Movement of Ocean Waves

Ocean Waves has become one of my favorite quilts that I've made.   It's crazy considering that my quilt is constructed with almost 1,500 half-square triangle blocks.  I've become an half-square triangle pro.  Certainly it took lots of focus to stay on task.  And with all the different fabrics there were times I even doubted that they all would come together.  

The Ocean Waves quilt pattern is an early American block inspired during colonial times.  It is believed to have come from a seaboard town in Maine and symbolic of the blue sea and the movement of the waves. Pioneers took this quilt westward where it eventually reached the Pacific Coast and copied by many quilters from sea to shining sea.

But, alas I think it's a treasure.   Well worth all those half-square triangles with a finished size of 94" by 94".

But wait I decided I needed matching pillow shams.  Oh my!

Another project checked off my list.  Back to my studio,  I'm on roll.

Crafting with bread

 Since the beginning of this year I've been caught up in baking sourdough bread with great success.  My starter began in January and it keeps getting better and better.  I've even shared my starter discard with friends and family. Here's my latest bake.

During the summer I visited my daughter in California.  On one of our adventures we were in a town outside West Hollywood called Larchmont.  What a great quaint area with unique stores and restaurants.  As we cruised the street we decided to stop at an outside cafe and have a glass of wine which also lead into some freshly baked bread with olive oil.  Fantastic.  But what was better yet is the great presentation.  The bread was served in a paper/fabric basket.  

This was inspiring to me.  Back a few years ago I purchased a roll of Kraft-tex kraft paper fabric in natural.  I think I had an idea for it when I bought it, but it was put aside and that thought vanished.  When we were served the above bread in this paper like basket I recalled buying that roll of paper fabric and decided I needed to sew my own.  I took a few pictures and here is my version.

A very simple design.  I was able to whip up a few baskets within less than an hour.  I kept two and sent one off to my daughter in California.  The photo above also displays my freshly baked sourdough bread.  So good.  These baskets will get lots of use.  I think I'll make a few more and give them as gifts with some bake goods or even a jar of sourdough starter and some of my homemade jams.

The weather has been chilly and the "S" word is on the horizon, "SEW".  I now have time to be inside and put my petal to the floor.  Lots of projects have piled up over the summer so it's time to check them off of my UFO list.