It's June!

Five months down in 2023 already! It boggles the mind to think how fast time flies. And, honestly, the older I get, the faster it flies!

Typically, I love May and hate to see it end, but this past month has been so very odd for us! We - mostly me - have dealt with being under the weather. I had the C-virus for about 10 days, and am still dealing with lingering head congestion. Then I got a serious stomach virus followed by a milder version for DH. At least he avoided coming down with the virus. We've had to avoid family functions as well as other friends' events, since we've all learned to be more mindful of the spread of germs and disease.

So now May is behind us and we hope the 'punies' are, too!

Despite the sickness, we do have some May highlights, so let's take a look.

TOP ROW: Our sweet Cate is now sitting up and beginning to experience solid foods. Doing this in just a diaper proves the easiest clean-up for the parents. Next, I spent a day with the twins helping them with sewing projects - a skirt for Mary Jean and a dress for Anna Rose. And in the very little sewing I managed, I stitched the quilt top from my William Morris economy blocks.

MIDDLE ROW: We had the screened porch enclosed with proper windows and doors, making us very happy homeowners. The front porch has a festive splash of color from geraniums bought at a local greenhouse. And, just for good measure, we'll have another smile from our dear granddaughter. Isn't she beautiful?

 BOTTOM ROW: I found a day late in the month to long arm a months-overdue baby quilt. It is now ready to be gifted. Our sweet girl, her parents, her Auntie Em, and her great-grandma Jeannie (my mom) came for Sunday lunch; a long-overdue nap later in the day found her dreaming sweet dreams on her pink 9-patch quilt. And finally, Sharon and I drove over to Dayton yesterday to visit our dear Frenzie Kay. We took Graeter's Ice Cream - one of Kay's very favorite things!

 

That snapshot of the front porch geraniums prompts me to share these additional pictures of that space. I have had a vintage Ralph Lauren sheet for over a year, all along meaning for it to become cushion covers for the front porch settee. Rather than cut into a perfectly good sheet, I just wrapped the cushions in the sheet, and I think it looks mighty nice, if I do say so myself.

One additional task I hope to complete soon is making a cushion for this brown wicker chair. I've saved foam padding from earlier projects, so my thought is to join those pieces by wrapping batting around them. Then using some pretty floral fabric to cover it. Hopefully, I'll find something suitable in the stash.

The front door is just out of view to the left in that final photo. If you were to come out of that door, to the other side would be the settee and tables that you see in those few earlier pictures.

Now I need to think of what quilting goals to set for myself this month. I really do hope to make long-arming a major part of my June endeavors.

Happy June, Friends! And Happy Quilting, too!

Borders On!

That little impromptu quilt I made a few weeks ago called Front Porch now has border. I'd had the fabric since Mother's Day weekend, but the focus on the t-shirt quilts has prevented me from getting back to this. Yesterday, I pulled this back out and finished it off.

Interesting look for a border, wouldn't you say? I really didn't have many options in the one store I shopped in, so when I spied this, I grabbed 2 yards of it.

The shop, Sew to Speak, is located in Worthington; some of the fabric in the center of the quilt came from this shop, so I knew it was likely I could find a suitable border fabric. The line is by Art Gallery Fabrics called Mediterraneo.

Another quilt top to quilt. I will be getting onto that machine as soon as possible. It may be within the next week!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Front Porch, Finished for Now

I have never had a problem accumulating fabric. (Big surprise, eh!?) What I have had a problem with is making quilts that require more fabric than what I bought. Some of the fabric used in Front Porch came from the grouping below, which I bought in Columbus back in January the day Dee and Sharon and I met up for lunch and shopping.

I had no idea what I would make with these fabrics when I bought them, so consequently, I only grabbed a fat quarter or a half-yard. Just stash builders, I told myself.

Then, my great idea presents itself - make Front Porch! - I begin the quilt and get to the point that borders become a concern - boom, not enough of the preferred fabric to make borders. (Shopping in Columbus, anyone??)

So for now, Front Porch is finished for this center phase. The border phase will come at some point when I find additional fabric for borders.

I took Front Porch out to my front porch for a photo session. Her measurements are small-ish (remember I had only FQs and half-yard cuts) - she comes to 45"x38". That will make a nice lap quilt or throw for the back of a chair.

I now turn my attention to clearing off the cutting table (I have let it get out of control. Again!) Then I will begin some commission work - t-shirt quilts I have promised to 3 different customers.

Hope you have a great Wednesday!
Happy Quilting, Friends!

Front Porch

I have collected such a full tub of what I call contemporary fabrics, and I have been increasingly antsy to use them. So a week or so ago, after browsing through some older pattern books I found one that interested me. Finally, the stars aligned - the right combination of pattern and fabric - and a quilt was born!

This 2003 Miss Rosie's Floral Quilts book by Carrie Nelson is what I happened to be perusing. I was looking at old books for inspiration.

This quilt grabbed my attention. The entire quilt is one unit and even with triangles, it would be really easy. As I read the instructions, I saw that it was a foundation pieced unit, and heavens! I don't mind foundation piecing with scrap fabrics, because there is some waste involved. I sure didn't want to waste any of this new fabric! I knew I could find a pattern that had this same unit which was made with cutting pieces normally.

This is a newer (2017) Carrie Nelson book and the cover quilt has this same unit used for the points on the stars. Below, I have zoomed in on a block and outlined the units I am referring to.

The unit is the exact same size, so instead of using the foundation piecing method from the old book, I used the regular piecing method from the new book. Got that??

Here is a closeup of one of my units in the deliciously color-intense fabrics. I wonder if this unit has an actual name? We have HSTs (half-square triangles) and QSTs (quarter-square triangles), so maybe this could be TTS (triple-triangle square)???  Maybe I have just coined a new quilt term.

I have made all the units I'm going to make, and now have them laid out on the guest bed. Today will be all about stitching them together. If you look at the bottom of the picture, you see a potential border for this quilt. I have very little of my dark blue fabrics remaining, but I would be willing to get yardage for borders to finish this quilt. I will consider my options while I sew.

I am listening to a good audiobook and the weather has been rain-rain-rain lately -- all perfect for hours of quilting.

Hope you are able to do some stitching today!
Happy Quilting, Friends!