Mystery Quilt - Two Thirds Done

This is late thanks to life happening, but better late than never. I'm part of a Facebook group for quilters and one of the latest projects was a mystery quilt. It's a mystery since you only start with specific yardages in light, medium, and dark fabrics and get a new "clue" (block design) each week. The title is "X Marks the Dot" and was designed by Joie Holcomb of Lamb Creek Farm Quilts and Fabrics.

Clue 1: Contrary Wife blocks

Clue 2: Eccentric Star blocks

Clue 3: 9 Patch with three fabrics

Clue 4: 9 Patch with two fabrics

Clue 5: Sashing and cornerstones.

Clue 6 is the borders and that's what I'm working on now. I still need to cut the outermost border pieces and attach them. The lighter green fabric will be the outer border. That was my project for today, but life got in the way of play time.

Then I'll piece my backing, sandwich the layers, quilt, and bind. I'm honestly not sure I can sandwich and quilt this one on my own with my shoulder still healing. I'll have to wait for a quilting friend to be free to help me before I can finish this one.

I've also fixed the batting issue with my diamond runner and quilted it. It's trimmed up and ready for binding.

That's all for this week. Hopefully next Sunday I'll have the runner bound and the mystery quilt top finished, even if it's not sandwiched/quilted. Ttfn!

Playing Around

For my birthday FH took me to the local quilt show and I picked up some fun goodies. One was a new pattern for placemats that uses fat quarters. I played with it last week after I remembered four holiday themed fat quarters and matching yardage that was just laying around in my stash.

 The cutting directions rely on the fat quarters being squared up to the same size so you can stack and whack all the pieces. Then it's simply rearranging the order of the stacks in a certain way. The pattern instructions come with a total of five variations of the design. I played with the simplest as my fabrics were fairly busy.

 I started the quilting on this runner and I'm sort of happy with it. I'm thinking about going back and putting in a thicker batting. The stitching doesn't look bad as is, but I think I'd prefer more definition.

 I know I'm going to take this one apart and put in thicker batting. Stitching in the ditch isn't even visible so nothing looks quilted. Kind of irritating, but live and learn.

 I've also done some utilitarian sewing this past week. We have a good friend, P, staying with us as he recuperates from a bad motorcycle accident. He almost lost his left foot, but doctors managed to save it. Currently the dressings leave his toes exposed and since it's getting chilly out, I made him some toe covers that fit just over the bandages without squeezing toes, cutting off circulation, or touching his heel where the skin graft is healing.

He'll be with us on and off for a couple of weeks... basically when he's not expected at one of the doctors' offices back in the city where he lives. His family all lives in this area, but none of them have first floor bathrooms or they have stairs everywhere. Eventually he'll get to go back to his apartment 100 miles or so away, but for right now he's comfortable here.

That's all for now. I've got to go up and see if P needs anything. Take care!

The Friendship Star Quilt

One of the ladies in my stitching guild moved to Florida this year. She was the editor of our newsletter (for so many years) and very active in the quilting interest group. We, the interest group, decided to make her a gift and invited the guild at-large to participate if they wished. We weren't sure if we'd end up with a wall quilt, a bed runner, a lap quilt, or even a queen-sized.

The rules were simple:
* make a 9.5 inch Friendship Star block (9 inches finished)
* use purple in the quilt block somewhere
* sign your name and/or personalize the block with embellishments of your choice

If someone wanted to participate but didn't know how to or have the time to sew, then if they provided fabric one of us would make their block. I personally sewed eighteen of the blocks. The one below is my block. I cut the tulip applique from a piece of fabric another member purchased for her block. She told me to keep the rest in exchange for sewing it.

The organization of patterns, instructions, etc and getting blocks made/collected was largely my project. After I tore up my back and shoulder in July, the piecing, quilting, and binding fell to the interest group's chairperson. I think she did a lovely job. I've blotted out faces to protect identities, but the lady on the left in pink and black is the recipient. She was back visiting at the last General Meeting and we presented her with the fruits of our labor. The lady in the right in green is the talented chairperson of our quilters' group and did the lion's share of work on the quilt itself.

As you can see, a couple of people missed the part where we were using a specific block pattern and did their own thing. We chalked that up to "personalizing their blocks" and rolled with it. Another lady used the pattern instructions, but arranged the pieces to create a "disappearing" or deconstructed star instead. I'm not sure if that was intended to be different for the sake of being different or represent our friend moving away, but either way I think it's lovely.

There were four blocks left over from piecing the top. By this time I'd recovered enough to turn them into pillows that match. Here'e the fronts and backs after quilting and before I finished the pillows. They happen to be four of the blocks I made. Two blocks (top and bottom right) were done for ladies who wanted to participate but had severe health issues. The other two (top and bottom left) were done in memory of two members we lost within the year.

After I'd pieced the pillow sections it dawned on me I didn't know how the quilting on the quilt was done or what color thread was used, but after a phonecall I was in business. Meandering and lavender were the keys, so I let my mind drift whilst my machine did the work. Apparently I was thinking about my time in university because the quilting ended up looking a lot like topographic maps! ;-)

Each stupid zipper had issues... that took about three hours per zipper to contend with. The results were worth it though. Incidentally, the fabric used in between the light purple solid and the white tone on tone is the quilt backing.

This project was a lot of work and a long time in progress, but it was full of love and the look on our friend's face was totally worth it.

Classes and Quilts

Last week I taught two miniature workshops on polymer clay foods. Thursday night was breads and Saturday morning/afternoon was candies and cookies.

Everyone had fun and they've hinted strongly at doing more food classes in the near future. For many of them this was their first experience making canes.

I've also recently finished a couple of baby quilts for some friends. The first had to be gender-neutral, contain earth tones, and be cutesy for a baby.

 The second's nursery colors are orange and grey, so I chose a recent fabric that fit the bill perfectly.

I goofed and forgot to get a picture of the back though.

That's all for this week. I have to get back to sewing samples for one of the local quilt shops. Take care!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday and I'm feeling rather accomplished.

I've been doing a bit of sewing for one of the local quilt shops for a few weeks. Last week, I took 40 half circle napkins and six fabric bowls to them. That was in addition to the original three fabric bowls I'd made the week prior.  These are the initial three. They're autumn, sewing room, and Christmas themed respectively.

 Next came the nested, matching set featuring snowmen. I was given enough fabric to make my own set as well, plus I got to keep all the leftovers and will have enough to make a matching runner for myself!

Then came three more singletons, although two of them are similar.

And then the napkins. I swear I was making napkins in my sleep.

So that's a chunk of recent projects. Here's a look at what Pixel was sleeping on in the last post. I made this for my mother-in-law for last year's Christmas. I used the 10 degree mini wedge ruler from Phillips Fiber Art. The pattern comes with the ruler. I started one for myself and it ended up put away somewhere. It will roll out eventually and I'll finish it. It's really a fun little project.

I was able to use up the leftover strip set pieces as well by designing a coordinating runner.

Pixel really liked the runner too. I was afraid my MIL wouldn't get them in the end! Well not really, since i"m bigger than Pixel. But I digress. The runner's corners and points are all rounded off to fit the style of the table topper better. I was very pleased with the results and so was my mother-in-law. I can't wait to see them in use this Thanksgiving.

I'm off to go have fun with FH and enjoy being alive. Take care!

A Year in Mourning

Or at least that's what it felt like.  I'll fill you in with the Cliff's Notes version.

While I was visiting with my grandmother for the last time I got the call that Marti, my friend I'd organized all the quilting miniatures for, had passed away. We wouldn't be able to make it home in time for her funeral because we were too far away. Plus she'd have wanted me to stay with my grandmother... so we stayed.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the time with my family, but it was bittersweet. Even in all the beauty that is our home. Gus enjoyed himself, despite being confused about sledding on dry stuff that didn't melt.

 Our time together was too short, but isn't it always? We headed home and I was numb. My doctor increased my medication doses and I voluntarily increased the visits to my therapist. Many small family dramas last fall made everything seem more intense and less deal-with-able.

 My grandmother passed in November, two days before FH and I were to celebrate his little brother's wedding. I was sewing around that time. Quilting to be more precise. I focused on projects and just tried to make it through the holidays.

I started to come out of my mental shell in March when another friend for guild, who was very close to Marti, passed away suddenly. For me it was like loosing Marti all over again. I hadn't really been able to mourn her before then.

I was starting to come to terms with things when I was rear ended by a hit and run driver. That wasn't very helpful to my mental health at the time. Fortunately I was only bruised and my car just needed new bumpers. Bumpers plural as he pushed my into the car sitting in front of me as we waiting on a red light to turn green.

Spring came and went without me really noticing. I knew there were things I wanted to do each day, but I couldn't make myself wake up enough to do them. Turns out I needed my medication dose lowered, which we did in July. It took a while for the effects of my meds to even out.

That's ok since I had all the time in the world to wait since in July I tore my lower trapezius muscle and right rotator cuff. That was the polar opposite of fun. I'm still fighting the physical pain from the incident as I type this. My doctor thinks there's a bone spur that broke loose and was hidden by tendons, etc during the initial xrays. Hopefully that will get dealt with sooner rather than later.

So that's where things stand at the moment. Oh and my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's too. Like he needed another autoimmune disease to peck away at him... *sigh*

But I finally have enough mental energy to start posting here again. It will likely be only once a week, like it was last year. I have been working on a few projects off and on for the last year. I'll be trying to fill you all in on those in addition to the current projects.

Here's a something I was working on last fall with a little help from Miss Pixel.

I'll tell you more about it next time. Until then!

The Blog is On Hold

I regret to say I must put my blogging on hold for a few weeks.  My grandmother is very ill and will not be with us much longer.  FH, Gus, and I are getting ready to make the drive back home to New Mexico so I can spend some time with her before she is gone.

I will be taking stitching projects to work on, but I won't be posting pictures until I'm home.

Until we meet again!

A Second Complete Snowlady!

I finished the caroling snowlady this week.

So far I have baking and caroling.  

Next up: ice skating!

Stitching and Minis

I'm still recovering from our trip south last weekend, but I've been busy with projects.  Here's a look at the American Goldfinch.

 All that's left is the background.  I've got less than three skeins of the background color left to work with.  It shouldn't be long now.

While we were on the road last weekend, I wanted a stitching project that was small and easy to work on in the car or while seated with others.  I dug out six small kits for ornaments and got started on one.  This snowlady is baking gingerbread cookies here.

The same snowlady is/will be caroling in this ornament.

Whilst not stitching, I had to start making some minis for my sick friend.  The same friend who is loosing her battle with cancer.  She's been working on a holiday store... not just Christmas, but all the holidays, and hasn't felt up to finish stocking the shelves.  So I decided to give her a hand.

There are lots of teddy bears, six wall hangings, two Halloween pull toys, and two Easter baskets.

I've got some other little things for her holiday shop in mind.  Once I get them figured out I'll be sharing them here.

That's it for this week.  See everyone next time!