Design Wall Monday - June 14, 2021

Good Morning Quilters!  This week was not very productive for me because I was caring for my sister.  She is doing much better, and I came back home on Wednesday.  So Saturday, I had a dedicated quilting day and got the courage to work on another UFO that has been here for a long time.  I looked back on my blog, and the last time I talked about this quilt was Sept., 2019.  (Here)

My friend, Joan Brink, came over with her sewing machine, and we both machine quilted on our own projects.  I am not very adept at machine quilting, but had this UFO set aside to try it on for quite a while.  My red apple core charm quilt has been basted together waiting for me to try domestic sewing machine quilting.  I finally read more about it, and gave it a try.

I read and "youtubed" about settings, feet, feed dogs, and "super slider" mats.  I googled how to make your own super slider type surface, and used contact paper.  I cut a large piece of contact paper, and removed the backing from only the edge of it on the left and right edge.  Then stuck it down, and cut a hole in the middle for the sewing machine needle.  It worked just fine, and I was able to remove it to change a bobbin.

I ended up trying one of my Janome machine quilting feet, and kept the feed dogs up.  I went slowly, and used a stitch setting of 2.2.  It actually was fun.

Here is my UFO, which I plan to name "Red Delicious" because it's red and an apple core pattern.  It was started long ago by a friend, Joan Edwards, and she sent it to me to add more squares and make it larger.  I increased it to 1,000 squares (I think a little more) and then it sat as a UFO for a very long time.  Until this week - Finishing is finally happening!

I followed the curves across the quilt from one edge to another in only one direction, and am now deciding if I should/could stop, or should I quilt the curves in the other direction.  What do you think?

I think I know the answer - I should quilt it more by quilting the curves in the other direction.  But I wish I was finished.  But, on the positive side, it will be more practice on my machine quilting, won't it?

What are you working on?  I so enjoy looking at the pictures you show us and reading about what you are creating.  Keep up the good work!  Please link to the Design Wall Monday party and don't forget to mention Design Wall Mondays in your blog post.  Also, a link back to this particular blog post is required.  Thanks!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - June 7, 2021

Good Morning Quilters!  In 2019 and 2020, I worked on a cheddar basket quilt that had large white empty squares and pieced baskets surrounding them.  See a blog post (Here) I had thought I wanted a long-arm quilter to custom quilt baskets in the large white squares.  But I also wanted to use some basket patterns I had (these are different than the May Day ones), and was unsure if I could explain what I envisioned to a machine quilter.   Plus the cost would be more than I wanted to pay and I was leery of paying someone to do it and then not be happy with the finished quilt.  So I decided to embroider the basket patterns in the blank squares of the quilt, using cheddar embroidery floss.  It involves embroidery on a quilt that is already a quilt top, but it hasn’t been too unwieldy for me.  I thought of combining the May Day baskets into this quilt, but the colors in the basket were not compatible with the cheddar look I was going for.  Remember this post where I had the idea?  (May Day Basket idea)

 

 

We are up at the cabin, and I’m including some pictures of plants near the front door.  We have some English thyme, which is in full bloom right now, and some ferns.  So far the deer have left these two ferns alone, but have eaten most of the other varieties of ferns that were planted along the sidewalk.  I was told that deer don’t generally eat ferns, but they like the varieties I have planted up here.  And as you know, nothing is “deer proof”.

We are up north to visit with my sister and her caretakers to see if we can adjust her meds to make her feel better.  She has been very anxious lately.  I will be sitting with her during her dialysis treatment and will take my embroidery with me.  Here is the basket I’m working on:

What have you been working on this week?  Please join the linky party and show us your design wall.  You know it doesn’t have to be a design wall (mine isn’t this week) - just show us a picture of what you are working on.  Thanks for joining in, and please provide a link back to this blog post from somewhere within your post. 

