5 Fat Quarter Fun February Quilt

I'm always interested in discovering good inspirations for prayer quilts.  Although I almost always design my own quilts, it's sometimes nice to let someone else do the design work and write the pattern.

So, when I saw Amanda and Amber's Chains of Love quilt, I thought, "That's a perfect weekend of quilting quilt!"

 I decided I'd do it in pinks and fuchsia, and received a notice of a perfectly timed fat quarter sale at Southwest Decoratives/Kokapelli Quilting Company.

 So, I bought some fat quarters from Southwest Decoratives and a lovely pale pink solid from Busy Bee Quilts.

Then after I cut the fat quarters, I remembered the pale pink and ivory quilt I made in the early 1980s that ended up being so bright that I had to throw it in a pot of blue dye to quiet it down. It would not be wise to make another too pink quilt, especially not in this design!

 I switched to a soft grey for the background. (I meant to pick up more gray this morning when I went out to visit the lab for a test, but I forgot--which is just as well since Busy Bee doesn't open until 9:00.)

I'm sure I'll be much happier with this pairing--although if I had recognized the problem I was about to create sooner, I might have used a couple of different pink fat quarters.

This pattern can be found here.

I first recognized the appeal of a pink/grey and pink/black combination when I was seven, and my family went to see some western movie in which the lady in the saloon wore skimpy pink and gray costumes and decorated her upstairs apartment in pink and black.  Of course, I was too innocent to have a clue about what her skimpy clothing and upstairs apartment represented; I have no memory of who the actress was or of the name of the movie.  But I do remember the colors!

I also love the idea of creating quilts with just five fat quarters and some yardage and plan to step up my designing--although I am just as likely to use four or six fat quarters.

I'm planning to finish sub-cutting the gray and to begin piecing today.  I have left-overs for lunch and the rest of my Presidents' Day holiday to enjoy my place of bliss.

Happy quiltmaking and crafting,

May Your Week Be Filled with Love

This sweet jacket was made just about 40 years ago.

 Although it was sewn together on the machine and the bias binding was applied by machine, the applique and quilting were  done all by hand. It's my original design.

 If I remember correctly, I created the design for a pillow for my white sofa, and then thought it needed to appear on something else, but I didn't want to make it over and over for a quilt.  Yes, there was once a time when single and childless made white fairly practical.

 Each sleeve was adorned with one applique heart plus two quilted ones.
I was not the kind of gal who wore her heart on her sleeve, but these seemed okay.
The red fabric was left over from a shirt I made my dad as either a Christmas present or a birthday present, probably in 1967 or 1968. The green is by Wamsutta and is one of the few 100% cotton prints available at the time. The white is a  simple unbleached muslin, probably purchased from J. C. Penney.  Yes, every Penney's store had a nice big fabric department back then.

 Each front was also treated to a heart, along with some clam-shell quilting.

 Such fine stitches!  It was hand-quilted on a 14-inch wooden hoop with Coats & Clark hand-quilting thread.

The tiny little applique stitches were learned by studying my paternal grandmother's applique.  She was the first Dolly I knew of, although her full name was Dora Maude Shreve Scheer. She passed away when my dad was ten years old.

I made the jacket because I certainly wasn't inviting people into my bedroom--or at least that's what we joked at the time. Quilt shows were almost unheard of--at least where I lived in Central Illinois.  I think the closest we came to a quilt show was the annual Mennonite Farm Sale at Exposition Gardens in Peoria, Illinois.

I haven't worn it for years.  It's too small for me now because at the time I made it I was ill and quite thin. My daughter is much too thin to wear it, so it lives in my closet, and I take it out occasionally and reminisce about making it and how much simpler life back then seems in retrospect and compared to the lives we live today. I know it merely seems to have been simpler because our healthy brains are smart enough understand that gratitude is life-sustaining, so we've tossed most of the negative memories and experiences.

I hope you're feeling loved today and that you take time to celebrate love all week!

Happy quiltmaking,

Another Unexpected Quilt

A little over a year ago one of our church families lost their high school son in an early morning accident as he drove into Albuquerque on the interstate to attend his high school.  I passed the tragic scene (semi trailer and car charred almost beyond belief) and offered up a prayer for those involved, not finding out until evening that my prayer had been for that sweet boy. He was an immensely talented young man with a great personality.  The family moved away shortly afterward.  I fully understand that the most daunting grief anyone ever experiences is the loss of a child and all the attendant hopes and dreams.  Today, we heard from the mother that now her two year old nephew has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and will be undergoing ten months of radiation and chemo.

These fabrics were gifted to me, but haven't made it into a quilt yet. They've been stacked in my line of sight for the last several months, because they needed to become a prayer quilt for a child. I haven't settled on a design--and am open to suggestions--and will sleep on it tonight, and maybe the next several nights. I often dream great quilts, and that needs to happen now.

I put out a call to members of my Victory Prayer Quilters group for volunteers to quilt and bind and for backing.  Hopefully, I'll be able to start cutting tomorrow after work and physical therapy...as long as I have a design in my head by then.

Happy quiltmaking, knitting, etc.,

Serendipity Progress

This is taking much longer than I would have guessed, but it's almost ready for the outer border.

It's just tossed over the sofa right now, waiting to be pressed so I can cut and attach the borders.
I like the flavor these colors and fabrics give it.  Although teal is one of my favorite colors, this is not quite teal.  The colors are pleasant, and I'm thinking abut how I will quilt it.  Usually my quilts have been living in my mind, and sometimes on paper, and almost always in a project box for quite a while.  This was in my mind for mere minutes from the time I saw the Cabin Fever Five Fat Quarter Fun Project until I was pulling and cutting fabrics. My sewing machine has not been happy with the bobbins I've used, although they are the bobbins I always use, and I've re-oiled, cleaned out thread from the bobbin area, messed with the bobbin holder, etc.  Not in the mood for fiddly stuff--despite knowing that I need to shorten the belt just a bit--another fiddly thing that I'm putting off.

Now it's back to work, so I'm hoping for a bit of time throughout the week for a bit more sewing.

Happy quilting, knitting, etc., friends,

A Serendipitous Quilt

Serendipitous because I wanted something quick and easy to piece.
So far, I have these:

They began when I saw Leann's post in my early morning feed last Saturday.
Her post linked to a Five Fat Quarter Fun post with a quilt from five fat quarters and three yards of background fabric. (Amber and Amanda have also posted their February Fun, a heart filled quilt, Chains of Love.)

I chose to start with this fat quarter, graciously gifted to me some time ago, but very unlike the fabrics chosen by Leann, Amanda, or Amber.

 I got busy cutting, sewing and pressing.

 Then real life and the work week intervened, although I tied to piece for a few minutes each day.  Hopefully, this weekend will see the rest of the assembly.

 I also want to share how much I love this SteamFast iron that I use in my tiny sewing room.  It heats rapidly and takes up very little space.

It fits comfortably in my palm, and I've been using it for at least eight years.

The updated version features the following and is on sale from Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day today:
2oz water tank, 3 minute heating time, 8' power cord, dual voltage, 1000 watts. steam burst option, continuous steam, 1 year warranty, easy fill measuring cup, travel bag, Lightweight - 1.32 lbs
While it does make a great travel iron for retreats, sewalongs, etc. it's a great purchase for the home sewing studio.  My older version heats in about a minute and a half!  And it has lasted a lot more than the year or less that is so common with full sized irons these days.

Some friends and I are going to go sing for some Alzheimer's residents this afternoon, so we'll see how much more piecing I can get done. (With a daily commute of 80 miles a day, I like not to drive that far on weekends, but a fellow singer volunteered to drive, so it is our hope to be a blessing to some folks; even if they promptly forget that we were there, they should have an hour of fun with some songs they've stored in long-term memory.)

Happy quilting, crafting, and rejoicing,