5/29/2006

Holiday's End


This flag block is from a LQS BOM from a few years ago. My son made most of the blocks and I sandwiched and quilted it for him for this past Christmas. I have a version that is sashed in the same patriotic Little Quilts print only in bright yellow.
These little 2" digitized redwork girls are to become the centers of a pineapple quilt. Maybe.

Here's my plan for the sashing for the Cabbage Rose quilt. Each flower face a different expression.

Hope everybody who was celebrating had a wonderful holiday week-end!

5/28/2006

Applique Farmyard



First block of Lori Smith's Folk Art Applique. Tried the back basting technique. It might be nice for larger motifs, but this block is only 9.5 x 9.5, ohmy it took forever. Will be doing the rest with, forget what you call it, but where you sew the fabric and fusible web together, turn it right side out, and fuse it on to the background fabric, then stitch it down. That method works beautifully for me.



****gratitudes****
--Memorial Day and Love for the United States, beleaguered though it is
--that my son and the other older boys were not involved in the fight down at the pool last night (!)
--that I can watch the 90th Indianapolis 500 here in Atlanta, that Jim Nabors was there to sing Back Home in Indiana for another year and that I can dream again of how nice it was to live in Indiana

5/26/2006

Delectables


These fabrics arrived yesterday...


these, too. Aren't they cute?


Also these hand-dyed wools. They're much prettier colors than my photo.


And here's the hooked rug(let) so far. Can't tell yet if it will look nice.

5/23/2006

Still Life


















This is one reason I am so interested in rug hooking. In this still life, I included one of the crib quilts I have that somebody back in my family made, about 1880 I assume (fabrics are actually tiny prints), as the background and the hooked rug in the foreground was made by my father when he was a young boy, which would make it c.1930. I always thought it would be fun to reproduce the design. I only have a very few things from my ancestors, but it's nice to have even a few things, isn't it?

Oh, Patti, you commented on the Cabbage Rose quilt top; I love everything they have done, too, and I can't wait to see mine finished, either. I'd like to see a few projects around here finished :-). Which is the blue and yellow tulip quilt that you made? I do think needleturn is always the ideal way to go with applique, however, this quilt is fusible and raw edge; half of the blanket stitch edging is by hand and half is by machine (digitized-wise).

Laura, I got more wool garments at the secondhand store yesterday and worked on it again all night, washingshrinkingcuttingup. Still am missing some crucial colors, so I bought some gold and green on eBay and it's on the way. Can't wait to see what it's like.

Dana, I'm not coming across any secondhand wool skirts at all and it would be so much easier. I had a two-piece gray suit in the cart that had not only a large skirt but it was maternity and was so nice and big but I finally decided it might not be 100% wool. I didn't really know that it wasn't, I was just TRYING to know. Pull out one of your wool applique projects and keep me company! And thank you re the wall hanging.

5/21/2006

Detour


My kitties are dreaming about that famous cat Triller, who has his very own blog:
http://catspeak-triller.blogspot.com/
Hi, Triller!
The black one doesn't show up as usual; isn't it hard to get a good picture of a black cat. But here she is the first day we got her...on Halloween week-end.

Took a detour from quilting this week-end. Well, I signed up for three classes this summer at the LQS. This year is the first time I've gotten to take any classes! due to poverty and commitments as a single mother these past 16 years, so I'm really tickled at the prospect. One class is on rug hooking (other two are making a pineapple quilt and making a Baltimore album block). Got the class kit and the rug hook on Saturday. Naturally I had to try out the stitching a little bit, which led to an excursion to the secondhand store this morning to look for wool. Got a dozen jackets, washed and dried them, and cut them up and listen to me, that is a JOB. Took all afternoon but now I have a stack of wool for hooking. Drew a quilt block design on the burlap and now I can practice stitching to my heart's content without ruining the class lesson :-). The block is one from a small tattered antique quilt that I have had for years. It's the cutest thing, I'll have to post a pic sometime. I've drawn it, painted it, digitized it, and now am rug hooking it. It looks like a Pennsylvania quilt but I don't believe I've seen quite that same pattern anywhere else (it's just a bird on a branch that's in a pot) although it's a familiar motif. It was so tattered it was only $25 but I bought it for the block design....it has beautiful quilting. One of my treasures. Gail, thank you on the blocks below. I just love them, too. Not sure what to do with them, if anything. I'd like to put them together in a wall hanging but sure don't want to spoil them. I think they need to be gently soaked in a sink before I do anything. K.

