I've been trying to stay busy so my mind is occupied with more positive things. I am quilting the 1857 quilt in a 2" grid with #8 DMC thread. I bought a color chart from DMC years ago when I was into cross stitch so I was able to match the color of the backing fabric perfectly. I ordered the thread from Herschner's online. I wanted to do big stitch so it would go faster but I didn't want the color of the thread to detract from the applique.
I wasn't sure how many balls of thread I would need so I ordered five. I have eight rows to do and I'm on row three and the 2nd ball. I can always order more if I need it. (if that sweet store in Stephen's Point Wisconsin is still open after all this. . . ) These pictures are a little dark but when I took pictures with the flash the color was off.
I finished the applique on the first block of The Flowers pattern by Linda Brannock. It was fun to sit and applique instead of worry about the world for a little while. I am going to embroider words on each one of the blocks. I'm prepping the 2nd block which Linda calls the "Volunteer Bloom". It's like no flower I've ever seen.
Have you seen this? It's a digital print of the Derby House quilt on sateen. It measures 80" X 90". It's a beauty! I don't know if it will be a backing or if I'll just quilt it as a whole cloth quilt. I couldn't resist. I bought it from Quilter's Lodge in Draper and the shipping was free.
Well, here we are in 1969. It is me (on the left) and my best friend, Jan, standing in front of her brother's pride and joy, a 1970 Opel Kadet. We are in uniform and ready for our last pass and review. Look at all those shooting medals above Jan's left pocket. We were members of the Logan High School Sponsor Corps.
I'm showing this picture because I am using this uninterrupted time to work on my life history. I have sorted and organized box after box (I keep too much stuff). I am happy to say that I have two large boxes full of stuff to give to to my kids so I'll be getting rid of that as soon as we can see each other.
I have pictures to compile and stories to tell. This is my office of sorts and that big white box in the foreground is what I am going to tackle today. The brown box is notebook after notebook of my journals which I hope to compile too. I wrote 2 short biographies of my parents to preface my story and yesterday I typed 2 pages. I was just going to compose something short and sweet but I can tell already that I have too much to tell for it to be very short.
Who's going to read it? Maybe nobody but, by organizing my history, it has made me grateful at this time of uncertainty and I feel happy instead of fearful, a double blessing. I also have a focus instead of just waiting for the other shoe to drop. (Now, if these aftershocks would stop happening . . . )
I do have to share that I read my diary from my Senior year and was so embarrassed that I shredded it. I was so boy crazy.
I hope you are not ill and if you are that you'll take care of yourself.
Robin
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8 comments:
I love your projects. I am working on Derby House. I ordered it from Minick and Simpson and have the pattern and fabrics mailed to me each month. I'm having a lot of fun with this one. I already did Linda Brannocks Flower quilt with Karen. Hugs
Wendy in NH
I just finished quilting a pantograph on a Derby House panel that I bought. I thought it would make a good gift or donation quilt that didn’t take a year😉. It came out good, I may do another! I think it’s great M & S & Moda produced it.
Wendy(wcoffin7@aol.com)
You are working on a lovely quilt and also smart to organize your memorabilia, journals, and old photos. My sister and I scanned lots of family photos after my father passed. Then she put them on thumb drives for each sibling and handed them out. It's up to each sib to do what they want with them. Perhaps you could do something similar with your children.
You are incredible the way you get so much accomplished! Wish I had your speed at hand quilting!! Your quilt looks incredible.
Trying to recall where I saw that panel recently. It was bordered and looked like a beautiful pieced quilt.
Kudos to you for getting to work on your history. Maybe, if I ever finish with my parents; stuff I will tackle mine. Once I started writing my history and got so caught up in detail it overwhelmed me, and I quit at about 2nd grade.
Oh, I am sad you shredded your high school journal. Who knows, though, maybe if I had one I would feel the same. :) Did I know you went to Logan High? Did you know Herm Olsen? Trying to figure if you were about the same age.
Your Derby House print is fascinating! Am so curious what you will do with it. Love the quilted grids. Works perfectly with the applique!
It's so good to have things in progress, already planned and prepared, so our minds don't wander to things we can't control (like this virus).
Your 1857 quilt looks wonderful. I really like the straight lines. Did you mark the quilting lines with pen/pencil or did you use masking tape?
Your first Flowers block looks great! And I completely agree that the second block is unlike any other flower I've ever seen. I think I was attracted to this quilt because of a few of the blocks, not all the blocks.
Will you quilt the Derby House print just as though it's a pieced quilt?
And good for you for working on your personal history. You and your friend Jan look so sharp! And maybe the writing of your personal history is the important thing, not necessarily the reading of it by others. But I'm sure your family and probably some of your descendants will enjoy having and reading it.
Your quilts are absolutely breathtaking! Such beautiful work--and my first love is applique. And you have done so much of it! Virtual eye candy for me. :)
Thank you for being so kind, and leaving comments on my neglected blog. I love blogs, and have been so disappointed that so many friends have gone from blogging to FB and Instagram. So it's wonderful to reconnect again with my quilter friends on their blogs. :)
These are such strange days. Staying busy does provide some balm to these crazy times. Stay well.
I had not seen the digital print fabric. Love it! Back in the late 1980's, my mother purchased a double wedding ring cheater cloth piece that was quite wide. She sent the fabric to an older woman in West Virginia who did quilting for others. The lady said she enjoyed quilting it as there were no seams to stitch through. I remember that the woman charged $60 for the work and it was quite nice. Such a small amount to charge even at that time.
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