COMFORT AND JOY PART 6

I just remembered that today is the 29th and the day to post a picture of the next section of "Comfort and Joy". It is a good thing I did the final piecing of this section last evening.  If you have time, visit Anne's blog for a list of the other participants in the sew-along and a link to their blogs.

I think there are two more sections left to do.  I will be heading to the sewing room in a few minutes.  I have another quilt along project that needs attention.  Have a good weekend and try to find some time in your sewing room too.

Karen

"BIRDS IN THE AIR" COMPLETED

"Birds In The Air" is complete.  I intended it to be done last December but I had a problem attempting to hand quilt it.  I tried a new needle and even that was difficult.  It was not enjoyable so I quit.  I used a batting scrap and I don't know the brand.  I set the quilt aside until I could pull out the hand quilting stitches I did manage to get in and get in the mood to machine quilt it.  You can see that I intended to finish it last year by the date in the corner.  I thought about changing it to 2012 but left it as it was.

The pattern was designed by Lori Smith.  She has so many wonderful patterns to choose from.  And I have several of them in the want to do basket.  Do you have any?

Karen

"COTTAGE FLOWERS'" FLIMSY

"Cottage Flowers" is to the flimsy stage now.  I sewed all the rows together yesterday.  I am pleased with the end result.

I so like the colors and fabrics I used for this quilt.  Muted shades and from a variety of lines of fabric.  All were in stash except for the pink plaid used for the setting triangles and border.  I used Rit Tan Dye to darken the pink plaid a bit and I like the end result.  We have a front load washer and I didn't think you could dye in one.   I did the dye process in the kitchen sink and it hurt my arms and back trying to do that much yardage.  I have since found instructions on the internet on how to do it in a front load washer and I would try it that way in the future for a bigger piece of fabric.

The second set of applique blocks I made from the same pattern are on their way via the mail to a friend who will make her own quilt.  I enjoyed making the blocks so much, I would make a third set!

I forgot to mention that the pattern used was in the book "Simple Pleasures" by Alma Allen and Jan Patek.

Karen

"THE GREAT PUMPKIN QUILT" FINISHED

Finally complete!  "The Geat Pumpkin Quilt".  I can't get a full right on picture of the quilt.  I tried pinning the quilt to my design wall but it immediately fell off even with pins holding it.  I don't have a wood fence to pin it to.  And only one person to hold it, so I just draped it over the sofa and then a picture taken with it on the floor.

The pattern set was designed by "Briar Rose"  and here is the website.  I started this quilt in 2008.  An early post I found about it was in August of that year.  The applique is fused and then machine stitched. So it was four years in the making   Actually, the  top was ready for quilting for quite some time.  And that was done for me by Mary of Quilt Hollow.  She did wonderful custom quilting on it.  A fine finish and in time for fall display.

I received an e-mail asking me for information about a pattern for the quilt "Pumpkins and Turkey Feathers". I inadvertently deleted the e-mail before replying and I don't remember who asked.  So my best effort will be to give the answer on my blog post.  It is a Jan Patek design.  It was published in a Quilt Mania issue a few years ago but I don't remember which one.  I did not keep the pattern.  I have been told that the pattern is in Jan's book "We Gather Together" and that is still available for purchase.  I hope that helps.

Lots of sewing going on here and I need to get back to it.  Have a good day and take time to sew a bit.

Karen

CROW AND POMEGRANATE

A new wall hanging done.  It is called "Crow And Pomegranate".  The designer is Joanne of "Thread Head" blog and it is a free pattern.  Thank you, Joanne.  Here is a link to the free pattern.

I echo quilted the main body of the quilt.  The borders were done free style in prim fashion.  I like the look on this piece.

Joanne has just started a quilt-along and has posted a tutorial for the first block.  Her tutorials have lots of pictures which is helpful if you are a beginning quilter.  She is generous in sharing.

Back to the sewing room.

Karen

MRS. LINCOLN'S SAMPLER BLOCKS PART 1

We are back home after a week's vacation with our long time friends at Myrtle Beach, SC.  While my husband played golf and our friends sat on the beach, I watched the ocean from inside the condo in air-conditioning and stitched on applique blocks.  The mornings were cool enough to sit out on the deck but it was hot sitting out there in the afternoons.  Enjoying the view from inside is what I like to do when it gets too warm outside.  A relaxing week for sure.

I had all the applique block parts ready for stitching so I got a lot done.  I am working on the "Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler Quilt" by Lori Smith.  Here are the blocks I completed.  My design wall is full right now so I took the pictures on an upholstered chair.  The curve of the chair gives the blocks a bit of a wonky look.  And the blocks are not trimmed yet.

I think the pink bird is my favorite block thus far.

I was able to do two to three blocks a day depending on how much stitching was involved.  I finished one more block but a red fabric ran when I rinsed the block.  I think it is the only block I cut a piece of that particular red to use.  The fabric will no longer be in my stash.  It had already been pre-washed with a color catcher.

I have not stitched since returning home but will be doing some this afternoon..  I hope you get some stitching time in today too.

Karen

NEW OLD SEWING MACHINE

I was given two Singer sewing machines recently.  One has already found a new home.  This one is staying with me.  A good friend bid on four sewing machines in a Government auction and won.  He paid $12 for the four machines.  They had been used at a school.  One had no foot pedal and he put it out for the trash though someone helped themselves to it before trash pick-up time.  The three keepers are seem to work fine but there are no attachments or instruction book.  I learned to sew on an old black Singer.  They are seem to thread the same.

I have no idea how old this machine is but it seems pretty sturdy.  Some of the newer ones are not.  A basic machine with a variety of stitches for making buttonholes, etc.   It will be an addition to my collection of vintage machines.  I like to give them a home.  Do you share my love of old sewing machines?

You can see a jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table.  It has been there for weeks which is unusual.  We usually set one out and work it right away.  And you can see the two Roseville Pottery bowls I purchased in an antique shop while on vacation.  They have rims of blue sponge design which I like.

I will soon return with quilt type pictures.  Have a good sewing day.
Karen

BLACK IS NOT ALWAYS BLACK

On a recent quilt shop visit, I purchased these black fabrics.

They don't look very black in the picture and they don't look very black in person but they are blacks.  Brownish blacks.  I purchased these to make the quilt "Folk Art Blooms" by Buggy Barn.  You can see the whole quilt here.  There are two versions in the book.  One is dark and one has a light background.  Looking at the quilt picture in the book, I thought the quilt was done in dark browns.  Looking at the instructions, it called for different blacks.

It is very hard to select black fabrics online.  Some are blue/black, some have brown tones, grey tones, green tones, etc.  Hard to discern when looking at an online picture.  So off to the local quilt shop and paying full price.  I was happy to find a selection of blacks that weren't too modern looking and had the brown tones.  All but one piece came from the same line of fabrics.  Even a piece I thought would go from that line had a green tone and it did not look right with the others.

This is not a do it right now project but I had a chance today to visit the quilt shop.  Stay tuned.

Karen

WORD VERIFICATION IS DRIVING ME NUTS!

Several months ago, there was a lot of chatter in Quilting Blogland about the word verification problems in Google Blogger.  The first blog post I read about someone being really bothered about the gobblygook words you have to try to decipher and type to prove you aren't a robot when leaving a comment was on Humble Quilts.  You can read the post here and also learn how to shut off the word verification process.  Many people followed through and shut off word verification on their blogs.  But many still require you to do that in order to leave a comment.  And some have both the word verification and comment moderation activated.  I certainly don't mind the comment moderation as it does not require anything on my part if you choose to have that on your blog.  For a while, the word verification improved.  The letters were readable though you had to type two words instead of just one.  I really wanted to leave comments so I just dealt with that.  Now Blogger has changed the words to letters that are all run together and different sizes and shapes.  It can take me six or seven tries typing what I think I see in order to leave a comment.  I follow a lot of blogs and do like to leave comments.  Please, please consider shutting off word verification.  I get an occassional comment that is spam but I just delete it.  I opted to receive my comments in e-mail form so it is easy for me to respond to you.  If I see one that looks like spam, I just go to the comments on that post, find it and click on the garbage can below the comment.  It is then deleted.  Don't visit the site they are trying to get you to go to whether it be a sales pitch or whatever else.

I know everyone likes to see pictures on a blog post.  So, I am revisiting a project I made in 2009 and have already posted about.  Since we are moving into the fall mode, I thought the Halloween cat might pique your interest.

The pattern I used is by Shawn Williams of "Threads That Bind".  The pattern is called "Stitch 'n-Stuff Cat.  I looked on Shawn's website and do not see the pattern but did find it here.  I have never made a purchase from this site.  Maybe you can find it at an online shop you are familiar with.  Just do a search.  The cat was meant to be made with wool felt but can be made with regular wool too.  The tree has the letters for Halloween cut out and the black of the cat showing through.  I used Seral paper to trace the embroidery design onto the black.  Seral paper is very much like carbon paper and comes in different colors.  The base of the cat is weighted with sand so it stands up nicely.  I made this for a gift.  I wish I had made myself one too but making it once was all I wanted to do.

Take time to stitch today!
Karen

ON THE DESIGN WALL

My design wall is holding the "Cottage Flower" blocks.  Both the pieced and the applique blocks.  It is going to have a busy look but "cottage style" seems to usually be that way.  I have started cutting the triangle setting blocks.  I purchased an "In the Pink" plaid and used tan dye on it to dull the color some.  I wanted it to be closer in tone to the stripe fabric used for the applique blocks.  I think it will look okay when all is sewn together.

Back to my sewing room.  Hope you find time to spend in yours today.
Karen

FINAL "COTTAGE FLOWER" BLOCKS

I finished the applique on the last of the "Cottage Flower" blocks.  With the help of my little Featherweight machine, I made all of the alternating star blocks.  Next on the agenda will be to sew them together.

Happy stitching!
Karen

THE LITTLE MACHINE GOES "WHIRR, WHIRR"

It is hard to describe how the little Singer Featherweight sewing machines sound.  It is unique.  I thought "whirr, whirr" might describe it.  I was intrigued as to what Bonnie Hunter's quilting web cam time was about.  I stopped by three different evenings to watch a bit because she was sewing on a Singer Featherweight machine and I loved hearing the whirr as she stitched.  I wanted to get one of mine out of its case, set it up, and stitch away but I had other things going on in the sewing room.  Finally, I finished cutting out "Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler Quilt" and put fabrics away.  Time to pull out the black featherweight, plug it in, and start stitching.  I love the sound!

I used to have two Singer Featherweight machines that I sold.  They weren't getting used.  I felt like I did not piece quilt blocks very accurately using them.  I had one of those plastic 1/4 inch feet put out by "Little Quilt".  Seemed like the foot  made the fabric wobble a bit as the pieces went through.  Since that time, there are now metal 1/4" feet that you can purchase and I have two.  They aren't thick in height like the "Little Foot" though many people have used one with success.  I now have a black featherweight machine and one of the white or what some call celery color.  I love sewing on them though I mostly use my Bernina.  The machine in the picture came with a piece of masking tape marking what would be a quarter inch seam allowance.  I left it on.  It is helping me to keep the seam at the right width as I tend to float over towards the end of a seam.  I regret selling the first two Featherweights.  And, if the budget would allow, I would purchase a couple more.  Why?  I can't explain it.  Maybe I could invite over some friends, put them all to sewing, and listen happily to the whirr of all in unison.  LOL!

A few days ago, I received an e-mail from Cheri of Wednesday's Quilts telling me that I had won some of the scraps she was giving away.  The box arrived today.  What fun!  This is what the pile looked like when I dumped them out.

And this is what they look like now that they are tamed by pressing with the iron.

Mostly plaids and reproduction fabrics.  Small pieces that many would not bother with but they make me happy.  I can see them being used for log cabin strips, nine patches, little churn dashes.  What fun I will have.

Pardon me while I go make the little machine whirr some more.
Karen