Thinking and Doing

Kept walking past this little log cabin block that got orphaned through an unfortunate quilt design accident and suddenly decided to put it within a small wall quilt. I was even determined to finish it completely, so did hand quilting and a label:


So does this count as a Finished Flimsy for the Challenge (logo at right) even though it's only 11" square? Oh OK, I guess not.

Did a Dear Jane block:

You know how zandsfabrics wraps your purchase in a thick fabric bow? That's what the red and cream stripe is from.

These Stars Around the Garden blocks are going OK. I'm not worried about them:


It's the other set. What a mess. I really spent some time agonizing over these blocks. I looked at them. I hated them. I studied Pennsylvania German quilts in my books. I considered not making any more of these and doing only the group above.

I decided that it might help if I imitated the Nearly Insane setting. It looks like that quilt has tan sashing and red cornerstones.

Devised a tan-and-red plan on EQ:


From stash:

A Whimsical Hand-Dye by Whimsicals for Four Corner Designs from A.E. Nathan. I need more of this. Does anybody have some of this that they would like to sell?

Also from stash:

Isn't this an incredible print? I had just enough of this to fussy-cut the cornerstones. Does anybody know what this fabric is?

Decided not to use any more red or pink in future blocks. Made the next block in the series and tossed it all up on the design wall:

The setting color scheme is fantastic. Maybe I'll keep the setting and dump the blocks :-) .


The kitten is so adorable, full of energy now that her leg/hips feel better. She still doesn't have a name, unless you consider "you big imp-head get out of that" a name.

Brown-Eyed Susans

I started brown-eyed susans several years ago to remind me of the fields full of daisies that used to be in Brown County, Indiana:

Don't know if those fields are still there, but I put the daisies on this wall quilt along with a Brown County pitcher:

I suppose design-wise I should add a third daisy at the bottom right corner.

More Dear Janes...

..the poor chillens had no toys..

"Yessir when we were young kits, we were so poor we had no toys. Had to play with bugs."

Just kidding, the baby has a toy or two.

Look who is being such a nice Ginger to the newcomer. Two on one lap and no bloodshed. Thank you all for your kind comments on the kitty (and quilt :-) ). As far as a name, I just can't make up my mind so far.

More Dear Jane blocks...

Newcomer

Worried about the whereabouts of my tomcat Gaston, I made a rare visit to the end of the large backyard, calling for him. He answered back but didn't come. Uh oh, it wasn't him, it was this, completely buried in ivy with only her ears showing:


Isn't she a pistol? What coloring. Only six weeks old and out there all alone on the rough slope behind my yard, and with a limp. I never go back there. Somebody was looking out for her for sure. And of course after being gone all day long, Gaston appeared right after I got the kitten inside. Don't know what to call her. Pepper? Molly? Ivy?

The binding is done on the Jo's Little Women Swap Blocks quilt! Done done done.

Giveaway and More

Oh, that title makes me want to go to Long John Silver's for a Fish and More, one of my favorite but rarely-succumbed-to Major Treats. Are the LJSs disappearing in your town like they are in Atlanta? If I wanted to find one now, it would be in ever-more-distant-and-seedy locations.

Who could I get to do the drawing for the Woodstock fabric giveaway? The support staff was, as usual, useless:


[editor's note, er, scream: Gaston! Back away from the brand-new Jo Morton Toast fabrics!]

Only Ginger, the oldest and the sweetest, exerted herself. But she could not bring herself to disappoint the 50 who would not win:


DS, Mr. Georgia Tech attendee, couldn't even understand what I wanted him to do. I sent him from the room in disgrace. When will he come alive to the magic of the Quilting World?

I had to call Manpower, who sent out Blue Bunny and Sweet Mousie:

and they picked Mary!. Congratulations, Mary, send me your address and I'll mail this right out.

Doll Quilt, the current Jo's Little Women project at Little Quilts:

Jo's pattern is all four patches/alternating square. I inserted the toile scrap, which is Rit-dyed.

It simply amazes me each time I get to go visit my longarmer friend, who lets me use her longarm to quilt a quilt or two. Mad with anticipation, I packed the car last Friday:

and got two quilts quilted! Now to do their bindings. For the Jo's Little Women Swap Blocks quilt, I chose this glorious Yorktown print that I tell you, nearly makes me faint each time I look at it, it is so nifty:

But use some of it for binding? Cut on the bias which would leave dumb old triangle pieces that are hard to fold up again?? I tell you, my heart actually and truly hurt as I cut this (oh the horror):

But (sniffle) it's OK really it's OK there's still some left and the binding looks really neat.

Finally, several Dear Jane blocks:

A Finish and a Giveaway

Well, I'm so glad to have finished this quilt, My Inner House:

It is made from the Woodstock fabric line by Benartex. The blocks have 70s names, such as Creativity, Self-Sufficiency, Harmony, and Homesteading. It's quilted, it has binding, it has a label, and it's DONE. The pattern is available on Folk Art Children.

There is some leftover fabric from this project that I would like to send to the winner of the drawing next Monday; if you leave a comment, I'll toss your name in the kitty. There are 1 2/3 yards total: