Addendum

Yesterday, I talked about it being "three-quilt night" season. I went on to talk about the third quilt I throw onto the bed each night for an extra layer of warmth. 

But why ignore the other two quilts? Let's look at them today. I will soon be changing these out for Christmas quilts, so we'll take a quick peek.

Long Road Home always gets pulled out for fall. The colors have an autumn vibe, and gosh, it is such a treat to see it every day. I machine pieced the top, and really wanted to follow the pattern's suggestion of using light fabrics for the solid blocks. But, even more than replicating the pattern, I wanted to use stash fabrics, and I am so glad I did. This quilt became an excellent scrap quilt, and like the quilt in yesterday's post, I frequently find myself studying all the variety of prints. It has a lot of my favorite fabrics.

I hand quilted Long Road Home because I needed something to demonstrate at History Day in 2012. Gosh, a whole decade ago! The quilting would be easy - straight grid lines. Perfect for demonstrating purposes; I would be able to quilt and visit at the same time.

I took this to History Day for the next two years, 2013 and 2014. Geesh. In searching through old posts, I found that I finished the quilting in May of 2015. It languished in the frame for a very long time.

The second quilt is not necessarily a fall quilt, by any stretch, but it was handy, so I layered it on.
 

This is English Elegance. It feels more appropriate for springtime than fall - oh well. I hand pieced the quilt top a whole lotta' years ago - in the early 2000s, I estimate. Possibly in the late 2000s, I asked my grandmother to quilt it for me, which she did, bless her. The complete history on English Elegance is in this post, so I won't go into all the details today. 

And then, of course, we have 6-Point Star to top things off - the three quilts currently keeping us warm and toasty on these cold November nights.  

Come December, I will change out these for my Christmas quilts. Those are always fun to revisit each year. Are you good about changing out the quilts on your beds? Do you actually use your quilts?  

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Upper Respiratory Infection

Throw me a pity party??

Since Wednesday, I have been suffering mightily, readers. After living with DH and his 13-day bout with a respiratory infection, I figured it must not be a contagious thing or I surely would have caught it. On the 14th day, I did. And boy, has it packed a wallop. I got my antibiotic early on in the hopes that I would catch it before it got as bad as hubby's. Well, perhaps in duration, mine will be shorter, but the effects have kept me housebound for four days. Energy to sew?? Barely an ounce.

I glue-basted some hexies one evening. Sewed some hexies another evening. Made three scrappy stars today. Each effort was exhausting.

I had to miss sewing on Friday morning with the Frankfort Girls, doggone it. I had some stuff to share and always love being with those gals. Terry sent me a picture of one of her recent finishes. Since I haven't taken photos of my small recent accomplishments, I will devote this post to comparing three versions of the same quilt.

Long Road Home by Red Crinoline Quilts is a quilt that I first saw when Sheryll showed us her finish of it back in 2011. I went bananas for it, and so did Terry; she then suggested that we make one together. I was all in. Below is Sheryll's version.

As things often do for quilters, some projects get going right away while others have to wait their turns. I did start pretty soon after that initial discussion, but it took me about 4 years to finish it. Mine looks quite different, too, as I did not have nearly the variety of neutrals required for the setting blocks. Because I was trying to use from the stash, I decided that I would simply use what I had in very scrappy fashion.

Here's my version of Long Road Home - hand-quilted! Yeah, I did, and it took me forever.

And now we can add Terry's to our collective efforts. Hers, like Sheryll's, is much more in keeping with the pattern as designed.

I have always been fascinated by the different looks a pattern can take simply by the choice and placement of fabrics and colors. I love this quilt in both the original pattern and in my "off-the-rails" version.

Hopefully, I will be back tomorrow with improved health and an update on my meager stitching.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Quilt Festival Entry

On a whim, I have entered one of my quilts into a bloggers' quilt festival hosted by Amy Ellis on her blog Amy's Creative Side. If you enjoy going to quilt shows, then think of this as a virtual quilt show.

Long Road Home hangs in front of Tag Sale, both hand quilted.

The quilt I have entered is my hand-quilted Long Road Home. I finished it back in May and it currently hangs in my sewing room. Below is a shot taken the day I was finishing the binding.

My version of Long Road Home is not at all like the one pictured on the pattern, shown below. The original is much less scrappy. Those large blocks of color are supposed to be more neutral. I went into this with the intent of using from my stash - I definitely didn't want to buy neutrals  when I had so much I could pull from right at my fingertips. And now that it is finished, I am so happy with the results.

Long Road Home by Red Crinoline Quilts

This is a close-up shot of my version which shows the quilting a little bit better. I opted for a simple cross-hatch quilting design. It has some imperfections, but, hey, it's finished.

So, how this quilt festival works is this: you are invited to go to the link for the quilt show and vote for your favorites in all the various categories. You can vote in all the categories, but I sure hope I can count on you to give my humble effort a vote in the Hand Quilted Category. Think of this as my campaign for your vote (as we close in on the presidential primary in a couple of weeks). Voting begins on October 29, and I will be sure to post reminders.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

The Quilting Is Finished!

I am so very happy to tell you that I have finally - FINALLY! - finished my quilting on Long Road Home.

Looks pretty nice on the bed, if I do say so myself. Let's look at some additional views.

I just can't get enough of looking at it! After I finished the quilting late yesterday afternoon, I immediately took it off the frame and headed for the sewing room for a trimming. I decided right then that I wanted to get the binding on, so I dug around and found a fabric that suited me. I cut the strips, stitched them together, pressed them in half, and sewed it to the quilt. I even put a label on it.

I decided that I wanted to hand-stitch the binding, so that will give me something to do in the evenings this week.

Here's a look at the backing. I had to piece two different blue fabrics, and I think it looks decent.

Here is the history on Long Road Home. I first saw this quilt made up when Sheryll showed us her finished top back in February of 2011. I was already working on piecing mine. Click here to see my first mention of it. I finished the piecing at Quilt Camp 2011 when we were still at CHS. It hung in the closet for a good while. I put it in the quilt frame in October of 2012 when I needed a quilt to demonstrate for History Day, the annual fall event of the Greenfield Historical Society. Here is the post on that. Not only did I quilt Long Road Home at the 2012 History Day, but I brought it back for 2013 and 2014, as well! I tell you, this is a long, long road!

I will have to find a different quilt for 2015's History Day, because this baby is DONE! Well, it's quilted. It will be done when I finish up with the binding. Easy-peasy. ;)

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Added October 24, 2015: I've submitted this quilt (and this post) in the Quilt Festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side, so I thought it would be helpful to provide a link back.
 

Home Stretch

I fear that you all think I am crying wolf by now, because I've said so many times already that I am close to being done with my Long Road Home quilt.

This time, I really mean it. Really.

I promise that I will not be showing you this quilt again until it is finished. Cross my heart!

My goal is to quilt like mad this week and be done by Sunday. That's my goal, and I think I can achieve it. That's how close I really am this time.

My attention span on this quilt has been anything but steady, obviously. I work on it for awhile, then my fingers get sore, so I put it aside. Then I lose interest for weeks or months at a time. Eventually, I go back to it. I listen to library books on Overdrive which keeps me focused. Or I watch sports - basketball, baseball or football games. I can do a lot when good games will be on television.

I WILL have this quilt quilted this week. That is a goal that I am confident I can achieve. And I will. I'm determined to do it.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Long Road Home Update

February is ending and I figured I should do one more post to finish out the month. I have been hand quilting, which makes for precious little interesting material to blog about. The pictures all look the same; the fingers and thumb are sore, so I could whine, but that gets old, too.

I am close to moving it again in the quilting frame, and it occurred to me that I ought to check things out to see just how close I am to finally finishing this seemingly never-ending quilt. Certainly, I ought to be finding myself near the end - it sure seems like it.

Here, I have unfolded the quilted part and stretched it out to see how far I've come. I have to say, it is quite satisfying to see this view. It gives me the 'oomph' I need to keep going.

A couple more views. It is going to look mighty nice finished and spread out on a bed. I like how scrappy I made it. That was something I was not sure of when I was making it; the pattern called for more neutrals. Since I am using from the stash, I opted for more color. I had more color than neutrals, so that drove my decision. It's going to be fine, too. *wink*

The back is interesting, too. I pieced the backing. There is a large dark blue print down the middle, with two lighter blue prints on either side. This trend of piecing the backs is working nicely for those of us who are trying to use from the stash.

My thumb is aching - there is actually a split in the skin, so a few days off from hand quilting will be necessary. In the meantime, I intend to cut out the Snowbird project, finish making the kits I need for the SPARK! class I will begin teaching on Tuesday, and machine quilt a baby quilt for a wee one who is due in mere weeks - mid-March, I think.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

This Is Whining

My fingers and thumb hurt! I have spent a good bit of this past month on hand quilting, and I'm now paying the price for it. The sensation one has in one's fingers and thumb after repeated needle-pricks is a constant throbbing. Then take those hands and plunge them into a sink of hot, soapy dishwater, and the throbbing intensifies. Waa-waaa! What a quandary--dishes or quilting?? No, there's no quandary at all, is there? *wink*

That Saturday at History Day earlier this month renewed my interest in getting The Long Road Home project off my to-do list. Plus, I'd already been working on Cheddar and Crackers, as well. The gears have definitely been ratcheted up a few notches on hand-quilting. 

 The quilting is rather straightforward, but it's getting the job done. I love sitting at the frame and looking at the vast array of fabrics that I used. I just love a scrappy-looking quilt!

I will be taking a break from stitching today. I have a full day at OUC, and then a Frienzie dinner afterwards. That should give my fingers time to heal a bit. Maybe one of these days, I will actually have a finish to show off!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

History Day

I've been participating in Greenfield's History Day for about 5 years now. I enjoy it and look forward to it each October. The Greenfield Historical Society is a very active group; we are growing and increasing our presence in the community all the time. I am not the most active member, but I am involved in a few projects.

Anyway, back to History Day. I take my Q-Snap quilting frame and project and just sit there quilting all day long, visiting with folks. I answer questions, mostly, but I ask a few, as well. Whenever I sense that someone is reluctant to begin a conversation, I generally ask if they have ever seen anyone quilt before. This opens up some good stories from folks, or it leads them to tell me about a special quilt that they own. I get a few quilters stopping by to talk about our common hobby, and it's always a pleasure to see just how widespread this pastime is.

This year, I had more youngsters showing an interest in quilting than I ever remember before. Three were even willing to pull up a chair, grab a needle and thread and try quilting a straight line across a block or two. I showed them how to bury the knot between the layers; how to hold the needle so that they wouldn't pull it off the thread; how to "rock" the needle, using the thimble and the fingers to "feel" the needle on both the top and bottom of the quilt.

Here's my delightful young friend Heather. What a trooper! We had some trouble with that thread, but she stayed right with it and stitched all the way across the block.

 

This is the block Heather stitched. I use masking tape to provide a straight edge for me to follow, so that is how I had Heather operate. After determining that she's a right hander, we buried that knot, and off she went! Since I am a lefty, she couldn't exactly copy what I did, but we figured out together.

See her stitches? I wonder if you can tell which stitches are Heather's and which are mine?

A bit later, Shelby came along. She watched me stitch for a long time while I visited with her parents, who are friends. Shelby asked a few questions, and so I invited her to sit down and give it a try. Look at that concentration!

And check out someone else who was concentrating -- little sister Courtney. Before you knew it, we had another needle threaded up, located a thimble, and she was off to the races. Shelby is a high school senior and Courtney is an 8th grader. I can't tell you how pleased I was that they were so willing and interested in quilting.

I wonder if you can tell what the quilt is that I have in the frame? Does it look familiar? Take a look at last year's History Day post and you will definitely see what I'm talking about. Yes, it's the same quilt, Long Road Home.

A few visitors noticed it, and I was completely honest with them. I had incorrectly measured my markings, and consequently I was unhappy with the discrepancy. Whenever I am in a quandary like this, my general coping mechanism is to just quit working on the project all together.

Since I needed a project for History Day, though, I needed to make a decision! Should I just keep going and ignore the inconsistent crosshatching? Or should I fix it, remove the offending stitches, and make things right? 

I decided there was no way I was going to remove stitches. Basically, I took a whole year ignoring this project, only to finally decide that I just need to get back to stitching, forget the minor error, and get this UFO finished. Whew.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hand Quilting

It is a sorry state of affairs right now in my sewing room. After all the good stuff I got done over the spring and summer, I am barely touching a needle or a cutter or a sewing machine this fall.
The little that I have been doing has been on my Long Road Home quilt. I took it last week to History Day, and have spent a bit more time this week working on it.



The picture looks somewhat fuzzy, but I think you can see a grid beginning to form on this section. I enjoy hand quilting, so I am going to try to work an hour minimum on it each day. Some days, that will be an effort, but others, I might get 2 or 3 hours to work on it.
Hope you have been getting more done than I have!
Happy Quilting, Friends!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Shout-Out!

This blogging thing is so totally fun, and a wonderful bonus has been getting to know quilters from all over the globe who are also blogging. Today I had a shout out from one of those blogger-quilter-friends!

One blog I follow is called Cupcakes and Daisies by a gal named Thelma. She has been working for awhile on a quilt I made last year called Long Road Home. I commented to her that I'd made this quilt, and in her post today, in addition to showing us her finished Long Road Home, she also shows my quilt! How cool is that??

I worked on mine in the spring of 2011, and finished it at the 2011 Quilt Camp.

Thelma has been working away on her Long Road Home and has finished her quilt top just this week! I invite you to click on the link above and go take a look. It's a beauty!

The pattern shows the quilt with setting blocks that are all off-white or tan. In my desire to use from the stash, I went with a more colorful, scrappy look and used up a lot of fat quarters in the process.

The first time I saw this quilt was when Frankfort sewing pal Sheryll showed hers at a Friday morning session in February 2011. Hers is made with colors that are more in keeping with the pattern.

Isn't it a wonderful quilt?? I am so glad I made one, even after complaining about all those little 9-patch blocks with the tiny pieces. I thought I'd never get them finished!

Here's some exciting news: I am going to hand quilt my Long Road Home. I bought a batt earlier today, and hope to have it on the frame by tonight. Updates forthcoming!

Happy Quilting, Friends!