Is it the dog days of summer yet? Yes, July 3rd through August 11th are considered “the dog days of summer”. From Wikipedia:

The dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the “Dog Star”), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

I think I prefer the Sirius reference, rather than the onset of heat and thunderstorms etc. The weather hasn’t been terrible in my section of California, so far. We had a few hot days right before the dog days started, but lately it’s been upper seventies and cool at night. No rain, but thats normal for here. After last winter, I am enjoying the dryness and sun.

I have made a lot of progress on the Nocturnal quilts. I finished quilting the twin sized Dwelling pattern one, and finished all the blocks for the SkyLights pattern one. I am in the process of putting all the blocks together. I am going to be so happy when these quilts are finished. I am itching to work on my own projects and get some more quilts into the shop for sale. Christmas is coming and I have one top that needs quilting, and another (SAL with Wendy Sheppard) in mind to stitch up. Not to mention, the last installment for the Message in a Bottle BOM arrived yesterday. I’m on the third block, nuff said.

My first longarm client’s quilt is on the frame now. It’s a pretty simple design, but I have been chipping away at it. The client contacted me through Etsy, her regular long armer had retired and she was looking for a new one. She lives in San Jose, so sort of local, and she is a fairly new quilter, happy to work with me.

Steadily working on Heaven and Nature, I am sure I’ll have it finished by Christmas. I kitted up my next project, “Consider the Lillies” by Heartstring Samplery. I am stitching along with Jo, at Jo’s Country Junction this year. She and her daughter started this piece about a year ago, and then she got distracted by a few other projects. The piece is large, and has lots of different motifs and flowers. If you break it down to pages to complete, it’s not so overwhelming, that is how she (we) is planning on completing it. Jo normally has a bunch of cross stitch projects going on simultaneously. I tend to be a one project at a time stitcher, (at least with cross stitch) but I think I may just start this one before I finish H&N.

Going to start my day.

Be Kind.

Two to go. I finished binding three quilts yesterday, todays goal is to get them photographed and posted to the client. Which will lead to packing them up and shipping them. My goal is to have all this by Thursday. I got up this morning and my upper back was a bit sore, don’t know if it was the binding, the gardening or the stitching I did yesterday. Probably a bit of each. I have the backing for the seventh quilt, a twin sized version of the Dwelling pattern, set up on the frame. It would be good to get that ready to quilt too. Waiting on the sewing table are the 128 paper foundation pieced flying geese I need to finish. Blech. I cut all the triangles and printed all the papers. I really should just buckle down and chain piece for a few hours.

The Heaven and Nature cross stitch is coming along, I stitched the rabbit, flower motif and angel this week. I was going to insert my initials and date somewhere on this piece. I may just replace the numbers (1-10) on the right side with my initials and year. That way there would be no extra counting or messing around with the chart. I should do the border up and around the top, I am nervous it’s not going to meet up at the sides, but that happens with every sampler I make. It’s a given that there will be fudging involved. Even on the Pilgrims Progress piece I was a stitch off. Which reminds me, that piece should be ready to pick up in about two weeks. I broke down and brought it to the professionals to do. I just couldn’t get it straight looking on the foam core board. I figure that by self framing all my other pieces, I saved enough to let someone else do this one. I’m pretty suer I bought a frame for H&N, once I am closer to finished I’ll look for it.

Off to make some geese.

Be Kind.

It’s almost Summer, and I am almost done quilting the second Crescent quilt. The first one (white background), was a full size, this one (blue background) is queen. I chose a star pattern for them, it is a little dense, but I think it works with all the background negative space. For the blue one I enlarged the design a bit, hoping it would stitch out a bit faster. I went from 12 inches high to 14, but I still have ten rows at 30 minutes a row. I was hoping to get it done this weekend, but realistically, Monday.

I have been sewing away on the Star Bright quilt top, my version is a bit bigger than the pattern, 70″ x 90″. All 4 inch squares, I am working it a section at a time, referring to my EQ8 mock up. The green highlighter shows the finished ones. Yesterday I cut all the pieces for the rest of the blocks, I had been cutting as I sewed, but I think the pre-cutting will streamline the process a bit more.

I got the smaller Dwellings quilt top together last week. It is 70 x 90 too, the width is 20 inches less than the original. I was also “allowed” to use the coral prints from the fabric line, with was a nice change. Overall, I was able to maintain its proportions well, I also changed the maple leaf blocks to a bear paw, but it isn’t noticeable – unless you are looking for it. The picture below shows the blocks before they were sewn together.

I am hoping to get these three quilts done and in the mail by the end of the month. Then I only have one more, queen size, the Skylights Pattern. I am finally seeing the bottom of this pile of fabrics I have been working from. I am itching to make something from my stash, in my color preferences and my pattern choice. Maybe this kit I got a few years ago, it’s orange and pink and purple. Truly though, I should give the Message in a Bottle quilt a bit of time. I am soo behind on that one, the last installment is coming in about two weeks. I’m on month three of twelve, sigh, not even close to almost done.

I am stitching away on the Heaven and Nature piece. There are lots of little things to stitch, and I can do a motif in an hour or two. I was thinking that I should add my initial and the year somewhere, maybe near the house. There is a bunch of random square motifs near the roof and some space up there.

Last week I was passing by an estate sale and dropped in for a look. It’s not like I need anything, but you never know what someone has in their garage. This was a sale for someone who was downsizing and most of the items dated back to the 60’s and possibly older. Beautiful china sets, silver flatware, vases, and collectables. I think the woman was a crafter too, as there was a nice looking treadle machine and a bunch of lace and trim. What struck my eye was a serving tray with needlework inserted in it under glass. I couldn’t leave it, I paid twelve dollars for it, and rescued a floral pillow for six dollars. It reminded me of my last post about what happens to someones treasures when they are gone. I also got a lovely Lenox bud vase, a charming 1920’s rouge compact, and a few glass Christmas ornaments.

I managed to get another custom quilting order from the quilt shop. This one is a Storm at Sea variation, I think it looks like a Crossed Canoe block, but the center is a bit different. This is a small quilt, and it needs some fixing where to blocks join, lots of piled up seams. I want to look at it a bit more closely and see what I can do to make it more quilt-able. This top is about 40 years old too, but thankfully not foundation pieced.

Almost ready to go sew today, more coffee first.

Be kind.

Yesterday was a day to sew. The morning started off rainy and windy, and the day stayed windy. I went out to get the mail, but otherwise I was inside all day. I needed to make a backing for one of the Crescent quilts. I had enough pieces, but had to come up with a plan and do the math to make it work. was surprised that it took me over two hours to put it together. I was pleased that it worked out and looked “planned”.

Next up I had to finish the 70’s Log Cabin quilt that was on the longarm. I have been working on this quilt for a few days. The first day I only got one row done, there was much un sewing and swearing that day. I ended on a good note though, and made careful notes so that if I ever have a similar quilt top for quilting I have a starting point. This quilt top was a lesson in how methods have improved over the last 50 years and how important pressing is to making foundation blocks. Oh and squaring up, this quilt could have benefited from that too.

When I was prepping it for quilting, I contemplated taking it apart and squaring the blocks. But, I felt it would lose something intrinsic to its being if I did, like the makers mark would some how be erased. Besides I learned my lesson with the Dresden plate quilt re-do last year, refurbishing a quilt can be a giant sink hole for time. The last three rows went smoothly, and I happily removed it from the leaders. I think I may add a few bits to the sides as it bows in slightly, rather than cutting it straight and loosing some of the logs.

I got the backing for the Crescent quilt loaded and spread the batting over the frame to let it relax over night.

Today I want to get started on the next two tops I have to make, a twin size Dwelling quilt and a twin size Star Bright. Both of these are from patterns, but the Dwellings quilt is a full size and the Star Bright is a throw. A downsize and an upsize were needed. I was able to get it done using EQ8, I didn’t bother changing the colors, as these are just maps for me.

It’s starting off as another chilly day. I think I’ll make another cup of coffee and start sewing.

Be Kind.

I should know better, but sometimes I can’t resist a challenge. Remember last year when I took on the repair quilt project for a friend? It was a Dresden Plate quilt that needed a total overhaul, and I underestimated the time and effort it was going to take. It became a personal challenge, I finished it and the friend really liked it. Fast forward to last week at the sewing machine repair place. I have posted about this store before, how it used to be a great fabric resource and had many classes. When covid began, the shop was already in a downsizing trend, it stayed open during that time, but came back smaller and more machine sales oriented. Anyway, I had to bring my longarm machine in for re-timing. After I got it there and told the tech what was going on with it, he took me on a tour of his quilt collection. His mother was a prolific quilter and quilt designer, and her collection and own works are on display in the shop. It’s an on-going project, getting them hung and displayed, so many, I was really in awe. There were quilts from the 1800’s and the 1900’s, many styles and colors, techniques and just wow. Hand sewn quilt tops of tiny one inch squares, finished quilts with thousands of pieces, appliqué quilts and embroidered quilts. Did I mention six or seven beautifully embroidered crazy quilts?

When I was driving home, I was so inspired and my mind was full of the images and the admiration of the crafts women who made these treasures. About half way there, I started to think about my collection of my quilts. The ones that live in my house, some I use, some are hanging and some are retired. When I was going through my closets last month, I came across a some of the retired ones. Most of these are ones I made for my children, they were well used and loved on. I can’t give them away as they are, and I can’t part with them either. I think that maybe they’ll be for grandchildren, that’d be fun. So they stay folded and stacked on a shelf. There are probably close to forty quilts in my house, my personal quilts not including my Etsy store quilts. So let’s just say there are a hundred quilts in my house at any given time. What would someone think to do with them if I wasn’t here anymore? Would they go to Goodwill or other charity? End up in a garage sale? It’s not that I am adverse to either idea, but I am more concerned that they would be used and appreciated. Recently, Jo at Jo’s Country Junction, posted about a beautiful unused quilt she found at a local thrift store. It was unused and had not even been washed, just folded away and finally ended up on sale for $5.00. She bought it because she couldn’t bear to leave there. There were many comments and speculations about how it ended up there. An ungrateful gift recipient seemed to be at the top of the list, someone got it as a gift and it didn’t match their style or decor and they gave it away. My thoughts went another way, what about a family whose job it is to clean out the house their quilt making relative left them? I can’t imagine my kids dividing up my quilts and keeping them all. It reminds me of my grandmothers china, which I have, I have a sentimental attachment to it, but I don’t use it and it sits in my cabinets. So much stuff, a life times worth of it, what to do with it all? I am thinking that I need to slow down production on my personal quilts. Finish the unfinished ones and enjoy the process more.

Back to the longarm. It was out of time, the hook needed to be reset, the tech said something about using a metric gauge to get it to 2.4mm clearance. Sounds like something you can’t just eyeball and say that’ll do. When I went to pick it up, he had a deal for me, finish one of the vintage quilt tops for him in exchange for the parts and labor he applied to fixing my machine. Sounded good to me, then he showed me the quilt. It is a 1970’s calico log cabin quilt. bright colors and machine pieced. It is foundation pieced on muslin, a bit wonky, but charming in its own way. He sent me home with the top, backing binding fabric and batting. This is my challenge, to get it quilted and finished with out too much stress (I should know better). To make something useful out of someone else’s half done craft project. I just hope when I’m done it doesn’t end up in the $5.00 bin.

This past week I have been working on the stars for the two Cresent quilt tops. I also got two more quilts bound last night. I did the first one with an extra wide binding, it shows 1 inch on either side. I had to figure out how wide to cut it, normally I cut my binding strips at 2.25″ wide. This strip is 6.5″ wide, I really like how it frames this quilt, the 7 inch outer borders were just fading out, now this quilt has a definite outline. The second quilt was a breeze to bind, although my shoulders were aching by the time I finished to two. Mental note to self, binding two queen size quilts at one sitting is hard work.

This week coming up is a busy one for me. I have a few activities and next weekend we are having a barbecue for my Dh’s friends at work. I am also participating in an outdoor sale with a booth selling some extra things, no quilts will be there.

Be Kind.