock your socks off, at Alison Glass.

And how do you like my other purchase? From Angelina McKenna (@weenchaweena on IG where I am a member of the Bitches Get Stitches Swap; A bawdy swap for the inner broad in all of us).

Every girl needs a super hero alter ego to help her take over the world!! 

Now get out and Show us your Shine!

What have you purchased this week, or what do you have your eye on??

XX!

Lori

Super Quick Car Seat Quilt

Welcome to another edition of Finish It Up Friday, over at Crazy Mom Quilts!! Check out what everyone else has been up to, Woohoo!
Have you ever wanted to make a baby quilt as a gift for someone, but didn't have the time to make a large enough one to fit a crib or playspace?  Why not make a Car Seat Quilt?! They are about half the size of a regular baby quilt, and something that new parents won't be able to purchase in a store. Woot! 

A simple Irish Chain, pieced, this time, square by square, is a quick make if pieced in strip sets. 

Go here for a great tutorial. Or Here, Or check out Quilt in a Day by Eleanor Burns. You can never go wrong with Eleanor!! I used wool batting and spaced the quilting wide apart so it would be extra toasty for cold upstate New York winters. Love ya Niecey2!!

Sorry for the horrible pictures! We are down to just 5 hours of good sun and two hours of duskiness, so natural daylight is getting hard to come by! 

But here is the reward!

Our Glorious sunrises begin directly East of the house, then

Do a little Showing Off, and then,

Swing around to the side and front of the house

to really Jazz up the morning. Never mind that at this point it is 10 am ;) Who cares when each day

greets you in such a spectacular way?

And when it's light enough to see, guess who has stopped by to help you prune the perennials you were hoping to keep going???

And help clean up the birdseed...

I wondered why the birds were so hungry!!!

I wonder if he knows that all of that homegrown forage is making him extra tasty??!!!

I also finished up a coupla pillow cases to go with an ALLMOOOST completed Enchanted/Frozen/Name another Movie mash quilt for the Niecey. 

Just in time for my Sis to inform me that, being 8 years old, Niecey has now decided she hates princessy things, and Blue, and wants only black and white zebra stripes, with Purple!! 

Lol!!!! 

Have a Wonder-Filled Day!!

So nice to see ya!

Lori