Apple Season

"The goldenrod is yellow

The corn is turning brown

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down."

- Children's song

Still a work in progress, I thought I would show you my little apple core quilt. Back in March 2007, I cut out 285, 2 inch apple cores. It took me several days to arrange them into rows, as I did not have equal amounts of apple cores in each of the fabrics. This making it a bit of a challenge.

I didn't begin hand piecing until July and over the next month I pieced together nineteen rows. About mid-September I began piecing the rows together. That's when the troubles began. Being so small and all the curves, just holding it was a problem. I had a hard time at the intersections and would sometimes get a stitch or two showing on the top of the quilt. The harder I tried the worse it got. So, needless to say, I spent less and less time working on it.

Once back at it, I decided it was time to finish it. It did get better. I stopped looking at each intersection as I past over them and only had a peek at the end of the rows. All rows were pieced together by the end of May 2008. It wasn't hard to come up with a name for this quilt. Bad Apple sounded about right. Until about a week ago, my apple cores were tucked away. They now hang on my little design wall. So, the question now is.....how should I finish off this quilt?

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

A Net for Catching Days

A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.

~Annie Dillard

My life was once of routine and schedule, then I started to blog. Well, I can't blame it all on blogging. But, I do know, that blogging has taken a bite out of my quilting time. Once on the computer, it's hard to get off. When working on my own blog and reading all the wonderful blogs out there.....how time flies! I now set the kitchen timer, as a reminder, that it's time to move on to other things. This seems to work. I also picked up a weekly schedule to organize my quilting activities for the week. I did stray a couple of times, during week one, but I think it's going to work out just fine.

The other day I was wandering through Michaels Arts and Craft store and found some pretty wild looking magnified glasses. I think the old eyes are going. I can't see to thread a needle anymore. When I was hand quilting my Dresden quilt the other day, I tested them out. I just left them at the end of my nose and tilted my head up when it was time to thread the needle. What a world of difference.

Started my Baby Ralphie quilt. Just love the fabric. The blades measure 1.5 inches in length and the completed Dresden measures in at 6.5 inches. I was surprised at the finished size. I was expecting much smaller. Don't know why. How small could it be with 20 blades?

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

September Resolutions

I just lined up, across the sofa, many unfinished projects. Last winter I decided to do a little knitting. So, I headed out to purchase enough supplies for one knitting project. I now have enough supplies for about five projects. I'm still working on my first project and am about to start it again for the third time. I think I understand the pattern now, or do I? It's been so long since I picked it up.

I decided to make a scrapbook, because my sister makes lovely scrapbooks. I now have five scrapbooks on the go and lots of supplies, that I have no place to store. It's fun, but it takes me a whole day just to complete one page. If I purchased just enough supplies for one knitting project and one scrapbook, would that have not satisfied?

Now quilting, on the other hand, is different. One can never have too much fabric, quilting supplies, quilts in the making or new projects to start. Hmmm.....maybe that explains five knitting projects instead of one and five scrapbooks on the go. My approach was the same as for quilting. The difference is, I "love" to quilt, and a "taste" of something different every now and then, is all I need.

So, until I have turned my wool into something useful, I will finish that one knitting project a year. My scrapbook supplies will find a proper storage place and a work schedule will be put into play. Then, I will never ever let that happen again!

I know what I need, I need to quilt.

But, first I need to rid the guilt!

Okay, I feel better now. So, on to quilting stuff. As you can see, I completed the Rainbow Top, of the Noah's Ark BOM.

Oh, have you been downloading the free Stitchery Angel projects? Last weeks project was a really cute Chenille Pincushion, and the week before, a wonderful Sewing Bag and this weeks (love it!) Here Kitty Scissor Holder by Lynette Anderson.

.....and I finished hand appliqueing the first two (of six) Butterfly Garden blocks.

Started hand quilting my Dresden Plate quilt and bent five needles right off the bat. At first I thought something was wrong with the needles. I was trying a new brand. Then I switched back to my old brand, but the needles kept bending. The only other thing I could think of is, I decided to quilt through the appliqued Dresden blades. This adding an extra layer of fabric. The needle went through easy enough. I didn't feel I was putting any extra pressure on the needle to get through the layers, but what else could it be. So, I changed my quilting plans and removed what I had done, to that point, and am now quilting around the Dresden's instead of through them.

Also, finished preparing all the applique pieces for my Cherry Butterfly block, which will be the centre of another quilt.

I decided it was time to start working on my Dear Jane blocks and Quilted Diamonds. I reread both books, in August and since gathered together all the supplies needed to begin A Quilter's Journey Back in Time. I plan on hand piecing everything. No sewing machine. That makes me a little nervous. Some of the pieces are so, so tiny. Linda Franz has very clear hand piecing instructions in her book Quilted Diamonds, that can be applied to the Dear Jane blocks as well.

Came home with a bag of goodies, on Saturday, after attending two quilt shop sales. A package of Richard Hemming & Son Between needles. Hope they don't bend! Wee Play, charm pack, by American Jane for Moda and lots of other fabric. I've noticed a decrease in Civil War fabrics at local quilt shops. Now that I am starting my Dear Jane blocks, that's not so good. I have lots of Civil War fabric, but noticed I was lacking in "light" fabrics. I was hoping to get some during the sales.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Quilters' Compost

One day as I was deadheading in the garden, I looked down into the pail and thought, that even once spent, the flowers and stems still look beautiful. I have a large compost bin at the back of my yard, so nothing goes to waste. My offerings turned into something wonderful, I can return to the garden next Spring.

That is not the only kind of composting I do. I also make Quilters' Compost. All the bits and pieces of fabric left from quilting projects. What to do with them? Sure hope you don't throw them in the garbage? Shame on you, if you do!

This is what I do with mine. They are placed in my compost pail for recycling. I try not to let my pail get too full before I recycle. In my pail, along with the scraps of fabric, you will find three templates. The first template is to cut 1.5 inch squares, that will eventually turn into a Postage Stamp quilt. The second template is for 2.5 inch squares. I am not sure yet what I will be making out of them and the third template is a tumbler block for a Charm quilt. Now, Charm quilts are not to have any repeats in fabric, so I have to pay close attention when cutting them out. I have also offered smaller slivers of fabric and batting to the birds, in Spring, for nest building. Or, if you are making something that needs a little stuffing.....children's toys, pet toys, pillows, pincushions, etc. I then store my cut squares and tumblers in decorative craft boxes.

So tell me, what do you do with your Quilters' Compost?

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Lazy Days of Summer

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
~ Sam Keen

Well, the lazy days of summer will soon come to an end. My summer was very humid and rainy, so I didn't spend much time outdoors. I must say I didn't mind the rain. That was good for the garden and saved me many hours of watering. Even though I was late planting the veggie patch this year, the picking was good. So big and juicy, tomatoes are the last to arrive.

Berries are appearing on trees and shrubs, telling me Autumn is just around the corner.

This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders.
~Sarah Orne Jewett

Books I Read this Summer

I purchased Eleanor Burns book, Egg Money Quilts in December 2005. One pattern in the book I really like is the Dresden Plate. The funny thing is, at the time, 1930's fabric didn't do anything for me. Then one day (November 2007) I came across a display of 1930's fabric at a quilt show and just had to have them. It was the yellow and green fabrics that caught my eye. Anyway, I am now hooked on 1930's fabric.

So, I went home, washed my new fabrics and got out my Eleanor Burns Egg Money Quilts and started cutting out my Dresden Plates. Over the winter, I hand appliqued the Dresden's and in the Spring, I pieced the top together. It is now ready for hand quilting. Once quilted, I will show you the full quilt. But, you can see the fabrics I used in the photo below. I see Betsy is working on some Dresden's from Eleanor's book also. Looking good Betsy!

On Saturday, I started hand appliqueing the first block of the Butterfly Garden. Also, decided to make more Dresden's. This time, some baby ones. I attempted to make a sample one of the smallest size (1 inch) on the Darlene Zimmerman Easy Dresden template, but once the little piece of fabric was folded in half, my machine wanted to eat it. Quilting is suppose to be fun, so I decided to move on up to the next size. Much easier to work with and still a baby. As I was cutting out the pieces, I thought of Baby Ralphie, and so my quilt was named.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen