a little retreatin'

I went away for four days this week with no real expectations of getting anything accomplished.  But I did finish two quilt tops.  The one above is a Bonnie Hunter mystery called "Christmas Lights" that was published in Quiltmaker magazine a number of years ago.  I had the blocks done, but needed to assemble the blocks and add the borders.  Can you see where I made the mistake?  Yes - I did get out my stitch ripper the next morning and turned the block.  I couldn't live with THAT!

Next, I added a row of four patches to finish off this top that I created from split nine-patches.  I really like it.

The retreat was at a cottage on the St. Clair River, with a number of "quaint" details - including this rotary phone.  I forgot what it felt like to answer one of these puppies - - just about knocked myself out cold!  It must weigh a ton!

One more day off, and then it's back to the grindstone. I plan to spend tomorrow working on homework - - I have SEVERAL projects coming due for both of the courses I'm enrolled in.  

Quilts: fueled by Swiss Chocolate

I know - - I'm an idiot.  Like I need more fabric.  But I saw a photo on Quiltville Open Studio facebook page yesterday of a finished Kim Diehl design called "Sprigs & Twigs" and I just knew I had to make one.  I looked all over online for a quilt kit, because I'm really bad at choosing fabric "on purpose" - I'm more of a fabric "finder" than a "shopper".  But first...I had to find the pattern.  (Hey - there are some free Kim Diehl pattens on the Henry Glass website!)

I thought I would spend tomorrow running around SW Ontario looking for "Simple Appeal", but started today with a trip to Elmira's "Quilter's Nine Patch" (it's open Sundays, but closed on Mondays).  WHOOP! WHOOP!  They had the book in stock!

On the way home, Hubby and I stopped in St. Jacob's at Picard's Peanuts briefly, and laid in a small supply of quilting fuel.  mmmmmmmm....chocolate!

I've put together my Leader & Ender project: Split Nine Patch.  I'm piecing together dark four-patches for borders.  I imagine I should have them done by the end of this week.  I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with this - - I love it a whole lot!

Flimsy Finish: Pinwheels Forever

This design by Shelby Morris appeared in the September 2002 McCall's Quilting Quick Quilts, includes forty 8"x8" pinwheel blocks.  I started piecing it last Sunday, and finished putting the borders on this morning.

It's 51.5" x 75.5", and I think I am going to donate this quilt top to the local guild for one of their community outreach projects.

Pinwheels Forever

I took five quilt tops to the long-armer on Monday, including the two most recent flimsy finishes.  One of them is probably 10 years old!  Not sure why I never finished it...

Speaking of ten years old: I pulled out a big ziplock bag of a pre-cut quilt top the other night.  I've moved this bag around for yeeeears.  The pattern that I had tucked in with the pieces is from the September 2002 issue of McCall's Quilting Quick Quilts. I've got about half of the blocks nearly done.  The photo above shows 16 of the required 40.

Another Flimsy Finished

Another flimsy finished, and all ready to go to the Long-Arm Quilter in the morning.

Which of course led me to thinking: "Well? What next?"  I'm horrified to admit it, but I have numerous quilt tops almost nearly completed: it's just a matter of putting the blocks in rows and columns.  One drawer was full of these 6" Split Nine Patches.  Hubby and I got them out last night and arranged them in a number of different ways, but this setting is the one I preferred.  I sewed the nine-patches into blocks of four, and now I'm wondering....should I just do six rows of four squares, or continue making blocks and do a bigger size.  I've decided that the borders with be two rows of dark 2.5" squares, so that the light diamonds (crosses?) will float.  I'm torn.

The nine-patches are a "leader & ender" project that I've had going for a couple of years now.  The four by six configuration will probably be a very nice twin sized bed quilt that I can donate to a hospice or something.  But it's so interesting, that I wouldn't mind having it for my own bed!  No one but another quilter will ever appreciate the amount of work that went into the 44 pieces of fabric that went into each 12" block!!!

You know what's better than that feeling of a new rotary blade???

Answer?  The feeling of a new rotary mat.  Oh. My.

I know there is a method for keeping your mat moisturized, but I think mine is beyond help. It was getting so unpleasant to cut fabric.  My cuts were not as accurate as I hoped because the fabric would be distorted by the extraordinary pressure of my cutter.  I was going through blades like crazy. So I caved in and bought a new one. It's incredible.  But here's a link to the moisturizing tips if you want to give it a try:

Moisturize Your Mat 

This week in quilting, I attended a meeting of the Waterloo County Quilters. The program was interesting. Patti Carey the Marketing Coordinator for Northcott, where she has headed up the sample department since 1986.  Patti endeavors, with the help of her piecer, to make a quilt from most collections that Northcott designs – approximately 50 per year.  These quilts are used as marketing tools by the sales reps, and as features in various quilting magazines.  

This quilt top is coming together - just one more block to go, and then I can start stitching the big blocks together. I hope to have it ready to go to the long-armer on Monday.

Some Sunday Sewing

The weather has turned decidedly autumnal!  It's the right time to make a hot and filling batch of stew to simmer in the oven all afternoon while I spend some time in the basement sewing together 2 1/2" strips from my stash.