Ready . . . Set . . . Sew

The final CCCQ block pattern was posted today. I started it less than 2 years ago as a block of the month. It is here that I really came to know how to do needle turn hand applique and love it. I am determined to complete this quilt this summer so all other projects are in hold. I still have 3 other blocks that I have not yet started but soon.

This block appears to be the most challenging of the entire 33 blocks offered. I looked at it for . . . oh . .  . at least a whole minute before deciding that I was not going to trace it onto freezer paper, cut out all those little squiggly edges, circles and jelly beans and then trace it onto the fabric before starting the stitching.

CCCQ Block # the last one

I love how our husbands come alongside our quilting addiction passions and offer helpful suggestions. Like the  man sized trouble light. One of my Q@F friends has been coming in lately to work on an applique project and the light under the glass table was not bright enough, so her husband sent his light and it works wonderfully. Too bad she has to take it home one day. I had to elevate it in order to see the pattern lines clearly.

I set the pattern on the light table and then put the red fabric on top. However, I could not see the lines to trace. So, I flipped the pattern onto the back of the red fabric and then taped them together so I could move it without slipping.

I put it back on the light table and now could see the pattern lines.

So I traced them directly onto the right side of the fabric using a light blue .07 Frixion pen. That's the colour that shows up best on these reproduction reds. I use a white chalk pencil in the greens.

Now I can begin packing my bag to visit my daughter and grandson next week. He turns 1 year old on Sunday. He did not just start walking 2 weeks ago. He started running. He has already discovered soccer. One of Daddy's favourite sports.
And, today I submitted the "Denine"  manuscript to the publishers.
Excited Blessings,
Chris

Vacation for Some of My Projects

I came across a picture of Di Ford's antique Wedding Sampler Quilt that I started on a few weeks ago. I joined the BOM from Homestead Hearth and get my blocks every other month.

This is as far as I have gotten on block #1. To say that there are not enough hours in a day to do all the things I have to do is not true. But, there are definitely not enough to do the things I want to do.
I hand pieced this ring and now have to adjust the placement before appliqueing it in place. I am looking forward to the arrival of the replacement fabric next month for the broderie perse so I can begin that new journey of skills.

AWS Block # 1

The final block for the Chester County Criswell Quilt will be released next week and I am committed to finish the quilt this summer, therefore, all other projects will have to take a vacation for now. I just have too many things I am doing in the next couple of months. I have a plan for the quilt when it is completed and quilted. That includes to machine quilt it, but I need to practice a bit first. I still have a few blocks that I have not started. A couple of weird ones.

It seems that now that there is pressure to finish it, my enthusiasm is waning. Or maybe I just need to babysit more often. But wait! We had all three of the little girl grand children here for the weekend and I did not get much done at all of anything, except to hug and snuggle little girls and wipe bloody noses (yes girls can hit too), kiss bruised foreheads, not once but 3 different times, sympathize over bruised and bitten fingers. And that was only the 3 year old. The 7 year old made brownies all by herself and the 2 year old peed in the toilet.

Our grandson will be turning 1 in 2 weeks and he is walking, fast, and I will be flying out to visit him and his mom to help celebrate. His dad will be away at school working on his Doctor of Ministry so we will be able to eat whatever we want when we want. After that, a few days away to Holmes County Ohio to the American Guernsey Association Annual Convention in wonderful Amish quilt country with my Sweet Farmer and then we will be hosting family house guests at the end of June. All my siblings will be here together in the same place at the same time. Lots to look forward to.

Come to think of it, I do get lots of stitching and homework done when I visit my daughter. Maybe I need to go more often.

Looking Forward to Family Blessings,
Chris

What Have I Been Up to This Week?

I went for my weekly physio therapy yesterday and the therapist, the chiropractor and the massage therapist all comment that I must be under more stress than usual since I was so stiff and had achy joints. Hm?

I cannot imagine why. Unless not doing my stretches every day like I am supposed to, or it being cold than usual, or not doing much hand applique is part of the reason. I did stitch a bit babysitting last week, but not much since it was Wed night and that is gymnastics night and the 2 little ones did not want to got to bed and the older one did not get home until almost 9 and had to have her snack. 

Then this Wed the accountant came to do the taxes and I went to my local quilt guild meeting. There I learned just what Modern Quilting is NOT and what it IS, sort of.  I really, really like the old traditional reproductive types of quilts. I guess that is why I have so many on the go and so many more on the wish list.

I did get 1 Bright Jane block made. No, I got 2 made but had so much trouble uploading the photos, that I only posted this one.

D-13  Field of Dreams

Among other things going on this week, I finished editing my manuscript again and gave it to a couple of people to read with a pencil. I also have been getting ready to lead a small group at our church this summer specifically for women. Here I will get to practice a few of the Christian counseling skills I am learning about in my doctoral studies. I am excited about this. I will have a co-leader. 

My son and his wife have sold their big house and bought a bungalow . . . One that has a yard twice the size so more room for the little girls and the new Labradoodle they just adopted, to play and run around in. The girls are all coming to the Farm for a weekend sleepover. Good thing we have all the corn planted and not yet started cutting the hay so Grampa will have time to hang out with his little helpers. 

Today I spent most of the day doing paper work for the farm, Not my favourite task. I got all the forms completed to register our purebred Guernsey calves and gathered all the DNA samples ready to  mail out. Hope we did not miss any.

Oh and the cows went out on pasture last week so I have been getting out of bed at 5:30 every morning, still half asleep, to help bring them in to tie uo for milking. The young cows need to learn the routine soon, so I can carry on being retired and staying in bed until breakfast.

Busy Blessings,

Chris

Yes Spring is Here

 I am finally over the jet lag after returning home from my adventures in Australia. After getting a mere 4 hours of sleep at a time, I finally slept a regular sleep in my own bed now for 2 nights in a row and feel great. This morning I had a 2 1/2 hour physio work out including the massage therapist stretching my quads to nearly the breaking point so I can do the stairs easier. It's a wonderful 27C today with promise of a heat wave of 28-30C over the weekend. A thunderstorm in the forecast, but it can wait until we get the first planting of corn into the ground tomorrow.
 In the meantime, there is a gentle breeze blowing in the fragrance of the fresh cut grass through the open windows. Yes Spring is here. Out my window I see the brown Guernsey cows grazing in the pasture. What a delightful sight. I love living on the farm. I can say that today. Earlier in the week all I could smell was manure being spread on our fields and on the neighbour's fields. Spring. Daffodils and tulips and a stupid red cardinal constantly pecking at my nice new window. He should be out building a nest for his sweetie.

Textured fabrics

 I purchased a few quiet textured fabrics for my 1718 Coverlet. I found a few at Hetty's in Adelaide and a few at Threadbear in Castlemaine. Now I know men and women are different . . . in many ways. But how they approach cutting quilt fabric is very interesting. I sometimes go to a discount chain store here where they are instructed to measure the fabric exactly, cut a notch then tear it off. Ouch. I once bought a half yard cut of all the Jinny Beyer Pallet (135 different colours) that were on half price clearance. Fortunately, there were 2 girls there that morning so it only took them an hour and not take as long as it could have. I insisted that they cut each piece and so they did. Afterwards, I notice one of them going back and tearing each cut edge.  They mark the price and discount on a scrap of paper then staple it to the selvage edge of each piece. Don't want to make any mistakes. They talked about me for some time after I heard.

French General

 I once had a  man cut the fabrics. He very carefully measured out the amount, leaving a bit on either end to make sure I had enough, then with a yard stick and a pencil, he carefully drew a cutting line. Then he finally cut along the straight pencil line with a large pair of scissors. All the while, I leaned on the counter because standing has been an issue for my poor back and hips for a number of years. The shop did sell rotary cutters.
 

Fussy cut potential

The man at Thread bear had a very different approach. He carefully laid out the first bolt making sure that it was straight and leaving a bit beyond the first measuring line on the cutting mat. Then just as carefully, laid out the next bolt right on top and then the rest until he had all 6 bolts stacked on top of each other. He proceeded to cut through 12 layers of cotton all at the same time with a very sharp rotary cutter, leaving a bit extra on each end. (I have trouble runny the cutter through 4 layers) Finally, he neatly folded them over and bagged them. Easy peasy. 

1718 Coverlet blocks

 I had been on the hunt for some uneven blue and not-so-white stripy fabrics for the 1718 Coverlet to use with the Shot Cottons that will be the basis for this amazing project. I found several different pieces so now I have no excuse to put off making some more blocks. I had some of the pieces cut out a couple of months ago awaiting the stripes.

1718 Coverlet blocks

Yesterday, while waiting for the accountant to come do our farm taxes, I pulled out the new fabrics and made 6 more blocks. I should have paid attention better. I reversed the outside strips and corners of  4 of the blocks. Not sure if I will unstitch and redo, do over, or just leave them as they are. And I should have checked the voice mail sooner to find the message from the accountant saying he was rescheduling for later in the month. I pre-paid the taxes last week but we have until mid June to file.

Fragrant Blessings,
Chris

A Bit of Handwork

 

BTCT Block # 24

 I did not get as much handwork done when I was in Australia as I had hoped. I had taken 6 blocks to work on. I completed 1 and worked on 2 others. I worked on this Beyond the Cherry Trees block on the plane from Adelaide and then during my layover in the Hong Kong airport, I was able to lay out the pink centers and get some more work done. I only dropped 1 pin. I had threaded several  needles and knotted the threads before leaving. Then I forgot to check my nice sharp little scissors so had to give them up at the security desk. Interesting that I took the same scissors on a flight to the USA last year without problem. Good thing that I have several extra pairs.

AWS Block # 1

I have gotten this far on the Antique Wedding Sampler Block #1. I joined the Homestead Heath BOM. I am told that it is the hardest one. That is probably why they sent a very generous amount of fabric for this first block . . . in case I had to redo it a couple of times. So far, I only redid one of the brown star points after cutting off the inside point of the pink thing I appliqued in the center. Now I am trying to figure out how to get it to lay straight and smooth on the background. I know I have a lot of pins in it holding it in place. But I think I have to get that center circle round first. It will be reversed appliqued once I have it right. Somehow, seeing the photograph helps get a perspective on it that I cannot see with it in front of me. I hand pieced it. Feeling quite pleased with myself at this point. This block will finish at 12 inches. It is the first of 25. No hurry. But the  next 4 block kits were on my desk when I got home last night.

Happy to Be Home Blessings,
Chris

Antique Wedding Sampler

I am in Australia for 2 more days before taking the 30 hour trip back home to Canada where I hear they had snow again a few days ago. Last week I met Di Ford the designer of the Antique Wedding Sampler Quilt that is one of many in her book Primarily Patchwork.

I joined the Homestead Hearth Antique Wedding Sampler Block of the Month and this is the first block. I am told it is the most difficult one. If I get this one completed then the rest should be easier. We shall see.

AWS Block # 1

I have done very little hand piecing in the past. My hands just do not like it. However, it appears that if I am to do justice to this quilt, then hand piecing I will be doing. I made a silly error with the inside applique point in the first star when I cut off the bottom point. Oops. So I will have to wait until I get home to get some more fabric and redo it so I can complete the ring. I have no idea at this stage how I will press the thing before appliqueing it to the background fabric.

Down Under Blessings,
Chris

CCCQ Blocks

These are a few of my recent completions

I still have 7-8 to complete.

Blessings,
Chris