Catching up...maybe!

These fabrics don't look like they belong in my stash...

well, they aren't mine.  I'm finishing a quilt for a friend who passed away a couple months ago.  The top is complete.  Luckily she told another friend that she wanted to piece a strip of these blocks up the back...so I'm piecing the back today.

It is fun to work outside my comfort zone and since it is scrappy I'm happy.

My other "not-me" project is my guild's donation quilt.  We are making the Kaffe Fassett Anniversary quilt with the jars and bowls.  It was a kit.  Anytime you have a wide variety of folks stitching on one project putting the blocks together is an adventure.  Generally we cut the applique backing pieces really large so we can trim down.  With a kit there wasn't that option.  Luckily there is only a 1/2 variance on both width and height so we will only need to trim a smidge...an activity best done with only one of two quilters and a very large pot of tea.

Funny story on this project.  A block was turned in as finished.  When I was pressing the blocks I noticed a needle still in the block.  When I pulled the needle I noticed there was thread still attached.  Then I noticed about 2 inches of the pot wasn't stitched down yet!  Yup...group projects...there is always something....

And while I am concentrating on the two projects above I am making some progress on the liberated leader and ender scrap reduction project.

Also sewed up 5 backings for tops that need to be quilted before the show in November...yikes!

A bit of sewing

I'm spending a good bit of this Memorial Day weekend in the sewing room.

I really wanted to organize a bit but instead I ended up sewing up some blocks to make a baby quilt for the guild's silent auction table.  Our show is in November this year so I stand a good chance of having it done in time!

I rationalized this by saying I was using up some 2-1/2 inch strips instead of just putting them away.  It works for me!  The pattern is from a Missouri Star U-tube video.  It takes four of these stars to make a baby quilt.

I've also dumped out the leader and ender basket to trim up the liberated blocks so they can be used again!  I'm close to having enough to put together in a project.

Last week my husband picked up an antique sampler for me at an estate sale.

It was covered in plastic wrap and stitched to a cardboard backing.

It was fun to unwrap and carefully take out the stitches so I could really see what was stitched on the sampler.

It is about 25 inches by 25 inches so a good size sampler!  The date is 1847.

Next I need to decide how to frame it again.

Golf has taken over Augusta...making it difficult for me to think of much else this weekend!

The challenge for my guild's show this fall is "picture this"...a small quilt inspired by a photograph.  I keep looked at golf photos wondering if I could incorporate one...my husband would like that!

On the UFO front (which I really should be focusing on instead of a new project!)  I finished piecing 3 backings this week.  That is a lot of yardage out of the stash.  Most of it was from fabric I bought on sale with the purpose of using it for backing.  One was made up of a bit of everything...

I finished up the liberated squares.  I decided to make a table runner.  I have a back all ready and plan to quilt it this week.  I may have some real (as in quilted and bound) finishes for April!

A glutton for punishment I put another UFO on the board.  I think this was Bonnie Hunter's leader and ender project for last year.  I was all gun-ho for a month getting lot of baggies of bits cut out and then for some reason it was put away...well, you know what happens then!

I like how it has so many of my favorite repro fabrics in it.  When finished it will be a good reminder or record of my stash.

I did sort of break my rules this time.  The first box/basket I opened had three projects in it!  Two are finished tops and one still needs a pieced border.  The two tops are in the "need a backing" pile and the one that needs a border is back into the UFO stack.  I think I need to order some Cherrywood fabric before I can finish that one! (far right in the photo!)

Finally on the Dobby front...he is doing better.  Still recovering.  He at least lets me check his scrapes now.  They all seem to be healing well.  This morning he stole Watson's breakfast so another step closer to normal!

On to the next UFO!

Can hardly believe it but my April UFO goal is already a top!  So I am debating working on a second one...

This one isn't going to be as fast!  I made lots of these little 5 inch random pieced squares at one point.  I made a table runner out of some and some coasters out of others.  These are the remainders...the "rule" is when I open a UFO box/bag I either finish it, donate it either as a finished project or UFO, or I toss it.  No putting it back into the pile...

Checkerboards is now a top!  Even have a top pieced for it...

I'm also busy washing fabric to piece backs.  One of my least favorite parts of quilting...such big pieces to iron then pin then push through the sewing machine and then press again...One down and three to go.  I've washed the fabrics. Still lots of work to do!

We are dealing with some extreme weather here in Georgia today...thunderstorms, hail and potential tornados!  I hate tornados!

A pixelated photo of Dobby I was thinking of using for a quilt...

It has been really wet this week. Last night Dobby hadn't come home at his usual 7 pm curfew.  About 9 we went out to look for him.  We found him next to our deck covered in mud...totally covered!  Had to get him into the bathtub...he isn't a big fan of baths.  Anyway, he has some scratches but nothing too serious.  The only blood flowing was mine...

He is in his safe and quiet place recovering....

Some new books!

I did a bit of "pity-purchasing" last week-end when a virus had me out of circulation...now that I am feeling better I get to enjoy the packages arriving at the front door!

I bought several book but I'll share two of my favorite arrivals.  First, Indigo Quilts: 30 Quits from the Poos Collection by Kay and Lori Lee Triplett.  Love this book!  The first third is data heavy - everything you want to know about the history of Indigo.  Lots of history and some photos.  The next third is titled "Quilt Album" and it is just that - photos of great examples of indigo quilts. (you will need couple cuts of tea to get through the first third and a napkin to keep your drool off the pages for the album section!)  Finally the last section has directions for 5 projects using indigo fabrics.  It is nice selection of applique and piecing at beginner to advanced.

Second book is Tributes and Treasures: 12 Vintage-Inspired Quilts made with Reproduction Prints by Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison..  This book is mainly about the patterns with a bit of American History.  The quilts are nicely designed, the book is laid out well, photography is excellent, and the directions for the quilts look to be well done.  It is a keeper!

I am still working hard to finish a couple more quilts before the show in two weeks.  So of course my go-to sewing machine died.  It has been in and out of the shop so often the past year that I am finally accepting it may be time to let it go...ever since I wore out the feed-dog and had to have it replaced it just hasn't worked the same.

The good news is I finally took out the $10 Bernina 1030 my husband found for me at an estate sale.  Of course then I had to take it in to be serviced - $80.  Then I bought a walking-foot - $170....but I love this machine!  Definitely worth every penny!

I finished channel quilting this little improvisational shirting quilt.  It reminds me of many early 20th century Southern quilts made using scraps from the textile factories.  For this quilt I used colors found around Augusta in the springtime...when we have most of our visitors!  I should be able to get the binding down tonight and then only have one more to finish!

A few finishes...

I haven't been as good sticking to my list of projects this year and I'm not gong to let it bother me!

"Cherry Churndash" - finally cut into some of my Cherrywood fabrics

MS is nicknamed the "snowflake disease" because it has so many symptoms and those symptoms can vary so much from patient to patient...or even during the course of a patient's disease...or how about for one patient in the time from breakfast to lunch.   It sort of reminds me of New England weather...

Last week's snow on our Nandia bushes

So it is difficult picking projects to work on...yesterday my hand was too clumsy to applique so I played with fabric; the day before my arms were too weak to handle the quilt that needed to be quilted so I cut strips from my scrap pile; today my eye is to wonky to handle a rotary cutter or thread a needle but I think I can run some squares through the sewing machine....

Not being able to quilt or sew is dangerous for me...

I go on ebay...(this Egyptian applique was listed as a "vintage Scandinavian textile?"  )

or I bake...these brownies did not last long....

BTW...did anyone else notice they changes the size of the Baker's Chocolate squares!  Now it takes and entire package to make a pan of brownies where it used to take half a package.  The package is the same size only thinner!  They need bigger notices on the box.  I've made these so often I don't even read the recipe...I just tossed half a box into the double boiler with the butter.  Luckily it didn't look right when it was all melted together and I check the box! (ok..not about quilts but I consider anything about chocolate a public service announcement....)

Did any of you work on the waverunner project with Victoria Finley...must have been about 4 years ago!  Anyway, I dug out mine and gave it a good press.  Think I'll machine quilt it later this month!  Already have a plan and for me that is half the battle with machine quilting!

Finally, with the recent cold weather we have had some really interesting birds at the feeders.

I put a suet feeder out when we had the ice storm and was really happy to see the woodpecker that I hear all the time but rarely see, come to the feeder!  I looked him up online to see what kind and borrowed the photo as he is very camera-shy and very fast!  The wings are really beautiful!

Quilt-y visit...

A few more photos from the whirlwind visit by Tonya this week.

Rachel and Tonya inspecting a vintage liberated quilt

Got to meet up with lots of the local quilters who either knew Tonya when she lived in Georgia or knew her through the internet...

Brownie blends into the quilt a bit too much!

Seems like quilts were the focus of the week.  Every photo I took has at least one in it!  And most have a cat as well...this is Brownie posing on a pile of Orphan blocks and scraps that Tonya gathered around the house.  You can tell I had a real Moda red and green phase!  (funny I like this better in the photo than I did in real life!)

And a few more vintage blocks from the guild bag yesterday.  These sailboat blocks all have names on them but only 5 of the 9 have the names embroidered.

 I hadn't seen this block used as a siggy block before.  Would make a cute child's quilt.  I did get a chucke out of this block...who knew my cat had a last name!?  And so Southern sounding...

Rushing the year...

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....

Mystery box

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.

Word Play Quilts...

Tonya's book is now available...

I can't wait to get my hands on it!

I met Tonya about ten years ago (yikes) when I moved to Georgia. She was teaching a class at our LQS. I was new in town and so happy to meet another quilter (who didn't take themselves too seriously! she is the unruly quilter after all....)
Our "styles" couldn't have been more different. I was still working on a Baltimore Applique and collecting Antique and Vintage Quilts. Tonya was already piecing without measuring and antique stores made her sneeze! But we became friends anyways! Now I make an occasional wonky-freestyle quilt and Tonya almost bought an antique quilt at Houston....

Pre-clean and sorta flat

I know I am not the only one who cleans the house before the maid-service comes over....in that same vein I am now de-cluttering my sewing room a bit before having some help come in to work on a better plan for the closet.
So as I de=cluttered I also found some projects that weren't quite UFO's...more like DFI (delayed for inspiration....)First was my take on V's (Bumblebeans) waverunner project. This was a lot of fun but as it grew it started taking on a life of it's own. I swear if I even looked at this it stretched out of shape. Ya, I know it is supposed to be liberated but I just wanted it to be sort of flat...that isn't asking too much is it?

Yesterday I did a bit of work...trimming here, inserting a bit there, using an entire bottle of Mary Ellen's Best Press and lo and behold - I pretty sure if I get is basted quickly I can "quilt out" any fullness. (That is my definition of "sorta flat...")
I confess however to being a border person and so kept looking at it this morning and thinking what if? So instead of cleaning like I planned...I put on this Gwen inspired border. I used 5 different grays...I didn't even know I had 5 grays! (BTW...the borders are on the bottom and left sides of the quilt...cannot get this to load correctly and I have run out of time and patience!)The photo above is another "unearthed" project...I was trying to use up some of the batiks that have been "aging" in the stash. This is one of Bonnie Hunter's patterns...Scrappy Trip Around the World.And then there was this...one of the antique/vintage liberated type blocks that were hiding in the muslin.....I remember putting this block on my design board when I challenged myself to be "free-er" in my use of stripes. It helped!