Putting It All Back Together

Mostly, our remodel is complete. However, the mess left in the wake of the remodel is ongoing. Bit by bit, tweaking things here and there we will eventually have everything put back together. Temporarily, my quilt rack sits along one wall in our bedroom. Before the remodel, the quilt rack sat at the foot of our bed, and the wall was filled with bookshelves.

I doubt this surprises no one, but I like displaying quilts. I am happy to have these colorful additions back in this room. Let's look at them a bit more closely.

In front, Long Road Home and Temecula Baskets. Note that both quilts are set on point and use red setting triangles to border the designs. I do like that look. Another similarity is that the placement of the blocks affords the chaining across the quilt, two directions on Long Road Home and just vertically on Temecula Baskets.

 

On the middle row of the quilt rack we have Paris Flea Market Find and 6-Pointed Stars. Here are close-ups of them. Two items of note with these: PFMF is new this year (!)  as I totally made it and quilted it in April, May and June. My 6-Pointed Stars, on the other hand, has been around for awhile. I'm especially proud of it as it is the only quilt I have totally hand-pieced and hand-quilted.

 

Hanging on the back of the rack, I've got two of my older lovelies - soft and squishy from washing and use. Tag Sale and English Elegance both have a cottage-y vibe about them with their pastel colors and floral themes.

 

Both of these quilts were primarily hand-pieced (by me), and both were hand-quilted. I quilted Tag Sale and my late grandmother quilted English Elegance. I made these quilts while I was still working full time with all three children still at home. I suspect it took me years to complete them.

The quilt rack is just one of many item being returned to their proper places. Yes, with concerted effort and focus, things do eventually fall into place.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Tiny Nine-Patch Update

You better believe I am glad as can be that I spent those winter months turning my massive collection of 1.5-inch scraps into 9-patches! When I began, I had absolutely no idea how I would end up using them, but I trusted the process. I was confident that eventually some form of inspiration would come. Here is a link to one of my earliest posts - very near the beginning of it all - which alludes to the inspiration I found.

Just look at what that inspiration did for me! Yay! My completed quilt top looks amazing!

Within weeks after beginning the scrap management and the making of 9-patches, I discovered an Instagram account that was hosting a Tiny Nine Patch Challenge. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. I immediately had a goal in mind for my scrappy 9-patch efforts, and the sewing became all the more focused.

The last time I posted about this quilt, I had not added borders. I've always been open to border possibilities, and willing to 'go with the flow' so to speak. Perhaps because I have basically run out of 1.5" squares, I am stopping here.  The inner border of 4-patches surrounded by an outer border of background fabric looks very much "complete" to me.

I love looking at the variety of fabrics contained within this quilt. Near and dear to my heart, the blouse fabric from my wedding rehearsal dinner and my job interview with CHS is in the block with the 4 purple floral corners and tan center, with light lavender background. It may be the last time I use that fabric in a quilt.

The quilt is chock-full of special and/or sentimental fabrics. The pink and diagonal plaid block sorta' centered in the photo above are fabrics from my mother's stash and my friend Kay's stash. The green block just under it and to the left is an example of how I did 'almost matches' as I neared the bottom of the tub. I was having to force combinations there at the end.

This blue block is another example of forcing fabrics to work together. It was easy to let go of rigid matching standards when I reminded myself that this was a scrap quilt and I was to make it work the way our great grannies would have.

Back in March, when I was down to the odds and ends of the 1.5-inch squares, I switched from 9-patches to 4-patches. Here's a pic of the little assembly line set-up I had in Florida.

Those 4-patches came in so handy for creating the inner border. I just can't believe how wonderfully this entire project has worked out! Trusting the process really does work out, at least for this quilt that has been the case. *smiles*

My next step is to load it onto the long arm and get it quilted. Up top there, I have it laid out across our new king-sized bed, and look at that glorious overhang. I wanted it to be big enough to use on this bed, a goal I have definitely achieved. 

Added later: I've linked this post to Oh Scrap! Since I make so many quilts using my scraps, I ought to get in the habit of doing this more often. Cynthia's blog is called Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework. Yes, I agree! *wink*

And those pics up top also give you a little preview of how our master bedroom is coming together. I need to adorn the walls, add some furniture, rearrange some things. This room is nearly complete; the rest of the upstairs, however, is still in quite a state of flux. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Repairs and Handwork

I have mentioned several times here in recent weeks (months?!) that we are remodeling our master bedroom. Funny how redoing one room ends up affecting three other rooms plus a bathroom, but suffice it to say, our entire upstairs has been rather a chaotic mess for awhile now.

Here are a few pics taken throughout the process which depict the upheaval.

Top of the stair; look to the left.

Top of the stairs; look to the right.

Top of the stairs; immediate right.

So, while digging for space in my sewing room, (moving old shelves out - see pic above; better shelves from bedroom in) I came across two quilts given to me for repairs. One I have had for probably 20 years; the other for perhaps 6-8 years. Yeah, I'd sorta' forgotten about them. It made sense for me to just stop rearranging things for awhile and fix these quilts so I could GET THEM OUT OF MY SPACE! I will free up valuable space if I just fix these and pass them back to the owners.

First, I worked on the larger item - a scrap quilt that was so very well-loved. It was worn and threadbare in many places. Longtime family friend Shirley had asked me to do what I could with it and gave me an old flannel shirt to use for patching. The binding was so threadbare that I cut the original binding off and adding a new one from my binding scraps. Then I began cutting squares and rectangles out of that flannel shirt and hand-stitched patches over places that were most worn. These two bits below are examples of what I patched.

I have returned this to Shirley who reminded me of the history of this quilt. Her mother had made it from scraps and it was a particular favorite of her son Tim (Timmy to me, as I babysat him when he was little). Making this even more special is the fact that several months ago, Timmy was killed in a freak accident at age 47. Far too young. Returning this to his mother all these years late, might have been a comforting salve for Shirley. She did seem thrilled to have it back.

The second repair quilt was much smaller and given to me maybe 20 years ago to repair. As I worked, I realized that my daughter Erin made it when she was about 12 for her little cousin Will. Back then, all the cousins were into those I-Spy and Where's Waldo books that came out in the 90s. We shared books and studied those pictures for hours! Will was especially taken with them, so Erin made this I-Spy quilt for him using squares of novelty fabric. I'd totally forgotten that Erin made it; seeing this block jogged my memory. (A reminder of why we should label our quilts, ladies!!!)

Some of the seams had come undone, and my sister had handed it over to me for fixing. I just popped it into a storage tub and forgot about it. A mere, brief stitching session while watching the Tour de France and it is ready now for delivery back to Sandy and Will ... and Will's 2 little ones, who will be the next generation to enjoy "I Spy."

So I've done a bit of hand stitching and I have rid my sewing room of things that I needn't have had in there in the first place. 

Linking with Kathy's Quilts and her weekly party, Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Reveal! Sharon’s Paris Flea Market Find

All manner of events have taken precedence over my blogging lately, but I figured it was high time to prioritize an update. 

In mid-June, Sharon loaded her PFMF quilt onto the long arm machine and the plan was for her to quilt it that day. As good-intentioned as that plan was, the machine had other ideas. As she got just one row across the quilt, threads were breaking or, in this case, running out, tension became touchy and timing went wonky. 

All the long arm problems! That day we experienced every single one of them, daggum it!

Below is her quilt spread out on the bed. Believe it or not, as much time as it spent on the long arm, I never stopped to take a picture of it all loaded up.

I believe I've share these three photos before, but who doesn't love having a second look at a beautiful quilt?

Back to the troubles...Early on, try as I might to fix things myself, I just couldn't do it. The timing was tripping me up. I obtained a phone number for a repair man who makes house calls - some of the Frankfort Girls have used him. I was so fit to be tied that would willingly absorb the cost of a house call if I could get things straightened out. 

Shane, the ever-so-blessed-repairman, walked me through a fix over the phone! Turns out, I had done everything properly, and just one small correction was all that I needed. I am so grateful for his willingness to assist me - free of charge! After all was said and done, I had a big  "well, duuuuhh" moment because I should have known what was wrong. Each little glitch ends up teaching me something.

So with the Tin Lizzie all set for action, troubles began on Sharon's side of things. First, she had a particularly bad migraine episode that put her out of commission for several days.

Next her mother fell and fractured a bone in her leg. Gracious! Hospitalization, additional complications - Sharon and her mom have had a plateful of worries. Needless to say, returning to finish her quilt wasn't a top priority. (Much like my blogging!) 

She was apologetic about tying up  my machine for so long, but truly, with all our bedroom remodel, I was not inconvenienced in the least. Not having the long arm available through those days forced me to attend to some of the less glamorous parts of the remodeling process like purging and cleaning. I got a lot done without the temptation to quilt!

Finally, this past Tuesday, our schedules meshed and Sharon came to finish her quilt. And oh, it was so worth the wait!

I snapped this picture without her knowledge. Once you get into a rhythm with free-motion quilting, you don't need to be interrupted. Sharon's large, sweeping circular designs really accentuate her quilt.

