A couple of baby quilts

Because we aren't down in Maryland for my high school reunion this weekend, I decided to work on a couple of baby quilts for Bags of Love.  The group has been calling for smaller quilts as there seem to be more babies going into foster care lately.  (Very sad!)  Both of these measure about 36" x 36".

I had two Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects that I wanted to end, so I used blocks from those to make the quilts.  First, was a set of improvisational houses using a Jo Avery pattern.  It was very confusing, and I groaned every time I got it out.  Quilting is a hobby and should not cause anxiety!   I had five in my project box and made one more.

I enjoyed quilting each house a little differently and using larger scraps to finish.

Next, I got out some blocks called "Traffic Stop" by Pat Sloan.  I liked making these blocks because I mostly used squares that I had already cut from my 2" square box.  The blocks were 9" finished.

I just quilted this quilt very simply - a larger diagonal grid.  I used the same dark gray binding for both quilts which I'll take to the quilt shop this week along with another throw quilt and a little baby-sized knit hat.  I want to make a few more hats now that the weather is turning.

Later in the afternoon, since Paul is feeling better, our neighbors Gale and Alan came over for snacks and a wide-ranging chat.  I feel so lucky that they moved in next door three summers ago.  We get along well, and in the winters, since our garages are attached, we hop from one to the other to get together in the evenings sometimes.  

And even later in the evening, friends in Maryland were having dinner and decided to call me to say they miss seeing me.  I was happy to chat with them and hope we can get down to visit sometime in the not-to-distant future.

Pixilated Holland

It's been a little gloomy out lately and Paul hasn't felt well, but I did finally get a picture of the Pixilated Holland wall hanging I finished about a week ago.

I started with a pattern by Karen Abrahamovich who has made patterns in various sizes for all 50 states and several countries.  Not being one to follow a pattern, I found this to be quite intense to work on.  So I decided to make simple borders, using pieces of old curtains.  I still have some other curtains left that I can use sometime.  Guess I'm a hoarder of Dutch fabric.  I used variegated blue thread for the quilting which was quite simple, too.

My to-do list is rather long but I did manage to do a little yard work last weekend.  I have more to do... eventually.  It's been chillly out - 40ish in the mornings, rising into the 60s later.  Paul came down with what appears to be a cold so we haven't been walking much.  I have taken a few walks around the neighborhood by myself., and I even met some new people two doors down.  Because of his illness (not sure what it is despite tests and a chest xray), we decided not to go to my 60th high school reunion this coming weekend.  I just didn't want to make the 12 hour drive down and back alone.  We can always go down to visit the specific people I want to see another time.  They've promised to take pictures which will be nice.

The "Bags of Love" people put out a call for small baby quilts, so I got out some house blocks from my rainbow scrap challenge bin, put them together, and started quilting this morning.  I got so involved that I almost missed my scheduled pedicure.  It's cute and I hope it will make some foster baby happy.

Took Modern Jane to guild

We had our first Heart of Vermont Quilt Guild meeting of the year on Tuesday night.  Lots of people showed tote bags they had made as part of a summer challenge.  I made two but gave both of them away - one to my SIL Linda and another to my brother to give to a friend who has been driving him around and visiting him at the rehab.

I did get to show my Modern Dear Jane quilt that I finished over the summer.  I think I posted a picture of it hanging over the fence out front, but not the whole thing...

This will definitely be "it" for me and Jane.  I am happy with the wider gray sashing and the many colors on various black and white backgrounds.  It was definitely fun to make.  I'll take it to the fall meeting of the Green Mountain Quilters Guild in October, and then it will go on the quilt rack my cousin's husband made me.

Another finish!

It felt so good Saturday to put the last stitches into the hanging sleeve of Pixilated Holland!  I added Dutch tile squares cut from my old kitchen curtains for the border and then quilted it in vertical straight lines with variegated blue thread.  I just went parallel to the seam lines, and I'm pleased with the result.  You can barely see the wobbly lines now that it's all done.  This was just the right size quilt for machine quilting on my Elna.  I'll take it to guild tomorrow night to get a good picture.

As is usual for me whenever I finish a big project, I took a break from quilting yesterday.  We went to Paul's sister's for brunch, I did a load of laundry, and then I sat down to read for the rest of the day.  I have a few ideas of what to work on next, but it does feel weird not to have anything hanging in the closet waiting to be finished.  

But I am not feeling smug about it since I have 18 items on my UFO list - projects mostly half done, including several project boxes whose contents might end up being small quilts.  I'll take a look today, especially at the box of log cabin blocks made in rainbow colors since Christmas.   Speaking of that holiday, I do have a tree skirt I want to make for the library's Light Up the Library display//raffle.  And what about those shopping bags I planned to make the library staff?  Oh, boy.  I really don't feel smug now!

25th "anniversary"

It's hard to believe 25 years have passed since the Twin Towers and the Pentagon were hit.   I was in Washington, DC on 9/11, meeting with other state library people and the feds when we got the news.  The feds all left, and we couldn't get hold of our families by phone for a long time.   We watched TV together for a long time, then decided to keep working.  Without the feds, we got a lot done.  But I'll never forget the quiet streets in a usually bustling city.  Almost nothing was open, but thankfully the hotel treated us with kindness and food.

The state library people bonded during the days we couldn't get out of DC.  That's me, second from the left.  We got our work done and then we just hung out together, all ten or eleven of us.   Nothing was open so we couldn't visit the Smithsonian or any other sites.  After a few days, stores and restaurants reopened.  I ran out of money because I used the time to shop for fabric and things for our B&B.  We couldn't fly out of DC, so each person had to figure out transportation home, by train, bus, rented automobile. 

With a suitcase heavier than when I arrived, I ended up taking the train home, a 14 hour trip through New York City.  It's usually about 12 hours but we sat on the train waiting to go through the city for two extra hours.  In December, when we met again, I took the train, too.  Because of our strong bond, many of us still get together every Monday afternoon via Zoom.  What an experience!

Early holiday season prep

I spent most of yesterday updating the mailing list for the Friends of the Library's annual Light Up the Library fundraiser.  We write to merchants, clubs, and individuals, asking for decorated holiday items and gifts to display for two weeks before we raffle them off.   Judy and I added some names and deleted others that hadn't participated in the five years we've been doing it.  Because Paul and I have a couple of trips planned this fall, I'm trying to get all of the paperwork done sooner than in the past.  Or is it really sooner?   I do hope to have the initial mailing ready by the end of September. 

In between that chore, I did a little bit more quilting on the Pixilated Holland quilt.  Even though there are wobbles in the straight lines I'm doing with variegated thread, when I look at the quilt as a whole, it looks pretty good.  I have only a few lines left to do and then I can square the piece up and bind it.  The question now is:  flanged binding or no?  I'll do a little test before I cut the strips.  The quilt is only about 42 x 49" so it won't take much fabric either way.

I was pleased to get a call last night from my sister in law Linda who had received the origami bag I made and sent to her.  I wish I had taken a picture of it.  Just forgot!  I admired a similar bag made by a quilter I met at the Vermont Quilt Show in June.  She showed me how to fold a rectangle of pre-quilted fabric to make such a bag, and I still have the little piece of paper she folded to show me.  I had tried to make one before but gave up as the folding was a mystery to me.   I will hang onto the little paper pattern and the link as I'd like to make one or two more sometime.  Quilters are the nicest, most helpful people.

Rainbow baby quilt

The sun was shining brightly yesterday so we finally managed to get a photo of the finished quilt.  It's going to be a boy, so little Daley will be a big brother.  They had a gender reveal party over the weekend - amazing how American activities have slipped over the Atlantic to the Netherlands.

I love the striped binding and was happy to find the stripes slanted on the bias.  In pawing through my stash in search of something fun, I noticed several other striped fabrics just waiting to be cut into  binding.  Since I have several rainbow scrap challenge quilts on the slow go, I'm sure I'll be using them soon.

The back was made of a bunch of 10" squares my former neighbor Carol gave me as she was packing to move.  She was sorry to be so drastically downsizing, and I hope her new place has more room than she thought so she can build a new stash there.  I arranged the squares as a nine patch initially and then cut them, disappearing nine patch style.  I like the way the quilting stands out.

Happy Labor Day!  I hope to get out and do a little shopping.  We need some new sheets for the guest bed (we're still using some from our B&B days), and I want to get some mum plants for the front (actually the planters in the driveway).   Then I'm going to make some chili - there is definitely a touch of fall in the air every morning here.