Keeping busy

My youngest daughter shared some pears she had been gifted.  They were a little green so I put them in the refrigerator until I had time to do something with them.  Later I set them in the middle of the dining room table till they ripened.  Aren't they pretty?  Since I had more than we would probably eat and not enough to bottle - I decided to dehydrate them.  They are so sweet and chewy - yum!

I've finished 20 of the 32 border blocks I need.  This picture gives an idea of how I'm going to arrange them.  I think this quilt will need at least one more border before it tells me it's done.

I worked a little more on the Adhoc- Improv challenge of using "maps" as our theme.  I sewed the top and two side borders on.  I added six little Swiss flags since this is a map of the neighborhood my great grandparents lived in and they immigrated from Switzerland.  I think I will label the streets next and put in the some directional labels as well.

I finished the "Sleigh Bells" pattern by Jan Patek.  It is #12 on my UFO list.  So, I have completed 5 of my UFOs to the flimsy stage since September, only 10 more to go. The middle of this winter quilt has been done for over a year and just needed borders.  I finally found a dark fabric I liked and put the borders on yesterday.  The black piece has tiny gold stars and a red design in it.  I put it on the frames this morning.  I'm already to start the quilting but need to find a marking pencil that isn't too thick to go into my stencil.  I have all kinds of marking pencils but no white ones that will work.

I pin basted this little quilt that's been waiting for years.  The pattern is by Cheri Payne.  I just wanted something  mindless to work on while I watch TV.  It should be done in no time.

I finished "Big Stitching" the Slap-Dash quilt.  It was truly a scrap quilt.  I even pieced the batting.

I love the whimsy of the fabric that I used for the backing.  I picked it up on clearance a long time ago.  I knew it would come in handy at some point.

And now, a couple of my favorite Halloween decorations.  The one above is my first small quilt or wall hanging.  It is a pattern by Thimbleberries.  It's about 15 years old.  You'd have to see it in person, the colors are just so nice.

And this sweet witch was made by my mother in the 80's.  She flies over all our Halloween festivities.

Hope your day is bright and sunny and you are able to find time to create.
Robin

October's Song

A number of years ago I saw this little quilt by Jo Morton online and couldn't forget the colors.  They were so rich.

I looked for the pattern and discovered it was from Quiltmania but by the time I found the picture it was way past time to get this issue - drat!  I could have ordered one from France but that seemed a little too pricey.

In the meantime, Kathleen Tracy at A Sentimental Quilter  had a free pattern for a quilt block that I liked so I decided to make it using similar Jo Morton fabric.

I  liked it a lot.  It looks much richer in real life.  In fact, I liked it so much I decided I wanted to make a whole quilt of this block.  I collected fabric that related to autumn but not so much Halloween. 

And then. . . . . . .

I put the block, the pattern, and the fabrics (so pretty) in a bag and stuck it in a closet for over five years.  I love to age things - like cheddar.  I tasted some 10 yrs old cheddar when I was in Wisconsin and it retained it's flavor but mellowed somehow instead of getting more sharp.  I found some 25 yr. old cheddar but it was more than I wanted to pay.  But, I digress~

Last  week I was floundering in my sewing studio because I didn't have anything to do.  The room is full of fabric and patterns and inspiration but I had completed four UFOs and even though there are many more waiting completion, I wanted something new.  I couldn't concentrate on any one thing.  I finally decided that I would make something seasonal and so I began to hunt down the Kathleen Tracy block project. 

I thought I knew exactly where it was - but I was wrong.  An hour and a half later I found it on the floor of the fabric shelves, almost right in front of my eyes.  I was rather peeved because I could have spent that hour and a half sewing - grrrrrr.

Anyway, I decided to make 3 more blocks like the first one and sew them together for a center medallion, sorta, kind of.

I made one with an orange border.

It looked terrific too.  A few days latter I made another block with an orange border.  I was tempted to stop here and just make a table runner.

But, after thinking about it for a while longer I made another block with a black border.

And hung them on the design wall.

It makes me happy.  I was going to sew them together but my iron started leaking buckets (it's only 3 months old)  and I need to replace it.

What is it about irons?  I need to go to the store AGAIN.

I came up with an idea for a little 6" block to go around the center squares.  It's an hourglass block made with HST blocks instead of quarter square units.  I am going to applique circles in the middle and set them alternately around the outside.

This block has some whimsy in it.  It kind of reminds me of a clown costume or something.  I need to make 32 blocks.  I have the HST units sewn and calling to me from the studio.  I was just going to sew on something till the muse found me and instead I found it.