 Also thanks for all the kind condolences about Mojo.  He will always be in my heart. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday, May 31, 2021

Memorial Day in America is a day to honor those who have fought and died for our country.  When I was a child, it was called "Decoration Day" and we decorated the graves of soldier in the cemetery.  When I was 28 years old, it was changed to "Memorial Day" and was made a holiday on the last Monday of May each year.  One of my favorite Memorial Day pictures, which I've posted here before, is of a little girl helping her mother decorate soldier's graves:

This week has been a sad one for us as we had to put Mojo down.  Mojo, the rescue dog was only with us for five months, and we knew when we adopted him that he was an old dog.  This last week  was his final week (tumors of cancer).  While hubby was on his golfing trip, I spent most of my time with him, letting him sleep with me, and lay beside me wherever I was.  Last Wednesday, he was not able to walk and hadn't eaten anything for days, so it was time.    It is amazing how much we loved Mojo after only knowing him for five months.  He was a very wise old soul and we miss him a lot.  Penny Lane doesn't quite understand where "her" dog went.

Here are some pictures of Mojo, with Penny Lane in one of them:

I did finish one more May Day basket block, as May draws to a close.  This one is number 26, with four more to go.  A picture below shows my finished block:

Here is another older version of the same block, that was on my computer, and I don't know the source:

It looks like the older version has blue sashing.  I like them set on point, but I don't have further plans on how to finish this quilt.  It will come to me.  

What are you working on this week?  Please link up with the Design Wall Mondays Linkup Party below, and show us what you are making.  Thanks for participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - May 24, 2021

 Good Morning Quilters!  Unusual week around here:  Hubby went on a golfing trip with other golfer friends for five days and I am at staying at home with the two dogs.  What did I plan while he was away?  A one person quilt retreat!

Retreat rules (there are none)

No set retreat hours

No set mealtimes (except for Penny Lane and Mojo)

No bed time or rules.  In fact, since I was alone, I slept in the guest bedroom and let both dogs get up on the bed.  They were so happy, and I enjoyed having them snoring beside me.  They are not allowed on the bed in our bedroom.

Old movies that I've seen before have been my go-to entertainment choice.

So far I've watched Sweet Home Alabama, Sixteen Candles, Erin Brockovich, and The Breakfast Club.  Plus several old black and white movies of WWII era.

Visits by friends:  Saturday my two nephews who live in Ludington came over to visit me and play with the doggies.   They brought dog treats, and the pups were in love with them.

Sunday my quilter friend Joan came over.  She had just returned from a trip out of town that was quite fruitful.  She showed me her vintage fabric purchases, vintage kit purchases,  and vintage quilt purchases.   I love to see what friends buy (quilt related) because I have no guilt and it is not adding to my stash.  I can thoroughly enjoy the purchases.

Retreat accomplishments so far:

Appliqued 12 more stars on the first flag of the "10 Cents A Chance" quilt.  One more 12 star week and I will have one of the six star fields completed.  I'm afraid you are going to get tired of seeing appliqued stars on my blog posts.

(The bottom row center star is extra “wonky” and I am going to take it off and place it better.)

Started and finished another basket of flowers for the May Day quilt.  Basket #25 of 30.

This means only five more blocks to applique! I pencil traced the next four of the last five blocks onto the background fabric.  The very last block is filled with French knots, and I saved that one to trace tomorrow, on my last retreat day.  It is exciting to get near the end of the embroidered baskets project.

Have you ever had a retreat at home all by yourself?  Not nearly as much fun as a retreat with quilting friends, but it is the best I can do until the real quilt retreats start up for me.  

What is on your design wall?  I hope you are making more progress there than I am.  My next project for assembly is up on the design wall is my Jane Stickle quilt, and I seem to be stalling on working on it.

If you choose to link up with this blog post (and I hope you will) please follow the two link-up rules:  (1) Ask your readers to visit Design Wall Mondays and (2) provide them a link to this post.  There is only one more Design Wall Monday in May, after today, so I am challenging you to get some of your UFOs up on the design wall and get them finished.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - May 17, 2021

Good Morning Quilters!

