Making Adjustments

A few weeks ago, I joined several other gals at Mary's Barn in Grove City to make a Pineapple Block. It was a foundation-pieced block and was fun to make. It'd been awhile since I last did any foundation piecing, so it was nice to revisit the technique.

Well, that one block became 3, and I stitched them together with the thought of making a small, skinny table topper for our screened porch. The more I looked at that skinny thing, though, the more I thought it needed more substance. If I added 3 more blocks, it would be twice as wide and would make more of a statement.

So that is what I did.

This is the skinny table topper. With a border, it might have looked okay, but I thought I'd be happier with it if it were doubled.

I made 3 more blocks. Once you get into a rhythm with these things, they go pretty fast. I thought I'd never finish the first one that day at the barn. I kept forgetting to press back the piece I'd just sewn before sewing the new piece. (Those of you who foundation piece will follow that, I'm sure...)

The only thing I really needed to concentrate on was getting the colors placed the way I wanted them. That, and remembering to open the piece last stitched before adding a new piece. I've got that down, now.

I am so glad I added more blocks. This has so much more interest and the "pineapples" really pop. Now, I need to consider what I will do about a border. I have some of the four colors left. I could make a skinny white border, and then do something with the four colors. Piano keys? Four-patches? Maybe nothing? I will audition some things.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! My kiddos came through with the gift certificates to Old Town Fabrics, so I'm a happy gal.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Run-of-the-Mill Stuff

Non-quilting folks probably wonder what on earth we quilters do that warrants such regular coverage on a blog. It just doesn't seem like there'd be anything to write about on a long-term and regular basis. That's what a non-quilter would think.

On the contrary, we quilters know that our little brains are always thinking of the next quilt, the next step, the next purchase, the next possibility and so on. And when we aren't thinking of our own quilty ideas, we might be thinking about the quilts our friends are making, for every quilt a friend makes is one more possibility for us!

Plans, plans, plans.

So yesterday, I stopped over at Terry's for a little visit. She was having us all in for quilting, but I begged off because of the sinus thing. Since I felt better by afternoon, I just popped in to see what everyone was working on.

Terry was working away on creating more 6.5" blocks for the Farmer's Wife quilt. Makes me think I need to get mine out and get busy on a few more blocks. It's fun to do in small bits.

This stack of blocks belongs to Monica. They are perhaps 3.5" square. Talk about tiny pieces! She was working on this at the barn last month. I have a picture of it here. It is going to look so great when it is finally put together. I can just imagine myself becoming so impatient at this point with all the tiny pieces!

One must take satisfaction in knowing that as the stack grows, the quilt is another block closer to completion. The anticipation is what keeps us plugging away at it, even when it becomes tedious.

So, while Monica and Terry are working at their run-of-the-mill stuff, I am doing the same. I pulled out that pineapple topper I made at Mary's Barn last month, which I shared here. I'm thinking I need to add 3 more blocks to give the table topper a bit more substance. That will be the objective for today, I do believe.

Hope you all have fun with your run-of-the-mill work today!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Finished Pseudo-Toile

Finally, I finished the pseudo-toile quilt. I had the borders to finish and then I got this awful sinus infection. That threw me for a loop, but I'm feeling better, and I got the borders on this morning.

The inner border was easy - no trouble. The outer border required the attachment of the corner squares and then normal procedures. I've done these corner squares before, but doing them with a sinus infection required too much brain energy. (Yeah, I know that sounds pathetic.)

Here is one corner. It all went together quite easily, so I really had no need to feel like it was going to be difficult.

And here she is, all done up on the guest bed. Looks pretty darn good, and I am glad I made it. This quilt was not on my goals list for the year, but that's okay. We need to have leeway, right??

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Sharon's Progress

It has been awhile since I updated you on Sharon's progress on the Three Coins quilt she is making with the wonderful Roman Holiday fabric. Click here to read about her beginning this quilt.

We had been sewing together every Monday, but we are now offering up every-other-Monday to go to Sherrie's to sew for Frienzie projects. I think the wedding quilt is just about done.

So, when a gal can only work on a project twice a month, she finds that she doesn't make very quick progress. Before the commitment to Frienzies, Sharon had finished all the setting blocks, leaving 16 stars to be made. She has 8 completed stars as of this past Monday.

They are real "buggers" - pieces cut at 16ths of an inch kind of buggers. My count has 45 pieces in each block, so it is quite the complicated star. But oh, so worth it!

Tomorrow, I will share the picture of my finished pseudo-toile quilt. I have had the nastiest head cold, and haven't been as diligent with the borders as I should.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Family, Friends, Fabric and Fun

It has been a wonderful weekend here. All the kids were home, plus a fiance and a cat, making the house so full and active. I love it when we can all be here together.

Emma is now finished with her sophomore year of college, and is home for a week before returning to OU for summer semester and a new job. She has remained connected with her boss from the Dairy Nook, her high school job, and is working on her break. Love that industriousness in her!

Erin and fiance Jeff, along with Rocky the cat, came on Friday and Saturday. She brought a quilting project with her!! YES! One of my daughters is quilting!! This is really exciting.

A couple whom she and Jeff are friends with will be having their first child in June, so Erin is making a baby quilt for them.

Erin sent this picture in early April. Look at that fun mix of monsters, zoo animals, dinosaurs, and other juvenile creatures and critters. She fussy cut them so that there'd be a variety.

While here, she cut out a few more, and then sewed them all together. There will be a couple of borders and yellow binding.

Of course, a cat absolutely cannot resist a quilt on the floor, so we have the obligatory 'cat-on-quilt' picture. Rocky is quite photogenic, and has posed just right, don't you think?

So our weekend with the kids was great. Erin and Jeff have gone back to Columbus, and we are having a lazy Sunday here with Emma and DS Adam, who is suffering something terrible with allergies.

Now, if you recall my last post, I said I'd be going to Amish Country for the annual 30% off sale at Mrs. Miller's in Charm. We made that trip on Friday - Anita, Sherrie, Linda and myself - and found quite the crowd upon arriving at Mrs. Miller's!! The line for checking out was wrapped all around the store. We shopped and in due time, the line shrank (they set up another register!), so by the time we were checking out, the lines were practically non-existent.

I did a good job of restraining myself. We shopped in several stores throughout Amish Country, and I bought only the fabric you see in the photo above. Bit by bit, I have been gathering fabric for the Generals Wives' Quilt; the other toile (with the bird) just caught my fancy. I am sure I can use it in something. That charm pack of French General was my frivolous purchase - I really didn't need it, but gosh, I just can't resist FG!

In this photo, you see the notions I bought. The little scissors were on my list since I  have this new interest in applique. That glue-baste will also be useful for applique. The magnetic snaps will go on some bags I am planning to make. I've never inserted these snaps before, so I will be learning , and I figured it was wise to get them at 30% off, ya' know?

In addition to shopping in Charm, we made a few other stops. The essential stop in Pearl for some of that delicious Pearl Valley Cheese was tops on the list. We travel with a large cooler and ice for keeping the cheese chilled through the day and the long trip home. There are other cheese factories in Amish Country, but Pearl Valley is 'The Best' - and there are no tourists!

For lunch we went to the Inn at Honey Run. Cloth tablecloths and napkins, relaxing music and a wonderful menu - all located in such a peaceful, secluded setting. It is a real treat to go here.

After lunch we headed out for Berlin and stopped in at Helping Hands Quilt Shop, where they were having a 25% off sale. Across the street is Country Craft Cupboard is also a shop that is fun to check out. They have some fabric, lots of patterns and gifts, and an extensive rug hooking section.

So, all in all, it was a wonderful day with wonderful companions. And I should mention the weather - OMG, it was gorgeous! The clearest blue skies, perfect temperatures, gentle breezes, you just couldn't ask for anything better. From the tops of some of those hills in Ohio's Amish Country, a person can see some million-dollar views. Simply spectacular!

Hope you all are having a spectacular day wherever you are! I think I will get some sewing done this afternoon. How about you?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Pseudo-Toile Quilt

I have dubbed this quilt as pseudo-toile because in the place where the pattern calls for tiole, I am using a non-toile-but-sorta-kinda-could-resemble-toile-if-you-squinted print.

Makes perfect sense to me.

Here are the blocks laid out on the guest bed. Since doing this, I have about half of it sewn into strips now.

And a close-up. Gotta' see it close, you know! You can check out what I mean about the "pseudo-toile," too.

It is going together nicely, although if I'd trim up a bit, it would be even better. So on what remains, I will probably go ahead and trim, just to make for fewer aggravations.

Tomorrow is a big day!! The annual 30% off sale at Mrs. Miller's in Charm, OH, in the heart of Amish Country!! I will be going with a group of 3 other quilter friends. We start out early - I will be leaving my house at 6:45am! I have a shopping list, so I don't intend to get too frivolous with my fabric purchases.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

May Day

Today's weather couldn't be more perfect for welcoming in the month of May. The sky is as blue as can be, new leaves are fluttering in the pleasant breeze, and the birds are trilling sweetly across the yard.

Happy May Day!!

Here is our lilac bush doing it's magic. Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers, and I can't get enough of the scent. Bouquets are scattered around my house, for their bloom doesn't last long, and they'll be finished before you know it.

Back on March 6, that bush looked like this.

What a difference 2 months makes. I love the change of seasons, and even though it would be nice to winter in Florida or some warmer place, I would miss the seasons. Ohio suits me just fine, thank you very much.

In quilting news, I have nothing to show you from my machine, but a few things from the girlfriends. You know, we Frienzies are making a wedding quilt for Hettie's daughter Kaitlin. The post about that can be viewed by clicking here. Well, in making those stars, we had to cut away triangles. We saved them - no purpose - just saved them. Take a look at what Sherrie did with them! Surprise!

Sherrie is noted for being a meticulous machine piecer, and this looks like it couldn't be any more perfect.

She opted to go with the softer colors, and so still has quite a few pinwheels left.

Kay had a show and tell for us to enjoy. She has done at least 2 stack and whack quilts - possibly more, and this one looks fantastic.

I know at one point, she was really disappointed in the way the Kaffe 'Target' fabric was working, but I think she must have worked out her frustrations, because this looks great.  Now, check out her backing.

Fun, isn't it? The leftover blocks down the middle, and the pops of yellow flanked by more target fabric - just really fun.

And I wanted you to see the great loopy quilting that our friend Linda Z. did. So nice. I have never had a particular urge to do a stack and whack quilt, but maybe I ought to change my mind, know what I mean?

This quilt is a UFO that Sherrie brought out to finish. The colors are so rich, and the pattern looks like fun, but the reason it became a UFO, Sherrie says, is the lack of directions for pressing. When blocks were joined and rows were formed, some very lumpy intersections resulted, and it was bad enough for Sherrie to throw it in a closet and forget about it. I understand that frustration, but I am so glad she got it back out to finish. It's nearly done!

I got a closer shot of the quilt, and here you can see the blocks and the colors are a bit more distinct. I think it has a "rich" look to it - jewel tones, perhaps give it that sumptuous look.

Well, that's all I've got for today, quilters. I posted every single day in the month of April. I am thinking I am not going to be quite as faithful about it this month. I will be frequent, but not daily - how does that sound? I'm off to do some stitching!

Happy quilting, Friends!