BACK TO QUILTING....

I finished quilting the fourth community quilt on Tuesday morning, and then tidied up before my brother and his sweet wife arrived.  My brother has lived in China for a while, and we enjoy his short visits when he comes to Canada.

I had dinner ready - one of his favourites - meatloaf, made with one of our Mom's recipes.  Then our friends' church was celebrating their annual strawberry social, so we headed out for strawberries, ice cream and plates full of home baked goodies, along with coffee or tea!  A great addition to our day.  My sister-in-law had never been inside a church, so after we ate, our friend took us upstairs to see the interior of the church.  She asked lots of questions, and took some pictures.  She was very impressed by the simplicity of the building, with its modern stained glass windows.  Another new experience in Canada.

This visit, my sister-in-law wanted to learn how to bake bread!  Wednesday morning, as soon as the breakfast dishes were tidied up, I set out all the ingredients and began the bread making process.  I had given her a printed recipe, with the steps listed, but she also took some additional notes, and took some photos of the various steps along the way.  She even took a short video of me kneading the dough.  She got her hands in the dough, too, and finished the last several minutes of kneading.  While the dough was rising, DH took them out to a local museum, and when they returned, it was time to punch down the dough.  After the next rise, she punched the dough again, and then we turned it out and I shaped the first loaf, and she shaped the second.  By that time, it was time for lunch - some homemade Pasta Fagioli Soup that I had made over the weekend.  Dessert was another of my brother's favourites - butter tarts, again made with my mother's recipe.
She took a pic of the bread before it headed into the oven, then another when it was baked.  We waited for it to cool a bit, then enjoyed slices of fresh warm bread with butter - yum!

I headed to my computer, and made copies of all my Dad's slides - I had spent 2 summers, scanning the slides into my computer, doing some almost every day.  Since I keep my computer in my sewing room, my sister-in-law came for a visit.  Last year when she visited, we made some simple coasters for her to take home.  She asked if she could make 2 more sets, to give to special friends in China.  She spent quite a while, choosing just the right fabrics from  my stash, then I put her to work pressing the fabric before we began cutting.  I cut the squares, along with squares of batting, and she pressed some of them in half.  I place a background layer of fabric on both sides of each square of batting, and she place the folded pieces on top, and pinned them in place.  I stitched around the edges, then showed her how to clip the bulk in the corners, and turn them to the right side.  Then I showed her how to use my sewing machine, and she stitched the final two herself!  Many things are new experiences to her - many things that we take for granted.  She is always so interested in everything, and asks lots of questions.  I love her visits, as she makes me appreciate all the normal things of our life in north America, and I look at everything through her eyes!

They packed up and headed out to visit friends who live near Ottawa, and the house seems very quiet.  DH is heading out to entertain at a nursing home this afternoon, so I'll have a chance to start the quilting on my friend's quilt.  Eventually, I'll get back to my own work, but that's the joy of being retired - lots of time to do things I love to do every day!

Slow Progress

I don't seem to be making my usual progress lately.  I have been preparing some pieces for hand applique.  I picked up some wonderful fabric two winters ago in Arizona, and finally began the quilt.  More about that later.....
I have the blocks of the snowman quilt stitched together.

Disappearing Four Patch

I saw this demo'd and thought it could make a good, quick project for my Florida group next winter.  I like to try things out first.   I am also trying to tidy my sewing room, and found some light blue flowered fabric left over from a Project Linus workshop many years ago.

I began by cutting 6 1/2 inch squares of both fabrics and stitching them into large 4-patch blocks.
I decided that I wanted the centre "sashing" to end up at 2 inches finished, so I made each cut 1 1/4 inch from the centre seam , cutting on both sides and in both directions.
Leaving the four corners and the centre four patch in place, the remaining rectangles were turned around.
I then stitched the block together as you would any nine patch block.
I decided to square the blocks up to 11 inches after sewing.

I think that this would also made a good scrap quilt, and it could be made in a variety of sizes.  It looks best if made with two pairs of matching fabric squares.

My latest scrap quilt

This one began due to my frugal nature.  Over the years, I have bought many printed panels to make cloth books, aprons, wall hangings etc.  When I was cutting one out, I looked at all the fabric that was printed with instructions, which cost the same as the printed area.  I decided that it would be wasteful to put all that "good" fabric into the garbage bin, so I cut it all up into 2 inch squares.  I began stitching these to a "dark" square from my bin, as a "leader and ender".  After I had stitched lots of these, I then made them into 4patch blocks.  
Sewing with "leaders and enders" over the past few years has made me think of creative ways to use the finish products.
I stitched more light and dark 2 inch squares into half square triangles by sewing from one corner to the other, then trimming the seam allowance to 1/4 inch.  These were then stitched together into a "flying geese" arrangement.  These were placed around the central 4patch blocks, with cream or white corner squares to make the  6 inch finished blocks.
I made 36 blocks, then decided I had had enough fun!

Border Completed

I stitched the border squares together, alternating a white block with a purple block and with one facing up and one down.  I decided to keep the white edge toward the quilt centre, so I added a white border first, then the pieced border, then the purple border.
The picture was taken after I had pin-basted my quilt, and had stitched "in the ditch" around the basic shapes.  I then added a scrappy binding, made from left-over 2 1/2 inch strips.  Now on to the remaining quilting.

Next Step - Leaders and Enders

Next I had to made the alternate blocks to go with the 25 patch blocks.
This one is easy - one piece cut 8x5 inches and 2 pieces cut 2x5 inches.  I stitched a 2 inch dark scrap square on each end of the two strips, then stitched the block together.  I made 17 of these blocks.
These images are from EQ6.  It is a wonderful design tool!

Still more Plaid

 

I finally found a design that I liked for the gold and rust stars.  

I marked the design onto "Press n Seal", using a Sharpie marker, then centred the design in the gold square.

I stitched over the lines with rust thread, then pulled away the "Press n Seal".

There are two styles of gold and rust stars, which were all quilted alike.

I hand guided the designs, using my Juki sewing machine. 

And More Plaid

 

I liked the spiral with the figure eight loops so much that I decided to repeat it in the dark green stars.

I used a bright gold cotton thread for a good contrast.

I machine quilted by hand guiding using my Juki sewing machine. 

More Plaid....

This was the second step in quilting the stars in my quilt.  I used the same colour thread and curved my way through the beige plaid squares in these blocks.

I changed to blue thread, and stitched hearts in the larger red triangles.

Then red thread repeated the curves in the small blue plaid squares.

I stitched a "square in a square" through the blue plaid rectangles in the full blocks, then petals in the blue plaid space in the connector blocks.

I hand guide-machine quilt, using a Juki machine set into my sewing table to make a smooth work surface.

Wicked1

Enjoyed the final installment on my Christmas present yesterday.

DH and I saw the matinee performance of "Wicked" at the Straz Center (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center) yesterday.

The two lead singers were awesome, and I enjoyed the unusual, quirky costumes. We had our favourite seats - front row of the balcony. I always take my small binoculars, so I can see the details on the costumes - always a love of mine.

Today things are back to normal - sewing, and my second order of thread just arrived from Superior Thread! Now I'll be able to play for many months before I have to worry about restocking my supply!

Thread

I used up one of my cones of Masterpiece by Superior Thread, (my favourite for piecing), yesterday. Opened up my cone storage box to find only one left, and it had just a tiny bit of thread left as well!
How did I let my thread get so low?
I ordered more right away, and just received the tracking message - won't be delivered until February 1!!!
I guess I'll just have to concentrate on some hand applique while I'm waiting.......

Tablerunner finished

DH gave me a kit for this table runner for Christmas. It is from Connecting Threads, and is the Desert Rose Runner, using their Aqua Terra fabric line. The applique is done by hand, and then machine quilted. The colours are more accurate in the basket picture - still trying to adjust the colours correctly!
I used the selvage edges from the fabric, as well as a few others in the same colours to make a matching basket. It will make a nice addition to my fall table.

More Coiled Baskets

My quilting group got together last Wednesday, and several people brought their baskets along. There were also some others working on their first basket. Everyone is skeptical about sewing over the "clothesline" with their machine, but so far, no one has had any difficulty.
Some were made from scraps, and others from leftover selvedge edges.