Post Thanksgiving Catch Up

Thanksgiving, 2017

Thanksgiving came and went uneventfully. In our busy lives, this is a good sign. We had 13 people this year, and it was simplified. Everyday plates were good enough, and I left the plastic over the tablecloths. The shadow person you see is one son bringing the turkey in cooked and carved! Woohoo! Lucky us!

Quilt Beginnings, Endings & In Between: Without a List

One Sweet Baby Quilt Ready to Deliver

Week 2 with No List

Welcome back to another weekly narrative of living/working without a list. I've gained unexpected insight while purging the house of too much stuff, and am eager to share it with you. I keep hearing in the comments how many of you are on the same journey, and feel I'm in good company. 

Sweet Modern Baby One Patch

I was asked to make a baby quilt for a little girl soon to make her way into this world. I drove home with my fingers crossed to see if I had enough of my favorite fabrics still on the shelf, and this time I was in luck. These prints are whimsical, floral, and graphic all at the same time. I added a soft pink polka dot to keep it a little sweeter since this is for a new baby.

Traditional Pineapple Block

Pineapple Blocks

Over a month ago I taught this pineapple block to friends at our monthly meet up. They had all come back this month with finished blocks, and stories of finished tops. My work sat at the same stage as when the class finished. I knew today I was going to finish my last 6.5" block, and sew the 4 together. 

Balancing a Quilter's Life

Reflecting

Have you ever sat down after a long week, and thought through each day? What did you actually do? What needs done? (When will you squeeze in some sewing?) It's usually the moment we reflect on our accomplishments, and hope to have some satisfaction of progress. As a quilter with many hats to wear, my work seems to be more scattered than most, and I rarely have those, "Ta-Dah!" moments where I show a finished quilt anymore. The finishes used to feel more pressing to blog about, but I have learned steady progress is more gratifying in the long run. Note: Think of wanting all the horses to finish the race instead of just one.

Texas Braid for Christmas Halfway There

34" Braids Measured End to End

112" Long if Sewn

The braids are growing longer, and the piles of strips on the bed smaller. That's good! Every night I stack them up, and every morning put them back. It keeps me inspired, and on track, but now I'm second guessing my perseverance.

A Texas Braid Christmas Quilt

2016 Black Friday Fabric Finds

Goodness! I had my first Black Friday ad in my inbox yesterday on Nov.1. That might be a record. Are you curious about whether my 2016 Black Friday Deals got used? As it happens, I actually have a quilt underway with some, and it may be something I can get done in time for Christmas. For once. 

The Fat Quarter Shop had a deal on Moda Jolly Bars in a Christmas print, and I snapped up 2. At 5" x 10" they were not a size I normally worked with, and I had to do some searching to find a pattern that worked with both the size and print. As the Bonnie Hunter Texas Braid was on my bucket list, and it took 2" x 5" strips, it was perfect. I just needed to add more fabric in both the prints and neutrals. There is a LOT of fabric in this quilt.

A Quilting Focus on Giving Thanks: A Link Up

More Quilts Headed for MCC Relief

Like many quilters, I have a long list of projects I want to do. Some are more complicated blocks to try my piecing skills at, and others are just fun fabric I would love to use. I have my stacks of good stash, and my stacks of scraps, dated or donated fabrics. The frugal quilter says as soon as I use up the less desirable stack I am allowed to touch the good stuff. (I know so many of you think the same way.) But during a quiet quilter bloggers' retreat last weekend, I was roasted for not touching my gorgeous fabrics. My precious pre-cuts had not even been opened from a year ago!

Tell Me About Your Quilt: What Did We Use Before Quilts?

Daniel King Woven Coverlet, 1850

Coverlets Before Quilts

It is interesting how many of us presume that quilts have been the predominate bedding for centuries in America. Do include me when I started this research. But that isn't the truth, and it's time we know the whole story.

When I was asked to document this woven coverlet owned by a local family, I composed very basic timelines of world history and textile history for myself. I needed a place to mentally hang dates and ideas in relation to each other. I wanted to know where coverlets fit into the history of quilting, and specifically in Tuscarawas, Coshocton, Wayne and Holmes Co., Ohio. What I found surprised me. Quilts were not nearly as old (around here) as I thought, and coverlets were one of the more commonly used items for bedding before quilts became commonplace.

This is a very important component in the "Tell Me About Your Quilt" series. It helps to answer questions such as, "If this is such a strong area today for quilting, why aren't the earliest quilts found here?" And, "How many quilts made before 1900 would I expect to find still here today?" "How many were there?"

I hope you enjoy this exploration into the history of German sectarian quilters as much as I do.

Scrappy Quilts, Comforters & Free Pattern

The Scrappy Hurricane Quilt

While hurricane Irma hit the southern U.S., I sewed nine patch blocks from my table scraps. There was so much going on in the scrappy hurricane blocks I felt the quilt needed somewhere calm to rest the eye. I laid this up on the wall during a sewing day here in the studio, but have since rearranged several times. I allow layouts to hang, and switch blocks around over many days until I like the feel of it. If time permits this week, I will make the sashing from 3 strips: white, cerulean blue grunge, and white. I am also considering an outer border, but will be happy to just get the blocks assembled at this point.