Autumn is sauntering in . . .

I'm still working on this quilt.  I hand quilt every morning (except Sunday) and it's looking great but I'm always so surprised by how slow hand quilting is.  The full quilt is pictured at the right

Kinda crazy

We had a pumpkin block exchange in my quilt group.  I wanted to get something made out of them before they get stuck in a box and forgotten.  I tried all sorts of ideas and none of them worked with what I wanted or the amount of time I was willing to spend putting this together.  I had three of the corner pumpkins done so I needed to make one more.  I also made the double stacked pumpkins.

I found this leaf print in my stash from many moons ago.  It's not quilt weight fabric but it is really pretty.  I call it "The Pumpkin Patch" because it looks like the pumpkins are sitting among the leaves.

 

Look closely for the pumpkin

And speaking of pumpkin patches, it's really looking like fall around here in the garden.

Another pumpkin further along in the garden.

A small green pumpkin above and one just beginning below.

The patio looks lonely without the grandkids running about and people sitting down enjoying food.

We had our last family gathering of the summer.  It was a backyard campout.  One of my grandson's found an unguarded bag of gummi bears and promptly stuffed his mouth before anyone found out what he was doing.  Sugar. . . we love how it tastes but it does a number on a child's activity levels.

My husband always plants big clusters of marigolds that shine so brightly in the noonday sunshine.

Of course, they weren't very big when they were planted but by this time of year they out-do themselves.

The concord grapes are starting to ripen.  The leaves are spent and ready to be done with summer.

This corner of the garden has pumpkins growing in among the iris'.  This is where the quail hang out so I didn't disturb them looking for more orange orbs.

It's a lovely day,

Robin

I love it!

 I finished the quilt top I was making with my Blackbird Designs fabric.  I used Ella's Linen Closet (my absolute favorite), Madeira, Meadow, Blueberry Crumb Cake, Chelsea Boutique, and Nell's Flower Shop.  You might recognize some Jan Patek, Robin Pandolph, and Jo Morton too.  

I love love love how it turned out.  It's going to be fun to quilt and sleep under.  I'm making this to go on my bed to replace the quilt that has been on it since 2002.  It will have cotton batting and a great vintage blue print backing that I think came from a Thimbleberries Christmas line.  (Gotta use up those Thimbleberries).

And speaking of using up things. . . no, I didn't use up all my Blackbird Scraps.  There were just some that didn't fit into the theme.

Like this yardage from Beach House and At Water's Edge.  Both lovely fabrics but I'll have to use them for something else.

Along with a 3 yd. piece of the Madeira line in the red colorway and 2 1/2 yds. of Meadow in a blue colorway that just didn't fit in with the other pieces I had chosen.  

Here is the quilt with the flying geese going East.  I just like them all going North the best.

The pattern called for a mixture of directions for the flying geese but I didn't like it.

It just looked all jumbled up.

I prefer the North point configuration.  The pattern is called "Northbound" by Mary Fons.

We have had such lovely (although dry) skies lately.

I got up "at dawn's early light" the other morning and the hibiscus was delightfully blooming.

I love how nature blooms all summer long.  Each flower has it's time to stand out and sparkle.  How dynamic but sad it would be if everything bloomed at once and then it was over.

I made a pie with whole wheat crust from dried apples.  I rehydrated the apples but I forgot how much apples expand when they cook.  They raised so high the crust broke away around the outside.  It was very tasty.

This picture is for Michelle McLaughlin Pennsylvania Piecemaker if she happens to read this.  It's concerning her post about knitting spools.

Looking forward to a beautiful day~

Robin

Finally finished

 I completed my Civil War Sampler (again) this week.  I started it with the 2011 Block of the Week program on Barbara Brackman's Civil War blog.  (I love that you can see my grandson's hands at the top of the quilt.)

I call it Succession to Emancipation.  The 7 stars in the middle represent the 7 original states that succeeded from the union.  And the border of girls of different skin tones, holding hands, represent Emancipation.  I also pieced the batting to represent the Union being pieced back together.

I finished it to the hand holding girls border and put it in my closet awaiting  quilting.  When I took it out to quilt I decided it needed another border and sewed the panel strip border around the outside.

For whatever reason (do I really need a reason?) it got put away and when I decided to get it out  again. . .   it needed another border  I ended up buying Barbara Brackman's book of patterns (which it really good BTW) and added another border.  It was complete at last.  It is 81" square.

I backed it with a faded looking floral from the "Say it With Flowers" line by Jan Patek and then pin basted it.  I watched Kate Jackson at the Last Homely House (on youtube) quilt at her table with a cutting matt between the quilt and the table.  I wanted to try this method..  So I pin basted it and using size 8 DMC cotton thread, I 'big stitched' it.  It came together so fast and quilting at the table didn't strain my back or hands like quilting at the frames does.  

I will definitely be using  this quilting method again.

I'm still working on the "Northbound Quilt" pattern designed by Mary Fons.

I wanted to use up my Blackbird Designs scraps but I have had to add a lot of other pieces.  This is a great scrap buster.  I need 121 blocks for the size quilt I want to make and I've only made 80 so far.  The block size is 8".  It's coming along.  

I'll finish with this fabulous looking hamburger my daughter #2 made.  We had a family party last Thursday night and I had to get a picture of this luscious looking burger (green chilies - yum!).

Enjoy,  Robin

It's Poppy Day!

 

". . . all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;"     

D&C 59:18

Some things just have to be shared!

Robin

I haven't posted for a while. . .

But, there are plenty of quilting things going on around here.

I finished appliqueing the 24 birds around my perky bird center.  I am making this quilt as I come up with ideas for it and right now I'm not sure what I want the cornerstones to look like.  I've thought of stars or fans or long cabin but none of that seems quite right.  So until I have an idea it will wait on the design wall. 

 

I finished hand quilting my red & white quilt.  I started quilting it in January and it was a tough slog through quilting the same colors and shapes over and over.  Finally I decided to figure out how long it would take me to finish the quilt if I did a certain amount of squares per day - 6 days a week.  I figured out it would still take 8 weeks but I was determined.  I didn't miss a day and now it's thankfully done.  I really like the quilt I just didn't enjoy quilting it.

 

My quilt group "Bound Together" is doing a mystery quilt.  I decided to do my quilt in what I consider Southwest colors.  It's bright and has a lot of energy to it.  The turquoise blocks surround this center and then we'll get the next step at the end of the month.

I'm currently "Big Stitch" quilting this quilt and I got the center done last week.  Sorry I don't have a better picture and it looks pretty dull following the previous picture.  You can't see it but this quilt is filled with major "Franken-batting"  It took a long time to put it together - so many pieces.

I've decided I want to make something with all my Blackbird Designs scraps and yardage.  And the thing I've decided to do is a hexagon quilt that has big splashes of color all through it.  It's hard to describe but I've made a start below.

So, as you can see, I haven't posted for a while but I'm just as busy as ever.

Robin

A Finish, a Formal, and Snow Washing my rug

I've been working like crazy to get all 110 blocks done for this quilt.   In a previous post I explained how I refound my stash of Thimbleberries fabric and finished up a UFO as well as making this quilt 84" X 88".  I figured it was a good way to use up the stash for good.

 

Well, so much for using up the stash.  But BOY did I make a good dent in it.

Pictured above is how much I have leftover.    I'm ready to work on something new.  This is going back in the closet to be maybe forgotten once again.

This is the backing for the quilt top.  The gold strip was added because I needed more length.  It is positioned between the two matching gold pieces because that particular fabric is directional and the two pieces are not facing the same way. 

Also the color in this photo is way off. . .      my couch is sage green.

This is a better picture of the chrysanthemum print but it's still off.  The background is a rich shade of rust.

Sometimes things happen that just make me smile.  I looked up at my waning spool of thread to see a heart shape as it unwound.

I recently snow washed my looped rug.  I knew I shouldn't put it in the washer and it has been folded at the base of the washer waiting for months.  It snowed last Friday and I decided it was time.  I first shook it thoroughly and then placed in a clean patch of snow.  I covered it with the snow using a broom.  

I beat it with the broom and then swept the snow away.  I should have turned it over and repeated the process but I forgot.

I swept all the snow away,  shook it vigorously again, and brought it inside to dry.  

After I got it inside I noticed some tiny areas that need spot cleaning (the cabin sky etc.) so I quickly got a damp cloth and cleaned those up.  I have a sign at the top of the stairs that says;     NO FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED DOWNSTAIRS but obviously I have some offenders.

When it was dry I vacuumed it thoroughly.  Ta Da! 

When I have to do it again I think I'll be a little more aggressive.  I was afraid I would damage it somehow with all the moisture but it turned out great.

We had a pumpkin block exchange in my quilt group "Bound Together" in January.  We met last Monday and one of the ladies had put her quilt top together.  There were only 7 of us in the exchange which is an odd number of blocks but I think  she found a fabulous solution.

She also shared this cute star quilt.

Last week one of my granddaughter's needed me to alter a prom dress she had purchased.  She wanted a black formal and the only thing she found (that she liked) needed massive changes.  I had to bring the skirt up in the front, add more fabric to the back top of the dress, take tucks in the front bodice, and add sashes.  It was crazy!  I would have never bought it.

But, she had a great time and I got to be involved in the memory - a bonus.

Now that I've finished the Thimbleberries quilt top I'm going to put a closed sign on my sewing room door.  It's time to accomplish some other things around this house.

Robin

What to do with an old project.

 I've been working hard trying to finish up a couple of quilting projects.

I started looking for something different to add some variety to my stitching in between the other concentrated efforts to finish things.

I found this old (and I mean old) cross stitch project designed by Paula Vaughan and thought maybe it was time to complete it.  I think I moved it with us when we moved 25 years ago. 

This is how much I have completed.  There are hours and hours already devoted to this project.

I sat down yesterday evening to work on it with my now aging eyes and aching joints.  It is 18 Aida, not as small as many of the designs are now.

It's a pretty piece and I've got most of it done, it seems a shame to just abandon it.

But, after about an hour of stitching and unstitching. . . this is all I got done, the gray part to the left of the tree.  So I'm rethinking this.  

Do I want to spend a lot of time (still) to finish this up?  It is in the decorating style of the 90's.  And when I finish it, what am I going to do with it?  I tempted to donate it to a thrift store.  

Is anyone else hanging on to old projects that are mostly done but know it will just go back on the shelf if you finish it?

I'm going downstairs to sew on something that I know I'll use while I mull this over.

Robin