Works in progress

The sashiko piece I've been working on while watching TV in the afternoons is finished.  It will be the center of a medallion quilt I'll start in May as part of a virtual round robin.  I thought the markings I followed in stitching would wash out.  That's what the sales lady told me when she spoke at our quilt guild meeting earlier this year.  But they didn't, and the website says they are permanent.  They don't show up unless you look closely.  

I really enjoyed doing this project, but if I do more, I'll use a stencil and washable ink to mark them.  Sashiko is really very easy to do, and relaxing, too, while watching TV.

I'm going to make the rounds in blue and white, but have run out of white.  So I had to do a little online shopping.  I usually go to etsy first when shopping for fabric online.  I did buy some from Amazon, too, but I don't feel bad about that since my brother's companies does deliveries for them in the New York City area.

Two days ago, I started making another scrap quilt using pinks and blacks.  Both boxes were bursting, so it was time to sort through them.  I like the combination.  I don't remember where I saw the pattern - either Moda Bake Shop or Fat Quarter Shop - but it made 18" blocks using 2 1/2" strips and squares.  I decided to use 2" pieces, so my blocks end up at 13.5" finished.  Paul called it "Good and Plenty," one of my favorite candies.

I have had the background fabric since the summer, and unfortunately, I will run out if I make more than six blocks.  I sent a message to the local quilt shop owner to see if she has any left that I can pick up.  She's closed, of course, but has been offering curbside service, bless her.  If she doesn't have any, I'll make a table topper and a pillow.

Hope you are all doing well.  This is our second week without any outside activity except two trips to the grocery store, and it isn't too bad.  We catch up with family and friends on the phone and through email, and we have been out walking quite a bit.  We cross the street when we see neighbors out and just holler across.  Two neighbors have the virus - Mr. is in the hospital while Mrs. is home being cared for by a daughter.  So everyone is taking social distancing seriously.  Take care!

New little quilt

A few weeks ago, I bought a set of fat quarters, charm squares, and mini charm squares from the "Book Club" line of fabrics.  It was a sale at Pineapple Fabrics, successor to Keepsake Quilting in NH which closed this summer.  Keepsake was a once-in-a-while shopping destination for Polly and me.  We used to make a day of it, arriving mid-morning to browse, having lunch, and finally shopping til we dropped.  Anyway, when the Book Club fabrics arrived, I set them aside, thinking I'd use them somehow, sometime.

During this time of social distancing, I seem unable to concentrate on anything complicated.  I have a "Star Storm" pattern by Victoria Findlay Wolfe that I've been collecting polka dotted fabrics for, but when I got it out, I just couldn't decide on colors.

Instead, I decided to make a set of easy "Economy" blocks using "Book Club" and some gray scraps.  It measures 38" x 38", just right for an infant, and I even have one in mind - the new grandson of our former librarian.   Of course, I don't have any batting and need some backing fabric, too, so I ordered some online.  Our local quilt shop has closed temporarily or I would have run right down for what I needed there.  I'll quilt it when my supplies come and then deliver.

Meanwhile, what will I sew today?  I hope to work on my sashiko piece and gather some coordinating fabrics for the virtual round robin I'm coordinating for an online group.  I will also continue to knit on the lacy scarf which has grown quite a bit since our "stay at home" time began.   Hope you are staying safe and well!

Finally, photos

It was a sunny day yesterday, so Paul and I took a few pictures of projects I have finished this winter.  First - Long Time Gone, a Jen Kingwell design which turned out to take longer than I thought it would.  There were a lot of fiddly parts!  Marie did a great job quilting in an Orange Peel design on her long arm.

This little (36" x 36") quilt was hand appliqued and made entirely with scraps.  I dragged those melons to my Saturday hand quilting group meetings for about a year, and I enjoyed following the curves with my machine to quilt it.  I like pink but really don't like brown.  My late Tante Willy, who was quite an artist, put brown as an accent in most of her quilts, and I do like the way they look in this one.

Honeycomb, a pattern by Karen Griska, was the basis for this smaller (than Karen's) quilt.  She will be the featured speaker at the state quilt guild meeting this May, so I wanted to finish it and use it for publicity.  It's made almost entirely out of strings.

I quilted this by going round and round the honeycombs - so glad it wasn't any bigger!

Another string project was this quick Dresden plate, inspired by a book featuring strings (I still have lots).  It measures about 24" x 24" - and I still have strings left!

