Catch Up Time

I have quilt tops going back to July I think.

 The Churn Dash blocks I made a few years ago and they sat as I was undecided on the setting I wanted to use. They are a little busy being all scrappy. Glad I waited. I'm surprised how much I enjoy this little quilt. I think the green is singing to me.

The Blocks on point are one of only a few quilts I ever arranged on the diagonal. I think I made these blocks earlier this winter at Studio 3. I remember auditioning blue fabrics there for the setting pieces. But I bought the blocks home and checked my stash here where most of it is in the sewing room. I tend to like a gold like I used here. 

The quilt top on the left is a Robbing Peter to Pay Paul variation. I'm sure it goes by many names. If you know any of them. I'd be interested in hearing them. I started this well over 10 years ago. Ive done other variations of this before and can think of still others. Maybe some day.

 Cleaning out the closet I came across these 2 sets of 5 blocks. They are blocks using my Thirtysomething technique. I probably used the pieces for demonstrating when teaching. Time to finish them up and clean out the closet. Maybe just to move them to another location in the house though. I'm undecided where I'd donate them.

This is a disappearing 4-patch I think I pieced this spring. I did not enjoy the technique. I sure like the quilt though. Sue liked it well enough to make a pair for twin beds. 

Simple little squares and rectangles. Bright and fun and happy. Someone will like having it. Yes, the fabrics are from my stash. Fabric I bought! I bought many fat quarters over the years and just used little bits in my scrap quilts. I'm curious how many quilts some of  those individual fabrics have been used in. Impossible to count. 

The purple/blue is another simple one. Actually its one of two. I'd planned to set the blocks side by side without the white sashing added to just 2 sides of the rectangular blocks. But it was tooooooo much purple for my taste. The blocks I made at retreat in July. 

 This is a quarter of a quilt design by Bonnie Hunter. Lori1R, fellow Stasthbuster did hers in green. The 4-patches were made at Studio 3 in June. Then the top was assembled when I attended a retreat in October with Irene up at camp in White Lake, WI. I loved it there so much in the forest. We decided to plan on returning a few more times. I can see making this one again. 

I had the 2 blocks for this done and ready to finish at retreat too. I like to take projects all cut out and almost done so that I don't get confused. But I don't like to do borders at retreat. I often like to audition different border ideas. And for measuring the small ones I like to spread them out on my flannel wall to easily compare measurements to keep it square. 

I had hoped to keep this blog current, but its been a challenge to sit at the computer and I'd rather post from the computer than my phone. Part of my delay is that I never got around to taking pictures. I'm caught up now I think. If I didn't take a picture its cause the quilts were simple little 4-patch or 9-patch donation quilts. 

I did a fair bit of quilting this year so far using my longarm. Earlier in the year it was quilts for nephews family. I quilted a pile of donation quilts for church too. The other ladies do most of the piecing. I quilt the bigger ones for them and return them to the ladies for binding. We have one other volunteer with a longarm. She provides batting and backing and finishing and takes donations to her choice of charities. The church ladies like that. They just want to sew. 

I will check and see if that's everything, but I think so. No doubt it would be easier now to post from my phone, so we will see if that happens any time soon. Till then.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. 

Not like before

a 3 yard quilt using 4 fabrics. This reminded me of a  favorite color combination when I was a kid. Maize, carnation pink and midnight blue. 

A collection of 10" squares in a quick project. So satisfying. Looking forward to quilting it.

A snowball. Joint effort of several gals at church. A mystery who turned on the 9 patches. Lois made the snowballs and set the blocks. I bordered and will quilt and another will bind.

 So, yes, you can see I'm still quilting. Pretty much just comfort quilts for those in need. Just not like before when it was nearly a daily thing. I guess that's what retirement does to some people, change their way of life. I would like to quilt more and am making a bigger effort at it lately. It's been a challenging summer; my time is not my own. Things have calmed down and gardening season is winding down. Darker earlier when I prefer to quilt downstairs, so I should be more productive now. 

This week I prepped 7 backs and ordered batting so I'll be ready when it arrives. 

Today the Studio 3 Friday quilters met for the first time since covid hit. So fun catching up. We agreed we ought to meet just every other week and changed days to Wednesday. Thursday group attends quite sporadically. Maybe time to invite some new blood!

I have more to show but need pictures first!

REPORTING IN

 I've got 2 finishes to report. The  1st is a quilt from my great niece that finishes about 58" square. I made the top a few years ago using 1930s reproduction fabrics.

 This 2nd one is a broken dishes quilt my dear daughter asked for.  It was just twin size but when she saw it she said make it bigger for me so now it finishes 96" square.  To incorporate some new and different scraps I took the seam out of the middle and added 2 rows to mix up the prints a little better. Cleaned out the scrap box of old prints with this one. 

SHORT STACKS

 Well these short stacks of coins went together quickly. I had to futz with the stacks a bit to get them the same length because the strips weren't the same width throughout but that's OK. It was fun. Maybe cause it was bright.  I'm ready to do something with triangles. next. That's not counting the pile of 20 blocks waiting to be set on point. The setting fabric is cut and the rows are pinned together in order. I hope a diagonal set won't be too confusing to work on while I chat with my phone friend. It is rare that I make a diagonally set quilt, but I am familiar enough that I should be able to do it without all kinds of ups and downs to the flannel wall. I hope. 

My arms still isn't all better after injuring it last year. I'm starting more therapy tomorrow so with luck it won't bother me to quilt forever. I'm concerned it will bother me more to work in the garden. Part of getting old? Maybe

Coin Stacks

I know, this hardly looks like I would have made it, yet I did. The bright scraps I found at an estate sale a few years ago.  I knew the little scraps would work for this pattern and precut to boot, so I snatched them up.  A few bigger pieces of green and red pieces were in the mix but didn't work for this quilt. Not just the size, but the color. In exchange I added a few orange pieces.. Fun brights aren't my usual MO but couldn't resist. And the black sashing print with those fun bright little circles? Yes, in my stash.   And perfect for this quilt. Mark even asked me, Who made that quilt? He thinks it looks out of place here because it has no triangles. At least he didn't say it looked boring. Problem? Did I say there was a problem? 

Since this is as big as I want to go, I have plenty of leftover brights to make a second version. I even have another black that will be perfect. Sure wish black wasn't so hard on the eyes. Gotta love those LED lights.  Hopefully version 2 will commence tonight. 

THE Right Time

 A year ago I opened a box containing these three curvy pieced strip sets.

 I made them in a class probably around 1994. The teacher, Sonya Lee Barrington, had samples of what could be done with the strip sets but did not provide a pattern. I didn't really need a pattern because I didn't particularly like my strip sets. It was rare that I took a class and I wanted to use some older fabrics and not buy new because I didn't know what I would be doing with them. Little did I know they would sit for almost 30 years!

So last January I made a decision to make a quick little donation quilt and empty the box. A few days ago I opened the box again and began cutting and sewing again to make one more strip set. I'd cut the other pieces last January so this time it was just a few hours to get them together. Why I decided rectangles and not squares is beyond me. And I still had to decide if I wanted them scattered or like I finally decided with matching sets all in a row.  And the 3 at the top and bottom was a quick decision when I didn't have enough to complete the row and didn't care to make more.. I thought I might use the scraps from the back for a pieced back but then remembered another fabric about the same vintage and in the right colors. I am now anxious to get 'er done. I guess the time was right.

The Latest from Here

I didn't do a year end review because I hadn't posted in so long till the last 3 posts that show what I would have included, so if you missed it you might want to back up a few posts.  I participated in the Stashbusters Stay at Home Retreat a few weeks ago.I thought I'd report and show my work at the time. I guess better late than never.  I had hoped to get 3 to flimsy stage. I guess I did, but not the 3 I had hoped. That means I have one ready and waiting.

The first is this pinwheel quilt I showed before. I had leftover yellow triangles, so I must have planned to  complete the pinwheels at the edge. I didn't have anything suitable for a border, so I actually went shopping. Being bright, I thought something in the Kaffe Fasset collection might work. The shop Quiltagious in Mukwonago has a wall full of those prints. And yes, I actually like them, but rarely buy or use them.  Mark drove me, I didn't show him what I bought when I got to the car or at home. Then he sees it on the quilt and says "Who would buy that? I spose it was church fabric you wanted to use up. Um "NO, I bought it last week to border that quilt. Doesn't it look great?"  Yeah well, if you don't think so  maybe the picture doesn't do it justice.  

The framed and sashed four-patches is a design I found in the book "Worth Doing Twice" called Elsie Mildred.  Not easy to remember. I call it Thelma and Louise . I didn't follow it exactly; nothing new. It went together quickly. Maybe cause it was mostly cut out when I took the box off the shelf. But more likely cause there are no triangles in the quilt. I really enjoyed making it, except for the sashing. Ugh. Mark though it was boring maybe cause he's "used to seeing triangles". It may reside in our living room if I get it quilted.

This Past and Present variation of a quilt by Kim Brackett was mostly pieced at Studio 3. The blocks were sitting there most of the last 2 years, I could blame Covid, but all I had to do was  bring it home to finish. I usually join the blocks here anyway so I can use my big flannel wall, but I had 12 blocks waiting to get finished. Not a favorite but a friend liked it. What do you think? Likely I will finish it for donation.

This Blue Baby Sunshine and Shadow quilt was made following the pattern in the book, Tradition with a Twist. This is the second one I made of that pattern. Super Simple I did this one with the quilters at Studio 3. The quilting  and binding is done and it has been passed on to a great niece.  On the longarm frame now is a quilt for her mom and dad. 

I have a few empty project boxes in the closet now and hope to empty more soon. I've been focusing on emptying the boxes that have been sitting there the longest. Many are just leftovers suitable for a good start on a donation quilt. As much as I enjoy them, I hope I don't put off using the good stuff. That would be all the purchases made more recently. It is so hard to prioritize when you love it all, but I bet you knew that.