Welcome Blanket

Last spring, I heard about the Welcome Blanket project calling for quilts, afghans, and other blanket-like items to be given to refugees resettling in Vermont.  My local quilt shop, A Quilters Garden, was one drop off place for the project.  Each item submitted needed to be about 40” square and accompanied by a message of welcome for its new owner.  Having emigrated to this country as child, I believe I share a special bond with people settling in the US from afar.  I had to participate.

 What do you know?  I still had a bunch of yoyo blocks left over from the GMQG giant yoyo quilt project of 2018-19.  They’d be great in a scrappy quilt.  Even the back, batting, and binding of my little quilt were made of scraps.  But it didn’t use nearly enough yoyos; in fact, I still have a few just waiting to be included in future projects.

 Some 60 Welcome Blankets and accompanying welcome messages were on exhibit at Heritage Winooski Mill Museum earlier this year before they were given to refugees in the community.  On February 12, the Mill Museum held a special workshop on making and using yoyos which gave me quite a chuckle.

 Welcome Blanket is a nation-wide project created in 2017 by Jayna Zweiman, co-creator and co-founder of the Pussyhat Project.  Zweiman believed that Welcome Blanket could be a tangible way to engage the community in welcoming our newest Refugee population to America.  She expects to make it an ongoing project, and to date around 6,500 have been distributed nationwide.  You can learn more about the project at http://www.welcomeblanket.org and

https://www.themillmuseum.org/welcomeblanketvt.  When watching the video on the museum’s site, keep an eye out for my quilt.

A couple more blocks

 I sewed most of the day yesterday and didn't even pick up a book.  In between sewing sessions, Paul and I planned a mini-vacation for March.  We got theater tickets to the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA, and planned to check out Asheville, NC after that.  We hope to visit my cousins in Lancaster, PA, on the way back north.  All in a little over a week!  We like to keep things a bit unstructured for these end-of-winter jaunts so we can follow spring (if it's happening down there at all).

Today, while doing some laundry, I've just reconciled my check book and am looking forward to lunch out with Pam.  I want to cut the binding for the pineapple quilt.  

Here are two more blocks I made yesterday.  My online group has a sew-along going, and the first block. chosen by Linda, is for February.  The second is my suggestion for March, ribbon quilt block from Quilter's Cache.  I'm planning to combine these with my guild blocks of the month for a larger quilt.   

The guild blocks all have a white background and a prescribed color.  Last month was purple and this month blue.   Tuesday night I was the lucky winner of the block lottery for February, winning scads of purple 12" star blocks!  That's a UFO I am happy to have.

I like the ribbon quilt block (I think of it as "ribbon star" but that's not what Quilter's Cache calls it).  It's comprised of eight half-square triangles and a plain center square.   Some years ago, I made an autograph quilt for our dear librarian, Karen.  All the staff, Friends, and trustees signed the center squares, and I used mostly scraps from my Asian Jane quilt in recognition of the Chinese banquets she and her husband Chet used to put on as a fund raiser for the Friends.  Chet has since passed away and Karen is happily retired, but the memory of those winter banquets lives on in our town.

Pineapple quilt

Did you hear me sigh a huge sigh of relief this morning?  The Rainbow Scrap Challenge pineapple quilt top that I've been making blocks for over the past two years is finally finished!  I think.  I may add another border if I can figure out what color to make it.  Turquoise?  Purple?  Black?

Right now there's a 1.5" gray border made out of the gray print that's in each block's center.  The top measures 64" square which is fine for a throw.  I am planning to take it to my friend Marie for long arm quilting.   I have lots of the gray print for the back, which is a relief.

I also made several blocks of the month for March this morning.  We were supposed to have 6-12"of snow overnight, and I woke up very early to the sound of the snowplow zooming by.  Paul estimates that we had about 4" of snow, and by noon the roads were very driveable.  Unfortunately, my neighborhood ladies' lunch was cancelled because at 9 am it didn't look that driveable out.   I had lots more time to sew, between getting up early and not going out for lunch. 

I finished several blocks of the month for March, including these easy ones for guild.  The one on the right I'm keeping because the center is from an old muumuu of my Mom's.  The one on the left is for the guild lottery.   I won the lottery blocks for February on Tuesday night - purple stars.  There are close to 20 in the group (it was a fairly easy block), and they will be really nice to put together, when I get around to it.

