Fantastic Quilt Week

What a fantastic quilt week it's been for me. I feel like Christmas has arrived early for me. The only thing missing at the moment is being called to the table for brunch. I do smell a hint of cinnamon in the air and hear carols playing in the background of my mind. Let me unfold by week for you.

First, my friend Lynn helped me start on my Dear Jane quilt. I have been putting this aside far too long and decided it was time to bite the bullet. I decided to use 1940's fabric with a muslin background. Since 1940's fabric is difficult to find I don't know if I will have enough fabric variety in my stash but then I was never one to do things the easy way. This photo is my first block. It is one of the border triangles in the DJ quilt and was paper pieced. I have to say that I have never sewed with such small pieces before and found it possible to hold and sew. I sewed the block using a HANDCRANK machine. Yes, they still exist and I love them. I have now started my DJ journey and will show you my progress from time to time.

Next came an envelope with this lovely hexagon inside from my new friend, Linda. She and I are participants in the Inchy Hexagon exchange. I had requested pink petals with a dark green centre and this is what Linda sewed for me. She included a lovely card as well. I love the use of the stripes. Stripes are something people seem to either avoid or ignore. I think they do so much for such a small amount of design. I am of the opinion that stripes should be brought out to the forefront, either by promoting the product or more frequent use by quilters, so their beauty can be appreciated. Those dots you see are the paper pieces left in so the person can align the patch in order to sew it together.

Then the postman dropped this off in my mailbox. I was the lucky winner of Leona's giveaway recently and was I thrilled! Wait until I show you what lovely Leona sent me. She started off with a Cornbread stuffing recipe (which I must try) and two great cards as you can see. As I unfolded the package I found....

a hardcover book on vintage aprons. That subject is something I have been interested in for a while now and what a great reference book to receive. I used to make and wear aprons when I was young because that "was what you are supposed to do". Consequently I had always wondered what women in the past made themselves, what designs they made and fabric patterns used. Hopefully I will be able to sit and read this weekend and find out the answer to that question. But that was not all.

Leona also included a pincushion that was the perfect size for one of my sewing areas. It is already in use. She also gave me a button bag and a safety pin bag. How cute is that! It won't take me a minute to fill that button bag because I have quite a few of them. Very handy indeed but more is still to come.

As a final gift Leona included 4 yards of various Christmas fabric and a Christmas pattern as well. Talk about being giddy. For those of you not aware, Christmas is my most favourite holiday (and it's not about gifts) so receiving this fabric just put me over the edge. I could feel the love and generosity. Thank you so much to my new friend, Leona.

Last but not least I did manage to get some sewing done in between all this excitement. I made a Christmas block for the Australian Christmas block swap.

This block is for Larain in Australia. She had requested a star block of my choice pieced in traditional Christmas colours of red/green. I decided to try my hand at this star pattern, which is paper pieced, to find out if it comes together quickly. I must confess it took longer than anticipated and more fabric than anticipated but the process was fun and I might make the pattern again. I hope Larain approves.

Quilt Block Swaps

I wanted to show you the block I have mailed to Sue. She is my new friend from the Australian Block Swap. The button is on my left sidebar. In this particular swap you tell your partner your desired block pattern and colour preference. Sue told me she wanted "shabby chic" fabric using pinks and greens made into a star block. The actual star block pattern was left up to me. I hope my version of "shabby chic" is what Sue had envisioned. I really enjoyed working with these fabrics as it was a "new" experience for me. I wonder who my partner will be next month?

This is also something I worked on. This particular fairy square was sent to me by my new friend, Lynne. She is my partner in the IFQ group and that group has a program (one of many) called Mosaic Colour Play. This is an ongoing swap in which your partner sends you a centre square of their choice and your job is to complete the block how ever you deem and send the completed block back to your partner.

I decided to showcase the fairy so I chose fabric that would not take any beauty away from the centre square. I did not want the surrounding fabric to be more dominant than the square and yet still have the fabrics coordinating in colour. By the way, the block is lying on the carpet so discount the beige. This is the block I mailed back to Lynne. I hope she approves.

I hope you like your hexagon, Jorie

This is my newest swap. You can find the button on the top leftside bar. It is a hexagon exchange called Inchy Flower Swap in which you make one hexagon and mail it to your partner. Your partner tells you what colour family she desires for the flower "petals" and centre square. This is also an ongoing exchange and is still open to participants. This hexagon I mailed to my new friend, Jorie.  She had asked for citrus colours for the petals with a white or tone on tone centre. If you have ever wondered if you might like to try your hand at making a hexagon now is the time. One a month is all you have to make for this exchange. Everyone finds them very relaxing to make and very addictive as well. Hexagons are very portable and do not need much fabric so if you are on a tight budget this little gem is just the thing for you. I've even read where a quilter was making them at work during lunch because it cut back her desire to eat as much and she was getting her sewing done before she got home. What a painless and fun way to diet!

I am in the middle of making another block for the Christmas block exchange which I'll show you in the next post. I must say I am enjoying the swaps and look forward to participating every month because new friendships are developed, whether for a short duration or lifetime, and quilting ideas are exchanged.

Brown Bag Ugly Challenge

I was beginning to worry that my Brown Bag Ugly Challenge fabric was lost in the mail but the postman delivered it the other day. If some of you have been wondering what that Brown Bag button on my left sidebar was about I would be not only happy to explain but I'll show you now that I have the fabric. The point of the challenge was to go into your stash and choose a selection of fabric, no more than 2yds. total, that you thought was ugly or that you knew you would never use. Send it to the person you were partnered with and she would do likewise. This was what I received from my partner Carolina. Holding my breath like a kid at Christmas I opened my parcel. The inside wrapper was taped with lovely "tulips" and this was what the wrapper unveiled.

I was completely surprised. It was love at first sight. Thank you, very much Carolina. Who could not love this fabric? It is Paula Nadelstern's Luminosity line and the instant I saw it I knew it would fit very well into my plans. I can't reveal to you at the moment what that plan is because the project isn't due until next year but suffice to say that the yellow fits very nicely into my pattern. This fabric will become a quilt of my own design. Back to Carolina. Not only did I receive this fabric but she also made a lovely bag for me as a gift and included a pretty card.

All in all I was glad I signed up for this challenge and am looking forward to seeing all the finished projects next year on the Flickr site. Remember to click on the images if you want a closer look. Sew-long till next post.

Quilting Phrases

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"Better late than never" is a phrase that has been around forever and it's a phrase that seems to populate my life. My DH has turned  "When you see it, buy it. Don't wait" into a mantra for me. Or another way of putting it is "He who hesitates is lost". That last adage applies very much to my fabric buying habits, although it's not always apparent to me at the time. The quilt you see is very unusual for me. It's an "out of the box" quilt meaning I had never worked with such fabrics or colours before and I wanted to relate its story to you.

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Awhile back I went to my local quilt shop with nothing particular in mind. I was wandering aimlessly when all of a sudden I spied the "Dick and Jane-1940's" fabrics line. They just lept out and stirred something inside me. I have never, ever had that happen to me before. I felt transfixed (odd but true). I felt happy to the point of giggling, to the point of saying "be still my beating heart". I had no clue as to what to make so did not know how much to buy. Since I had  fabric stored at home (don't we all)  I felt I needed to be prudent and only purchased 1/3 yard pieces. The car could not get me home fast enough. The "rush" was still with me when I started cutting. I had no pattern to work with so just cut squares and hoped for the best. Please understand that I am not the type of person who rushes home from the store and sits down to cutting and sewing. This was all very unusual for me. Suddenly my world came crashing down. I did not have enough orange fabric for the sashing. I went back to the shop the next day to find they had sold out of everything. For 2 years I searched off and on for more sashing fabric and had given up. As luck would have it I finally found some 2 weeks ago and was able to finish the quilt. As I was photographing it I thought this quilt does not look finished. What do I need to make it look complete? Does anyone have any ideas? In the meantime, you now know that "Better late than never" and "When you see it, buy it" are part of my quilting life that I am trying very hard to change.
 I want to apologize for Thursday's unlinked blog. I am still new to the computer/blogging business and I thought I had done the job correctly but found out after I published it was not. It took a while to get resolved and I think I now know how to link (I hope) so that it will never happen again.Thank you for understanding.

Nature's Quilt

As yet the trees in my area have not changed colours but I thought I would share some old photos and memories with you. Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year. The changing colours make me think of a sampler quilt created by Mother Nature. It triggers fond memories of when my DH and I were dating.  One of the things he loved about me was that I enjoyed doing the "simple"things like going on a picnic in the country. The sunny weather and beautiful fall colours made the picnics extra special. The fall colours also trigger another happy memory for me.
The road to our country home is lined both sides with huge, ancient maple trees. I'm assuming they are a type of sugar maple because there would be a glorious riot of colour during Indian summer. Brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows would greet me as I drove up the road. I would always stop at the top of the small rise in the road to survey the lay of the land and  give a silent "thank you" to the farmer who planted these maples over 125 years ago. Whatever troubles I might have had during the day were melted away by those majestic trees engulfed by their colours somewhat like having a quilt wrapped around me. A childhood memory recuring at this time of the year has to do with Horse chestnuts. As soon as the chestnuts were mature a bunch of us would throw small rocks and sticks up into the trees to coax the nuts down. Just picture it. We were only about 8 years old and could hardly throw that high but we tried with all our might and were elated when we succeeded. Next I had to figure out how to get the nut out of  its shell without hurting my little hands. When I had enough nuts shelled I would string them together to make a necklace. That part almost got the better of me until I figured out to use my father's hammer and nails to make the holes in the chestnuts without him finding out I used his tools. I was forbidden to go near them in case "I poked my eye out". Once the necklaces were strung we all wore them around our little necks as if they were a badge of  courage. Each year when the trees change their colours these memories always come back to me and make autumn "special" for me.

Hexagon Wednesday

As you can see a new button has been added to my left sidebar. I've joined the Hexagon Wednesday crowd. Just click on the logo and you'll be connected their website. Since I am new to the Blogosphere I find this very exciting; to be able to connect with people right around the world in a blink of an eye and see what they are working on. I've shown you a photo of 2 possible "flavours" of my hexagons.  I can't seem to decide which way to go probably because I haven't decided how the quilt will look. I like to design my own patterns (in a loose way) but in this case I think I will let the hexagons "speak" as to how they would like to be placed. The other reason I have joined the group is that I just realized how I've missed handpiecing. I had forgotten how relaxing it was and how very portable it was as well. So, do you think I should use the vintage scrap look or the modern fabrics for my hexagons? What do you think?
September is a month I find myself putting away my layback summer mode until next year and getting back to business at hand. I start thinking about setting new goals or have thoughts about what new road to travel next. At the present time I have decided, besides making the hexagons, to also include making small 9 patches measuring around 3", and a small bay leaf also known as the pumpkin seed. One tiny problem right now is the weather. It is so hot here I have trouble concentrating on my "new" road. I have always thought of fall and winter as a time to do quilting when the weather is cooler. One of my quilts in the family room is calling out to me and reminding me it's time to start. It hangs across from where I sit in the room so I have a constant reminder.

It's the handquilting in the quilt that reminds me to get back to business. I have several waiting for me to quilt. The border of the quilt was quilted without a hoop or frame. I did not want the bother of having to sew an extra piece of fabric on to be able to get it to fit the hoop so i basted the border area to death. It really did not take much more time and the benefit to me outweighed the sewing on an extra piece of fabric. Remarkably the border laid very flat and straight while I was handquilting and was very easy to manoeuvre. The whole idea of more basting giving me the freedom to work without a hoop or frame is very much on my mind for the next quilt. I was pleased with the outcome of this quilt.

Stack-n-Whack Quilt

I have owned this piece of fabric for quite some time but never seemed to find the appropriate pattern that would bring out its beauty. I find working with black somewhat difficult because it is so intense in value. A close friend, Lynn, had just learned the Stack-n-Whack technique and asked if I wanted to learn it as well. Since this quilt had been on my "bucket list" I said "yes". One of the requirements was a fabric with a large "repeat". To my surprise this black floral fabric was perfect because of its 22" repeat. That's right. The repeat was 22" which meant a lot of fabric was needed to make anything. I was very lucky to have 3 yards of it so a lap size quilt was possible. Excitement was rising as we measured and cut because in the Stack-n-Whack technique you have no idea what your blocks will look like. It's like opening your presents at Christmas. Surprise!

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 In no time our first blocks went up on the design wall. We were thrilled at what we saw. I couldn't believe how much my fabric not only changed but how different each block was and it all came from one piece of fabric. At the time Lynn offered to teach me the Stack-n-Whack technique I wasn't sure if I would like it but I definitely became a lover after that day. The bonus was that it didn't take long to sew the blocks together. I now wonder if there is anything I should add to this quilt to make it "pop" some more.  I appreciate you leaving me a comment after this post. Thank you!

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Fair Weather

You've heard a person say "smells like rain coming" and it happens. The same applies to me and fairs. This is "fair weather time". Last weekend my DH and I decided to visit the fair in the next county. I had no preconceived idea on its size but thought a small fair was probable because of the surrounding population. It turned out to be the second smallest fair we've attended yet. I guesstimate the fairgrounds were 4 acres but that did not stop the folks from coming out. Everyone had a smile on their face, played the games of chance and entered their animals in various events for ribbons. There was something for everyone. One of the things that caught my eye was a stand selling chocolate covered bacon.

I questioned "why?" would anyone invent that and what would it taste like? Needless to say I did not partake. As my DH and I were walking along the small midway I caught sight of this little fellow. He was only about 3feet tall and being buckled into the ride.

the boy on the right edge click to enlarge

He was so excited and I could tell by the look in his eyes he also had no fear. Before the ride even started he had his arms up in the air as if to say "look ma, no hands".

He kept that smile on his face for the entire ride and when the ride finished he didn't want to get off. What a guy. Next I came across a ride called "The Scrambler". Whenever I see "The Scrambler" it always evokes childhood memories and simple pleasures.

Back then I would ride "The Scrambler" time after time until I couldn't walk straight. I loved it. We also stopped for awhile to watch the horse/cart competition.

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This particular event used a breed called "Haflinger".

They are half the size of a Clydesdale and come from Austria. A harness for one horse can cost from $10,000 so it becomes very expensive to own a team.

Some owners put small ribbons in the tails but this owner tied the tails into a pretty knot and added an even prettier ribbon. How chic! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and since this is the beginning of "fair weather" I was not sorry to leave. My next stop was a quilt shop. A fitting end to a wonderful day.

Dresden Plate Quilt Part 2

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I took a tally of the fabric I had left over from my “secret sister” and there were only bits.  I thought it would not be a problem to find suitable sashing and cornerstone fabric from my stash.   To my horror nothing worked so off to the store.  “This should be a piece of cake” I remarked to myself but little did I know.  Two stores later and still nothing. I decided I was wasting too much time so back home I went to look through my stash again.  I felt it was time to start the practice of “stash management” which I had promised myself a while back.

I put the quilt on my design wall and auditioned what I thought would work.  I decided to use the “pink” family for finishing the quilt to stay with the theme “from the heart” and also to use fabric that was light and pale to keep the quilt looking bright and happy.  I dug deep into the bowels of my stash and finally found something. The sashing/cornerstones are actually an “orange” pink.  I wanted something to tone the “hot pink” down a notch and yet keep the quilt pale so the Dresden Plate could come forward and still be happy looking.   I tried and tried to incorporate a second border but my fabrics did not do justice to the quilt so I decided to eliminate it.  With trepidation I sewed the border on.

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The fabric choice was not my favourite but I was practicing “stash management”.   A small detour came in the way of not being able to mitre the corners because I was ½” too short but I did get lots of open space for hand quilting.   When all was said and done I had a very, very messy sewing room with fabrics piled up from the audition and I had a lap quilt that turned out fairly close to what I had envisioned.   As Martha Stewart always said “That is a good thing”.

Dresden Plate Pattern

This past season our quilt guild had a "secret sister" program. It was the first time our guild offered this so I decided to participate. You drew a name out of a hat along with a short profile of your "secret sister".You were never to divulge who your "secret sister" was. Every month you would leave a present at the guild meeting for your "sister" without being seen by anyone. That was difficult to do because the members were always milling about. The program carried on for 8 months and during that time my "secret sister" gave me several pieces of fabric. I wanted to make something special out of that fabric to commemorate the occasion and having thought about it for awhile decided on a lap size Dresden Plate quilt.I have always loved that pattern and have not made one for many years. I hope to surprise my "secret sister" by showing it to her at our guild meeting in September.

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This quilt is my own interpretation of that classic pattern. I wanted something a little different, something that was my own design. So instead of the circle in the centre I decided to applique a heart. The heart was to symbolize how much I appreciated the fabrics she gave me and how much I thought of her as my "sister". The block size is 10" and the blade size I just "eyeballed" until I found a size pleasing to my block and cut out a paper template. Once the blades where cut I sewed across the tops of the fabric pieces to form the points for the blades. I sewed all the blades together trying to get a random placement because I was limited by the number of fat quarters I had. I appliqued the Dresden Plate to the background fabric and used the freezer paper technique for the heart applique. I then appliqued the heart to the centre of the plate to finish the block. I now have to give some thought to the sashing and cornerstone colour. A lot depends on how much fabric I have left of my "secret sister's" fabric. We'll see what transpires.

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