Ta-Da!! This quilt is SOOOOO Sharon! To those who know her, that gorgeous floral border and the bright red star points are clearly ‘trademark Sharon.’ She wrapped it up to take home for trimming and binding. No doubt very soon, it will be on her bed!

In an effort to be more timely with posting as we head into the final week of July, I have couple more posts almost ready to share; hopefully I will follow through.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

A Long Arm Plan I Can Stick To

Today's post is about my tendency to be indecisive. Sometimes, making a decision is harder than the actual DOING!

Since becoming more proficient with the long arm machine, I find that I often feel stymied by which quilt to choose for quilting. Duh. Such a dumb thing, this indecision. 

Cobalt Stars - pieced in 2021; quilted in 2023.

Often, I decide based on need. Like right now, I have two baby girls needing quilts, and those will be at the top of the long arming list (but first I have to actually MAKE THEM!!)  My plan is to make them both like this one that I made for Cate in 2022.

Copy-cat Kaffe - pieced & quilted in 2022.

Sometimes, I decide based on seasonal changes. For example, that fall leaves quilt I made last year will very likely find itself quilted just prior to our changing of leaves here in Ohio - around the first of September, very likely. It's still hanging on the design wall.

Fall Leaves - pieced in 2023.

I've had an idea for a more definitive plan to combat all my dithering. It is one I think I can actually work with, by George.

When not pressed to quilt something in a timely way, I will reach for the earliest quilt in my closet and load that onto the long arm.  I will continue working my way forward through the years until everything is quilted.

Since I keep track of what I make each year on yearly pages, this should be easily managed. When I click on 2010, my first year of blogging, I see that only two quilts still await quilting. 

Americana Rose - pieced in 2010.

 Americana Rose was made from a kit - a rare thing for me. I've always envisioned this as a table cloth for our screened porch table. Wouldn't it look great for a July 4th celebration? 

Hourglass Quilt - Pieced in 2010.

Hourglass Quilt is a Thimbleberries pattern (and not necessarily Thimbleberries fabrics), and I still love the colors as well as that feathery outer border. I'd love to have this finished and displayed in the fall or at Christmas time. It has a primitive vibe, wouldn't you agree?

Honestly, I could so easily finish off all the 2010 projects. Everything else I made that year is done, which quite frankly, surprises me. I had no idea! Perhaps it's why I like this idea of working through the years chronologically? Yes, probably.

Doing this post makes me think that I have not checked back over my 2024 goals list lately. I ought to see how I am progressing. I've had a few 'tangents' lately, so I could be way off-kilter - who knows.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Helping a Reader

I personally know a number of people who are regular readers of this blog, but by and large my readers are unknown to me. However, we do occasionally “connect.”

Charlene is one such reader, and she’s in a bit of a quandary - undoubtedly one that many of us have shared in at least once in our quilting lives. 

Approximately a week ago - perhaps two - she reached out to ask if by chance I had any of the fabrics pictured here.  

Am I right? I'm sure many of you relate. Haven’t all of at least once run out of fabric long out of circulation? It’s one of the drawbacks of “saving” fabric or building a stash. One just has to hope that she bought enough!

The quilt Charlene is making is called Safe Haven, and she bought it years ago to work on when she retired. Now retired, she has discovered that she doesn't have enough to finish it - mostly fabric for borders and binding.

I did a search online for Safe Haven quilts and found two. One is newer by Sherri and Chelsi and one is older by Thimbleberries. Bingo! I believe we have a Thimbleberries quilt in the works here! And, yes, as I study the fabrics in the picture, these definitely have that familiar Thimbleberries "look."

If any of you readers might have these Thimbleberries fabrics in your stashes and would be willing to sell/trade/give some to Charlene, I can play the middleman and set you up with an email. Just comment below to let me know!

Hey Charlene! Hope we get some results! Thanks so much for your readership!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Temecula Baskets Reveal

Final binding stitches have been taken on Temecula Baskets and she's at last ready for her coming out party.

 

And by party, I mean let's lay her out on the front lawn and take a picture. I don't currently have a proper bed to put her on! (Remodeling continues...)

The backstory on my making this quilt is pretty well outlined in this post from early 2022. To my recollection, I’d ordered some FQ bundles from Temecula Quilt Company/Marcus Fabrics and had been saving them for ‘just the right’ quilt.

When I saw a sweet basket block in my 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks book by Judy Hopkins, I knew a perfect match was made. Sewing the blocks was fun and fast. I recall putting a lot of thought into the direction of my setting blocks, and I’m still very pleased with this layout. 

This book, by the way, has been a favorite go-to of mine for a long, long time. Honestly, one would never need to buy another pattern or book with this on the shelf. (Of course, that's putting quite a stretch on a quilter, but it could be done.)

So here are a couple more shots of Temecula Baskets. The red border pleases me, as do the subtle gray setting blocks. All-in-all, I am pleased as punch with this adorable basket quilt.

Ongoing while finishing the master bedroom, I have been boxing up various items that will be donated. I will have near 300 books going soon to our library's book sale. I also plan to purge some of the fabric in my stash. I know - big shock!! I've gotta' be realistic: there's no way will I ever - EVER! - use it all.

 

And when I need a sewing fix, I continue working on Tiny Nine Patches; gosh it's going to look so amazing. I put the first border on yesterday. Today I will press it all, and then add the next border which is just one fabric (not pieced, in other words). The final border is pieced, and I will need to decide how I will proceed with it. All those gazillion bits I made in Florida are just about all used up. Hooray!

Hope you're having a great day!

Jayne

Celebrating the 4th!

Independence Day! Hope all your celebrations are fun and festive.

Because the biggest part of our home is in upheaval with this master bedroom remodel, the only decorating I’ve bothered with is this table topper on our kitchen table. I made it awhile ago from a free pattern I found on a blog. Here’s a link to when I made it as well as a miniature of the same pattern.

The pitcher contains a bouquet from Sunday when we celebrated our 45th anniversary. 

Here's a link to last year's July 4th post; it contains much more patriotic decor.  

I’ve just finished stitching the binding on Temecula Baskets, so I’ll have a proper reveal on it this weekend. Additionally, I’ve been mentally figuring the number of 1.5” squares needed for the first border on Tiny 9-Patches. Yes, I’m going for it. I’ve done it right this far; it makes no sense to stop here. Prepare to hear more about that, as well.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Hello July!

 

Three days into the month and weather-wise, we couldn’t be having any more perfect weather! These past couple of days have been the epitome of ‘chamber of commerce days.’ Comfortable temps, clear blue skies, pleasant breezes and low humidity. 

July, you’re looking good so far! 

I’ve compiled my June collage, so let’s recap last month’s highlights. A quick glance at this collection indicates that Cate time might just be more precious than quilting time. *wink*

TOP ROW: Our Cate just grows and grows! And she's adorable through and through. We kept daughter Erin's two cats while they were vacationing in Hawaii. Here, Betty is inspecting my quilt-binding skills. And the quilt I was binding, Paris Flea Market Find, is finished and ready for use.

MIDDLE ROW: Another quilt fresh off the long arm was Temecula Baskets. I am just now getting around to binding it; a good activity for when we are watching Tour de France. Next, remodeling. Can you imagine the BIG mess that currently exists in our upstairs as a result of this bedroom remodel? When one removes 31+ years of accumulations from a room, the fallout is gargantuan! I keep too much stuff! *waaaa* Third, a sleepy Cate models the wrap dress I made her; thank you, Erin, for sending many pictures from Hawaii!

BOTTOM ROW: Back in Ohio after vacationing, Cate was happy as can be to return to her friends and teachers at daycare. Next, I made great strides on Tiny 9-Patches, finishing the 4 corner triangles late on the last day of the month. Finally, one more picture of Cate from this past Sunday. We hosted both our daughters and their families for lunch. It was our 45th wedding anniversary! Low-key celebrating, but wonderful to relax with them all and enjoy their company.

Now, July is here and we have work to do! Getting our bedroom back in working order is the top goal, as well as removing all that has been stacked in the hallway, the guest bedroom and the long arm room. Believe me when I say we have stuff piled up everywhere! Even the shower in the main bathroom has luggage and boxes stacked inside. Navigating through some of these spaces is risky business, for sure.

Goodbye walls of  Tuscan-inspired 'Cider Toddy' and hello calm and restful 'Agreeable Gray.' We have used Agreeable Gray throughout our downstairs, and we still love it, so deciding to use it in the bedroom was a no-brainer. Yesterday, the new floor was laid, and soon I hope to be sharing a completed look at our re-do. The rug is scheduled for delivery on July 11, so it will be at least another week before I share. Stay tuned!

And here's a sneak-peek of Tiny 9-Patches. Since the bedroom was unavailable, I had to bring it outdoors for a photo. The corners are on there, but they haven't yet been pressed out. My decision now is whether or not to add borders, and if I do, how many? The inspiration quilt (bottom of link) is what I'd like to continue imitating, but I am not yet fully committed. While I work on completing our bedroom project, I will be considering border options.

Gotta' get going! Things to do! Hope you have a great day and a fantastic July!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne