Almost Finished

Last week I headed off in one direction and ended up going in another. It turned out to be a good thing. A quilt that I was hand quilting, about this time last year, was set aside as the Christmas season approached and I never got back to it. Well, I'm back at it and determined to finish it before the week is up. Just one more block to quilt, then the binding.

I can feel it already. The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season has begun. It would be nice to get caught up on my A Tisket A Tasket baskets before the year ends. Then three of the four BOM's will be ready for piecing early in the New Year. Though I failed to keep up with the Red Delicious BOM, I will still continue on with this beautiful quilt.

The New Year will surely bring more wonderful free BOM's. I hope to be strong enough to save them for another day. With that said, I do plan on making Sweet Nostalgia. But, this wouldn't fall into the "being strong in 2010" category, as it came out in 2009. Wouldn't you agree?

Some bloggers are suggesting that 2010 be the year of finishes. I like that idea and am going to try my best to do just that. Still, I plan to start new projects. How can you not? After all, it is the pile of projects, which wait patiently for me, on the corner of my work table, that keep me going.

We crossed the border on Friday, to check out the Black Friday sales and I managed to get the rest of my DMC floss, at even less then I paid at the previous sale. Only .26 cents a piece! Now I have the whole DMC collection. Another great purchase was wool batting at 50% off and I can not wait to give that a try.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen



 

Stars and Angels

Stars and Angels came about from a Kim Diehl pattern I found in an April 2001 American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, called Homespun Hollow. I wasn't ready to make such a large quilt at the time, so I just make the section with the stars and angels. I added some hearts, which were really leaves in the original pattern.  If you look closely you can see that I hand quilted stars around the border, swirls around the angels and outlined pretty much everything else.

Pieced in 2004 and hand quilting in 2005. This was my second quilt. Check out the angel with the blue dress, her head is half way down her arm! I'm not sure how that happened, but it does add to the folk art look of the quilt.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Grapes on the Vine

Grapes on the vine, ready to be picked.

Civil War Bride Block 4

The birds have long since enjoyed the few grapes my little garden vine had to offer. But, if they visit the vineyards near by, they will find lots of grapes waiting to be turned into ice wine. I enjoyed piecing my third Civil War Bride block, even the thirty-one little grapes.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Simple Pleasures

Nothing like a bowl of homemade soup

and a good book.

~

If you are a fan of Piece O' Cake Designs, you're going to love Applique Outside the Lines. I have four other Piece O' Cake books, plus Aunt Millie's Garden. The Applique Sampler, Contemporary Classics in Plaids & Stripes, Quilts with a Spin and my most favourite, Amish-Inspired. I plan to start my first Piece O' Cake project in 2010, a pattern from Amish-Inspired.

I finished my November Country Calendar block. So cute! This little robin is searching the garden for something to eat. Don't forget to keep your bird feeders topped up for the winter.

POTC Early Autumn

Just five more POTC blocks to go! My sister named this one Early Autumn. When the leaves start to change colour and berries begin to appear. I'm very pleased with this block.

You may have seen, in the first issue of Quilter's Connection magazine a cute stitchery quilt pattern called, Tree Trimming Party, by Dougal Ann Walker of The Freckles Collection. This pattern is now on my To-Do list. I came across more patterns by Dougal Ann Walker, at my local quilt shop and just couldn't leave without It's a Cat's Life and Quiltmakers. Are they not just the cutest?

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Circa 1890

Corean Liggitt 1872-1946

Isn't this quilt just beautiful? It was made by Corean Liggitt from Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania, in 1890. Made as a wedding gift, for a family member and all done by hand. The raw edges of each leaf was turned under and topstitched down, then she blanket stitched around the edges and stem stitched the veins. The center motif was recycled from a dress and then appliqued over intricate crocheted lacework. Cheddar yellow fabric was used for the background and the leaves were made from velvet, wool, silk, cotton and taffeta. The border was filled in with blanket stitched circles. The back of the quilt was made from men's handkerchiefs and a blanket was used as batting. All three layers were tied together with Perle cotton.

This beautiful Leaf Applique quilt was featured in the November 2008 issue of Quilters Newsletter magazine. Along with templates of the different leaves. Seventeen different leaves, to be exact, and a butterfly. Such a perfect quilt for me. Combining three things I love; hand applique, Autumn and stitchery. One day I shall make my own version of this beautiful quilt. Until that day, I will keep my eyes open for the perfect piece of cheddar yellow fabric.

POTC McIntosh

Two more completed Shades of Autumn POTC blocks

POTC Thanksgiving

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen