Two tops together

I sewed two tops together this week.  The Madeline Schnibbles is done.  I finally quit shuffling blocks around and sewed them together.  It is made with two charm packs of "Dancing in the Rain" fabric from Laundry Basket.  I plan on machine quilting this small quilt.

Not so sure about this top.  Do I hand quilt or find a long arm quilter?  I get really tired just thinking about quilting it on my sewing machine.  The Civil War sampler quilt is still on the quilting frames. What to do, what to do? 

This is "Aunt Grace's Garden Party" and it was a row of the month I bought from the Fat Quarter Shop almost two years ago.

I finally pulled those rows out of their box this week and put them together with one inch sashing and and a six inch border.

Once I decide how to quilt it up, the borders will have a curved edge.  I'm a primary color lover and like the 30's style fabrics so I really enjoyed putting this quilt together.  I was finishing up my Civil War sampler quilt and had taken Jenna Kimball's back basting applique class when I bought into this row along so had some confidence that I could actually make this quilt top.

Now I can check off another project from my partially finished list. Well almost finished.  Still have to quilt it . . .

International Quilt Day and gardens

I'm celebrating International Quilting Day by announcing that all the rows are finished on my Aunt Grace's Garden quilt. Thanks to a bit of participation in March Madness, I officially completed the hand applique on the final strip last night.

It was the first time that I have worked with making bias strips for the vines.

Here is another row finished this week with hand appliqued hexi flowers.

It is comprised of two different blocks for setting the flowers and three of the same block which is rotated in the strip.

Blue flower block. . .

and red flower block.


I also completed these two rows, both the same but a slightly different with subtle fabric changes in the small triangle settings .


Several fabrics were directional and I did not get them going in the same direction. When cutting squares and then cutting on the diagonal, is it necessary to use just one of the resulting triangles?

There was a middle rectangle with a change of angles in the middle.

I felt it most appropriate to hang these quilt rows in Aunt Laurel's Garden for photos. Aunt Grace's Garden "row of the month" was sent in rows each month to symbolize a garden layout. Now on to the outline borders of those rows and the scallop border around the whole of it.

And because it is prime garden time in Arizona, I offer you pictures from my garden.

This is the view out of my sewing room window while sitting at the machine. It's a wonder that I can even remain inside at times.

The bougainvillea in all their glory. A year ago winter's hard freeze pruned them back a bit, but they are now back in all their glory.

The sun was back lighting them in these pictures.

A front is blowing in today and I'm afraid that many of these beautiful bracts will soon be floating in the pool.

Seriously, is not the color amazing.

Oh, the delight of an Arizona spring.

If I stand to go to the cutting table, this is the other view out the sewing room window.

Geraniums, petunias, and strawberries.

I found this geranium on my last visit to Berridge Nursery. There was not a bloom on it but I fell in love with the leaves. Now I'm in love with the gentle blooms.

And, please don't eat the daisies!

Impromtu trunk show

While in Utah with Glen, I often ride along with him to client appointments. Well almost all the way to the appointment. He drops me off at a bookstore or a quilt store on his way. One of my favorite drop off sites is Quilts Etc. in Sandy. This trip I snapped up discounted Christmas pillowcase kits. There were not enough of the pre-cut kits I really liked, so of course I had to buy some additional fabric.

Suddenly I heard from the cutting table, "Oh, that's got to be a Marie Webster! Do you realize what a gem you have? You must match the blue and not use that dot fabric for border and it must be hand quilted."

I rushed over to take a peek then asked if I might take a picture. The customer, a grandmother herself, said that her mother-in-law had given her the top which had been stitched by her mother.

I had never heard of Marie Webster before but the quilt shop employee certainly had. I heard her brief history of Marie and then did a bit of googling myself later in the day.

It turned out that the pink and blue appliqued quilt was not the only treasure in the large bag at the customer's feet. There was this beauty.

A set of fancy lady blocks.

So pretty with all those long ago fabrics.

This reminded me of the Aunt Grace fabric I recently bought for the backing of my current Aunt Grace's Flower Garden block of the month.

There was more!

A set of these beautiful star/flower blocks.

And of course, a hand pieced double wedding ring quilt top.

Once again I loved the juxtaposition of fabrics from long ago. What treasures were in that bag!

I was so glad that I had jumped into the car at the last minute! Just think, I might have missed the trunk show.

Birthday month

Over 1/4 of the birthdays of our extended family occur during the month of November.

Often we celebrate in pairs. TJ celebrates with Emelia if they are in the same town.

Toby and I usually celebrate together having birthdays just two days apart. Julianna is watching carefully preparing for her coming November birthday.

Toby blew out his candles. . .

and then Grandpa Glen led us in the birthday clapping, 7 for Toby and a lot more for me. Then it was time to open presents followed by homemade ice cream and cake. Toby chose a Tron cake. I made my Grandmother Nyborg's stove top chocolate pudding cake. May I say that it tastes especially delicious with homemade vanilla ice cream?

Both TJ and I were showered with presents. Thank you everyone! You are all so kind.

