Sisterly Quilts--The First One

I finally managed a bit of time with lovely fabric and two of my favorite machines.

This is what can happen to a photo when the cloudy, rainy light is horrible and one asks another quilter to hold the quilt. This was made with leftover 10-inch squares from a layer cake.


Much of the quilting was done with Glide Strawberry Lemonade; but I used a few more colors too.

What looks like muslin is a very low-volume white-on-off-white nature print.

I have five more pieced blocks left over for another prayer quilt.  Hence, this is Sister I and next will be Sister II.

Here's the sight I caught outside my window this windy afternoon.

I don't know what kind of birds these are, and I've never seen them around here before.  Clearly they are mates.  At first I thought they were a decoration my neighbor had put up on her wall; then their eyes and heads moved.  They were gorgeous enough to make anyone fall in love with the variations of beige.  They are all puffy to keep warm against the wind.  Then I think the sun's reflection on my camera when I moved scared them off.  They were so beautiful and made me feel blessed that I happened to look out the window at just the right time.  (I do wish I'd been able to get more and better pictures.)
edit:  A friend says these are ring-necked doves. They used to be birds that were kept in cages, but they escaped and are now breeding in the wild.


Happy quiltmaking...and knitting,

Candy for Quilters & What Mountains?!

I don't have another finished quilt, but hope to have one soon!
I do have some Candy for Quilters!

I started calling Fil-Tec Glide thread "Candy for Quilters" several years ago--because that's what it reminds me of--minus the calories of real candy, of course.

 At some point Fil-Tec started calling it "Candy for Quilters" too.  This is my latest order, which arrived Wednesday, but I didn't want to fight with the hard working local post office people and didn't have the tracking number with me, so I had to wait until I got home, just after they closed, to look it up.  I found out they had communicated "attempted delivery" to the shipper, but they hadn't really attempted delivery, because they didn't put a card in my post office box.  However, I was able to pick it up yesterday.

In addition to the 5000 meter spools, I ordered some Magna-Glide Classic bobbins, size L.  I chose colors I thought would most readily work on some awaiting quilt backs.

(I do have some crystal candy dishes/plates somewhere, but this favorite old Taylor Smith Taylor saucer is also one of my favorites.)

I do use these bobbins in my vintage sewing machines.  The magnet side goes toward the metal on the bobbin case (but probably would not have to if the bobbin threaded differently).  The magnet keeps the bobbin from spinning out of control when I'm going fast and just feeds very evenly through the machine. They've done well in my class 15 machines as well as in my machines that use a class 66 bobbin.  I haven't tried them on a Singer Featherweight because that uses class 60 bobbins, and is much too small for me to quilt on--yes, I've tried to quilt on it.  I'm sure I could set the stitch length at zero since the feed dogs don't drop.  But I'm just not a fan of tiny projects, so I've never done that.

Yes, I could wind Glide thread onto bobbins and have often done so, but the pre wound ones are wound more tightly and are ready to pop into the bobbin case.

Now for the mountains....there are none visible today!  I live on a high plateau, sometimes called the llano stacado and sometimes called the Estancia Valley.  We're about 6200 to 6400 feet in elevation and surrounded by mountains.  However, we are in the midst of our third/fourth storm this week and have thousands of feet of clouds and a bit of fog and, currently, snow.  The snow is so low that doppler radar is reporting it's not even here.  The mountains surrounding us are all hidden today. (When the mountains disappear, this little town reminds of the little town in Illinois near our family farm.) We have icy, treacherous roads, and more snow.  I got up very early, recognizing I'd need to do some shoveling.  There is a lot of ice under our snow.  I was worried about getting even to the highway, let alone 40 miles down the interstate to my school.  "Down" doesn't quite describe the commute because first we have to climb several hills (which are like mountains back east) and then descend into the city of Albuquerque. Albuquerque  posted two-hour delays for the East Mountain schools and within a couple of hours posted that they would be closed. Then the district I live in posted a school closure.
The state of New Mexico had already posted difficult driving conditions and some road closures.  The police in Albuquerque began closing streets/roads/interchanges due to ice.  Eventually Albuquerque Public Schools cancelled school for today.  Their closure then triggered the closing of a large number of private and state chartered schools as well as Central New Mexico University and the University of New Mexico.

Perfect license for quilting--except I need to do a lot of other things around the house too.  I really hope I accomplish a lot. Perfect day for a few pots of hot tea too!

May you all be warm, safe, and well-fed!

Happy quiltmaking and knitting,

More Than Two Decades Later!

I pieced this years ago--1992, I think.

 I pieced another the same weekend, and it was hand quilted by the end of 1992.
I was in the process of buying a house, so this one was packed away.  I pulled it out several times during the intervening years, but it ended up back in a box.

By the time it came out of a box again last fall, I'd pretty much forgotten it.  It's a small treasure intended to be a wall hanging.  It measured only 31 by 40 inches.

It's now quilted.  These colors do not play well when photographed.  The violet is the color of the violets that grew wild in the midwest.  The turquoise is bluer.  And what looks like teal is very close to a kelly green. Maybe their inability to play well with cameras and in print is why I never see these colors in quilt magazines.

 It's comprised of six whirlygig blocks, which are comprised of eight flying geese segments.

 I quilted with violet on the violet, an ashy medium green on the green, and a light turquoise on the rest of the quilt.  I used Fil-Tec  Glide.

 My favorite parts are the two-inch turquoise border,...

and the five inch outer border. I would have guessed that the five inch border would be too narrow for my curvy beribboned borders, but they worked out just fine.

I can't think of any spot in my current house where this quilt would work. So I'm thinking it will become a Victory Prayer Quilt for someone in a wheel chair because it's small enough not to get caught in the wheels.

I had also forgotten how fast it can be to quilt something of this small size.  Wonder how long it will take me to get binding cut and sewn.  (First I have to find a suitable solid.)

I'm linking to Connie's Weekly Link-Up at Free-Motion by the River,
Freshly Pieced WIP on Wednesday,
and Esther's Wips on Wednesdays.

Happy quiltmaking and knitting.

Quilting Goodies in the Mail!

I've been waiting impatiently for these:

I love the time I save when I can quilt instead of wind bobbins!  I also love Fil-Tec Magna-Glide Bobbins and Glide thread.  I can use their L size bobbins in my class 15 machines (although sometimes I need to pull off a few yards).  They work wonderfully.  I ordered boxes of 72 bobbins in the colors I use most.  I ordered a lovely pink and a lovely sand color in cones for quilting too. They also sell jars of 20 L Bobbins (or 10 M bobbins) in even more colors.  Because their bobbins were designed for long arm quilters, they are wound very tightly.  The L bobbins have 76 yards and the M bobbins have 136 yds (I think).  Because of the magnetic core, even when I stitch very fast, I never get a backlash, where the bobbin keeps spinning when I stop sewing.  They unwind very, very smoothly because that magnetic core clings gently to the bobbin post.

A closer look reveals the 10 rotary blades and a lighted tweezer that I ordered from Eleanor Burns' Quilt In A Day when they had their after-Thanksgiving sale.

I absolutely love getting goodies from Bobbin Central.  Their colors are luscious (my machines love them, as do my quilts), and, as I've claimed for years, just looking at them and touching them is every bit as delightful as a candy banquet!  Fil-Tec has even begun promoting them as "Candy for Quilters."

Now that I have the bobbins and thread, I can begin a couple of quilts that have been lying around awaiting their arrival!

Happy quiltmaking....and knitting (if you can find time for both!),

Prayer Quilt Top Is Finished

I've finished the top.  Since it was nearly 60 degrees without wind by 10:30, I was able to take some pictures outside.  (Of course, I first had to haul tumble weeds off to the trash, so my eyes are itching!)

 

 Below was the "plan."  Real fabrics are obviously much nicer than the plan.

I did decide to use a different dark red than originally planned.  It was part of the same small fat quarter pack, but I thought it added more interest than the dots would have. 

 

I also decided to add corner blocks on the first border. The inner border was cut 2.5 inches wide (27.5 inches long) with 2.5 inch squares of green added at the ends of the two longer side.

The border fabric is a Clothworks Laurel Birch fabric that I purchased from Over the Rainbow at least a couple of years ago.  I did not have enough to cut the borders lengthwise on the fabric, so I cut crosswise, piecing the two longer borders. These outer borders were cut 6.5 inches wide.  The first two sides were cut 31.5 inches long.  The two longer sides were pieced on the diagonal and then cut 43.5 inches long.

(Don't you just love that deep blue New Mexican sky?!)

This quilt used two fat quarters of each of the four fabrics plus a little over a yard of the border fabric. (I do have some scraps that I will put in a bag and pass on to our prayer quilt ministry since these are not colors I use very often, but some of the other quilters do use them.) I do have a slightly darker green that I'll probably use for binding. I'm thinking I'll use the two dotted fat quarters that I put to the side to help widen the backing.  The top finishes at 43.5 inches square, so I'll need the backing to be 51 or 52 inches (four inches added to the measurement of the top on each side). I'll also need to check out my batting to see if I have something I can use without piecing it.

This quilt will look great quilted in my favorite Fil-Tec Gold Glide thread 80137.

(It's not a metallic thread.) This gold thread is currently the last gold in the bottom row of their chart on the linked page.  (However, be aware that over time they change positions, although this number has stayed constant for several years.)  The advantage of this color is that it enhances so very many fabric choices.  It also comes in pre-wound bobbins.  (I use the smaller L size bobbins in my class 15 treadle sewing machines.)

Side note:  This is *not* the color of pine pollen coating everything in the Southeast! That thought helps me not go too crazy in Southwest winds!

I'm wondering how long it will take to piece the backing; I'm sure what will take the most time is choosing the main fabric.

If you like this quilt and my chatter about how I made it is less detailed than you need,  remember that you can follow Mary Lane Brown's tutorial on Moda Bake Shop. Just cut your corner triangles 2.5 inches and use two or three colors for them rather than just one. (I didn't know about her tutorial until she and I were e-mailing after I did my first post about this quilt top.)

By the way, the i-pad worked out great for my paperless notes; I did buy a new ink cartridge that needs to be installed; and then I'll need to coax the printer to function with the computer and wireless router.--I do not like the amount of time those techie things require of a non-techie person!

In the next few days I'll post some little quiltmaking tips that I photographed while making this top--just a few that make things easier for some of us.

Happy quiltmaking......

Robin's Song, Fabric Stacks, & Quilting Progress

"At long last," as my grandma and mom would say, Robin's Nest is on its way to the newest member of the family.

If you missed the story of Robin's Song, you can read about it here, here, here, and here.

Here's a glimpse of the border that I posted about here. (I wonder if I'll get an updated picture of the baby with her quilt.)

 I've absolutely had to fill in my stash.  I needed a border fabric for some fat quarters 

and several low volume fabrics,

 and then I ran across some low volume blues that I've needed to accompany the teacup fabric I purchased several years ago that has been languishing on my shelf for lack of accompaniment.

I do hope I have several decades left in which to continue quilting--because I'd hate to see my carefully acquired fabrics end up at a thrift store!  (I do promise not to bury them in the back yard to save my family the embarrassment of acknowledging their existence and then getting rid of them.)

While I'm waiting for more Gold Glide Thread, I'm putting in some time on the Flowerdee quilt.  (Yes, I know I need to come up with a better name.)

 I'm seldom certain how I will quilt something until the quilt is on my machine and starts talking to me.  I love that Shelli put this delicate solid plain pink in the quilt.  It really lets the quilting help it sing.

 I came up with some quick-flowing ribbons for the black, and a simple design that works well in the flowered squares, but it doesn't show up well when photographed.
Yes, I am quilting it on my treadled Necchi BU--although I'm pretty sure I need to use my Singer 15-88 treadle to quilt something really soon, because it's getting lonely.

I do love quilts with great floral fabrics although it becomes a challenge to find the right quilting pattern since the stitches won't show up well anyway.  I'm sure this quilt is going to warm someone's cold winter.

