Scraps and Threadtales

Thimble talk...

2012-02-20T15:05:00.006Z

Bonnie Hunter is holding a thimble talk linky-thing...for what it is worth here is my take on thimbles....

I was an off-again-on-again thimble user until I took an applique class with Pat Campbell. It is sort of uncomfortable I gripped. "Grow up and get used it" was her response (said with a very sweet but take no prisoners southern accent.) So during break I bought a very pretty solid silver thimble then tried to use it back in class. It still was awkward. Pat looked at the thimble and said, "it will look nice on shelf."

So she gave me a few pointers on thimbles that have served me well. First, put it on your finger and shake you hand. Not a wild "I'm being chased by zombie hand waving" but a bit more than a Queen of England wave. The thimble should stay on your finger. Second, the dimples on the top of the thimble should be deep. This is the part that will hold the end of the needle. This is even more important when I use the thimble hand quilting. Third, living here in the south it is very possible that I will need multiple size thimbles...just like there are rings I cannot wear in summer due to my hands swelling in the heat there are "season appropriate" thimbles too.

So my go-to thimble is the brass colored one with a magnetic top. I've had it for ages. It says made in England on the side. The magnet is particularly helpful when I am using tiny needles. I use this primarily for hand piecing and applique. The zinc thimble next to it is another all-around thimble. It is slightly flattened so fits my finger perfectly. I use this often on my right hand when I am hand-quilting.

My favorite right hand thimble for hand quilting is this very inexpensive Dritz Slip-stop thimble. I have it in several sizes. In addition to deep dimples there is a ridge on the outside to hold the needle in as I rock it.

If you find a thimble you really like buy six. I'm not just saying that because I own cats who love to play with thimbles. Thimbles have a way of traveling. They are left behind in airplanes, summer houses, and anywhere else you find a moment to stitch. Unfortunately most non-quilters don't understand the desperation in your voice when you call and ask if you left your thimble there. Even if you say it is your favorite thimble in the world and they aren't selling them anymore and you need to finish this quilt for ____ (fill in the blank.) Sure the person on the other side of the line will tell you they will look but really, you expect them to understand your need for a thimble? On second thought...buy a dozen.

More quilt clues

2012-02-18T14:58:00.001Z

I've been working on the reverse applique circles for the reproduction baby quilt. I need to make 18 of these so it is a good thing that I like making them!

A long time ago I took a workshop on using antique quilts as inspiration with Jeanna Kimbel. One of the things I remember most is how she would fold paper instead of struggle with the math to recreate a pattern. Second was how she used items around her for applique shapes. For instance the outside diameter of these circles is the size of a YLI silk thread bobbin. The inner circle is the size of a dime. Makes so much sense no?!

A quick update on my Adams County Applique quilt. I spent a couple hours on the computer and was amazed at how much I learned. Well, at least how many clues I found.

The names Bishop, Benner and Fisher are listed on the estate file. There was a Bishop family burial ground in Littlestown (the town on the signature block) but a school was built over the grounds. A Martha M Bishop from Littlestown is listed on the Civil War Pension Roll of 1883 (widow.) The quilt has a Maria and a Mary Bishop from the same town. There is also a Hannah Benner listed as a widow on the same roll.

Adams county has a Historical Society in Getttysburg that looks to have quite and extensive collection of research materials. Right now it is closed for renovations. I may make a road trip up there later this spring and see what I can find. I'd love to uncover who the quilt was made for and what was the relationship between these names.

list or tower...project managment

2012-02-17T21:40:00.000Z

So I am a bit late on reviewing my to-do list from last year...there is a reason for that - it barely budged!

A box of scrappy star pieces...in need of a retreat...

It isn't as if I didn't finish quilts last year. I just didn't finish any quilts on that list. Which leads me to wonder if I should keep lists. At points in my life I had lists of lists..So I updated my pitiful progress on the 2011 sidebar. I may or may not post a 2012 one...makes me think of the old conundrum "if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears does it make any sound?"

One of my 12 cowgirl sampler blocks....5 years on the list

Instead of a list I am trying to motivate myself with the tower of shame. This is a towering pile of plastic boxes containing UFO's. The two piles reach to the ceiling of my sewing-room. I cannot avoid them. I will not put them in the closet because if I don't see them daily they will quickly slip from my mind and I will most certainly start a new project. There is a danger here...if one of these towers tumbles it will not be pretty...but that just gives me more incentive to get going!

Leftover Album blocks UFO...15+ years old...

I do have "rules" for my UFO's...First, it has to be a project. A photo pinned to my dream board is not a project. A pattern in my file cabinet is not a project. A set of vintage blocks given to me by a friend is not a project. It becomes a project when I start cutting fabrics...

Next, if a project has never left the cutting table or design wall it is not a UFO. The little star and applique quilt I am currently reproducing/interpreting most likely will never be a UFO...(btw...this quilt really needs a name)

Current baby quilt project...

So for it to be a UFO it has to be abandoned. Abandonment can be in a box, a bag, wrapped up in fabric or even just slid onto a high shelf or under a bed where is cannot be seen. Abandonment and out of sight are pretty synonymous to me.

Project boxed up after Christmas and now part of the UFO tower...

When does it become delisted as a UFO...when it is finished of course! Once it is abandoned that is the only way out. There are lots of finishes though.

I consider it a UFO finished when it is a completed top. Quilting is a whole new step to the process. I admit to having over 50 tops at this stage. It doesn't bother me.

Another way off of the UFO list is to be totally abandoned. Usually this involves putting it on the give-away table at guild where my UFO can become some-one else's project...a quilter's "mulligan" perhaps. In the past year I have moved almost a dozen UFO's that way...makes space for more "stuff."

Old quilt new quilt post 3

2012-02-15T08:11:00.001Z

I have made some progress on my little quilt interpretation...let me just start by saying at times I can hear the original maker laughing...

No I'm not losing it but just when I think I've seen all there is to see in this little quilt something else jumps out. For instance there are eight stars in this quilt...

each star gets a circle appliqued on top...

than another star appliqued on top of that...

Don't know why I did it but I turned over the quilt and saw another of these star shaped in the quilting...it is in the center of the center block (a russian sunflower.)

While I had the quilt turned over I noticed there are a lot more circles sewn on this quilt than I originally thought....

test layout of the quilt with half a sunflower....

I think I now have unraveled all the secrets in this little quilt....at least the room is quiet...for now...

Antique Applique quilt...

2012-02-14T20:42:00.015Z

One of the oldest quilts in my collection is an 1848 applique sampler quilt with signatures from both Pennsylvania (Adams County) and Maryland (Carroll County.) The quilt has 25 13-1/2 inch blocks with an 8 inch appliqued swag border.

I had not really studied this quilt in years. Between moves and work it was taken out every year of so and refolded...so when I posted an old photo of a heart inspired block on this quilt on Facebook last Valentines day and folks asked to see a photo of the full quilt I decided to rephotograph the blocks and the quilt. What a difference the new photos make!

With a bit of fiddling on Picassa I was able to read at least 4-5 more of the signatures.

D4 Crossed Oak leaves

There are definitely families of names -Bishop, Benner, Barr and Kregle appear at least two times each.

A1 Tulip Wreath

The quilt is definitely worn and some of the applique is very folksy. The history of it however is starting to intrigue me again.

A couple of quilt historians asked for the names. Where there is an * the writing on the quilt is not legible. When there is a parenthesis then it is a possible alternate interpretation of the writing. I did go to the Estate files for Adams County from 1849-1854 and often the name in parenthesis is the name on the list that looks the closest to what I read.

A1 Tulip wreath, *Bishop, Adams, PA; A2 Single Peony, Isabella E *, Franklin, PA; A3 *; A4 Crossed Tulips, Jane A Barr, *Township, Adams Co, PA; B1 Crossed bulky buds, Ann Marie (M)ockelagar, Franklin Township, Adams Co, PA; B2 Heart and Tulip, *; B3 Berry Wreath, *; B4 Berry Lyre, Catherine Kregle, *; B5 Tulip Wreath, Hannah A. Kregle(s), Carroll Cty, MD; C1 Lilly Pot, Sarah A. Barr, Mountjoy Township Adams Co, PA; C2 Dancing Daisy, Margaret Ann Benner, Adams Co, PA; C3 Flower Wreath, *; C4 Daisy Wreath, Maria L. Bishop, Mt Joy Township, Adams Co PA; C5 Rosebud Medallion, Matilda Marisey (maybe Maring or Maginley), Cumberland Township, Adams Co, PA; D1 Winged Pomegranate, Eliza Benner, Adams Co, PA; D2 4-leaf wreath, Sally Ann Beck (Reick); D3 Papercut, Barbara A Bishop, Littlestown, PA; Crossed Oak Leaves, 1848, *C. Benner, Adams Co, PA; 4 monuments, *, Carroll Co, MD; E1, Papercut, *; E2 Flower Pot, Mary E. Bishop, Littletown, Adams Co, PA; 3 bud wreath, Catherine A Weirman (weikert) Littlestown, PA; E4 Crossed Cactus, Mary Catherine Dearing (Deardorff), Cumberland Township, Adams Co, PA; E5 4 buds, *

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T14:28:00.007Z

Brownies (as in the bar cookies not the cat) went off to work with my Dh today so my Valentine's Day duties are done. I can get back to sewing with a light heart....

I am working on a Russian Sunflower block and using freezer paper templates.

First time I've tried this technique and I am on the fence about it. (the extra seam allowance on the top and bottom seam was on purpose...) I do like how sharp the points are but it seems fiddly. Of course it is a fiddly block so maybe it would feel like that no matter what technique I used. Anyone out there ever make this block? Any suggestions?

(The block I'm making is similar to the one in the photo a the top of this post that I pulled from a Google search. The one I am making has a much smaller center circle.)

Quiet Sunday stitching...

2012-02-12T13:45:00.006Z

I had to take a day off from working on the antique baby quilt so I could catch up on my Sprigs and Stars in time for today's get-together. Three of us are working on the same pattern and get together once a month. It helps keep us on track.

This month I did really well making the stars but am a few leaves behind on my 4th block! I still have a few hours before our meeting so may be able to pull it off!

My DH surprised me by giving me Valentine's day flowers early...he gets really, really nervous that he will forget. I make him a batch of brownies and a cake that is sort of like the hostess snowball (his favorite junk food which thankfully is not sold around here!)

I am auditioning some fabrics as backgrounds for these vintage blocks.

The polka dots in the middle look a bit too light but the others work ok. I think I need an almost solid. Finding good grey fabrics isn't easy....I'll keep searching. This is a "no-rush" project!

Part two: old quilt new quilt

2012-02-09T19:16:00.005Z

I finished some test blocks for the antique baby quilt interpretation. Notice I changed from reproduction to interpretation...decided I was having to make a lot of assumptions due to poor condition f the original and I was using modern construction techniques. Basically I am making one that I hope will be a good representation of what the quilt looked like when it was first made....

Generally when I am drafting a block I don't use anything smaller than 1-inch finished. For this quilt I had to make an exception. There are five half square triangles on each side of the hourglass...at one inch it would make the block 7 inches. The block just looked too large next to the original and the star blocks. But at 3/4 inch finished hst the block finishes at 5-1/4...only 1/4 of an inch larger than the original. So what the heck I only have to make 80 3/4 inch hst blocks...not too bad when you get in swing of it...just be very, very careful with the rotary blade...

(left is Southern star, right is squares and points...)

The stars presented a construction dilemma. Because the original quilt is so worn it isn't obvious if the star was a variable/southern star or a square and points star. Let me just say the latter is a much easier block to make...so of course I found that the variable star looks best.

I had not made a block with an inset seam in a long, long time. I happy to report that it was like riding a bike...a bike with lots of blue dots and one that goes very slowly!

So as of this afternoon I have made four of the framed hourglass blocks. I'm pretty happy with the fabrics I've used so far. Tomorrow I am going to try and finish the variable/southern stars so I can start the applique circles and applique stars....

Old quilt new quilt

2012-02-07T16:56:00.009Z

One of my favorite things is to use an antique or vintage quilt as inspiration for a new quilt. Right now I am working with a baby quilt that belongs to Bill Volckening from the mid 1800's. This quilt is in poor shape but has some wonderful techniques still visible.

My first decision on a project like this is do I want to reproduce the quilt or use it as inspiration. And if I am going to reproduce it do I make it look like it did when newly made or an updated version of what it looks like now (minus the worn away fabrics and torn binding of course.) For this quilt I am going to make one that will be similar to what the quilt looked like new. I say similar since I am going to use reproduction fabrics and will likely have blocks that are more regular in size.

I still draft the quilt on good old graph paper. I lay the quilt out and make lots of measurements. This also gives me time to really study the construction. This quilt has everything - piecing, applique, reverse applique and some decorative stitching. Block sizes can vary greatly in these old quilts. There are 8 of these stars in the quilt and they vary from 7-3/4 to 8-1/2 inches finished. The other blocks are equally variable. I have chosen to make 8 inch blocks...

Next I pull fabrics from the reproduction fabric stash. It may sound strange but I keep my new fabric in two rooms. Reproduction fabrics are stored by time-period in three different cabinets in the guest bedroom. (vintage fabrics and blocks are stored in acid free boxes in the library...yes, fabric of some kind is stored in almost every room of the house!) Since there is so much wear on this quilt I am making some leaps of faith. For instance the greens in this quilt have all faded to blues and yellows so I am using a different green for each of the different faded fabrics "assuming" that they were different fabrics to start with. I make a chart by block type and fabrics so I don't repeatedly go back to this step...yes, playing in fabric is one of my favorite parts of quilting and I would go back to it for the smallest of reasons....(btw I am loving the fabrics in this charm packet of Moda called "Friendship"...would be perfect for this quilt but yardage doesn't come out until March! Giving us access to charm packs prior to the launch of a fabric line is great marketing but it can also be cruel and unusual punishment!)

top is Kona PDF and below Kona bone

After I have a stack of fabrics I then select a background. There is a fine line between using a background that can make the quilt "muddy" or "comicbook." And to make matters more challenging the same background could do either based on the repro fabrics so that is why I select the background last. In this case I am using Kona bone...it is just offwhite but not too yellow or grey.

Now it is time to stitch test blocks.

Weekend wanderings...

2012-02-05T19:17:00.000Z

It is still unusually warm here in Georgia but I was still surprised to see my daffodils blooming and a beautiful bluebird in my yard this morning. Feels like everything is a month early!

Have you noticed all the blogs with advice about cleaning/organizing you sewing room? Lots of good ideas about de-stashing or focusing on keeping what you need close at hand...heck I just want a path so I can get to the fabric and my sewing machine without breaking my neck! One of the most useful things I learned in the Army was how to do a three-point landing....not just useful for jumping out of a plane...

But I am trying! In the past few days I have sorted at least a dozen boxes and bags of scraps. I found two sets of donation quilt blocks that quickly become tops. I'm going to bring these to my guild meeting on Thursday and see if anyone is willing to quilt them up for the local Ronald McDonald house. A question...can you count it as a finish if you didn't know the UFO project was there?

The big exercise was the refolding of my antique and vintage quilts. They have their own closet. I take them out of the acid free box and lay them on the queen size bed. If they are folded in muslin I wash the muslin otherwise I check the acid free tissue and replace when needed. Then it gets loosely folded, put back into the box and into the closet. A few are rotated onto the walls in the hallway....I try very hard to keep the animals out of the room during this but as you see that is almost impossible. I went out to answer the phone and didn't even see Goldie slip past me...

this is what I came back to!

One month update...

2012-02-02T12:05:00.000Z

It is the first week of February and I can say I did get some finishes done last month.

My Pensive Quilt came back from Judy Lockhart, longarm quilter, and it looks great. Tonight I am cutting some red binding and should have a complete finish photo soon!

I also finished two tops. My Phynazy Swamp (Orca Bay/mystery) quilt and my Pink Lemonade. I had hoped to go to Mary Jo's and find a backing fabric for them but legs and eys are a bit fragile today so instead I'm sorting scraps. Maybe I'll go online instead. In any case, I consider a top a finish...at least a resting point.

Also, I finished this little schoolhouse quilt for my friend Shannon who was selected as county teacher of the year! Go Shannon! We all met last Sunday and four of us gave Shannon a little wallhanging to show how proud we are of her.

I met my goals on the Sprigs and stars project...I completed three applique blocks are ten stars. Also have a plan for a different border...thinking I may be crazy...but so is the original border! I am trying to be a bit "looser" in my fabric choices and so far am pretty happy with it!

Finally on the "starts." I have been pretty good about saying no to projects. I'm not doing the guild block of the month, I'm not doing another blog mystery, and I said no to a major restoration project (a 1930 Dresden plate partially eaten by a dog....) I do however have a couple of starts....

Locally they are building a house for an injured vet (see my last post.) A few of us decided we should make a quilt for the key ceremony. I had used Bonnie Hunters Strip and Twist pattern for a some quilts of Valor so I dug out the box with the 2-1/2 inch red, white and blues. There were already several blocks there left over from other quilts. I also had a left over house block from a quilt I made my Dad so with a bit of sashing I made a center block. Leftover 2-1/2 squares make up the pieced border. I leaving it out in the guest bedroom until the other members of the group can see it and make a decision if we want to finish it for him.

I also started a little quilt for a doll-bed (14x10 inches) given to me by a friend. I need to have this finished by Superbowl Sunday (that is this Sunday for all you international readers.) This week I made a mattress so a finish is definitely do-able!

I also started a project reproducing a small antique quilt. Just started so more on that later....

Homes for Troops

2012-01-29T15:51:00.006Z

Yesterday I spent some time with the folks from Homes for Troops. They are building a specially adapted house for an injured U.S. Army veteran. Since it was a major construction day there wasn't too much I could do to help but I plan on going back for the landscaping day...then at least I'd qualify as semi-skilled labor!

There were several of my quilt friends there so of course we decided we needed to make the family a quilt for their new home...finally something I can do!

Homes for Troops is a great organization. www.homesfortroops.org They have build over 100 adapted homes at no cost to the injured vet. Having an accessible home makes caring for the injured veteran easier for the family and returns dignity to the injured vet by allowing him or her to do more activities for themselves.

It was also wonderful to see all the volunteers out there for the construction days. Everyone from professional builders (the guys doing the tough work on the roof) to members of a local sorority that maned the sign-in and information booths to the vets that provided the BBQ lunch. Lots of soldiers from the local fort were on hand. It was interesting to hear their reflections on the project. Several of them commented they had traveled the same stretch of highway in Iraq where SFC Giddens had been injured by an IED.

Homes for Troops builds all across the country. (I think they have upcoming projects in Massachusetts and Utah.)

No longer a project...

2012-01-28T15:08:00.007Z

Back in the late 90's how many of you started a Millennium quilt? How many of you finished it? Obviously by that question you know I didn't finish. This was to be the center...now it is headed to the orphan block pile along with 6 blocks of 25 2-1/2 inch squares. That is one way of moving a project off the UFO list!

My friend Maggie made this fun hat for me this Christmas

...finally it was cold enough early this morning to wear it. It has been so warm here the frogs had started coming out of hibernation and were croaking down by the river...that usually happens in March! (For a few weeks it can get really loud!)

My guild is starting its next donation quilt this month. The pattern is very unlike me...very bright batiks. As I write that I have to confess to a secret stash of bright batiks...I just don't use them often. Anyway, the "pattern" is based on an article in an old Quilter's Newsletter on doing a pieced group quilt. We need to find a multi-colored bright batik for the background...

I have 5 yards of this multi-colored rose fabric (makes me think of solar flares!) but the others in the committee want a black multi-colored batik...which would be nice if we could find it! If I don't find anything suitable at MJ's next week then I am going to make a strong case for the rose using a few blocks I made up just in case....

Yesterday I played with some left-over bits (1-1/2 inch finished blocks) to make a little quilt for my new doll bed. Beds look so lonely without a quilt.

It's a top!

2012-01-25T22:10:00.007Z

Can you believe it...Orca Bay (or in my world Phynizy Swamp) is a quilt top! This is a first step finish in my book!

Now to find a back for it. Which means Road-trip! Next week I'm going up to Mary Jo's with some other quilters. Should be fun. I have a short list of things I need look for...mainly some backings, a border, and some wools. All good.

I went by my friend Ille's house this afternoon. This snowball quilt she is working on is wonderful! Love how she designed the center panel.

It has a lot of thread-painting on it.

We also looked at some of her vintage tops. She is thinking of selling this red and white Whigs Defeat top...

Now I have to spend some time putting up the fabrics I used for the Orca Bay and start to work on my next UFO...

or maybe play with the cat...cleaning is so overrated....

Little quilting...

2012-01-24T15:26:00.007Z

Been a bit gimpy the last few days so not as much sewing going on as I'd like.

I did get my strawberry lemonade top put together...

The quilt inspector wasn't much help.

Seems there are others in line for the job...

only got one more border on my Orca Bay. It is a heavy quilt and after one border my arms needed a rest. Seems like smaller quilts will be on the agenda for a few weeks!

Poor Brownie had to go to the vets this morning. Her paw was bleeding last night and I was worried she had picked up a pin or something. There doesn't seem to be an injury but it is inflamed (as is her mouth this morning.) More steroids and antibiotics...Now I will be washing more fabric and the little quilt she laid on in this photo...

News Junkie Stitchin'

2012-01-21T17:38:00.005Z

I confess to being a political news junkie...even when it is driving me crazy I will watch the debates, the pundits and the eventual election returns (doesn't matter which party is running.) How bad is it? Well when everyone else in line at the grocery store is stocking up on snacks for the football games my cart is packed with political debate snacks. (generally I try and buy things that will not hurt the TV is hurled at it from the couch....)

So as I can almost see South Carolina from the front of my house (ok I have to walk to the end of the street...) this has been a long week for us. On the other side I also plan some hand-sewing or quilting for this political extravaganza and have made good progress on some UFO's that needed binding and my Sprigs and Stars project. (My goal was 8 blocks a month and right now I have 10 finished for January!)

On the down side big projects like putting the borders on my Orca Bay mystery are harder to do while the TV is on. Also, it being a rainy day I can't lay the to out to pin the last two borders onto the quilt without danger of some muddy paw-prints crossing the quilt. (nice idea but not for this quilt!) It took a bit longer to make the borders than I expected.

When I laid out the blocks there were 6 missing. Of course I immediately blamed Brownie-the-block-thief and started searching all the usual places...found two under the couch. Decided it was easier to just remake the last four blocks...

Reading list and what-not

2012-01-18T09:50:00.000Z

One of my sister's sent me a reading list for fans of Downton Abbey. Almost all of the books were nonfiction. Now I do like to read nonfiction but I think there are a lot of novels out there that can do an equally good job representing the time period.

For mysteries I like Anne Perry and Robin Paige. Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series includes lots of class struggles similar to the what we see on D.A. Paige's mysteries include some real-life characters and early "CSI" developments like photography and fingerprints. Both are great beach and airplane reading.

Do you have any recommendations for historical novels or mysteries set in the first quarter of the 20th century?

Back to quilts...can you believe someone found this quilt top in a dumpster?

That sort of thing never happens to me...

the fabrics in it are really interesting and once it got a good washing it is in great shape!

Home from retreat

2012-01-16T17:55:00.008Z

Well I'm back from retreat...not sure what was the most fun-hours of uninterrupted sewing time in the "barn" or the Masterpiece theater pajama party (two episodes of season 2 of Downton Abbey and a Sherlock rerun) accompanied by good friends, chocolate wine and homemade German Chocolate cake.

There were lots of fun projects going on in the barn. I was happy to finish putting together the blocks of my Orca Bay Mystery quilt. Yikes....I have most the pieced borders together and should get this finished this week.

It was fun watching the changing design walls around the room....

This is a guild birthday quilt for Paula M. She obviously loves Christmas!

These scrappy arcs are part of wedding ring quilt being sewn by one of our members...love how these are coming together! (she got the leftover blocks from my Orca bay which were absorbed by this project!)

Now for a retreat recovery nap....

Packed and ready to go...

2012-01-13T05:48:00.004Z

I am packed and ready to head out to my guild's retreat...I love retreats. We have a big room for all the quilters then head to the cabins in the woods at night. Most of us take turns cooking so we get together for dinners in a predetermined cabin...all fun.

My mystery quilt is all packed, my blue and green star quilt, and some applique for the springs and stars. Also have a couple of backs washed and press that still need to be sewn together. Should keep me busy for a few days.

A fellow quilter gave me these unfinished dresden plate blocks. Think they are from the 40's. Like I am so good at finishing my own UFO's that I can start taking in other quilters abandoned projects? but I do love there blocks...

I'm am sorry I am going to miss seeing the Pat's play Saturday night and a good political rally tomorrow...but quilting calls...

A start and a finish...

2012-01-12T16:55:00.006Z

This is the "year of the finish" for me. Too many UFO's from last year's experimental frenzy...

Brownie "helping" with piecing backs for quilts...

So my first finish of the year is this falling leaves quilt. Think it was on the cover of a magazine but I can't find the pattern...heck I was lucky to find the UFO! Anyway, I sewed the final border on this morning. I'll hand it off to my friend Maggie, a long-arm quilter, at retreat this weekend. This will count as my January finish! Whoohooo....

Now I am allowing myself one start this year. I've had the pattern for Spigs and Stars for over a year and have been putting aside fabrics as I've worked on other quilts. Two of my quilting friends, Paula and Judy, also are going to do this quilt however they are all going to look very different (mine sort of traditional, Judy in Kaffe Fassets on a lime green background, and Paula is using wools and silks and piping on a red background.)

We plan to make 8 blocks a month. So far I have pieced four stars and have four applique blocks prepped to bring to retreat. The piecing is no problem. We'll see how long these applique blocks take!

Now back to organizing and packing for retreat...need to bake that pound cake and make sure I have enough projects....

Fun stuff in the mailbox.

2012-01-10T14:55:00.006Z

Making my sewing space more workable (and safe!) and turning into a lot of work! Needless to say I have uncovered yet more UFO's and bags of fabric that was put aside for a project long forgotten. The UFO below just needs three inner-borders and then the blue outer border and it will be finished!

So with my body tired from all this stash maintenance I was still really excited to get a squishy in the mail from Dawn at collectorwithaneedle.blogspot.com I do have a separate shelf for my Kaffe Fasset and moderns. I use them as sparks. There are at least three UFO's (based on my drooling over the Material Obsession Books) that could use a bit of these! Thank you Dawn!

Also some non-fabric but still quilt-y goodness. This polymer logcabin pin and earrings from Jennifer Patterson at Polymer Clay Jewelry. I wear pins all the time and have the perfect lime green sweater for this one! I also have a red,white, and blue patriotic one by Jennifer that I wear every national holiday.

In addition to cleaning and organizing (with occasional fun moments to drink tea and open mail...) I am packing for my guild retreat. Every year we have a four day quilting retreat up at Hickory Knob State Park. I always bring too much. This year I am bringing my Bonnie Hunter mystery, some hand applique and maybe my blue and green stars....

A few folks are bringing antique/vintage quilts for me to look at...so now I am debating bringing my trunk of reference materials? Aye...good think I have a lot of storage space in my car....

What was I thinking...

2012-01-08T11:00:00.001Z

During the holidays I had to round up many sewing projects and corral them back into the sewing studio...unfortunately there are more project bags and boxes than square feet in the studio. Whoops...

Last Year's Mystery Quilt...RRCB....

So every day I empty at least one bag/box and makes decisions....mostly I am amazed at just how many projects were started last year. What was I thinking...not much obviously! There has been progress...

Inspiration for these blocks came from somewhere on the web...

I have filled one large bag with yarn from yet another attempt to lean to knit...happens every five years or so...my neighbor has started knitting so was happy to get the yarn.

This year's mystery quilt...

I have two large bags of scraps that I will not use...so they are coming to retreat next week and not coming back with me. There are several folks there who will be glad to give them good homes.

UFO's are going into clear boxes with labels. There are at present over 36 boxes...some have more than one project....

Made a dozen too many leaves so made 8 more...not quite sure where they are going yet...

I pulled tops out of the closet that I can use as practice tops for free motion quilting this year. At least now I can see the other tops better.

Strip technique from a guild workshop...have enough made to make a donation quilt...

How do these UFO's stack up you wonder? I can sort of group them into these causes: abandoned class or workshop projects...abandoned because I either didn't like the technique or I decided I wanted to use different fabrics and started over (so yes, some have multiple abandonments!)

The blue scraps in this little quilt are from the strings used in my current Bonnie Hunter Mystery

Then there are the "left-overs." These are the natural and sometimes just scraps from a quilt that I start working with long after the original project is bound and finished.

Blocks from the cover of a magazine...magazine currently lost in the fabric piles!

These little blocks are the "leftovers" of the cover blocks...

Perhaps my greatest UFO generator is the internet. Yes bloggers, shop hoppers, and all the other quilt content producers you have caused a traffic jam in my studio! It used to be easier to "control" my quilt ADD...magazines only came once a month or so. Now? I have less focus than my Scottish Terrier....

Well, back to sorting....

Out and about...

2012-01-05T19:13:00.008Z

Today I went to my morning guild meeting...felt like it had been ages since I had seen all these folks!

Of course my favorite part is show and tell...we have some really good quilters in this group!

This Christmas decoration started with grandchildren's hand-prints and some photo transfers...

There are always some new ideas on bags because you know how we quilters love to have lots of bags for all our "stuff!"

The "King Daliea..."

The program was on projects for Valentine's day including how to work with doilies to make a heart themed wall-hanging.

I'm thinking this would be fun with a wild background and maybe some stamping and paint on the doily...but not matter what I wouldn't have it ready for next month so I am not starting...in fact with all this activity I'm going for a nap....

Happy Birthday Mac!

2012-01-04T16:35:00.009Z

I post often about my Scottish Terrier Macbeth. Today he turns 12 years old.

He is my quilt inspector...

Somtimes my inspiration...(note the bit scottie dog fabric that finds its way into almost every quilt I make!) He loves running through the yard and digging..bad hair days are the norm...

When my guild made me my birthday quilt it featured lots of scotties...

He is a great little dog (doesn't know he is little!)

He has traveled all over the east coast of the US from Maine to Georgia and from Wales to Scotland...not bad for a terrier born in a small, small town in South Carolina!

Stitching in the New Year....

2012-01-03T10:01:00.000Z

If the first couple days of 2012 are any indication of how this year will go then I should get lots of quilting done!

I've been working diligently on my Bonnie Hunter Mystery. Now rarely do I make a big change halfway through a quilt but this is an exception. I started using red and green with the black but on New Year's Day when I laid out the components on the floor - "blah." Now I love red and green so what the heck happened?

Could be a couple of things...I used a fair amount of grey in the black sections and a lot of beige in the neutrals. A lot of my greens were repros which have a grey or brown tone to them. Combine that with my current bought of optic neuritis and I saw mud.

So I dug into the fabric piles and made up some blues string block ensuring that I had some "spark" fabric in each block. The sparks are the turquoise, royal blues, and any fabric with clear white accents. I'm so much happier...(Also, at a sale at our local Hancock's I found this great fabric for the backing. After sale and coupon only $3.50 a yard! But wouldn't you know it...it's green....)

My friend Shannon (who does not have a blog) also is adding a bit of "umph" to her string blocks. She had the same "issue." The original block on the right used lots of repros and batiks and ended up reading flat. So she came over on Sunday and got some brights from the "never ending stash" and is remaking about half. Better to do it now than after sewing the blocks together!Shannon is trying to come up with a name for her quilt. I'm thinking New Orleans and Madi Gra...or maybe I'm just craving some gumbo and King cake?!

(Had a few requests for the Bitterweet Chocolate Pound Cake in my last post. The recipe can be found here http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/437/bittersweet-chocolate-pound-cake. This cake can be made a day or two in advance and travels well...a keeper!)

Last week of the year...

2011-12-31T02:58:00.007Z

I'm closing out the year sorting UFO's and cleaning a closet. Sounds like fun no? I did finish my star blocks for the Bonnie's mystery in time for today's new step!

Actually I had a busy week visiting with friends last week and it sort of wore me out. I did make a new Bittersweet Chocolate Cake recipe from the Land O'Lakes web site. It is definitively a keeper! Stays moist for days and is a deep, deep chocolate accented with coffee...be still my heart!

The photos shows it on one of my favorite cake stands. It was made from the broken propeller of a Gloster Gladiator Aircraft at RAF Ismalia, Egypt in 1937.

This will be a short post. The MS has been acting up and today they put me on a course of steroids...some folks get a bit hyper on them while others get tired and achy...let's say I'll be watching lots of movies from the couch the next few days.

Guess it is a good thing my DH gave me the entire series of the original Upstairs Downstairs, The Tudors (the old boxed set not the current series, and several old Sherlock Holmes movies I hadn't seen before. So with those and the remains of the chocolate cake I should be good for at least 48 hours!

Have a Happy New Year!

Sorta Keeping up....

2011-12-26T15:43:00.005Z

What do I mean by sorta keeping up...well, I have all of a few steps done and part of most of the others. Keep on keeping on is my motto...

I do love the stars that we are making this week. I do them in between making the last few paperpieced string blocks and the last 100 of the hst's...those hst seem to take forever (that is not a whine but a statement of fact...)

Bonnie need not worry that I would have a spoiler post...I am still totally puzzled how this will all come together....

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Rest-up for the holidays

2011-12-23T23:18:00.005Z

Today was break-day before the final Christmas festivities begin. Early my DH and I cleaned the carpet and did the floors then we headed out to an early movie (Sherlock Holmes...very fun) and then dinner. Tonight I rest to get ready for the holiday.

I did stop at the LQS for some thread and to wish them a Merry Christmas. Remember how I was worried about not having enough variety in my black fabrics for my Orca Mystery Quilt...well this yard of fabric should help! (no it is not a black and white photo...each stripe is about 2-1/2 inches wide. Very useful!)

Two of my Christmas Cactus came into bloom this week. How did I do it...by doing nothing. Some years I've worked really hard at it (no water and weeks with the plants in a closet...) but I didn't get it together this year and what happens. Blooms....go figure!

Stollen recipe

2011-12-22T02:28:00.007Z

A few of you asked for the Stollen recipe so here you go. Hope it works out as well for you as it has for me the past 25 years...can it really have been so long ago!

Stollen (German Christmas Bread)

makes 2 stollens

1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup mixed candied peel (used in fruit cakes)
1 Tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 cup brandy (maybe a touch more if the raisins or peel are dry)
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
4 to 4-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

glaze (optional)
1/2 cup confectionery sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon shredded lemon peel

12-24 hours before, mix dried fruit/peel, raisins, and 1 tablespoon of lemon peel with brandy.

On the day of breadmaking, drain the liquid from the peel; reserve the brandy. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the warm milk, butter, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg, eggs, reserved brandy, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in brandied fruit mixture and almonds. Add enough flour until the dough is easy to handle.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes.) Place dough in a large bowl that is greased on all sides. Turn the dough so the greased/buttered side is up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 90 minutes.) Dough is ready when an indention remains when touched.

Turn dough out onto a floured board and punch down. Divide into half. Press one half into an oval 10 inches by 7 inches. Brush with melted butter then fold in half lengthwise. Place on a cookie sheet either greased or covered in parchment paper. Slightly turn in ends to make a crescent shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until double (45 to 60 minutes.) Brush with melted butter. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Allow to cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes. Remove for pan and cool on a rack.

When cool either sprinkle with confectionery sugar or use lemon glaze. (I use the lemon glaze.)

Finally decorating for Christmas

2011-12-21T17:34:00.007Z

A bit more baking and decorating this week.

Above is German Stollen which I make at least once over the holidays. I lived in Germany for three years. Two elderly German women that I met while walking my dog invited me over one Christmas and showed me how to make stollen. Since they didn't speak much English and my German was limited it was an interesting day...however I did get their recipe right! It was a favorite of my Dad and it reminds me of him.

Well I finally got my tree...little as it is...up this week. I only used a third of the ornament boxes.

I love the memories the ornaments carry with them. My sister Kay bought these white santas over 20 years ago and we both still hang them on our trees. The vintage ornament was on my parent's tree while we were growing up.

Also I hung up this little wallhanging that Tonya made for me (note Mac and one of the cats!.) Couldn't believe it when I saw the date on it...'01! Wow....time flies!

Mystery Saga Continues...

2011-12-19T15:10:00.006Z

I started the next step of Bonnie Hunter's mystery last night. I still have 5 of the last step to do but I will do that in between sewing these small triangles onto the hst we made earlier. Even though I used over a dozen black fabrics in this quilt I am feeling the need for some more variety...where and when I wonder did I buy all these polka dots?!

This is the point in the mystery where I find myself trying to figure out where the heck this is going! I lay the pieces out on the table, flip them around, and scratch my head and sigh a lot. I have to admit Bonnie has me mystified!

I worked on my blocks in between baking cookies yesterday. (I am so thankful for oven timers....) In the time it took to bake a pan of cookies I could cut 40-100 triangles or sew about the same number of triangles to the hst. I'm having a more difficult time keeping track of how much I've cut or sewn (this may have to do with a cat-who-is-a-fabric-thief living in the house...she is stalking the piles as I type....) I'm sure I'll find the "lost" blocks when we move the furniture to clean after the New Year but for now it is just easier to make a few extra...

Cookie Marathon....

2011-12-18T15:31:00.013Z

The past month seems a blur of traveling and doctor's appointments...neither leads to a real festive mood. Need to snap-out-of-it...so I am doing some marathon cookie baking today. Nothing says the holidays better than a house smelling of cinnamon, chocolate, and pecans.

On the list to bake are Christmas biscotti (pistachios, apricot, and cranberries), Coconut and chocolate biscotti, Chocolate mint snowtops, molasses cookies, and Linzer torte bars. Should keep me out of trouble for the afternoon. (The coconut biscotti just came out of the oven...they smell great!)

While they are in the oven I will continue working on my Orca Bay/Phynizy Swamp Mystery. I cut out the black triangles last night. Didn't do a great job of keeping count...duh. So I hope a basket-full will be enough!

On the quilting side of things...a few weeks ago I saw some photos of pinecone quilts on either blogs or facebook. Years ago a gentleman brought a quilt made by his mother back in the 1930's to our quilt-show.

This quilt weighed at least ten pounds...maybe more...and the "cones" were almost an inch high. The number of fabrics used was amazing. He remembered several woman working on these quilt blocks but wasn't sure if they went into this quilt or each of the woman were working on quilts of their own.

Keeping up...

2011-12-11T10:15:00.000Z

Didn't think I could do it but I finished step three of Bonnie's mystery just in the nick of time. Step four went up Friday! She wrote that she is trying to make the steps in this mystery more do-able for the average mortal quilter....phew! Now we are using red strings...ah, red. I did have to move my FW into the kitchen to get better light. Do love sewing by the kitchen window...

I tore off the paper backings while watching the debates last night...had to re-sew a few of the seams. Note to self - do not tear off paper-piecing while yelling at the TV. Between all the seams and the bias these blocks do feel a bit flimsy. I spritzed them with some sizing before trimming but still plan to keep them in the box until they are sewn together so they are handled as little as possible.

A little quilt arrived from Anne Hermes...

it went right up on the wall next to the Patriotic one made by Tonya. Just like I keep some red and green quilts up all year I also keep up some Patriotic ones!

Now back to my pet-slave duties. Macbeth had a bath last night and need to be brushed and the girls need their back paw nails trimmed...

Christmas Recipes...

2011-12-08T19:59:00.008Z

Do you have recipes that you only make during the Christmas holidays? I have binders of them! I love German Stollen but only make it after the first of December...mint chocolate snowdrop cookies are definitely a "holiday only" item...and then there are my Christmas biscotti that needs no explanation.

Some of my pictures are only hung for the holidays too...

Yesterday I posted a photo of my Fruit-y Pound Cake. I've made these the past few years as a lighter substitute for traditional fruit cake. The recipe is from Land O'Lakes but I checked their website and couldn't find it this year...so instead of emailing it to those of you who asked here we go.

Buttery Fruit Pound Cake

2-1/4 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp.

4 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/2 cups candied fruit mix (the type used for fruit cakes)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the 1-1/4 cups flour at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Stir in remaining 1 cup of flour, candied fruit and nuts by hand.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 8x4 inch loaf pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans. Cool completely.

Substitutions: I've used chopped up dried apricots and cranberries for the candied fruit with pecans and 1 tsp of lemon peel.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-08T01:07:00.002Z

Dobby celebrates year one!

2011-12-05T02:10:00.000Z

Today is not a quilting post...it is a "I can't believe Dobby, my "little" grey cat has been with us for a full year!" post.

Dobby at five months...

He sure has grown...he is now taller than my Scottish Terrier Macbeth and weighs in at almost 13 pounds.

Dobby came from the home of a cat hoarder but as he was only 6 weeks when the vet gave him to me I don't think he has any memory of it. By 8 weeks he was stealing Mac's food...good thing Mac loves cats....

Interesting that we got Dobby when we brought Brownie to the vet. She had barely moved for a few days and had lost weight. She has a long term condition and both the vet and my husband thought she may not have long. Since Dobby needed a home (there were 8 orphaned kittens at the vet that day) we decided to take him. Well, those of you who read my blog know Brownie is still around...she rallied and chased Dobby around the house for days....and now at half his weight she still bosses him around!

Dobby at eleven months old...

Unlike my other two cats Dobby isn't a much of a quilt cat. He has his favorite wool one on the couch and will come an look at others what I am sewing but he hasn't stolen any blocks like Brownie does nor has he participated in the block surfing that Goldie loves to do. Only in that way is he a quieter cat than my others!

Still playing with scraps....

2011-12-04T08:18:00.001Z

In between working on Bonnie's mystery quilt and making some holiday gifts I have continued to use the bowl and bag of left-over half-square triangle blocks I found last month in my sewingroom.

This little red and yellow one goes well with the Christmas decorations in my kitchen so as soon as I get it quilted up it has a place on the wall (where it will be safe from my DH using it as a trivet or a potholder...)

I did a purple and green autumn version of the one I donated to the Mrs. Clause dollbed call-out...I think I like the first two I did better. I may be tiring of this pattern. Time to move on!

I've made about 100 of the 2-inch half square triangles for Bonnie's mystery quilt...not near enough but it is progress!

We have had lots of deer around our yard this year. There is only a low fence separating my garden from the woods and every once and awhile they will try to reach over for the daylillies. Yesterday Dobby jumped on top of the fence and tried to box with the deer...most of the them ran but one just stood there with his head rocking back and forth as if saying "really...you want to take me on?"

It was all too much for the poor cat and he came in immediately for a long nap...

A new (to me) quilt!

2011-12-01T21:22:00.006Z

My DH took this afternoon off from work so we could go up to Aiken, SC and visit some antique shops. This was my first sign he had no idea what to get me for Christmas.

Anyway, we found this Scrappy Sugarloaf/Arrowhead quilt that we both liked (trust me that hardly ever happens!) It had some wonderful fabrics in it...I would buy yards of this blue with the faint stripe and the cheddar flower if I found it at a shop today!

The quilting is done in a diamond pattern with off white thread and very even. In places the thread looks darker but I think that may be dye migration from the brown fabrics. The back is plain muslin. There are a few discolorations on the muslin but you have to look close to see them. The binding is back to front. There is no wear on the front of the quilt and only a few spots where the fabric has faded or the dye migrated.

Christmas Quilts

2011-11-29T19:23:00.006Z

I did do a bit of Christmas decorating this morning. I put up my Christmas Sampler in the living room.

Believe it or not Tonya helped me pick out fabrics for this (which included a Mary Jo's roadtrip!) and Bonnie did the quilting...makes it a good friend memory quilt. Also it has lots of my favorite blocks...

This little table-topper was made from holiday fabric scraps. The blocks finish at 3/4 inch.

Right now I am trying to finish up an 2009 Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt. My color pallet is a bit clearer in this one. It will go well with my Pennsylvania quilts!

Mystery Step Two!

2011-11-28T14:27:00.003Z

This may be a first...I've kept up with a Bonnie mystery through the second step!

I'm using green where she used blue only because I had lots of green on the cutting board. Also I have a new name for mine. Bonnie's is based on a trip she took to Alaska. I've never been there. I have however hiked through Phinezy Swamp here in Georgia and last weekend there was a lot of black, green, and red (sounds awful abut it is beautiful in it's own way...) So that is the name for my mystery quilt!

It is still November....

2011-11-27T14:21:00.000Z

Only a couple days after Thanksgiving and almost half the houses in my neighborhood are decorated for Christmas. Is it me or does that feel wrong?

Poor Macbeth is traumatized by it all. He is a sworn enemy of the inflatable snowmen (you know the kind that have a motor inside to keep them inflated and a light so they sort of glow...makes me think of the marshmallow giant in "Ghostbusters.") Then there are the mechanical deer whose heads bob up and down...Mac chooses to ignore them but I worry one of these days he'll have had enough - he'll slip his lead and we'll see him dragging one mangled mechanical deer down the driveway (the fact they are 10x his size has no bearing on the matter...he is a terrier remember!)

I am trying to clear away the autumn fabrics and found this Thankgiving one...been in my stash a long time. Not a lot of fabrics with printed in the USA on the selvage anymore.

Today I spent some time finishing up the Halloween quilt I started this year. I have been pulling some of the blacks and shirtings from the Halloween project box for the mystery quilt and it dawned on me I might need them for the H-project. (not that that has even happened to me before....whoops!) I think I am ok...all the half-squares are done and I only have to applique a couple more stars. I cut the fabric and am putting the whole thing somewhere safe (note to self - it is on the upper shelf of the spare bedroom closet.)

I have finished step two in the Bonnie's new mystery...I'll post my photos tomorrow. It was a quick step and my DH even helped take out the paper while we watched football last night. The paper is messy but the cats had fun with it! (With that read...really, messy!)

Quiet Friday

2011-11-25T21:16:00.009Z

I successfully avoided the entire Black Friday hoopala...I stayed in gave my dog a bath and sewed. A nice quiet day...except for having to battle the cats for my fabric....

I am churning out some Christmas gifts and some "hostess" gifts.

I've made a few of these table runners ( and yes I made a Scottie one for myself!), a couple of stockings, and two aprons.

This holiday I may have formed a new addiction...pumpkin eggnog! I love this stuff. Favorite way to drink it is mixed with half milk and a bit of cinnamon then warmed up in the microwave...It is my latest substitute for coffee.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:15:00.000Z

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things I'm thankful for....the Diningroom is ready for the tablecloth and placesettings and of course the food! Do you have a "standard" for you Thanksgiving celebration? My DH insists on homemade pecan pie and New Orleans style dressing (has sausage, onion, peppers, mushrooms and apples...)

I finally gave up waiting for the painter/decorator to show up and went ahead and painted my front door yesterday...I am thankful it came out ok! (still have to do the frame but that is a post holiday project....)

And finally I am really thankful that I finished step one of Bonnie Hunter's mystery....

What is another project...or two!

2011-11-20T17:04:00.007Z

Does that stack of blocks look familiar? Yes, I started Bonnie's mystery quilt.

I had all these black fabrics still our from Halloween so it was sort of kismet...which is my way of saying it is easier to use them in the next project then fold them and put them away...Don't you just love this strip of millennium fabric I found in my scrap bin! I'm pretty sure this is the last piece but I can't swear to it! (My mystery is going to be red, black and green...goes with all the fabrics on my cutting table right now....)

I also am working on some Christmas projects...

I got this book, "Tis the Season," a few weeks ago. Love the fabric choices. For this project I am finally trying machine applique...not a huge fan yet but I am getting better and do like how much faster it comes together. For a quilt that will only be out a few weeks a year it does make sense...besides these trees would have been a real pain to needle-turn! There is a good chance I will have this done for Christmas (even with the mystery in-process...)

Found it...thanks for your help!

2011-11-16T23:02:00.005Z

At the end of the day...or of the little quilt...I ended up using a rose-purple inner-border and a grape purple outer border on the HST quilt. This finished up about 15x19.

A couple of you had suggested using double purple borders and so I had gone into the stash looking for that rose-purple. After checking out the bookcases where the fatquarters live, the basket on top of the cabinet where the backing yardage hides, and the closet shelves where yardage rests...not a square inch of rose purple to be found. Then I laid down for a nap and it hit me...there is a bag with purple applique pieces perfect for fruit hidden under the bed. (Don't we all have a bag of fruit applique hidden in somewhere in our house!) And there it was...the perfect rose-purple that had been put aside to use for raspberries...still enough left a pint or so...

Thanks for all the input! I want to get on to working on my Christmas projects but still have one more of these hst projects to finish up...still haven't made a dent in the bowl of hst! Elves must be replenishing the bowl at night....

Border Decisions...

2011-11-15T15:05:00.007Z

That bowl of 2-inch half-square triangles I wrote about earlier this month is still full...even after making two more doll quilts/wallhangings. I am having a difficult time deciding on a border for this blue one...

a green border...

a blue...

or do a bit of contrast with a golden brown....

Any thoughts?

New Thought (thanks to first comment!) I've added a purple option...isn't it funny how in my mind this was the "blue" quilt and I had totally blocked the purple hst's...brain-freeze!)

I have another one done in blues, purples and golds with black accent blocks...that needs a border too but I think I have an idea for that one.

Rushing the year...

2011-11-14T13:50:00.005Z

I know I should be getting ready for Thanksgiving but all I want to work on is Christmas things!

At the show in last month I picked up these Scottie ornaments. I don't usually support cutting up vintage fabrics but for Scotties I'll make an exception....

6 inch random pieced/crumb pieced blocks

I'm battling my autumn allergies. The first few days of taking the meds make me very sleeping so not too much done the last couple of days. I am working on making a few more little quilts and spending a lot of time doing some random piecing to reduce the scrap pile. Also a new Christmas wallhanging. Much brighter than my usual decorations...photos later....

Log Cabins...

2011-11-10T20:45:00.001Z

Bill V. at willywonkyquilts blog is part of a quilt study group in Oregon. This weekend they are going to look at log cabin quilts. Try as I might I could not get facebook to post photos of my quilts in the right spot so he could see them...so irritating!

So as I try to figure out my new computer and finicky facebook all get to see them....

This is 1/4 of the quilt. What is interesting about this one is the half-square triangles used in the center block, the "frugal" piecing of the log strips (piecing together scraps), and the pieced border with the star blocks in the corners. The edge is finished front to back. The log cabin blocks have some very early fabrics and seem to be a bit earlier than the border fabrics. The quilt is in fair condition. I purchased it on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Courthouse steps baby quilt is circa 1900 and is from the Pennsylvania area.

This type of "quilt" is often referred to as a summer spread since it has not batting (so technically not a quilt.) Circa 1870, the red centers are wool and the log strips are done on a foundation fabric which are sewn together in the "quilt as you go" method. Everything old is new again...

This last top just screams Pennsylvania! At first I planned to use it as a donor top...providing fabric to do quilt restoration but then it grew on me....I could never cut into it! Bright and a little garish it is perfect to drape over the back of a chair at Christmas....

Elf Day...

2011-11-08T17:39:00.009Z

14x18 4-patch

It all started yesterday morning. Freda at Imprera Magna blog asked, "Want to help Santa out?" I mean really, who would say no? Besides she said it would only take 30 minutes...really Freda? Has any quilting project ever taken 30 minutes? That is right up there with "quilt in a day," and diets that let you "eat all you want and still lose weight..."

