Two red quilts

I guess I forgot to post photos of two recent small quilts.  From a nine patch red and white block swap, I had put together a twin-sized quilt.  It really looked blah to me, but I packaged it up to take to the longarmer anyway.  The more I thought about it, the less I liked it.  So I cut it up into a smaller Irish Chain quilt and a Disappearing Nine Patch with flying geese quilt.  I'm much happier now, and I quilted both of them myself.

I plan to give the Irish Chain to the Parkinson's Comfort Quilt Project and hope the other one sells at the Rustic Moose Fall craft fair.

Pinning another quilt

After finishing the two red and white quilts, I was on a roll.  I have a box that I keep trial blocks in.  When I have enough, I make a quilt using them all.  I try to use blues for my trial blocks because I seem to have more blues than any other color.  This method doesn't seem to use them up, though.  They grow like topsy!  Anyway, this year's blue sampler (for the Parkinson's Comfort Project) is ready to pin baste, then quilt.

"Around the World" baby quilt

I finished quilting this baby quilt a few days ago but it was so gloomy we couldn't get a good picture.  It includes swap blocks from Australia, Canada, England, and around the US, thus "around the world."  It's a fun swap because I sent fabric to each person who made a block that signified her.  My choice this year was "Yankee puzzle," because I'm a Dutch-Indonesian immigrant who grew up in Maryland but has lived in New England for over 35 years! 

I quilted this on my home machine beginning with a grid and then adding little touches to the individual blocks.  I also added a few basket blocks, just to get it up to crib size.

I'll be participating in another around the world swap in 2015 and think I'll be making "Sisters Choice" blocks this time in honor of my two sisters - Jenny in Colorado and Jacqueline in the Netherlands.  The blocks will be 9" finished size this year, so drafting that particular block will be interesting.  I'm planning a blue and white quilt for myself this time, using fabrics I received from Carol.

Maine trip

We weren't there long and it rained hard when we arrived, but we had one absolutely gorgeus day.  It was great to see Christine and Molly (her dog) in their summer digs.

We sat along the sea wall at high tide.  As is typical for Maine, when the ocean recedes, there are rocks in this spot.  The beach is to the left in a small cove.   At York, people were surfing at high tide which was fun to watch, not that it's anything like California or Hawaii.

We also visited the lovely Wells Public Library and Arrington's Book Shop, and walked the mile-long Rachel Carson Trail along the salt marsh with views of the ocean.  Gorgeous!  Christine took us up to Kennebunkport (where the Bushes summer), down to York, and everywhere in between.  She's a great tour guide.

A picture post card day ended with a trip to Nubble Light.   Our dinner of fried seafood, fries, and cole slaw was just right.

Pinned and ready for quilting

All my 6" blocks arrived from the around the world swappers, and I made a bunch of hourglass blocks to go between them.  This is looking like a sweet baby quilt!  Now to quilt it...

In the middle of putting this all together, I smelled a horrible burning smell.  My iron gave up the ghost and will have to be replaced tomorrow.  RIP Black & Decker!  You earned it.