Thursday, September 08, 2016

Recent Makes: Five on Friday



During September my heart is drawn away from the garden into our home. It's still summer, according to the calendar, but darkness falls earlier and earlier. I find myself pulling the blankets tighter in the wee hours of the morning. 

The garden delights with tomatoes galore, and we still pick raspberries and zucchini. The pumpkins (just two) are growing fat and round. And the dahlias put out flower after flower. 

For today's Five on Friday I'm sharing 5 things I've made recently. The first is the bouquet on the mantel, a small arrangement of dahlias and plant trimmings. 



I've been admiring project bags for awhile now - there are some very pretty ones. On a rainy afternoon, I set my mind to thinking of dimensions and fabric combinations. It didn't take too long to stitch up a lined and zippered bag to hold my ...



knitting. I'm not very adept at knitting, but there's a craft club once a week at school, during lunch hour, and another teacher has offered to teach me how to knit socks. We'll see how that goes. I enjoy having something portable to work on, and the rhythm of knitting is very appealing to me. 



Third is a work in progress. I'm making a quilt with hexagons. Small ones. It's a project that gets put away from time to time and brought out again on the same schedule. Progress is being made, slowly. 



At first I joined the hexagons in rows, but that became tedious, so I did patches of them. Now I'm more orderly and I'm putting them together in sets of seven. Scraps, old shirts, linen napkins, and some new fabrics meld together in my favourite shades of blue and white.



For number four, here's an apron I stitched up recently, using a pattern from an old magazine that had a very small diagram and rough dimensions. I played with it and will likely make it again with some modifications. 



And lastly, here's a bit of early autumn in a teacup. The teacup is from my aunt who passed away in January. It's called Knotty Pine, by Royal Albert. I gathered bits and pieces on a walk and tucked them into the teacup. 



I'm sneaking in one more thing - not a make, but a READ! Oh my, it's a good one! Multi-layered, rich with human foibles, grace, hope, and good eating. I pre-ordered the book and picked it up on the release date, August 30, but held off until the weekend (Labour Day) to read it. So satisfying. I'm still digesting it and will definitely read it again.

Joining Amy for Five on Friday, a fun link-up of blogs from here and there.  

36 comments:

  1. The book sounds like a good one. Love each project. Wonderful quilt, apron, oh loved so much the teacup with gatherings, flowers and bag for your knitting.

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  2. Great post, as always! Your dahlias look gorgeous. I love the yarn you are using. I could do the knitting, but the quilting project looks awfully difficult.
    Your teacup displays the most beautiful part of autumn. Have a lovely weekend!

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  3. Enjoyed the post and especially intrigued by the hexagons. The colors mesh so well together and the little bits of orange and rust in a few of the pieces keeps it from being too sweet. I look forward to seeing how you go about finishing it up and hope you will share it at a future five on friday party when it's done.

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  4. Some great projects on the go and some completed, Lorrie. I shall pinch your filled teacup idea for sure and will look for the book @ Amazon.
    Bon weekend!

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  5. Thanks for the book recommendation, always welcome. Your makes are lovely. I'm sure you will love knitting socks, so therepeutic. You won't stop at one pair. B x

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  6. You have been busy in crafting wonderful things. That kind of quilting needs the patience I lack :) Dahlias look beautiful - enjoy your weekend Lorrie!

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  7. What a lot of lovely makes, I particularly like your project bag, the materials are so pretty. Good luck with the quilt, it's looking great so far but is probably going to take ages to complete.

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  8. It looks as if Autumn has arrived for you. It's lovely to see your dahlias and the teacup arrangement of twigs, berries and leaves gathered during your walk. I like all the items you have made or working on especially the quilt.

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  9. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I really love that one! :) Glad to know the book is great as well.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  10. Ohh, I so love the nuances of your dahlias, they truly won my heart, and how about your hexagons ... I wonder how gorgeous your quilt will become, I'm so fond of quilts, especially if made in the shades of light blue !

    Thanks for sharing your projects with us, dear Lorrie,
    enjoy your weekend with love and gladness

    Xx Dany

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  11. it sounds like you're having a delightful change in the weather. I like the colors of your quilt and I think you will enjoy knitting. I prefer crocheting as I can tuck a small project in my purse--no long needles--and it's harder to lose your place, but either is good for relaxing hand work. Thanks for the book recommendation. Might be good for our book club.

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  12. Love your Autumn in a cup, the nights are drawing in now and the evening are cooler. Your project bag is wonderful and so cheerful as is your apron. The book looks good, I will look out for it:)

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  13. I just started the new Penny. This series is one of my favorites. Your quilt is going to be wonderful. Love the project bag --- you will enjoy knitting. I think it is calming and meditative (even when I have to "frog".) Your dahlias are gorgeous. I can't grow them here. And your veggies are still going strong. Lucky you! Happy Friday!

