Summer Solstice and A Strawberry Moon

For the first time in about a hundred million years (or something like that) we have Summer Solstice coinciding with the Strawberry Moon. Let me explain. 

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the day the northern half of our planet turns its full face to the sun and starts its tilt toward autumn, the season I live the rest of the year looking forward to.

The Strawberry Moon is the poetic full June moon. It actually has several different names throughout the world, but the most common include the strawberry moon, rose moon and honey moon. The strawberry moon received its name from Native American Algonquin tribes, who knew it as the signal to collect ripe fruit, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

There seems to be no consensus as to when this coincidence of Solstice and Strawberry Moon last occurred. I think the Almanac puts it at 1948, but others put it as early as 1967, and still others point to other dates. 

Don't look for tonight's moon to be strawberry colored, however. Despite its name, the strawberry moon will glow more of a warm amber color than pink or red.

There won't be any sewing down in celebration of this Strawberry Solstice thingy. I have to get ready to go on a beach trip with my daughter later this week. Laundry, dog grooming, hair cut, etc., are on schedule for today and tomorrow. I wish I had never agreed to go, but I won't back out and complicate matters for my daughter. I am having a major fibro flare along with terrible allergy symptoms. Every movement hurts a bunch. And even when I don't move, I hurt a bunch. I feel like the old cliche that says I'd have to get better to die. But it is what it is. I must press on. But I press on slowly. Being organized, doing things in a timely manner--that's just not in my picture right now. I'll be ready when I'm ready. If I'm ever ready.

Happy Strawberry Solstice, everyone.

My Strawberry Quilt block from my Farm Girl Sampler.

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On 07/01/2016, Sandy said ...

I hope you are doing well and are just too busy to post an update on your blog. I miss you and hope you're back soon. Happy 4th of July Susan.

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On 07/01/2016, Julie said ...

Missing your lovely posts. I hope you are well and enjoying your time. Happy 4th of July!

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On 07/02/2016, Barbara Anne said ...

I miss you, too. Hope to see a new post soon and meanwhile, Happy 4th!

Hugs!
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Hearts Progress

I have all my red and orange hearts constructed for the Orlando Rainbow Quilt.

And I have all the print pieces and most of the background pieces cut for the yellow, green, blue, and purple hearts.

But here it is late morning, and my sewing room is heating up as my body is wearing down. So I guess that's all the sewing for today.

I had a some major down time yesterday afternoon and evening. In the morning, I had new tires installed on my car (much needed) while I sat for three hours on a hard plastic chair in WalMart and waited for the task to be completed. After I got home and made supper, I honestly felt like my body was shutting down. I lay on the couch and dozed in and out of consciousness until the dogs had their last trip to the back yard. Then I went to bed. I'm quite familiar with fatigue, but this was something more. Hard to explain. Even Jesse noticed. When I started cooking, he told me I might better go and lie down and let him handle supper. "You look very exhausted," he said.

But I managed to get a one-pot Hamburger Helper dish stirred up and ate a little of it plus a big salad before crashing.

It bothers me greatly that I have to limit my activities so much. There's so much I want to do, and so much that needs doing. But my major doing days are behind me, I'm afraid.

All I really want to do is read books and make quilts, but sadly, those things often are the last ones I get to do because I'm so worn out from doing the things that are needed. I guess I just have to be grateful for what is and move on.

Happy Friday, everyone.

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On 06/17/2016, Barbara Anne said ...

Applause for tho coloorful and consiling heart blocks that are finished or in process!!

I hear you on the fatigue and am right there with you.

Hugs!
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Hearts for Orlando

I got the first row of my Farm Girl Sampler quilt sashed together yesterday. But today, I discovered Orlando Modern Quilt Guild is hosting an initiative to make quilts for the Pulse victims and their loved ones. My heart (my own personal heart) told me I had to make a quilt for them. So Farm Girl is on hold until I can get 30 heart blocks made and sewn together. I'll pass it off to Lena to quilt on the long-arm.

I'm sure you have all heard by now, but if you haven't, an apparently self-loathing gunman walked into the Pulse bar in Orlando on Sunday morning, slaughtered 49 people and wounded 53 more simply because he didn't approve of their sexual orientation, which, evidence is mounting, he shared. My heart is broken for those beautiful young men and women and for their families and, yes, even for the murderer, who apparently hated who he himself was so much, that it drove him mad and caused him to perpetrate the most deadly mass shooting in our nation's history. So much hatred in our world. Hate seems to be our new patriotism, at least in this country.

So this morning, I selected my rainbow fabrics (five prints each of six different colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple). I will make one row of hearts of each color, for a total of 30 blocks.

If you would like to take part in the Orlando quilt initiative, you can find information here. Or if you would just like to make a fun an easy heart quilt, you can find instructions at Cluck Cluck Sew. And now, I'm going back to making heart blocks. Please pray for Orlando. 

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On 06/14/2016, Margaret said ...

You are such an inspiration.
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Farm Girl Progress

Over the weekend, I got all the embroidered details stitched on my sampler blocks.

 

And this morning, I got the blocks arranged the way I want them--I think.

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On 06/13/2016, Pat said ...

I love this! I'm still waiting to do Block 2... Things have happened... I also have too many "plans" in my head. You just "get 'er done!"
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Busy Week

For my sashing strips, I used leftover scraps for my whites and
whitish fabric stash.

I have had far too much to do this week. One day, Tuesday, I cooked three full meals and packed a lunch box. I've cleaned carpets, hosted book club, been grocery shopping, and cooked and cooked and cooked. Not to mention taking care of Zoolandia. I'm pooped. Today I was determined to do nothing but rest. However, I was having quiltmaking withdrawal, so I came up here to the sewing room and cut out all the sashing strips for the Farm Girl Sampler. But sewing will have to wait until at least tomorrow. My back is complaining big time.

Dogs in the Haystack

I could never find a pattern for a dog block for my farm quilt, so I just chose a square of dog fabric and used it as the center for Lori Holt's Haystack block. And that was the final block for my quilt.

I cut out 64 (1 1/2") squares for sashing corner stones. Now I have to cut out 112 (1 1/2" x 12 1/2") sashing strips, and I'll be ready to put my quilt together.

This is not the final order that the blocks with be, but it's all 30 0f them.

I hope everyone is having a fine first weekend of June. It's hot and humid here.

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On 06/04/2016, Clara Chandler said ...

Very cheerful!! I like all the blocks. Congratulations on a fine quilt top.

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On 06/05/2016, Stephani in N. TX said ...

Well, look at you. That is going to be one cute quilt. Lori Holt is the queen of cute quilts, I love every one of them. You made a lot of blocks, one by one and you will love your finished quilt. I made her great grandmothers squared quilt and it is one of my favorites.

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On 06/05/2016, Deb said ...

My favorites: Bee and the cat. Great quilt blocks, Susan!

I'm checking your blog from a hotel room in Leeds tonight (Sunday) as I'm passing through. Soooo sorry we didn't get to meet in person. Maybe my email didn't make it to you last week. Take care.,

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On 06/06/2016, Pat said ...

Congratulations! The blocks look great!
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Canning Season

That's what Lori Holt calls this block in her Farm Girl Vintage book. You might recall that I made a six-inch version of this block when I thought I was going to make all the blocks small. I have almost decided that my small blocks will go on the back of the quilt as part of the backing.

Only one more block to go and then I can start sashing the rows together.

Anna saw all the blocks yesterday while she was cleaning upstairs. She had an absolute duck fit trying to make me promise to give her the quilt. But in the end, I won out. My Farm Girl quilt stays home.

I have the pattern chosen for my final sampler block. So back to the sewing machine.

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On 06/03/2016, arbara Anne said ...

Cute blocks!!!

Hugs!
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Apron Strings

The last four sampler blocks aren't going as swiftly as I thought they might. But here's one of them. Three more to go.

One thing that discourages me from time in the sewing room this time of year (and I think maybe I blog about this every summer) is that the room resists cooling. With the air on super cool and a couple of fans to boot, it still gets very oppressive with heat. In fact, I've been in here this morning maybe a couple of hours, and I'm completely wilted--and sopping wet. Vann even had some extra ventilation put into the walls trying to cool things down. Didn't help. Then he put this little attachment on the air conditioner vent that directs the air out into the room. Didn't help, and has since fallen off anyway.

So every summer I start thinking about moving my sewing machine downstairs until the weather cools off. Then I start thinking about all the other things I would need to move: cutting table, fabric stash, design wall, ironing board. And where would I put all that stuff? It's just not worth the bother. I just need to do what I do every summer and plan my sewing times for early morning and be out of here before things heat up. I'm up here today because Anna is downstairs cleaning and I don't want to be in the way.

One good thing is that none of the animals except Sophie will stay in the sewing room with me when it's hot. Either Sophie doesn't mind the heat, or she's making the sacrifice to be near her SuSu. She's a good dog. She lies on the floor in front of the fan and sleeps. But when the room heats up, I don't have Taco and Bella walking all over and scattering my project pieces and Skipper begging to get in my lap.

Anna will probably be here a couple more hours, so I'm going to try to whip out another block or two, unless I melt down completely like the Wicked Witch of the West. What a world, what a world.

 

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On 06/01/2016, Abby said ...

There are AC units that you can have installed in the wall. Don't need a window. My sewing room used to be in the attic which wasn't heated or cooled. I tried everything and this is what finally worked. Didn't add that much to the electric bill either. It is installed in the wall. Very quiet. Not like the old fashioned window units.

Here is a link to an example.

http://www.ecomfort.com/Mitsubishi-MSZ-FH06NA/p65204.html?utm_term=65204&utm_source=adwordsfroogle&utm_medium=product_search&utm_campaign=adwordsfroogle&utm_content=GOOGLEPLA-740958&var1=ecomfortusa&var2=adwordsfroogle&var3=740958&keyword=GOOGLEPLA-740958&gclid=Cj0KEQjwj7q6BRDcxfG4pNTQ2NoBEiQAzUpuW2pL-ZbSc-W93Vg7CzkGYJf466e7aChOD5y7M4pH50waAk2t8P8HAQ

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On 06/02/2016, Barbara Anne said ...

Love the Apron Strings block !

So sorry for the misery with the heat in your sewing room. Is there a downstairs room available that could become your sewing room?

Hugs!
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