Keeping busy

Happy spring!  It doesn't look too springy out here but at least most of the snow is gone.  It's supposed to rain, with a possible thunderstorm, today so I suspect more snow will go.  Yesterday we got a walk in in the morning, and then I got busy sewing and reading.  I even did a little knitting while watching TV.  These are bizarre times, aren't they?  We all wish we could stay home and get things done, but when we have to, it's a drag.  Humans are just social creatures.  I do feel lucky that we are retired and have incomes.  Those who work, especially hourly workers, are facing weeks of worry, I'm sure.

Not that I'm shopping much.  Our local hardware store is offering online ordering with next day pick up, so last night I ordered a case of pint canning jars.  I even paid via PayPal.  They should be ready this morning so I can process the gallon of syrup I bought at the library banquet.  I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it, but I feel very rich in syrup!  I will give some away.  Perhaps they'd be nice to bring to a friend's when invited for dinner, rather than a bottle of wine.  And I am happily using syrup in breads I bake.  It's such a Vermont thing to do.

As part of the "new normal," yesterday we got Pad Thai from the ramen noodle shop downtown for dinner and will have the leftovers for lunch today.  They were busy with take out orders, which is a good sign.   I went to a meeting via Zoom online last night, too.  Even though there were just three of us, we discovered it worked pretty well.  Wish I could go to the hairdresser's that way, but I had to trim my bangs myself.  The length will just have to be coped with a few more weeks.

Hope you are managing to find the good in small things during this very stressful time.

Social distancing

Almost everyone is staying home these days, and that's good.  This weekend there were a lot of people out walking in the neighborhood because it was sunny, but today Paul and I seemed to be the only ones.  We had a skim of snow this morning but it has all melted by now.  When I went to the dentist's to have my teeth cleaned (all is well), they told me they are closing for a month.  The library and restaurants are all closed, although some restaurants are offering delivery or curb-side pick up.  I hope we can do this soon to help keep those folks receiving some income.

Meanwhile, I finished putting together the 6" blocks for what I'm calling Corona Cabin.  It's made with strings from my vast collection of strings and red squares from my 2.5" square box.  I have a nie piece of flannel for the back, but no batting.  All my larger pieces of batting have been used, so I may have to take a trip to the quilt shop sometime.  Meanwhile, I'm sorting through the UFOs.   Which should I work on next?

Grace had it right

thanks to Amy Smart for this sensible quote!

March blocks

I'm taking a break from machine quilting the appliqued floral table runner.  Laundry is folded and the dishwasher has been emptied.  Now for some photos of blocks I've made recently.

I made three teal scrappy blocks for the RSC20 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2020).  The previous colors for this year have been light/lime green and orange.  Doing this project keeps me reviewing and cleaning out my bins for those colors each month.  It's amazing what I have found.  At the end of the year, if I continue to make 3 blocks a month, I will have enough for a nice-sized throw.  I can always make more blocks, too, if there are colors not chosen that I would like to use.   I sure hope purple is next as my bin is pretty full.

In the same project box with the white for my RSC20 are black and brights for the Heart of Vermont guild "block robin."   Everyone who wanted to participate put together a bag with background and other fabrics, and said what size blocks she'd like to receive.  (We do have several men in the guild but this year's group is all women.)  The bags go from person to person each month, and in the end, we should receive enough blocks to make a small quilt, larger if we make some additional blocks.


I decided that I'd like 9" blocks using a black "linen" background with brights.  Here are the blocks I've made so far, with the top left - Wild Goose Chase - the one I made this morning.  I can see that next month I should make a block with purple, hot pink, or yellow.

A new tote bag

Over the weekend, I used orphan blocks to make two zipper bags and a tote bag.  My collection is decreasing, thank goodness.  All of these will go to Mom, to do whatever she wishes.  The tote is made of identical swap blocks which I found out were made by my friend Paula.  I should have suspected - they are her colors and the workmanship is super.  I added the 1930s print to make the 12" block a little bigger and to make the straps.

This was my first time using a magnetic closure which worked pretty well.  However, because I didn't plan ahead, I had to cover one side using a big button.  I tried to sew it on, but ended up using Gorilla glue.  Hope it holds!  I found a button with colors similar to the print to glue on top of the big button.  Amazing what you can find in your button box.

Yesterday I made the guild block of the month in my colorway (black with brights), and today I started making some RSC20 blocks in the color of the month - teal.