Oct 2019 OMG Goal

October's one-monthly-goal will be to complete all the hand applique on at least 2 borders of BTCT. This will mean doing only about 3 cherries a day. I have started to do them freehand since most of the other 300 circles were done that way. It appears that I cut some of the circles too big. So I made those smaller. 

Then, I realized that many others were too big also, to freehand stitch. If I was using the perfect circles it would not matter. I will be away for half the month and I think this border at 10 x 100 inches is a bit bulky to stuff in my carry on bag for my flight to England to visit one of my sisters. 

And, I won the $25 gift coupon from Fat Quarter Shop for completing my goal last month. Wonder what I will buy this time? Thank you, Patty!
Blessings,
Chris
Linking with: needleandthreadnetwork. myquiltinfatuation.

September 2019 OMG Completion

My September one-monthly-goal 

was to sew together these 16 purple blocks.

Purple was the RSC colour for September. 

There are many ways to put these together.

Wonder what the colour will be for October?

Blessings,

Chris

linking to: show-me-something-purple.

Ella BOM

I have decided to use some of the Jane Austin Collections from a few years back for this new block of the month from sentimental stitches. Let's assume that some of the women making blocks were grandmothers and had some older scraps in their cupboards from, say, the 1820s or thereabouts.

I cannot bring myself to spend the next 2 years hand stitching away on a black background. 

Nope. Not going to happen.

And please, can anyone tell me where the leftover Kona Snow blocks are from 1857 and Dear Daughter? For the life of me, I cannot find them anywhere. Guess that's what happens when you complete a project and put away the leftovers.
Blessings,
Chris

Ella Maria Deacon Quilt-A-Long

There is a new BOM from sentimental stitches called The Ella Maria Deacon Quilt. It is a most amazing album quilt with no less than 85 blocks set on point with fussy cut sashing originally made in 1842, the year my house was built. Most of the blocks are appliqued and the rest pieced. This one will not be a freebie. The first month block sets will be $2.50 US then the usual $5 after they are retired into the online store.

Ella Maria Deacon Quilt

The original colours are stunning to say the least. So why am I having difficulty choosing colours? Goodness knows, I have enough reproduction prints and solids in my cupboard and stash. But I have already made several reproduction quilts in the past few years using these same colours. I thought it would be a nice change up to pick a different colour scheme. Hence the hesitation. I have no lack of fabric. Maybe the problem is that I have too much and too many choices. And I have recently learned a new psychological term called Decision_fatigue.

I considered using one of the many fat quarter fabric collections I have. But which one?  I think almost 12 year old Ava will be making this one with me. I will offer her a choice of colours. Maybe she will go with Kaffe fabrics and a black background. Now, won't that be spectacular?
Blessings,
Chris
linking with: whatahootquilts. moving-it-forward. monday-making. needleandthreadnetwork.  myquiltinfatuation.

Options

I thought this pattern was Corn and Beans

but it does look like Ocean Waves. 

The blocks so far are just randomly placed. 

I will let the little girls play with placement after I get a few more colours made.

And the 6 year old added her option.

Blessings,

Chris

linking to: off the wall Friday
myquiltinfatuation.

Throwback Thursday Quilts made before blogging

I started blogging Sept 4, 2013. It took me a while to figure out what I was doing and how to do it. It took me longer to figure out how to stop being a no-reply blogger so I could interact with my readers. After a while, I found some linky parties and started dialogues with many quilters around the world. What a wonderful journey that has been. One of them is Sandra at  mmmquilts who hosts Throwback Thursday Quilts made before blogging.

This is one of my earlier quilts that I actually completed and gifted. One girl that was working for us milking cows and doing a hundred other things, was going off to college so we decided to make her a quilt. So, for her birthday in May, I gave her a bag of fabrics and a picture of a Wagon Wheel quilt I saw in a magazine. Earlier, I had asked her what her favourite colour was. She paused, lowered her head, a bit bashful, for her, and said burnt orange. No problem. I had some yardage and a whole wack of orange and golds and browns.

It took me a few months and many stitches removed and redone. I had machine quilted it in that (in my opinion) horrible monofilament thread that kept stretching and breaking and nesting. On the back is a panel with folded hands and the Lord's Prayer.  It is all half-square triangles and squares.
She dragged it back and forth to college and home every weekend for 2 years.

Blessings,
Chris
tgiff.  frombolttobeauty.

2019 Quilters Meet and Greet

Hi. My name is Chris, and I Quilt at the Farm.  Actually, I do pretty much everything at the farm since I live on a dairy farm. I have been blogging about my life on the farm and family, travel and quilting since Sept 4, 2013, so tomorrow is my bloggerversary. I have been invited to take part in victoriana quilt designs  2019-online-quilters-meet-greet..

What can I say? I quilt. A lot. Almost every day. I love reproduction quilts and applique. Especially needle-turn hand applique because that is where I am in my happy place. I do machine applique also if I want to complete something fast. And write. I have published a book called Denine: One mother's journey with a profoundly handicapped child. You can read more about it on my website here.  I am in the process of writing 2 more books. I will be taking part in a virtual writing retreat this weekend after I judge canning at a local fair.

These are a few of the quilts I have been working on in the past few years. Most of them are quilted by machine. Some are patiently awaiting their turn. 

GORF 1 - Go Real Fast

Chester County Criswell Quilt
needle turn hand applique

GORF 2 - Go Real Fast

Simple Simon 

$10 Sampler 

Crazy Patch

Original Later Cake 

1857 Album Quilt
needle turn hand applique

Dear Daughter
needle turn hand applique

Double Irish Chain

Civil War Dear Jane

Beyond the Cherry Trees.
needle turn hand applique

Besides quilting and writing, I travel. You can read about some of my mission adventures here and here and here. I often take along some hand applique blocks because I can get a lot of work done one stitch at a time.

There is a grand prize draw. For more information check out this link victorianaquiltdesigns.

Blessings, 

Chris
needleandthreadnetwork.