Goodbye May!

What a super-productive month May was! It felt as though I really began hitting my stride with long-arming, and the little projects pieced at the sewing machine made me supremely happy.

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that I would likely be working on some patriotic sewing to honor Memorial Day. I followed through on that plan and now I have a super-neato pillow to use in our decor for all the patriotic holidays.

 Before noon, I'd begun making the 4.5-inch stars. All fabric is remnant material from previous projects, some of which have been used in several previous projects.

By late afternoon, I'd stitched the stripes and attached the stars to them.

 And right about supper time, I had my pillow finished and on the family room sofa. 

What I made in the other 30 days of May, you'll have to come back in a day or two. I hope to prepare and share my May round-up. Doing blog posts from the confines of motels as we motor across country will be interesting, at best. Yes, as you read this, we are on the road!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Memorial Day

"We are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free." ~ Ronald Reagan

'Thank you' hardly seems adequate enough to express the gratitude we have for the price so many have paid. This American is grateful for that service and sacrifice.

Will you be taking time today to reflect on the true reason we set aside this day with a 3-day weekend? It's more than cookouts and pool parties. Honor those brave souls who fought so valiantly for our freedoms.

Around here, we honor the day in small ways - use the red, white and blue picnic plates; put the patriotic quilt on the porch table. Our porch is peaceful and inviting in the early morning. The sun crested the trees  at around 7 this morning, so you are seeing the yard still in shadows. It is just waking up!

I will very likely do some patriotic sewing today. This free pattern from Moda has been on my wish-list for awhile now, so I think it might become a reality today. My own little patriotic celebration at the sewing machine. 

Screen shot from Moda site.

Here's the link to the free pattern. Those stars are quite tiny, but I only need to make five of them, so I can justify the effort. The pillow cover is sized for a  20" x 20" form. 

Making it today doesn't necessarily put it on the sofa today, but come the 4th of July, I will be all set. Maybe I will even have made a second one by then! *smile*

Enjoy your celebration, be it large or small!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Baby Boy Quilt

When an idea takes hold, I just run with it. Retirement allows me the freedom to do that, thankfully, and I have the desire, so it all works out great. *smile*

I seem to be making a lot of baby quilts lately, and one I needed to get busy on was for my nephew and his wife who are expecting boy #4 in a few months.

I teased a couple days ago with these happy pinwheel blocks which I made on Wednesday while Sharon was here.

 

When I had about 20 I prepped setting blocks out of some fat quarters I'd recently picked up. Laid out on the bed, I was satisfied, but needed it to be a bit bigger. 

It was fine in the length, but I thought it ought to have one more block in width. Back to cutting and piecing pinwheels. I used 4" squares to result in pinwheels that measured 6.75". It was all made up, so I just created my own measurements.

The one juvenile print.

Acceptable companion print #1.

Acceptable companion print #2.

 

 

The setting blocks are not all juvenile prints, but the color works and they "read" juvenile when combined. I laid them out in diagonal fashion and stitched them up with Eleanor Burns' chain-piecing method.

I have sorta' been hankering to make a quilt with pinwheels, so I am really pleased to have thought to make them for a baby quilt. They are just so cheerful and happy. I will definitely keep this in mind for future reference.

Hope you are having a great day! 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sewing With Sharon

 

It's been awhile since I last shared the gorgeous creations coming off Sharon's sewing machine. We often tag-team our sewing. We make the same pattern at the same time - as in Lucy (Sharon's and mine) and our Double Irish Chains (Sharon's and mine), for example. And coming up in July, we each have planned to do yet another Double Irish Chain. Red and white. Yes, can't wait. *grin*

Because we have known each other for so long and so well, our quilting preferences often run in similar veins. We get on "kicks" pretty often, and the Kaffe Fassett "kick" is strong on us currently.

 Sharon is making her own version of Ocean Ripples, which I made earlier this year. Take a look at the deliciousness coming off her needle! She made the two halves (one is shown above) and sewed them together on Wednesday.

This looks yellowed, but the window was behind the quilt, so it has an "illuminated" look to it. 

She has now moved on to the smaller HSTs for the borders. They are made, so just the attaching to be done. To be reminded of the KF original, here's a pic from the book Quilts in Burano.

Here's my Ocean Ripples from back in  March, when I finished the flimsy.

We will be unable to sew together for the next couple of weeks as DH and I are going to be on vacation. I am sure we will be in touch with texts and social media, but actual in-person sewing time is on a 2-week hiatus.

Hope you are getting in some good quality sewing time! 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

More Baby Quilt Making

Our family is anticipating more that just our own granddaughter's arrival. Before her appearance, two great nephews will join the ranks. I have a baby quilt finished for the first one; I need to get started on the second. So I did that this week. 

Last week when I picked up my sewing machine at Old Town Fabrics, I also grabbed a few fat quarters to bolster my little stash of baby quilt remnants. You'll have to see those fabrics next post; the pinwheel blocks pictured here are made with stash remnants - the blue is from that Double Irish Chain I made last year; the white on white is what is left over from my recently completed pair of Stepping Stones quilts. Also this. I will add in the new fabrics when these are finished.

Typically, I make baby quilts as simply as possible; but I was in the mood to add a playful element and thought these pinwheels would do nicely. I will have 25 made soon, and then I will share a finish soon after that! The beauty of baby quilts - they make up really fast.

My list is long this morning, and I need to get going!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Very Special Little Stepping Stones

After finishing Stepping Stones last week, I was left with quite a few parts - setting blocks, pieced blocks and side and corner triangles. Rather than to pack it all away never to be seen or used, I laid out a miniature version of the quilt I'd just made. Unbelievable! I had plenty to make a small quilt.

And so I did. 

The parts were all just pinned together yesterday when Sharon came to sew, and my first agenda item was to sew this small quilt top together. It needed to be done and removed from the chaos in the sewing room.

Isn't she a pretty little thing? I am so pleased with myself for just going ahead with this and not letting it sit unfinished in storage. I still have a small amount of the floral fabric leftover. That will very likely become 2.5" strips. There are no pieced blocks left over - YAY! And I do have a fair amount of solid remaining, but I can return it to my tub of solid fabrics for use in a future quilt.

Now let's compare this small quilt to it's big sister.

I might have had a bit of extra motivation to make this second quilt. Big excitement is brewing around here! Instead of calling these big sister/little sister, I believe they shall be referred to as Grandmother/Granddaughter - yes, I will become a first -time grandmother in October to a little girl!

And we are definitely over the moon excited.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Bernina Spa Day at the LQS

My 'younger' Bernina needed some servicing and a good cleaning, so in she went to Old Town Fabrics, one of Chillicothe's two local quilt shops. As a Bernina dealer, they provide convenience for quilters needing machine service and maintenance.

I picked her up on Friday, and she is now humming a happy tune. I opened her up over the weekend to attach the binding to Hettie's baby quilt. 

While I was in the shop, I took a moment to snap some pictures of the extensive fabric collection available at Old Town. The options are nothing short of luscious.

The shop is located in downtown Chillicothe, in an historic old warehouse. The owners have painstakingly salvaged the building and it's historic charm. Take a look at the beams, the brick walls, and the floors. So much character. 

Besides checking out the building, you should also check out the display samples. I don't often buy kits, but I sure do like to be inspired by the variety of options. 

If you ever find yourself in Chillicothe - Ohio's first capital! - you will have to check out this shop!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Slow Sunday Update

I deemed my efforts on Lake Effect to be a 10-year project when I first began working on it in May 2017. Five years into the project, I wonder if I am ahead of projections or behind? Let's have a look at what I've done. The past many, many months have been solely devoted to applique. 

