A Bit of a Diversion

Seeing as how we are about one month into our first experience as "snowbirds," we are spending quite a bit of time making this house our home. Most of our neighbors have decorated the exterior of their places. There's all manner of ornamentation, but no one has a barn quilt! Going for a distinctive look, and to be a little different while showing our neighbors a bit of our true selves, we decided that a quilt square was in order. We could think of no better way to represent Ohio than with an Ohio Star.

 DH cut a board for me and I drew out the design. I had already determined the colors based on the exterior colors of our house - pale yellow with green shutters. I added a third color, navy, and I like how it looks. 

One thing I did not anticipate as I planned this out was the need for a border. Back to the store for either brown, dark gray or black. I basically had to choose from the limited options available. While this looks black, it is actually called "Pavement" - a very dark gray.

I had hoped to be able to include a photo of this hung on the house; alas, I sealed it with polyurethane and it is still drying. I'll show you next time.

Instead, I will leave you with a breathtaking view of the lake which borders our neighborhood. DH took this photo this morning while he was fishing with two friends. This is Lake Tsala Apopka in Citrus County, FL. 

Now, back to making 9-patches. I fear I am going to get bored with them, so I am considering changing things up in the coming days. I need variety!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

More of the Same

 In the few snippets of time I find to sit down at the sewing machine, I continue to make tiny 9-patch blocks from the tubful of 1.5-inch scraps I've accumulated. It amazes me how these bits of fabric are becoming parts for a whole quilt! Most people would have thrown these bits in the waste basket. 

I mentioned in a previous post that I was originally against the idea of organizing the bits into colorways. Then after spending so much time plowing through the little tub, I figured I was wasting too much time looking for that one piece of fabric I knew I had. It was time to organize. Working on one color at a time has made a huge difference!

I suppose you figured out from looking at the pictures that I was working my way through the red bits, and then the blue bits. That rosy pink block must be a renegade.

I believe I now have over 70 of these little 9-patch blocks made. Plenty more to make, too, as I am ready to tackle the green bits, the brown bits, and the yellow bits next. My little tray serves as both the pressing station and the organization (such that it is!) station.

I select the bits for each block and then line them up along the sewing table. When I have 10 or so ready to go, I chain piece them and have them finished off in no time.

Take a peek at my itty-bitty sewing corner. I don't need much space when I'm working on itty-bitty blocks. How do you like that nifty little desk? My color choice still appeals, too.

Time for sewing is at a premium here in Florida. It seems there is always something to do, and I try not to miss out on any of it. On Tuesday afternoon, we rode 8 miles on our recumbent bikes. There was quite a gang - 6 of us - heading out for who knows where. When we got to the 4-mile mark, we turned around and rode back. Good fun, and so peaceful.

After 2 weeks of chilly, gray days, we are finally getting the warm sunshine that one expects in Florida. Yesterday we got up to the low 80s with lots of sunshine. Perfect morning for playing shuffleboard. Today is supposed to be warmer, but cloudy. I think I can handle that. *grin*

Happy Quilting, Friends!

44 and Counting

So far, my total number of tiny 9-patches stands at 44. It has made a world of difference in speed by having my colors organized and separated. It has been quite the enjoyable and gratifying process of sitting down to do "just a couple" and in no time have about 10 or 12 more finished. 

Stacks of 10 line the back corner of my new little sewing desk. These are 3.5" unfinished when made with 1.5" squares. 

Rearranged in this pic to show off the variety of colors and prints. Sometimes I change out the center square when I don't have five of the same, and that will not matter in the least.

I like to keep my stacks of 10 in order so that I can more easily count my totals.  I intend to finish off the next 6 today and depending on the activities later, there's a good chance I'll do more.

And speaking of activities, let me tell you we seem to have plenty! When talking to friends and family back home, I've said more than once that it's as if we are different people here in Florida than we are at home. It is nothing for us to walk several times a day. We ride the recumbent bikes whenever the weather is pleasant (so far, we've only ridden 3 times, as it's been chilly for Florida); we play shuffleboard 3 times a week. We go gallivanting off to flea markets, estate sales and thrift stores whenever someone has a whim to do so. Plus there's plenty of ongoing work around the house as we fix up this place.

The only thing we are NOT doing as often as in previous years is eating out. Having our own kitchen affords us the alternative of staying in which means saving money and eating healthier. Restaurant dining is as bad on the wallet as it is on the waistline. We went out for my birthday on Monday, and we went out again on Wednesday when an Ohio cousin was here to visit. Those are the only two times we've gone out this entire month! That's remarkable for us.

Hope everyone is staying warm and snug!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Tiny Little 9-Patches

My little crop of 9-patch blocks has grown a bit these last couple of days. I have a nice place to sew (new desk - see last post), and an audio book queued up in my earbuds. This combination always results in something!

I mentioned earlier that I was taking the lead from Taryn at @reproquiltlover on Instagram in making the tiny 9-patches. I'd been planning on this kind of sewing even before I learned of her year-long project, so I'm glad to be sorta' tagging along. When I see some of the work the sewists are doing, I see a lot of them organizing the tiny squares. My initial opinion rather poo-pooed that idea. However, I've since done a 180. Organizing the bits makes sense! Duh. How else can you get a good-looking 9-patch if you don't have some sort of plan for the blocks?

So I have given in to organizing these 1.5" squares. Mostly, they are being grouped by color. If I see a big stack of squares all from the same fabric, they get their own stacks, and all the neutrals are sorta' being handled as a group, regardless of design. It doesn't look like there's a system, but I (mostly) know where I've put certain pieces.

I've used the top drawer for a lot of the neutrals, and the reds are stashed here, too. I stop the organizing every now and then and sew a few blocks, especially if I've found five darks and 4 lights that I like together. 

And that is how I've already made 24 little 9-patches! Yippee! It seems to go faster with the colors separated out, and the neutrals at the ready. The three shown here are indicative of how I'm working through this basket of little squares. If I can find 5 matching darks/4 matching lights then I make them that way; the blue block illustrates this. Sometimes, though, I don't have 5 matching darks, so I make 'almost matches' which you see in the pink block and the burgundy block. When these blocks become part of a big quilt, there will be no issue whatsoever with the 'almost' blocks.

The book I'm listening to is Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman. It is a fun read with a cute storyline - pure entertainment. I love the characters so far, and I am rooting for the happy ending. I learned of it from reading Nicole's frequent book reviews and suggestions on her blog Sister's Choice Quilts. Over the years, I have enjoyed dozens of books gleaned from her recommendations. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Proper Sewing Desk

One plan for this vacation home has been in place from the very beginning - there had to be space for sewing. That meant I needed a table or desk for the sewing machine. We have a nice desk back in Ohio that is not currently being used, but we didn't want to haul it to Florida what with all the other stuff we knew we needed to bring. 

And there's one thing that Florida has plenty of: estate sales/thrift stores. We felt pretty confident that we could snag a suitable desk for sewing purposes with little effort. As it turns out, that is exactly what happened.

I saw this desk at a local thrift store about a week ago and passed on it. I thought it needed more work than I was willing to give in order to get it to the condition I wanted. But at $35, when we went back a few days later, I gave it another look and decided that a coat of paint would be all that it required. I'd not make it a bigger job than it warranted.

We hauled it home on Saturday, and Sunday afternoon, I was sanding and painting. I think the color I chose will surprise you - it certainly surprises me! I don't typically 'do' color in my furniture, so this is way outside my norm. But, hey, it's a Florida vacation home and a bright cheery color seemed to suit.

The color is called "Refresh" which I think is just perfect - both in name and in color. The exact number from Lowe's is HGSW6751. I went into the store with a totally different color choice in mind, but came out with this. 

After letting the paint dry most of the evening, DH helped me carry it in and set it up in the guest room, where I will be sewing. When we have guests, I will stow away all the sewing stuff and guests will be able to use it as a dresser or desk or whatever.

And now I am sewing! Hooray! The desk is going to work nicely. I don't need tons of space for the type of sewing I will be doing these next three months, so a pared-down, simple, multi-functional room is just the thing. Looking at this last picture, I will thread that cord behind the desk and plug it into the foot pedal from underneath. It would eliminate the tripping hazard and provide easier access to the drawers. So far, the drawers are empty, but eventually...

Bought on Saturday; painted on Sunday; using on Monday. For me, this is a turnaround time of incredible proportions. Now on to making a whole bunch of tiny 9-patches.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Let's Start With One and a Half

Inches. I'm starting my dive into stash sewing with my smallest unit - the 1.5" square. I have a small plastic basket full-to-overflowing with them and a fun idea with which to work.

Mostly, this little basket contains the actual 1.5" squares, but also buried in the mess are 1.5" strips. Sometimes, I'd be too lazy to cut down all the little bits, so I just put the strips in and decided that I could cut them further as desired. 

It's been so long since I've seen the bottom of this basket, that I am sure I will be surprised by what I find buried in the depths. Working my way down will most certainly spark memories of projects long past.

A few posts back, I shared that Becky had stitched along with Taryn at @reproquiltlover on InstaGram. Interestingly, Taryn has undertaken a new project. She will host a year-long endeavor of making tiny 9-patches with her scraps. 

Now, even though I swore off participating in any more sew-alongs, I do think this might be okay to "follow." Since I have planned to stitch these basic units anyway, and I have intended to do so with all these scraps I've prepared, then it seems only logical to "follow." 

Can you see my reasoning here?

I see that Taryn has a sign up for those who wish to follow along; the last day to sign up is Monday. There are basically no rules or deadlines, which gives stitchers leeway, and I like that.

By using 1.5" squares, the resulting 9-patch measures 3.5" (unfinished) and when sewn into a quilt will be 3" (finished). Taryn has plans for even smaller sizes, and it will be fun to sew what those teeny blocks will become. My smallest unit (the 1.5" square) will be my focus, and I won't attempt anything smaller, however tempting that might be.

I've already made two 9-patches from fabrics that were on the top of my basket. One is scrappier than the other, and when I have made this entire basket of scraps into 9-patches, the blocks will all be one very happy and cohesive blend. 

Direction. I have a direction now with my scrappy sewing. I am totally going to enjoy this. And the bonus will be that the scraps I've painstakingly saved over the years will finally be become something tangible and useful.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Garment Sewing

Before I ever thought I'd be making quilts, I had a good many years of experience making clothes - my own clothes. I would venture to say that by the 9th grade, I was making most of what I wore to school and church. Mom still sewed for us girls, but I was capable by that age to tackle most of the patterns that appealed to me. 

And while I've not really dealt with garment patterns very much in the last 30 years, I still have a couple boxes of old ones tucked in the back of the closet. When Cate was born, I took out all the little girl patterns I had and sorted them by age/size. I brought one pattern with me to Florida to make a little summer dress for our girl.

If you recall, daughter Erin gave me three pieces of fabric and asked if I would make Cate outfits from them. I have two of the three done, and this stripe is all that remains. I am using the pattern shown to make the white version in the bottom left corner. It is lined, so I will need to go shopping (darn!), but this little dress will be on my agenda while here in Florida.

I don't know this pattern's history or how I came to own it. I do not recall ever making it for my girls. It may have been given to me - back in the day sewing friends often handed off patterns when their children had outgrown that size. Who knows?? I sure don't. Anyway, the sizing has me rather mystified. When the patterns were by months, I had a good idea of the size to select, but do these numbers indicate years? 

Whatever. The instructions from Erin were to make the biggest size I could with the amount of fabric available. Good plan. If it's too big, then Cate will grown into it.

When Erin and I were collaborating on this project, the pattern had been tossed over on the coffee table - look who was interested in it!! Our Cate! Wouldn't it be great if one day she had an interest in sewing and/or quilting?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

First Stitches

Actually, there are several firsts! First sewing of 2024. First sewing from Florida. First blog from our work-in-progress house. You must keep that last one in mind as you see the sewing room and my makeshift set-up.

Not wanting to set the machine up on the kitchen table and spread the mess around the house, I thought a rather ingenious table could be made from an ironing board lowered to table height. This worked perfectly well, too. I positioned it with my back to the closet and am (sorta') facing toward the door. The pic below is from across the room diagonally, basically in front of that shelf you see above.

In addition to being my sewing space, this room will be our guest room, so you see a corner of the bed. I have no other useful furniture in the room. The previous owner left the bed, the 2 bookshelves, the ironing board and a small chair which I am using while sewing. 

It still needs so much, but most of our efforts this first winter are being put toward bigger, more important tasks - new water heater, new door to utility room, furniture for the family room. I am chomping at the bit to buy all the stuff right now. 

It's hard being patient.

Back to sewing ... Last post I referenced the major sewing plan these next three months - mostly creating units for future projects. I have spent a couple of years being very diligent about organizing scraps, and it looks as if I've had some modicum of success!  I brought with me all the scraps that I'd cut into these specific sizes: 

• 1.5" squares and strips
• 2" squares and strips
• 2.5" squares and strips

I had a boatload of them! It completely filled a large tote. Without a doubt, I have more than enough to keep me busy through March.

My first accomplishment: 19 blue and beige 4-patch blocks made with 2.5" squares. It sure seems like I should try to make one more so that I will have an even 20, but I will have to come across more beige, because that's what made me stop. I have several more blue squares, so we shall see what develops.

I have promised myself that whatever will eventually be made with these units will be scrappy, so I am not allowing myself to get all fussy about everything matching or being exactly a certain number - that sort of thinking will only slow me down. Scrap quilts must be allowed to develop. No overthinking!

Humble as it is, that's my beginning for 2024. Let's see where it takes me.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Looking Back - December Collage

The trip to Florida was uneventful, and since we've been here the pace has been non-stop. It took about 3 days to get the internet and WiFi set up. Writing this post is the first time I've opened my laptop. The quilting projects are all stowed away in the guest room, and I sure hope I find a few hours in the coming week to make a little something, but so far not a single stitch. 