5/19/2006

About the Painting



Tonya, thank you re my quilt block painting (May 5th); hunted for the original set of blocks and here are two pictures of the one that includes the face. There are about 8 blocks altogether. It looks like the one next to it has a shaggy hunting dog of some sort in it. I forgot how tiny the individual squares are; the inner squares are 1". Painting is acrylic on a 12" square stretched canvas. You are right, Tonya, I made changes...painted fabrics from some of the other blocks than what are in the "face" block.....I love your photo of the gate and with hollyhocks, no less. Who would have thought there would be hollyhocks in Egypt; on the other hand, why not?? K.

5/16/2006

Experimental Quilt


This wall hanging began (and ended) many years ago indeed as a UFO Little Quilts pattern. I had paid it little visits over the years but was discouraged at how it looked. When I dug it out a few weeks ago, it had languished for years with the inner part with the baskets shown below on pink (depression pink, not the bright pink in the photo) with the narrow white border; it was inside the two inner borders that are in the first photo meaning the kind of paisley narrow border and the "that green" outer border that only had the vine on it (with a rusty needle still stuck in it). Don't know if you can tell, but two of the baskets are seersucker, such an original touch :-). Well, the basket blocks didn't lay flat, so I took the inner section out. I'd really like to finish the basket section sometime if inspiration strikes as to what the flower colors and outer border colors/prints should be. Those baskets are rather bizarre but this thing is so old it's positively nostalgic and I'd like to finish it. And it's kind of like a point of honor. Actually, I'm thinking no flowers, just basket handles, maybe all the same color? Any ideas for pulling out this poor thing most welcome. Meanwhile, I designed and appliqued the new inner border and inset it (parrot on pear tree), then decided to paint the leaves on the vine, due to having recently acquired the delectable book American Stenciled Quilts, by Vicki Garnas. The vine now has a tiny appliqued pot in one corner and I put on the wide border with some very stiff fabric that's been around here for as long as the UFO. I love the print, but my goodness it feels like you could pave a road with it. The machine quilting is underway and I'm really looking forward to quilting around those painted leaves to see how it looks.

Embird and Why I Love It

Hi, Gail and Tami! Thank you for your comments on yesterday's blog. Yes, I've matured and am more interested these days in getting points pointy and matching seams :-). I was mad at the old me; some of those seams are miiiiighty narrow in order for the thing to come out right. Gail, I looked at the photo of your Aliner. The small, compact, light trailers are so fascinating. Tami, to answer your question, I digitized the applique process in Embird Studio: with the background fabric in the embroidery machine hoop, the machine stitched the first applique outline (the vase in this case) as a guide to place the fabric, then with the vase fabric laid on top of that outline, it stitched the same outline again, then you trim the fabric very, very close to the outline, then the machine stitches whatever decorative stitch over that you specify, in this case, blanket stitch. Then you go on to the next piece. Don't know if it saves much time, but one plus is that once you have it digitized, you could remake the design in any size you want. Embird Studio has an applique stitch that is all set up with this process, but I usually set up each element myself as I have little refinements I like to include. Most of the pots that are dipping down to the right at their base are done by hand and most that are dipping down to the left are done by machine.

5/15/2006

More Potted Posies


O happy day, worked all day yesterday and got the above done on the Cabbage Rose (thank you, Helen, for your comment/encouragement :-) ). The elongated nine-patches were done so long ago (1988?); I was merrily unconcerned then with making sure that blocks came out the correct size. I think those were pre-rotary cutting days as well. So the seams are Cleverly Fudged.

Here are the fabrics for the outer section. The "periwinkle" is more lavendar and the "pine" green is more That Depression Green. I saw a vintage adorable applique design to put in the outer border, so check back later for that. I was wondering what to do instead of the outer border in the pattern, 'cause I didn't really want to do the one it calls for. And this is my dear cat Ginger.

What a difference a few years can make. This time, I digitized the basket of posies applique and did the remaining seven on the machine. Still took all day, though. I am a slow, slow quilter.

5/12/2006

An Old UFO Surfaces


Oh my, more UFOs have turned up that aren't even on the list. This one is a Cabbage Rose pattern, Baskets of Posies. I love this pattern and the colors. I was really trying to imitate the color choices in the original. All of the nine-patches are done and 6 of the 13 baskets. I want to work on the rest and get this top together.

Mmmm, fabric and more fabric.

5/07/2006

Lillebet's Progress


Lillebet's Garden so far. I like the sashing that goes around the blocks. Am trying out the center compass applique with vines radiating from it. Looks pretty nice, I think. Have to decide on the flowers, etc., for the vining.

5/05/2006

Painting of a Quilt Block


This painting is of one of a small group of deliciously eccentric vintage quilt blocks that I 've had for years. I began my interest in quilts by hunting for sets of antique blocks and still love to browse through my collection. These are the only ones I've actually painted though :-).

5/02/2006

Steamer Trunk



Ah, love these Steamer Trunk Treasures fabrics. How divine, looks like there will be plenty left over post-Lillebet's Garden for a few more quilts.