14x18 strippy

That aside, I put on some Christmas CD's (sorry Bonnie...but nothing like a Bing and Barbara belting out some holiday tunes to give me that elf in the workshop buzz....)

14x18 9-patch

So an hour and a half later I crawl out of my sewing/fabric room with an armload of fabric bits which include a basket of 1930's repro four patches, a bowl (don't ask...) of 2 inch half square triangles, and a Moda jellyroll that was too pretty to cut into and had become a sewing room decoration.

12x18 one patch

I gave myself permission to play and just tried to think of what a little girl would like her doll quilt to look like. Which made me want to include lots of colors...

Now one day later...I have finished 5 little quilt tops! So it was a bit over 30 minutes...but I had fun and knowing they will go to children who need them this Christmas makes it even better. So much fun I may just make another of the green and yellow quilts for myself...got to do something to make a dent in that bowl of HST's!

12x18 Half square

Fall cleaning...

2011-11-07T10:00:00.000Z

CW block 45: Port & Starboard

Sorry I've been out of blogland for a few days while we got a new computer up and running. It is amazing how much faster this one is than our old one! It is however just enough different to make things awkward...

Also I have been helping a friend with her search for a new dog...a lab to more specific. She is adopting Cleo from a shelter in South Carolina. Going to these shelters breaks my heart...but I have to say the folks working in the Aiken shelter really do a good job with the animals. It is so hard for me not to bring home another dog or cat every-time I go...this time I only brought home the scottie dog dish towel. You can imagine the sigh of relief from my DH on that one!

I've also been sorting, refolding and reorganizing some of my antique and vintage quilts. Every few months I like to take them out and check on them. As I am changing out the bed linens from summer to winter it just makes sense to to this at the same time. This redwork quilt top always makes me stop and think how lucky we are to have such a wide choice of fabrics to work with...imagine doing all that embroidery only to have the sugar print still show...

seeing stars...

2011-11-01T13:45:00.001Z

The past couple of days I have been playing catch-up on some on-going projects...interestingly they all involved stars!Do you hold onto articles and patterns from old magazines? I've had a quilt by Georgina Fries on my idea board since December 2004! That means this has made it through two transatlantic moves. I had even started a box with bits of blues and greens and shirtings. The blocks above are for that project...it has moved from the idea board to the to-do list!This block is from the Halloween quilt I didn't quite finish for this year's holiday...only one more block to go so it is very likely I will have it ready for next year (as long as I don't pack the whole project up and let it hide in the closet!)

Above is the new donation quilt by my guild. The pattern is from "Quilts of Charm and Grace." The proceeds go to Camp Rainbow, a summer camp for children diagnosed with cancer. I printed off some photos for members of the guild.

I am so behind in my CW blocks! I did make this one though and if I can make one more before Saturday (when the next block comes out) than I am getting ahead of the game...I made a couple of 12 inch stars for a quilter in Tennasee who is collecting them to make quilts for the family and friends of a soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Happy Halloween...

2011-10-31T13:42:00.009Z

Happy Halloween everyone....

I was hoping to have my quilt-top ready to show but a cold (again!) put me flat on my back yesterday. So close! Oh well, I should have it ready for next year...I do have my witch's hat displayed by the front door...I wore it to the Pumpkin Patch festival Saturday!
While these I bought these earrings to go with my hat!

View from my front yard....

Now I love Halloween but when you aren't feeling so hot (or feeling very hot...not in a good way) having the local haunted house across the street is sort of like a new level of Dante's hell...All day and all night the kids are yelling, screaming, horns are going off, and my cats and dogs pace the house just a bit freaked out. My other neighbors had the good sense to go away for the weekend...Halloween in a BB in Savannah Georgia. Maybe next year!

Getting ready for Halloween

2011-10-29T14:34:00.001+01:00

Thought I would share a few Halloween quilts from our show as I am frantically trying to finish a jacket and a Halloween top. Hopefully now that I have "said" it on my blog that will push me to actually doing it!

Since our show is every-other October we always have a good showing of Halloween quilts.

This orange log cabin really brightens up some fall decorating...and the "photo booth" piece is an original by Rachel...note the ribbon! She "free-pieced" this - don't ask me how!

Here is my hat (on the right) with my friend Paula's. Didn't or decorating/hanging committee do a nice job of grouping the quilts!

Making Progress

2011-10-26T16:28:00.007+01:00

The weather is finally starting to feel like autumn here. I'm getting some cleaning done in advance of the holidays...the animals don't like change and putting my carpets out on the deck to air out is just wrong in Dobby's eyes!
I made a lot of progress this week on my 1904 quilt...above is one of the blocks. Only two more to applique! I just may have this top together before Halloween!

A friend of mine gave me a bag of foundation pieced string blocks from about 1910. Funny the newspaper advertisements are as interesting as the blocks! The papers are all from Atlanta but I have not been able to find a date so am basing my date on the clothing. Don't you love those hats!

Time to re-group

2011-10-24T14:23:00.009+01:00

I am sort of re-grouping after this year's show. Trying to prioritize my UFO's and all the new "stuff" I got at our show and at the Georgia show last weekend.

1930's, Augusta, GA

I didn't shop much at the Georgia show since I was "understudying" with Holly Anderson, an AQS Appraiser. I learned a lot and got my confidence back up. All good...including the not shopping much!

Dresdan plate "summer quilt" with embroidery, Augusta GA

My friend Paula got a blue ribbon for her wool applique BOM from Primitive Gatherings. She does great miniature work and her stitches are tiny! Also, my friend Maggie got a ribbon...I have such talented quilting buddies!

I was going through photos from the show and this one caught my eye...
Love how the light makes the Bethlehem windows glow.

Ribbon Trio

2011-10-22T21:45:00.000+01:00

I've been off the computer for a few days...my computer got a virus and it (the virus) sent out emails to many folks in my email list. So picture this - fellow guild members expecting photos of their quilts open an email from "me" only to see advertisements on increasing men's...well, you know. How embarressing is that?! So if you ever get an email from with with just "re" or "howdy" or "how-ya-doin?" ...it isn't me. Anyway, had the computer guys out to the house and the CPU is "de-loused."

There are still a few more quilt show posts...
We had a really good members table this year. Everything from beaded eyeglass cases to table-runners to full size quilts. There were quilt journals and some wooden thread and ruler holders.

Those of you who visit my blog regularly may remember my Pink and Green Jacobs Ladder quilt. Well it received a first place ribbon!

My Witch's hat (a Crabapple design) won a second place in the wearables category.

And my S-crappy Economy quilt won a third. It was pretty exciting...

The Jacob's ladder is being mailed out to my nephew this week. The Spring Windmill below was in the non-judged category and is going out to my niece in New Mexico. Once I get these cleared out I can start working on my UFO's or maybe even a new project or two!

Catching up on mail

2011-10-18T20:13:00.007+01:00

Last night I finally had a moment to sit down and catch up on snail mail...

I had two fun packages! One had this year's edition of Blanket Statements by the American Quilt Study Group. In the other was a pattern I won on Amy Bradley's blog. I love this pattern...I mean what is not to like? It's Halloween! I had looked at this pattern in Paducah last spring...if I start now I may have it ready for Halloween 2012?!
At our quilt show we had a silent auction to raise money for future guild programs. I had given some UFO's out at a meeting and most were returned in time for the auction. Well I really liked how this red, white and blue table-runner was finished up so I bid on it...not quite like buying back your own work but close!

Wool quilts

2011-10-17T23:30:00.000+01:00

It is interesting to me to see how one technique or style is introduced into a group (like a guild) and spreads. Right now the hot new (at least to us) material to work with is wool.

Now remember we are living down south so there isn't a lot of wool around in the stores (or on folks backs for that matter) so we may be a bit behind the curve on this trend. It has sort of crept into the guild slowly. It started a couple of years ago when a few folks started felting and using the techniques to make purses and pins. Then last May we had a program on using wools. A new member of the guild, Paula, came to us from Wisconsin and she used lots of wool in her work. A few more folks started playing with wool.

Well at our show Paula won a First Place ribbon in the Block of the Month category for her execution of this Primitive Gatherings Quilt.

Paula's Monday quilt bee buddy Pat did her own interpretation of this quilt (in a large size using all re-purposed wools that she bought at goodwill and felted) and she also won a ribbon in her category.

Pat also used wool for the leaves on this quilt...

As if that wasn't enough Rachel won in the Home Dec category for her amazing and original face jug pillow.
Also this wallhanging by Judi B. won a ribbon...her embroidery stitches are wonderful!

Cathi Gainey of Shakerwood Woolens vended at our show. Based on the amount of traffic in her booth I think it reasonable to expect lots of wools quilts in our next show!

More show eye-candy...

2011-10-16T01:01:00.011+01:00

It always amazes me...it takes three days to put up the show and less than three hours to dismantle it! The last ribbon was awarded today - Viewers Choice.
This is a Queen-size quilt...all hand applique and hand quilted (each of the circle appliques is a different fabric...) Nice to see the viewers appreciated great hand workmanship.

We had several Bonnie Hunter inspired quilts in the show...

A Crabtree quilt by Pat H.

A Crabtree quilt by Angie F. (no you are not seeing double)
And, yes another Crabtree quilts (this one by me!)A Roll-roll Cotton Boll...

And a Double Delight with an Applique border by Patty L.Guess you could say Bonnie made an impact on this group of quilters!

Quilts for the Kaffe fans...

2011-10-15T01:12:00.007+01:00

Several members of my guild are big fans of Kaffe Fasset fabrics. I know there are lots of fans out there so I thought I'd share a few quilts from the show with you...

This nine-patch by Maggie Hunter won first in Pieced Wallhanging professional.

Colors in this star quilt are really vibrant.
This heart quilt below was made by various members of the guild for Ille as a birthday gift. It won first in the group category.

The stripes in this quilts glow...this one was made by Judy Lockhart. It won second in the Professional Pieced Wallhanging group.

It is Showtime...

2011-10-14T03:03:00.010+01:00

Well all the quilts are hung...the vendors set up...and the ribbons on the quilts. It has been a busy couple of days and I cannot wait until the show opens tomorrow.Judges Choice by Rachel T.

I spent a good part of this afternoon taking photos. So many photos that when I uploaded them there were a few quilts I don't even remember seeing! But I have photos to prove I did...

First I want to post some of the big winners...the "Best in..."

Best hand quilting went to my friend Julie Z, (this is a Piece of Cake design)...

Best Machine quilting was done on Sharon's quilt.

Best Use of color was my friend Paula's "Big Blue"...

And Best is Show went to Judy Lockhart...

It is a great show...I'll post lots of photos this week...

Show Judging

2011-10-12T01:27:00.010+01:00

Well my guild's first day of judging for this year's show is over. There are some beautiful quilts there. Susan Edmonson from Charlotte is our judge and is doing a great job.
One of the new quilters in our group asked me how I prepped my quilts for the show. I can't claim to be an expert but after seeing a few quilts with threads and dear I say cat hair, still attached I guess my system works ok.
First I make sure I have clean bags or pillowcases to put the quilt into. It is no good taking a quilt out of a bag, working on it for 30 minutes to clean off cat hair then put it into the bag it was originally in...chances are there are hairs hiding in there!
Second, I put my quilts up on my quilt hanging rack. You could put a clean sheet down on a bed or large table but having the quilt hanging is much easier on the back. I put a clean sheet on the floor below it and use a large box to toss the thread cuttings. Once it is on the rack I start at the top and going left to right I take off any loose thread using my seam ripper. I only use a scissors when I absolutely have to...I'm very nervous about cutting the quilt top.

After all the threads are gone (front and back of the quilt) I then use a pet hair roller and go after any lint, threads or pet hair. The larger the roller the better...I still end up changing the sticky part often.

I left out the part about locking the animals up in the other room while you do this...DH came home and promptly let Dobby the cat out. Dobby...well, being Dobby, immediately ran at the quilt on the rack sending quilt, rack and confused cat tumbling over me.

Off to get the pumpkin cheescake bars out of the oven...more scribing for the judge tomorrow and we need to keep our energy up!

Quilt Show Prep

2011-10-09T15:53:00.008+01:00

So this is it...my guild's semi-annual show is this week. I am doing lots of last minute prep to get ready.

Last quilt bound and washed....

First, I need to get my quilts prepped. This involves removing all of the threads (amazing how many times I have to clip threads...its like they hibernate inside the quilt and come out only after you have folded them and put them away.) Then check for any pet hair...even if I keep these quilts in the "no-pet zone" of my house quilts are like a "pet hair magnet" and a floating cat hair will find a way through doors and solid walls.

Does she look like she cares if her hair is causing a problem....

Each quilt must have a 4-inch sleeve for hanging. Then I label the quilt with a permanent label and the show paper-label. They also require a cloth bag or pillowcase with my name on it to store and move the quilt in.
For my witch hat making a cloth bag was an adventure...Before the show I volunteered to scribe for the judge for a few hours. On Wednesday I am the food lady...I bring and set-up lunch for the judges and the folks setting up the quilt-show rack. (lunch is a tray of deli subs and a tray of homemade chicken curry salad on croissants, a veggie tray, fruit salad, homemade chocolate pound cake with peanut butter frosting, molasses cookies, and pumpkin cheese cake)...Folks will be working hard that day so they need their energy!

During the show I am responsible for the Demonstration area...not not quilt version of the Wall street protesters...we are doing demos on applique, embellishment, caring for your quilt, hand quilting, and working with wool.

Only a few more quilts to prep...which is good since we hand them in tomorrow night! So off to make the molasses cookie dough and hunt down a few more loose threads....

Goodbye Quilt

2011-10-05T21:11:00.004+01:00

My guild's donation quilt spent most of the past year in my library (safe from the pets!) Next week it goes to it's new home. This quilt raised over $3,000 for Camp Rainbow, a camp for Children with Cancer.

The quilt design is from the book "Simply Vintage" from Blackbird Designs. The piecing and applique was stitched by over 30 members of Pieceful Hearts Quilters.

I spoke with the new owner today and she is so excited...so I guess I'm ok with it leaving!

Our next quilt (2012) debuts at out quilt show on the 14th...somewhere a quilter is stitching the binding on! Now time for the guild to start planning for 2013....lots of work but a good cause!

How many photos...

2011-10-04T16:24:00.007+01:00

Since I haven't been able to do much stitching lately I have been spending a lot of time organizing my photos. I've always loved to take pictures but I think blogging gives me that extra incentive. This incentive has generated thousands of photos!

Cobb Quilt...maybe my oldest MIA-UFO

Don't get me wrong. I love going through them I just decided I needed a better method of organizing. Previously I filed them in monthly groups. At the end of each month I copied the file to a disk for a backup. Worked great for making backups but not so good when you try to find a specific photo.

So I made some specific files for those "go-to" photos like "pets" (don't even ask how many photos are in that one!), my antique and vintage quilts, quilts I've made, antique "inspiration" quilts, guild photos, Holiday decorating ideas....Now at the end of each month I will still make a copy of that months photos but then I will "file" them.

MIA-UFO A Carolina Christmas

One thing I did learn from this is there are seveal UFO's that are in hiding. Several of you have written about losing the mo-jo on a project and putting it aside until the magic comes back. In my case if the project doesn't stay in view it migrates to the back of the closet and goes into long term hibernation. It was tough to learn there are no quilt elves that visit my closet in the dark of the night to finish my projects...sigh.

Left-over Baltimore Album blocks....

So after the quilt show I am going to do yet another clean out. I have the "wanted" posters on these malingers (helpful to know what I am looking for!) They will either make it to the finish list or to new homes....

Finally thanks for all the tips on how to do one-handed binding (note: the birds with clips work really well!) Also thanks for all the emails with offers of help. My friend Paula came by and picked up a quilt and a table runner. She and another quilt-buddy, Angie, are going to put on the sleeve and finish the binding on them.

In a bind....

2011-10-02T20:23:00.006+01:00

Somewhere in that yellow section of the brain above there should be a label that says "quilt binding." You can't see it? Maybe they drew my brain... With several quilts still needing binding before the show the lingering flu/cold finally tweaked my MS and my left arm has little to no coordination/strength.

So far I have tried pinning the quilt to a pillow to keep the binding taunt while I sew it on...works but is v-e-r-y s-l-o-w. I've also used a large binder clip to attached the end of the quilt to a table, letting the quilt hang over the edge and used gravity to keep it taunt while I stitch...can you say "awkward!"

I know this arm thing will pass...most of my MS-y stuff is irritating but fortunately temporary. But I do have a deadline (also, do you realize how long it takes to type this with one hand...yikes!) so any ideas on how to work around this?
On the good news side I did clear out a stack of UFO's last week...no I didn't finish them! I gave two dollquilts and three table-runners to members of my guild to finish so they could go onto our silent auction table. The way I look at it is I had "kitted" these up almost a year ago (put finished to with batting, backing, and binding) but still hadn't gotten to them...they needed to go. So it is a win-win...the guild gets more handmade items for the auction and I have cleared half a shelf in my sewing room (and a bit of quilter's UFO guilt to boot!)

Pensieve Quilt-top Finish

2011-09-27T20:31:00.008+01:00

I finished my Pensieve Quilt top today. I decided to put a mixed fabric inner border with blues and a multi-color large floral on the outside. It finished at 72x82 inches.
I think I like it...not my typical quilt but that is a good thing! I used up a lot of scraps and older bits of fabric in this. The border I bought for another quilt but had changed my mind and this was on it's way to the stash pile...thankfully it worked for this quilt.I did a little break out on one corner since a conventional border on the entire quilt just didn't feel right. (the corner lies flat in real-life...except when there is a cat underneath it....like in this photo...)
Still coughing and wheezing...so wish this cold would just go away....

Now back to sewing binding and labels on for our quilt show next month....after a small nap...

Back from Bermuda...

2011-09-22T19:42:00.008+01:00

The toughest part of vacation is coming back to laundry, finding out that I didn't get all of the food cleared out of the fridge that needed to go, and battling a travel induced cold...Bermuda was very nice...very bright! When in England I took lots of photos of sheep, in Greece and Turkey it was cats, and in Bermuda it was chickens...they were everywhere! Crossing the street, the golf course, and even outside the pub. These roosters are probably complaining about all the Americans....
I did bring some hand-sewing with me but did not take one stitch...I have lots of work to do before our show next month! For now though I'll just down another cup of cold and flu medicine, toss movie in the DVD and huddle under a quilt....ok, maybe after I walk Macbeth....

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T00:46:00.000+01:00

A bright NYB made 7 years ago...seems like yesterday!

A couple of hex's...the good kind

2011-09-13T18:32:00.007+01:00

Last night I had a great time with the Carolina Pine Quilters. I am always amazed at the generosity of quilters. These ladies were making Quilts of Valor, sending boxes to the troops in Afghanistan, Care blankets for members, quilted place mats for meals on wheels, bags for the Lydia Project, children's quilts for a number of organizations, and even little pet blankets for the SPCA.

So how many quilts did I bring with me...well if you include the tops it totaled 38. I've decided I need to start bringing more tops and crib quilts...they certainly are lighter than a backs seat of full-size quilts! The quilt in the photo above was brought by one of the members. It really fascinated me...part hexagon and part logcabin! I looked it up in Brackman and it is called a "logcabin." Maybe a Buckminster Fuller cabin....
The black center hexagon is corduroy! It was foundation pieced by hand and then hand pieced. This one is a top but the owner has a matching one that was hand-quilted...that quilter must have had really strong hands! The quilts were made in Alabama.

While pulling quilts for the talk I found an old one that I had purchased at a flea market with the intent to use it at a quilt restoration workshop. I ended up using a different quilt and this 1930's hexagon ended up at the bottom of one the quilt boxes....The quilter had used some silks for hexagons which not surprisingly shattered. Since the quilt is so scrappy and I have boxes of authentic 30's fabrics this project is back on the active list again....
A question came up that caused me to pause a bit. The quilter wanted to know how often did quilters in the past piece their backs with multiple fabrics. It is a good question. I know in my collection of over 100 quilts made prior to 1940 I only have one. Even that is a stretch as it is made from multiple feed-sacks and those all have a tan background but do have different advertising stamped on them. Does anyone know if there is research on quilt backs anywhere?

A complete finish!

2011-09-12T18:55:00.007+01:00

Today I took the final stitches on the binding and label of the "Pink and Green Ladders" quilt! This started after on of those Bonnie Hunter "want to play" posts. Always get me trouble...but amazingly I finished this one in time for our show next month!

This morning a neighbor came by to borrow an electric drill...when she stepped in the foyer she asked, "are you moving?" "No," I answered, "just packed up a few quilts for a program tonight up in Aiken." She didn't look convinced. OK, I packed up a lot of quilts for the program...jeesh.

"The quilt inspector" thinking this quilt needs more Scottish plaids...

Every time I do a program I get nervous that no-one will bring a quilt so I bring lots of them just in case....Now it has never happened that no one brings a quilt that they want assistance in dating or identifying the pattern...but there could always be a first time! (of course the last time I did a program in Aiken it was at a Town and Country meeting and they brought over 40 quilts...may have been a record...)

A few of the quilts getting ready for travel....

I know that I enjoy lectures/programs with lots of quilts. Just like show and tell is my favorite part of guild meetings, a lecture only comes to life for me if there is lots of eye-candy. So how many quilts are "enough" for a 60 minute talk...six would be one every ten minutes - too few...ten would be every 6 minutes...twenty would be every 3 minutes... So how many do you think I have packed? (Hint it takes up the entire back seat of a Tuscon....)

6 by 6 and growing

2011-09-08T23:05:00.005+01:00

These blocks are a bit addictive. I've tried to use them only as leaders and enders but...well, I find I've run more of these through the sewing machine than the project I am "supposed" to be working on.
So now I have 40 blocks...the setting in the photo is 6x6...I may stop at 6 by 7 and do something on the border. Then again I may let it grow to 7 by 8 and do no border...I'll think about that tomorrow...

Birthday block made by Rachel...quilt shops and a scottie dog!

Today I visited a local quilt collector. She is in her early 90's and is trying to get her things in order. I took a lot of photos and typed up descriptions of her quilts and some other items. She is going to use these pages with her will so there will be no confusion "when the time comes." She is a real character and it was interesting to hear her memories of when and where each piece was collected. This whole project came about a few weeks ago when she gave a red and green quilt to her great-granddaughter. The next day she got a call from her son saying she had promised him the red and green quilt. "Not that red and green," she said. "Just how many red and green do you have?" he asked, as if there was a great shortage in the world of red and green quilts. Today she has an answer to that question...she has ten beautiful mid to late 19th century red and green quilts. And just to make sure he is happy...she put his name on two of them!

Need to turn the channel

2011-09-07T01:01:00.007+01:00

Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, floods, drought and fires...anyone else feeling a case of natural disaster stress? Makes watching a political debate a feel-good event...

Birthday block by Ille...it is the house I lived in in England!

Enough of that (though if anyone knows of a place to send a quilt for either flood victims in the Northeast and/or fire victims in Texas I would love to know.) Hitting the send button on the Red Cross website makes me feel like I am doing something but would like to do more....and it isn't like I don't have a closet full of quilttops....

I'm working on bindings which means lot of time in front of the TV...need to dig out some BBC costume dramas and ditch the news. Anyway, should have some photos tomorrow to show...a finish even! That is if I can get Goldie off of my quilt so I can work on it...

Also spent a few hours on the computer sending press releases for our show in October. If you are anywhere near the Augusta area it is a really good show representing a wide diversity of quilting styles...can you tell I've typed sentences like that all afternoon....
We are using my friend Rachel's quilt on our show cards and emails...it got the ribbon for "best use of color" two years ago at our last show.

The piecing is incredible too..

Twenty five and counting

2011-09-04T20:52:00.010+01:00

I can't believe I already have twenty-five string/lego blocks made for my Pensive quilt. I don't think I will make as many as Tonya...right now thinking I will stop around 42 (which would make it 6x7 or about 60 inches by 70 inches.)
I'm finding this a great place to use up all sorts of odd bits of fabric. There are some batiks, repros, hand-dyed, novelty (yes, Elvis is in my quit too), and some modern. I hadn't used any solids until I read Tonya's tutorial...today I added a couple of solid blues. Since many of my brights are like-solids I'm not too concerned.
On the getting ready for the Quilt show front, I did get the first step binding on the Jacob's Ladder quilt. Now I just need to hand sew it to the front and put a sleeve on it. There is already a label sewn on....

Dobby has been great entertainment while I've been sick. There isn't a bag in the house he hasn't climbed into...guess his idea of recycling is to make everything a toy! Anyways, I am feeling much stronger today. I have an appointment to view a private quilt collection this week and I was worried I would have to cancel...amazing how the idea of seeing a dozen antique quilts can make the aches and pains go away!

Back in the Saddle..

2011-09-04T01:38:00.005+01:00

Maybe the title should read back at the sewing table...whatever. I know I fell off the edge of the earth but MS-y issues took over and I worried if I posted I would be in danger of being whiny so instead I waited until the magic of medicine made me not-so-grumpy! All I will say is quilting coffee and tea cold turkey is not for the faint of heart....Enough of that...I did get some quilting done...a finish even! I had worried about what binding to put on the little quilt above and finally went with the gold-ish/yellow. I really like how it came out. This quilt is hand embroidered and hand quilted. It is based on a little quilt I bought in Paducah a few years ago....I also did a lot of semi-mindless piecing. Lots of 1-1/2 inch strips have been sewn into 10 inch blocks....I can thank Tonya for this project! It is using up a lot of funky fabric and bits left over from past projects. I was thinking of calling it my "pensive" quilt since the little strips of prior quilt projects sort of reminds me on the memory threads from Harry Potter.

This weekend I have to put this project away though and focus on the binding Que...I've committed several of these for my guild show next month. Nothing like a show to get me caught up!

Piles of binding...

2011-08-22T20:34:00.012+01:00

Every two years my guild has a show and even though I know it is coming I am always scrambling at the last minute to finish us some quilts. The show is October 14-15 so the scramble has begun!

The past couple of days I have made miles of binding. This is my least favorite part of quilting so my binding pile is dangerously tall at the moment!
My economy block quilt quilt is getting a plain brown binding.
While my Jacob's Ladder above is getting a multi-fabric pink binding. (though now that I look at it I'm thinking of remaking the brown...duh, this is why I never finish things!) Once I get the bindings sewn down on machine I turn them to the back by hand...good for watching movies or baseball games!

I also put away some things I picked up at an estate sale while up in New England earlier this month. A vintage tin sewing box...

Some fabrics from the 1930's
Along with many envelopes with patterns from the 30's and 40's that were purchased through the Boston Globe...

Inspiration

2011-08-19T23:35:00.014+01:00

My trip to New England this month has me sketching lots of quilts

Scituate Lighthouse, Scituate, Massachusetts

based on lighthouses,

beaches,

Hyannis, Massachusetts Hydrangea

gardens and

My niece taking photos at the Sandwich Glass museum

even Sandwich glass....don't you just love those colors! Now back to the sewing room to play in fabrics....

Back but not unpacked....

2011-08-17T20:54:00.010+01:00

New York Wedding Cake

You know your vacation is over when you spend the day doing laundry, cleaning out the refrigerator, and disassembling the empty pizza box monument you husband built in the garage....So this will be a short post...the weddings were wonderful, the weather cool, and the food, well, I will not be posting any photos of me anytime soon! (However I am going to try and make some "savory lasagna cupcakes" that we had at one of the receptions - they were wonderful!)

"Cape Cod" Wedding Cake...

After checking into the hotel in Hyannis for the first wedding I went in search of a quilt shop a blogger had put me on to...of course I left the name right next to my computer back in Georgia but that was no problem. The shop ended up being right across the parking lot from the hotel!
It is a really nice shop. Lots of fabrics, nice samples, and a great stock of notions. The only down side was the four bolts of Halloween fabric that I fell in love with that were already sold...sigh....not that I needed more Halloween fabric but just the same...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T20:23:00.000+01:00

Summer break....

Vacation....

2011-08-04T03:14:00.004+01:00

Cape Cod Star, circa 1920

I am off to New England to see family and to attend weddings. Not sure with all the events I will have time to post! Be back mid-month....
And from the random files...here is a close up of a pinecone quilt seen at a local documentation day several years ago...there were 16 blocks about 20 inches across. This quilt weighed a ton! I did love the colors though....

clean up on cutting board five...

2011-08-02T08:00:00.002+01:00

I know I have written about how my projects wander and have been known to migrate into every room in the house and periodically I have to do a roundup...today is one of those days.

Rose of Sharon bush...about the only thing thriving in this summer's heat

I've been so focused on a getting a few projects finished for my guild show in October I have let the gate on the fabric room open and those fat-quarters, spools of thread, packets of needles, and pincushions (not to mention notes, photos and magazines) sure do like to roam.

Since I am going up to New England this week for a couple of weddings I thought it would be nice of me to get all my "stuff" out my DH's way for the week. So I've boxed and bagged ongoing projects. Packed some handwork to do during downtime, and even put some fabric (like the pink and the green from the Jacob's Ladder) back on the shelf.

Some of the fabric pieces are small enough that they get cut into building blocks, quilt seeds or what ever you want to call the pre-cut part of your stash! I do have a couple of active leaders and ender projects...the red, white and blue crumb blocks in the photo above finish at 6 inches.

I have some 1-1/2 inch strips that I am sewing into these 5 inch finished blocks. This project was on the cover of a recent magazine but as I've tidied up the living room I have no idea which one it was...(New edit thanks to several more organized blogger - the pattern is from the August 2011 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting. The quilt is on the cover and was made by Kathy Holland! A name many of you bloggers should recognize!)And I have made about 20 bowties...yes, another Bonnie Hunter "let's play" call...I am using a variety of cheddar through dark gold to yellow for the backgrounds. These finish at 3 inches. To keep the little bits organized I am cutting the bowtie pieces then slipping five sets on each safety pin. I have about a dozen safety pins loaded and ready to go....sounds like a lot but at 3 inches these would only make 18 by 30 inch table-runner! So still lots of cutting to do!Are you wondering where all the brights and modern scraps go? I have these crumb-pieced setting blocks for a spiderweb quilt that is in the ongoing pile....

I plan to get back to work on that one after the quilt show in October.

Jacob has a ladder!

2011-07-31T16:07:00.006+01:00

I really like how my Jacob's ladder top turned out...unfortunately it was finished while listening/watching marathon house and senate "debates" so I will always remember the debt crisis when I see this quilt. Too bad since otherwise it is such a happy quilt. Oh well, that is what I get for being a new addict...This started as a "let's play" comment/challenge from Bonnie Hunter after she found a yellow and floral Jacob's ladder at an antique mall. I don't have a lot of floral in my stash but found an amazing amount of red, pink and green. There is a lot of Moda, some Kaffe Fasset, some modern, and a bit of repro from the late 1800's and 1930's. A good exercise in stash-mashing.

I even pulled fabric for a backing. This plaid is very soft and will make a comfy back. And added bonus - it came from stash! I have a large basket that I keep pieces I buy on sale specifically for backings. I found a great blue fabric in there for the M.O. quilt I am working on too...Took a break early this morning to sit on the deck with the pets. We had to retreat after being buzzed by a particularly aggressive hummingbird! It was getting too hot anyways....

Quiet days...

2011-07-28T18:07:00.007+01:00

Thanks for all the input on my border option post...I'm putting together my Jacob's Ladder quilttop today and will post photos this weekend. The other quilt may wait a bit longer. I am giving it as a gift and decided to let them have the final decision on the border (I like both borders so.....)

While I was making up my mind I changed out a few small quilts on the wall...(my friend rachel made the button flowers!)

and pulled some reds for a new quilt....

and folded lots of fabrics to clear a walking path through the sewing-room....when I am pulling fabrics it is like bride dress sale day in the old Filene's basement, fabric is flying!

Goldie, Brownie and Dobby...

And here is a rare photo of all three of my cats together! I was outside trying to get a photo of the woodpecker who lives in the hollow tree in my backyard. I was in the kitchen when I saw him for the first time this summer (we hear him all the time!) The cats obviously thought something exciting was going to happen so they all followed...

Bordering on a decision...

2011-07-26T18:51:00.012+01:00

The shoulder was feeling good this morning so I decided to put aside the Halloween quilt for a day and get back to putting borders on a couple of quilt-tops that were soooo close to being finished.
Now I don't know about you but borders are a huge decision point for me...and for decision point read "repeatedly pull fabric from the stash, audition in various rooms, go get coffee, take a photo, drink more coffee, email a friend, drink coffee, call friend who hasn't responded to email, when call goes to messaging get more coffee and decide to move onto next quilttop." Oh dear is right!
I think Borders are major design elements of a quilt. Unfortunately the decision I make when the quilt is in the planning stage and what I end up doing are usually two very different things. I have put some "I just want this quilt to be finished" borders on before and regretted it so now I take it seriously...even if it means right now there is a "almost" quilt top on the dining-room table, the kitchen table, the ironing board and the couch. Ya, I have a lot of decisions to make....
Quilt number one is from a Material Obsession book (I've loaned them to a friend so I don't know which one, sorry!) Anyway, I've put on the red paisley and a blue stripe (stripe not in photo above!) Like it so far...
Originally I was going to use this green, blue and pink large floral. Now I'm not so sure. (This whole quilt has been way outside my comfort zone! good for me but lots of coffee and chocolate and fingernails....)
I've auditioned lots from the fabric stash and am now leaning towards this blue...am I coping out and going back to my comfortable place?

The second almost quilt-top is my Jacob's Ladder. (BTW last time I worked on this the History Channel ran a story on the history of Jacob's Ladder! And who says you can't learn anything from TV!) Back to this quilt....I pieced some triangles for the boarder and picked out a fabric with roses for the outer border. Good so far. For this I am now struggling with four options...

#1 Green inner-border with green to red triangles
#2 Green inner-border with red to green triangles

#3 Cream inner border with green to red triangles.
#4 Cream inner border, red and green triangles.

This is all becoming a bit tiring...maybe I'll get in touch with my inner Southern lady and "think about it tomorrow..."

Herding HST's

2011-07-25T16:04:00.007+01:00

I've been working steadily on my Halloween quilt...must be dreaming of cooler weather! There is something about passing the halfway point that just spurs me on to finish a quilt-top. There is also something about wrestling piles of fabric on the cutting table and herding HST's from * the cutting board to the sewing machine to the ironing board and then repeat from * that spurs me on as well!This is a fun quilt though. The pattern is from Blackbird Designs. I'm following about 80% of the layout...mainly I am changing up fabric choices, some of the applique and the border.

Today however I need to put the borders on this quilt. I've had the fabrics out for months and need to finally put them away. (Imagine what my cutting table looks like with all the Kaffe, 1930's and Halloween colors...scarey no?!) For both of these quilts I have an amazing number of leftover squares, triangles and other "pieces." One disadvantage of sporadic piecing is I don't follow directions or even my own plans very well....
On another topic...last week the tickets for the Atlanta Antiques Roadshow came. A couple of my quilting buddies also put in for tickets but didn't get them. I also put in for them, got them, but then realized it is the same weekend as my nephew's weeding up in Boston. Oh well, at least folks that really want to go will get them!

Lost Quilts

2011-07-22T20:00:00.001+01:00

First a public service announcement. Check out the posting at sewcalgal.blogspot.com on Missing quilts. Three quilts went missing at Spring Market and they are trying to spread the word. One of those quilts is in the photo below.
I saw a couple of her quilts at Paducha and they are really beautiful. Hopefully this one will find its way back to her.

If you are going to ship or show your quilt you should get an appraisal. If you don't want to do that at a minimum make sure you have a label on the quilt with enough information that if is is found they can find you. Finally, take a good quality photo of the quilt...even better keep the photo with samples of the fabric and measurements of the quilt.
When I lived in Baltimore my house was broken into. They took a quilt..most likely to help carry some of the other things they stole. Anyway, I had a photo of the quilt along with sample of the fabric and all the measurements. The police officer looked at me like I was a bit crazy...I wanted him to take the photo and all he wanted to do was list "quilt" on the sheet. Anyway it must have made an impression because late that evening I got a phone call from one of the crime scene techs who had overheard the conversation - he was in a bar not far from my house and there had just been a man there trying to sell some CD's and inside the bag the tech noticed a quilt! The tech offered him $5 for it. I was so happy to get my quilt back! (Later they did arrest the man who broke in my house but that is a long story.....)

So morale of the story...document, document, document. (And if you ever are broken into make sure and be nice to the crime scene folks...he also remembered I gave them chocolate chip cookies and coffee!)

Some other quilt-y stuff...yesterday I went out to a quilt bee off the backroads of South Carolina. Really nice quilters, really nice quilts, and a really, really hot church. The first convenience store I stopped and bought a T-shirt so I could get out of the soaking wet one I was shivering in! The purpose of the trip was to find vintage quilts made from scraps from the local textile mills or "salesman samples."

Of course since this was the first time they met me they all brought their best quilts (for that read several wedding rings, a couple of sunbonnet sues, several around the world and a poppy kit quilts)...now that we have talked about the old mills and drank lots of very sweet tea I hope they will show me the others....I think of these old scrap or utility quilts as a type of lost quilt too - people only want to show their "best."

I did learn a new southern phrase the other day..."moonshine kin." It is someone you are related to by marriage. The photo below is from a cell phone so not that clear but it is a great old quilt. It has wool bat and lots of woven plaids. There are at least 6-8 different double-pinks in the corners. The maker may not have had fancy fabrics to work with but she pieced perfectly!

Scrap Attack

2011-07-19T08:58:00.000+01:00

I know I've vowed off starting any new quilts this summer but yesterday I had no choice...I was attacked by scraps in the quilt cave.

I had only entered their territory to find some fabric to back a quilt with. Within moments a box of blue and white shirt fabrics leaps from the bookcase hitting me on the shoulder (yes, the bad shoulder!)

Piecing finished - now for some applique....

Since I was slightly injured I retreated dragging the vicious box of strips with me...they must be tamed. So, a couple of hours at the sewing machine and I have a domesticated quilt top...maybe I'll name it "when good scraps go bad..."
Also at the machine...I finished one more civil war block...since it is an Irish Chain I thought I had to use some green!

Quilt Cave Report

2011-07-17T18:51:00.009+01:00

In the heat of the summer I find myself hiding in my quilt cave or in the family room doing lots of sewing. It was a bit of a mis-mash this weekend - some hand-quilting, lots of piecing, and even hemming pants (but we're not going to talk about that!)First, I finished quilting a little alphabet doll quilt. It is based on a small quilt shown in the photo below that I bought in Paducha a couple years ago. The letters are quilted not embroidered...I thought that was interesting so tried it myself. I quickly learned that it was easier if I quilted from the top down so I could slip the embroidery floss under the quilttop...it was way too difficult to bury an embroidery floss knot through the quilt top. I used a larger quilt stitch to match up with the stitches in the letters.I need to block the quilt before I bind it. This should also wash out the marker I used for the letters. I think it is fun how they placed the letters to include the entire alphabet - the Q is in a cornerstone and the I and J are combined in one block!

Hopefully today I will catch up on my Civil War block of the week project. This is this weeks block - Railroad Crossing. I love using indigo and cheddar together in blocks. I think this block would make up a really nice scrap quilt...like I need another project!

Jump, Jive and quilt....

2011-07-15T22:01:00.000+01:00

Often I am asked "how do you know how old a quilt is?" How often I wished the answer was as easy as putting the serial number into the search line of a data base and "bing" you know when the quilt was made (sort of like looking up your featherweight sewing machine...)

Usually there are lots of things to consider however yesterday I got a quilt top in the mail that made me think of Indiana Jones and his comment (I paraphrase) "archeology is a science...there is no hidden treasure, there are no maps and x never marks the spot." Well, in this quilt top I may not have found treasure but it is sort of a map and there is an X to help date it.
The map...well the pattern is one of my favorites "Trip around the world" which was published in the early 1930's. I don't know much about the quilt's past other than it came to me from Southern Georgia. I do know whoever put the quilt together had a great sense of color and pattern. The quilter put stripes, checks, solids, and florals ranging from maroon to pink with bits of black, green and yellow.

The "X" however was this fabric. First I noticed "hi-de-ho" printed on the blue fabrics with lots of musical instruments. That rang a bell! The squares are only 2-inches finished so I had to look at lots of these blue squares before I found on that gave me the full name - Cab Calloway (b. 1907-1994)!

Some of you may remember him as the great band leader and blues/jazz singer. (He was introduced to the "scat" style by Louis Armstrong.) Even if you aren't a jazz fan you probably remember the concert scene in "The Blues Brothers" (1980)...well that was Cab Calloway.

He and his music was really popular from 1930 to the late 40's. "Hi-De-Ho" was in a short film in 1934. The rest of the fabrics and the quilt style all fit with that time period as well.
So this may not be the most amazing quilt top, it has some holes, some wear, and a few frayed edges but it is certainly a piece of American Pop Culture and it certainly will make me smile and "jump and jive" a bit whenever I think of it! Thanks to San at Gypsy quilts and her friend for sending this quilt-top my way!

Lightweight quilting....

2011-07-12T17:24:00.016+01:00

I made it out to my evening quilt guild meeting last night. Since I know there are lots of Bonnie Hunter fans I figured I had to share this photo of a completed Roll Roll Cotton Boll...and no it is not mine. (Mine is sitting patiently in a nice acid free box waiting for me to get my groove on....)My shoulder is healing up. I still can't lift anything heavy (including the iron...definitely need to shop for a small/lightweight iron - any recommendations out there?) I did get some applique done. I've had the Blackbird designs pattern Halloween 1904 for several months and had even pulled the fabrics from my stash. This seemed like a good time to start... Brownie seems to think she should be part of this quilt and has made a bed in the box emptied of the Halloween fabrics....

I decided to stop the Jacob's Ladder quilt top with 30 blocks. I have a fun border planned to make this a single bed size quilt. Even at this size though I have to delay putting the blocks together...maybe next week. The pink and green make it a very fun summery quilt and I do want to finish it this summer!

This and that...

2011-07-08T16:41:00.008+01:00

Summer seems to be a slow time for bloggers...certainly has been for me!
I do have an excuse this time - a car accident. My Dh was driving my car which we park on the sloped driveway. He rarely drives my car and forgot to put on the parking break so as I was getting out the car lurched forward sending me flying onto the lawn (graceful I'm not!) Anyway, nothing broken but my right shoulder/back is really painful making typing or sewing or just about anything a bit of pain (except maybe a "Murder She Wrote" marathon...can't believe I had never seen the first episode!)

So not much happening here so I went through the last months photo files and found several things I had planned to post but never got around to it...at the top of this post is a small doll quilt randomly pieced that I am going to had quilt this summer. I have a huge bag of randomly pieced blocks that I hope to put together but this piece wants to be on its own...
Isn't this quilt blocks sketch book fun! My friend Paula gave it to me for my birthday. So far it has sat on my living-room shelf - too pretty to write in!

This is a card made for me by my friend Maggie. It has all the quilters who stay in the cabin together at Hickory Knob each year...I am the second from the left. Isn't is nice how young she made us all look!

4th of July weekend

2011-07-02T13:30:00.000+01:00

Settling in for the holiday weekend. Lots of project lined up both in the quilting room and in the kitchen.
Found this cute Uncle Sam at graphicsfairy.blogspot.com She posts lots of free graphics each week. Great for quick projects or just some silliness...I used Uncle Same for some Cupcake Picks...he worked well with the flags.

A few days ago I posted a photo of my guilds next donation quilt. I forgot to post that the quilt is from this book.
Not only does this book has some great patriotic projects in it but it is also full of interesting stories about women who served in a wide variety of jobs during WWII. My Mom served over in Europe during WWII with the Red Cross and I think it is important we remember all the folks who support the airman, sailors, marines, and soldiers.

A finish and a treat...

2011-06-29T17:22:00.006+01:00

I promised a finish a few posts ago and here it is! I put the last few stitches on the binding last night. This quilt would never have happened without a lot of help from friends. First the pattern is from Bonnie Hunter's book, Adventures with Leaders and Enders. I was encouraged to finish the top because my friends Angie and Pat were also making this quilt and wanted to put them all together in the next Quilt show (pressure and deadlines help!) My friend Maggie Hunt quilted it for me and Paula attached the binding on her machine for me (my arms are a bit weak at the moment - heck, I am weak at the moment...)

To celebrate I treated myself to some Lemon Blueberry Bread. My sister put me on to a new recipe site (new to me at least) www.joyofbaking.com I've made a couple of their recipes and all have been really good. (I did substitute 1/4 cup of lemon yogurt for half of the milk in my bread though...)

I will pass on my Aunt Ellie's tip for keeping the blueberries high in the bread (works for muffins too.) Wash the blueberries then place them single layer on a dishtowel for 15-20 minutes. Place a papertowel in a bowl and put the berries into the bowl gently shake them so any moisture goes onto the towel. Remove the paper-towel. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of flour over the berries. Even though the berries I used for this bread were huge they were evenly spread throughout.
Back to the quilting front...I found a stack of rwb blocks that were destined for a QOV. Laid them out and remembered why they weren't finished. It was done as a group and there is a fairly large variance in block size! Brownie helped me sort them. I think if I make a dozen more blocks we can get a top finished at our next bee...need to go rummage in the 2-1/2 inch strips and see if I have any red, neutrals or blues left!

For each finish a start...

2011-06-26T20:42:00.008+01:00

It is still brutally hot out so I continue my hibernation in the sewing room. (could this be a quilting cave?...just a thought....)
On the good side I have been sewing a binding on so soon will have a real and complete finish to show! On the other hand some of you may have read Bonnie Hunter's post the other day when she showed a photo of a 1940's Jacob's ladder quilt then posted the direction and asked if anyone wanted to "play" along with her making the quilt. Did someone use play and quilt in the same sentence...whoosh, I was off the cutting board. Who needs a finish when I can start a new quilt!
Yes, I know we have all been there - sigh...at least I am using fabrics from my stash. ( That rationalization works about as well as the about drinking diet soda with pizza to cancel out the calories...)

I finished this week's Civil War block...Now that I have a short stack I wish I had been bit more consistent in fabrics. These 9 blocks work well together while when I spread the whole bunch out...not so much. And that is coming from someone who loves scrappy...maybe the "scrappiness" combined with all the block variation is a bit much...I'll have to think on this one....

Moving the projects along...

2011-06-24T21:32:00.006+01:00

I'm still on the finish it track...

This week I put together the blocks from a "material obsession" project I started earlier this year. This weekend I hope to get the borders on and piece a back! One more UFO off the project list...

I was planning on entering this little doll quilt in a contest but the bed I was going to use is 1 inch too tall for the contest rules! I do have another bed but it would mean making a mattress and changing the quilt top a bit. At the end of day I want to use it on the bed I designed it for so now I can show it to you (one of the rules was no publishing prior to the contest...)

It is based on a full size quilt that I bought in Pennsylvania back in the 90's. The original was stained from being kept in a cedar chest but I still loved the overall design. Anyway, I have a back ready and plan to baste this tonight. I will hand quilt it.
One of the dangers of being ill is spending too much time on the internet...oh, dear. I bought 6 books from "That Patchwork Place" during their warehouse sale and a box came from Hancock's of Paducha yesterday...

Herding and branding UFO's

2011-06-21T15:39:00.005+01:00

I've hunkered down a bit the past week...hiding from the heat! Determined to clear out a few UFO's this summer I have made a pile and started "kitting" them up so there is no excuse not to work on them whenever I have a minute or an ounce of extra energy. MY Dh looked at my "organized" piles with their post-it notes and called it branding time....
I did finish a quilt-top from the UFO pile. Not my oldest UFO but not my newest either. I have a set of 6-7 blocks from the 1940's with this pattern (BB #1654, Richmond or Pinwheel) and I had wanted to reproduce them for a long time. In the end instead of reproducing them in pastels I went for my reproduction stack instead.

Now this moves to the "to be quilted" pile...which is getting alarmingly large again!

Almost Quilting...

2011-06-18T17:59:00.005+01:00

Today I dragged myself out of the house and went to "mini-retreat" that my guild holds two or three times a year. Didn't stay long but I did at least get out of the house and almost quilted!
Also, I got to see my birthday quilt blocks all put together into a quilt top! Lots of scottie dogs and tea cups, red sox, patriotic, moda and Mary Englebreit. (There is even a block with the house I lived in while in England!) It is a fun quilt!
Some other folks were working on the guild's next donation quilt. It is a patriotic quilt and is looking good!

Dobby is now officially the big cat in the house...he outweighs Goldie by 4 ounces and is just slightly taller...I am afraid by the time he finishes growing he will be bigger than Macbeth my Scottish terrier (I think Mac is a bit concerned too!)

Mystery box

2011-06-13T21:11:00.012+01:00

I'll admit there are still a few boxes from our move two years ago that still have not been unpacked. One marked "Linens" was in the back of the closet in my sewing room and finally was opened this past weekend...I guess our movers had never seen a box full of quilting UFO's before!
I showed a couple in my last post but this is the box that just keeps on giving...one big surprise was this piano key border that was made for a king size quilt. When I was finishing the quilt I looked everywhere (well, almost everywhere) and could only find three sides...so I ended up remaking one. Now I have the original 100+ inch piano key border to play with....First, I looked for a quilt in need of a border. No luck. Then I tried using the box of 4-patches with the piano key...not so much. Finally I cut the boarder into three pieces and auditioned fabrics for the alternate strips. The first group was too predictable and dark...the second took too much attention from the piano keys. This is the one I ended up choosing...
I think I'll baste it and handquilt some elbow/baptist fans. Maybe I'll call it the Goldilocks Quilt....

Made my Civil War block of the week...feels good to be back on track with this project again.

Daylilly, a finish and a find!

2011-06-12T00:06:00.008+01:00

The heat has me and my MS hiding indoors this weekend...just hope it isn't for the rest of the summer.

My eyes are a bit wonky (went to an outdoor auction last week and got way overheated) so today I spent time sorting fabric in my sewing room...can't believe I unearthed another box from our last move! Bit of a mystery here...what was I planning on doing with over 150 3-inch four-patches? I have no memory of sewing these but they are made up of my regular fabrics so I guess I must have...but why?! humm....

I also found this table runner top...this I remember! I found a back for it and may quilt it up tomorrow. It will be nice for the summer...
I do have a finish! I made this little quilt for my sister to take to a conference this summer. They collect blankets at "crafter's court" and donate them to a local hospital...this will be her donation!My daylillies are putting on quiet a show...there are at least a dozen different colors in bloom right now. The blooms below are about 6 inches across each so lots of color!
I want to use a couple of the daylilly photos to make an "art" quilt...stay tuned for my latest project!

Quilt Guild...

2011-06-07T17:11:00.010+01:00

Maggie's Happy Hexegons

Last night my evening quilt guild had their monthly meeting. As usual my favorite part was Show and Tell.

Lots of fabrics from a now closed LQS...Shannon used a Shop hop in Atlanta as an opportunity to boy lots of ocean or beach themed batiks then used the turning 20 pattern so she could enjoy them!

Can you believe this quilter made two of these quilts for her guest room? She started them at retreat last January and already has the tops done. On one she was very careful about "placing" the fabrics but on the second it was a "grab and sew"...they ended up looking the same. There is a lesson there...

Our youngest "member" made a pillowcase...

All and all a good time...