Can this quilt be saved...

The past few days I have been playing with a liberated Amish top for a class/group being hosted by Tonya at Lazy Gal quilting.My top isn't too liberated at the moment. So I put it aside and decided to play with a top I started working on back in the late 80's. Yes this is the oldest of the UFO's in my closet and I needed to either "save" it or toss it!
The piecing on the this quilttop isn't good...there is about a 1/2 inch seam allowance and my sewing machine wasn't working well so the threads skipped around a bit. And then there are the bias edges which need no explanation....

So this morning as I waited for the rug cleaning crew to show up and for the cold meds to really kick in I started slicing. This is very therapeutic! The pieces are 6-1/2 inches or less and then are going to be built back up....

I found that even a pink and red can read as medium/dark and since one of the black fabrics had faded to a dark chocolate the entire quilt (including the tan) was very flat. (trust me the only flat thing about this quilt was the colors!)What I needed were some very light (ice-y clear colors) and some ugly clear colors. (like the green, pale pink and clear red strips at the bottom of the photos above.) So this is what is happening....
Not sure where this is going but it is a fun journey....

How my borders grow

No this isn't a gardening post...this is how I can make what started out as a quick and easy border into a week-long angst session.

Started out with a plan to finish up some leftover Baltimore Album blocks. A quick finish to start off my quilting year. First there was the squaring up disaster - I trimmed one side of a block 1/2 inch too short (duhhhhh.) Fortunately I had extra leftovers so I just put the too-small block into the orphan bag and called in the first substitute. I figure in the end only I (and now you) will know.

The blocks went together fine. I was even able to find the fabric I bought for the border over 13 years ago! (that number 13 foreshadows what is to come....) I laid it out on the dining room table with the single wide wild dark paisley border to show my DH. He just said yuck. Then it hit me...that is why this has been a UFO for so long. My blocks started out sort of muddy and dark then I added more and more clear colors. The clear colored blocks made it into my first album quilt while these darker blocks racked up frequent-flyer miles in a pretty white box that has moved across down the east coast and twice across the Atlantic. I made my mind up that I didn't want yuck...so back to the fabric stash.

First I cut a ribbon strip from a medium red fabric that there is a bit of in the quilt. (yes, I have fabric that old in my stash...this is housed in the applique cabinet where fabric doesn't turn very quickly! - pun intended!) It did brighten up the paisley a lot. But it gave the whole thing a very formal feeling. I'm just not like that anymore.
So out came this plaid from the same time period - brighter and less formal...but also just a bit boring.

Then I remembered the little HST leftovers from the Carolina Christmas quilt (ok from working on the Carolina Christmas...another one to finish this year!) I have a large baggy filled with these in reds and shirtings.

They make it all a bit scrappy. Sort of a mulit-generational quilt feel...someone found their grandmothers UFO applique blocks then added some HST and a border. I like it...I think...what do you think? Do the HST need another border like with this dark green? or should I pull in a bit of the gold/cheddar? This is definately more fun looking...oh ya, and a lot more work....

So this is my conundrum for the week. Fortunately DH is out of town on business for a couple of nights so I can leave all these good ideas draped around the living room as I make up my mind!

Road Trip.....

Sorry I have been slow in posting the past week. Lots of "stuff" to do for the local guild caught up with me. We are going to have not one but two workshops this March with Laura Wasolowki. This may be the first time in Guild history we have had so much interest in a workshop that we added a day so more members could have a chance to get a seat! Needless to say the taking reservations and payments for the first class was a bit wild and hectic...then adding another day (which ment some folks on day one now wanted to change days) made me brush off old worksheet skills...