Since I have no new stuff to share, I will revisit December with my monthly collage. I fear there isn't a lot of stitching to brag about here either, but oh, we did have a wonderful month!

TOP ROW: I've brought with me just about every bit of scrap organization I've accomplished in the last year or two. The first picture shows a bit of what came with me. My plan for the three months we'll be in Florida is to sew all the 4-patches, 9-patches, half-square triangles, pinwheels,  etc. as possible. If I have the units made, then the making of a quilt will be a matter of combining various units. The next two pictures feature our dear granddaughter Cate, first asleep in my arms, and then listening intently to Uncle Adam reading to her about her favorite cartoon character Elmo.

MIDDLE ROW: One bit of sewing I managed to squeeze into December was making the pillow cases to complement the Dusty Trails quilt. All the fabric came from my stash, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. Center stage you'll see 3 Honnold men - brother-in-law Mike, son Adam, and husband Kevin. (Better known to blog readers as DH - dear husband.)  Adam was here for 3 weeks from Thanksgiving through early December, and we squeezed in as much family time as possible before he headed back to Oregon. Scandinavian stars were a staple of the month, as I must have made about 20. I used them on our tree and on gifts. It was a way to keep my fingers in the fabrics, and still have something to show for my time.

BOTTOM ROW: I found a couple of days of free time and decided rather on the spur of the moment to make this churn dash table topper. I shamelessly copied from an Instagram picture I'd saved, and decided I'd just "get'r done!" More pics of Cate round out the month! Grampa is a lifelong Browns fan, so he and our wee one now have matching shirts to wear as we cheer them through the post-season. On Christmas Day, Great Grandma Jeannie and little Cate share a moment contemplating a bottle and a nap.

Here are few more shots of the variety of units I will attempt to make over the coming months. I have a pretty good start, and this will give me incentive to keep going. A few of you observant long-time readers might recognize some of these units as they are leftovers from old projects.

Since this is our first year of wintering in FL, we have a lot of things we want to do to our house, so that is our priority. We are also walking and riding bikes as often as possible. My cousins, who also winter here, enjoy playing cards and we've already done a fair amount of that. Six full days in and we have adjusted quite well, if I do say so myself.

I intend to stay active here on the blog, so come around again to see what we are up to!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Goals for 2024

Typically, I take way too long into January before I fully flesh out my goals for the year, but this year, I have my list ready to go. It is way shorter than lists in previous years, but no less ambitious - especially where longarming is concerned.

Are you impressed by the flashy graphics of that chart? I have been playing around on a program called Canva, and this is one of the designs I modified to meet my needs. It was fun and provided good practice. It's not especially as easy to read as I'd hoped, so I need to refine such things as I create other graphics. 

You all get to be my guinea pigs. *heh-heh*

Let's take a closer look at those goals.

1. Winnemucca Fabric - pictured below, I really need to decide on a pattern and make this quilt. It's appeared on goals lists in '22 and '23, yet still I dither.

2. Finish Lake Effect - Yes, the 10-Year-Quilt really needs to become a flimsy and then it really needs to be quilted. I've let this linger for far too long. (Begun in 2017, I'm now on year 7.)

3. Paris Flea Market - I am going to make this in April with Sharon. We both have the fabric and we have a pattern, which I cannot wait to begin. Sharon even gifted me with a partial bolt of blue for use as my backing! Very grateful and so exciting! It will be hard not sewing with Sharon for three months, and it will be equally hard to make myself wait on beginning this quilt.

4. Tag Sale - I've made this Carrie Nelson pattern before, and I want to make another one. I have some pretty Bonnie and Camille fabrics I want to use. But I probably need more; that's why I've waited to start it.

5. All The Blues - a few months ago, I pulled out a big pile of blue fabrics from my stash and thought how nice it would be to combine them all into one quilt. Here's the stack. It will likely be lots of 4-patches or 9-patches and maybe will include some Ohio Stars or Churn Dashes, too. It's still taking shape in my brain, so stay tuned.

6. Increase Longarm Output - Output was way low in 2023, so it ought to an easy thing to do to surpass last year's numbers. I've made goals before and I always fall short. Realistically, doing 2-3 per month should be doable. I do start out behind the 8-ball since we are Florida-bound; we'll be snowbirds through March, but still...

7. Navy and Cheddar Grist Mill - My friend Terry made a gorgeous quilt (I might borrow her pattern!), and the varied collection of fabrics shown below seems like a worthwhile challenge to match to the pattern. The quilt is called Grist Mill by Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts.

I've alluded a couple of times to being away for a time. Well, we are about to start our first year of wintering in Florida. Consequently, I will be on the road for a couple of days (this post was scheduled for the first travel day). Once I get internet service set up in our FL house, I'll be back straight away.

Happy Quilting, Friends!