Glen let me do my own shopping. Last Utah trip he dropped me off at Broadbents in Lehi on his way to an appointment in Saratoga Springs. Broadbents is a delight. The store has meandered this way and that over the years and you can find a bit of everything in one of its many parts.

More recently they added a quilting shop in the north end. When Glen picked me up, I climbed into the car singing, "Happy birthday to me." I had purchased the last remaining quilt kit and pattern for "The Night Before Christmas" from Bunny Hill Designs. It will be my own block of the month after I finish "Aunt Grace's Flower Garden" in February.

I'm all caught up and waiting for the instructions to come for the next row!

Our other November birthday is this very day! Happy birthday to Henry who came to grandma's house in June but is now in Connecticut celebrating with his father's family. Henry, I'll make sure that Grandpa Glen calls you today to sing to you and to do the birthday clap!

A traveling two weeks

I've been away from home the last two weeks which meant no sewing machine. I can't be without a project so I hand appliqued the handles for my flower basket blocks while away.

And I also prepared Julianna's bishop style smocked birthday dress with its coordinating jacket so I could do the smocking and embroidery work while away. I finished all the needlework except for three embroidered roses on the jacket front before returning home. Now on to the sewing machine! I can't wait to show you the finished project. It's colorful, just like Julianna's personality.

I realized on the way to Utah that I would be able to hear Senator Joe Lieberman speak at a Forum at BYU the next day. I was up early to hit the BYU Bookstore for a copy of his new book before heading to the Hinckley Center for the book signing then the Marriott Center for his presentation.

(And yes, there were secret service agents with ear pieces accompanying the Senator.)

His new book is titled "The Gift of Rest." While explaining the tradition of the Jews weekly Shabbat, he also challenges everyone to honor the Sabbath as a day of rest and renewal and a way to a better quality of life and strengthening of moral values. I very much enjoyed reading "The Gift of Rest" and found much to ponder and to think about in relation to the way I keep the Sabbath Day.

You can read a review of Senator Lieberman's book in The Washington Times here.

Because I was early, I made my way down to the floor of the Marriott Center.

Senator Lieberman's remarks had much to do with politics and religion and the current presidential election. He will be retiring after 20 + years in the Senate. That is the current president of BYU in the corner of the picture. President Cecil Samuelson and the Senator must have some kind of personal relationship as President Samuelson's review is one of those included in the front of the new book. Elders Quentin R. Cook and L. Tom Perry were also in attendance.

For the text of Senator Lieberman's remarks entitled "Faith in the Public Square" go here.

Provo was in the midst of autumn splendor and as I walked back to the townhouse from campus, I snapped away. I'll share those pictures tomorrow.

Appliqued Civil War Quilt Blocks

40 Order Number Eleven

Imagine my surprise when I opened Civil War Quilts on a Saturday morning and found that the block for that week was the first applique block that I did in my class last August. That class taught the back basting applique method. I was no longer feeling incompetent as I tackled Block #40. I had already practiced. Here is how I did this block.

Here is the pattern which I received from Jeana Kimball in her class. Fortunately is was just the right size. I cut the background fabric for my block adding a generous 1/2 inches. Once the applique was finished, the excess would be trimmed off. I folded the block in half each direction hand pressing a fold so that I could center the pattern. I then traced the pattern on the wrong side of the block.

Starting with the fabric which would be on the bottom of the finished applique design, I placed a large square of the fabric on the right side of the block base with the right side facing out. (Wrong side to right side of base block.) I then basted through both fabrics ignoring the lines for the second fabric which would be the top fabric.

After the basting is completed, the excess fabric is trimmed away leaving a scant 1/4 inch.

Next find a fairly straight section of basting and clip to the basting line to begin the needle turn of the fabric clipping about every third stitch of basting as you go, pulling out the basting thread, and clipping the fabric as needed at the curves. Turn at the basting line and then attach the top fabric to the base fabric using the applique stitch.

You will find that your stitching line will match almost exactly the traced line. Now take a large swatch of the second fabric and baste it to the base fabric as before.

The front will look like this.

After the basting is complete, trim this design as before - a scant 1/4 inch from the basting thread.

Note that the red fabric design is all one piece as will be the top blue design. Work carefully to keep the point.

The front side will look like this.

And the back will have the colored thread stitches sitting right on top of the initial tracing lines. EASY!

I was so excited that I decided to applique Block 41 as well.

41 Red, White, and Blue Quilt

The directions called for piecing the star and there were lots of "Y" seams. At this point, I thought the applique would be easier. I might try hand piecing this block later.

(LaNell, thank you for the star background fabric. I just had to use it for this block!)

This week, the second pattern and fabric for "Aunt Grace's Garden Party" quilt arrived. Have I told you how happy the fabric for this quilt makes me? I saw the flower baskets with the appliqued handle and it reminded me of Block 13 of Civil War Quilts.

13 Little Blue Basket

My block now has a little blue handle. I may also have to revisit Block 3, Seven Sisters and applique those 7 stars after all.