Maple leaf blocks

For the sampler I'm designing for the state quilt guild, I made a couple of blocks that I really like this weekend.  One is a 12" maple leaf block and the other is a 12" block made of four 6" maple leaf blocks.  They will end up as the centerpieces of the sampler, I think.

I wish I had cropped the photos before downloading them from my phone!   I was just too eager.  I'll have to crop them before I write up the instructions.  Maybe I was thinking ahead to the yellow rainbow scrap challenge blocks I plan to make this week.  

I did make five log cabin blocks yesterday after I made a batch of nutella cookies and a large pan of brownies for library programs this week.  The kitchen got quite hot, but the cookies were delish.  

Our friend Fred is coming over for coffee on Friday morning, and I'd like to make something special to serve.   Will we have enough cookies left over or should I make something with blueberries?  That is the question!  And if the latter, shall it be bread pudding or muffins?  I guess I'll decide tomorrow...

A hot week coming up

The weather people are predicting a hot and humid week ahead except for today which I had already set aside for baking and, perhaps, jam making.  I promised cookies for library programs Wed. and Thurs., and our friend Fred is coming for coffee on Friday.  Luckily, we have a heat pump which offers air conditioning when we need it.  I'm going to try to do a little cooking ahead today.  Our blueberries are coming in fast and furious.  Peaches are ripening, too, for some blueberry peach jam.

Over the weekend, I worked on blocks for my planned Green Mountain Sampler, a compilation of blocks selected from the last 40 years of the state quilt guild's various raffles and challenges.  2009's block was a maple leaf, and I made a 12" and four 6" blocks.  Those were fairly easy.  

I've been thinking about how I'm going to put all the blocks together in a sampler with some fillers like checkerboards and flying geese.  This is a fun project for me as guild historian.  My goal is to have the written instructions and the finished throw-sized sampler quilt ready for the spring meeting.

Yesterday I tackled the 2019 block which was the center of a guild logo challenge based on the 12" APQS Vermont block which is paper pieced.   The result was disappointing to say the least.  I now remember doing this back then and finding it very difficult to make all the points match.  

I will have to do my sample over before I can publish it in the booklet/web page I'm planning.   I now remember making an 8" block based on Marcia Hohn's Vermont 2 block, also paper pieced.  I'll pay better attention to the colors as well when I get around to it.  I really don't like the way these colors are arranged.

But before I tackle a re-do of the Vermont block, I will work on this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks:  log cabins, improv houses, and traffic jams.  The color is yellow - hooray!  My yellow/gold box is full of scraps.

Billings Farm Museum show

I spent yesterday in Woodstock at the Billings Farm Museum "Quilt Guild Day."  The Green Mountain Quilters Guild was the featured guild in an old barn set up just a little way from the main building where the annual Vermont Quilt Sampler exhibit is.  Five members of the statewide guild showed some of our work and demonstrated some techniques, including three ways of working with hexagons, hand quilting in a large hoop, Hawaiian quilting, and sashiko.   Several people asked how to get started in quilting which was fun to discuss.

It was a gloomy day, but morning and mid-day visitors to the grounds all stopped in to see what we were up to.  At around 2:00, the heavens opened up and it poured off and on for about an hour and a half.   We decided to pack up and go home at 3:30, even though we were scheduled to leave at 5 pm. 

We did sell about ten small quilts made by members which was good.   Several people wanted to buy my little landscape, but it was promised to a lady who had to visit the ATM first.  I love how the sky turned out in this one, and I have another hanging on the wall over my desk.

There was a distinctly "farm" smell throughout the barn perhaps due to the pigs and other critters in the barn next door.  Because it was a bit damp, I'' run all five of the quilts I brought with me through the dryer on "air" to freshen them up a bit.

I was also surprised that my bookshelf quilt received a lot of comments from visitors.  I made as a "row robin" several years ago with my international friendship swap group.  

I enjoyed looking at the quilts in the show, too.  This is the third year for the show, and the jury takes great pains to make sure there's a variety.  I was especially pleased to see quilts by three members of my local guild there.  All were deserving of note.  I didn't take too many pictures but the museum's website (link above) has several good shots.

Progress!

So far this week, I've been making all kinds of progress.  I finished a book and started another one.  And on Monday, I finished machine quilting the third of four sections of Dear Jane.  I'm pleased and want to work on the final section and work on the borders soon.  

But I also want to get the month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks finished so that I don't fall behind (as I often do!).  This month's color is "pastel," which is a little vauge and presents a bit of a challenge.   I have a lot of pastels, but I'm not sure how good they'll look with the blocks I've already made.  I decided to combine some colors, so yesterday, I made a couple of Traffic Jam blocks in pinks and purples.  

Then I made an Improv Houses block in light blues.   I added the houses to my RSC list last month because (a) I love making house quilts and (b) I have plenty of scraps.  I have yet to make the log cabin blocks for the month and hope to get to them today.

Yesterday morning I made a stop at the Vermont Historical Society library with a bankers' box full of the archives of the state quilt guild.  I had been sifting through several tubs all year, with turning the files over to VHS for safekeeping the ultimate goal.  I was so glad and relieved to be able to finish this long term project.  The tubs had been languishing in the former historian's basement and garage for ages.  Now they will be preserved, indexed and available to anyone doing research.

Busy week ahead

Today we have an appointment at the "Eco Depot" to deliver some used batteries, old light bulbs, and an old thermostat for recycling.  They used to be the "Additional Recycling Center," but when they moved they upscaled the name and, annoyingly, made it mandatory to make an appointment before dropping off stuff.  I am curious to see their new digs.

It's going to be a jam-packed week.  Tomorrow I'll bake a lemon cake to take to a musical program at the library on Wednesday, and then on Thursday I'll go with Paul as he is interviewed by one of the TV stations about a Barre baseball bat company that became world famous for a time.  Apparently, all the major leagues used this particular bat.  I'm not sure when it will be televised.  The young reporter who arranged the interview seems to have caught on to Paul's vast knowledge of quirky local history. 

Friday I will be baking something again in preparation for Saturday's state quilt guild meeting.  I have a quilt made out of blocks I won at the fall meeting for show & tell, and I'll do a short talk on what I've found in the archives.  I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the finished quilt - I'll rectify that soon.

In between, I'll keep quilting the "Out of My Comfort Zone" quilt and knitting this purple striped scarf.  I started the scarf earlier this winter but because the yarn is very fine, fuzzy, and uses #4 needles, it's taking a while.  It will be a cozy scarf for a little girl going into foster care when I'm done.

State Quilt Guild Blocks

I've been working steadily on organizing the state quilt guild's archives over the last couple of months.   My plan is to deliver the archives to the state historical society for cataloging and storage in the manuscript collection as soon as I'm done.  Every two years, when officers change, I'm suggesting that they add to that collection.  

I inherited bags, tubs, and other containers of papers from the previous guild historian.  She seems to have lost her enthusiasm for the job several years ago, and they had all been stored in her garage.  One of the tubs is filthy, and the other one needs a little spraying with the hose.  I threw away all the three ring binders and plastic sheet protectors that had been used.   The materials used in the past were not acid free and some of the sheet protectors show signs that ink had already been removed from the paper.

The best part of the archives is the newsletter which was published at least twice a year since the organization's founding in 1979.  It's been fun looking at them, especially seeing the patterns for raffle blocks that people make in advance of the semiannual meetings.   I'm thinking of making a sampler of blocks from various years, beginning with those tenth anniversary blocks.  I think I showed the 1980 block, but here it is again.

Next, I worked on the block for 1999, the guild's 20th anniversary, which was not what I would call a beginner block.  I wonder how many people made it?  I was pleased that it was appliqued, and I had every intention of doing that with fusible applique.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find my Steam a Seamm so I reverted back to my old favorite, freezer paper.

My fingers are stiffer than they used to be, and my eyesight isn't great, but it turned out pretty good. The embroidery on the darker fabrics doesn't show up that well, but it will do.

I was very disappointed to find the 2009 block was just an 8" half square triangle in fall colors.  That will not do!  I'm going to make some 8-at-a-time half square triangles (a method I've never used before) starting with two 8" blocks and make a block out of the resulting squares.  I don't remember what the 2019 raffle blocks were, but I'll enjoy choosing one to sew, I'm sure.  If folks at the guild meeting in May are interested, I may just distribute little booklet for the fall meeting.

A busy week

I didn't sew as much as I wanted this week, and I hope to make up for it this weekend.  This past Tuesday I drove over to Burlington to visit a friend at the hospital (she was in the ICU but recovering well) and to shop at Trader Joe's for a political gathering at our house on Thursday which went quite well.  Of course, I had to clean a bit to host the latter, but everyone appreciated the food and talk.  I also made it to yoga twice - once for gentle, once for chair - and I got some paperwork done, too.  

This morning I made the block of the month for this coming Tuesday night's guild raffle.  It was very simple, and I was glad to use scraps.  It should make a nice quilt in various shades of green.

Earlier in the week I made the state quilt guild's raffle block.  I had a heck of a time finding a pink floral print for the center, but then I remembered that I had a bunch in the box I have labeled "wild fabrics."  These are mostly Kaffe Fassett-like fabrics, and I found one that worked very well.  It looks good with the prescribed dark blue star points and light green background.

I made another state guild tenth anniversary block that worked better, at least for me, using paper piecing.  The one on the left is the first block I made using the 1989 directions.  The one on the right uses the paper piecing method.  As you can see, the points won't be cut off if I were to put them together with other blocks made with the same method.  I plan to try to make one using the "Peaky and Spike" rulers I bought years ago when they were popular.  We'll see how that goes.  I plan to make up instructions using the same 1989 colorway but offering all three methods.  It would make a nice quilt if we raffled the blocks off at the fall meeting, but I'm afraid the pattern will be too complex for beginning quilters., as some of our members are.   We'll see how the other board members feel.

Here and there recently, I did make seven more Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks in this month's pink, but I must say I just glanced the tip of the pink iceberg in my stash.   While working on all of these blocks, I have come to realize that I need to do a conscientious weeding of fabric I doubt I will ever use again.  If it doesn't "spark joy" for me, it may do so for someone else.   Will try to sift through the pinks this weekend and put what I can on the "free" table Tuesday night.

A couple of projects

Most of this past week was spent preparing for the Friends of the Library's school vacation mini-golf session yesterday.  We had 140 people of all ages, a lot of them families, play the nine hole course throughout the library - on all three floors.  Most of the Friends took a turn at directing traffic, taking donations and handing out equipment.   People from neighboring towns came, and I overheard adults say they had never really been in all the parts of the library.  The little kids were adorable, and everyone had fun.   The owner of The Portable MiniGolf Company couldn't have been more helpful and encouraging.  It was a great day, but we Friends were all beat at the end.   Today we'll take it easy!

This week I finished my round for Donna's round robin quilt.   It's not due until April but I like to get these projects out of the way.   I also managed to finish a tote bag I started last week.  I needed some magnetic snaps before I put the whole thing together and found them at my local quilt shop.  I didn't know they carried them and the webbing for handles, too.  I used my old favorite retro print for this bag.

I also tried making the state quilt guild's tenth anniversary block, which was designed by a guild member back in 1989.  I'm not sure paper piecing had been "invented" yet, but this pattern sure could have used it.  I followed the pattern as shown, but I plan to revise it before I show it at the spring state quilt guild meeting.  I'm hoping to challenge folks to make it for a block raffle at the fall meeting.

I do like the colors which were all scraps in my seemingly endless supply of blues.  I was intrigued that the block includes half rectangle pieces which are a little tricky, and as you can see, the side triangle points will be cut off if I sew sashing or another block to this block.   Paper piecing should take care of that (I hope!).

Meanwhile, I started on another tote bag which is quilt as you go.  Guess I'm channeling my inner "Elsbeth" (the funny lawyer/detective in the TV series).

Treasures from the state guild archives

I have had the state quilt guild's archives in the basement for over a year, so last week I started sifting through the files.  They had been stored in previous historians' basements and garages, so the totes they're in are not the cleanest.   I'll be glad to get them organized, out of our house., and into the collection of the Vermont Historical Society (VHS). 

Most of the records have been put into sheet protectors and three ring binders by year, making it all very bulky.  Sheet protectors are a no-no for long term storage because, unless they are of archival quality, they tend to adhere to the print over time.  I have been removing the papers from the sheet protectors and putting them into file folders.  The guild was started in 1979, so this has resulted in a lot of trash and recycling.  There are duplicates and unrelated stuff, too, that are being jettisoned.  

Most of the files are now in a "bankers' box" in used folders arranged not by year but by topic, as I learned to do while volunteering at VHS.  I'll make a list of topics after I have the files more or less in order before turning them over to VHS for safe keeping.

Among the treasures I've found are many years' worth of catalogs from the Vermont Quilt Festival, which at one time was the biggest quilt show in New England.  Alas, the pandemic and changes in the quilting industry caused its demise several years ago.  Their files are stored at VHS so I'll give the catalogs to them to fill in their collection if necessary.  I found newsletters of other guilds in the state also which I'll pass along.  

I did find a small cookbook that the guild produced for its tenth anniversary as well as a pattern for an anniversary quilt block.  I will share those with the guild at our spring meeting in May.   I thought I'd pass out recipes for cookies, cakes and pies and ask anyone who wants to to make one to share for the refreshment table at our fall meeting.  I will also challenge folks to make a block to put in the fall block raffle.  It looks a little complicated, though, so I'll try making a test block soon.  It uses half rectangles which I've been wanting to try.  

There are several binders left to go through, but I've been happy to get started on this project.  There's o a tote marked "stationary" which I've been avoiding; I will dig in soon.  

Table runner ready for sale

Last night we could hear sleet on the windows but the roads sound passable this morning, thank goodness.  We always wake up iin winter wondering what the driving will be like, but now that we are retired, we don't have to be anywhere most days, thank goodness.  When I lived in Syracuse, many years ago, I woke up with a stomachache thinking about my morning commute through traffic, but, somehow, after I moved to Vermont, that gradually diminished.  We don't get as much snow here and, if we have a big snow, it's usually much drier and fluffier.   The state keeps the roads in pretty good shape to attract tourists to ski areas.

This morning I have a few housekeeping things to take care of, but later I'll head down to the florist to switch out my Halloween table runners for Christmas ones.  I finished the French braid runner (sorry, forgot to take a photo) so I have two to deliver.  They packed away the patchwork Christmas stockings from last year so I'll check to see if they will put them out again.

Yesterday was raw and gloomy, so I put together the raffle blocks I won at the state guild meeting on Saturday.  I received 14 blocks and two "spares" in baggies.  The spares were from Liz who didn't have time to make the rail fence blocks but put the pieces in baggies.  I put those blocks together quite quickly, and the top went together fast, too, although two were too small (12" rather than 12.5") so I had to trim and fudge a bit.  

Snowflakes is now in the closet waiting its turn for quilting and, maybe, a border.  I don't think I'll give it to Bags of Love as it's a bit more glitzy than my usual donations.  It would make a nice winter tablecloth at 48" x 48".  Colors don't look good in this photo as it was too gloomy.  The lights are white, and most of the fabrics feature snowflakes.

Then I got out a little red and cream scrappy sampler quilt to sandwich and quilt with my walking foot.  I will continue that today and hope to finish the quilting.

Dear Jane revisted

Yesterday's state quilt guild meeting is over, and I am now the former president!  It was a great meeting, if I do say so myself.  A large number of new people joined, and attendance was up by quite a bit.  It makes me especially happy because when this particular board took over six years ago, the previous board was set on folding up.  The treasury was pretty much depleted and no programs were planned.  We managed to weather the pandemic by publishing additional newsletters and upgrading our web presence.  Once it became safe to meet again, we returned to our twice annual gatherings, with excellent speakers from within the state and fun programs.

My favorite part of our meetings has always been "show and tell."  In the fall, I had issued a presidential challenge to use the "Snowflake Bentley" fabric that had been copies from plates at the Smithsonian.  Bentley was a Vermonter who photographed snowflakes and learned that no two are alike.  Here's what one quilter showed yesterday.

Debie cut the snowflake blocks from the panel and then added snowflake blocks she designed herself along with some she machine embroidered.  It's a huge quilt!  And!  When she finished this quilt, she made a lap quilt with blocks she'd made using sashiko embroidery.  

Ginny and I did a short program about our journeys with Dear Jane.  We showed some of the "Baby Jane" quilts we've made over the years since the book came out in 1996.  Here are a few of mine.

This is my Asian Jane, made with those stunning prints and a black background.  (That's Tess holding the quilt)  Mary quilted this on her longarm.

Here's the baby quilt using 1930 blocks, some of them swapped.  I machine quilted in the ditch on the sashing and then hand quilted the individual blocks.

And here's the Christmas one I drape on the couch every year, again with some blocks that were swapped.  I machine quilted this quilt.

I walked over 8,000 steps yesterday, but it was well worth it!

Spring has sprung!

These last two weeks have flown by.  Last week my brother Rob and his wife Linda visited, and we spent a lot of time just catching up on our lives.   It was great to see them.  There was a lot to do before and after their visit, and then there was catching up on things not done.  I spent some time outside on nice days, picking up sticks in the yard, edging the front flower beds, and simply enjoying nicer weather.  I did snow - hard - one afternoon, but it all melted within a couple of hours.  We hope not to see that again until November.  

Our daffodils and tulips are blooming, and every day I see something new peeking out of the dirt.  There will be violets and lily of the valley soon, as well as flowering crabapple trees.  Spring is always a surprise around here after the long winter.

This week I finished Row H for my modern Dear Jane quilt and then caught up on some blocks of the month.

The block on the left is going into the lottery at my guild meeting later this month.  The other two are for me, with the one on the bottom being blocks for the quilt designed by Kristin Laura.  She has given our guild permission to make her quilt as a block of the month.  We will only have 9 guild blocks and 12 Kristin Laura blocks, so I decided to make them in the same colorway and combine them.  Hope it works out.

Then I made the "rows and pathways" (?) block for the lottery at the state quilt guild meeting May 10.  I initially wondered if it would turn out OK, but I like my block and assume the other quilters' blocks will turn out just as nice.  It will definitely be a scrappy quilt when they're all together.  It's supposed to look like garden paths.

I've spent some time in the last few days getting stuff together for the state guild meeting, too.  This will be my last meeting as president, and I'm looking forward to "just" being a participant and not responsible for anything.  We'll see how that turns out!

A friend and I are doing a short program on Dear Jane-type quilts at the meeting.  That's how Ginny and I met long ago.  We each have stories to tell and variations to show.  I have encouraged others in the guild to bring their variations along for show and tell, too.  One person has a mini that I think is just amazing.

And speaking of amazing, the other day as I was watering my indoor plants I noticed that my orchid, which I repotted a few weeks ago, is sporting two blossoms, with more on the way!  It hasn't bloomed in years, so it just goes to show that it needed a bigger pot.

  

Stick Season

Here in Vermont, we call the time between fall foliage and snow Stick Season, and there's even a popular song by Noah Kahan.   Some oak leaves still cling to their branches, but that's about it.  I don't mind it when it's not snowing.  When the sun shines, the birch and beech trees shine.  Of course, some days are gray and windy, but those are the times I stay inside and quilt.  Or read.  Right now, Louise Penny's latest book is really holding my attention.

Quilting the Dresden quilt is coming along slowly.  I need to make some progress on it this week because next week my brother Rob and his wife Linda are coming for a few days.  My quilting room is also the guest room.  I'm hoping to get rid of more of Sylvia's mother's fabric from the totes stacked up in the dining room.  I put as much as I could in bags and will take them to guild for the free table.  I took three bags to the ReStore yesterday and was surprised at how willing they were to take them.

Saturday's state quilt guild meeting went really well.  We had nearly double our usual attendance which was a shock, with 28 guests who may return in May and join.   People really seemed to enjoy the demos, including Tess' Temperature Quilts one (her example at left). Show and tell was fun, too, and there was a special category this time for Christmas and winter holiday-related items.  Soni does a great job organizing this, and people love gettng fat quarters as prizes! 

Definitely November

Yesterday was as gloomy as a November day can get - chilly, too.  Robin, Marie and I headed to tiny West Topsham, VT, to play Quilt Bingo at Mary's house.  She is closing her online shop and wanted to get rid of all of the fabric she didn't want to keep for her own projects.  I'm curious to know where she keeps her longarm (if she still owns one) as her house didn't seem that big.  

At any rate, the attic where we played was quite cold, and after two hours, we were glad to go home, heavily laden with fabric and other goodies.  I bought a good part of a bolt which will make a couple of backs for $12, and Mary gave everyone three matching yards plus some more in winnings.  I wish I could say I didn't plan to buy any more fabric, but that's impossible!

Here's part of four tubs of fabric a friend from my genealogy group gave me last Sunday.  She has been cleaning her mother's house because her mother now lives in a nursing home.  At one time, the lady made lots of doll and other clothes, so quite a bit of the fabric in these tubs is unusable to me.  

I will take a little at a time to various quilt meetings this winter, and also to the ReStore.  There are silky and large pieces of lacey fabric as well as knits and corduroys.  If I sewed clothes, I would definitely be happier.  The tubs take up a lot of room in our dining room, but I'll chip away at them.  The fourth tub is in the garage because it's even bigger than these.

Sitting next to the tubs are some of the things I'll be taking to the state quilt guild meeting this coming Saturday.  There are two coffee makers and part of a coffee pot for a silent auction, as well as supplies and a quilt rack.   I will put some of the tub fabric into tote bags for giveaway also.  I doubt if I'll take anything for show and tell - all this stuff is enough.

Earlier this week, Paul and I went downtown to visit Marsha at her antique shop's new location.  From there we bought Paul some new boots and then looked at a new monument at Hope Cemetery.  At first, we thought it was a mausoleum, but there is no way that we could find to open it for more bodies.  

It's quite cute, as you can see from this photo of Paul on the porch.  The clapboards and windows are on all four sides.  But there are no birth/death dates of any of the family members.  Future generations will not be happy with that omission.

As you can see, it was a lovely day that day, but it seems that as soon as November came, so did the clouds.  I started quilting a bed-sized scrappy quilt on Friday, and it's just the right activity for these gloomy days.

Best laid plans

I thought I'd spend Friday afternoon doing a little hand quilting to prepare for the demos I'll be doing in about 10 days at guild.  Ha!  My neighbor invited me to go with her to dig up some perennials at her old house.  Her gardens were extensive and the new owners invited her to take whatever she'd like.  As I told Paul when I got home, Gale did a lot of digging, and I did a lot of toting.  The trunk was full by the time we left - 3 hours after arriving!  

Today I will go and get some mulch and other gardening supplies so that when Chris comes for lunch he can help me plant everything.  I can't remember any of the names of the plants we got, but most of them are shade lovers.

Yesterday's state quilt guild meeting went very well.  Our speaker was amazing!  She talked about the challenges her guild issues each year and the processes she goes through to create her unique pieces in response. 

Here are more closeup photos of some of Chris' quilts.

I noticed almost everyone taking a closer look at the pieces during the break and lunch.  It was a very successful day, and, I hope, will encourage more membership.  We will have to think hard to top the program in the fall!

Guild raffle

The treasurer of the state guild believes we need to step up our fundraising and suggested a raffle.  The board would make the quilt which would travel around the state during 2025, and members would sell tickets for a drawing in the fall of 2025.  I'm skeptical but game.  It would be good publicity and maybe encourage some quilters from around the state to join the guild.

At the cut-a-thon last Sunday afternoon, we each received kits to make six blocks.  One person couldn't come, so she will be receiving her kit this coming Saturday at our spring meeting.  Fabric came from one board member's extensive stash.  What a great shopper she is!  She's one of those people who buys multiple yards of fabric she likes.  I tend to get a yard or even less if I see something I love, so my stash is much smaller.  I buy background fabrics in larger quantities, but no more than 3 yards at a time.

We are making a disappearing nine patch quilt and setting them using a pattern from Jordan Fabrics in Maine.  I love the way my blocks turned out.  The light gray prints will be mixed, and the teal and black will be constants.  We will ask for a volunteer to quilt it for us, and I think it will appeal to non-quilters, especially men.

It was a rainy day yesterday, and I spent most of it in the sewing room for a change.  I worked on the guild block of the month and finished machine quilting Rows A, B and C of Dear Jane.  There are a few blocks that need hand quilting because the little Brother isn't great for free motion or doing sharp curves with the walking foot.  

The cut-a-thon

This was a busy weekend, and thank goodness I have a bit of a breather today.  I made some granola, did a load of wash, took a walk with Paul, and did a little hand sewing with some hexies (not my favorite thing to do) - all before lunch.

The library booksale went well Friday and Saturday, and we got things picked up by 2 pm Saturday when the library was about to close.  My feet were tired, but it was very nice out, so Paul and I sat in the rockers on the back porch for a while.   The weather couldn't have been better.  Our neighbor Carol stopped by for a nice chat, and then it was time for dinner (salmon - easy).

Yesterday morning, I did a little cleaning and then we moved furniture to set up several areas for the cut-a-thon in the afternoon.  Five friends from the state quilt guild came and, between us, we cut out pieces for a quilt to travel the state and be raffled off in 2025.  It's a disappearing nine patch with teal accents, gray scraps and mottled black.  It should be very pretty when finished.   

I set up a card table in the living room, cleaned off a kitchen counter, and took everything off the dining room table.  Soni brought this interesting slotted ruler that allows one to cut long strips and then cut those into squares.  We needed 144 black squares and those were cut in no time.  I enjoyed cutting with my own ruler on the kitchen counter and wish I could do it all the time - no bending!  

We then put enough cut fabric for six disappearing nine patch blocks into six baggies with the directions.  Everyone took one, and we will save one for a person who couldn't come.   We were done in an hour and a half, and that included a little chatting about various issues here and there.  Quite a productive crew!

A day at home

It's been a busy week, and it is very nice to have a day at home.  I did two loads of wash, took two walks with Paul - it's gorgeous out - baked a loaf of bread, read a little, and made some of my grandmother's beef stew.  It's called Hache and is a simple stew of beef and spices - bay leaf, boullion, cloves, and red wine vinegar.  It's usually served with mashed potatoes and a vegetable or over rice with a vegetable.  I'll make the mashed potatoes tonight and maybe the rice another night.

Yesterday's state quilt guild meeting was good although the turnout was a bit lighter than we'd hoped.  The short demos seemed like just the right program, and they covered Manx quilting, English paper piecing, flange bindings, and fabric covered coiled rope mats and baskets.  

Even though I knew how to do the last two and have tried EPP, it was good to get some new tips and hints.  The way Wendy fussy cut her shapes for EPP using Tula Pink's method was just amazing, but I'm not sure my eyesight will let me do much.  The Manx quilting with the big stitches seems more my speed, so I'll give it a try soon. 

Busy times

 

This is the quilt I took on Saturday for Show and Tell at the state quilt guild meeting.  Made up of leftover pieces of last fall's Bonnie Hunter mystery, I call it Vermont Spring because the bigger quilt ended up being called Green Mountain Spring.  At any rate, this quilt won first place in the state guild's virtual show, and for that I received an award at our first in-person meeting in two years.

We didn't have a huge turnout, but the program was excellent.  Roz Daniels, a friend and fellow guild member, told about her life as a quilter, from the 1970s with polyesters, through travels to exotic places, and now as an award-winning modern quilter.  I admire her creativity and approachability, and everyone seemed to enjoy seeing many of her interesting quilts.

Sunday, I got out my Options blocks of the month to see if I could put them together into a throw for a friend of my brother's who's been very helpful to him lately.  Ken has been driving Axel around to various doctor's appointments and helping him clean up his apartment - actually, it's with much-needed hoe out.  Why does a single guy need 46 water glasses?  Anyway, I started putting the blocks together on point and realized I didn't have nearly enough fabric. 

Of course, the quilt shop was closed Sunday and Monday, so I was chomping at the bit until yesterday when I found they are out of the fabric I was using for sashing.  So the whole setting is going to be more scrappy than I had planned.  I always have a lot of trouble figuring out the size of the setting triangles around the blocks in an on-point quilt.  Today I'll do the math and try to get everything cut out and start sewing.  I found some nice Aboriginal fabric in my stash for the back - hope I have enough.  

In between all this, I had my monthly pedicure/get together with my friend Debb, went to a Friends of the Library meeting, did laundry and some housecleaning, started knitting a hat while I decide if I'm going to continue with the very slow going sweater, and watched the rain pour down.  After a few days of gloom, we are hoping to see the sun some time today and finally get out for a walk or two.