August Color Scheme

The Folt Bolt color scheme for August is all the shades of red. It's kind of a tough one for my series but it will push me to think creatively and I'll come up with something. A few things are rolling around in my head....including red geraniums.

Seven down....five to go.  

Settled In

I got this small hydrangea bush from a friend about 7 years ago...and the poor little guy has been moved a few times.

At first I had it in a spot that didn't have the right light...then a spot it liked but I never saw it. Finally a few years ago I moved it to the front corner of my house where I can see it...and it gets just enough sunlight. It has finally settled in and is performing beautifully this year. Every day it seems to change a little.

I think a whole range of colors are possible with this one based on the acid in the soil. I moved its twin to South Portland a few years ago and last summer that one bloomed more purple.  One particular bloom on this bush has lovely purple centers....I think the purple is wanting to come out. So many shades on one bush....such a treat! 

I'm quite fond of buds just before they open....I'm always amazed at how much nature packs into a tiny little bud bundle.

"Live Deliberately"

Photos from our recent sail on Casco Bay....when time slowed down.

More Important Than Laundry!

There was cleaning to do and laundry waiting patiently....but it was way more important that I finish my July project today.  If there's one thing I can say about it....it stays true to Folt Bolt's color scheme.  

August will be a bit of a challenge...it's many shades of just one color. But today I'm celebrating the orange and yellow of July!                              

Home Stretch

I'm in the home stretch with my Folt Bolt July color scheme project....I'll finish it in the next day or two when I get back to Lexington. Once again...just in time.

Yes....I chickened out on the loose free motion quilting outline. I'm going to try that on one of these little quilts....I think. But what a difference the black outlining makes. I think the stamens will be dark orange with a black bead at the end...I want them to stand out. 

Here's a little catch-up on my process. There have been too many joyful things to post about....this kept getting bumped.

I chose this striped fabric for the border and most of it will wrap around the paint panel. I like that it had a touch of black because it will tie in with the black outlines on the lily.

I cut away some of the yellow in sun circles to reduce the bulk and not waste fabric then fused them in place.

I used some of the decorative stitches on my machine to top stitch the sun. I think I might have liked a simple blanket stitch by hand better....but this will be just fine.  I think the machine stitching is a little heavy.  

Some of edges of the sun will wrap around the panel too. Home stretch!

What a Day!

Today was a out and about day with my guests, Rosy and Teresa.....and what a day it was. We hit the high lights in Portland and South Portland and finished it off tonight with a sail on Casco Bay with my dear friends Jay and Janice. How lucky are we!

Thank you Rosy and Teresa for getting me out into my beautiful city....and thank you Jay and Janice for getting us out on the bay! What a day!

Spending My Profits

My guests were delayed so I made a quick trip to Folly 101 this afternoon to deliver the matches. Blue, red, green, gray, and teal were the match colors....and you can see why.

It rained almost all day yesterday...which we really needed. But today was crisp and cool and it eventually cleared up to a perfectly blue sky. I love the view of City Hall at the top of Exchange Street....just up from Folly 101.

I was quite taken with the buoy pillow for reasons that are probably pretty clear....so I spent a little bit of my profit and it came home with me.

And this is where it landed. All ready for my guests.

And here's the other guest spot. Rosy and Teresa are sisters....and they'll have the whole upstairs to themselves with their own bath. Do you like my night stand? It's going to come in handy for craft papers or fused fabric....I found it by the side of the road for free. Yay!

Matches and Netflix

I'm at the condo getting ready for house guests from Wisconsin but I took some time to watch several episodes of House of Cards on Netflix and cranked out a match order for Folly 101. I'll take my guests to the store in the next day or two to deliver them....The Old Port is always a fun stop on the tour.

My table in the studio is a little small for this job....but I enjoyed the view from my dining room. Some day I'll get artwork on the walls....but for now I'm enjoying just the fresh paint.

Comfortable Swinging

This could have been the swing I grew up with. Instead of a field path our swing was along Gibbs Lake Road and it hung from the limb on the other side of the tree. But it had the same view. There was a ditch at the edge of the yard we would fill with leaves in the fall to jump into from the swing.  

This image was found Pinterest and it links back to a
DIY page on making your own tree swing. 

Our swing seat changed from time to time from boards to tires...but my favorite version was a big old couch cushion. It made for very comfortable swinging.

I remember racing outside after dinner trying to be the first one to the swing. Anything we did after dinner was the best....but today I'm celebrating swinging.

I wrote about the three trees in our front yard a while back and shared this picture. You can see the tree on the right that had the big limb for the swing.  See the resemblance with the view?

July Progress

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."
Pablo Picasso

I spent a good chunk of the morning working on my July project and it felt good to be back in my sewing room.  I'll share more on the progress....but I'm at the point where I know I'm going to finish on time and it's going to be just fine. Yay!

Test Guest

My friend Anita and I made a quick overnight trip to Portland.  I had blinds installed today and new paint colors to see so we turned it into a little get-a-way. It was fun having her as my first guest....and I teased her that she was my "test guest."  She was a good sport.

Because of lighting and layout (and my photography skills) this condo is hard to photograph. And, I didn't get things cleaned up and put back together until late this afternoon so the lighting was especially difficult...but I'm quite happy with my new pops of color.

The green is rich and cheerful....and I love the sightline from the kitchen into the living space. The color frames the windows and cupboards nicely like I had hoped and will be a nice backdrop to my artwork.

The new purple stairway wall is bold and unexpected....and I love it. In both these spaces artwork will make a big difference.

Most of our time was at the condo....but Anita and I had to make a quick trip the hardware store and we both made 29 cent purchases that made our day! I'll keep you wondering.....it will be Anita's and my secret.

Thanks Anita for being a great "test guest."

40 Years!

It's been 40 years since I graduated from Edgerton High School in Edgerton, Wisconsin and there's been a flurry of "old school" photos on Facebook from classmates.

This is my page from the senior yearbook....a young 18 year old who had no clue how interesting and full her life would become.



I'm tucked in that crowd....can you find me?



We were the Crimson Tide....and these were red and white striped overalls.  Yes....we had a lot of school sprit.










From 1st through 6th grade I went to a small country school just a few miles from the farm....but for kindergarten I had to go into town.  Can you pick me out of this photo?  This is where is all started.

Going Green

For the kitchen in the condo I'm going green....a bold citron green. I'm in Lexington today....but Pete is painting today.  I'm not afraid of this color....I've used something similar somewhere in 4 houses in a row. It was my kitchen color in Madison...and I really liked it.  I love my sister LaVonn's green kitchen and Connie used to have dark cabinets like mine and her kitchen was green...and I loved it too.  

I knew it would be OK when I held it next to my favorite tiles in my Lexington kitchen that will eventually hang in the condo. Here they are below hanging in Madison. The new green is a little different....I didn't paint a sample so we'll. I'm going back up tomorrow to check it out.

 

There's not a whole lot of wall space in the kitchen....so I think the green is going to make a nice frame for the dark cabinets and the bay window. Looking out to the dining room/living room is neutral....so the green will be a nice pop of color.

The picture below was taken a while ago before the main area was painted and now I have a new fixture over the table.  I'll share the "after" soon!