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

Honest House Quilt

My Honest House Quilt top is finished!  58"x 58"

 I'm so so pleased with it.  This is the first time I've tried adding the cornerstones as I went.  It was actually easier to do the remaining sides (thanks again Molly!) after they were pieced.

Here is my inspiration quilt from Pepper Cory's collection of southern quilts.  I attended her lecture at the Vermont Quilt Festival 2019.  I've always been inspired by Pepper.

I got a lot of help from Nutmeg.

Luckily this came together last week before I was hit with a nasty virus.  I don't know for sure if it was/is the flu, but it kept me down for a whole week.

I passed the week resting and watching Netflix and Amazon.

Here is what I watched and what I thought:

• Don't F**K with cats - disturbing, but fascinating too (netflix)
• The Two Popes - great movie and performances (netflix free )
• The Joker - disturbing but provocative, good performance
• Judy - Sad, great performance
• Find Me - Inspiring, funny and sad (netflix free)

I love movies and it became a daily treat.  I gave Mr. Fun Acorn for Christmas and we've been watching Midsomer Murders.  They are a bit campy and gentle and just right.

Nothing better than a quilt and cat when you're sick.

I rallied for a few hours and made two tree blocks for families affected by the bushfires in Australia.  

My take on a jacaranda tree

 An EPP tree

you can see more on instagram @wollongongmqg.  

Yesterday I worked on swap block packages.  We are waiting for 2 in modern and 3 in repro - including me!  yikes.

will finish sewing these up today and tomorrow.

We had a dusting of snow early last week, but we have had very little snow this winter so far.  I made a nice backdrop for my bright houses.

Happy Friday Everyone.  Stay well!

xo

Well That Was Fun

Happy New Years Eve.  It's hard to keep track of the days in these last weeks, isn't it?

Just before Christmas I finished my last house blocks for My Honest House Quilt.
Which layout do you this is best?
#1

 or #2?

 You move them around so many times it is hard to tell.  Here are the last couple of blocks.   OOpps, I flipped the house section on this one and it's staying.  Take that Quilt Police.

I really like this combination.  I'll think of this as Jilly's house because she loved purple.

Hanna was able to come home for a whole week which was wonderful as my son was on break from Nursing School too.  Having them here was the best gift.

Hanna and I went to Bingo at Foxwoods.  So fun and we got a lot of admiration for our festive attire, lol.

I love bingo, does anyone else?  There is always such hope when the game starts.  I don't even mind losing because we play like 30 games.  We were one away several times.

The same day as my last post we had a big ice storm.  Here are some photos and a short video.

It was incredible and lasted several days.  

The Swap Blocks are coming and I'm keeping a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice......Deadline is January 11th. 

Coco turned 10 on Christmas Day and here is her Birthday Portrait.  Backdrop provided by my local Consignment Shop, Molly Rose in Madison, CT.

 It was pretty hard to get her to sit nice (which of course she didn't).

 Here is my favorite outtake.  What is that face even doing?

Nutmeg enjoyed all the packages, lights and taking naps on the tree skirt.  Can you find a kitten in this pre-Christmas photo?

Can you tell Hanna is excited for Danish Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes and Cabbage? 

  

Everyday we took a long walk outside which are some of my favorite memories.

I hope your Holidays were filled good laughs, good food and good times.

I wish you all a Joyous and Peaceful 2020.
xo

Honest House Quilt and Pie

Hi Ya'll!
I attended Pepper Cory's lecture on Southern Scrap Quilts while at VQF and wow!  Was it a treat.  I have always admired Pepper for her kind and easy way of speaking about quilts.  And not only because she awarded me a judges choice once :)

 This is the quilt that decided I wanted to make for myself.  I adore all house quilts.

If you have seen my scrap lecture, you'll know that I love to study old scrap quilts.  This one is awesome.  Here is what I learned:

I suspect it was made by several people with some people making multiple matching blocks.

The blue and red all used the same fabric and substituted that blue where needed.

These green and brown print blocks are all sewn the same "different" (not wrong) way.  I guess they had a front stoop.

 The red and black & white stripe houses use the same fabric but 2 have extra large doors with extra red strips.  Maybe 2 people were sewing together and sharing fabrics?

 same fabrics.

 Same fabrics and same challenge with the triangle over the door, I can relate to her!

The piecer forgot the windows were to be the same as the sky and door.  Charming, if you ask me.

 These are all crazy town, so I don't know what's up with them, but maybe they came from different people who didn't live near the others?

As far as layout, they were paired to face each other in the center area.  The top and right row are all facing the same way except one which also had 'custom' windows.

So here are mine so far.  I usually call these kind of quilts "Really Nice Quilt" but Pepper referred to one as an "Honest Quilt"  and I LOVE that!  Do you like my setting plan? 

I drafted my own 10" finished block and I'm paper piecing the roof section because: angles. 

Well, something went wrong here......

Take that perfectionists.😜  I always like anomalies in old quilts, so I did the easiest and quickest fix I could think of. 

I'm trying to keep up with the Whig Rose project.  Only 1 block to go before the borders.

 While at the Pepper Lecture, I was working on this project and Wendy offered to send me some acid yellow.  Yay!!! She sent me loads and I'm using some of them for the houses that don't work for the Whig Rose.  Thank you Wendy!!!

By the way, if you have acid yellow and want to be part of my border plan, I'm taking all sizes from 3" - 10".

I made this Mixed Berry Pie for my visiting girlfriends and we all agreed it was delicious.  Click here for the recipe!  It called for three berries, but I added blackberries too.  No berry left behind.

Okay, I'll leave this post here and come back with sailing and other news next time.

All I can say is "what????" 

Hope you're having a happy summer!

xo