Guess what?
I found this issue of Quiltmania on Monday.
Yet again, I love the colors of the quilt on the cover. . . sigh.
Robin

Sweet Land of Liberty - September

I finished the section for September.   I made the angel block 5 years ago when I first started this quilt so I was a little ahead.    I love the red bird on the star pot!  I wish I had used a darker fabric behind the 1776 but it's done and I'm satisfied.  I try to use a specific fabric in each quilt I make.  I used it on the left portion of the block the angel is flying toward.  I can't remember the name of that block pattern.  I also added a little Debbie Mumm Lady Liberty in the economy block on the right.

Since I finished that section I decided to make some houses for the bottom border, and then I made some stars.  And then I kept on going.  The the border was a little smaller than the lower portion of the quilt so I added my initials.

And it's done!!!  I don't know why the lower section was wide enough without the flying geese strip on the left.  I may or may not put the strip above the smaller stars on the bottom so there isn't such a gap between them and the angel block.  Hmmmmm?

It was such a fun SAL.  Thanks so much Lori.

I just wanted to show you some of our pumpkins.  The pictures above and below were taken on September 9th.

These two pictures are only 2 weeks later.

It's a fun time of year for the garden.

Robin

#9 becomes a flimsy

In my post from August 20th I listed 15 UFOs that I wanted to get ready for the quilt frames.

Well, making a list must be rather motivating because I have finished another one.  That's three this month.  I finished #9 on the list;  the Baraboo Quilt;

It just needed a border.  The toile border may look unusual but when the quilt is spread out it's like icing on a cake.  So lovely. . . .

I also finished #1 on the list; my Sweet Land of Liberty Quilt.  I'm saving that picture till the link up on Friday (I think).

So I've finished #1, #2, #9, and #10. And that brings my list down to eleven.  Feels good!

Two of the four quilts just needed borders.  I've learned something about myself through this process.  Those two quilts got put away because I couldn't figure out how I wanted to frame them probably because I was anxious to sew on something else.  When I got the quilts out again I became fussy with the arrangement and made a lot more work for myself.  I fixed three blocks in the Baraboo Quilt and when I laid it out to measure for the border I found another block I wanted to tweak.  Stop!  Stop!  I quickly put the border on.  So, I need to make a decision for the border right while I'm designing the rest of the quilt and not put it off.

Lilacs

 It's been so dry here this summer that the moisture just gets sucked out of the leaves.

Hibiscus

This is what I wrote down after walking home from church on Sunday;
     " It is so dry out there that the air snaps when I walk.  I'm afraid to say the word "crisp" out loud for fear it will cause a spark.  That wind yesterday made the leaves on the trees cringe.  I've never been aware of it being so dry."

Looking forward to some rain. . .
Robin

Path finished, sashing begun

I finished the flying geese path from my house to my great grandmother's house and put some of the green blocks in place.   I also put a strip of mountain fabric on top because this neighborhood reaches to college hill (very steep) and eventually on up into the foothills of the Bear River Mountains and is part of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains.  Whew!  That was a mouthful!

I should also mention the orientation of my map is not normal.  The top is east instead of north.

I didn't know till I looked it up that I grew up at the feet of the Bear River Mountains.  It is interesting because my great grandmother emigrated to America from Bern Switzerland.  Bern's mascot is the Bear and they have live bears in an enclosure by the Aare River at the south of the old city center.

My high school mascot was a Grizzly  (not surprisingly).

Photographs are great things.  I now notice some sashing strips that I want to change.  AND, I need another row of blocks between what I have and the mountains.  That also means more flying geese.  It may seem like the quilt isn't very balanced but we lived on the north edge of town and it was mostly pasture land to the left of the blocks that are there.  Maybe I'll just put a long strip of green on the left - hmmmmm?

I think I'll stop for today and think about what else I want to do.
Robin

A new beginning

Trying to decide what size flying geese to use.

I began my Improv challenge quilt this afternoon.  I want to make a map of my neighborhood when I was a child.  I'm trying to make a path using these tiny flying geese units.

These five units just measure 3 1/2".  I want to make the path from my house to my great-grandmother's house just a few blocks away.  We lived just a few blocks away from each other 50 years apart.  Does that make sense?

I thought it would be amusing to use this Red Riding Hood fabric because I'm going to Grandma's but I think I'll save it for a baby quilt instead.

 I want to put a bunch of greenery for the city blocks and I found this scenery fabric in my stash..  It has rocks, trees, foliage, bushes, and boulders.

I hope to work on this a little every day and post my progress .

Robin

Just a quick post

to show my Halloween Eve cross stitch piece all framed and ready for next month.  If you look closely you can see the sparkle in the threads of the Aida cloth.

Also, now that the temps have come down a little at night our pumpkins are reinventing themselves.

I did 12 qts. of tomatoes yesterday and sent the peaches, cucumbers, and grapes with my youngest daughter.  Fall is a mixed blessing. . . so many good things to eat. . . so much work to preserve it.

Robin