We also had a roadtrip yesterday up to the One Stop Shop Hop in Lancster, South Carolina. Got to say planning things with this quilt guild is like herding cats. I hope everyone had a good time...I know my carload did! There was a button vendor there that had some beautiful and unusual things. And a girl can never have too many buttons! They were like little pieces of art....
Of course if there was a scotty dog button it went directly into my basket....
After the One stop we drove over to Mary Jo's in Gastonia. One of the quilters in my car was new to the area and it was her first MJ trip. Shannon was awed only for a few moments then went right to work hauling bolts of fabric over to the cutting table! It helps she had a specific project in mind...the rest of us MJ veterns wandered aimlessly buying a bit of this and a bit of that...I got some solids that are about 1/3 yard for less than a dollor each from a scrap bin and scored almost a yard of Kaffe for $3 on a remnant table. Since I only needed one thing (8 yards of backing fabric) most of my time was spent rummaging any box that looked like it may have some fun sale items in it. So how is it I still had a really large bag of fabric when I left the store?! Oh, well....If you are ever in the Gastonia area visiting Mary Jo's you shouldalso add Charlie Rector's Long Creek Mills Thread shop at 108 South Webb St. It is about 10 minutes from M.J. and is to thread what her shop is to fabric. Just standing at the door and taking in all the rows and rows of thread in all the wonderful colors is worth the trip. But bringing home some of those colors is even better. It was only $2 for 3000 yards of cotton thread. So I am now stocked up in all the basics and then some!

And for some more eye candy...this is a Piece of Cake quilt pattern two of the members of my guild are working on....

Housebuilding

Just as I finished up the 6th house block and feeling proud I had met my goal to have 6 ready for today's mail it hit me...it is a holiday...no mail service! Oh well, they are ready for tomorrow...the little half-square triangles across the bottom are made from trimming the roof pieces.

These are going to V over at Bumblebeans. She is collecting them to make quilts to support homeless in NYC. She amazes me with all her energy.On the homefront - the first block for the 2010/11 annual Donation Quilt my local guild does each year to support Camp Rainbow is in...doesn't it look great. We are using a pattern from Blackbird Designs "Simply Vintage" (with their consent of course.) Generally we have found applique quilts raise more money than pieced ones...I know I am getting excited about this quilt. Other advantages to applique blocks: much easier to square up to consistant sizes (amazing how difficult it is when you get 25 pieced blocks ranging from 11-3/4 inches to 12-1/2 inches) and if members of the guild donate bits and pieces of fabric it cost a lot less to make so more goes to the charity. Some of the fabrics in this quilt are "leftovers" from a quilt the guild made 4 years ago...no waste with these quilters!

snow days

Like most of the country this is a slow weekend due to snow. I'm not complaining.
We had over 8 inches of the very wet stuff the other night. I went out three times to knock the snow off the "pepper myrtle" in my front yard. (They are very susceptible to breaking.) In the morning I was so happy to see it standing there in one piece. But than as I finished my second cuppa coffee we heard a loud crack...the largest of the limbs had broken off. Duhhhh. On the positive side I am saving the limb to see if my BIL can use it for wood turning and there will now be a bit more sun for flowers this summer in the front bed....

Goldie has been the smartest of the bunch....she has stayed in the bedroom under the quilts for what seems like days! The sun is out this morning though so I expect Goldie sightings any minute now....I did work on a few blocks for V's latest project (bumblebeans.) She is collected 10.5 (unfinished) house blocks to make quilts for the homeless in NYC. I'm going to try and have 6 ready for tomorrow's mail pickup...two down and 4 to go.
The second went together so much faster than the first I don't think this should be too big a hill to climb!Oh...and happy Valentine's day! The block above is from my 1860's applique quilt. I love the fabric used in this block! Half the signatures in this quilt are from Maryland and half from Pennsylvania.

New things...

I guess I just going to write this off as a play-month...
My sister showed me how to do rug hooking last week and I have started a sampler piece. She gave me some "worms" (already cut wool) but I wanted to try some different patterned wools so pulled some from my very meager wools stash. I made a run at dying some...

the bottom is the natural and on top of that is the dyed. I found the rougher wools took the over-dye much better than the smooth wool on top that came from an old skirt. (both had been washed and felted a bit before dying.)

Then I went over my friend Maggies house...have to insert cute cat photo of Tom on "his" Kaffe Fasset quilt!)
Anyway I tried using some of her inks and then experimented with what happens when you get the inks wet...
It needs a lot of thread painting and beads to crank it up a notch...and you know I have thread and beads!

Check out this 1930's quilt that Maggie quilted up for a customer. Lots and lots of exposed bias made this a really wonky quilt. I love the colors though....

Almost Amish

My sister and her husband came to visit for a few days so I haven't been on the computer very much the past few days.
Getting the guest room ready gives me a chance to look at some of the antique quilts that I "store" layered on the queen size bed. It sort of reminds me of the Princess and the Peas fairytale - there are about a dozen quilts, each separated by a sheet, that have to come off the bed! This red, blue and black 9-patch came from a street-fair in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. I love the variety of black fabrics in it and from a distance it is "almost Amish" because of the near solids. I am participating in Tonyas "Liberated Amish" class - this would almost count.

Since the cats aren't allowed in that room naturally Brownie snuck in while I was working in there....note the guilty look on her face....

Today I am going to finish up a couple of wheelchair bags for our charity group and work on a new project - rughooking - for a couple of hours. I tried dying some wool last night during the superbowl for this project. Some came out good some - ah, not so good. Hopefully when cut into thing strips (worms) and poked into the linen background they will look better! Photos to come tomorrow....

Wordless Wednesday...

NOLA reunion

Faced with leaving his sick wife at home or staying home and missing his reunion in New Orleans my DH did the politically correct thing - he took me with him.
I wish I had been stronger so I could have gotten around the city more but there is a lot to be said for room service. (remember the children's book character Eloise whose favorite phrases were "room service" followed by "charge it please!) Well that was me for the past few days....

I did take one carriage ride and got in a lot of photos in a very short time...Combine the success of their football team and the upcoming Madi Gra and New Orleans was getting dressed to party! I think visiting the city before the parades is a good idea - everything is fresh and still intact...after the parade and the city looks like a sorority girl sneaking in the back door early on Saturday morning. Just a bit tired, worn and hung over.
Even though there were a few beads in unexpected places...

must have been the post game parties last weekend.
I know NOLA is famous for its blue-dogs...but I found some dogs equally as interesting...

where else but New Orleans would they put a hat like this on a Pit Bull...she was a sweetheart though!

And this black and white pup sure liked to sing...another sweet dog...

As usual the food was great. The city sure has come back a long way since Katrina. I found an Artist Co-op down near the French market, Dutch Alley at 912 N. Peters street, that I would strongly recommend visiting if you are in NOLA. Really a nice assortment of arts and crafts including a wide range of jewelry, great textiles, and wood turnings. The artists also work in the store and seemed to love talking about their works.

I just couldn't resist including this photo from the market...love the colors....maybe I need to do a NOLA quilt.....

Too much retreat...

Retreat was wonderful...lots of fun, food, fabric, friends, and general fooling around. What I didn't get was enough rest and I am so paying for it. Yup, the cold did a rebound that has laid me out flat for the past week. (don't tell my DH but yes, it was worth it!)

Just a few of the photos...

We have been called the guild that "forces" you to applique. We really don't strong arm anyone but when you see all the great applique quilts these folks make it just drives even the staunchest piecer to search out a straw needle and some freezer paper.... the photo above is a group project for a member's 60th birthday showing her garden and cats!


Can you believe two of our members each made one of these Piece of Cake quilts last year...they kept each other on track each month...right now they are working on the border (when not posing for photos....)The other was done in red...


This was out guild's 12th year holding this retreat and we had over 50 quilters attend! It is a good news bad new sort of thing...great to have all these quilters but now we may have to do a bit more planning. It was only sheer dumb luck no-one tripped over a cord or send a machine flying! We will do better next year....

A new quilter with her first sampler quilt...she finished two during the retreat!
We had some Kaffe Fasset fans there...Maggie has almost finished her top.

and it was nice to see I did not bring the most "stuff...." (good we have honest quilters though there is some great fabric in these totes!) Now it is back to guzzling some Theraflu and climbing back into bed...so glad my DH gave me lots of DVD's for Christmas...I just watched a couple of episodes of Firefly, Wild Wild West, and Cadfael....