Block Six of the Polka-Dot Girls

Laughter with Friends

and

Teapot and Cup

A Good Friend and Birdhouse

I have not forgotten the Polka-Dot Girls.

Stitcheries for Block 5

Polka-Dot Girls Block 4

Thank-You

and

Summer Heart

The stitchery bug has bitten again!

Well trying to adjust to my new prescription glasses I think I backed out almost as many stitches as I put in.  I didn't tell the doctor that I had been using drugstore reading glasses with a slightly stronger len strength. I now have to hold things further away from me to see and I find it very awkward to stitch.  Well I am still having trouble focusing; I think it is slowly getting better.

After completing four stitchery blocks in a row, it was time for a little hand piecing and Dear Jane was calling me.  I think for the rest of the week I am going to work on something I have not worked on in a very long time. 

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

So Many Flower Gardens

I have been kept busy adding new gardeners to the Garden Party list, for One Flower Wednesday.  Hope I didn't miss anyone.  If so, please let me know.  Since last Wednesday Jeanette, Jeannet,  Betsy, Sheila, Nadine, Terry, Carrie, Jilly, Satu, Simone, Narelle and Anne have joined the party, for a total of 19 gardeners.  All this enthusiasm makes me want to start another flower garden!

One of the best loved vintage quilts is Grandmother's Flower Garden.  Usually pieced and quilted by hand, about 1/4 inch on each side of the seam lines and usually done with white or off white thread. It was very popular during the 1920's and has continued to be a favourite.  Typically flower gardens, of the past, used a yellow hexagon to represent the flower's center, and then it was circled by six colourful printed or solid hexagons with another row of 12 hexagons around that.  Between each flower was a row of coloured solid hexagons to represent the background. A green background might have been the garden while white could have been a white picket fence.  Today's flower gardens are limited only by your imagination. 

The most popular way of piecing a flower garden is by English Paper Piecing.  I also like the idea of hand piecing the hexagons and will give that a try one day.  To make my templates, I load my printer with card stock paper and use the free printable page of hexagons by Cia's Palette.  With the assistance of Darlene Zimmerman's hexagon ruler, I then cut out my fabric hexagons.

Before I head off to make this weeks flower, here is a little inspiration for you.  Sue-Anne is working on a quilt called Swan Lake that requires 107 hexagon flowers.  You must see them, they are just beautiful!  And, if you like to fussy cut, have a look at Jean's tutorial for making fussy cut hexagon flowers.

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.

~Walt Whitman

Flower Basket

And well on the topic of flowers, this little stitchery is part of Block Three of the Polka-Dot Girls.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Tea with the Girls

It's been a long time since I visited the Polka-Dot Girls. So, we had tea together. You may not think so, but there sure is a lot of stitching in one of these blocks. The continuous changing of thread colours may have added some to the slow pace. I think it took me less time to applique a Civil War Bride block. Daffodil Tea and previously stitched, Count Your Blessings, completes the stitchery for Block Two, of the Polka-Dot Girls.

As the year comes to an end, a candle burns bright for the holiday season and the end of the Country Calendar BOM.

Something else I did this past week, was update my journal. Before I started blogging, in July 2008, I kept a hand written journal of my quilting journey. That stopped when I started blogging. Knowing how fast things can be lost on the Internet, I decided to get caught up on my journal. Funny how fast we forget the things we've made and when we made them. It was fun going back through my blog to get the information. My book is now caught up, but not as detailed, as it would have been, if I had continued to make regular entries. This update took me to the end of my current journal book and now a fresh journal awaits me to continue my quilting journey in 2010.

Now, some thought has to go into labels for my quilts, as I have yet to label any of them! I purchased the HP Custom Quilt Label Kit several years ago. A little more elaborate then I think I want my labels to be, but a good guide. Simple labels suit me better.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

 

 

Busy Fingers

Spring is not the best of seasons.

Cold and flu are two good reasons;

wind and rain and other sorrow,

warm today and cold tomorrow.

~Author Unknown

There is some truth in that. But, I think Spring is one of the best seasons. Everything comes to life in the garden and I get to see Mrs. Scott Elliot Columbine again. Now, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Can you smell it?

Dwarf Korean Lilac

Oh yes, Spring IS one of the best seasons!

What I have been working on . . . . .

The Buffet, Veranda Views

Count Your Blessings, Polka-Dot Girls

and Love Apples, Red Delicious

Back in January, I prepared lots of hexagons to make Karen's Flower Garden. I stitched together a few flowers at that time and then was sidetracked with other projects. Well, I am back at it and have completed eighteen of ninety-six flowers. I will try not to get sidetracked again (LOL) and see how far I get over the summer.

Before you go . . . . .

Are you familiar with The Rabbit Factory? They are a Canadian quilt pattern company and I think you will like what you see. Also, check out their blog and request a copy of the (first) free applique pattern.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Times Remembered 3

Here are two more blocks from my Times Remembered quilt.

Baltimore Urn and Butterfly Bush

I think Baltimore Urn is my favourite block. But, if you ask me tomorrow, I may change my mind. I love them all! The sweet little kitty, taking a nap, in the Butterfly Bush block, is made from wool.

Look what Jack Frost painted on my window. Isn't it beautiful?

Finally back working on the Polka-Dot Girls. Teapot and Roses Border is the third (and final) stitchery from Block One. Sadly, I will have to restitch Forget-Me-Not and My Friends, because of the pellon issue. But, have decided to redo them when all the other stitchery has been completed.

I came across a new blog, called Applique on the Go. Margaret also prepares her applique background by thread basting. Her method is a little different then mine and better suited for more detailed applique. Another blog, I will be keeping an eye on is Quiltsalott. Janet's needle-turn applique and hand quilting is just beautiful. Also, Bee In My Bonnet . Such a cute name! You may recognize Lori's wonderful applique patterns. And a sure way to put a smile on your face is to visit 10 year old Abby, at Abby's Adventures.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

January Blues

No time for January blues this year! A new year and so much to do. As I visit blogs, I see many quilters trying to finish up last years projects. Others, will have it no other way, than to begin the year with a new one. And, lots of resolutions being made. Some even saying they are not going to purchase any fabric this year. Can you imagine? Those crazy quilter's! What a sense of humor! Don't they know.....

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. ~Author Unknown

And, how about the free BOM's? Country Calender , Once Upon a Time , A Tisket, A Tasket 12 Months of Baskets , Red Delicious and A Christmas Wish and challenges like, One Project a Month , This Quilter is Going Green and Project Improv.

My Dear Jane and Quilted Diamond journey continues, but I will have to begin my Polka-Dot Girls again. Yesterday I pressed My Friends, from the back, and when I flipped it over it was covered in tiny bubbles. Just like when you hang wallpaper and if gets bubbles behind it. If you look closely at the photo (fence area shows it best) you will see the bubbles I am talking about.It appears the fabric and Pellon separated during pressing. I tried to press down the tiny bubbles with my mini iron, but it didn't work. My stitchery is ruined. On the bright side, I had only completed two and I had not yet ironed the Pellon onto the back of the rest of the stitchery blocks. Why I used a fusible in the first place, I don't know. How could that be any different then paper glued to paper. It gets wavy and in time, discolours and comes apart. I should have enough fabric left to recut the first couple of blocks. Now, how to back my stitchery?? Most likely, I will use a thin muslin. I have heard only good things about muslin. Another option is a thin batting. May Britt uses both polyester and cotton batting. Cotton being a little harder to work with. I read on the Internet, when using cotton, if you don't use a hoop, your stitchery will have a quilted look. That would be nice, on the right project. Oh well. Live and learn. No hurry I say.....

The only thing that has to be finished by next Tuesday is next Monday. ~Jennifer Yane

Before Christmas, I went through my stash, in search of red fabric. It was time to prepare for Red Delicious. How disappointing! What a sad collection of red fabric. But, Santa brought me a wonderful collection. Have you seen Quaker Quilts by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabric? This is what I will be using for Red Delicious and my background fabric will be a very bright yellow. Put your sunglasses on!

Started and finished appliqueing my Cherry Butterfly block this past week. My Dad selected all the fabric and I think it's just beautiful! The pattern is from a wonderful book called Circles of The East, by Kumiko Sudo. Now, I need to decide what to turn it into. Any ideas?

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Times Remembered

Times Remembered is a quilt by Pat Sloan. To date, this is the largest quilt I have made and it is all hand appliqued. The 70" x 73" quilt is made up of 16" and 18" blocks. I was drawn to this pattern because of the Baltimore album, folk art, whimsy style. My intention was to only make a block or two, but once I got going, I had to make them all. Between November 2005 and the summer of 2008, I spent many a happy hour appliqueing Times Remembered. Today I would like to show you the Heart in Hand and Paradise Garden blocks.

The only complaint I have about the Heart in Hand block, is that there isn't enough contrast between the two fabrics I used for the flowers.

This was also the first time I used wool, in a quilt. The heart, on the hand is wool and was attached by blanket stitch, using Aurifil wool thread. The eggs in the birds nest, on the Paradise Garden block, are also done in wool.

In all, Times Remembered, is made up of nine blocks. I will eventually show you all of the blocks and the quilt top as a whole. At present, Times Remembered is at the sandwiching stage.

Gardening clean up pooped me out, last week. So, I was not very productive in the evenings. I did complete my weekly Dear Jane block. It's a pretty one. Click here to have a look. I also finished stitching the Forget-Me-Not block from the Polka Dot Girls. Oh, and I did finish appliqueing the baby Dresden's. Guess I was more productive then I thought.

Lots of shopping took place on Saturday, at my favourite quilt shop and I didn't have to pay for a thing! I was the lucky winner of a $150.00 gift certificate. I split it with my sister. I went home with Charisma fabric by Chez Moi and my sister stocked up on Portobello Market by 3 Sisters. Doesn't that make for a nice weekend?

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Ghost Spinners and Pumpkin Dinners

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

‘tis near Halloween.

~Author Unknown

I made the Ghost Spinners and Pumpkin Dinners quilt last year. Done all in pinwheels, it was a fun weekend project.

Is it just me, or do the sunflowers look a little creepy?

How appropriate for this spooky time of year.

Last week I made my first Quilted Diamond block. Click here to have a look. Also, this past Friday, I discovered (and joined) the Polka-Dot Girls Stitchery Group. I was planning on starting this pattern next year, but seeing I already have the pattern and DMC floss and think I know what fabric I will be using for the stitchery background, maybe I could start it a little earlier.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen