What's Going On?

I'm all over the place at the moment with multiple projects so here's a quick update.
Whig Rose - Whew 😅 got the HST to fit.

 I used a lot of pins working from the center out .

I want to get the next two borders on so I can mark and start hand quilting soon.

For some upcoming Hand Applique' workshops, I designed a few small patterns. 

Each design used the same leaves, flowers and berries with a different vessel.

Folky Flowers

Modern Flowers

Then I decided to make asymmetrical design for the more traditional quilters.

It is amazing how many different looks you can achieve with the same shape.
Traditional Flowers

I finished this little dolly quilt.  I can count it as a Monthly Mini which is hosted by Wendy at The Constant Quilter Blog.  Wendy is so talented and has such a wonderful blog check it ou

 I had this sweet fabric for many years and the colors match perfectly with the front.

I machine quilted it with my big fan stencil.

So this is a new routine.   Nutmeg loves to get some fresh air in the morning when I sew.  She meows and meows until I open a window for her.

 She also likes to hop out the window....

and see what is going on around the yard.

I made two more Steampunk blocks.   They don't look cohesive yet, but there will be many more so they'll come together (I hope).

 This is my cray cray design wall.  There are like 4 unrelated projects on it right now.

Thanks for stopping by!  And thank you for all the nice comments on my House Quilt.  I so appreciate them!

xo

Won't You Be My Neighbor Finshed

My Finished House Quilt:  Won't You Be My Neighbor?

It seemed a fitting way to remember Fred Rogers too.  What a gentle kind soul he was.  We need more like him in the world.

Hanna wrote to him in 3rd Grade for a project to write to someone she looked up to.   Here is the letter he sent her.

I love how he addressed it to:  Hanna in the Third Grade.  He included an autographed photo.  What a wonderful keepsake.

  I took it with me on a walk I like with coco at Parmalee Farms in Killingworth, CT. 

 They have tapped the sugar maple trees and the sugar house was busy boiling away.

 Here is the original 1889 Farmhouse on the Property.  You can see more here.

It was sunny but a very cold day on Friday.

I loved hand quilting this with big stitches.  It took 8 days start to finish and I wasn't really even trying.  I will be doing more big stitch in the future.

 Why is this sign there?  seriously?

A video I made while waiting for the wind to stop gusting.

A lovely spot in the community garden for a photo. 

My colorful bird clothespins; a gift from Sheila L.  Yes, the sky was really that blue.

Paint by Numbers fabric for the backing 😄😄

I love this Chicken Coop or is it a Hen House? don't you?

Speaking of Fred Rogers.  I really enjoyed this documentary.

And I listened to this interesting podcast about how Mr. Rogers touched so many people.

I still haven't seen the Tom Hanks movie yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Would you be my neighbor?  Which house would you live in?
Happy Sunday
xo

Pineapple Finish

String Theory: 48" Square

 Crazy back fabric combination.  Ghastlies and Fish

As you may remember, I quilted almost every seam with my walking foot in a spiral.  It was a bit of a challenge.

It was well worth it in the end because I love the texture.

I used Wonderfil Invisafil 100# weight thread.  It blends with all the different fabrics really well and it is fine like silk thread.  I like the brown grey.

There are 99 strings and 1 center in each of the 12" blocks, which makes a total of 1,600 pieces for the top.

I used my "go to" when I want a blackish binding which is a molted black.  I just feel solid black is a bit too harsh.

I really wish I had taken a 'before' blocking photo of the quilt.  Due to the quilting on a angle, it was very warped at the edges.  I was worried that it wouldn't lie flat.

After rinsing and washing in the tub, spinning and rinsing in the washer and 10 mins in the dryer, I spread it out in a carpeted room.

I don't personally like to pin it into the carpet, I just spread with my hands from the center out and and make sure it is square and let it finish air drying.  Worked like a charm.

Here is my new obsession - Steampunk blocks!  Have any of you make these?

 I'm using the Jen Kingwell templates and machine curve piecing them.

This quilt is going to have an unusual theme which I'll share soon.

I took a cold walk on the beach yesterday with coco and found this horseshoe crab skeleton?  Shell?  

I've never seen a complete one in the 6 years we've lived here so I brought it home.  It was also a good day for sea glass.

One thing I've learned about the Long Island Sound is that different temperatures, weather conditions and tides bring in different things so it's always interesting to see what has washed up.

Thank you to the nice ladies of Pieced Together Quilts in Bridgewater, NJ for the warm welcome this week!  I really enjoyed sharing my Scrap Quilt program with you.

Happy Sunday

xo

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I'm hand quilting the big stitch on my Honest House Quilt and I love how fast it is and how well it goes with the style of this quilt.

 I've called it "honest" because Pepper Cory referred to a southern quilt in her lecture as "honest" and I just loved that sentiment.  It is a quilt that is not being too fancy, too perfect or too too. 

 I do struggle a little with making my big stitch BIG and even.  I also don't care.  There.....I said it.  This is not a competition quilt.  This is an "honest" it is just a nice quilt.

I'm using geranium pink, #8 pearl cotton and a #24 chenille needle.

 Nutmeg loves to climb into a quilt hoop cave.

Have I mentioned that she is a stinker.  Albeit a sweet one.

I entered my "Song of the Sparrow" quilt in the Northern Star Quilt Show in May and The Vermont Quilt Festival in June forcing me to finally get my sleeve and label done.

I found this fabric scrap on a free table and thought it was just right for this quilt.  I add simple running top stitches on large labels to give them a little dimension.

My pen was a little boogery when I first started but I had to keep going.  Perfect is overrated. I love this little scene.

I'm hand quilting this little doll quilt with pink thread too :)

 This is my current "take along" project.

I found this wonderful Theorem painting after dropping off some good stuff at my thrift shop.  They are a wonderful local outreach shop.

 It pairs perfectly with this little quilt that Jill made for me.

Large water bottles and super size sodas has resulted in perfectly sized cup holders. 😁

I saw this wonderful lawn sign on a recent walk with coco.   It really warms my heart in the divisive times in which we are living.

Maybe I should call my house quilt "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"  What do you think?

Happy February Everyone. 
Spring is on its way. 
Of course we haven't really had winter in CT yet.

xo