Cruise!

I'm not sure it is quite the same going on a Caribbean cruise when you live in Florida.

San Juan...

I mean we see water, beaches and palm trees all the time!  (and why does that sound like I am complaining...hummm)  Anyway, we spent 7 days going from Amber Cove in the DR, to St. Thomas, San Juan, and then Grand Turks.

St. Thomas

All good...not a lot of sewing or quilting but then again no cooking or cleaning!

Now back to reality...my design wall...a zipper Christmas table runner, some grey free pieced background blocks for applique and a couple of random blocks found while folding fabric! The zipper table runner is a good way to use some of the charm packs that seem to be multiplying in the fabric baskets...they are like candy in the checkout lane!

I also have Bonnie Hunter's leader and ender for this year under the needle.  I'm using a controlled scrappy fabric selection since my niece asked for a purple and orange quilt.  I was surprised just how much of those colors I had in my stash!  I now have a very large box of 4-patches and another large box of hst's.  I think it may be time to start making more blocks...

In the sewing room...

So much is stressful right now...Korea...Virginia...my move...falling!  I know they aren't all equal but they are all keeping me awake at night!

So I am spending more time in my sewing room.

When Goldie, my 17 year old cat, gives me a bit of space.

small quilt I machine quilted...still have quite a learning curve but getting there!

I am making miles of binding...have 4 quilts to bind for our show in November and three wallhangings that need binding for the silent auction.  Wouldn't it be nice if they all just used the same fabric?!  Never works that way..

Just a few more feet of binding and the Picasso in Paris quilt will be ready for my sister.  This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern from her website.  I took her scrappy trip around the world blocks and put them on point.

I am really happy with the stripe I used for binding!

My biggest "finish" is my Baltimore Applique leftover top!  I started this 25 years ago...vintage before it is even quilted.  I was happy to find I had enough of the background fabric to piece a back for the quilt.  A friend is going to hand quilt this one for me.

So perhaps a few more quilts and a couple more days of limiting the number of  hours I listen to the news and I'll be back packing up the house again...until then I'm hiding in the quilt studio....

Have to finish something!

Today I decided to sit at the sewing machine and sew for a bit.

 All this folding, organizing and packing was just wearing me out!

Also I was afraid that if I pack up this leader and ender project from two years ago that it would never be sewn together!  So after several hours I almost have a top!

Did go through some more boxes that leaves me shaking my head...

like this almost quilt top made from leftover/orphan blocks from my Baltimore Album quilt.  I think I took that class in 1993!  I think I'm going for a personal record with this....

Found boxes of 4-patches in reproduction fabric...

two patches in brights

and even the blocks from a Bonnie Hunter Mystery (this is only about 10 years old so not ready to finish yet!)

Back from the quilter!

Today two quilts came back from Patty Lennon, a local longarm quilter who is in my guild.

First is a quilt I am making for my sister.  I used Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trip Around the World pattern only I put it on point!

Changes it a bit.  I've made at least 4 of the regular so wanted to try something just a bit different!

Of course then I had a table-full of 2-1/2 inch strips from making my sister's quilt-top so I played with another Bonnie pattern...think this one is Carolina Chain?  (Can't get to my books right now...)

This is really a fun pattern and uses a lot of scraps!  Now I just need to make lots of binding!  Plus set up my old Bernina...that machine just powers through binding!

Which is helpful.  As I said I can't get to my books...mainly since the MS has crept up on me.  I went to the guild bee feeling a bit weak.  By the time I got home I could barely make it into the house.  Right now I am back to using a walker.  It happened that fast!  Hoping it turns around just as quickly!

Pieces of my Heart lessons learned

I know I am supposed to be working on UFO's but a few weeks ago I saw a facebook post showing Wendy Williams's new quilt "Pieces of my Heart."

(Photo of finished quilt from Material Obsessions website)

I loved it so I ordered it from Austrailia and started working on it the week it arrived!  First, I still love this quilt and I am going to finish it.  I may even finish it this month!  I have however learned a lot...

Second - it is useful to check online to see if there are any videos.  I had only gone as far as pulling fabric and reading the direction when I found a 4 minute video by Wendy and Material Obsessions.  That made my life a lot easier!

Third - when you have enough fabric/scraps add a few more on each end of the value spectrum.  I started out with almost all reds and pinks.  After watching the video I added a lot more purples, oranges and yellows.  Also added more textures.  Really happy I did.  I have everything from Kaffee to Mary Engelbreight and everything in between!

Fourth - the technique is sort of a flip and sew log cabin...when trimming use a really long ruler.  My first half has a bit of ruler drift since I was only using a 15 inch ruler.  duh!

Fifth - pin often.  The heart can get a bit wobbley particularly as you get to the outer rows.

Sixth - press, press, press...hit it with a bit of best press or starch and press again.

I hope to get the last row onto the left side of the heart today and maybe even start the background piecing.  

This quilt also has a lot of wool embroidered hearts.  My friend Paula gave a bag of wool bits in lots of different shades of red, pink, orange and purple.  Can't wait to start playing with those!

On other projects...I had a finish!

This went to a fund raiser for a friend's sister's medical bills.

And this quilt top is for my sister!  It is Bonnie Hunter's Trip around the world pattern only put on point.  Yes, I took and fairly easy pattern and managed to make it complicated!  I have the backing ready to piece so should have this to the longarmer this month...phew.  Good thing for me they still need quilts in the summer up in Maine!

sewing machine vs toe....

Have you set any goals or resolutions for 2017?  I'm still working on mine...

One that I was considering was getting all my vintage sewing machines in order or out the door.  I only want to hold on to the ones that are either "beautiful or useful." - W. Morris.

So far the progress isn't good.  I took out my green Necchi to give it a good going over.  Then I realized I hadn't put the plastic cloth on the table.  So I moved the Necchi (not a small task as it weighs a ton...ok, not a ton but more than I want to lift!)  I put the cloth on the table then the Watson barks at the back door so I go to let him in and what do I do?  Trip over the Nicchi breaking my toe (btw...the Nicchi is so heavy it didn't tip over when I kicked it!)

Urgh!  So I am starting 2017 with blue, gray and green toes.  Not a great quilt inspiration.  This Nicchi may be looking for a new home!

On the up side I am making a list of quilts I am going to finish this year.

This pattern is in Bonnie Hunter's new book.  Believe it is a Carolina Chain...but since my foot is elevated I can't confirm that right now!  I have backing for this already so it is making progress!

Storm on the way...

Can't believe that last week this time I was in the Bahamas.

Nassua Bahama

It was sunny and warm.  Today the islands are being hit with Hurricane Mathew.  Prayers are with them.

Small church on Half Moon Caye

Me on the tender back to or ship...

I live about 2 hours inland so we don't expect more than some rain and a bit of wind.  We are at the end of evacuation route.  I heard that all hotels in our area are booked!  I did volunteer a few hours at an evacuation shelter for pets...will even take some horses!

I figured it is appropriate to share a photo of my Ocean Waves quilt...

Hope all in Mathews path stay safe!  I'm going to go hide in my sewing room for awhile!  Maybe even finish up this Roll Roll Cotton boll!  Appropriate for the wind that is starting to kick up...

What is on the design wall...

In addition to going to workshops I have been trying to do some sewing and even a bit of "designing!"

My sister requested a quilt for her cabin up in Maine.  I started to make a Scrappy Trip Around the World from Bonnie Hunter's website.  I've made that pattern several times and I knew it would work up fast and use some of my overflow of 2-1/2 inch strips.

But of course midway I thought...why not put these blocks on point?  And maybe turn them different directions...oh no, then I have to piece the sides

ok, so I made a very simple project into a real pain!  But at least it is almost finished!  (btw...Goldie my cat is not making this process any easier...one block went missing and still has not been found!)  Thought for sure once I remade it the block would show up!

The other quilt I'm working on is just starting!  Each year my guild makes a quilt to raise money for a local camp for children with cancer, Camp Rainbow.  This year the quilt is based on an Irish Chain with flying geese borders in the Kate Triplett's Indigo Quilts book.  Of course it was only a photo so I had to draft a pattern (with Kate's permission.)

Then the committee thought it would be good to have applique in the open blocks...because my guild loves to applique.  So I drew some designs.  Now the blocks are starting to come in and it is sort of exciting to see them!  Saturday is the deadline for them...should have a photo of an "almost quilt top" then!

VA Hospital quilts

A few months ago a chaplain at the local Veterans Administration Hospital approached the quilting guild I belong to and asked if we could make quilts for the long term care wards.

82 of the quilts on display at a local church...

Many of these vets are elderly and no longer have family that visit.  Making the institutional setting even bleaker.

Here in front are two of the quilts I made...Bonnie H. fans will recognize one!

So first our goal was 50..then 75...and come Tuesday when they are presented I believe we will be close to 90 quilts!  I'm really proud to be part of this guild...

I am madly putting the binding on the last one in my stack...a fitting project for the 4th of July I think!

Estate Sale finds...

I had hoped to go a quilt show in Atlanta with some friends today but MS decided otherwise.  It takes awhile for my body to get used to the summer heat here in Georgia.

So instead my husband brought me to an estate sale.  I am still looking for a few storage pieces for my sewing room and had shown him a great thread cabinet online...

Well as luck would have it we got there coffee in hand (before the doors even opened!) only to find out the thread cabinet had been pulled from the sale.  It happens.

We did however find some fun quilts.  And it is a good thing we were early as only a few minutes behind us was a dealer who took most of what we had left behind!

This first one may be my favorite.  The maker was pretty fast and loose with the block pattern so I would just call it a square in a square framed by half square triangles with double sashings and cornerstones.

It is very scrappy!  Lots of plaids and shirtings.  Reminded me a lot of my friend Bonnie!

The binding is just the backing turned the front.  See that often here in the south.  The quilting is large Baptist fans...also seen often here.  Pieces are fairly small.  The inner block is about 6 inches...

It needs a bath...first there is a small hole in the back that I need to repair.  If there are any loose seams or holes where batting could be lost in the wash or the washing motion could do more damage I always repair first.

Second quilt also reminds me of Bonnie...again, very scrappy and lots of plaids!  I think they are happy quilts...

The star is about 6 inches...

The biding is again back to front and the quilting is Baptist fan.  No documentation that they were made by the same person but my "quilty sense" (yes, a nod to Spiderman in a quilt blog!) certainly suspects a connection!

So bottom line...we went to get something to store my quilts in and instead came home with...wait for it...more quilts!!  (I have two more to share later this week!)