This week I have been working on the two commission quilts with a Star Wars theme. I chose the pattern “Alyssa” by Pine Tree County Quilts for these two because it would use all the fabric types and colors and still come together nicely. In other words, it’s a great scrappy quilt pattern. The cutting and sewing is pretty simple, no triangles, just forty two 16 ½” blocks. I have got the smaller one together, and I hope to have the larger one done by today. There are two straight borders and lots of straight line sewing. I’ll be winding a few extra bobbins too.

This coming weekend I want to do the two BOM blocks from last month. I should like to have them finished before this months arrive <ahem>. I would like to get the Reunion quilt finished, and on the frame this month. There are two months left on the Ribbon Runs Through it BOM. Oh and the Message in a Bottle BOM for October will be here next week. I have just started on the first block, appliqué, the three “flowers”. The second block is hanging around here somewhere. I showed a bit of restraint this month that I feel I need to mention. I joined Sue Spargo’s newsletter recently because I enjoy her works and thought I might do one of her BOM’s as a diversion from my other ones. She does a lot with decorative stitching, threads and wools. I was smitten by her latest pattern called Flora, click the link, I dare you. I spent a few minutes clicking and reading and then I grabbed the calculator to figure out the price per month. She has a slightly complicated way of charging, some months are more than others, and there is a reservation fee. It’s all clearly written out and explained, sadly, too well. I talked myself out of doing it, mostly because I didn’t see the value. Yes, there is the original design, but I would like to use some of the yards of specialty threads that I have collected over the years. I really don’t need any more, and then there is wool fabrics, I have a small stash, and I want to keep it that way. So I won’t be signing up for this one. Really.

The quilting on my Halloween Figs quilt is finished, I like how it turned out. I used Superior Threads Microquilter in taupe on the top and black Bottom Line in the bobbin to add just a bit of texture and whimsy. The design sewed over the appliqué with out a problem, I used the cup attachment for the regular quilting foot. I am not too happy with the backing fabric. It was a 108 wide black with gray vines, I’m not sure of the manufacturer, the selvage isn’t printed. The problem is that the needle holes sometimes show as grey dots. The needle was deflecting the wrong side of the fabric to the good side. I first thought it was the top thread coming through, but when I attached the binding, the fabric did the same thing, gray dots. Very frustrating. Also, when I was sewing the binding on, I made a hanging sleeve. I think the quilt got turned or I thought since it was square, it didn’t have a top or bottom. Or maybe I just thought it was the top, it actually turned out to be the side that I attached the sleeve onto. Grr, damn my impatience, anyway, I had to unsew two sides and resew the sleeve and binding back on. Other than the hand sewing of the sleeve along the back, it is done. But, after all that I “won” at Thread chicken!

I am going to hang it up after halloween, as my Baltimore Halloween has the place of honor right now. Oh, and I finished the other halloween quilt, the Pumpkin a Day SAL, it was fun and now its done. I used a slightly different pumpkin patch panto for it, and variegated thread. Its for sale in my Etsy shop. These two and the Spider and the Fly quilt I made last year, pretty much used up most of my All Hallows Eve collection, I do have some of the white background prints left.

PIQF 2022 opened yesterday, I am still on the fence as to if I want to go. I haven’t been since 2019, but I would like to see the quilts and shop a little. But people, there will be lots of people there, hmmm.

Be Kind.

I’m on a roll this week getting lots done. Three quilts bound, one quilted and ready for binding, lots of four patches, and many cross stitches.

The quilt with all the four patches is from a pattern called Street Fair, by Clark quilts. It is written for a smaller size than I am making, so I am making more blocks, 49 in total. Also, just to make it more fun, the pattern calls for a 10″ square fabric pack, I’m using yardage. Thankfully, I will have enough of the white on white, but it is going to be tight.

After quilting the Pumpkin-a-Day quilt, I pulled out my finished Halloween Figs quilt top. I had a backing with it, so on the frame it went. I am going to do an all over panto on it. I wrestled with the thought of custom quilting it, but after finishing the Christmas figs quilt that way, I said no to custom. I spent about an hour yesterday looking for a specific pumpkin pantograph I had seem a few months ago. In fact I had thought of using it for the Pumpkin a Day QAL, but gave up and used one from Anne Bright Designs, called The Great Pumpkin. The Pumpkin Patch from Beany Girl was the one I was looking for, but I don’t think it will work for Halloween Figs, the scale isn’t right. While searching, I came across one from My creative Stitches called Autumn Splendor. Its a little more crips and swirly, I wanted to add texture and interest to the Halloween figs quilt and not take away from all the precision piecing and appliqué I did. I can now type the word PUMPKIN without looking at my keyboard.

Pilgrims Progress is slowly filling in, I am working on this particularly dense area on the left top, under the fox. I have resisted the siren call of starting a new piece, but it’s tough.

I other news, my fountain was installed last weekend. It took six guys to move it from the truck to my back yard, it reminded me of the ancient Egyptians making a pyramid, as piece by piece they brought it in.

Be Kind.

I have been steadily working on quilting and piecing the past two weeks. Although I haven’t gotten to the Reunion and Ribbon BOMs yet. I finished three tops, The Pumpkins (PumppleSALwith Ivory Spring), Effie Love and Snowy. I don’t think I blogged about Snowy, maybe that I bought the kit earlier this year. It is a quilt designed by Julie Paschkis, using the fabric line “Snowy” by In the Beginning Fabrics. Kits are still available, this is such a pretty quilt, I may keep it. I have to admit that I made a cutting error though, I was being my usual fabric frugal self while cutting all the pieces for the paper foundation blocks. I didn’t read through the instructions fully, and cut the right angled triangle pieces with the fabric WST. So I had only half facing the “correct” way. If you look at the top closely, you’ll notice that four of the pieced blocks are different from the other four. It works though, and I bet if I didn’t mention it, no one would notice right off.

I quilted the Botanica Park quilt, in order to get it done enough to take it off and switch in a baby quilt that needed quilting. It was going along quickly, I was in a rhythm, getting the motifs aligned and stitching them out. Then I got to the last row and discovered that my backing was too short, by about three inches. I almost wept. The finished size of this top is supposed to be 107″ square, I measured mine to be a bit less, I was thinking 104″ (?). Anyway, I used 108″ wide backing and it shrunk up a bit. Damn. I took it off the frame and after I get the errant HST repaired I will add a strip to the backing, I think I can hide it by making that the top side and adding a hanging sleeve there. Not that many people have that much wall space for a quilt this large.

I got the baby quilt on with the minky backing and quilted it with no problems. Had it squared, bound, packaged and in the post the next day. I loaded up Effie Love and proceeded to quilt that on to a 108″ wide backing. I was careful with the top placement, and was able to add another small baby quilt on the same backing. I am hoping to get it finished today and get the peacock quilt on the frame. I haven’t picked out a panto for it yet, I know I want to do something with feathers, and I don’t want to buy one. I looked through my library and found a few that I didn’t know I had already. I wish someone would organize my library of digital pantos for me. I am so hopelessly disorganized in that respect.

I have an order for four more quilts, possibly five depending on fabric usage, that needs to be done before December. I am hoping that I can get at least one done per week, as they are relatively simple designs/patterns and mostly scrappy.

I have also been working on the LongDog Sampler, Pilgrims Progress again. I did wash and press the Cardinals, but have not framed it yet. I am itching to start a new piece too, I was looking through all the new and upcoming designs at 123 Stitch earlier. I must show restraint though and work on the kits I have here. I may have to start the one I made up earlier this year, Huckleberry Farm. Or there is also the Heaven and Nature Sing one.

Off to stitch.

Be Kind.

This is Labor Day weekend, which is a reminder that Summer is almost over and that it is time to put away the white pants and shoes. Does anyone still do that, or is it from “the way back”? My holiday started on Wednesday, as my DH left for a short 6 day vacation. I have been sewing up quite a few things in my time alone. It’s not that I can’t while he is here, it’s that there are less interruptions and must-do things.

The Pumpkin a Day quilt is coming along, I have completed the twenty blocks, I want to work on finishing it today and tomorrow. The stitch-a-long is with Ivory Spring, follow along on Instagram #pumppleSAL. I would really like to get it sold this year, and Halloween is rapidly approaching.

In the mean time though, I have an order for a baby quilt that needs to be quilted, and in order to do that, I want to finish the Botanica Park quilting. This quilt is large, and the way the border and center blocks stitch out, requires Turning the quilt 90 degrees at about the half way point. I’d like to get the first orientation done, so I’ll only have to switch/turn it once, and do the baby quilt in-between the turns. While quilting it yesterday, this errant HST caught my eye, Damn. Well, I can fix it when I take it off to turn it.

The finishing kit for A Ribbon Runs Through will be here this week. Last week I worked on finishing the 16 more sashing blocks I needed. I used a HST method which makes eight at a time, and I was able to get them done in a few days. These sashings are a bit of a pain, 20 pieces, but they are the “ribbon” in this quilt design, so I can’t really skip them. Looks like I will be crafting half log cabins for the setting blocks.

Finally, I finished the stitching on the “Love” cross stitch piece I was working on. I wanted to finish it in the beginning of August, but it proved to be too much. The Hellebore flowers were dense, and I thought they would go as quickly as the cardinals did. I have the frame and will get to it soon.

Off to stitch a bit on the Pilgrim now, I have missed it. Although, I am itching to start something new, maybe a small for Halloween or Christmas.

Be Kind.

This week I worked on all three quilts listed above.

The peacock evolved from a panel I saw on Etsy, and the fabric line that was complimentary. The pattern is by Pine tree quilts, called Peacock twist. The twist part is sort of a stack and whack center for the star blocks. Since I had many fat quarter pieces from the line, I choose not to do this method. I cut squares instead, and felt that they were colorful and interesting enough. The S&W way always seems so wasteful to me. This quilt went together very quickly, and I had enough left over (over bought) fabrics, that I added an outer border, the finished quilt size is about 50″ x 66″. The fabric line is called “Glow”, and it really does have a certain luminescence.

I worked on my 20 Pumpkins, got most of the gray corners attached. I realized that I didn’t have enough of the Halloween figs white on white background. I went on an internet search, couldn’t find any of the Houndstooth, on Etsy or Ebay, I even went to my favorite online shops, nothing to be had. I ended up ordering a basic beige, but its a bit too dark. It was while doing this search that I saw the peacock fabric, so I bought that and gave up on the Figs fabric for a bit. Then as I was looking something completely different, I found the houndstooth at Pastry Shop Quilting . Typical rabbit hole experience shopping on the internet. I also saw this cute baby quilt kit, called “Effie Love”, by Deb Strain. So I got it too, I think the pattern will work for other panels I have too. The gingham hearts are so cute.

The completely different thing I was looking for was a beaded tree kit from Westrim. Back in the late 80’s, I worked for a garden/craft store, and I was in charge of the craft department. Many times if we didn’t have a sample for a line of merchandise, I would get to make one. The Westrim Christmas tree was one of those samples. At the time it was quite expensive, and there was probably no way I could have afforded to make it on my budget. I got to use all the bits and pieces to make the model, it was fun and I wished I could keep it when I was done. Fast forward a few months, and I was leaving that job, at my going away party, the store manager gifted the model to me. My mom ended up keeping it, and I think she still brings it out at Christmas time, as her “tree”. I started looking on Ebay, and found one, Vintage, NIB, for less than it was in the 80’s, the box is marked “value priced” at 49.99, retail value, if purchased separately was 69.99. It should be here tomorrow, I am looking forward to making it and embellishing it with tiny beaded ornaments and such. There is even a tiny set of battery operated lights that go with it.

Todays work was the last 16 blocks for the reunion quilt. They are small, and went together fairly quickly. Next month is the final one for this BOM, borders and construction. Then it is time to quilt it. I am pretty sure I am going with a floral pantograph, as I don’t want to spend a bunch of time custom quilting this. It’s a pretty quilt, and I feel that intricate quilting would be lost on it. Plus its huge, 107″ square.

Speaking of huge quilts I started quilting the Botanical quilt. I has become a “labor” too, I am using a set of custom designed motifs from Wastach quilting specially made for this Wing and a Prayer quilt. I just finished the top border. I really like how it is looking.

Off to sew.

Be Kind.