I'm linking to Connie Kresin's Freemotion by the River and Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story so you can take a look at the endeavors of other quilt makers.


Happy quiltmaking......

New Quilt to Be Quilted

As usual, I'm working on several different projects.  Yesterday my friend Shellie handed me a new one. This is one of several projects she's been working on over the summer.

 (Yes, that blue is truly what our New Mexico skies look like this morning.)

On Saturday she sat down to quilt it and decided not to--she says she loves the piecing, but not so much the quilting.  She has pieced, appliqued and quilted several projects, but hesitated to do this one.

Here is a closeup of four of the blocks:

 I'm thinking I'll quilt it as if it were pinwheels and square-in-a-square.  Since she had already purchased her thread, she sent that home with me too, two very sweet pinks.

My order of Fil-Tec Glide and Affinity from Bobbin Central arrived a few days ago.

I took a photo of it, but then didn't show it.  Yes, I've already started using one of those Magna-Glide bobbins.  I am thrilled that they work so well even in my vintage machines. (They come with instructions to remove the check spring from the bobbin case, but please note those instructions are for long-arm machines.  I just slip the Magna-Glide bobbin into my class 15 bobbin case and stitch away.  They look like they would work just fine in a Class 66 bobbin case too, but the only class 66 machine I have left is my Singer 99 handcrank, and since I can't crank and quilt at the same time, I haven't tried them in that machine.)

I had planned to start on Lynn's Star next--then when this order arrived, I realized I'd forgotten to order another 5,000 yard spool of gold--which is what I need in order to quilt her quilt.  I'm kind of hoping for an e-mail from bobbincenteral this week with some kind of special offer so I can choose some things to join the gold.  I checked the prices of the thread my friend sent home with me and am so glad I usually use Glide.  I'm eagerly awaiting the issue of their new Glide color card with all their new colors on it.

I'm linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday
and, since this new quilt is only about 48 X 56 inches, to Elizabeth's Little Quilt Monday.



Happy quiltmaking.....

Quilt Progress, Tatting, Lucky Finds

If you came here looking for the give-away that runs through September 4, you will find it on this post.

I spent 2.5 hours in the office of the rehab doctor on Tuesday before he managed to get to me for a 10 minute procedure, there was no time left to run errands (in fact we had to do some car hopping and driver changes in order to get me home).  So yesterday I needed to head into Albuquerque for a couple of purchases, and on the way in I stopped at Good Will.  While I realize lots of people find great bargains at Good Will, it's much more rare here, although five or ten years ago I found wonderful things.  However, yesterday I did find some sweet things.

First the quilting progress:

 I'm trying to decide which of these two threads to use in the border of Little Miss Gardener, the quilt for the new great niece who will arrive in early October.  The thread on the right is Fil-Tec Glide and the one on the left is Fil-Tec Affinity, which is the same as the Glide except it's variegated.  (You might want to take advantage of their sale on Magna-Glide bobbins, which will continue for a few days.  No, I don't work for them.  I just love their threads. I use their size L magnetic bobbins in my Class 15 sewing machines.)

Yes, I will do a tutorial on quilting a feathery border, although I've decided to make it continuous around the entire quilt, which is not the way I do it most frequently.

 Here is the quilt so far, in all it's feathery goodness.  The tutorial for how to do the feathered plumes in the snowball blocks is here.

Good Will purchases:

 Two sets of embroidered pillowcases.   They are 100% cotton, so I'm guessing the cases were purchased in the 40s or 50s. Yes, I was amazed first that something of this quality was in that particular store, and more amazed that they had to have been destinedfor the variegated size 40 tatting thread I purchased this summer from Jess! at Tatilicious.

I suspect the pillow cases were never used  and that it was because an edging was never attached.  I have decided that rather than attach these edgings on the edge, I'll attach them on the hem.  A couple decades ago when I finished a set of pillow cases and sheet with embroidery and tatting, I did attach the lace at the the edge.  Despite the fact that I don't often use that set of sheets, the lace is coming apart in some places.  So I think this lace will last longer if it's on the hem.

Both of these lace edgings are narrow and my own design, because I had no idea how far 50 yards of thread would go--and I did end up ordering more.  I was going to come up with a tatted medallion for each pillow case, and I actually have finished one and have begun another, but the embroidery colors on these cases were so perfect that I just knew they were destined to have lace made from this gorgeous thread hand dyed by this wonderful young woman.

I almost didn't see these treasures.  The frames look like pecan wood--and the framing was done by Pic Frame in Alamagordo.  Beautiful stitching with all x's made properly and thread lying nicely.  We have hummingbirds all summer in our area and even more during migration season.  I'm thrilled to have these.

Okay, there were a couple of more purchases.  One was a file to sharpen the blades of my people-powered push mower because the vintage or antique (more likely) file I've inherited from Grandpa is not doing the job.  Neither the file nor the task is at all romantic, so no picture.

This was a splurge from Sunflower Markets/Sprouts  (they're in transition).  I have not had a slice of blueberry pie for decades!  No kidding.  By the time I was 11 or 12, pie making was my task.  My mom used a recipe from Mazola Oil  (at the time we had no idea I was allergic to corn products), and the pies were more like a tart.  My favorite was blueberry, but we rarely had blueberry filling.  (And now my favorite is cherry, but they had no cherry pies.)

Among my goals for today is to get at least the widest border of Little Miss Gardener done.  I'll take pictures as I work.

I'm linking to Melissa's Try New Things Thursday, despite the fact that attaching lace in a new place has nothing to do with quilting (except that bed quilts deserve to be accompanied by beautiful pillow cases).

Happy quiltmaking......

Tatting & Blueberry Muffins

One of the things I discovered about six weeks ago, was that not only were my reaction times slowed by my head injury but also my fine motor skills had been impacted.

I am exceedingly grateful that I'm regaining oral fluency (although abstract thought and organization is one of my next challenges).  However, my knitting has slowed considerably, and my ability to manage the mechanics of tatting as well as the organization of a pattern are also challenging.


Yes, this is one of the tatting shuttles I've had since the 1970s.  The thread, however, is brand new.  I ordered this thread, in Pansy, and French Country from Jessica. Jessica has a delicious tatting blog, dyes variegated thread from a very high quality six-cord, and sells them on Etsy, http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tatilicious.

Yes, I know I can hand-dye fabrics and could hand-dye tatting thread too.  In fact, in the past I even hand-dyed some of my own variegated embroidery floss.  Because Jessica does such a great job and creates such beautiful threads, I choose to buy from her. (For those of you who like red-work type embroidery or like to use chain stitch machines for this type of embroidery, Jess's threads would be perfect if you used size 40 or 80.  And her size 20 is perfect for crocheted or tatted thingees for spool pins on sewing machines--and a lot prettier than those felt pads.)

  Yesterday, while sitting at Vacation Bible School before my therapy appointments, I wound Jess's threads on spools, put the Pansy thread on a shuttle, and started this lace. (In the process, I discovered that one of my favorite ladies at church used to tat too.) Most tatting projects are built around a certain number of stitches separated by a space to make the little picot.  This pattern is based on repeats and variations of four stitches, as were most of my paternal grandmother's projects. If any tatters out there would like this pattern, I'd be glad to write it up and post it. I created this pattern myself because I wanted something that would create some yardage but not use too much thread--since I have only 50 yards. That is not to deny that sometime in the past someone may have already created this pattern.  Like patchwork, there are some limits to what a pattern can be, and there are fewer elements in tatting than in quilted patchwork.


I've noticed that most of my projects in the past were done in size 30 thread, and apparently that was my grandmother's favorite size too.  Jess dyes threads in size 20 (largest) to 80 (for years considered the standard for edgings for handkerchief lace).  My new favorite is size 40--because it's large enough to look delicate and yet works up quickly.

 This lace will go on a set of pillowcases if it turns out to be long enough.  It's been so many years since I made lace specifically for a project, that I don't even remember how far 50 yards will go.  Most of the time when I carry along tatting to keep my hands busy and to keep me from fidgeting, I just add to a project that's already yards long.  Jess's beautiful colors have inspired me to focus on something more specific.

My other satisfying project yesterday was another healthy revision to my flax-seed muffin recipe. We had to be on the road by 7:45, so this was a great way to start the day (and we took muffins along for a couple of Sweet Teen's friends, who were also helping with VBS).

 If you'd like to start your day with a healthier version of muffins, here's my recipe.

Flaxseed Muffins

Take two eggs and about 1 1/4 cup milk from refrigerator, as well as 1 to 1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries.

Wash blueberries and drain in colander over paper towels.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

In large mixing bowl place two cups flour, mixed with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

To the flour mixture add 1/2 cup ground flax seed (I use Bob's Red Mill and store it in the freezer in a large plastic lidded jar).

Place 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup coconut oil in large measuring cup along with the milk, and heat in microwave at 20% power until room temperature.  (Yesterday it was so hot that our cocunut oil was already nearly liquid, but this step was still necessary, because once it meets the cold milk, it will return to solid state.)

Add two eggs to the milk coconut oil mixture and whisk together.  Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of blue agave syrup and a large splash of pure vanilla and whisk some more. Set aside.

In a small bowl, place the now-much-dryer blueberries along with 3 to 4 tablespoons of cane sugar to coat the blueberries.  Set aside.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir with large wooden or plastic spoon just until all dry ingredients are wet.  (Do not over-mix because that would excite the gluten in the flour and make the muffins tough.)

Fill 12 muffin cups 1/2 full.  (I use muffin trays from DeMarle at Home, so I do nothing to them before adding the muffin batter.  If you don't have this type of muffin pan, you may wish to spray the muffin cups or fill them with paper liners and spray the muffin papers.)

[If you have a family member like my Sweet Teen, fill two of the muffin cups completely--because she doesn't like muffins that contain fruit.]

Drop some coated blueberries into each of the half-filled cups, add remaining batter, and then place three or four coated blueberries on top of each filled cup.

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in muffin removes clean, except, in this case, for a bit of blueberry juciness.  Remove from oven, remembering to turn off the oven because it's going to be a very hot day, and enjoy your muffins with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Store extras in a ziplock bag--during hot weather like this, I put them in the refrigerator because the berries are so juicy.

 I'm off to work on a couple of doll quilts.
Happy quiltmaking........

Robin's Song Quilting Complete....

  ...except for being signed, and it still needs binding.

 I quilted feathers with s-spines in the borders--3 different colors of thread, alternating a Fil-Tec Glide green, a Fil-Tec Glide pearl, and a ThreadArt variegated that ranged from almost ivory through apricot.

 The border is beautiful, but, boy, did I get tired of rethreading the machine.  I like the effect, but I don't think I'll try so many color changes on a border again--at least not for a while.

 I do love the serenity this border adds to the quilt. This quilt was made from two Moda charm packs, 3 Sisters' Papillon, from a quilt designed by Mary Lane Brown from the old Florida cracker pattern and featured on the Moda Bake Shop. This quilt was made entirely on my ca. 1940's Necchi BU in a 1919 Singer treadle cabinet. (Yep, it represents a lot of treadling!)

 And this is the little lady who will receive the quilt.  Blanche is almost five months old, and look at the personality in that face and those eyes.  Her mother's eyes were equally as deep blue at that age. (Blanche was designed by Karen and Max and named for Karen's paternal grandmother, who died almost 60 years ago.)

Now that I'm pretty much finished with the fun of quilting, it's time to get the binding cut and applied. I once let a quilt sit around for almost a year waiting for the binding to be sewn to the back!  I need to be a bit quicker this time. I'm pretty sure I should have cut out the binding when I pieced the quilt--would have made it less painful!

I'm going to link to Connie Kresin's Quilting by the River:

as well as Quilt Story:

and, in the hope that this won't be a WIP for long, to Esther's Blog (sorry, tried numerous times to paste the html for Esther's pretty little badge, but it didn't work).

...blogs where you can catch up with and be inspired by what a lot of other quiltmakers are working on this week.

Happy quiltmaking.......