Slow Stitching

I had to lay aside the spider web quilt because it is too heavy for summer quilting.  Since I didn't have anything basted, I looked in the UFO closet and found this old beauty.  I made the top in 1988!! and started quilting it.  For some reason, I got tired of it, put it in the closet, and forgot about it.  I have been working on it steadily for about a month, so I only have the border left to do.  This is really sloooooooooooow stitching!

Baby Boy Quilt

Our nephew and niece in Indiana are expecting their second baby, a boy, this month.  They have already been blessed with the beautiful Vivian for whom I made this quilt.  I love sewing for girls!  Much to my dismay, my granddaughter hates pink and it is one of my favorite colors.

For Vivian's brother, I decided to use my recycled shirt bin.  I found the pattern here. Click on Shirt Quilt at the top of the page.  It was fun to work with the shirts because they're soft and many of them had belonged to my husband and son. 

 

I need to get this in the mail this week.

 

 

 

 

Better Late than Never

When preparing for quilt camp in late May, I wanted to bring some hand quilting but didn't want to bring a full size quilt.  I went through my WIPS and found these two quilts nearly completely quilted.  Why, I wondered, did I stop when I was so close to being done?  They were then put in a closet (you know, out of sight, out of mind).  It really only took a few hours to finish both of them.

 

This first quilt was a Jo Morton Little Women's Group quilt from 2006.  The hand applique and 95% of the hand quilting was complete when I rescued it from the closet. 

This next quilt was also hand appliqued and hand quilted.  It was probably 80% quilted when rescued.  Hopefully you can click to enlarge the pic to see that the background is closely stippled. 
This quilt was started in 2001.  It came from the book Once Upon a Season by Piece O' Cake Designs.  It was one of my earliest attempts at applique. Stay tuned for more "closet find" finishes in the future.  It's a great feeling to have them done.

On the home front, we had to replace my raised garden beds this year.  They weren't ready until June 1 and I was worried it was too late to plant (we have a very long growing season here in California).  Below are pictures taken June 1 and August 1.  It is unbelievable how much the garden has grown in 2 months.  I've already harvested more zucchini than we can freeze, eat and give away.  The tomatoes are just starting and the green beans are producing enough for dinner once a week (1 plant).  The eggplant and peppers have fruit starting as well.  We installed drip and the regular watering has made a huge difference.

Where the Heck Have I Been??

No posts since early May.  I tell myself no one really misses them but I know how much I enjoy other people's blogs so I'm determined to keep trying to become regular in this endeavor.  Since May I've been to Quilt Camp in Lake Tahoe, made a trip to Maine, Boston, and Cape Cod in June, visited Lake Tahoe again in July, and did lots of sewing and quilting.  I'll post quilty things from these trips over the next few posts.

Today I finished the latest Westering Women block from Barbara Brackman.  As you can see, I'm digging into my pink and brown stash for this sampler. 

I'm really enjoying the history lessons that accompany these blocks.  Even after teaching the westward migration for many years, I didn't realize how crowded the trails were.  We never stop learning, do we?

I've also been spending as much time as possible with these two darlings.  Here we are at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose.

 

Less is More

I added the final rows to Less is More aka Stopped Me in My Tracks.  Kaaren at The Painted Quilt also fell in love instantly with a picture of this quilt, so she drafted it and shared it on her blog.  Aren't quilters the most amazing/sharing people?  I'm so grateful to her because I ADORE this quilt in all its simplicity.

 

 

 

 

 

I plan to hand quilt this to add to it's antique charm.  In the picture posted by Kaaren, it looks like it was quilted with straight lines--more simple elegance.

No boredom using only two fabrics as I had imagined.  This went together quickly and easily because it was only two fabrics and I could strip piece.  I haven't done that in a long time.  Fun and fast!

Thanks again, Kaaren, for generously sharing your pattern.

Sunday Stitching

String spider web quilt is in the hoop.  I'm doing a big huge stitch using pearl cotton.  Its going really quickly and I'm enjoying the folksy look. 

 

 

 

This is a big quilt (queen size) and its heavy from all the piecing.  I'd better work fast, because once the weather gets warm it will be too hot on my lap.  I'm linking to kathysquilts@blogspot.com for Slow Sunday Stitching,  Have a great Sunday everyone!

Design Wall Monday

The same projects are up on the design wall as the last time I posted, but they have grown to include more blocks.  I'm keeping up with Circa 2016 from Temecula Quilt Company, Westerning Women by Barbara Brackman, adding a row or two each week to the tumbler quilt, and I've completed 20 blocks in the Latimer Farms BOM. 

I recently finished hand quilting a quilt for a friend's retirement but I'll save that for another post. 

Slow Sunday Stitching

I finished the bindings on two projects today while watching my Warriors beat the Rockets despite Steph's newest injury.   What a team!

The first project is a table runner.  My friend Nancy and I bought the kits for this runner when we were in Nebraska for the Jo Morton Retreat in November.  We spent much too much time and money at The Quilted Moose in Gretna thequiltedmoose.com but I just love that store.  The center panels are hand appliqued and embroidered.  The pattern is called Blueberry Harvest Runner by Pieces to Treasure in NSW Australia.

 

 

The second finish for today is a baby quilt that I plan to give to my Granddaughter's nanny upon the arrival of her first baby.  Although Caleigh is now 8 years old, Julie has stayed close to the entire family and we are all grateful for the great love and care she provided when Caleigh was a baby.

 

This was made with a charm pack using the pattern in Simplify by Camille Roskelly. 

It feels wonderful to have finished something.  I tend to work a little bit on a large number of projects, so I often don't have the satisfaction of a finish.  Maybe I should do one thing and finish it before moving to another--NOT!

On My Design Wall

I've been flitting about from project to project, so my design wall has lots going on.  Left to right I have my Tumbler leader-ender project which has become more of an add-a-row-a week project.  Next I have a project from Primitive Quilts and Projects (Summer 2014) magazine.  I need to get some pearl cotton in red and gold to get this moving along.  Does anyone know if embroidery thread works for wool applique?  The small applique pieces are from Old Voices New Impressions.  I'm late to this sew along but enjoying it just the same. My birthday present to myself was the Latimer Lane BOM from Red Crinoline quilts.  This is so fun and right up my alley--small pieces, reproduction, and a sampler to keep me from being bored with the same old thing.  On the right are my Temecula Circa 2016 and the first block of Barbara Brackman's Western Women sew along. 

This bottom quilt was gifted to my girlfriend's daughter at her baby shower yesterday.  As soon as the shower was over, she went into labor.  It is made from mostly recycled shirts (thank you Bonnie Hunter)  I'm subbing today and Thursday, so it will cut into my sewing time, but I have to work to support my fabric habit!

This Week in the Sewing Room

It has been a very productive week in the sewing room thanks to lots of wet weather.  I finished the last two blocks of my Stars in a Time Warp sew along with Barbara Brackman and got the top pieced together.  I love the simplicity of this setting, and thanks to Lori at  Humble Quilts, I  even know how I want to quilt it.  I learned so much from this journey through different antique fabrics.  I made all but one of the blocks from fabric in my collection.  I even had the setting and border fabric as well.  Two of the blocks didn't fit on the quilt top, so I will incorporate them into the back.

Today I'm working on Sunday Slow Stitching and will be linking to kathysquilts.blogspot.com.  I'd like to get this quilt out of the hoop by the end of the month and start on the Stars in a Time Warp.  We'll see.  Rushing the process takes away the joy, don't you think?

Allietare Mystery -Top Complete

This is one of my very favorite Bonnie quilts.  It is not overly busy and I adore the color combination.  I'm kind of sad to see the process end.  I just love looking forward to the weekly clues and trying to make time to keep up with them.  I'm going to have this one professionally machine quilted with an overall pattern and definitely want to do the scalloped border.  

Even the weather cooperated today.  It's been dreary and raining for days, but no complaints here. After the drought we've be having here in California, every drop is a blessing.

I'm trying not to start many new quilts this year.  Yeah, I know, you've heard that one before and not just from me.  I do have to make three baby quilts and a retirement quilt.  I'm going to try to do all three with fabric on hand.  I have many UFOs and at least 20 tops that need quilting.  I don't need to add to that list. 

I'm thinking of donating some tops to someone who will quilt them for charity.  Do you know of such a person?