The little doll quilt I started last week is now finished.  It measures 12 x 13.5 inches.  As I said last week, it is a copy of one of the doll quilts in the Mary Ghormley Collection which is at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The original doll quilt is 17.25 x 19.5 inches.

I made the little triangle corners on the back for ease in hanging it up, should I decide to do so.  If I remember them, they are so easy to add before the binding is added.

And next is my progress on the stars for the “10 Cents A Chance” quilt.  12 stars each week is just enough of a goal for me.  The first star field is now half finished.  

Since there are six flags in the quilt, I have 1/12th of the stars finished.  I like the primitive look of the appliquéd  stars, and am learning how to do them better with each star.

I spent a lot of time outside last week in my flower beds, now that the weather has improved.  I think I overdid it a little bit yesterday though, because I can really feel it in my tired muscles.  Today will be spent inside looking at all of your lovely blogs.  Please participate and show all of us what you are working on.

A reminder that if you choose to link up, I request that you link back to this post and urge your readers to come to Design Wall Mondays so your readers can see all the design walls here.  And no, you don’t have to have an actual design wall to participate.  But please do link back to this post.  Thanks!  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - May 10, 2021

Good Morning Quilters!  This week I copied a little doll quilt from the many doll quilts in the Mary Ghormley doll quilt collection.  Her collection can be viewed online at the international Quilt Museum.  Here is the link to this particular doll quilt (Here)  This little quilt is also in  a book about Mary’s doll quilt collection, Childhood Treasures, by Merikay Waldvogel.

Quilt top next to the picture in the book:

Sometimes I must stop whatever I am working on and make a little doll quilt.  I can’t explain it, I just do it.  This week I plan to machine quilt it and add pink binding.

I also made one week’s worth of stars in the “12 stars a week plan” for the 10 Cents a Chance Flag Quilt.  So far, so good.  

Friday, we visited The holland Tulip Festival, in Holland, Michigan and here are some of the beautiful tulips we saw:

What are you going to show us in your linky pictures this week?  I am looking forward to seeing your linkups.  The rules are the same each week:  Please say something about the Design Wall Monday linky party, and provide a link to this blog post from somewhere within your blog post.  Thanks!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - May 3, 2021

 May Basket Quilt - an update for you for the first week of May.  Here are the latest two completed blocks:

There are 30 basket blocks in the quilt, and these two are #23 and #24.  So I’m down to the last six, and it is fun to be on the home stretch.

And here’s where the flag quilt “10 Cents A Chance”, is right now.  There are 288 appliquéd stars, so I decided to make one flag, 48 stars, and then decide if I want to make the whole quilt.   To start, I took freezer paper out and cut a piece the size of the blue star field.  I then sectioned it into smaller sections, and traced the star pattern onto it.  I decided to think about the project as four sections with 12 stars in each.  I am now starting to appliqué  stars, and yesterday, I appliquéd three stars.  At this rate, I could do 12 stars each week, and finish the first flag this month.  

Here is my Freezer paper “pattern”:

And yesterday’s three stars:

What are you working on this first Monday in May?  As usual, the rules are to link back to this post from somewhere within your post, and to talk about Design Wall Mondays on your blog.  Looking forward to seeing what you are working on.  Thanks for joining in!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - April 26, 2021

Good Morning Quilters! April is almost over, and we have had our last snow storm.  I think we have.  The house finches have nested on the ledge over the front porch, in their usual spot.  In 2016 I wrote on my blog about them, and there has been a nest in the same spot almost every year since then.  The nest building activity has almost finished, and soon there will be eggs.  I get a good view from the computer desk in the office which looks out onto the front porch.

The LeMoyne Star quilt UFO that I started working on again in early February is now a quilt top!  Yeah!  Here is a picture of the completed top on the design wall:

After I finished, I decided to stitch around the outside edge very close to the edge, because some of the outside edges may be on the bias.  I tried to cut all of the edge triangles so that the outside edge side would be straight of grain, but I wasn't sure that all of them were.  I really enjoyed finishing this quilt, as I learned a lot about LeMoyne Star blocks.  I relied on a Youtube video by Edyta Sitar (video here)  The quilt kit is from Moda's Collection for a Cause series - Warmth and part of the sales of each kit go to support Habitat for Humanity.  The quilt kit was issued in 2012.

What do you think the quilting design should be?  I would not want custom quilting, just an overall design, but something that goes with the vintage look.

What UFO will be next?  I think two are calling me.  One is the oldest UFO I have - the Jane Stickle quilt.  I have all 169 blocks made, and all 56 of the outside triangles made.  I just have to assemble it and get it quilted by someone - not me.  It has been such a labor of love that part of me doesn't want it to end.  Crazy, right?

The second UFO is one my friend Dee and I have both wanted to make - it's a free pattern of an old quilt that is online (Here) and is a patriotic flag quilt.  I love the quilt, and the reason it's just a pattern and some fabrics in my UFOs is that there are six flags in the pattern - each with 48 appliqued stars. 

I would like to make it as the original quilt was made with hand appliqued stars......but that's a lot of stars.  Dee is going to machine applique her stars, and I am still deciding what I will do.

What is on your design wall this Monday?  I am very happy when I see your linkup pictures and can go to your blog to read about your pictures.  Please provide a link back to this particular blog post from somewhere within your blog.  Thanks!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - April 19, 2021

Good Morning Quilters!  My birthday was Friday, April 16th, and I turned 78 years young.  Through the miracles of telephone, text, email and Facebook,  I received birthday greetings from friends near and far.  It was such a blessing.  It’s so amazing to hear good wishes from so many.  I even received two birthday cards in the mailbox.  Hubby took good care of me, as always, and I had a wonderful day.  He said on my birthday morning, “Today, you can do anything you want to do.....all day long.”. He gave me a smile, and said “Oh course, that’s what you do everyday.”  lol.   

I got sidetracked this week with another project (I know you can relate) and worked on it using some extra fabric from the main quilt on the design wall.  I’ll explain.  The Lemoyne Star quilt is a kit from Moda, part of their Collection for a Cause series.  Here are the parts that are not yet sewn together as it is on the design wall today:

The kit had instructions to make the square within a square blocks by sewing across a diagonal line on fabric laid over the four corners of the block, and then cut off the excess fabric underneath.  Since there are a lot of square within a square blocks, each with four corners, I had 168 leftover cut off triangle pairs.  This kit was a half finished UFO, and before it got put away years ago, I had made all the square within a square blocks, and had also sewed the leftover triangle pairs into hsts.  These “extras” were staring at me in a baggie as I worked on the main quilt.  I needed a break from the LeMoyne Stars, and sewed them into hourglass blocks.  Here is the progress on them so far:

They trim up at 4 inches, and finish at 3.5 inches.  Here are the rest of them on the ironing board:

What are you finishing, or what distracted you into another project this week?  Please link up below are show us.  Thanks for participating.  My only request is that you link back to this post from somewhere within your post, and that you encourage  your readers to come and see other blogs at Design Wall Mondays.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - April 12, 2021

 Good Morning Quilters! 

(1) Last week I asked what you thought about whether I should add a border to the Drunkard’s Path quilt or not.  I thought you’d like this conversation I had with Maggie (Makingalather.com blog):

Maggie: “I think the drunkard’s path block can certainly stand on it’s own.” 

Me:  “Thanks for your input.  The Drunkard’s path quilt can stand alone, but I am thinking of a small border to ‘frame’ it.  I just thought of a joke:  The Drunkard’s Path Quilt can’t stand alone because it is drunk!  Therefore, I will be adding a border.  Lame joke, I know.”

