Spring Dreams Revisited

This past spring, as you probably know, Sharon, Dee and I created a little sew along "Spring Dreams." We made our quilts in a variety of colorways, and generally had a really fun time seeing what all we could come up with. Having a sew along helped us stay connected across the miles and, for me especially, made me lots more productive than I would have been otherwise.

We finished the sew along at the end of spring.

Well, at least we thought it ended! Sharon had another Spring Dreams quilt in her plans and while the sew along was over, she continued working on one more.

First, you must have a brief backstory. Sharon recently stayed at a historic, luxury hotel in southwestern Indiana, The West Baden Springs Hotel. Built around a mineral spring in 1901, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Significant, for sure. You can read about it on its Wikipedia page.

She was so enamored by the sumptuous central lobby - a massive domed atrium around which six floors of hotel rooms are built. Impeccably decorated, Sharon reported that her grandson said in awe, "This is fancier than the Titanic!" 

 

It was the furnishings and color schemes in this atrium which inspired Sharon's colors in this newest quilt. The carpeting features a pretty pale blue and the furnishings are deep red. The effect is one of elegance and glamour, and that is exactly the look Sharon's quilt exudes.

The fabrics are by 3Sisters/Moda, and mostly are Paris Flea Market. The name Sharon gave this quilt is a play on the idea of the mineral springs along with our sew along name - West Baden Springs Dream. Perfect!

 

It's the last day of July! Time for me to make a collage for this month, and plan my strategies for August.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Denise's Flimsy

I bring you today a flimsy from Denise. You may recall her sweet email awhile back in which she shared how my Scrappy 4-Patch quilt had inspired her. Click here for that post.

Denise says this quilt top went together fast, and I think her results look fantastic, don't you? This was the perfect way to handle a panel of barn pictures. 

Well done, Denise!

For comparison's sake, I will add a picture of the quilt which inspired her. I love this aspect of quilting and sharing with others. Her quilt looks nothing like mine, yet an idea grew from her having seen my quilt. Awesome.

We are just back from a very short 2-day vacation to Put-In-Bay and South Bass Island in Lake Erie. What a relaxing place PIB is on a weekday. I understand weekends are a bit more crowded and chaotic, but we choose to go when the pace is slower. Old folks...grin.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

Ongoing Projects

Coming up with material to blog about has become problematic lately, as I continue to work on several projects. No finishes, but progress. So let's see what all is in various stages of completion. In between several family events recently, a small trip for the two of us, and other activities of summer, I haven't spent as much time sewing as I might.

The Scrappy Irish Chain progress is coming right along. I have finished 5 pieced blocks, and 4 setting blocks. The next pieced block is laid out on my table right now waiting to be stitched. 

 The pillows for the front room sofa are also awaiting my attention. I have tops and backs cut out, but now I need to piece some batting scraps together and also locate some unbleached muslin to use as lining. All that prep work (fussy business) slows me down.

The Ohio Stars for our block exchange need to be completed. I have not worked on them since that last post about a week ago, but I do eagerly look forward to completing them.
 

The EPP starflowers are also coming along slowly. I put handwork away for some recent entertaining we did here, and now need to bring it all out again. These little pieces finish so quickly, it is easy to make progress - it's just the getting started that is so hard for me sometimes.

Lake Effect is also an ongoing project - a very long ongoing project, as some of you know. I work on it in fits and spurts. Anytime soon would be good for me to have a spurt of energy on some of those leaves!

I mustn't forget that I also have a counted cross stitch project that ought to be finished. I was really gung-ho on it when I first scrounged around to find it; now, I see that I have quite a project on my hand - one that will require much careful attention on my part! I wonder with some doubt if I have it in me!

Now, should I be whining about nothing to blog about? Mostly, I just need to apply myself to finishing these many projects. Make a list - which I just did - figure out which one can be most expediently finished, or needs most immediate attention. Then proceed. Get busy!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Itty-Bitty EPPs

A few weeks ago I happened upon something or other that gave me the idea of revisiting the English Paper Piecing branch of quilting. 

