27 Quilt Finishes in 2017

Quilting Mandalas: 

New Work from Old

I labored and debated when titling this post. It's packed with so many big ideas while trying to be subtle. Yes, I know 27 finishes is not so subtle. But I'm excited--newly inspired, and self-directed for the New Year. But first, more about last year.

Worthwhile Working Vacation

It's hard to work on vacation, but last weekend I forced myself. It was foggy and cold in Florida even for a northerner, and the wind was fierce. After a chilly swim I stayed in, and worked on Pink Doxies' webpage. 

I pinned to Pinterest. I cleaned up picture files. I added quilt photos to the 2017 Quilts page at the top of this page in the header. And finally I counted the quilt pictures there. Missing one I had not photographed, I had 27 quilt finishes in 2017. There were additional finished wall hangings, completed quilt tops, and several dozen quilts happily laid out for MCC. I longarm quilted for customers and friends. I hand quilted several of my finishes, and have others presently in process. I dyed 25+ yards of fabric, and I had fun with an abundance of creative energy!

Churn Dash Baby Quilt II

Churn Dash II

I had some minor problems with the points when I made the first Churn Dash baby quilt. Check it out along with the book I'm working from in A Two Quilt Tuesday. I needed one more quilt in similar colors so I made another one.

This time I starched the squares before making the large HST, and was very careful while squaring up and trimming them. Once again, it was problematic piecing the giant nine patch. Goodness, you think I would have stopped, ripped, squared the other pieces, and then sewed it together. But, No, I just plowed on. The points aren't cut off as bad as the picture shows above, but one or two will be. I think I need a third try to work this out.

A Two Quilt Tuesday

Cabin Under the Stars: Quilt No. 1

Yesterday was Monday, and it felt like a typical Monday for me in spite of the ice and snow storm. I am a self-proclaimed Monday Lover because it is the day of new starts, and I get so much done!

Starting mid-morning, I had all but a couple of these stars done before I went home for lunch. By 2:00 that afternoon, this sweet thing was sewn together. 

Some little details: The fabric is beach-themed. Swimmers, sling chairs, umbrellas, flamingos, and so one. I'll show you more when I quilt it, but this piece has been fun to work with.

The fabric wasn't pre-washed. That's really unusual for me, but I bought it on vacation, and set right to sewing. I didn't notice any difference in working with it, but it's not something I would do normally. All the other fabric in my studio is pre-washed so I chose not to mix them. 

The finished top is just under 40" x 40". 

Cabin Under the Stars Quilt

I'm Back to Sewing &
Oh, Baby, It Feels So Good!

My urge to sew finally returned. (Did you ever wonder about me? I did.) It came back with clear, strong intentions. 

Make what you love. Use what you have. Listen more. Talk less.

I can't say these are resolutions or even goals really. Simply put, they are intentions.  I want to live like this right now--not when I figure it out or jump through impossible hoops. Resolutions have such high expectations, and great chance of failure. Without success, we give up and quit. My daughter termed that kind of resolution-centered thinking as, "New Year--New Me." No, that's never worked for me or the other 92% of people who tried it.

This positive idea of living with intention has more to do with envisioning the kind of life I want to live. It has so much to do with my recent purging and clearing, as you might guess.

Holiday Slow Down & Time to Think

My Favorite Quilt
 (At this Moment)

It's been 10 days or so since I've blogged. I finished that post, shut my computer down, and pretty much unplugged for the holidays. Why, you ask? Well, you know those people who think the holidays are the best time ever, and love to shop, wrap presents and bake cookies? Who wait for the first snowflake with hot chocolate in hand and furry hat on head? Yeah, I'm not one of them. I'm the Grinchy, bah humbug person who was told she was ruining Christmas for everyone else this year, and to please shape up. 

Quilting the Vintage Log Cabin

Hand Quilting a Vintage Log Cabin Quilt

It's December, and everywhere I go I hear coughing. Deep, gripping coughing. There's a rotten cold going around our area, and I'm two and a half weeks into it. I did my duty of self-care, and canceled the monthly sewing group. I rested, t.v. binged, and quilted. Still, a dry cough just hangs on. This one is a doozy.

Modern Freefall Quilt Finish

 Freefall Finish

The days have been gentle, and almost slow around here despite Christmas approaching. The major purge is over, and it's become more of a daily maintenance to keep things fresh. There are still small spaces that call for attention, but nothing is screaming. With this steadiness, it is easier to let go. I know they are just things--baggage holding me back from better things to come. I have control of them. Not the other way around anymore. I choose a few spaces each day to stay committed, but I'm back to quilting with new vigor. It's hard to explain how settled I feel, but let's just say it's a cross between relief and curious amazement. It's new found balance I didn't expect.

Goodies of Quilting & Purging

Lone Star Beauty

One of many red quilts currently on display at the 
Southeast Ohio History Center in Athens, Ohio

Stitch & Purge

Meditative Stitching

You can see the middle stitching is done, I think, unless I add to the blue block in the lower right corner. I'm undecided yet. The border is slower going as it's working the edge, and I am enjoying it immensely. There is no rush. This is the work that helps me unwind, and release the cloudy energy from the day's work. You may know I have been purging our home these past many weeks, and clearing stirs up our emotions and thoughts. 

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.

Tell Me About Your Quilt: Jemima Mast Miller

Pin Wheel, 81" x 86"
Belonged to Jemima (Mast) Miller,
My Great Grandmother
Born 1876, Holmes Co., Ohio

Over the past several months, I have been researching the history of quilting in Ohio. More specifically, my focus has been the Tuscarawas, Holmes, Wayne and the Coshocton County areas where I have lived my life, and where my father's family settled more than 6 generations ago. Now home to the largest Amish community in the world, it's difficult to map one's genealogical history with so many crossing branches.