The things we do. . .

 I finished the "Build-a-quilt" top this morning.  I brought it upstairs, put it on the floor in the living room and started to put the 4-patches around it so I could get a good color placement before I started sewing.

It looked horrible!  It was so busy that it just looked like mud.

So, I auditioned some fabric for another border and added a few of the 4-patches to the corners and Voila!

It is 44" X 56".  My oldest daughter came this morning and I showed it to her.  She thought it was terrific.  Of course she would~ 

She ended up taking it home with her. She liked all the busy-ness.

 I was trying to use up the fabric "Blitzen" from the quilt I made her a couple of years ago.  I wasn't successful with using it all up though. . . 

This is what I still have left over.  That snowman piece measures 3 yds. so it might become a backing.

And I still have 253 4-patches leftover.  I will probably work on that next.  Good Grief!

I usually gather all the empty spools I've used during the year and take a picture.  It's for my own satisfaction, it makes me feel like I'm making  progress.  It's not as many as last year but it's a good showing.

I haven't joined the Declutter 2024 with Karen Brown but I've been watching her videos.  I have gone through my patterns and the lid fits on the box now.  I also went through the patterns I have on the computer and deleted about 1/3 of them.  It feels good to declutter.

I'm going to go through my two shelves of books next.

Robin

Winter all week

This is the forecast for this coming week.  It makes it look like we will be pounded with snow.  What it will be like for us will be snow sifting down gradually and melting in between times.  But, the mountains will get at least 40" by the end of the week.

Look how the snow sparkles in the moonlight.  These are not an enhanced photos.  And it's much more dazzling in person.

                             A sweet little crescent moon and Venus reflecting light off of the snow.

 I'm still working on the "build-a-quilt" from my previous 2 posts.  I've got 60 4-patches for another border.  I only need 102 more.  The fabric is getting used up. . . the whole point of this project.

Have a great frosty day.

Robin

If I didn't do so much unsewing . . .

 I would sure have a lot more done.

I can see why beginning sewers get so discouraged.  I have unpicked the pinwheel blocks so many times!

But, seasoned sewers know that there are going to be mistakes and they look bad and amateurish if you leave them in or they haunt you every time you see your quit.

So, we unpick them and try to make it right. 

But, I have to admit, after having sewed since I was 12 and quilted for 30 years. . .      I STILL CUT OFF POINTS AND IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!

Here is the center for the quilt I have been working on (previous post).  The light colored rectangles looked empty so I fussy cut snowman heads and added them.  I decided on just a plain first border.  I needed somewhere to rest my eyes because the Glitter blocks can be so busy.

You'll notice the borders aren't the same width.  I did that on purpose so I can surround it with 4.5" blocks.  

Then came the pinwheel border.  I really like how it turned out but I've been working on the pinwheels  a lot and as I said before. . . unpicking is necessary but it sure take a lot of time.  

Next came an easy border.  It repeats the snowmen and also the aqua color of the first border.

This looks so bad!  GASP!  The photograph doesn't show how bright the fabrics are.  It just looks like a jumble of blocks and actually it's quite cute.  I'm sure it doesn't help that the photos are taken inside on a snowy day.  (Did I say how grateful I am for any snow at this point?)

Now that it is done the quilt measures 36.5" X 48.5"  I realized that instead of making a whole bunch of 4.5" blocks (hourglass, 4-patch, or 16-patch with 1.5" squares) I could make 12" blocks and things might move along more quickly.  

Hmmmmmmmm!  I'll have to give that some more thought.

I bought a fat quarter stack of "Blitzen" in 2013 and even though I have already made one quilt, I still have a lot of fabric left over so my options are wide.  My goal is to use up all the fabric I have left.

My daughter and I put the Santa Fe quilt on the frames.  It is a donation quilt and so I am just going to tie it.  My grandson really liked it and I'll take that as good news because I was trying to make something more masculine.  It does have some butterfly scraps in it but I don't think there are any florals.

My husband is unwinding all the lights he wrapped around this tree.  He bought a sound system this year that continuously played about 8 songs and the lights kept time to the music.  It is snowing outside but it melts before it hits the ground.  All I can say is that at least we're getting some moisture and I'm grateful for that. 

One of my geraniums is blooming.  You can see some of the sifting snow outside the window.

Hope you're year is starting out bright.

Robin

Post Christmas thoughts and pictures

 Well, I did start another Christmas quilt, at least the fabric is from a Christmas line.  I don't know how Christmasy it will look when I finish.  

The fabric line is Blitzen by BasicGray.  It is more snowman than Christmas.

'

I can't seem to get my blog margins in sync this morning.  I apologize if things are off. . . 

The blocks are from Jen Kingwell called Glitter.  I'm using the leftovers from a quilt I made a few years ago.  I just thought I'd make up these blocks using the fabric until it was used up.  But, after making two of the Glitter blocks using templates and marking the seam allowance, I knew I'd never make it through using just this block for the whole quilt.  So I decided to make a center and surround it with various other borders and blocks.

The center I just finished measures 28 3/8" X 14 1/4".  It's an odd size for sure.

I'm trying to decide which fabric I want for the next border.  I also need to figure out what size the borders need to be so that I can just make regular sized blocks for the outside; 

3 inch or four inch or six inch etc.  There's always so many decisions to make when a regular pattern isn't used - sigh.

