Block 6 of Ravens Quilt done

I finished the applique for Block 6 of Blackbird Designs "Ravens" quilt.  It was a much easier block than Block 5 (see previous post).   I've decided to do Block 2 next (another complicated one).    The fabric for the wing has the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe written all over it.

And because I've been spending so much time working on this Halloween quilt . . . when I saw this Art Gallery post on Instagram, I immediately pictured it made with black, orange, and purple fabrics.

Wouldn't it look terrific in those colors.  It's a free pattern on their site.

Two friends and I went to Midway yesterday to stop at the Christmas store - Kringles. 

It's not at the peak of autumn color yet but the red scattered over the mountains was sure pretty.

Kringles is  a sweet store.  I should have taken more pictures.  Isn't that hydrangea pretty with it's pink hue.

After  about 18 texts back and forth between my son and I - I bought this little gnome snow globe for him.  It has rainbow glitter for the snow.

At another store my friend modeled this Cleopatra-like necklace pillow.  There were earrings to match - ha!

After Kringles and the pillow store the skies opened up and we really got rained on.  We haven't had much rain in the valley this summer (Midway is up in the mountains) so the big drops of cold water felt good.  I had on sandals and didn't feel the cold till much later when the rain had stopped.

There were a lot of cute little houses in the small town with gingerbread trim.  Fun to see.

 We ended up eating lunch at a Mexican restaurant that was really slow but the food was sure good.  We were in no hurry and enjoyed just visiting and some new food items.

I should have taken more picture but the restaurant was dark and then I forgot about it.  

It was a lot of fun being together and taking some time away.

Robin

Ravens - Block 5 done

 I finished Block 5 of the Ravens quilt by Blackbird Designs.  The pattern came out in 2016 and I am just now getting around to making it.  But, to be honest, there are many more things in my sewing studio that are much older than this.

The colors are a bit unusual and they kind of clash in a good Halloweenish way.  It's almost like listening to music with discordant notes..  I love the purple fabric that I used for the house with it's images of orchids on it.  Very different from what I'm used to using.

I included my interpretation of this plant (on the lower left of the block) that comes up each autumn in the garden.  I have no idea what it is.  Large green leaves come up in late spring and die back about mid-summer.  Then in the fall the leafless stock shoots up with these bright berries.  It is really an intense orange color.

I'm going to work on Block 6 next.  It will go much faster because there aren't as many pieces; one large bird, a pumpkin, stems and leaves.  I will still need to make berries but they will be larger.

I did the house block first to get the busiest block out of the way.

I've been going through my fabric to find big pieces to sew together for backings.  I am normally a wholecloth backing type of quilter but I've got a number of large pieces left over from other projects that don't really go with anything and need to be used up.  

Upward and onward.

Robin

Ravens quit by Blackbird Designs

I'm prepping the center of the Ravens quilts by Blackbird Designs.  BB produces such unusual fabrics and the purple for the body of the house is no exception.   It is from the fabric line Wild Orchid.  

I love the background fabric, it's a current fabric by Deb Strain

I have a few of the other blocks that I've prepped below.  It's not the greatest picture but it gives a feel for what this quilt will turn out to be.

I've been busy trying to get the bodies of the Ravens all appliqued so I can baste the wings on and figure out if I've got the colors well distributed.  

The blocks are spread out over my bed which has the 'Birds in the Air' quilt on it.

This quilt is a gift and I can only work on it for little spurts of time.  I'm not trying to complete it for Halloween this year.  It will be a year long project.

The garden, after 10 days of 100+ degrees last week, is continuing to produce.  I've bottled tomatoes, dried basil, and put some corn in the freezer.  Production should slow down a little this week with temps in the 60's and 70's. This picture isn't representative of the volume of vegetables my husband, the garden gnome, has picked and brought in this summer.

(Picture a tall gnome with a green thumb - ha!)

Robin