Such long narrow strips are difficult to photograph, especially for an amateur like myself. Oh well, you are here to see the sewing not the photography, right? These four panels will form an inner border on Lake Effect. Elongated hexies will surround that border. All I have left to do on these panels is to add berries, and one more bird. I expect I may have some "fiddling" when the corners come together - both unsewing and resewing will likely be required.

I should have enough hexies prepared for finishing this quilt, so once this applique border section is completed, the rest should be rather straightforward. I know, that's being optimistic, but that's my nature. I will deal with complications as they arise.

And, I think I am ahead of schedule on my 10-year plan. *wink*

Are you having the rainy weather we've been having lately? I have emptied the rain gauge 3 times in the last week: 1 inch; 2.5 inches; 1.5 inches. Five inches total! We cannot keep up with the mowing. I wonder how the farmers are ever keeping up with the planting!?

Linking up with Kathy for her Slow Sunday Stitching.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

A Second Quilt for Hettie

Frienzies will do ANYTHING for one another! Case in point, Hettie called out of the blue on Monday to see if I would agree to quilt a baby quilt she was making. She brought it on Wednesday and by Thursday it was quilted. This morning, I have bound it. 

Frienzies, for readers who aren't regulars here, are my former teaching colleagues - now all retired - who make a concerted effort to connect monthly. We are the very best friends and have been having fun for over 20 years. From dinners in restaurants, to feasts in our homes, to vacations, crafting and activities, we eight friends have made lots of memories together.

You may recall that I quilted a baby quilt for Hettie a week or so ago, which I shared in this post. When she contacted me again to see if I'd do another baby quilt, of course I said yes.

Isn't this adorable?!! The quilt is very simple - chunky blocks of gray and mint, a few top and bottom border rows of solid, and the show-stopper, that adorable applique center. Perfect. It was fast for her to make, and it will be pleasing for the recipient, no doubt.

 It took no time at all to quilt it - baby quilts are great that way - and I agreed to bind it for her, too Last evening, I made the binding, and today's agenda was to attach. I have just completed said agenda item, and it is ready to go back to Hettie. *smile*

I get credit for yet another quilt done on the long arm machine, and Hettie will have a sweet gift for an expectant mother in time for the baby shower. Win-win.

Short and sweet today, Peeps! Enjoy your Saturday!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

Rosy Stepping Stones

Yes, it's reveal time! Steadily all this week I have whittled away at assembling the diagonal rows for this quilt. I mentioned in this post from last week that my fabric choices were not suiting me. After a winning substitution and a slightly different layout - VOILA! - I have a quilt top that I love!

There is nothing particularly fancy about this quilt. The stepping stones blocks are just as simple as can be. The blocks are nice and big. I had absolutely no fussy business anywhere. The decision to go with the rose print fabric for the setting blocks just makes it work. My earlier choice was so obviously NOT the right fabric, and I am so glad I questioned it.  There was a time when I wouldn't have. 

Previously, as well, I had no intention of setting these blocks on point, yet it just seemed so perfectly obvious that this MUST be the layout, so here we go!!

Never in all the quilt pictures I've taken over the years have I had so much trouble getting a color to show true. This solid is rose-colored, and each picture, regardless of how I try tweaking the various filters, looks terra cotta and much too dark. 

Here's a look at the selvage of the print fabric - a vintage 2007 piece for RJR called A Beautiful Time. What a lovely name, and it also describes my time spent sewing and quilting - beautiful. Luckily, I had 2 yards of this, so I was able to make quite a decent-size quilt. It fits nicely across this queen bed. I've used 30 stepping stone blocks and 20 setting blocks.Each block finishes at 9 inches.

Need a close-up shot? Here's one with a nicely centered rose bouquet.

Finishing this leaves me in that uncertain place not knowing quite what I will work on next. I have a few more new quilts brewing in my mind, and I need to get a couple of quilts onto that long arm. I am determined not to let myself get too far behind on that marathon I am attempting.

Happy Quilting, Friends!