33 Years Ago ...

... on this date

September 5, 1981

Whooping it up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Summer's End

They say Labor Day marks the end of Summer.  Ha!  They don't live in Middle Tennessee where some of our hottest days come well into September and we don't expect the first breath of Fall before October.  Nevertheless, it's still nice to live in a place with four distinct seasons.

Kristen's Cottage

I made good use of the final hot days of August with a couple of finishes and one near finish, thanks to a S'mores slow/no-sew day at Kristen's Craft Cottage.




The second/final border is on Mary's Triangles and the binding prepared.  I'll put the two back pieces together this week and it will be ready to file away for quilting.

Mary's Triangles

The flimsy for S'more Blue went together quickly after laying it out on Wednesday.  I'll work on the back and binding this week then it may go to my LAQ.  I'd like to see what she will do with the raw edge center 4-patches.

S'more Blue

I also managed to get the center of Easy Street together and have cut inner border.  If I can get the borders on this week, that will be another UFO off my list.  Whew!

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Easy Street

(It was an overcast day yesterday so it was hard to get bright photos from the upstairs bridge.)

The negative net used is shrinking, but there's the AQS Chattanooga show next week.  I will try to be good.

Stash report this week:

     In this Week:                    0 yards
     Out this Week:               8.5 yards
     In year to Date:          209.0 yards
     Out Year-to-Date:      173.25 yards
     Net Used 2014           -35.75 yards

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.

Green with Envy

Wouldn't you be envious of this dedicated space?

Kristen's Craft Cottage

S'mores had a slow/no-sew day at Kristen's Craft Cottage yesterday.  At the end of the day we didn't want to leave this sweet cottage tucked under the trees.  When Kristen decided to take up scrapbooking in addition to quilting, she quickly outgrew the second bedroom in their already cozy house.  Her solution:  a 20 x 20 Amish-built shed. 

One half is dedicated to quilting.

Quilting Side

Kristen makes the most amazing cards so the other half is dedicated to stamping and scrapbooking.

Stamping Central!

Scrapbooking Corner

You are probably wondering, "What does a S'more do on a slow/no-sew day?"

Kristen assembled storage cubes for her growing stamp collection, Donna crocheted coasters, Shirley knitted on a blanket for a new grandchild, Nancy pinned Smith Mountain Morning units, Frances did some hand-piecing, and I hung two flannel-back tablecloths to lay out S'more Blue and Easy Street.

S'more Blue ready to stitch

Easy Street ready to stitch

All-in-all, a lovely day with lovely friends in a lovely setting.  And we got a bunch accomplished!  Success.

Making Headway - Making Hay

MT - Top Done!

All borders are on Mary's Triangles.

I really need to come up with a better name for this one ......

There were quite a few blocks leftover so I thought to throw them together in a little quilt.  Well, at 5x8, 4" finished blocks make a VERY little quilt.  Not wanting to waste my effort I decided to add a very large border.  But my strips are not wide enough to go across without piecing!

Leftovers Dilemma

On my design wall this morning, trying to decide if I should piece, add cornerstones, or slim down the borders.  As it is now it will only be 35" x 47" so taking off 2" would be significant.  I don't think I want to introduce anything else in the cornerstones, either, so I guess I've talked myself into piecing the top and bottom borders.  (In case you're wondering why the fabric couldn't cover 35", I had previously cut lengthwise borders from the fabric for another project.)

Why is it that something which should be quick and easy turns into a major headache?  I realized why these blocks had not made it into the big quilt -- the workmanship on them stank/stunk/(expletive deleted).  So please don't look at it "up close and personal."  Nevertheless, I hope this little quilt will comfort someone, a child maybe, somewhere along the line.

Two other projects would be on the wall except they are already packed for a slow-sew day on Wednesday.  Kristen has said I can put up a big design wall in her "craft cabin" to lay out Easy Street and S'more Blue.

Easy Street

S'more Blue

Check out what others are working on at Patchwork Times.

A Productive Week

It was a productive week in the sewing room, but no finishes to count out, unfortunately.

I settled on a border fabric from my stash for Mary's Triangles, but only managed to get the sides on.  My "studio" is in the basement and I have to come up to the main floor to lay large things out on the dining room table to measure (which, I might insert, is not as bad as going up two flights of stairs to get to the printer).  I have cut the last two borders and they are poised, along with the top, next to the machine ready to stitch today.

MT before 2nd border

At our retreat the previous week, Lisa was working on projects from the Loose Change book by Kansas Troubles.  They use charm packs and layer cakes (and those smaller pieces that I can't name).  Having received several charm packs from my secret sister, I was anxious to try the technique.  So in a matter of days I made 48 blocks just waiting for a large design wall to lay them out.  The best part:  I cut a bunch of 10" squares from my stash!

Loose Change Blocks

Then I decided to was shamed into dragging out Easy Street -- <groan>.  It was (long overdue) time to decide what could be done with the pieces-parts I had already finished.  Eureka!  I discovered I had 6 B blocks finished.  Also 4 A blocks finished and the rows for 5 more A blocks pinned together.  The 4 corners were done, as well.  Plus all the individual units made for the side setting triangles. 

I could do a straight setting with the finished blocks, but that would leave a pile of miscellaneous units in colors I'm not fond of.  Or I could do an on-point setting on a smaller scale that would require finishing at least one more A block and making some side setting triangles.  In the end I finished the remaining A blocks, assembled 8 side triangles, and chose borders from my stash -- just waiting for a large design wall to lay them out.

Not-so-easy Easy Street

Stash Report:  Nothing in, nothing out..... yet!

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.

Armadillo Sighting ! and DWM

Yesterday the Queen Mother's sitter spied an armadillo ambling up the back hillside.  Part of me was hoping to catch sight of the beast -- the other side of me said "ick!".  I have no idea if it's taken up residence or was just passing through, but was keeping an eye out the windows the rest of the day.

Then I spied it!  From the kitchen window I snapped a quick pic, in case my going outside would scare it off.

Armadillo!

I quietly snuck down the deck stair and across the driveway.  This armadillo wasn't going anywhere!

A Rock and a Stick!

On to my design wall:

Although I scoffed at the "modern quilt movement" when I first heard about it, I find myself drawn to this style of quilt -- both the simplicity of design and fabrics.  So I started a "modern" quilt last week.  I just took time to make one block to be sure I wanted to move in this direction (ouch, no pun intended).

Cursor

The pattern is Cursor by Natalia Whiting Bonner and Kathleen Jasperson Whiting (American Quilter, September 2014).  I think I will name this one "Which Way Did He Go?" in honor of the armadillo.

You can check out other design walls at Patchwork Times. 

Rats and Armadillos

Rats!  No, not the living kind.  I'm just disgusted that all my effort at stash-busting last week at retreat was offset by more purchases and some gifts.

I reported here about my finishes at retreat.  True Blue (in Black and Cream) used up 11-2/3 yards for top, back, and binding.  Elegant Garden accounts for 10-3/4 yards, top and back.  Have you ever wondered why we don't say "top and bottom" or "front and back"? -- I digress....  Mary's Triangles, top as it stands, used 4-1/3 yards.  I may put a second border on it, but I'm counting without the border for now.

Gifts from my Secret Sister included two Moda Charm Packs and a cute panel, "HandMaids" by J. Wecker Frish for Quilting Treasures.  Their website describes it as "steam punk inspired."  Each panel is about 7".  I would love to do something "public" with them, like a bag or jacket.  Any suggestions?

Handmaids by J. Wecker Frisch for Quilting Treasures

A very sick friend shared her stash of s'mores fabric with all us.  A S'more can never have too much s'more stuff!  That added a yard and a half.

Then I purchased 6 yards of wide back fabric, a yard for potential border for MT, and a bit more Grunge for my modern quilt.

Stash report this week:

     In this Week:            16.5 yards
     Out this Week:          26.75 yards
     In year to Date:         209.0 yards
     Out Year-to-Date:      164.75 yards
     Net Used 2014          -44.25 yards

At least I used more than I took in.

Oh, the armadillo!  QM's sitter saw one lumbering up the back hillside when she went to take the trash out this morning.  I knew they were heading this way but never expected one in my yard!  I would like to see it -- but, then again, maybe not!

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.