After looking at a few books, I came across this one particular pattern which captured my attention. It is a small project - just around 11x14 inches - and even though the pieces in it are quite small, I figured I wouldn't mind fussing with it since I would only be making six 4" blocks.

My first attempt at a starflower is shown below. This sorry mess is the result of my decision to cut corners. I used a school glue, instead of the EPP glue. Additionally, I used cheap cardboard for a template rather than the slick paper available for the purpose. The tattered, distorted abomination shown here is absolutely unusable.

I worked on this about a week ago when my friend and EPP expert Becky was seated next to me. She watched as I destroyed this little star while removing the cardboard. She suggested that instead of gluing, I try the stitching method of folding fabric around the template. This is her preferred method; she says she believes this method results in little to no distortion and sharper points. I was willing to try. Becky is such a good teacher; she guided me through the process, although it is pretty straightforward.

After doing a few, the process becomes pretty fast, and I am rather surprised at how fast these little buggers can be cranked out. 

I need 6 for the little project I want to make. Won't be long before I have them done, and will be moving on to the next step.

More details later. This old dog's gonna' practice her new trick with a few more starflowers.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Front Room Pillow

 Last month I made a total of four pillows for the family room. Now I have begun doing the same for the front room. One done; three soon to follow. 

The sofa is showing its age, but we are not in the mood for replacing it at the time. An easy sprucing up can be accomplished by adding some fresh new pillows. Alongside this initial counted cross-stitch pillow, one can forget the old sofa.

The pillow looks pretty good in a chair across the room, too. 

One big difference with this pillow is that I have made it reversible. Double duty! It will take me a lot longer to make these pillows with the extra quilting, but I definitely think it will be worth it.

We shall see how quickly I can finish the other three. No rush. I will make more as I have time. I will try to make myself stay on it; I am prone to procrastination, you know, and I frequently allow myself to be distracted with starting more stuff!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sewing With Sharon

 

As we so often do, Sharon and I are making different versions of the same quilt. We've done this for years. Doing quilts together helps to keep us on track, work towards a goal and finish projects - no UFOs when a friend sews along!

Our current project is Scrappy Irish Chain, seen in this picture from Pinterest. The pattern is a free one online, and we both have plenty, plenty, plenty of scraps. Sounds like our kind of project, right?

Another thing we have is ample amounts of solid fabrics for our chains. In this post, you can see that I am going with yellow. Sharon is going with peachy-pink.

I love how Sharon's fabrics are all so soft and almost hushed in how they come together. These are very typical of her quilts, so it stands to reason this is the type of scraps she has to work with. 

My previous post dealt with how I am efficiently constructing this 81-patch block. From these pictures of Sharon's, I think it is pretty evident how she is doing hers - make 9 9-patch blocks, being sure to place the pink and white squares in the correct order. Then sew the 9-patches together. Easy-peasy! I like her method, but I have mine pretty well streamlined, so I will continue.

Sharon said she would have tried my method but . . . her kitten. No way could she leave loose blocks out on a table and expect to find them as she left them.

When Sharon sews at her house, the dining table is the center of activity. This is convenient for Sharon, but it provides Daisy the kitten with all manner of playing options. The table after all is hers, according to Sharon. Cats do have a way of taking ownership, don't they?

It appears Daisy is well situated with fabric for sleeping, and from the look on Daisy's face, I believe these photos have, indeed, interrupted a nap.

A second of Sharon's blocks. These are perfectly dreamy and soft. I can't wait to see the setting blocks and the peach/pink chain that results. It's going to be gorgeous.

We sewed together yesterday, and we chatted about how many scrap quilts we have made this year. But you know what? Our scrap piles do not seem to be any smaller than before. Strange how that works.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Making the 81-Patch Block

Streamlining the construction of this 81-patch block has resulted in a bit of efficiency for me, I believe. I was not too happy sewing this big block together 2.5-inch square by 2.5-inch square. I had to figure out a better way.

First, I cleared off the end of my sewing table to make room for laying out this 18" block. Then I carefully laid out the 81 squares, placing them as randomly as possible. Off to the side, my pattern diagram helped me to be sure I placed my yellow and white blocks correctly. All the rest is just personal preference.

The next step is sewing it all together. I went about it in Eleanor Burns' method - chain piece all of the first and second vertical rows. Go back to the top, begin chain piecing the third vertical row and so on across the 9 rows.

The photo above shows the blocks all chain-pieced one direction, seams pressed open, and ready to be pinned and sewn the other direction. Pinning intersections takes a bit of extra time, but keeps my points crisp. So far, the results are satisfying.

I have 4 of these blocks finished along with 2 setting blocks, so I'm getting there.

The picture of my design wall looks strange with the wall decor competing for attention, but I think it is becoming evident what this quilt will look like. The blocks are very scrappy, which is the intent, and the yellow serves to contain the explosion of scrappiness, also the intent. I am liking how it is coming together.

I hope you are having a wonderful Monday! 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Ohio Star Block Exchange

We Frankfort Girls have had a lot of fun in the last year or two with block exchanges. Our current exchange is to make 9" Ohio Stars. We try to set as few rules as possible, but we did agree that the fabrics should be in the reproduction fabric range and the stars are to be neutral while the background is dark.

My first four blocks are done and I have 45 to go. Whee! I will be going into chain-piecing mode soon, but I just have to see a few blocks completed as I begin a project. It seems to be a requirement for me; I do it all the time.

These four blocks are dark navy and dark green; I believe the camera phone fails to accurately read the true colors. Our final quilts will be quite dark, most likely, but very pretty for sure.

The rest of my fabrics are pulled, stacked up and waiting in the wings. Part of the reason I didn't go straight to cutting all of it was for the purpose of avoiding unnecessary waste. I started by cutting two darks and two lights for the stars I have finished. You can see from the next picture that I cut way too many larger squares; I ran out of small squares for corner blocks. After some math to correct that (*scowling and frowning*), I will go into chain-piecing mode. 

I cut those first stars in rather a willy-nilly fashion, and have been left with way too many squares for making pieced parts and not enough squares for the corners. The large squares are 4.5" and they end up making the star points which are simply hourglass blocks. The small squares are 3.5" for the corners and center.

This excess will not go to waste. I will put them aside, proceed with cutting the rest of my fabric with numbers firmed up. All leftover parts will be mixed together and I will make stars with mismatched parts. I am confident they will play nicely with their more orderly neighbors. They might even add some spice to my eventual quilt.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Beginning My Scrappy Irish Chain

Never in my life have I made a quilt block with 81 squares. Yet here I am beginning a new quilt - Scrappy Irish Chain - and the main block consists of 81 2.5-inch squares. Since it's a scrap quilt, you know I have plenty of 2.5-inch squares from which to choose!

Here's a pic of the pattern, which I found browsing on Pinterest years ago. Turns out the pattern was a free download from whatever site, and I have been planning to make it for a good long time. Click on the picture to be taken to the Pinterest link.

While I love the pictured quilt, and think this would be great in pink, I had big piece of yellow that I decided to use. I also had a nice white-on-white for the background.

And this is my first block. Notice where the solid yellow squares are places as well as the white blocks in the middle of each outer edge row. I quickly realized that I needed many, MANY more 2.5-inch squares so that I would have adequate variety. I also realized that making 13 of these will take awhile! Sewing individual squares is lots slower than sewing and sub-cutting strips.

You may recall that Sharon and I each made blue Triple Irish Chain quilts this past spring.  Those were a breeze to make since the two colors easily lent to the convenience of strip piecing. Here's Sharon's Triple Irish Chain.

And here's mine; we both chose to use blue, but mine is bright blue, whereas Sharon's is more a true navy.

The main pieced block in these two-color Irish Chains quilts consists of 25 blocks - it is 5 x 5. The block in the Scrappy Irish Chain is 9 x 9. It turns out to be a whopping 18.5-inch block when finished. The quilt requires 13 main blocks and 12 setting blocks.

So I have been cutting  scraps like crazy for a few days into 2.5-inch squares. I am opening storage bins and tubs that have not seen the light of day for decades! I am definitely building variety into this scrappy quilt.

Stay tuned! It is gonna' be a beauty!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Homestead on the Hill

A week ago the Frankfort Girls met, and we changed things up quite a lot. Instead of meeting at someone's home for coffee and stitching around the kitchen table, we took a field trip! 

Kathy welcomes us from her kitchen.

Some of the girls knew Kathy Skinner, a former resident of neighboring Pickaway County, but I had not previously made her acquaintance. Kathy has a new venture in her new location - Vinton County - and she invited our group for lunch and a tour. We were all on board for an outing; we had an absolutely lovely day. 

Our hostess has a beautiful cabin in the hills of Vinton County which is so impeccably decorated - why it should be in a magazine, for sure. Kathy's style is primitive, but it's a modern version of primitive, and it is so tastefully done as not to overwhelm, but to welcome. While her home is magazine-worthy, guests feel instantly comfortable and at ease with all the homey touches Kathy has infused into her decorating scheme. 

Words just don't do it justice, so why don't we take a tour? I took a gazillion pictures, and none are framed or angled optimally, but the subject matter more than makes up for my amateur photo skills. I hope you will instead study all the special little touches Kathy has put into making her home so perfectly appointed. The beauty is in the details!

Kathy has named her hidden Vinton County treasure Homestead on the Hill. It seems evident from this front yard shot of her entrance that we are, indeed, on a hill. She doesn't seem at all daunted by yard work on such inclines as both the lawn and flowerbeds are carefully tended.

Approaching the steps to the front porch and entrance. Little Pooch is part of the welcoming committee.

Inside the front door; the great room.

The opposite side of the great room; through that center door are a guest room, bath, and Kathy's hobby room.

On a side table in the front window sits a primitive doll house with the most intricate detailed decor.

The dining table was set for our lunch.

Fireplace wall of the great room.

Another view of the kitchen and fireplace wall.

Kathy's hobby room - she's a rug hooker!

This quilt adorns the back hall which leads to the garage.

Master bedroom with a beautiful pineapple quilt and coverlet layered on top.

Master bedroom easy chair.

A beautiful spinning wheel in the master bedroom.

Master bedroom looking into great room. Note the dulcimer leaning in the corner!

Mirror in the master bath. It is so perfectly impressive!

My senses were so overloaded with trying to take in all the wonderful details in Kathy's home. I am so lacking in decorating skill that her talent really impresses me. And while this has been a decently representative tour of her home, but we are not nearly done. Not even close!

Kathy has created a retreat center behind her home, and is opening it to groups like ours for crafting getaways. After our meal - which was fantastic, by the way! - Kathy gave us a tour of her retreat center. It can be seen out her back door, further up the hill, and it is every bit as welcoming as her home.

Kathy's back patio and the retreat center, beyond.

The retreat center's front porch.

The front door. Simple touches make all the difference!

 

The front door opens into this entrance space.

To the right of the entrance is the kitchen.

And this big space beyond the entrance and kitchen is the gathering room.

The gathering room is so wonderful, you must see it from all the angles!

More views of the gathering room. Tables on each side wall, seating in the center. A perfect setting for all manner of needle arts enthusiasts.

Each side of the gathering room leads to bedrooms and baths for overnight guests.

Some bedrooms have twin beds; others have full.

We made ourselves right at home in the gathering room!

Those big cupboards in each corner of the gathering room house Kathy's wool stash.

More of Kathy's wool!

Now, you may have noticed some of the rugs decorating Kathy's walls. Also, she has used lots of cross stitch samplers in her decor. In this post I have mostly just featured the quilts, but I think I will soon do another post in which I feature her rugs and samplers. Oh my gosh, they are wonderful, and all together, all her spaces are all the more welcoming with such warm, gentle, calming decor.

Our group is considering a 2-night, 3-day retreat at Kathy's Homestead on the Hill. It's all a matter of scheduling for us! If you are in the area and are interested, I am sure Kathy would be happy to schedule your group, too. Her contact number is 740-664-1666.

This has been a super-long post; I have taken a lot of time in getting it ready because I had so many pictures! It was hard to whittle down, and I still went overboard. Well, hopefully, they are as much a delight to you as they were to me in person!

Happy Quilting, Friends!