Quote of the Week

"No one should write a book God wouldn't want to read..."

~ Rose Arbuthnot, Enchanted April

Random Old Photos I've Taken

Jeirpoint Abbey, in Ireland

Orchids, at Longwood Gardens

Baby Mourning Dove, on Local Sidewalk

Above the Salt Springs

In Northern Pennsylvania there is a small state park known as Salt Springs. The spring itself is rather unremarkable, something of a denouement really, but the water is salty. This is the spring:

The real appeal of the park is the old growth hemlock forest perching on the cliff-like side of the mountain behind the spring. There is a stillness there, and a certain feeling in the air. Ancientness, endurance, an abiding.

The creviced rocks, lined with pennies, slowly absorb into themselves the evidence of humanity's passage here. [Click on photo to enlarge it and see the pennies melting into it.]

and the boardwalk trail winds on

offering glimpses of the river carving its own way deeper into the earth below.I scrambled off the trail at one point, descending a steep foot path to sit on a rock and watch the water pour itself out over the rocks. To listen in the stillness. Silence is filled with so many sounds we never take the time to hear.
When the paths diverged in this yellow hemlock wood, I sat again, to contemplate the path that I would take. It seemed expected, forseen, anticipated. Someone knew I would want to sit and be still, to pause and ponder, to listen and hear.

Then, guided by the words carved in the stone, I found the right trail went home again.

Autumn Olive Jelly

These are Autumn Olive Berries. The bush, listed as an invasive species in many states, grows easily and quickly and prolifically. I find myself on both sides of the fence on this one.
On one hand it IS a non-native plant and a majorly annoying weed in my garden as new seedlings flourish each spring.
On the other hand, it does provide habitat and food for the birds who are feeling the lack of those things in our rapidly suburbaning neighborhood.
(Why yes, I did just invent the word suburbaning, and don't tell me it's not a word. I said it, you read it, and you knew what I meant. It's a word.)
The berries are getting plump now with recient rains, and ripe with the season and it will soon be time to experiment with making Autumn Olive Jelly. Not to steal food from the birds, there's usually more than enough berries, after all you can only eat so much jelly.

After picking the berries, boil them in just enough water to cover them and then mash them through a strainer.

Take 6 cups of the resulting juice

½ cup lemon juice
1 package Sure Jell

Boil together then add
7 cups sugar
Bring to a rolling boil for 2 min
Skim

Pour into sterile jars (baked in hot oven)
Seal with wax

Retreat

Those of you who also read my other blogs (Leaf & Loch and Uplift Fellowship Writers Group) will be aware that I am a writer (poet, novelist). So the news that I am headed to the mountains of North Carolina for a Novelists Retreat will come as no surprise. I'll be gone a week, and I will not be sewing. For non-sewing-related tidbits during this time please visit Leaf & Loch.

Housekeeping Note for Latecommers

If you're a new reader and are reading my older posts, Welcome and Please ignore references to Leaf &Loch... The two blogs are being consolidated into one and I'm moving the L&L posts over to this blog (at the corresponding dates). When I have finished Pieceful Slumber will be the only blog.

Flying Bird Block

For the Flying Bird Block, number 6, we need three dark/medium fabrics and a light fabric.

Cut

three light 3.5 inch squares

three light 4 inch squares, and cut those into triangles in half diagonally (to make 6 triangles)

two light and two medium (my paisley) 2.5 inch squares for Half Square Triangles

one light and one dark (the check) 2.5 inch squares for HSTs

two dark (check) 2.5 inch squares cut in triangles (to make 4 triangles)

and 4 additional medium (tan botanical print) 2.5 inch squares cut into (8) triangles

Make your Half Square Triangles.
The layout of the block is still pretty confusing at this point.

It helps to think of it in term of the tic-tac-toe grid common to a nine-patch block. Like this:
So we need to make two of these:
and two of these:
and two of these:

Pressing each step of the way, we begin by adding triangles to our HSTs.

Then the second small triangle sewn on makes our pieced triangles, which we will be sewing to our solid triangles to make squares.
Remember to sew through the junction of the seams to get crisp points.
And trim your dog ears to reduce bulk -- and really, just because it looks better too.
Okay, now, does your layout look like this? Mine did the first time I made this block. This is wrong as you will notice from the arrows pointing out where the fabric got switched.
Your quilt block should actually layout like this:
As you sew those pieced squares into rows keep in mind your pressing directions. You may need to trim some of the seams where it gets a bit bulkier but try to press for those nestling seams that will make (pinning and) lining up crisp corners easier.
Sew those rows together and there we have it. Flying Birds.