Yesterday I received my new-to-me (used) iPhone 12 to replace my iPhone 6 which I'll be giving to Paul who has resisted having a cell phone until now.  He has come to see the usefulness of one for emergencies.  I was amazed at how fast and easy transferring my data from one phone to the other was.  You just set one near the other and follow the directions on the screen.   I had to get a little advice from Chris via text message about removing the SIM card so I can make phone calls.  But I just felt so very smart when the whole process was finished.  Now the only problem is that, with the case that came with the phone, it doesn't fit in my purse which has a pocket on the outside for the phone.  I'll see if I can get a slightly less bulky case.

Lots of sewing, no photos

 I've been busy working on various WIPs over the last week or so.  First, I got busy making more blocks for the Arboretum quilt.  This is an old photo; I have about 60 blocks now.  I'm just waiting for two blocks from Karen in Ontario, the last two in the swap.  I'm also waiting for some orange batik because I wanted more color and less gloom in the final quilt and think I'll also use it for a border and binding.

It's going to be about 60" x 60" by the time I get done.  Some people in the swap group are lining up their blocks so that the tree trunks go all the way down.  But my blocks will be offset, 9 or 8 across and 7 down.  They measure 6 x 8" finished.  There will be half blocks at the ends of every other row.

I haven't sewn the blocks together at all yet because I don't know what colors Karen has used.   I may have to rearrange them a bit when hers arrive.  Meanwhile, I have them in bunches by row, carefully clipped together with plastic clips and in a plastic bag.

Saturday, I got out all of my pineapple blocks and decided to get those ready to put together.  I moved them around and around until I settled on an arrangement I like.  I knew I needed to make at least four more 12" blocks.  Each 12" block is made of 4 6" ones.  I realized I have been at this for two years, so it is time to get the whole thing together and move on in my [quilting] life!

I wasn't sure about colors until yesterday when I finished making the four blocks that make up another green block.  I will put the lone brown block on the back of the quilt and add orange, yellow and turquoise blocks.  Today I made three out of the four I need in orange.  Now comes the onerous task of taking all the foundation papers out.  Ugh!  There is just no alternative, so I'll watch TV while doing it for several nights, I'm sure.  Dear Jane and Hunter's Star have been set aside for a while as I concentrate on these.

Good news!  Mom wants one of my two Jane Austen quilts, so that has been boxed up and ready to mail out tomorrow.  It will look nice on her dining room table.

Jane Austen at Home

This morning, I finished binding the second of two quilts I made using Jane Austen at Home fabric by Riley Blake.  I started out with a layer cake and a couple of fat quarters.  Along the way I made at least three orders for yardage and fat quarters from "The Cute Little Fabric Shop" in Utah which I found on etsy.  I also added some scraps here and there.

The pattern was from Quiltmaker magazine and was a mystery quilt using blocks from Bonnie Hunter's "Addicted to Scraps" column.  I should have known better.  First of all, her tiny pieces don't always look good with small prints.  Second of all, those tiny pieces! And repetitive to boot!   It was supposed to be a queen-sized quilt, but I could see that the result would be far too busy at that size.  In fact, the twin size at left is pretty busy.  I took it to a friend who quilted it on her long arm.

I ended up making a smaller quilt with the leftovers which I spread out a bit with some sashing.  I do like the way the four basket blocks come together in the middle.  This quilt is baby/toddler sized, at  48" x 48, " so I quilted with my walking foot.  In fact, I was in the middle of doing so when my Elna decided it needed cleaning and other general maintenance.  

I was happy when my son and his friend stopped by this afternoon so that I could take pictures by standing in the snow.  (I now see that the top picture is upside down...)  

Our snow is melting which is very nice.  It's very possible that the maple sap is running these days - we need cold nights and warm days for that, and it sure has been that way recently.  It's unusual for February to be this warm, but we'll take it.

Dear Jane

My saga with Dear Jane will most likely last until 2030 at the rate I'm going.  I made six blocks on Sunday and Monday, though, and I think I have about 20 all together.  Considering there are 169 blocks in the center, that's not too bad!

Here are blocks A-4 and A-6 through A-10.  A-10 uses fusible applique and a new adhesive product called "Fix It."  I was making the blocks in a random order from a Facebook group I joined, but that just seemed too scatter-shot for me.  So I went back to doing one at a time in the "A" row.   Slow and steady wins the race, as the turtle said to the hare. 

This morning I finished quilting the smaller (48" x 48") of my Jane Austen at Home quilts, and sewed the binding on.  It sure feels nice to finish something!  I'll try to get a picture tomorrow if the sun shines.  The larger of the two quilts is waiting for its binding which I hope to get to tomorrow.  It's all sewn, but I need to square up the sides.  After I finish that, I will move on to the Cakes on Stands quilt.  The top is ready but I need to piece a back.  I think I've already got binding ready to go, too.

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.

Brrr!

At 11:30 this morning, my phone read -5 degrees, Alexa said it was -7, and the thermometer in the kitchen read -14.  Take your pick!  It is a very cold day, but sunny which is nice.  Even our neighbors who have Alaskan Eskimo dogs (white and medium-sized) put coats and booties on their dogs which they rarely do.

I have been inside sewing, of course, and baking bread yesterday and today.  The hearts turned out really nice and have been set aside with the January row by row blocks.

Think I'll do some reading this afternoon as I babysit the final rise and baking of the bread.  It's a great recipe - Antique White.  Here's the recipe for the bread machine:

Put in machine in this order (some machines require a different order):

  1 c. warm water

  3 T. unsalted butter (room temp.)

  3 T. honey or maple syrup

  1 t. salt

  3 c. bread flour

  1.5 t. yeast

Set machine on dough setting.  As the machine is mixing and kneading, keep an eye on it and make sure it forms a smooth ball.  If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.  If it's too chunky, add a little more water.  I tend to babysit my bread machine at this stage.

When the machine is finished, remove dough from pan, shape, and put into a greased bread pan.  Cover lightly and let rise for about 40-45 min. or until doubled.   Sometimes, when it is cold in the kitchen, I preheat the oven for one minute and then turn it off.  I allow the bread to rise in the warmish oven for half an hour before removing it to preheat the oven.  Sometimes I slide the bread into the oven before it has come to the full 350 degrees and it rises a little more. 

 

**The dough is soft and makes great rolls that freeze well.**

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about half an hour.  Let cool before slicing.  Makes great toast!

February hearts

It's February 2, Groundhog Day, but I forgot to check to see if he saw his shadow.  No problem.  In Vermont we are hoping for six more weeks of winter as that would be shorter than normal!   Our beloved yoga instructor reminded us that we were astronomically in the middle of winter yesterday.  Hooray!   She noted that some folks use this time to clean closets and do other spring cleaning chores.  Funny - I just put together a box for the Re-Store and a bag for the Salvation Army.  I'll deliver them manana, but meanwhile I'll be driving around with them.  

Today I'm doing a little hand applique, working on Aby's row of the month.  The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month is, coincidentally or not, pink, so I'm making my row of hearts using pink scraps.

I'm using a bunch of hearts cut out of freezer paper from past projects.  Usually, I baste the seams over the freezer paper before sewing, but this time I just ironed them as, at 6", they are pretty easy to iron.  I will have a couple of blocks with smaller hearts, and those I will probably baste using quilting thread.    January's blocks were very easy to do, and because I made six 8" blocks then, this month I'm making 8 6" ones.  I'm not sewing the blocks into rows yet as I'm not sure I'll use them as a row by row quilt or some other way.  I have months to decide.  Aby has offered a few different layouts for the blocks, depending on the final size.

Below zero weather with terrible wind chill are predicted for tomorrow and Saturday, so hand applique seems like a cozy way to beat the cold.  I have a couple of really appealing mysteries loaded onto my Kindle, too, so staying indoors under a quilt should be just fine.   

One down, one to go

I finally finished knitting one sock on Monday, much to my relief.  Working with four #2 needles was hard work by the end.  I used up most of the ball of yarn and worried I wouldn't have enough to finish.  It fits, but I'm glad I have relatively small feet.  If I ever make another pair of socks, I'll be sure to buy three balls of yarn, just in case.

The yarn is very pretty and easy to work with, though, and I'll get to the other sock soon.  First, I'm giving myself a break by knitting a quick garter stitch hat on #6 needles.  Much easier.

I did a little hand quilting on the guild challenge wallhanging and cut more Hunter's Star fabrics yesterday.  It's going to be frigid today, too, so I will just go to yoga but not walk outdoors.  I'll call the quilt shop to find out if my Elna has come back and hope to pick it up tomorrow.    

Last night's dinner was curried chicken from a new cookbook, A Pinch of Nom.   I knew it was part of a healthy eating series but had no idea that this was part of a British "movement" called Slimming World.  It seems to be like Weight Watchers which I joined briefly in 2020.    I found some of WW's recipes to be really good, and so far, PON's look pretty good although more meat-based than I'd hoped.