cough, sniffle, snooze...

Have you noticed my absence from bloggie-land? I took sick a week ago Tuesday night and still have raging symptoms. I finally had the sense to go to an urgent care on Monday, and with the antibiotic for sinus infection now at work in my system, I do believe I will kick this illness at last.

Since I am not contagious, I have managed to make my classes on Tuesday and today. That is the extent of my efforts, however. Teaching two composition classes is enough to wipe me out.

I have not sewn a stitch on the sewing machine. I have the EPP Lake Effect next to my easy chair, but my head just won't stand for more than a brief effort. Reading blogs has even been too challenging. I tell you, this really taken me out of action.

So what can I share today? Well, I will rerun some older things and make a little hint of some future activity. Some of you recall, I'm sure, that I was the lucky recipient of a long arm quilting machine late last year. Read about it here. I have spent the better part of two-plus months working at setting the tension and sewing without breaking threads. I do believe I finally have all parts in good order and I'm ready to quilt something beyond samples.

Searching the contents of my sewing closet gives me many options, and the three finalists I am debating are these:

Chantilly is a quilt top I made in 2012 from a pack of florals I had on hand. I have looked back at my post and failed to record the book that this pattern came from, but I can find it easily enough and will make note of it soon. I have backing fabric for this quilt already set aside and while it is the largest of my three finalists, having that backing decision already made makes this quite a promising choice. 

 Razzle Dazzle was made in 2011 for a mystery sample. I have never been overly fond of this quilt as orange is my least favorite color. It would be a good quilt to make my mistakes on. It is rather on the small size, and would likely be table-topper sized.

Plan C is a Carrie Nelson pattern from her book Schnibbles Times Two. I made it in 2012 using Park Avenue fabric by 3 Sisters/Moda. The quilt is not overly large, yet would result in a nice lap size. I would have to stay-stitch it because of that piano key border, and I would have to locate a backing. I have a hefty tub of browns, so I think it would be easy to find something suitable.

I have reasons to get healthy, don't I? So much to be done! On top of being ready to long-arm quilt my very first quilt on this machine, I have two classes of essays now to read and respond to. The world is not waiting on me to get better!

Hope you are having a happy day. Our area is being deluged with rain - I think parts of southern Ohio are suffering severe flooding. That's where I am, but this is further south from here. Pray for safety!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Meet Chantilly

Yes, the easiest quilt in the world to make is finally finished. I sure did drag my feet on it, but, oh, how pleased I am with the results!

The border is yellow. My photo looks a bit washed out. Since we are having such gorgeous weather, I took the quilt top out on the screened porch for the photo shoot. The morning shadows must have had a play in the lack of color in the bottom half of the picture. Anyway, you get an idea of my finish. I am so pleased with it. The picture in the book was perhaps a bit more muted and subtle in coloration, whereas I've got some definite lights and darks, but I still like it - a lot.

A careful study of the original to mine will also show you that in addition to making mine larger, I also changed the way the borders were done. I used a narrow inner border then the wide outer border, whereas the original has a wide inner border and a narrow outer border.

I went way overboard on making blocks for Chantilly. The leftover pile has enough in it to make an entire second quilt, I am sure.

Maybe I will make another one. Or perhaps I will save them for some future, as yet unknown project. It's possible that I will stitch a few of them into the backing for this quilt. We shall see.

So, what to work on next? I still have work to do on Mom's signature quilt. I need to put a zipper in a jacket for my FIL. I have agreed to make a mystery sample for Terry. Sharon and I are making a flannel quilt for a former student who is undergoing chemo treatments. And I think I'm hearing some blue and white fabric calling to me from up in the sewing room. Hmmm...

Happy Quilting, Friends!

YUM!

Are you hooked on Pinterest? I have described it as being as addictive as "crack." I heard someone else describe it as being similar to looking at magazines. Since I have cancelled or let expire nearly all the magazines I used to get, I can relate to that similarity. Now I can look at the pics I used to look at in my magazines free on Pinterest. Strangely, I never would spend much time looking at pictures of food. I generally enjoyed looking at pictures of homes, decorating, fashions, shoes, etc. On Pinterest, however, I seem to pin an exorbitant number of food pictures. Here's a salad I've recently pinned.

Does that not look like an absolutely scrumptious dish? The main ingredients: spinach, strawberries, feta cheese, candied walnuts and croutons.

Here's my version, which I had for lunch both yesterday and today.

I changed a few of the ingredients, but the spinach and strawberries are still there. The original recipe called for raspberry poppyseed dressing; I had just regular poppyseed dressing on hand, so I went with that. I also added a diced chicken breast. It was quite good, if I do say so myself!

My quilting report: I've finally pressed the last of the half-square triangle blocks for Chantilly. I will begin creating the rows next - except...

I found about a dozen more suitable fabrics that would work nicely in this quilt. So I might cut a few more squares and add them into the stack. I will  have oodles of extra blocks, but I will have nice variety, that's for sure!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Fabric Bonanza

It just doesn't get much better than this!! I am in fabric heaven this week! I've invited all my friends to play along: Lynette, Judie, Johanna, the 3 Sisters, the French General, Robert, and a host of others. We've had quite the bash!

The two projects I currently have out are ones that will be very scrappy; therefore I have pulled lots and lots of fat quarters out of the stash - some of them well aged - and have been cutting away! The assortment above has given  me 6 7/8" squares for Chantilly.

The pattern is in the book Mulberry Lane by Teri Christopherson, copyright 2000. Ever since I bought the book, I have wanted to make this quilt! I even plan to make it a bit larger, as illustrated below:

I think it's evident that I've drawn on additional blocks, right?

So, I'm happily cutting away. I  have a stack already put together from a few days ago.

And I have a hefty pile of newly cut squares from my stash that need to have the diagonal line drawn.

There are some golden oldies in there. And some newer stuff, too. But mostly old.

Besides cutting and prepping more HSTs for Chantilly, I've been working on Mom's signature quilt. I'm using two lines of Fig Tree Co. fabrics - Mill House Inn and Patisserie (sp?). I had a charm pack of each. It will be a nice, soft-color quilt. These signatures were collected at the big 75th birthday celebration my siblings and I had for Mom back in October. There are over 80 signature blocks, and I will need to hunt for more charm packs of these fabrics, because 2 weren't enough!

Do you open up/unfold all your fat quarters when you get them home? I sure don't. But maybe I ought to because I found one fat quarter that wasn't fat at all! It was about 4" too thin! I got ripped off! I pressed all the fabrics and when I laid this one out on the cutting board, I discovered the dastardly truth.

Aren't fat quarters supposed to be 18" x 21" or 22"?? Fortunately, this is the only one that was short. And probably whoever cut this just had the ruler in the wrong place (I know first hand how easy that is to do!!) I have asked myself if perhaps I'd cut off a 4" swath, but I don't think so. Anyway, buyer beware, right?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Meet My Stars!

I'd like to introduce you to French General Stars. Or I could call it Rouenneries Stars.

Whichever I end up calling it, I love it. That line of fabric has been out since around 2007, if I'm not mistaken, and I'm just now using it in my first project! (I know I'm not the only one hoarding a few yards of French General fabrics!!) I am happy to report that I have plenty of FG fabric remaining in the old stash; I hope to be churning out a few more lovelies in this fabulous stuff!

The quilt pattern, September Stars, is from a Thimbleberries book called September Morning, from 2001. I not only hoard fabric; I hoard books, as well! Surely other quilters can relate, no??

I have a bit of a dilemma. Technically, I just put the borders on this week - Monday, to be exact. But I had all the rest done before the new year. I really want to count this quilt as a product of 2011; it was on my goals list for the year, and it ends up taking care of 2 quilts at once - it is a Christmas quilt in addition to being the French General quilt I wanted to make in 2011. So, the quandary - consider it a 2011 finish, or the first finish of 2012?? Maybe 2011 with an asterisk?

That's what I'll do - 2011*.

So, on the sewing table today, I find myself working on 2 things at once. I've got Mom's signature quilt going. I'm using square-in-a-square blocks for that. Also, I have begun cutting and stitching Chantilly, a quilt I have wanted to make for ages and ages.

I've pulled a bunch of fabric for it, and the cutting couldn't be easier - 6-7/8" squares!
the stitching is pretty easy, as well. Draw a diagonal line; stitch on either side; cut apart ~ voila!! It should go together fast. Easy-peasy. Great way to begin a new year of stitching.

Here's some of the fabric I pulled.

These are mostly Robert Kaufman fabrics from a very old fat quarter pack I've had. I have about this much more random stuff pulled to go with this. It will be very scrappy.

I was reading some blogs this morning and came across Kathie who talked about working on more than one project at a time on her blog called Inspired by Antique Quilts. Now, I am notorious for this; I like starting things, and I start LOTS of things! The trouble is I always have to push myself to finish them.  It must be a character flaw. That's why I could spend a whole year working only on UFOs, and still have work left to do! Anyway, it was nice to read her post about needing to work on more than one thing at a time. I share that sentiment, for sure.

Happy Quilting, Friends!