Productive days

Snow days have been alternating with bitterly cold days, so I haven't been out much. It is a gorgeous sunny day today, but the sun belies the near-zero temperature. Over the last few days, I've put bindings on the Red Red Robin and big applique blocks quilts, and made a baby quilt, two placemats, and a mug rug. Quite a quilting machine!

The baby quilt is for Jovianne, Paul's niece Meg's new baby. It's hard to see, but the red fabric has dogs, dog houses, and bones. I hope they like dogs! The snowball with nine patch pattern is easy, and I've used it before for a quick baby quilt. Each nine patch block has a center of black with red polka dots. I love that fabric and have used it in a lot of quilts. Need to get more!

The placemats were scraps from my Chinese coins quilt, using black and scraps of Asian fabrics. They have gone right into an Asian-themed basket for the Friends of the Library's silent auction Feb. 19. Along with the placemats are tea, chopsticks, Chinese bowls, a lovely address book, cute purse, and, we hope, a gift certificate to Chinatown restaurant.

"Mug rugs" are over-sized coasters, for a mug and a little snack. Mine was made out of an "orphan" block, a trial block I made last year, just to see how it would turn out. It's about 6" x 9", and I found that the most onerous part of making it was sewing the binding down to the back. Next time I make one, I think I'll just cut the back fabric a little larger and fold it over to the front. I used it last night for a glass of wine and am keeping it right next to my reading/applique chair in the living room.


Today I started a new project that should last a while. Before Christmas I bought a pattern from the North Sea Quilters in the Netherlands. It is a variety of Dutch houses, with mix-and-match roof lines. Some are the familiar "step gables" and some are more rounded. The pattern book is quite complex but I think I can adapt them to suit. For example, it calls for fusible applique for the step gables when some basic piecing will work just as well. I thought I'd make some table runners for family, but I need to get a little more white for the skies before I go too far.