Thursday, October 11, 2007

Making Autumn Leaves



Lady Harvatine gets double credit for inspiring my most recent quilt. I used her zipped pattern to make use of my Moda charms from Oregon, and when I finished the top and was looking for a nice quilting pattern, I realized that leaves would look good, scattered down the center.



It's a small quilt, a lap quilt, I guess. I wanted it to cover our bed, but I couldn't find any more fall fabrics that looked good and I really wanted to resist driving everywhere for more fabric. Too bad; a third zipper would have looked good. I have yet to make a quilt that was planned in advance or came from a kit. I like the creative process, which is also an excuse to avoid reading instructions or trying to decipher patterns.



So many bloggers are posting warm, fuzzy images of the new season, and describing their hearty stews and home baked breads. I've seen many Fall crafts, and beautiful scenes with farm animals, pumpkin patches... I can practically smell pies baking and cider simmering. Inhale and sigh. Is it any wonder I feel homesick? So, where do I go when I am longing for familiar sights and fulfillment of nostalgic fantasies? I go to the places my mother took us when we were children. I go where my younger brother taught me to drive... we wound around country roads in our '64 Mercury Comet, looking for the best apple pie and stopping to replace the fuses every 30 minutes. I go where there are apple orchards and horse drawn carriages, gold mines and red cabins, memories and pines.

I've mentioned before that my Mommy should have a blog. She writes well, and she makes amazing jewelry, she's a photographer, an artist. Actually, she's probably too busy to keep a blog. She should just continue being a productive, traveling, dreaming, cooking, playing, creating woman and I will blog for her... She wrote to me this morning, and without her permission I present BogBeads, Deep Thoughts and Other Musings, From My Mommy:

"Beautiful leaves on Chickenblog!  If you had a scanner, you could scan the leaves and print them out on your fabric transfer and put them into your quilts!  Just a thought.  I know you have nothing else to do.

The albondiga soup and salsa sound very delicious.  Yesterday I unfroze one of the putanesca sauces I froze before I left.  I sliced up some zukes and portobella mushroom, arranged the slices on parchment covered baking sheets, sprinkled with olive oil and Mrs dash and roasted them.  I added them straight out of the oven into my rice pasta with homemade putanesca sauce and of course, parmesan cheese - great big yummmmm.

I downloaded some recipes for green and regular tomatoes.  I have quite a bit of both from the garden.  I plucked them off the vine because the nights are getting very chilly - didn't want to loose them to the frost.  I bought some small pumpkins and yammies to make some pie - yes, autumn is pulling at the tummy strings and it's at this time I wish I would win the lottery so I could travel to be with everyone of my  kid's home and take in the family life essence. 

Actually, I think I would buy a lot of acreage somewhere around Monterey and let everyone design and build their own dwelling in the family compound.  It would certainly be large enough for farming, an orchard, your chickens, some milking goats and maybe one or two milk cows.  There would be beautiful common barn with a red roof for Geoff's tractor or tractors and of course the trucks and atvs to get around the compound.  The common garage would be large enough for the boat, the kayaks and canoes and have a bike shop corner and a spacious tool room and equally spacious area for the farm equipment.  Of course, we would have a nice home for the family of the competent, honest, trustworthy, industrious hired hand.

Well, back to reality - it's already 9:30 and I'm in my power suit.  I did feed Roamer early this morning and I did go through deleting my daily dozen+ junk mail and handled the regular emails.  I did take care of some BAAA business - so I guess I'm not too much of a duh.

Sorry to hear about Alex's cold.  Hope he keeps it to himself and not for long.  Be well.  I love you and miss you and the kids.  two days is NOT enough!"



I am going to bring my Fall Zipped quilt to the mountains and do more quilting between apple picking, hiking, exploring and gazing up at trees. We really wish it would snow... not going to happen. It would be great if it would rain... also not likely. It's sure to be just a bit cooler, and I know we will see rolling hills, oak trees, cows, and barns. I think I'll send my Mommy a little lotto seed money... I'd love to see her dreams come true.

8 comments:

Andylynne said...

What a lovely post. Your quilt is beautiful. I think I would deem it a sofa quilt.Long enough for the sofa, and a nice lap size. Your kitty looks ready to make it's self comphy. Your mom sounds like such a sweetie. I think I'm going to come to lunch at your house for left over soup, and hers for the left over pasta. Wait you have kids, I bet there are no leftovers.

Gretchen said...

Gorgeous quilt!!!

Gretchen said...

P.S. I like Delia's idea about the acreage in Monterey. What a lovely dream. I'll send some lotto seed money, too.

tea time and roses said...

Natalie, that is such a beautiful quilt...very lovely indeed.

Have a lovely weekend.

Beverly

Jennifer said...

Magnificent! Enjoy, take care, and be good. What a wonderful mommy-ola you have....

Tarie said...

You and your mommy are alike! Reading her letter to you was like reading a post from you! :)

Mama Spark said...

I love the quilt and the cat and I have that green fabric!! I also love Maria's boops!!

Liz Harvatine said...

Nice work! Great idea with the leaves!