Design Wall Monday - November 13, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

It was a wonderful, peaceful week at the retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana.  So many wonderful ladies gathered in one room, all talking and laughing together.  I loved it.

 While there I finished the binding on the May Day Basket Quilt, and made some more bird blocks for Cousins Walk.  Here are a few pictures from the retreat:

First, a picture of me with my progress on Cousins Walk:

Next, a picture of all the ladies who came with their bird blocks of our uncompleted Cousins Walk Quilts. 

Note:  Several of us wear aprons while we sew in the work room, and I am wearing one of my mother’s aprons.  It looks like a skirt, but is pleated cotton, and was one of her “company coming” aprons, not an everyday one.

For the “Show and Tell” Friday night, I brought my large and small May Day Baskets quilts.  I had showed these two quilts before as just tops, but brought them again to show the quilting, and that they are now finished.  Yeah!

Here are pictures from that night:

At the end of “Show and Tell”, an antique quilt was shown to our group by Rebecca Haarer, an antique shop owner in Shipshewana.  I love old quilts, and she always brings a lovely one for us to see.

The hourglass blocks measure only 2 inches finished size!  Several of us want to make our own version of it.  Even though I vowed to finish all my UFOs before I start any others, I do start new projects.  Last April at this retreat, I started Cousins Walk, so it may happen.

Close-up of the quilt:

What have you started this week……or what have you finished?  Thanks for participating in the Design Wall Monday Linky Party each week.  Even if you don’t have a design wall, link up your blog post and we can read about you and the fun you are havng.  Don’t forget to provide a link back to this post within your blog, and mention Design Wall Mondays to your readers.  Thanks!

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Design Wall Monday - October 30, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

I just got my May Day Baskets quilt back from Sue Daurio, who quilted it for me.  Here are pictures of her beautiful work (pictures copied from Sue’s Instagram account):

Sue’s website is  (Here)   She also quilted my little matching doll quilt, and I’m working on binding this little quilt today:

Both quilts make me so happy.  It makes my quilting mojo return in full force.

The weather is turning colder here in Michigan, and binding these two matching quilts is a perfect way to spend this week while inside.  Most of the beautiful leaves are floating down to the ground and now the ground under the trees show a beautiful display of color.

What are you working on today?  Please join in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us a picture, and provide a link to your blog so we can read about it.  Thanks for joining in, you are appreciated.

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Design Wall Monday - August 7, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Here it is August already and I feel like I can't post another picture of my design wall - because it looks the same as last week!  But I do have a great reason.  I was on vacation all week up north in Michigan.  Our family came from all over and we had a great time.

Now I am home again, refreshed, and ready to quilt up a storm!  At lease I hope so!  I did read your blogs, and one I liked a lot was from Chris from Quilting at the Farm  (Here)   She makes me feel better in that she didn't get some things done on her list either......but she also DID make a list, which is better than the list that's in my head.

So, after reading her blog, I have formed a written list below for the month of August.

1) Get at least five of the small blocks sewn together into a strip every day in August, starting today, the 7th.  Try to sew on this project at least 20 minutes each day.  The goal is to get the top assembled and off the design wall. 

2) Get the cutting board area cleaned off.

3) Shorten the hems on hubby's new pajamas (sleeves and pant legs) to make them fit him better.  I could take them back, but I hate returning things more than I hate altering them.  

It is a short list, but I am trying to stay "Whelmed" and not "Overwhelmed".  

It was a busy week, and I have no vacation pictures to share.  I was having such a good time that I left my phone in my room most of the time.  The house we rented had an extensive book collection, so I enjoyed browsing some cookbooks, and also read "To Kill a Mocking Bird" again.  And a short book "Who Moved My Cheese".  

Before I left, three of my quilts were sent to Sue Daurio  (Here)  to see what she can do to finish them.  Here is an old photo of the two 1930s basket quilts to refresh your memory.  I am waiting to hear what her inspiration will be for quilting them.

She did such a great job on the last two quilts that I sent to her, and these two will get her special treatment too, I am sure.  The third one was the redwork quilt that I've worked on for such a long time.  It felt good to move them to the longarm quilter stage.

What plans do you have for August?  I shall read your blogs and find out what you are working on.  Thanks so much for being so faithful in linking with the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I look forward to Mondays.

Let's join again this week so we can read your blogs and look at your beautiful pictures.  Please provide a link back to this post so that we can toggle back and forth to all the blogs.  Also, it would be nice if you mentioned our Design Wall Monday Linky Party in your post.  Happy Monday!

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Design Wall Monday - October 10, 2022

 Good Morning Quilters!

This week I made lots of square-within-a-square blocks.  All of the smaller ones (2 inch square finished size) are now attached to the doll quilt, as shown below:

The doll quilt is now 20” by 28”.  I don’t know yet how it will be quilted.

The larger border blocks  (4 inch square finished size) are all made for the large quilt, and the top and bottom border blocks have been added to the quilt.  There are 24 blocks made for each side strip that are soon to be added to the two sides.

80” by 96” will be the final size of the big quilt (in theory)….I will measure it when it is finished.

FYI:  The paper-piecing method I used to make the border blocks requires cutting off little triangle corners.  You know I couldn’t throw them away!  Here is a picture of the cut off pieces, which will go into a future small quilt/doll quilt with lots of hsts.

October is really a beautiful month in Michigan.  Here is a picture of the start of the color show from the Maples in our yard.

What is happening on your design wall?  I really enjoy reading your blogs and looking at all the pictures.  Your participation in the Design Wall Mondays Linky Party is really appreciated.  Thank you so much!

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Design Wall Monday - October 3, 2022

 Good Morning Quilters!

It is now October, and I planted three big mums out in front, and brought out the terracotta clay jack o 'lanterns and put them on the front porch.  Fall here we come!

I got a lot accomplished this week - although I changed plans a bit on the border for the two May Day Baskets quilts.  I made 4 inch square-within-a-square blocks for the small doll quilt, put them around it on the design wall and took a picture:

Something is not right.  I decided the border blocks were too big, and so I took them down and put them around the big May Day Basket quilt.  And I liked the border there much better!  But that means I need to make a lot more of the 4 inch square-within-a-square blocks to go all the way around the big quilt.  I haven't figured out how many yet - but a bunch!

Please excuse my feet in this picture, I didn't notice this until I posted it here, and hope you will excuse my socks.  My design wall was the floor, since the Benjamin Biggs Wedding quilt was on the design wall.

And back to the doll quilt, if the 4 inch blocks were too big, I decided to try 2 inch square-within-a-square blocks.  I made two and put them on the design wall for a picture.  I felt like Goldilocks trying out the three bear's porridge.  The small blocks are just right! 

Which of course means I have to make about twice as many blocks, to go all the way around the doll quilt.   Maybe 44 blocks.  But since I have made 2, I only have 42 to go!  But now I know it is exactly what I want and I am excited to  get these two quilt tops finished.  Yeah!

What have you been doing since October started?  I so enjoy reading your blogs and looking at all of your pictures.  Thanks for joining in our Design Wall Mondays LInky Party.  I appreciate you.

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Design Wall Monday - September 26, 2022

 Good Morning Quilters!

I got a little bit further toward my goals this week, and plan to have  the border on the May Day Basket Doll Quilt by next Monday's post.  

Here is my progress on the doll quilt border:

And here is my one flower and its four leaves start on a Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt block.     I will try to have it finished by next Monday.

It has four flowers like this and four separate oak leaves.  I feel I am getting a little bit better at needle turn applique.  Hurrah!  It is true that the way to learn something is practice, practice, practice..........and this quilt is giving me practice.

What's up on your design wall this Monday?  I have enjoyed reading your blogs this last week.  Such a mix of different projects and I like all of them!  Your fall projects have me itching to make something with fall colors.  Maybe I will sneak in a little fall doll quilt before the weekend.  

Please join in the Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and tell us what you are doing.  As always, I would like you to link back to this particular blog post (not just to my blog in general) and it would be extra nice if you invite others to come here and see all the other Design Wall Monday blog posts.  Thank you for participating.  

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Design Wall Monday - September 19, 2022

Good Morning Quilters!

I am back to spending time in my quilt room and it feels so good.  I did finish the block I was working on for the Benjamin Biggs quilt.  Here it is:  

The next block I am going to work on:  Block #8:

It has a funny shaped little flower and two kinds of leaves.  I am sure it will challenge me.

The other quilt I want to pick up and finish is adding borders to the May Day Basket quilt.  I finished the companion doll quilt and am experimenting with it to see if I like the border (before I tackle the large quilt border).  Here are two pictures….(1) of the doll quilt 

and (2) my preliminary pattern for a border.  A square within a square that will finish at 4 inches.  It will be green in the center with four white corners.  I need to make 24.  I thought of making them 2 inches square, but that would mean making 48.  We will see how these look. 

What are you planning for this coming week?  And what did you do since last Monday that you can show us?

I so enjoy looking at all of your projects.  Thank you for joining the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  And double thank you to those of you who mention Design Wall Monday in your post and also link back to this post.   

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Design Wall Monday - August 1, 2022

Good Morning Quilters!   Happy August 1st!

My progress during these dog days of summer is hardly worth a picture to show you.  But it is the final flower basket on the doll quilt,  so it will be an August finish.

The first week in August will be filled with children, grandchildren, and friends visiting us at the cabin.  We are dividing up the furnishings, packing up, and remembering all the good memories we’ve had there.

We hope to get some blueberry picking into the schedule too, as the blueberries are ginormous this year. 

What is on your schedule to start August?  Please continue to join the Design Wall Mondays Linky Party below and show us.   It pleases me so much to read your blogs and watch your progress.  Thanks to all of you who join in.

 

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Design Wall Monday - July 25, 2022

 Good Morning Quilters!

Well, this week was not very productive, and you will see with these two pictures.

The embroidery…….two little flowers are all that I did:

and the next picture is of the current Benjamin Biggs Wedding quilt block.  The leaves are appliquéd and four flowers prepped by back basting, ready for appliqué.

Some weeks are like that, right?  But, August is coming, and I’m optimistic about getting lots done in August.

I hope you have lots of progress to show us, but if you don’t, I surely understand.  Thanks for all of you who faithfully join in each week, in the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  

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Design Wall Monday - July 18, 2022

Good Morning Quilters!

Remember last week when I listed three quilting goals?  Ta-Daaaaah!  I completed all three goals.

The May Day Baskets blocks are all sewn together into a top, awaiting the borders.  The small matching doll quilt is almost completely embroidered - only one more basket to go!

Here is a picture of both quilts together, hanging on the clothesline in the screen porch:

And a close up picture of the doll quilt showing just one more basket to embroider:

The Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt block I was working on got finished too.  And I finished another similar one.  Here are pictures of both of them.  Block #25

Block #11

Some weeks are like this - quilting projects move along smoothly.  So I am happy dancing that this week was a move along smoothly one.  How about you?

Your posts last week were great - you are making so many beautiful quilts.  I am looking forward to seeing your posts this week.  Thanks for joining in our Design Wall Mondays Linky Party.  Thanks to all of you who mention this blog in yours, and also provide a link back to this post.  You are appreciated!

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Design Wall Monday - July 11, 2022

 Good Morning Quilters!

Well, life is flying by for me.  We had a wonderful week up at the cabin, and I did very little quilting.  This week I plan to settle down and get the following completed:

1) Sew the last 4 diagonal seams of the May Day Basket Quilt:

I do procrastinate when sewing long seams where pinning at block corners is required.  I am looking forward to working on the outer border on this one, so Judy is pushing Judy to get these seams sewn this week.

2) Finish another little embroidered basket on the May Day Basket Doll Quilt:

This was with me lately when traveling and I did get two baskets finished.  I am working on the middle right side basket.  Only three to go and I can move on to the border.  I want to test my border idea for the big quilt on this one first - to see if I like it.

3) Finish a block for my Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt:

There are 12 leaves left to appliqué, so it will be finished soon.  This block is actually in the bottom row of the pattern, and I am going to jump around a little bit while making blocks for this reproduction,   Two more blocks are similar to this one, and they will be next.

Speaking of jumping around, I just sent this poem to a mother of a six year old, and I will send it to you too, as it always makes me smile.  I am jumping around this week just as happily as Christopher Robin:

What are you working on?  Thanks to all of you who join each week with our Design Wall Mondays Linky Party.  I appreciate you!

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