Archive Quilt # 84 - Split Four Patch

I made the blocks for this quilt in 1990 when we lived in Scottsboro, Alabama.  I used whatever fabrics I had leftover from sewing projects.  About all that I knew about quilting at that time I had learned from reading Magazines or from seeing Eleanor Burns or Georgia Bonesteel on the local PBS TV stations. 

Our church, Randall's Chapel UMC, had a group of ladies that met once a week and quilted for people.  They set up a quilting frame in the fellowship hall and gathered at 9 AM.  In addition, they brought dishes for lunch.  About 11 AM several other ladies (non-quilters) would arrive with more dishes of food.  Near noon other church members, husbands, the pastor etc.would drift in and we would have lunch.  The non quilters would clean up from lunch, visit awhile and leave.  The quilters stayed until 3:30 or 4 PM depending on their schedules.  They let me quilt with them  - even though they were probably appalled by my stitches.  I never got there at 9 or stayed until 4 but I loved them, spending time with them and hearing all their stories.  I received the church newsletter the other day and there was a note that the quilting group would meet soon. It was good to hear the quilting tradition is still continuing on at RCUMC. 

I have given away all the quilts that they hand quilted for me during the time we lived in Scottsboro.

I added the bubblegum pink border and quilted it in 1994.  It measures 70 by 90".   I have made this pattern several times for baby quilts. And also another large quilt that I pieced up at the lake a few years ago.

Here is another one that I made in 2009  - set a little differently.  I'll have to get it out oneday and take a proper picture of it.

Lake Life & Archive Quilt # 143

We headed up to the lake Wednesday afternoon after Lenten services at church.  WUMC ladies were responsible for providing the lunch and Pastor Trip the devotion.  Since I volunteered myself and a friend to oversee the luncheon, I knew I wasn't leaving until the kitchen was in order again. With lots of help, that didn't take too long.  We were done before 2PM.

It was a beautiful day and John and I were at the lake by 4.  We are expecting friends for a few days next week so we wanted to clean the porch.   With all this warm weather the pollen is all over everything.

John caught several small catfish but no Crappie.  His excuse was that the water was very high.  It wasn't for lack of trying  on his part.  John is wearing his favorite blue shirt again.  He also mowed the grass.

This is another lake quilt.  It was very sunny but I wanted to take a picture before I threw it in the washer.  I made it from instructions in an old Leisure Arts book called "Sew Quick Scrap Quilts" in 2002.  I remember it made a mess with all the trimming of the blocks each round but I enjoyed making it.  It is 91 x 98" and has a piano key border on three sides.

It was quilted very simply in an allover meander (my skill level at that time) using variegated thread. I like the backing fabric - I think I had some of the same fabric in green.

String Squares Finished

It is impossible to tell even close up that I used several different quilting threads on the center of the quilt.  The first was a brass color from Superior Threads but it kept shredding. Then I used a couple of greens and as they ran out, I switched to a dark taupe to finish.  The borders were done using an ecru Aurifil.

I used a meadow green thread on the back throughout.

The quilt is 72 by 86 and had unequal borders to make the quilt wide enough for a full bed. I used trimmed ends of blocks for the inset between the borders.

Backing fabric


I am already making more string blocks.  This time, I am using different widths in the strings and not following the dark light pattern as here.  I think I will set them on point.

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Table of Grace tonight at WUMC.  The menu is Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin,  Broccoli Rice Casserole, Applesauce and Dessert.  We will also be cooking for Wednesday's Community Lenten Lunch.  It is our church's turn to be host.  We're going to serve various salads and desserts. 

Our church (our Pastor at that time was Rev. Danny Allen) started the Lenten Lunch Services about 25 years ago when our Fellowship Hall was still in the church basement.   At that time I think there were 5 churches who participated.  Each week a different church has the devotion and serves lunch. We now have nine churches.  The Christian Church holds the services daily during Holy Week.  The Wendell Council of Churches oversees it all.

Aunt Grace Baby Quilt Finished

I have had a good couple of weeks, staying on track with my quilting in between other things.

I started this quilt back in June if I remember right.  It is 50 x 62".   I will put it away to gift a future baby girl(the back is a light pink.)

detail of baby quilt

Back of  quilt

Yesterday was Undercover Bee.  We made a day of it and went out for lunch at a new restaurant in Garner.  It was home style and the food was great. Lots of show and tell, a demo on cathedral windows and fun.  I made a few string squares for a future quilt. I'm trying to get my scrap boxes  under control.  This afternoon, I took a couple of hours and sorted, trimmed and tossed what string pieces I felt weren't usable.

I also sorted out all the very lights that were more than 14" long as I want to make the Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll quilt from Bonnie Hunter's last year mystery.  I want to make the string squares for it before I do any of the other parts.   I don't do the paper sewing thing so I will make strip sets that are about 14" square and cut my pieces from them.  One square will net me the same as 2 of her paper sewn squares.  Lots of stripy sewing ahead in between other things.

I Call Him Wonder Boy...............

John is part true grit, get-r-done, soldier-on and keep on keeping on, etc.  Sometimes I call him "Wonder Boy".

Today I looked out the kitchen window expecting to see John working on his tractor.  But there he was taking up the patio tiles and removing the unwanted vegetation. Because he likes things done right, he will add more sand, level that, add herbicide, cover with plastic, relay the tiles and probably repaint the garden bench while he's at it.  He has kind of adopted this area as his garden.  Okay by me.

His cardiologist told him last week he has Atrial Fibrillation,  the reason he has been feeling so tired lately.  (Lots of tests and procedures coming up).  That doesn't deter him!

The weather has been so warm that almost any excuse to get outside is okay.  I hope Wonder Boy's 77 year old bones won't be feeling too much discomfort come 3AM or so.

Pink Spider Web Finished

I finished sewing the binding down at the lake and I really like how all my fabric substitutions look.  I ran out of the pink center fabric twice, and the black for the borders of the webs twice.  It is 58 x 74" and will make a nice lap quilt.

A detail of the fabrics and feathery quilting in the pink areas.

I've had this black spool fabric for ages and it is just perfect for this quilt.  And the best thing was I used it all up!

A better picture of the backing fabric!

Archive Quilt # 144 - Delectable Strippy

As I was changing beds at the lake the other day I took some of the quilts outside to take pictures of them.  In some ways this is my very favorite quilt.  I love the colors and the pattern and the overall look of it.  I don't like that I used clear Sulky thread to quilt it but then that was my comfort zone back in 2002 when I finished it.  It is 80 x 90" and I quilted it on my Bernina 1130.

I saw a quilt in an ad in a quilting magazine when John was in the hospital for all those long months in 2000.  I would visit the quilt shop near the hospital as therapy in spare moments and look for fabrics for it.  I also drafted the pattern while sitting at the hospital. When John finally came home, I was ready to sew.  I thought it would be pretty fast to make since half of the quilt was strips.  I was wrong.  According to the label on the back, I was going to name it "Not So Quickie Strippy".  Glad I labeled it or I would have completely forgotten that. 

I used to be really diligent about labeling my quilts.  I made all my labels on the computer using a Print Artist Gold program and fabric treated with Bubble Jet Set ironed to freezer paper.

A couple of years ago I read an article about how much more meaningful it is to make labels in your own hand especially for those given as gifts.  But lately I have not labeled at all or have waited until the last minute before I give them.

 

I wonder if other quilters have this problem too.

 

I

Lake Break & Archive Quilt #96 - Bow Ties, Cabin & Trees

After many doctor appointments and volunteer duties this week we decided we needed a break!

The weather was wonderful and we had a great time.  John had plenty of time to fish and I enjoyed my porch time just sitting around and listening to the birds etc.

  

John caught catfish and crappie. 

Our son-in-law, Paul and granddaughter, Molly spent the night with us Friday ( they were on their way to Williamsburg, VA.)  This morning I fixed a big breakfast before they left.  I even cooked some crappie for John.  He was a very happy camper.  His mom often served fish for breakfast.  Crappie is very mild and doesn't make any fishy smell in the kitchen. That makes me a happy camper too!

 Before we came home he took the catfish to one of our neighbors who in turn sent us home with fresh turnips from their garden.

This is one of the Lake Quilts.  I made it for John for his 65th birthday which was the first year the cabin was finished. We drew up the plans and John did a lot of the finish work on the cabin himself.  It is denims and reds which signified giving up his red power ties for blue jeans and flannels.  The backing is red flannel.  It is 78 x 90".  I took this just before I tossed it in the washer. 

Frienship Star Quilted

The quilting is finished on this Friendship Star Veteran's quilt.  It is 51 x 63".

I had several yards of various plaids up at the lake, leftovers from curtains and bed skirts in one bedroom. They are all combinations of reds, whites and blues so I will use them for backings on my Veteran's quilts this year.  The red binding was some that I had made for another project and then chose something else.  Today I washed both Veteran's quilts so they are ready for giving. 

We had a great time at Connie's for our sewing time on Thursday.  I got out my H Blocks to take with me.  They are so easy and fun to make.  I have almost enough to make a bed size quilt for my nephew and family.  I need about 12 more.  It was a warm day so we had lunch on the deck and took a garden tour of Connie's backyard.  We also got to peep at her stash. Awesome!

I have my Pink Spiderweb quilted and binding sewed on so hopefully I will get it sewed down this weekend. Today I started working on quilting the String Squares.

Scrappy Trips Top Finished

Finished this top today and I feel like I need to stand in the next room to look at it.  It's 75 x 94"

Pretty sure I won't make this pattern again.

Productive Friday

Well today both John and I can say we had a productive day.  John has been busy with his list of things that need to be done outside both here and up at the lake.  Today he had the tree guys come to trim up some trees.

Both in the front and back of the house.  They did leave us a big load of mulch that we can use out back or give to Scott, a friend at church that grows lots of vegetables to donate to our food pantry. He has the most beautiful garden and works so hard to keep The Food Pantry in fresh vegetables.

While all that sawing, trimming, grinding and shredding was  going on outside, I had my own little trimming task.  Yesterday I had cut batting pieces for all the quilts that I wanted to layer.  But when I was putting them together, I realized that I had forgot to trim the fabric from behind the Dresden plate appliques. After lunch we loaded up the car and took six quilts down to church to layer.

John went with me to keep me company.  He was a big help. He also got to read the paper in between tasks.

The quilts are still laying in the chair where we dropped them when we got home. I did the String Squares, Dresden Plate II, Double Nine Patch, Disappearing Nine Patch, Spider Web, and the Veteran Friendship Star.  Now I have seven to quilt!  I have two more quilts that are near the finished top stage.  I just need to choose the fabric for an inner border on the Orca Bay quilt and I have all the blocks made and the center sewn on the Scrappy Trips quilt. 
I am so looking forward to doing something new.

John was getting his things ready to go to the lake tomorrow (our helper-workers will go with him to do a couple of things he wants to get done up there). And I cooked dinner.

Next week he had the landscaper guy coming!

Yikes! No fabric for me this month.   .