2013 Year in Rearview

Taking a look at the past year in my life and my quilting journey is like looking in a rear view mirror. I cannot see everything behind me just the important stuff following me closely. Might be a good time to pull over and let the traffic pass so I can get on with my road trip.

Facebook timeline highlights tell me that some of the top events of 2013 were in order of happening but not necessarily in order of importance: 

• new windows in my house in April
• new granddaughter born in May
• new pickup truck in June
• my husband's haircut on Sept
• my trip to Poland in Oct

But it did not mention:

• completing the first course for my doctorate in dialoguing with God through journalling.  
• 3 trips to New Brunswick to visit my daughter - she has visited here twice this year. 
• Babysitting my 7 month old new granddaughter 3 days a week and loving it.
• And, I started a blog. I am loving it. I love the writing, the editing, the publishing and then connecting with quilters and family all over the world.

 2013 saw absolutely no quilt finishes.

• The only thing I actually quilted was a scrap sandwich to check out the viability of the background fabric I have been using for Dear Jane. It is not conducive to hand quilting so I will not. It will machine quilt up nicely if I can only decide how I will approach doing it once I actually complete it. My machine quilting skills are at a beginner level, even though I have been machine quilting (sort of) for about 10 years. Over the years I have focused on making full sized bed quilts intended for use, until I started on blessed Dear Jane. My skill levels and techniques have greatly  improved but I keep wanting to start more projects. Dear Jane, bless her heart, will be to look at and not for common use.

2013 saw 4 new quilt starts.

•  I decided to invest in a gzillion dies for applique for  my GO cutter and even had 4 dies custom made to be able to cut out just leaves for the 1814 reproduction quilt I started on Oct 1. More on that when I have some progress to show. I am using fabric from my stash for the background and leftovers from the Dear Jane project.                                                                                                                       
•  I am convinced I can make a Baltimore style quilt with  my GO gadgets in a weekend. However, I have been researching (that's what I call reading endless blogs and books and watching you tube tutorials) on Red and Green quilt designs and raw edged machine applique. More on this when I have pictures to show my progress. To date, I have spent an entire day preshrinking, ironing on fusible web and cutting out ALL background squares, borders, backing squares and batting squares from my stash and leftovers from Dear Jane. I plan to machine quilt it as I go and then connect the squares with a 1 inch sashing.  This project was spread out all over the dresser, bed, ironing board and sewing table in the white room that I had to totally de-clutter before my daughter and her husband arrived for Christmas.

• I cut out all the blocks for a lap sized disappearing 9 patch in 1930's prints and solids from my stash. I discovered that the 5 inch charm pack blocks are really 5  x 4 1/2. So, I had to cut all new ones. then I took a month sabbatical from quilting and forgot to actually sew it up. It would take a day at most.

•  I joined the Chester County Criswell Quilt group reproducing the 1852 wedding quilt made for the marriage of Alice McClellan Criswell and Jesse Jackson Smith in Chester County, Pennsylvania. I am absolutely loving working on these unique applique blocks. I joined in on the beginning of year 2 of 3 and now have almost caught up. I have completed  11 and have 4 part done. I have not even attempted to figure out #12. I precut all the background squares from fabric from my stash and bought a few new civil war reds and greens to use along with left overs from Dear Jane. I prepped a bunch of blocks and have them ready to pick up whenever I want to keep mu hands busy or avoid doing any real work.

2013 WIP I worked on several other quilts over the year:

• I completed the rest of the 169 blocks for Dear Jane and am now working (rather slowly) on the triangles and kites.
• I did some needleturn applique on the corner triangles for my baby Baltimore.
• I worked on a few blocks for the JT2  and another 2 coloured similar sampler, but using my GO gadgets.

On my wish list of quilts to start with all fabrics ready to go in project boxes:

• JT2 Benjamin Briggs BOM from Dear Jane and Sentimental Stitches beginning Jan 1
• Dear Jane 2 in Brights as soon as I complete DJ
• Bali Wedding Stars from Judy Neimeyer in a king size as soon as I complete DJ
• Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet by Esther Aliu after I complete DJ
• Di Ford's Antique Wedding Sampler on impulse when I forget what else I have to do after I complete DJ.

It appears that I am intrigued with the more complex quilt patterns. I have ideas swimming around in my head on how to complete many of the UFO's in my cupboard. Most of them have all the fabrics I need to complete them in project boxes. One of the reasons I did not complete quilts was not having enough of the right fabrics so that is partly why I started buying the rest of the bolts with discount for backgrounds to make sure I had more than enough. This started when I was the purchaser and teacher for the Q@F Dear Jane. We will be having a weekend retreat here at the Farm the end of January with some of the girls working on DJ blocks.

I found out that my 88 year old aunt in Poland is reading my blog to learn more about me and my family here in Canada. So, I will write more about me and my family, my faith, my life on the farm, my journey as a 60 something's doing doctoral studies and why I go to India so often as well as quilting. I might even remember to take photos along the way.

I have yet another project box with all the books, notes and instructions for the current course I am working on for my DCC. It is called "The Normal Christian Life" by Watchman Nee. I had a lot of it done, then I was given a different format in which to do it so have to go back and redo about 1/3 of it. 

New Year's Blessings,
Chris

My First Quilt

The first quilt I ever made was embroidered blocks in a simple setting. It took me about 2 years. I found the patterns for Ruby McKim's Rhymeland in the old farm house I moved into after marrying my sweetheart farmer. His family has lived on this farm for 101 years. The house was built in the early 1840's.

The Rhymeland pattern had been published in a farm newspaper as a block of the week. I did not have a fabric stash back in those days but found a big enough piece of creamy coloured cotton to cut out 20 8 inch squares to get started. I had learned how embroider in 4-H as a young teen and must  have some floss from then. Come to think of it, I had embroidered pictures off  my mother-in-law's teacups thinking I might eventually make a quilt and call it Forster's Tea Party. So, I was dreaming about making quilts even as a new bride in 1971.

I traced the patterns onto the cotton using (gasp) carbon paper. It seemed to work pretty good and it washed out later. I used a blue polycotton (because I did not know any better) for sashing and borders and turned the backing to the front to finish the edges. I completed  it for my son's 2nd birthday. He is 38 now.
I hand quilted around the designs and did 2 rows 1/4 inch apart around the background. I found an ancient wooden quilt frame with tripod corner stands to set it up in. I entered this quilt in our local fair and was so proud to win a 3rd place ribbon out of 3 quilts. Don't snicker. I once was given a 3rd place out of 1 in the class. Judge thought my ties were too far apart on the log cabin quilt I entered several years later.
Blessings,
Chris
http://www.onlinequilter.com/Galleries/RubyMcKim/RhymeLandQuilt/tabid/262/Default.aspx

Boxing Day 2013

Today I phoned my Aunt Albina in Poland to wish her a Merry Christmas. Arranged it with her grandson last night on face book. What did we ever do before facebook? It was through facebook that my family here in Canada made the connection with our family in Poland back in March and I visited there in October.

And to think, the only reason I joined facebook in the first place was for an assignment for a mandatory course called "Church Leadership in the 21st Century" my first year in seminary. I scored a whopping C on the assignment all because I did not know what WiFi was. Guess I am too  old to fully comprehend some things . . .  like  . . . BFF. My 6 year old granddaughter had to educate me on that one. I had to get wireless internet, join facebook and  join the group in order to get the instructions for the assignment. I had my first and only migraine over that assignment. I had just returned home from  a trip to India during reading week Feb 2009. Drove into town to school the next morning and knocked on my faculty advisor's office door at precisely 9:30 am. He looked up, said good  morning and informed me that our meeting was the following week, but since I was there and he had time we had our one and only meeting. Jet lag does interesting things with your brain. I had to get the farm books ready for the accountant to do our taxes that week and double booked him the same hour I was getting my teeth cleaned. I chose the dentist and left my bookkeeper/daughter-in-law to deal with the accountant. Did I mention that I had a research paper due on the Vatican II Council that week?
I worked feverishly over that facebook assignment, mostly trying to figure out how to find the group and the video instructions. Facebook had just changed its format and I was just trying to figure out facebook. I had 2 friends and belonged to 1 group that I could not find. I have a lot more friends now and know how to find my way around until facebook updates changes. Two years later one of the young students educated me on WiFi and the fact that every student at that university had access to free high speed internet simply by signing in with their student number. Now that is another story.

Interesting how easy it is to go off on a tangent . . . ADHD kicking in . . . love it . . .

My Aunt Albina talks about our visit every time some of the family get together. I am told she has a new focus on life. She turned 88 last week. Can hardly wait until I return to visit again in the coming year.
We also had dinner at my son's house today. It was wonderful to have both  my children and their families together.  Watching our 22 month old granddaughter help Grampa unwrap his present. Every bit of paper torn off had to go into the recycle bin immediately. I did take pictures but left the camera there. Oops.
Farmers always have to come home early to do the chores. My daughter and I ended up watching the movie Julie and Julia. I howled throughout as I recalled  my own experiences in college 43 years ago learning how not to make tomato aspic and fry fish as well as recently being challenged to start blogging to work on my writing skills. Now that is yet another story and I am babysitting tomorrow so . . .
Blessings,
Chris

Christmas Day 2013

It's a quiet Christmas Day here at the Farm. Since I am officially retired, I no longer have to get up early to milk cows and rush home quickly after the family dinner to do the night time milking. My Sweetie is  just now doing the evening chores. The cows still need to be fed and milked twice a day. His brother and niece are both on tonight so they can get done early.
Tomorrow we go to our son's house to celebrate with his wife and 3 little girls. Our daughter and her husband are flying in from New Brunswick so we will all be together.Even Great Grandma will be there for 4 generations to celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Some my siblings that live nearby will be joining all of us here at the Farm for a turkey dinner Saturday. It will be simple but a lot of fun. One of my brothers works in a chocolate factory so maybe, just maybe . . . 

CCCQ #2

I completed this block yesterday. It was  much simpler than some. Have I said how much I am enjoying working on these Chester County Criswell Quilt blocks? I think part of the charm is there are so few pieces on each block and colour selection is simplified as I am using just reds and greens from various civil war collections.

 CCCQ #11 

                                                                               

I had originally pinned all these pieces to the wrong side of the background square. This time I started with just the lyre and stitching around the outside first, then the very center opening. I wanted to make sure I got all those openings centered nicely, so did the outside 2. I tried so carefully to cut right through the middle of those skinny strips.

And I got it right first try.

However,
I stitched the first leaf facing out instead of in.
So, now I have to decide if I am going to stitch the rest facing out or be a rebel and have them going in different directions?
Decisions. Decisions.
Time to make supper for my Sweet Farmer. Tonight it is steak. And since I offered to take dessert tomorrow, I guess I will go and make up a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Duncan Hines has a great mix.
Christmas Blessings,
Chris

Winter Ice Storm

This is the view from the west window of my quilt room today. I heard the crack and watched as this 5 inch thick ancient lilac tree an arm's length from the house broke under the weight of the ice early this morning. A few hours later I had the window open to listen for the wind chimes and heard and again watched as the top of one of the big ole pine trees on the left broke off. Several other large limbs lay scattered around the yard. My husband had to take the tractor out to  move broken limbs from the old maples so the milk truck could get in the lane. And to think that winter only arrived yesterday.

I spent part of the day working on a CCCQ block. Power flicked off several times for a few seconds. Enough to mess up the clocks, printer, CD player, microwave, etc. At least we had power all day. Many will be without for a couple of days.
My granddaughter had slept over and we did make chocolate cupcakes. I gave her her Christmas present today and she is starting her very first ever quilt. I know I can teach her to start one, but can I teach her to finish it? I was telling her to pick 2 squares from the Giggles layer cake that were different colours and different designs to, you know, balance the layout.
She says, "Gramma." (in that certain tone) "It's my quilt isn't it? I will choose which colours to put together." She is 6.
Forgot to take a picture.
Christmas Blessings
Chris

CCCQ # 15

If what we do most we do best (according to Brenda Papadakis)  then I should be getting pretty good at doing those tight inside curves. Its the outside curves that are not as smooth as I would like to see them. I am doing this by needle turn with a #10 milliners needle. Maybe a bit more practice will help. There are only 22 more blocks to go.
I really am enjoying this BOM project.
Blessings,
Chris

CCCQ # 6

This was a bit tricky lining up  the green leaves to stitch down then centering the red on top. I thought I had it pretty good, but it was really close where they joined up. Need more practice.
Not sure what the hurry is, but I have only 3 1/2 blocks to finish to be up to date. So much for 1 1/2 blocks per month. The first block of  Just Takes 2 Benjamin Briggs quilt pattern will be release in just 5 days and have to be ready for that one.
Blessings,
Chris

Dear Jane Update

I had completed all the blocks back in June and started joining all the rows end of July, then discovered that I had sewn the top 2 rows on reversed and then I took a month sabbatical from quilting which lasted 19 days then stitched up half a corner kite at a retreat and finally picked it up Tues and got all the rows connected.
There is something about this quilt that keeps me looking at it on the wall, maybe gloating is a better word. I am itching to start on the bright DJ but must first finish this one. Only 40 triangles and 3 1/2 corner kites to go. 

Machine Quilting

This is the Strawberry Chocolate top before quilting. It is a queen size. 

Machine Quilting

I quilt on a Brother Nouvelle 1500S that has a 9.5 x 6 inch throat that allows half a quilt sandwich to pass through easily. I recently bought a craft table to set the machine into so the table is level with the machine allowing the quilt to move through easily. I set up an L shape with 2 long tables to hold the weight of the quilt. I no longer try to roll the thing. It did not want to cooperate that way anyway. I like to have my chair higher than normal so I lean in to my work. I find this more comfortable for my back.
This quilt I call Strawberry Chocolate and I made it on impulse for a wedding present for one of my nephews in Saskatchewan. I found enough fabric in my stash to make the whole thing using only 2 fabrics for the front. From start to finish it took me 10 days. I had to get it completed and on the truck for one of my bothers to deliver to the groom and his bride. I was double booked at another family wedding in New York that weekend. I machine appliqued the raw edges of these Hawaiian style designs and connected them with simple sashing and border. The entire top has about 39 pieces. Lots less than many of the 4 1/2 inch Dear Jane blocks.
I simply outlined each block using the walking foot with #50 Aurifil cream thread and then sewed on the binding. This gave a bit less bulk around the edges and then I quilted until I ran out of time. I do what I call scribbling for a design. I do not yet know how to stipple evenly and feathers are out of  my league right now.
I discovered that I was quilting with 2 dislocated ribs and I guess that might explain why I do not get to the quilting part of quilting. I found a business card (who know how it ever got on my desk) to a wonderful massage therapist that I have been seeing ever since.
Blessings,
Chris

CCCQ #5

I know. It looks like over ripe broccoli. But it is done and I really enjoyed stitching it. Okay. I stitched over the last 2 days while babysitting my 7 month old granddaughter. Pure heaven. She naps. I stitch. She sits in her bouncy chair watching me. I stitch. She goes home at night. I stitch. It's a win-win.

 

Actually, it looks a bit like the geranium leaves that sit on the window here in front of my desk, minus the flowers. Either way, its done.
Blessings,
Chris

JT2 WIP

The colours are from the Jinny Beyer Pallet that I bought 135 different ones when they went on half price at a local discount store. They are tone on tone rather than solid and are more forgiving then solids. The purple block in the center is the one that set me back. I ran into problems with the first attempt. I had ironed freezer paper onto the back and was needle turning under the edges when I ran into trouble getting between the oak leaf and the plume. I tried doing it all in one section and did not have enough fabric to turn under safely and the fabric is a bit loose weave and was fraying. I was just starting to do needle turn and was experimenting with different ways to do it. I like how the freezer paper gives shape and how the #10 milliners needle sweeps under it so nicely.
Anyways, I decided to start all over again and did the whole thing with a fusible but did not like how it felt and besides, I had hand appliqued all the other blocks, so went back to the first attempt, then realized that the square ruler I had cut the background with was only 15 inches not 15 1/2 so it was too small and then realized that the diamonds in the middle were not centered.
So, I did it a third time but did the leaves and plumes in separate units and the whole thing came together beautifully, this time centering the diamonds which are reverse appliqued. Needless to say, I got behind doing the monthly blocks, but did complete this one. I love this block.
Blessings,
Chris

JT2 WIP

I have been taking another look a photo I took last year of all the blocks I have completed and wonder if I can tweak the arrangement  so I can finish it. There are only 3 15" blocks here and I wonder if I can balance it nicely. It certainly is pretty with all those colours. I was thinking of machine quilting it with Baptist fans. Never done that before and it has stressed me somewhat trying to figure out how to do that. I checked out blogs and tutorials and bought a fancy dancy ruler to draw all the curves and even a disappearing pen to mark the lines.This is not the final layout although many of the blocks are sewn into units.

Blessings,

Chris

CCCQ #16

HOORAY !

I completed block #16. This really is a fun, quick block to applique. Thanks Sharon for being kind to us this month. This is a practice run for the block I will be exchanging with Wanda  as soon as I preshrink some nice white background fabric. Anyone else out there in blog land want to swap? I think I know how to do this now. Any block except #13 and #16.

In the meantime, I have been working on several others at the same time. Why is it so hard to stick to one until it is completed?
Blessings,
Chris

WIP

My 6 year old granddaughter came for a sleepover this past weekend and she loves to take pictures. I once found several video clips of a piece of gum sitting on the cutting board.
I prepped several CCCQ blocks and continue to stitch to my hearts content. I am working on several blocks at the same time so no finishes this week.
Blessings,
Chris

Just Takes 2

I had often wondered how quilters found out about free online Blocks of the Month programs and accidentally stumbled upon the Just Takes 2 red and white mystery quilt just 2 days before it was set to start on Jan 1, 2012 and I actually had enough fabric in my stash to start it  that day. This ambitious project was a response to the Infinite Variety quilt show held in New York City a few years ago.                                                                                      www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty_XgIbH1hQ‎

 

I chose to use different colours from the Jinny Beyer Pallet that I had purchased several years earlier when they were on sale for half price and I bought a half yard of every colour, about 135 of them.

This was an opportunity to make individual blocks from both simple and complex patterns. 100 of them no less.

That winter I was taking 3 courses to complete my masters and looking forward to the release of the new blocks twice a month was a fun way to reward myself for getting homework done each day. Turns out that this was a good way to manage the ADHD. I had colour coded all the reading and writing assignments on my calendar and after I checked off completed tasks, I spent an hour cutting out, or stitching up the next block.

In seminary we were expected to read through the entire Bible at least once every year. The day I made the feathered star, which is my favouritest block, I listened to the 12 minor prophets and the entire New Testament. I had not done much paper piecing before taking on this project but Brenda Papadakis told us that what we do most we do best so I started to do more paper piecing. What I did best was un-stitch. I redid one of those star points 7 times before getting it just right, then the next one went in perfectly first try.

Problem is, I eventually graduated, ran into a glitch on a couple of blocks and started on another degree without deadlines. All these blocks got put into a neatly labeled box and are on the shelf with many others awaiting completion. I think there are about 12 blocks left.

But this is not going to stop me dreaming about starting the next Just Takes 2 - The Benjamin Briggs Quilt - set to start Jan 1, 2014. It will run for 25 months. It will be free each month until the next block is released, then it goes into the online shop. I have enough CW reds and almost enough greens to use with a rest-of-the-bolt of unbleached muslin like fabric I bought somewhere last summer. Its going to be a very busy couple of years.    http://sentimentalstitches.net/

Blessings,
Chris
(2018: I call this Serendipity. It is still not finished and is on my 12 ufos for 2018 list. Since then, I have started several other BOM's from Sentimental Stitches like Ben Biggs, Beyond the Cherry Trees, 1857 Album - now being quilted, and Dear Daughter. But I have gotten pretty comfortable with foundation or paper piecing.  This whole pattern is still on sale for  only $10.)

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I'm dreaming of a quilt Christmas

with every pattern that I see

Sigh . . .