in the works

Some recent quilting for customers--

A sweet little baby quilt to be displayed at Bear Patch, made by Debbie.

and a flannel quilt that any fisherman or woman would love to have, made by Nancy.

  

Yesterday I spent some time trying to get a good photograph of a quilt for a pattern.  I made this about 2 years ago, but it has been on the back burner for awhile.  It was a project that lasted a few months, because it required gathering together a lot of assorted batik fabrics that worked well together.  This is called a "hap quilt", an old term for a blanket or covering, often made of wool.  The strips are skinny (3/4" finished) in the courthouse steps block and I just took it slowly until it reached a reasonable size.

I am going to take a new picture, because I don't like the wintery grapevine branches on the pergola.  But I do like the colors in the sunshine!

working on...

I started putting together a new small quilt sample for display at Bear Patch.  We have had a couple of samples of similar quilts that use a raw-edge applique technique that have been well-loved by our customers.  This is another version, called the Vintage Circle Quilt from Yoyomama.  I picked these 10 fabrics for the baby quilt--

This design requires cutting pieces from a template shape.  I wished for a nice acrylic template that I could have used for rotary cutting, but alas, there is none.  So I traced the shape onto some regular template plastic (shown in the bottom right of the picture below) and did it the old-fashioned way.  I laid the template on the wrong side of my fabric and drew around it with a pen.  I used a Frixion pen, so in case there was any ink left after cutting, it would disappear with ironing.  With a good sharp scissor, I was able to cut 4 at a time.  I needed 100, and it really didn't take so long.  I caught up on a recorded Young and Restless episode--I started watching that show back in 1973 in the dorm, and have stayed in touch ever since!  I can get through the 1 hour episode in about 40 minutes with my finger on the fast forward button.

Those little triangle-ish shapes get arranged something like this on a solid background--

 I'll be working on this at a November retreat, so will show you results then.
I have also been making some progress on a bunch of blocks started last winter, shown below on my design wall in their current state.

They are going to look something like this--

Even though I am using all batik fabrics, and the pattern picture is all civil war reproduction fabrics, they share a strong resemblance.  I still have a bunch of little 4" blocks and filler strips left to do.  Some of them are all cut and bagged.

I find it helps to do a cutting session and then a sewing session, rather than mix the process.  These blocks have a lot of little pieces, and I am labeling them according to block number and placement.  I am up to #22!

Speaking of batiks, I posted a nice video about the making of batiks over on the Bear Patch Blog.  Hop over there and take a look!

keeping busy

Hoping that keeping myself busy will keep my mind off the fact that our little grandson seems to be dragging his feet in making an appearance!  No real significant worries or problems, just impatience.  We seem to have probably missed the chance for a Leap Year birthday, which has pros and cons.

So I have added a few more blocks to my growing collection of hexagons--

 I try to keep a few pieces prepped ahead and bagged up so I can take them along in case I have some time to sneak in some stitches, say, for example, in a hospital waiting room!  I pick colors and fabrics, cut out the needed pieces and glue baste the fabric to the paper templates.

Also made a little quilt for the store from some nice batik fabrics, it is called Lover's Lane by Villa Rosa Designs.

I have put together a quilt top called Jelly Jive by Pieced Tree, it is made from a jelly roll pack called California Girl by Moda.  I am waiting for the bolts of this fabric to come into the store for the backing and binding.  It is a very nice soft color combo.

And little quilt top came home to me after being displayed at the store for quite awhile, I had sort of forgotten how much I really like it.  It is a pattern that I wrote and called Story Territory, with the intent of interacting with a youngster and using all of the interesting fabrics to trigger story-telling and games. Even alphabet games and counting games.  I had a lot of fun picking all of the prints that I thought would engage a child's mind.

Does it look like fun to you?

checking off the list

I have enjoyed getting some sewing time lately, and havebeen able to finish up some things languishing on the "To Do" pile. I haven't been watching eagles nesting all day long! I started this one in January on my escape to Door Co.

I was able to get the majority of the blocks constructed there, but it has taken me quite awhile to get the setting triangles sewn into the rows and the rows sewn into a whole top. It's pretty big, this only shows part of it because my display apparatus (aka Bob) was pushed to his limit even while standing on a chair. This is a good example of a quilt that has gone through several levels on my like-o-meter. I picked out fabrics from the Kinkame shelves at Bear Patch, I have lusted after these soft Asian-inspired fabrics for quite awhile so I was happy to have decided on a class project that would make good use of them. Looking at my pile of fabric was a good feeling. Then came all the cutting and sewing of the blocks, which was medium on the scale. Then I had to sew all the triangles in-between, and I was not sure it was going to turn out at all like I had hoped, it just seemed too mixed up and disjointed. But then the rows started coming together, and finally the outer border pulled it all into shape and now I like it again! Whew! I have the backing ready and will start quilting it today probably.

I finished quilting Nancy's rustic applique quilt, it was fun to work on all the little sections. The little chocolate bunny was looking good enough to eat! But what is with those weird veggies? Are those supposed to be artichokes or something? They look like they came from another planet! I get the carrots and turnips, but I think Nancy was smoking something when she put those other ones on!

I have no pictures to show of the 2 little baby quilts that went off in the mail yesterday. Two more members of the Hansen family were born in March--Jaxson Motley in Phoenix, AZ, and Bode Bulfer in Northfield, MN. Welcome to the world, little guys! I hope they get much enjoyment from them.

I finished quilting this last night--

I never tire of batiks, they are a delight to work with. This is a customer's quilt, and the pattern is Popsicle Sticks by Atkinson Designs.

So that's what I have been up to, what about you?

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. --Anais Nin