It started out innocently enough, an email from a local quilt shop advertising about an upcoming BOM. I liked the pattern but wasn’t crazy about the colors they had chosen. On further looks, I figured out that the original fabric line on the pattern was much more in “my” colors. On further further looks I figured out it was a fabric line from four years ago. I spent three days looking for a finding enough of it to make this quilt. The majority of the fabric came from Melbourne Australia, an Etsy shop called CraftopiaOz. What they didn’t have I found in four other online shops, one in Mississippi. Once that was done, I downloaded the pattern and found the special ruler and videos on how to. The technique looks easy and the results are precise. The designer is Ruth Robin https://www.robinruthdesign.com I have looked through her other patterns and found a few more I’d like to make. Since I’ll have the rulers it’ll be easier. I have always like William Morris prints and styles, the whole craftsman era intrigues me. Minimal and functional yet opulent in color and texture. Another rabbit hole found and happily entered.

The old part of this post is about the Dresden plate quilt I am doing as a custom quilting. It is so well done, and the fabrics are in such good shape. There are scraps of fabric prints that I know I have seen in current fabric lines, and others that are classic house dress prints. I have it mounted on the frame, and I am hoping to get it quilted this weekend. The panto is called 1930’s Posies, I may have to scale it a bit, and it is going to be stitched in a very light pink. The backing is boring solid white, I may have to wind some bobbins, but I may have one or two pre wounds.

My trip to Canada was really fun and it is such a welcoming and beautiful place, I will go back again. I did see a few quilts and the small island I was on had a guild. I have a dream of moving there when I am an old widow. My DH wouldn’t last a week there, it is an artist community with all kinds of groups and activities for crafters and artists. There is a general store and a coffee/ice cream shop, plus a little museum and a sculpture walk. Stunning views and lush forests, organic farms and flowers everywhere.

Once I got home I got to work on longarm quilting the two baby quilts, I was able to make one backing for them by sewing a waste strip between them. Quilting them up was then a simple task. Once I finish the Dresden, I have two more baby quilts (Winnie the Pooh) as a commission. Then maybe I can get to more quilts for the shop. Last weekend I put together the other WTP quilt top I had the fabric for. I had ordered the original kit and an extra panel, a 5″ stack and a few yards to make two. Of course I have enough scraps to make another small quilt, I may just do a disappearing 9 patch to be done with it. Other quilts I want to quilt this summer are the Constellations, the Blooming Beauty BOM, Peter Rabbit, Postcards from Sweden, and the Halloween Batik one.

Cross stitching has been slowly getting done, I haven’t worked on the Mermaid in a while. Just working on the Berries one, by the time I get the puppies in their crates for sleepy time, I am ready to fall into bed myself.

Be Kind.

In between active play times there are naps and early bedtimes. I have been able to accomplish a few things this week. Life with two puppies continues, it’s a good thing they are cute. I finished quilting the first custom, it’s called Hometown Holiday sampler. I think it was a BOM from Fat Quarter shop a few years ago. It’s still available as a kit. It’s a big quilt with lots of piecing, this quilter did a terrific job of piecing and keeping all the seams flat. It was a pleasure to quilt this top, I am really happy this turned out nice. This is the makers first time hiring out for a finish, so I think she was a little nervous about it. When I first saw the quilt online I thought it was Christmas themed. The fabric is more of a 4th of July, red white and blues, theme though. But there are pine trees and holly and lots of stars. It is set up like a sampler with letters and a house at the bottom. I used a panto with holly leaves, stars and swirls. I can’t help but worry that it’s slightly weird to have holly leaves on a 4th of July themed quilt. It did come out nicely though, sorry no pictures of it other than the FQS one.

This month I have received three separate custom LA quilting orders. The next are two small baby quilts, I am hoping to get them on the frame before I leave on Thursday. The last one is a vintage top, Dresden plate, from the late 1950’s. It’s really well done, lots of scraps and it is in terrific shape, as it was finished and folded up and stored for 50+ years. All of the pieces are intact and the colors are vibrant. I feel like it’s an honor to finish it.

Yesterday I cranked out the two cushion covers. I didn’t feel like setting up my Sailrite machine, so I used my 790. It sewed through the 4 layers of velvet like butter, but it got a little cranky at 8 layers. I would like to make a pillow cover with the rest of the fabric, maybe tonight.

I haven’t made much progress in cross stitch land. I worked on the mermaid last night, I did a small amount of the tail, filling in with a few colors. My plan is to get all the stitching done and then add the beads. I made a cheat sheet for myself of the symbols for the beads, I kept looking at the flosses for the symbols, and not seeing them on the holders. The bird on the Berries sampler has a head, but not much work to show on that one.

I caved to a Memorial Day sale at Keepsake Quilting. There was a kit that I had been looking at, called Dragon Fly Dance, it was on sale and if you spent a certain amount you would get more off your total. I bought a few other things and my total came to a little over 120.00 with free shipping. I thought wow! that is a really good sale, then I got the notice that there was a glitch on the website that gave me too much of a discount. My order was canceled, so I had to go back and re-order it. It was still a good deal, but not quite as good as it was. Another kit in the lineup.

Be Kind.

I finished the Starburst quilt yesterday. This has been one of “those” projects, a learning experience. It started with the not so well written pattern, which progressed into the Y-seam debacle. Then the quilting of it, the sizing and placement of each design in each block. The borders, and then turning the quilt to finish them. There may have been expletives uttered, but I worked through it. My big win came when binding it, I won at binding chicken, Yay!

This week I have a few small things to catch up on, three hats and three pillows. I need to get started on the custom quilts too. I am hopefully getting a second one Monday. I had an appointment all set up last week with this client, I had reserved the local library meeting room and had my appointment reminders set. Only the reminder was set for 1:00pm not 10:00am. I was happily giving my puppy a bath at that time and not paying attention to my phone. The sad thing is that the client had texted me to say she would be 15 minutes late, so I could have made it. Thankfully, she accepted my apology and rescheduled to her home and 11am. I guess thats my dues, driving a half an hour to meet. Hopefully she wants more than a simple end 2 end design, and will make it worth my time.

I will be traveling to Canada in two weeks, for a family gathering. I think it would be nice to get those projects underway and maybe out the door. Then I can start on the next project, the Jacqueline DeJonge quilt, Enchanting Stars. I have so many projects I had wanted to do this summer, but in a moment of weakness and cuteness overload, we adopted two puppies. One forgets how much work it is to raise and train a puppy, especially because it has been almost ten years since we have had one about and under foot. This morning I forgot to shut my sewing room, and one of them went in there and was having a tug of war with the iron cord. Luckily it was unplugged and the iron didn’t fall on them.

I have been stitching on the mermaid and the berries cross stitch pieces. The mermaid requires a bit more concentration, so I have been stitching on the berries before bed.

Be Kind.

I have been back from vacation for five days, and still haven’t turned my machine on. I have done a little bit more cross stitching and mended a hole in a sock. I have been putting away future projects that magically arrived while I was away for three weeks. I just couldn’t resist a bargain. I received a few new kits and a wholesale order with a roll of batting. A few new patterns, including the Mad Quilt Party from Art East Quilting Co. , two Elizabeth Hartman patterns and two others. I was shocked that the freight on my roll of batting and one bolt of fabric was 128.00. I am going to order it from Linda’s from now on, as they offer free shipping and with their sales it’s less than what I pay wholesale. BTW – how can that be???

I am really excited about this quilt, I want to make it for myself, with my own scrappy fabric choices. Who knows when I will, but getting the pattern is a step in the right direction. I also got a Log Cabin quilt kit from Modern Prairie. MP is a new to me online shop that is owned and run by Mellisa Gilbert of Little House on the Prairie fame. I saw the quilt kit on another blog, and went to check it out. it was quite affordable with a welcome discount and free shipping. The fabric line is so pretty, Evening on the Prairie, from Riley Blake. This is one for the shop.

I did start up the long arm yesterday and “remembered” how to use it. I got one border done, and need to finish this Starburst quilt this weekend. I have three custom quilts that are being dropped off next week. Two new customers and one repeat. It’s funny how I will go months without any custom quilts and then bang here’s three this week.

I also bought some P-leather to make a few handbags with. The product looks nice, sort of a pebbled look, I am wondering how it will wear with use. I have some ultra suede around here somewhere too. I am also thinking of combining it with some printed cork fabric I have. I got a cute round bag pattern from Sallie Tomato called Gwen. It reminds me of the old style canteens from the 1900’s. I might need some hardware, maybe a matching zipper. Lastly, I need to make two more cushions for a fireplace hearth. I ordered the fabric and zips for those, they should be here next week. I did put a few stitches into the Mermaid x-stitch, but the Berries project I took with me didn’t get much sewn on it. So I have lots to do, and lots to use up. Time to knuckle down and do some sewing.

Be Kind.

I didn’t do much for April fools day, saw a few cute “jokes”, but it’s been an uneventful first week of April. Just stitching away on the mermaid and the Starburst quilt. I also finished the Swedish Postcard look-a-like top. It is similar, but slightly different, as my color choices were influenced by what I had in my stash. I am proud to say that no new fabric was purchased for this quilt top.

The mermaid cross stitch is really starting to come together, there is an actual tail fin depicted now. I am having mixed feelings about the metallic threads. In the upper section I used one strand, and on the tail I used two strands. I like that the color shows a bit more in the two strands, but it looks a bit bulky. It is a bit difficult to stitch with two strands, and get it to lay evenly. I am leaning towards clipping the double threads out and replacing with singles. It still gives a bit of sparkle, but not as textured.

The Starburst quilt is a a lesson in repetitions. Each block has to be measured, and then the design has to be sized to fit. About ten steps for each diamond, there are thirty two, and there are thirty two squares. I will have to turn this quilt to do the borders on the sides. All in all it is considered a semi-custom, the next one will be an E2E – and a simple one at that.

Funny thing, yesterday we got an invitation to another baby shower. Very good friends of ours are going to become grandparents of twin boys in August. The shower is April 20th, in Syracuse NY. My husband jokingly asked if I was going to make them quilts and send them in time. Ha ha, no, not this time. We sent something from the registry, ultimately Amazon. I’ll get started on the twin quilts soon.

I am going away for a few weeks this Saturday. Kinda looking forward to closing the shop for a bit and not being with my machines. Hoping to come back ready to sew. I need to get a few things together to work on while on the planes and in my free time. I have a few small cross stitch patterns that I got recently. If I use Aida cloth, I don’t need my magnifier, and can get by with readers. I should bring the appliqué blocks for the Message in a Bottle quilt. They are prepped and small enough to tuck into a carryon. Just need a spool of thread and a small thread clipper, I can get a few done on the four hour flight. Which reminds me, a need a few good books too.

Be Kind.