I also want to share a picture of my niece.  She is the mother of six children with the youngest being two years old.  This is how my brother found her yesterday (Christmas Day) afternoon in the living room.

I think we've all been there on Christmas afternoon - ha!

Robin

Winter Solstice - The shortest day

 Today is the 72nd birthday of my favorite cousin.  He has fought his way through life, having a less than ideal raising, not doing well in school, and only later discovering he is exceedingly intelligent and because of the Navy he finally gained his sense of self worth.  He has a memory like a safe and is constantly studying.  I call him my "Other Brother" because he keeps track of me and my family like a brother would. 

 

Here we are in 1967, he's the one on the right next to me in orange.  He looks like such a baby.  Life had some rewarding times in store for him.  He is now in poor health but he still reaches out and makes sure we are safe and well.  He's kind of adopted my oldest son and family.  He and his wife have no grandchildren of their own and so my oldest son's children benefit from their generosity and love.

Happy Birthday to one of my absolute favorite people!!!!

The valley is finally clearing up from a dreadful inversion.  Enjoy the sunrise this morning.

From my home to yours and whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope you'll have family around you and will reach out to those who don't.

Robin

It's time to start another Christmas Quilt

I think I have a "thing" for Christmas quilts.  

I have an idea for a new quilt for one of my sons.  I having a hard time finding the right fabric for the background of the center so I'm at a standstill.  

To give you an example of why I've think I might need intervention  (HA!)  I've put all of my Christmas quilts in one post.  From the first to the last one in the process of being quilted.

 These are in no particular order and some of them aren't obviously Christmasy but I use them at Christmas time. 

                                   

 This one is from 2022. The "Home Is Where You Are" quilt.  Inspired by the Edyta Sitar book called Patches of Blue.

                       A combination of two patterns, one by Debbie Mumm Santa quilt from 1995.

            A cute table topper made in the early part of the century.  2007  Original Design

    The 12 Rows of Christmas Quilt. Finished 2017  I changed a lot of things from the original pattern

                            

   

 This is reminiscent of the quilt by Alex Anderson that had Christmas lights in the border. 2004

                                                                             

                        Made from the Blackbird Designs book  Quilting in the Garden.  2017

               My snowflake quilt from 2007 that is appliqued and beaded.  Original design.

Comfort & Joy made from my collection of Christmas scraps from the 80's and 90's.  2021

 

A quilt made from Judie Rothermel's first Christmas line called The Spirit of Christmas.  

I made this in 2021 and I bought the fabric from Ye Olde Schoolhouse Quilts in Wisconsin.

Pattern from a Betsy Chutchian quilt book and the center is from Barbara Brackman's blog.

                                                     This is a Swell 16 quilt made in 2020 

               The pattern is by Camille Roskelley and the fabric line is Blitzen by Basic Grey.

                                 I was able to get the snowmen from the same line for the backing.

Jan Patek's Sleigh Bells quilt.  It was made in 2019.  I call this one Midwinter's Eve.

This was a little quilt that I made for a family drawing.  The pattern is by Blackbird Designs.   The embroidery patterns are by Gain Pan  2009

                                 

                           This is a mini quilt by Cheri  Payne.  Free online at QuiltsbyCheri 

                            A little tiny tree.  Pattern free at Temecula Quilt Co online.  2020

      Santa wall hanging.  Pattern by Nancy Halvorsen.  Finished 2022  I made two of these.

Christmas star commemorating the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn  December 15, 2020

Pattern by Cheri Payne (the original pattern has a heart in the middle).

 The Flowers are by Cheri Payne 

                                  I enlarged the flowers and added borders, swags, and bows.  

                                                      I am still in the quilting process.

Most of these quilts have been gifted.   

I still own only two of the large quilts but I have all of the little ones.  

(I originally wrote this post last August.  I got caught up in finishing a bunch of things, I made 2 flannel quilts for my youngest grandsons,  Christmas gifts, and canning season.  I'm going to finish up the flower quilt before I get busy on the next one.)

Merry Christmas  

Robin

I just remembered two more.

This was a challenge my DIL and I did.  She was given free-reign in her Aunt Mary's room full of fabric and she came home with 11 Christmas vest panels from Daisy Kingdom (and a bunch of other stuff.  We decided to challenge each other to make a quilt out of five vest panels.  

We were allowed to add two fabrics.  I added the red fabric and the white with blue snowflakes.

If you enlarge the picture you'll notice I used the picture of the vest in five of the blocks, the words on the panel, and I even cut up the instructions to make the border.  

It was a fun challenge.

I've shown this quilt before.  It's a sampler quilt that I made in 1992.  It was my first real quilt.

Just a quick opinion question

 I finished my center for the Quiltyfolk SAL and was anxious to get started on the next step.  Since that prompt has been postponed I decided to put centers on my hollyhocks.  I got the dark pink centers appliqued and was planning on putting little yellow circles as well.

I made the tiniest of circle and didn't really like how it looked.  AND what a nuisance to make.

So I thought I'd maybe just use some doll clothes buttons.  But, now that I have two sewn on.  I think I like it's better without the buttons.  What do you think?

Now, I need to go make some fudge.

Robin

Changed my mind again. . .  

 I decided the buttons give the blossom depth and so I sewed the rest on.  It looks great.