Maggie:  “It was a great joke.  LOL”

So it is settled, I will be adding a border to the Drunkard’s Path quilt.  I will show it to you when the border is added.

(2) Things are moving along on my design wall this week.  First, a picture of the top left side of my design wall, showing blocks and rows all sewn together...

And here is a picture of the bottom right side with blocks in various stages of completion pinned to the wall.  If it continues to go together well, it should be a complete quilt top by next Monday morning.  

(3) Here is the latest embroidery block, partially finished:

(4) And finally, a picture of my two doggies.  They are sleeping on a old very worn quilt.

  

What’s on your design wall?  The dogs aren’t interested, but I am!  And lots of other quilters want to see your progress.  Please add your blog post below and also provide a link back to this post from somewhere within your blog post.  Thanks for being a part of Design Wall Mondays!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - April 5, 2021

 Happy Easter!

This season of my life (I’m turning 78 this month) is teaching me what bitter sweet means.  While I feel life is deeper, sweeter, and more tender than when I was younger; it also is a season where I grieve good friends who die suddenly.   This is one of those grieving times.  Last week I lost a dear quilter friend who was part of the Churn Dashers of Tidewater Virginia group.  Her kindness to me has been an example of how to be a friend and she will always be remembered with love.

The Drunkard’s Path quilt top is finally sewn together, and I am debating adding a white border to it.  It is 60 inches square now....Maybe adding a 5 inch border on all sides.  What do you think?  It will be lap quilt size, either way.  See below two pictures of vintage quilts, commonly seen with and without a border.

As I was making the Drunkard’s Path blocks, I remembered a story about my father that I thought you would enjoy. 

My Dad became a Christian while on an army ship, traveling to Europe to fight as a soldier in WWII.  After he was wounded, he returned home, went to college on the GI Bill, and later became a pastor and also a school teacher. 

When he came home from WWII, with his new faith, he was earnestly against drinking.  I remember that he took Life Magazine (a popular magazine in the 1950s) and cut out every page advertising drinking in the issue.  He taped them all together and rolled the paper into a scroll.  He spoke at schools and churches for a temperance organization.  This was in early 1950s and I was 7 or 8 at the time and my brother, Jerry, was 2 years older than me.  He would have us stand on the stage and dramatically unroll the scroll of liquor advertisements - Jerry at one side of the stage and Judy at the other side, holding the long scroll between us.  Then he would begin his talk about how all these advertisements in just one issue on a popular magazine was so bad.  It made a big impression on me as a little girl.

So I had this memory as I am making a Drunkard’s Path quilt.  The temperance movement was probably the reason for this block’s name.  Also another block, the T block, is said to be named for the temperance movement.  

What is on your design wall this Monday?  It seems like we are all getting a lot of UFOs finished during this pandemic, which is comforting during the sorrow going on.  If you join in, be sure to mention Design Wall Mondays and how much fun we have seeing the linkups each week.  Also a link to this post from somewhere within your blog post is necessary.  Thank you so much.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - March 29, 2021

 Good Morning Quilters!  Here is my design wall as it looks right now:

There are 14 Lemoyne Stars that are yet to be completed - most of them have the center star parts sewn together, and just need the outside background edges attached (with the set-in seams).  I pinned them up on the wall.  There are only four that do not have the center parts sewn together.  You can see where these four will go - in the blank spots on the design wall.  I will have to trim all the blocks to the right size, as I tend to make the outside corners/triangles in the Lemoyne Stars a bit bigger that the instructions call for - as I dislike blocks that are too little when I go to trim them up.  The four remaining stars are in a stack in the picture below too.

So here is my assembly line of Drunkard's Path blocks.  I am on the home stretch, with only about 20 of the concave/convex parts to sew together.  Yeah!  I should finish that part this week, and then the assembly of the quilt top will be easy-peasy.  I have enough to make it 5 X 5 blocks, I think.

Last two pictures are of the doggies.  Our rescue dog, Mojo, likes to be at my feet wherever I am.  If I move to another room for ten seconds, he is there, and then follows me when I leave.  I tell him to stay, that I'll be right back, but he doesn't believe me.  He likes to keep an eye on me.  LOL  This picture was taken when I stepped into the quilt room to take a picture of the design wall, and I looked down, and there he was.  So cute.

Penny Lane is usually wherever my hubby is when he is home, and comes and joins me when he is not here.  She's a daddy's girl.  Right now she is also at my feet while I write this post at the computer.  She knows I have "snack" biscuits on the desk to give out when I'm finished writing the blog.  So wherever food is, that's where Penny Lane is.  Her tail is a blur because it is always wagging, sometimes even when she is sleeping.  So cute.

What is on your design wall?  Design floor?  Or table?  Please show us so we can see your progress.  Thanks for participating.  Please provide a link back to this post from somewhere within your blog.  I really enjoyed looking at all of your blogs this past week, and at your progress pictures.    

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - March 22, 2021

 Thanks for all the well wishes and your prayers.  I am feeling much better and am back at getting the two brown and white quilts finished.  They are off the design wall and one is ready to go to the long arm quilter.  Here are two pictures of each side of it hanging over the stairs railing.  I am needing a place to hang up a quilt top for a picture.  There is a new project on the design wall, so I can’t use that for a picture.

I am looking forward to seeing feathered wreaths quilted in the white squares, or something equally pretty that the long arm quilter suggests.

I am also making good progress on the Drunkards Path curved stitching.  I have gone back to the “use 1,000 pins” method as it is fairly mindless to sew them this way.   I am hoping they will all be finished by the end of March. I really do like the pattern when it is together......but sewing convex pieces to concave pieces.....not so much.  

The design wall has a new UFO on it!  I am wondering why I quit working on this quilt when I had about half of it done.   I don’t remember.  But whatever the reason was, it’s on the design wall now and I can see that I have only 14 LeMoyne star blocks yet to sew.  And some of the edge 1/2 stars.  I will be working on this one on Monday nights when my friend Joan comes over.  She is also working on a LeMoyne star quilt.  

I talked about it in early February,  (Here) and am eager to get started again on it.  

What’s going on this week in your sewing room?  Please link up so we can see.  Remember to provide a link back to this blog post from somewhere within your post.  Thanks!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - March 15, 2021

Hello friends!  My plan is to quilt and quilt and quilt all this week.  Why?  Because here is what happened last week:

I was sick with a sore throat all week, and spent most of my time in my bed or on the couch.  I did go to the doctor Thursday and test results ruled out Covid and strep throat.  But I didn’t even reply to comments on last week’s blog post.  Please forgive me!  I am feeling a little better every day, and will soon be back to normal.  Here’s a picture showing what I got accomplished since we last talked:

In other words......nothing much.  Penny Lane and Mojo kept me company which was good for me.  And hubby did all the household things I usually do, and also took care of me.  I am blessed.

I hope you are well, and have lovely things to show us on your linkups to Design Wall Monday. Please add your blog below and we can follow the link to read about your progress.  I would like you to mention Design Wall Monday and also provide a link back here from within your post.  Thank you.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - March. 8, 2021

 Good Morning Quilters!  My design wall is looking different, and I am making progress on the two brown quilts.  Progress had to show if I kept working on them, right?  Here’s the Drunkard’s Path, which has grown:

And here is the Wedding Ring middle - all in one piece finally:

This quilt has a two inch border around it of brown, and then a wider border of white.  I had fun amusing myself trying to hide the one seam on each of the borders.  Below are pictures of the four borders, front and back:

What have you been doing to amuse yourself this week?  Show us what is on your design wall.  Please link up and tell us what you are working on.  Mention Design Wall Monday somewhere within your post, and don't forget to link back to this Design Wall Monday post.  Thanks!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter