Flower Garden and More

There you have it; Karen's Flower Garden quilt top is complete.  I decided to remove the border and go borderless.  But, not to worry, the hexagons will not be wasted; I need them for edging the back of the quilt. 

See Finishing Your Hexagon Quilts

500 289 Klosjes

It had to be done if I was ever going to see a finished quilt.  So, I reduced the number of Klosjes and ended up with a lap size quilt, perfect for a chilly evening.  Once it's quilted that is!

And, the hand quilting is complete on my Tiny Thimble quilt.

Because it is hard to see the quilting, I will show you the templates.  I stitched a single wave in green thread across the thimbles and red thread was used for the border. 

So, what I am up to now? 

I'm down to the last couple of hours of hand quilting my Friendship Star quilt.  And, I have been testing out my double bladed X-Acto knife as I prepare a template to use on Red Delicious, which is next in line for hand quilting.  My teatime project is Love's Young Dream, the February Sweet Nostalgia BOM block.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

 

Back on Track?

Last week, One Flower Wednesday carried over to Friday evening and then continued all day Saturday with great results.  I stitched the last seven flowers to my quilt (part of the extra row) and then reattached the border to that side. 

But, am I back on track?  Yes, to adding the extra row of flowers, but something is still not right with the border.  So, it's back to the drawing board and I sure hope my new plan doesn't involve removing anymore hexagons!

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Back in the Garden

Double Decker Coneflower

Hexie Garden Flowers

Vanilla Fluff Daylily

Goldstrum Rudbeckia

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.  ~Abram L. Urban

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

More Flowers Needed

You can get yourself into a lot of trouble if you don't have a plan, so instead of building on my flower garden I have been painstakingly removing one side of the border and random hexagons on the other three sides. 

My border was taking on a funny shape and what I discovered was I should have ended my last row of flowers with the same number of flowers as the first row in order to have a uniform border.  A silly mistake that cost a great deal of time.

On the upside, without too much adjustment, I should be able to reattach the section of border that was removed, but not before I have added the extra row of flowers, which are basted and ready to go. 

My first flower looks a little funny because my templates are all different colours and you can see the orange ones right through the fabric.  How I will finish off the border is still a mystery, I can't seem to get my head around it.  One thing I must keep in mind is that fabric is limited, so I am going to have to be clever.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Edging the Flower Garden

Just as important as the flowers themselves, I think edging the garden enhances the appearance and brings out the beauty of each and every flower.  So, without fail, each spring, my garden beds are edged.

And, without fail, every Wednesday I have been slowly edging my hexagon flower garden.  I am very pleased with the border fabric and have now completed two rounds.  But, there is nothing straight edged about hexagons and my garden has taken on a bit of a funny shape.

So, I must decide if another round is required before straightening the edges or is it now just a matter of placing hexagons in key spots.  Adding a little colour to the border is also a possibility.  Only time will tell.

Recently, we removed an old cast iron fireplace from my Dad's basement and I decided to keep the feet, something caught my eye, they could be interesting in the garden.  Look closely, do you see what I see?

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Worms in the Garden

Who doesn't like worms in the garden?  They feed on litter and debris and convert it to a mucus-rich excrement loaded with nutrients and minerals that forms a foundation of quality soil.  All you have to do is feed them a little compost.  Now, doesn't that sound yummy?

My flower garden is growing by about a worm a week.  A single row of border hexagons is making its way around my garden.  I started by stitching down one hexagon at a time, but in no time that became very annoying. 

So, following the shape of my flowers, I stitch together six hexagons, before attaching them to my garden.  This way I have a longer run of continuous stitching and it works out to the equivalent of stitching one and a half flowers a week.

Flies, worms and flowers exceed me still.

~ Isaac Watts

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

On the Go

My good friend Jigsaw thought seeing that I was almost finished joining all my flowers together, it would be wise to start preparing hexies for the border and so I did, 140 to be exact.  Though still undecided on my Flower Garden border, I think I'm just going to see how it grows.

Since my last posting, it has been go, go, go in the garden and still so much to do, but besides my hexagons,  I did manage to complete the sashing on all sixteen of my Shades of Autumn POTC blocks, made a few more Klosjes and even added a couple more rows to my Tiny Thimble quilt, all portable projects, done on the go.

It was nice to spend an hour, Sunday evening, in my sewing room, organizing and getting my thoughts together.  I really haven't been in there since the end of April and long to work on my Clamshells again, plus prep work for other projects.

Two new books have been added to my library;  Kathleen Tracy's first book, American Doll Quilts is back in print, so I ordered it right away and can't wait to get started.  Also, Classic Quilts from the American Museum in Britain.  I held off ordering this one for several months wondering if it would be money well spent and based on the photos alone, it was.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Time in the Garden

It has been a very wet spring here in my neck of the woods, but has had only positive effects on the garden as plants emerge from the ground, big and lush and loaded with blooms.  The busy season has begun, with two large gardens to tend.  In the past, I would have been up with the birds and gardening until well after dark, but the body now sees it differently, the pace is a slower and gentler one. 

I prefer early morning and evening gardening and staying out of the midday sun.  As I move from garden bed to garden bed, it's out with the unruly, overgrown and poor performers, it is time for a makeover.  It is also time to enjoy the sights and smells of the garden, a place to disappear, if only for a few hours at a time, it is my tranquil haven.

Karen's Flower Garden

continues to grow, with 78 of 95 flowers joined together.

Ideas are still dancing around in my head, for the border, so nothing is for sure just yet.  But, I did find an interesting Micro Dot fabric by Lakehouse Dry Goods to use as the main border fabric.  The colour, though not exact, in the photo, is a perfect match for my flowers, as trace amounts appear in each of the different fabrics. 

As you can see it has a blotchy look, which gives it some texture.  Because my flower garden is a busy one, I think the border needs as much texture as possible.  So, to give it more, turning this fabric into hexagons just may be the answer. 

A big thank you to the Garden Party, for making this such a fun journey.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Sweet and Delicious

So sweet and delicious to indulge in applique once again.  I'm back working on my Civil War Bride quilt and about halfway finished block ten.  This will be my fifth block of twenty.  The stems and strawberries have been appliqued and now I'm working on the berry tops and leaves.

Prepped and ready to go are thirty 1930's Klosjes.  That also finishes up the last of my background fabric, but I have been on the lookout and was successful in finding other fabrics that match nicely.  So, I am still aiming for 500.

Hanging among the tablecloths was this long since forgotten cross-stitch, of quilt blocks, from 1996.  A pleasant surprise, but I really don't know what I would do with it other then hang it back in the closet.

My Sewing Chair

Polka-Dot Girls

I can't tell you how long I have been working on this block, but it sure felt good to finish it up over Christmas along with my last two Ring in the New! blocks.

December

I will honor Christmas in my heart,

and try to keep it all the year.

Charles Dickens

November

How bountiful is the good earth.

I am a little overdue for a One Flower Wednesday report, but I have been working on my garden, every Wednesday at teatime and now have 43 flowers joined together. 

As I piece my flowers together I continually change my thread to match the colour of the darker of the two flowers I am joining together.  This way, I don't have to worry about that odd stitch that makes its way to the top of the quilt being noticeable.  Does anyone else change thread colours as they go along?

Last Saturday, at Sew Saturday, I spent the day working on my Confetti doll quilt.  I just love the diamonds and squares pattern and as each row is added the more I love it.  About three more rows to go, then the center will be finished. 

And, speaking of doll quilts, I ordered three of Kathleen Tracy's books; Prairie Children and Their Quilts, Remembering Adelia and her soon to be released book, The Civil War Sewing Circle.  The first two books have arrived and I like what I see.  It is going to be a fun year of little quilts.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

November in the Garden

You never know what the weather will be like in November and gardeners always hope for the best.  I'm one of those gardeners that refuse to cut down anything that the frost has yet to kill, so my gardening season usually ends late November, early December.  Each fall brings a surprise and this year it was an early summer Iris that decided to bloom again in November.   

Every Wednesday, during the month of October, I arranged and rearranged my flowers for piecing together.  My thoughts were all over the place and I kept straying from my original plan, before I knew it, it was November.  After all that wasted time, I went with my original plan and started stitching my flowers together last Saturday.  

It feels good to be back on track with Karen's Flower Garden and Wednesdays just can't come soon enough.  It makes my heart sing to see all the lovely flowers, each week, posted by Garden Party members.  And, it is very exciting to see some quilt tops close to being finished, others already finished with quilting well underway and even a few starting a second garden.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Can we conceive what humanity would be if it did not know the flowers?

~Maurice Maeterlinck

Last Blooms

94 Flowers Completed

Just as summer ends, so does the flowers for Karen's Flower Garden.  It was an excellent month for flower making, as I stitched together the last 18 flowers.  Ending up with two more then I thought I would have, it is now time to arrange my blooms and watch as they slowly turn into a beautiful garden.

Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.

 ~Samuel Butler

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Mile High Flower Cake

I was going to make a Mile High Chocolate Cake for visiting One Flower Wednesday Garden Party members, but decided a Mile High Flower Cake was more appropriate.  Seven new flowers top the cake this month for a total of 76 of 92 flowers completed.

Orange Crush Daylily

Last year I read a book called Give It Up! by Mary Carlomagno, a book about learning to live better with less.  Each month for one year, Mary would choose one of her favourite things and give it up, cold turkey, for one month.  Things like chocolate, dining out, cell phones, shopping and television. 

After reading the book I decided the first thing I would give up was magazines (except for one quilting magazine) and it would be forever, not just a month.  That turned out to be very easy to do. 

Back then I also thought I could give up television forever.  It was always on my mind to do, but I never did.  Now, television would not be considered one of my favourite things, it's just there and I don't believe it has even been turned on all summer.  So, last week I picked up the phone and cancelled my television service. 

I think I will make a list and see what else I can give up.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

How is my Garden Growing?

My outdoor garden is struggling from the never ending hot, hot, hot temperatures and little rain, but my hexagon flowers are blooming away!  I just love this time of year, in the garden, as daylilies are one of my most favourite flowers.  This one is called French Vanilla and smells so sweet!

69 of 92 Flowers Completed

10 made this month

I've said it before and I will say it again, how happy I am One Flower Wednesday blossomed into such a wonderful event. Wednesday is now one of my favourite days of the week. I look forward to making a flower or two then off I go on a garden tour. Sometimes I'm still visiting into Thursday, but I don't mind at all. So many wonderful people I have met along the way. Each and every garden so blooming beautiful!

Look how my pile of hexagons has dwindled down!

Just 23 flowers to go! 

I'm just thinking ahead, as I'm not ready just yet to start joining my flowers, but I have a question about basting stitches.  My question is should they be removed?  The answer would have to be yes, if you baste through the paper template, but what if you don't baste through the template?  I don't, so my templates are easily removed.  Any thoughts? 

One Flower Wednesday June Report

Here it is the end of June and I'm feeling pretty good with seven flowers completed this month, for a total of 59 of 92 flowers.  I wish I could start piecing them together now, but because my flower fabric repeats I will have to wait until they have all bloomed.

Members Note

A handful of members are still not using the Sign In Sheet.  If you would like other members to visit you, please sign in on the weeks you are posting.  Having trouble signing in?  The problem appears to be how you enter your blog link.  Some members need to enter http:// before their blog link and for others it works without.   So, you may have to try it both ways to find how it works for you.

I wondered if I would see any Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts at the Shipshewana Quilt Festival and I did!  Two full size quilts and a little pictorial quilt with hexagon flowers in the border.  Note the addition of the diamond shape border around the flowers on the second quilt.  I like that!

Today I do a double post because not only does One Flower Wednesday fall on the last day of the month, but it is also the day my Clamshell report is due.  So, off I go to post my clamshell progress for the month of June.

A Blooming Good Time

In the garden.....

Magellanica Anemone

Tree Peony blooms .....

and  hexagon flowers for the month of May.

So, here it is, the last Wednesday of the month and the day I have selected to report my One Flower Wednesday progress.  I must say how inspired I am with all the beautiful flowers being made.  So inspired, I see a 1930's flower garden and one with a rich green background, in my future.

For the month of May, I exceeded my one flower a week and made a total of 9 flowers.  I am using a mix of Withering Heights and Mistletoe Manor, or so I think they all are!  As you can see, in the photo, my lilac blooms overtook my hexagon blooms, but I thought it made for a pretty neat picture.   I plan to piece my garden together with no separation between the flowers, very busy and kind of Monet inspired.

Welcome to the following new members: Sue, Judie, Tineke, Angelika, Pauline, Gayly, Auntie Em, Anita, Gerda, Sam, Nancy, Bente, Jeannine, Marianne, Joke, Gerda, Corrie, Sarah, Marlise, Cheryll, Martina, Yvonne, Heike, Marieke, Marion and Steffi for a total of 78 members.  Dianne (D. Kellock) please e-mail me your blog link so I can add you to the Garden Party list.

Members, if you have not seen my previous post about the Sign In sheet, please read.  With so many blogs to visit and not enough hours in the day, I'm hoping this will make things easier for you.  With so many beautiful flowers to see, I would not want you to miss a one!

If you need more hexagons in your life, check out:

Hexagon Charm Quilt Piece-Along

Look Diane, I was able to cut 123 clamshells out of your leftover Kimono quilt scraps.  They are just beautiful and I thank you for your kindness!  The Clamshell Club is scheduled to begin June 1 and by the end of the week, I should have around 800 clamshells ready for piecing.

100 Klosjes Completed

19 made last week

Here are a few more klosjes made from Miss Jump's Scrapbag.  It doesn't seem that long ago when I pieced together my first klosjes and look how many I have made now!

I read an interesting post on Vivian's blog about Moose Muffins, and the first thing that came to mind was my Postage Stamp quilt.  I'm a recycler and have a hanger full of Quilters' Compost waiting to be turned into tiny squares.  My box of squares will soon be full and when piecing begins on this quilt, I will have myself a Moose Muffin.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen