.....there's always a story ~

 Yes, a story is always in the making and now it's time to share this one.  Those of you who follow my slow down-sizing path know that I've been doing this for more than a year.  THIS being selling books and patterns and quilts and quilt tops and more.  I've tried selling locally and on FB, Instagram, Etsy and Ebay  and with hard work and tenacity have had goodly success. There's still a lot to be done!  

Anyway, I'm making this story longer than it perhaps should be.  There's one book I've tried to sell several times without success....probably because of the high cost of postage and this being heavy with glossy pages and cover.  I've even tried giving it away to our local library, but with the pandemic, they aren't taking books now for their annual fund-raising book sale.  "Quilts From The Indiana Amish" is an 88 page picture book with a story and it is a delight to gaze upon the quilt collection dating 1875-1940.  

....and the story continues.  While doing some research for another hand quilting project, I pulled out the Indiana Amish book and lo and behold, look what I found.  My eyes locked onto this quilt...."Railroad Crossing"  pictured on the left.    The more I looked, the more I liked and in a frenzy began pulling and sewing strings - forgetting about my original project which I'll come back to later.  

Yes, the  book "Quilts from the Indiana Amish" is still for sale as is the quilt top inspired from page 67.  My quilt top was finished yesterday and it measures 55" x 90" -  a generous twin size.  

If the book doesn't sell, I won't worry.  That just  means I'll have a chance to be inspired by another quilt made somewhere in Amish country by a dedicated quilt maker.  I'll also not despair it the quilt top doesn't sell.  I'll just pick it up one day and get it quilted. Oh, yes, there's always a story and my stories are usually inspired by a quilt.

Have a happy ~

Energy Continued ~ Part 2

 Yay.....I finished another, albeit  smaller, Orange Delight!  And, I love it.  Joy is using scraps for the best delights ever.  This pattern on page 12 in Bright Quilts from Down Under quilt magazine I have for sale here.   Edited....quilt book sold.

After finishing Orange Delight #2 but before putting Bright Quilts Mag away, I flipped a few pages and stopped on page 16.  Immediately intrigued with this one called Bitz and Piecez,  a quilt pattern by the delightfully eclectic Jan Mullen. 

 While I don't have these juiced up fabrics as Jan used, I do have tons of scraps which I took the time to piece together in random fashion and trimmed to 6" square.  Next came the snowball by adding the 4 corners.

Here's what's happening to the patchwork snowballs on my design wall.  

Cut loose and see where the feeling takes you ~ 

Feeling Energized ~

 Wasn't QuiltCon Together a delightful event!  

Certainly was from my viewpoint. 

 What energy! 

And how easy and comfortable here at home to listen and watch lectures, participate in workshops and shop those marvelous vendors.  

Yes, I'm feeling energized and lovin' it.  

As many of you know who follow me and my activities, I've been downsizing in the hopes of becoming (tongue in cheek) a minimalist.  And try as I may, some items that I love but am finished with just aren't selling as I thought they would.  Case in point is this wonderful Bright Quilts from Down Under Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  I  purchased it new for $25 and my price is a mere $10. 

 

One of my favorites  made from this book was the Orange Delight quilt, perfectly sized for sofa snuggling at 43" x 63" using all batik fabric front and back.  Once washed it became perfectly soft and comfortable. 

Where am I going with this story?  Yesterday as I flipped through the pages of this magazine, wondering why it didn't sell, I re-discovered my need to make another orange delight, this one slightly smaller for lack of batik  and instead of orange centers, I used more red and yellow simply because that's the batik fabric choices I had on hand.   

Here's a sampling of 6 finished blocks in the purple/berry color range.

and the remaining center blocks in red with the sashing strips fabric selected.  Yes, it truly is a bright quilt from down under and it's giving me so much energy just to cut and sew.

Hope you are feeling energized too.  And just for grins, here is the FaceBook photo album link to some of the items listed for sale.  

I'm Blue ~

It's not my mood that is blue.....all is well here on the home front - but my latest quilt in blue homespun has gotten me in a very good blue zone. 

Having all theses blues on hand, I was inspired by the Sugaridoo quiltalong (the one in which I didn't participate) and the Marston/Jones Free Range Triangle Quilts....particularly page 88 showing free range triangles designed and made by Joanne Salz. 

Totally improv triangles with a few 9-patch  and churn dash blocks for variety.  I had to add a few filler strips to get the columns sewn in and decided the spots of red added a bit of excitement to an otherwise not so lackluster blue quilt that finished at 55" x 76".   

And while outside yesterday getting pictures of my blue triangles, these Agapanthus just begged to be included.   

Looking back: What a day it was filled with a finished quilt, flowers and a blue sky.

Eyes Wide Open ~

It was still very dark outside but my eyes popped wide open:  it was only 5:45 a.m.!!!!!  While I am a very early morning person, the get-up time has been inching closer and closer to 7 ish.  Sometimes when my eyes pop open, I'll force them (and my what's-in-store-for-me-today brain) closed for a little longer nap.  But this morning, I didn't push those eyelids closed and am super enjoying my early morning time alone.

What I've been doing with my eyes wide open in the past several days:

Sewing  more wide mouth zippered pouches , a Noodleheads' design.  Here's one with my painted and waxed fabric ~

and just finished twelve pillowcases for community service:  perhaps for the children in the CASA program or for those in the safety of the women's shelter or dear ones in a nursing home.  The need for our sewing and giving is endless.

With eyes wide open, I've been hand quilting my  "The Avenue" quilt:  a Louise Papas design for the Jen Kingwell collection.    Slowing getting there and loving the peace while sitting and stitching with no cares in my self-contained life.

I've been watching with great envy the projects of those participating in the Bernina Sugaridoo Quilt-along.  When it began in November, I didn't join in because of lack of time.  Now, there's plenty of it!   The  various quilt blocks set in columns has inspired me.  With homespun in hand, I've cut and pieced a number of triangles.  Doesn't fabric change once it's cut!

Not sure yet what the next block might be but I'm leaning toward my favorite quilt block, the churn dash.

Waxing Fabric ~

Oh! What Fun!  You've heard of waxing...no doubt, to remove unwanted hair!  But waxed fabric?  As much fun as the waxing is the making something out of that waxed fabric....that's where my fun week began and one thing led to another until  ~

demonstrating a waxed food wrap 

Wool and Canvas waxed tote ~ An Anna Graham design 

Poolside Tote - an Anna Graham design 

raffia place mat waxed then made into a duffle bag.

Open Wide Zippered Pouch ~ an Anna Graham design

Waxed canvas tote measures 16" x 16"....great carrier for all my stuff

Open wide zippered pouch 

Don't you just love those Anna Graham AKA Noodlehead pouch and tote designs...her open wide zippered pouch was my first.  I was hooked on her designs so purchased the waxed wool tote pattern and finally the poolside tote.  What a way to gather and go!

Not just another bag ~ lady

Yes, as I face up to myself....I'm a bag lady and am really, really liking this bag - Anna Graham's  'Gatherer' crossover-the-body bag.  And, yes, there is a free pattern to download.  What's not to love about Anna Graham and Robert Kaufman fabrics!   

.....and then insanity follows

Admitting time....that the Sew Kind of Wonderful Quick Curve Ruler (QCR) is just about to drive me into insanity.  It wasn't the first finish that did it, Chic Diamonds Pattern #415 done up in my favorite barn and turkey reds...actually the back side of reds in the grunge collection.

 nor even the second - A Gaggle Battle out of One Wonderful Curve 12 Contemporary Quilts.

but, yesterday after spending the day prepping a project to sew at our annual "Five O'Clock Quilters" retreat this upcoming weekend, the notion that I'm crazy about this ruler was set firmly in my head.

The pattern,  aptly dubbed 'Rings Revival' by quilt designers Helen Robinson and Jenny Pidigo,    found in Simply Modern Magazine Issue #14, is a QCR jewel.   I'm excited to get stitching on even more rings that will keep me revived. 

Unconventional and Unexpected Quilt-a-Long

Remembering the collection of thrift store cotton and linen shirts that needed to be cut and sewn! When Sujata Shah at the The Root Connection enticed me into this quilt-a-long, I new exactly where to go for just the right fabric.....thrift store shirts.....cotton and linen.   Yes, the Unconventional and Unexpected lives in my house. 

OH HOW FUN this one was to complete.  Inspired by a quilt found in Coal City, Alabama, quilt maker and quilt pattern unknown, made with scraps of cotton and flannel....page 51 in Roderick Kiracofe's Unconventional & Unexpected (American Quilts Below the Radar 1950-2000).

With each improvisational pieced block, I  remembered how Grandma would sit and sew all her scraps together.  Remembering her humbleness and how thankful she was for her good life.   Her surroundings were not filled with riches, but her life was rich with inner peace and love. 

Dis, Dat and D'udder

Inspired by the style of Maria Shell, Gwen Marston (Lindsay has the most delectable Pinterest board sharing Gwen Marston Quilts)  Eleanor McCain and others of like improvisational style.  This one has been on the design wall for a month....or more....but now both the quilt front and back is pieced and ready to be quilted.   

Knowing well enough that one should not be vain, yet I can't help but brag just a bit about stepping out of my box.   I can very easily mix and mingle with all those fabulous prints and florals and can easily add a few solids, but man, how hard it is using only solid fabric!  So, yes, very proud  not to have used a single print in this one.....only solids of Bali shot cotton along with shot cotton from the Kaffe Fasset collection.

While out taking pictures this morning I also remembered to grab these two  from awhile back that I included in an improv to the 9-patch workshop. 

And using every leftover scrap from the project, filling in as needed with whatever fabric was nearby that I could grab, cut and sew. 

Life is good....well, actually, life is very good ~

 

But I'm not a pink person!

And I never said you were!  However, often times pink is just the right flair, especially in quilt making. 

I had the most fun opportunity to teach two improvisational patchwork piecing workshops for Red River Quilters in Shreveport this past weekend.  I took a lot of my scraps for the workshop participants to enjoy and while auditioning different fabric possibilities in an improv patchwork manner, one particular fabric was rejected because "I'm not a pink person!"  And I'm not green either!! BUT, what if green was never incorporated into my quilts.  Just imagine a landscape quilt without green. 

When life gives me a challenge.....still reflecting on rejects and discards without a fair chance, I decided to improv to the pink to see where this one went.  Here is my first fabric selection with that very focal lush pink flower added to the improv 9-patch. 

Yes, you're seeing right.....red and blue, black and PINK in this totally improvisational 9-patch

Next step was to slice and dice and add more fabric....the aqua and the little patched slice using aqua and red, yellow and pink.  This one is beginning to come to life. 

Challenging self, more pinks were added and not necessarily the same shade of pink....or black.... or yellow and blue that's already in the patchwork.  Oh, my! 

and so it's full grown.....30" x 36" basted and ready for quilting.  Yeah, Baby....we are in the pink.