Farewell, my lovely

I so rarely sell anything on etsy that I forget what I have in the "shop."  This Hunter's Star quilt sold overnight so I'll be finding a box and getting it in the mail today.  It's exciting to sell something, yet also a little sad that I'll never see it again.  

I gave the Accuquilt die I used to Krista because I don't plan to make another one of these.  I have too many other quilts lined up for the future.  In fact, there are two pizza boxes in the closet with patterns and background fabrics just waiting to be used.  I also have several other patterns I hope to make in 2024.  

Due to our town's recent flood, I spent last week burning off nervous energy by sorting my strings by color and then sewing 6" log cabin-ish blocks out of them.  I now have 78 ROYGBIV as well as brown/beige and black/gray blocks all ready to sew together, colorwash style.   I made a new date to learn the long arm at the local quilt shop, and I hope to get the hankie quilt put together soon.  Maybe today?  I hate to have a project hang around half-done for too long.

Due

Finally, sun!

We got out fairly early today to go to the dump with our old grill.  Couldn't close the back of the hatch so it flopped all the way up some steep hills to the industrial park.  We had to go slowly because of the hatch,  but also because we were behind some line painting vehicles.  It was quite an adventure but they took the old grill for free.  Phew!  Our "new" (to us) grill cost $40 at a yard sale, and we don't expect it to last as long as the old one.  But the steak we had Sunday night was just fine.

The sky had turned a brilliant blue by the time we got home, so I went right to work, taking pictures of quilts I've finished lately.  First, is Arboretum, which has a few blocks made by others in my online group.  I love this throw and hope it will sell!  A contractor driving by admired it which is a good sign. 

I quilted this simply, with vertical lines through the stems, and it has an orange batik binding.  I have more of that batik and hope to use it again soon.

Next up was the colorful Hunters Star, scrappy, double-sized, and cut using my AccuQuilt.  I hope never to make another.  There are a lot of pieces in every 12" block.  The block backgrounds are various scraps of gray, and the back is a nice swirly piece I bought at Joann's.  Marie quilted it on her longarm with swirls, too.  

It measures 84" x 84".  I make a lot of square quilts, which I like because you can turn them regularly to avoid fading, and they still fit however you turn them.

Today, I'm going to list both of these quilts on etsy before going back to machine quilting my blue and white hankie quilt for a while.  Then I'm going to dip back into Murder at Haven's Rock, by Kelley Armstrong, a new sequel to the "Rockton" series.  I borrowed it from the library, and it's due Saturday.  Luckily, it moves right along.

Quilting another one

Yesterday, it rained hard almost the whole day.  We only left the house to go to the library for some DVDs to watch when we can't agree on anything to stream.  Unfortunately, it turned out Behaving Badly wasn't all that great, so we'll be taking it back soon.

I put a binding on the Hunters Star quilt on Thursday but haven't had a chance to take a picture due to the rain.  Maybe later today?  

Meanwhile, I got out the first section of the latest hankie quilt to sandwich and start quilting.  It looks like it will end up being around 63" x 63", which I could do all in one piece.  But I would really like to take some time to quilt each block in its own way, so I'll have to manipulate it quite a bit.  Quilting in two sections seems sensible for this.  Some parts may even need to be quilted by hand due to the uneven lacey edges.  It's going to be very pretty when done.

I signed up to be certified to use the longarm machine at the Gypsy Moth Quilt Shop in July.  I'm hoping to get a handle on the rest of my UFOs waiting to be quilted.  While I was at the shop, I picked up the two fat eighths required for the shop's mini quilt show and contest.  I hung them on my design wall in hopes that I will be inspired.  So far, no luck!

Taking my time

 Having spent many months working on the scrappy Hunter's Star quilt, I am now in the throes of putting the 49 blocks together.   The resulting quilt will measure about 84" x 84".  Should it have a border?  That remains to be seen.  I shuffled those blocks around and around until they found their final lay out.   I even sewed two rows together today.  I won't hurry with this, though, as I'm really tired of it.  I went to Joann's today and bought some nice backing fabric, and, if I'm ready and have time on Thursday, I'll take the top and back to Marie for quilting.  If not, next week will be fine, too.

Over the weekend, I made some blocks of the month.  In each case, I made one to keep and one to enter into a raffle.  The "garlic knot" block is 12" and one will go with me to the Green Mountain Quilters Guild meeting May 6.  

This block, for the Heart of Vermont Guild, seemed a little complex but really turned out great.  Hope I win the raffle!

I spent most of yesterday - when it rained hard much of the day - working on scrappy blocks - first, some string blocks, and then some black and white squares with bright centers for a baby quilt.  We were under a slight drought, but I bet it is all over.  The grass is turning a beautiful green today.

A Sunny Friday

I was up early today so Paul and I got his pills ready for the coming week before going grocery shopping.  I take him along these days so I don't have to find a staff person to reach the top shelves.  Everything I buy - bread, selzer, milk - seems to be unreachable on the top shelf.  We got some road food for our brief trip south.  We plan to leave Wed. and spend the first night in Wilkes-Barre, PA.   I no longer have relatives that I know of there, so it's just our usual stop on the way south.   

Thurs. we'll be in Virginia in a couple of spots and then Sunday we'll head further south for a few days.  We have no reservations for post-Virginia.  Just hoping to encounter some spring!    On the way home, we'll stop in Hershey, PA, for lunch with cousins I haven't seen in 50+ years.  I went out to a sugarhouse after grocery shopping for some maple syrup to give them.   

I doubt if I'll get much if any sewing done today, but it's OK.  I've been working diligently on scrappy Hunter's Star blocks most mornings this week.  When my machine was in the shop, I cut out all the pieces I need to finish with my Go Baby die cut machine.  This is contrary to my usual way of doing things when I cut, sew, cut, sew, until done.   I can get 5 or 6 blocks done each day this way - I have 39 blocks made so far, and I'm hoping for 56 or so.

Today, though, I have things to do before we leave for the trip.  I made some little portable greenhouses and planted cosmos and zinnia seeds.  This is an experiment using gallon milk jugs that I cut crosswise leaving the handles.  I punched some holes in the bottoms and filled them with potting soil before planting seeds.  I used duct tape to close them up again and put them on the back porch where they'll get sun and a little rain or snow.  A friend told me she does this every year with great success.  We have the milk jugs, so it's worth a try.

After that, Paul and I took a walk around the neighborhood.  We've had so much gloomy weather that it is a treat to be out in the sun.  Walking is important because I've been keeping a close eye on my activity level and food intake as part of my Preventing Diabetes class.  It's via Zoom and, although we started with about 20 people, we were down to about 8 in just a few weeks.  I haven't really learned a whole lot new, but it does help keep me focused.  It's sponsored by our local hospital, and Zoom makes it easier because I don't have to drive up there in iffy winter weather.

Hanging sleeves

We picked up my newly cleaned machine Tuesday, and I've been sewing quite a bit ever since.  It is now back to sewing smoothly and evenly, thank goodness.  Made a bunch of Hunter's Star blocks, mostly yellow/orange, and four 6" pineapple blocks in pink (the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month).  I put them away before taking photos (sorry!) and got started on some more Dear Jane blocks yesterday.  

In between, I started hand sewing hanging sleeves onto quilts that will be in the Vermont Quilt Festival in June.  This quilt was made by Jeanne Hutchinson in 1984 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Green Mountain Quilters Guild.

I wanted to take extra care with this treasure as it is all hand-done - embroidery, applique, quilting.   It is passed along from president to president of the guild and is hung at our semi-annual meetings.

The names of two of the guild founders are quilted in.  Mary, the daughter of one of these ladies, both deceased, came to our sewing meeting Saturday.  She was pleased to see her mother's name there and showed us a Storm at Sea quilt her mother had left blocks for.  Mary has finished it and will start hand quilting it soon.  She also had a batch of orphan blocks that she wants to incorporate in other, future quilts.  We were glad to give our suggestions and look forward to seeing those quilts develop.  

When I finished with the hanging sleeve for this quilt, I started sewing one for the 2019-20 GMQG Logo Challenge that I'm entering in the show.  The sleeves need to be at least 4" wide, and while both quilts have sleeves, I have lightly appliqued new muslin sleeves over top.  I didn't finish hand sewing this sleeve at the meeting so will peck away at it this week.  

Today I plan to go to Joann Fabrics for two more yards of muslin so I can add a sleeve to my Full Duty Civil War sampler quilt for the show.  I'll post pictures of a few more Dear Jane blocks later today or tomorrow.

Hunter's Star

Yesterday I finished cutting all of the pieces I think I will need to put together the Hunter's Star blocks.  I used my AccuQuilt Go Baby die cutter, and it really went fast.   Putting the pieces together is fairly easy, and the machine cuts off all the dog ears.

My Viking 100 is not too accurate without lots of pinning, but I did manage to make a couple of blocks.  I don't really know how big this quilt will end up being, but I have about 30 blocks waiting to be sewn and 16 all made.  

I think I've mentioned that I don't usually like to cut all the pieces before sewing.  I'd rather cut, sew, cut, sew, etc. to vary whatever I'm doing.  Still, this and the fact that the pieces fit together so easily, will make it go quickly when Elna returns.  

Based on the blocks I've made, I figure I will most likely need to make a few more.  Some of the grays I'm using seem to overshadow the prints even though I've been choosing what appear to be bright colors for the most part.  Sometimes the contrast with the gray results in a dull block.  I will probably replace them toward the end and use the dull blocks on the back.

The last Dear Jane block I made this week, "Gloriae," is also visible in this picture.  Today it's rather gloomy, so after grocery shopping I actually worked on and filed my income taxes, both federal and state!!  It feels good to have them done and out of the way.  This afternoon, I'll try to finish knitting the toe on my sock (just 8 rows to go) and maybe do a little more big stitch quilting on the guild challenge I'm working on.

Happy Sunday!

Life without Elna

We drove to the Burlington area and back on Saturday to deliver my Elna for service.  It may be ready in a couple of weeks.  I was happy to see Lisa minding the shop.  She used to own a shop of her own, quilted a few of my quilts with her long arm, and also taught math at a local high school.  She's now happily retired from all that and was substituting for the shop owner.  

This time without Elna will be spent doing some clean up of the sewing room and, if I get lucky, starting work on my taxes.  I cut out a bunch of Hunter's Star blocks this week and just couldn't resist the slow process of sewing them together on the trusty Viking 100.  It isn't as smooth or precise but the blocks don't looks as bad as they might.  My seam ripper was close at hand, though, as it is wobbly.

I also thought I'd spend more time hand appliqueing some Dear Jane blocks and did finish "Gloriae" (G-12) with all of its sharp angles.  My fingers are definitely not as dexterous as they were ten years ago, but I will keep going with the tiny appliques or add some fusibles.

This week I gathered the state quilt guild's entries for the special guilds exhibit at the Vermont Quilt Festival, including the guild banner, hand appliqued, embroidered, and quilted by a member in 1984.  It is really something to see in person.  The maker even quilted the name of the guild founders in the area with the guild name.  

My machine pieced and quilted wall quilt that mimics the center block is also going in.    It uses hand-dyed fabric by Ricky Tims and was part of a 1999 challenge in the guild.

The other quilts submitted are really beautiful.  I'll share them in a future blog.

On the design wall

I've had a productive few days in the sewing room, after several days with unexpected company.  Paul's brother-in-law came out of the hospital Thursday and really couldn't go back to his remote island summer home with little or no heat.  We have had some very chilly nights, and Jay needed rest.  They stayed with us for a few nights and then headed south to Florida where their condo had no hurricane damage.   The warmth should also help Jay feel better.

We were happy to help, but I'm glad to have my sewing room back, too.  I was in the middle of making some log cabin Christmas stockings when they arrived, and I finished them on Monday.  I started out by making a small log cabin quilt top which I then cut the stockings out of.  I use batting in the front and quilt it, but the back is simply two layers of fabric.  This makes the stocking a little more flexible.   These stockings are going into a Christmas raffle at the library in December.

On my design wall now are some test blocks for a quilt to hang at a senior nursing/rehab center that recently renovated its courtyard entrance.   I'm going to see if the Calico County Quilters group would be interested in working on a group quilt which only needs to be 4' x 5'.  I chose Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Mountain Majesties for its ease and "Vermontish" feel.  It's an easy pattern - these blocks only took about an hour to cut and sew - and I hope it will make a fun group quilt.

I'm not totally sold on this colorway -- green scrappy quilts tend to be a little blah.  I thought the light blue "sky" backgrounds would work, but now that they are together on the wall, I see some brighter skys might help them stand out better.  The quilt will hang over a door and shouldn't fade into the beige wall.  I'll see what the group thinks.  

After I got these blocks made, I decided to break out my Go Baby and start cutting out scrappy Hunter's Star pieces.  I'm using various colors and various gray backgrounds for this quilt.  Stay tuned!

Stars

This morning I made the Heart of Vermont guild blocks for February.  The person whose turn it was to design it calls it Variable Star.  I made one to keep, and the one on top is for the lottery.  Whoever's name is drawn wins them all.  Hope it's me!

My Hunter's Star die arrived from Accuquilt Saturday night, and I just had to try it out.  This quilt has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I would like it to be blacks and neutrals with variously colored stars.  I like the way the die cuts the pieces to fit almost perfectly.

I've set this project aside for a while as I work on some of the projects I've got on the slow go.   But I wanted to take advantage of the sale Accuquilt was having.  Cabin Fever is definitely setting in here - I've done quite a bit of online shopping lately.  Besides this die and the cutting mat to go with it, I bought some bright fat eighths as well as new living room curtains and a new shower curtain.  I think this will be "it" for me for a while.