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  14. Love the Dalias! Love the frenchy-bag! Love the apron! Think you're nuts to be doing those hexies! LOL Thanks for the tip on the book...requested it from my library already. Thanks!

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  15. You've been busy!
    Love that bag and the apron too...so cheery.
    I read Louise Penny's new book over the weekend too...talk about a great writer she is just fabulous!
    Enjoy your week and good luck with the knitting ...I'll be pulling mine out soon.

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  16. Love the teacup arrangement. It just shouts autumn.

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  17. I love your hexagon quilt very much. It looks like a lot of work! Have a lovely weekend. x

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  18. Anonymous11:13 AM

    Oh dear...I must order Louise Penny's latest. I have so enjoyed the Inspector Gamache Series. I have to go to the library and pick up the book on cd of How the Light Gets In for our next roadtrip. You really have whipped up some cute things! We saw some award winning Dahlia's at the Washington State Fair yesterday...

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  19. Five really lovely lots of making! I like them all, but I think my favourite is autumn in a teacup! So pretty. Thank you for joining in, I hope you have a great weekend! xx

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  20. Such pretty projects, you have been busy. Good luck with the sock knitting, it becomes addictive once you get going. I knitted my first pair earlier this year and although slow, I'm hooked! Autumn in a tea cup is so cute and the patchwork is very pretty.

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  21. Your makes are beautiful and I especially love the bag ... we live a very casual lifestyle, but good tote bags are an absolute necessity.

    I pre-ordered the book for my Kindle and then forgot about it -- I was so happy to see it there ... a wonderful surprise! The only disappointment was when I finished it after only a couple of days. Love this series.

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  22. Great five! I love your apron, most of all! Your bag for knitting is sweet, and will be so useful! I want to learn to knit better, myself. You'll have to show us your progress.

    I have never heard of this book, so thanks for the heads up!

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  23. Hi Lorrie! I enjoyed this post very much...lovely photographs of your pretty and practical creative efforts...and a book to check out! Thanks! xx PS Before reading your post I had been arranging some acorns I've collected lately and trying out various arrangements I might try to paint. Your Fall in a Teacup is a triumph!

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  24. Your fun Five on Friday made me smile! I have this weird thing about reading books in order so I'll have to read the first book in the series and work my way up to A Great Reckoning. Have a good weekend!

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  25. Beautiful dahlias Lorrie! You have been so busy. That looks like a great project bag. Good luck with your sock adventure :) I have some knitting I want to work on this fall/winter, but it's still so HOT and sticky here that I'm just not feeling up to woolly knitting just yet. I'll have to check out this book, and I see Margie mentions this is from a series. Even better! Have a great weekend ... hope your transition back to school went smoothly!
    Wendy

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  26. I am loving all of your beautiful creations and am in love with the teacup arrangement. You've given me inspiration! Happy weekend!

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  27. So much to comment on...wonderful arrangement in your tea cup...so autumn pretty. I mowed the lawn today over acorns...not fun! Oh now I am very intrigued by your book. Wonder if I could find such a new one on the borrow list.

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  28. The patience that you must have to make those little hexagons and they look so perfect, too. I crochet, but I think knitting more refined and looks prettier. I should learn, too. Enjoy your good book.

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  29. Looks like you have been a busy girl! LOVE your fabric choices in your zippered bag and the quilt piecing is lovely.
    Will have to look for this book. Maybe I will have some time to read soon. Hope so- xo Diana

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  30. Just love the mantle bouquet and that fall in a teacup! Your hexie quilt is wonderful! Your project bag also was very nice, and the apron! You've been busy this "early fall!"

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  31. Neat five, thank you
    The Royal Albert, Knotty Pine is beautiful. The shape and decoration create a good balance between cottage and cabin. The bright and cheery apron look ready for autumn baking.

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  32. Your teapot arrangement is just beautiful. So inspiring!

    Thanks for posting it!
    Shirl

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  33. Love the colors in that apron and your hexies are just lovely...I've worked with them before and know they are a slow project but oh so rewarding! :)

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  34. I can tell there is no being idle with you ... or your must have more hours in your day than I do. =) Being crafty is a real gift and it's fun to see how you keep going even when you have classes to plan for and teach.

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  35. Your lined bag turned out beautifully, Lorrie. I like making them, too, with color combos. I loved your apron, also! Good luck with the sock pattern. Your RA teacup filled with treasures is a sweet reminder of your dear aunt. Thanks for the book recommendation, as an added bonus, on your post!

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  36. This post was filled with delights Lorrie. Your quilt is such a lovely work in progress and I adore the sweet teacup vignette.

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