Good Morning Quilters!
This past week was a bitter-sweet one for us. We spent it at our cabin on Hamlin Lake. We were tidying up the closets and spiffing up all the rooms, to list it for sale. We have really enjoyed our summers on the lake, but as we age, we have decided that one home is more than enough for us to take care of. We are hoping that someone else will love it as much as we have.
While we were up north, I visited my long arm quilter in Manistee, MI and dropped off 14 quilts for her to machine quilt (edge to edge designs). A lot of them were baby quilts, so she wasn't too overwhelmed. Maybe she was a little bit, but I was really happy to hand them over to her.
My UFO list is getting smaller, and that makes me very happy. Right now I have pulled out an old UFO, an applique quilt to finish. Did any of you make the Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt? It looks like I started this quilt in the spring of 2014 and wrote about it on this blog (Here)
It was offered as a free pattern by Gay Bomers at her Sentimental Stitches Blog. (Here) Gay has offered several quilt patterns for free for a limited time, and this one was one that I wanted to make. I copied the directions back then for each block, and made four blocks............and then it became a UFO. Why? I don't know.
Here is the complete quilt, as featured on her blog:
I like all the little rosebuds in the corners of each block, and plan to have my four rosebuds a little closer together, as a group where the four corners meet. We shall see how that turns out.
So my UFO is out again, and I have assembled the first row, and made the first block in the second row. Block #4 in the first row is one that is not finished because I recently made all the flower pieces to applique, and they have disappeared somewhere in my house. If they don't re-appear by the time I have the rest of the quilt assembled, I will have to make them again. But I am confident they will come out of hiding when I am looking for something else. Right?
Yeah, I know the first row is on the floor below the design wall, and the embroidered baskets are still on the design wall. But the baskets are getting sewn to their alternate solid green blocks and will soon be off the design wall. Soon.
Here's the first block in the second row:
If any of you have some of the blocks made for this quilt, I would love to have you join in and make more blocks with me. I hope to have it finished by the end of 2022. But as you know, all of my goals are very flexible.
What are you working on this week? We sure have a variety of projects, don't we? I love to visit your blogs and read about what you are doing. Thanks for participating in The Design Wall Mondays Linky Party. I appreciate it when you mention Design Wall Mondays, and provide a link back to this blog post.
What a lovely block you've appliqued. Are you doing needleturn? I've always admired this type of applique pattern, but never felt I was up to that kind of challenge...nice work hugs, Julierose
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of making Ben without the sashing between the blocks, that is going to be very pretty. I'm sure your lake house will sell fast, happy stitching!
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you that you are getting your quilts completely finished. I've always liked Benjamin Biggs and will enjoy seeing your blocks. There is something so striking about reds, greens against white together. Gay is generous; I've downloaded her 4.5 small blocks series to do "sometime".
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous quilt! Your blocks are perfect. I hate when I misplace quilt pieces. But you’re right. They’ll turn up - eventually. I know deciding to sell your cabin had to have been a tough decision, but I can certainly understand it. It’s tough enough taking care of one place.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen this quilt before, but then I rarely appliqué. It looks pretty daunting to me! What size are the blocks?
ReplyDeleteAre the blocks sewn into a row? The few times I have done appliqué I have cut bigger blocks and then trimmed down to the right size as I was told to.
I do love the colours, so classic!
Helen
14 quilts?!?! That's an amazing accomplishment to get that many quilts ready for a finish! You can spend the whole winter binding these quilts!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely UFO you have unearthed to applique this summer!
must be hard to put a cabin up for sale but understandable as we get older and if no one else in the family wishes to take it over. I love that quilt that you show
ReplyDeleteI would love to work along side you on Ben Biggs. I have been thinking about pulling out mine and getting it done. I am doing turned edge over floriani and machine applique.
ReplyDeletehttps://holycowchris.blogspot.com/2017/11/17-ufos-in-2017-ben-biggs-wedding-quilt.html
ReplyDeletethis is as far as I got
You are being so dedicated pulling out older projects and finishing them. It's sad to give up a home with so many happy memories. But I like your attitude that someone else will have joy from living in it. And, wow! Lots of finishes are in your future.
ReplyDeleteLove, love red and green quilts. This one is very pretty.
ReplyDeleteClosing your vacation house is sad, but some other family will make happy memories there, as you have.
That looks like a very worthy project to bring out of hibernation to work on! Wise to make the finishing time flexible on a quilt that requires a lot of hand work; I look forward to following your progress!🙂
ReplyDeleteThe cabin, our cabin, ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤. Wonderful and treasured memories
ReplyDeleteI made a smaller version of BBiggs in blue and red. I wish we had a little cabin to escape to, but yea, 2 homes may be a bit much. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteHi Judy, it must be bittersweet to leave your cabin but I'm sure that two places is a lot of work. We spent our summers at our cabin and my mother was always tired of looking after both spaces. When I got older, I would go with my father in May to get it ready. I'm sure that someone will end up loving it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a big UFO to get done. Do you find that now that you have more experience, that it's easier do do than it would have been years ago? Good luck!