Still Stitching...

Well I am still puttering along with my stitching. I am working on this quilt, Prairie Burgoyne, that was a Block of the Month (BOM) from Temecula Quilt Company in 2015. I love the block, Burgoyne Surrounded, and this is the third quilt I have made with this pattern. You can see the many versions of this quilt on my Pinterest page. I think it will be really pretty. The beautiful fabric is a line from Pam Buda at Heartspun Quilts. Pam is amazing! You will love her website!

I made this blue version years ago. It is worn to shreds!

And this is the one I made in the 

APQ Quiltalong. I love it! The pattern was in their magazine and designed by "Moda Lissa", aka Lissa Alexander from Moda Fabrics.

So on the subject of APQ Quiltalongs, last year 

they had a 4-Patch quiltalong going on and I 

jumped into that one as well. Rather than use 

the options in the magazine, I came up with my

own plan and went to work. Below is the out-

come. As you well know by now, I love scrap 

quilts, and this has bits from all my favorite Civil 

War Repro designers. (I can't get rid of that white!)

Someone will ask what size the blocks are, so let me tell you that the 4-Patches are made with 1-1/2" squares, then combined with 2-1/2" plain squares to make the double 4-Patch. For the triangle corners cut two squares at 3-3/4" then cut in half diagonally. You may get by with 3-1/2" squares, I really can't remember, but try one if you like and see what works for you. You will then have to trim the block, leaving your 1/4" seams on each side. My whole block finished at about 5-1/2". Hope you like it!

Now to get a little sewing done!

Photo Flood

Since this is such a busy time of year I am going to flood you with photos rather than lots of chatter. These are the little wool ornaments that I made for my grandchildren this year. Little penguins. If you read my post from a few weeks ago you will notice that they go with the penguin gift theme. I am pleased to say that my grandkids look forward to their ornaments each year and love looking back through their collections from over the years. That is what makes it worth it to me!

Below is a photo from Thanksgiving of me with three of the little darlings. August and Katie on top and Grey on the bottom getting a little tickle of encouragement to smile.

 And the tree! We all love our own tree, filled with love and memories from years gone by and usually something new as well. My Williamsburg Medallion Quilt is the backdrop.

 I found the perfect spot for my little red hexagon table topper. My little rocking horses and reindeer are playing merry-go-round on the pedestal plate. That is my Wintergreen pattern in the background--still available on my website!

 If you have been reading my blog for a long while you may remember this little cute tree quilt. I designed the pattern and have the instructions for FREE on my website. This version is smaller than the directions specify. I made so many of these for gifts! And so did many of you! If this design is new to you be sure and see the gallery.

Lastly, I want to share my Tone it Down quilt from last winter's American Patchwork and Quilting magazine. If you are on Instagram, go to #apqquiltalong and you can see lots of variations, including the original by Lissa Alexander, commonly know as the very talented ModaLissa. Right-she designs for Moda Fabrics!  Anyway, I love mine! The pattern is actually called Burgoyne Surrounded, a very old pattern after a Revolutionary War general. Lissa updated the pattern in a beautiful way! (I know--if you follow all these links you will be here all night!)

 I hope you are enjoying this wonderful season of hope and love!

Fabric Love

I have to share some yummy fabric I got in the mail recently. On her blog Barbara Brackman has been showing her new line called Metropolitan Fair, by Moda. I fell head over heels for it and had to find some for myself. 
Then Judie Rothermel, who designs for Marcus, has a beautiful new line called Civil War Melodies, and I gasped when I saw it online. 

 You know how we all try and set up a pretty little vignette when we display something. According to Wikipedia, "a vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, idea, setting, or object". So here is my attempt. But now I have to look up "trenchant".

And here is a close up so you can get a better look at the wonderful fabric. Oh yum!

I have not purchased fabric for a really long time and so I didn't even feel guilty when I got it. No, in fact I felt so good that I decided I better clean my obscenely messy sewing room to justify feeling this good. Still cleaning...

Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest

Yesterday was one of those days we quilters wait all year for:  Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival! It is held in Hampton, VA at the Convention Center. I drove up there with my friends Joan and Sue, as usual. We start out together and get separated very quickly as we each see things that interest one of us more than another. So many different things for so many different quilters. Look what I spotted right off the bat--our friend Karen's book, A Bountiful Life! She would have been delighted with the setting as it was nestled in with nice rolls of wool and other cozy things.

 Minutes later I ran into Mrs. Goodneedle! We hugged and visited for a few minutes then met later to visit some more. Love that lady! One of the benefits of blogging is making some wonderful friends, such as Karen and Debbie.

 

 Notice the booth we are in, Attic Heirlooms, and the neat stuff they have. The quilt in the background is awesome. Check out their website. Lots  of wool and primitive, etc.

I ran into another friend, Janna-the president of Bloc-Loc. I met Janna and her husband Paul in Houston at Quilt Market a couple years ago. Their booth was right by mine. They totally sold me on their product and now I can't function without their amazing rulers. Their rulers each have a groove in them that gets placed on the seam line of a half-square triangle so you can trim it accurately. The groove locks in on the seam for greater accuracy. These are perfect for a scrapper like me because I am always trimming down triangles and flying geese. Yes, they have one for flying geese and they keep coming out with new ones. Be sure and check their schedule because they go to shows all over America and if you are a block trimmer you must have these rulers. They are only distributed through Bloc-Loc! I had to get a new 1-1/2" HST size because I left mine in Arizona.

Other purchases? Well, I made out OK. I bought titanium coated sewing machine needles at the Superior Threads booth. I had to get these after watching the very interesting and informative videos on their website. When you have some time you really should watch THESE. At least the ones that look interesting to you.

I also found fabric. Can you believe it? Honestly, I tried to resist, but there were a few that I had to have. Barbara Brackman's Battle Hymn  fabric is wonderful! From Moda Fabric.

One booth that I am always happy to shop is called Traditions of the White Swan. I always come away happy from that booth! They are from Hagerstown, Maryland and have lots of kits on line. Last year I bought the whole collection of fat quarters of Little Pink Stars, and designed a baby quilt that will be in McCall's Quilting magazine--June issue, so keep an eye out! This year I found this darling collection of grey and blue Buggy Barn prints from Henry Glass. I wonder what these will become?

Finally, I broke down and purchased this beautiful basket. I have been looking at these for years each time I go to Quilt-Fest. They are made in Africa and come in all shapes and sizes. The beautiful bag is a gift from my friend Sue Cruthers who made it for my i-pad! Isn't it the cutest thing?! I LOVE it!

All in all, it was a great day! I will post another day with a few quilt photos. There were some awesome quilts this year!

 

 

VARIETY SHOW

Look what I just got back from my quilters! I made this little quilt quite a while ago when I first came out with the Wintergreen pattern. I made a couple extra blocks for teaching the class, and then finished it up for shop display ('cause sometimes they prefer a smaller sample) or for my own use ('cause sometimes my big quilts are on loan and I miss them).
You may remember last summer when I made the above quilt from the Wintergreen pattern, only used Minnick and Simpson's Prairie Paisley line by Moda. I am convinced that anything would look spectacular in that fabric, and this quilt sure does. It is a favorite of mine!  

AT THE SPEED OF LIFE

Can you believe it is Thursday? I hate how fast my life is speeding past. You know how they say that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die? Maybe that is what's happening. My life is flashing by. Boring, but fast. Pretty soon I will be dead and this picture of me sitting at the computer in my bathrobe will flash before my eyes. Oh mercy!

Meanwhile, I have a few things in the works! I bought a yard or so of some dishtowel fabric made by MODA of all things! My LQS had it a while back. One of the designs that I ordered from Primitive Stitches fit perfectly in the center between the stripes. The Moda dishcloth is wonderful to embroider on. Of course it is, it's Moda!
Be sure and check out Primitive Stitches if you haven't been there before!

Also, I have another project I am preparing for a gift exchange. I made this earlier in the year for myself, and I love it, so hopefully someone else will love it also. I know that a few of you can recognize what this project is just from this photo! (Dawn-for sure!)

The holiday season has burst upon us, and not being much of a shopper any time of year, I avoid the stores as much as I can this time of year. I am not one of those that feels it is my patriotic duty to spend. Instead, my husband and I "throw money" at our grandchildren, and they spend it the way they want to. My gift ideas of socks, underwear and books just don't go over! LOL! But they do like the ornaments that I make for them every year, so those are in the works and I will show pictures of them soon. My contribution to making the season jolly!

SHE IS SEW PRIMITIVE!

You know that Karen is SEW PRIMITIVE, and she is also SEW CLEVER! She dove right into the Christmas Sparkler project (see previous post) and using homespuns, she created her version of the quilt. Her muted colors give it a totally different look! I love it! And I know it was a breeze for Karen to make after stomping and kicking on her Dear Jane blocks, which are so complex. In fact I bet she whipped this up in half the time a DJ block takes! Knowing Karen the way I do, it probably took effort on her part to attempt such a simple project. She loves complex projects. Which is why I was slightly surprised to see her design this next quilt.

I love house blocks, and Karen does too. This is one of her easier designs, I think (which explains why I made it!). She calls it Log Cabin Settlement. You can find the pattern on her blog on the sidebar. She cleverly used stripes going horizontally on her quilt to replicate the logs in the cabins. I had her pattern on my cutting table sitting next to a few FQs from Barbara Brackman's new line, Civil War Crossings, from Moda. I should have taken a picture of the fabric when I got it, but instead I cut it into log cabins and made my own little settlement. Somehow new fabic and new patterns call to each other. I was happy to find the fabric for the setting triangles in my stash and it coordinates well with the colors of this line.

Also in blogland I discovered that Kim is having another adventure with a wonderful tutorial on her blog. It is scrappy and really cute! Check out her Scrappy Stars!

TIME WARP

I finally got to work on a quilt today, but really don't have anything to show. I made a bunch of 4-patches and they are not too exciting yet. I can report that I finished my granddaughter's apron! Yea! It is so cute, and I hope that she loves it, but will reserve showing it here until she receives it so I won't spoil the impact of her seeing it for the first time.

So, I thought I would share a couple other things that might be of interest to someone out there, hopefully! Most of you probably have a quilt hanger in your home, of some type. This one is mine. She began life as a perfume model, standing on a counter in a department store. She carried a slinky scarf and a come hither look, urging people to the perfume counter to buy her product. It was sad, really, a beautiful young woman shamefully displaying her body in an effort to sell a product, when, what she really wanted was to be recognized for the person she was on the inside. When she first came to me I recognized her potential immediately! I offered her a vintage quilt, something I dearly love, and she was so thrilled that she tossed her arms in the air for joy! She has remained that way to this day. I have thought of making her a frock to wear, and still think it would be nice. Either way, she is unique and I am pleased to have her share my enthusiasm for vintage and other quilts. Every so often I hear her softly singing, "some day my prince will come". She may have placed an order at the Fat Quarter Shop, I don't know.


Speaking of vintage, I happened upon this darling dress in the back of the closet today. It was my mother's dress, probably worn in the 1940's, and made by my grandmother. It is a tiny coral checked fabric, trimmed with tiny blue rick rack and blue buttons. It actually is similar in style to the aprons that I have been making. I would love to have my granddaughter try this on. I bet it would fit her. We are so taken with everything retro today, but this is the real deal.

Please take note of the Prairie Paisley link on the side of my blog. I added a couple more links of late, and they are super-cute quilts. Let me know if you are making a quilt from the Prairie Paisley fabric or if you know someone who is. I love seeing them all!

Pushing toward the weekend again. Where does the time go? Anyone? Anyone?

SMILES to everyone! Remember, that is the longest word in the dictionary. There is a mile between the first and last letter. Now I am going to run and hide for a few more days to avoid getting pelted with rotten fruit!

~Marcie

HOORAY FOR THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE

I love red, white and blue quilts! Over the years I have made a few. Recently I arranged three of them together on the deck railing for a photo shoot. How fun is that?!

I just added another member to the Prairie Paisley Club. Libby made an awesome quilt for her daughter who has just returned home from nine years in the Air Force. I am really surprised that I haven't heard from more of you out there making quilts from that beautiful line of fabric. Let me know If I can add you to the list, or if you come across another quilt blogger that has made something from Prairie Paisley, by Minick and Simpson, of Moda Fabrics. I know there are lots of gorgeous fabrics out there, but this one just struck a chord with me. I hope you have looked at the blogs that are listed. They are great!

My grandkids are still hamming it up, as you can see. The oldest one here loves to take pictures, so finally I will have a great selection to share. Here she is with with her little clone that I call Plumpkin.

On occasion we are treated to a rare performance of original dance, by Plumpkin, complete with costume. Let me tell you, this girl can dance and twirl to any music. But I must say that she prefers Barbie Musical CDs.

We are once again suffering from air conditioning woes in the zone that contains my sewing room, office and TV room. We had a mattress on the floor for two of the kids in the TV room, but it is so blasted hot that I took pity on them and moved the mattress to the foot of the bed in the master bedroom. I had to warn my husband not to step on anybody when he returned home last night from being out of town on business.

All in all, we are having a good time. They go down to the beach every day, and hopefully they will make memories for years to come. When I was a kid we went to Crystal Beach on Lake Erie (the Canadian side) every summer. It was such a treat!

I hope you are making some wonderful summer memories also, and tucking them away to bring out on a cold winter's day.

--Marcie

Addendum: Hooked commented about the RWB quilt quilts. All three are from Patchalot Patterns. (Stars & Garters, Christmas Kisses, Wintergreen-some color changes!) You can go there for ordering instructions if you wish. Thanks for asking!

PATCHALOT OF PRAIRIE PAISLEY

Can you tell that I enjoy alliteration? I couldn't resist this Pairie Paisley line of fabric by Minick and Simpson. I bought a few fat quarters to play with. I looked at various patterns and decided that I like mine the best! Isn't that a glowing recommendation? The pattern I am using is called Wintergreen, and I designed it for Christmas 2007. Some of you will remember it, I hope! I think I will call this quilt Summer Blues. Get it? The link above for Minick and Simpson will take you to a really nice blog about them at The Fat Quarter Shop, which also carries the fabric line.

OK then. So like a good little blogger, I layed (laid? Is there an English teacher amongst us?) the pattern pieces out so everyone could get a glimpse of the pieces. Make lots of 4-patches! I actully drew the perfect fabric from my stash to complement the beautiful Prairie Paisley. (I just want to say that name over and over again). So the 4-patches and the stars came from my wonderful stash. I love my stash, and I am so glad that it combines so well with Prairie Paisley. You could actually make the whole pattern in Prairie Paisley, but I feel righteous if I can add stash to any quilts I make. (It kind of supports the whole idea of having a stash).

So here is a taste of how the pattern will look in my Patchalot Pattern with Prairie Paisley. Yum! Take a look at that beautiful border fabric. Can you read the selvage? It says Prairie Paisley, of course! (I should get a promotional check from Moda for this post)!

I made a trial of three blocks, added sashing and called it good! Then I began cutting and stacking. Five blocks from each of five red fabrics. Maybe more, as I think I will make this quilt bigger than the original.

Well, after I decided for sure what I was making I had to hurry back to the LQS and buy more Prairie Paisley for the background and sashing. My original plan was that I was going to get all the cutting done and then take it with me to work on when I go to Arizona next week. I may have to find something else though. This is going together so quickly that I will have the top finished by then! Oh well. Do you know I have a stash in Arizona at my son's house? Just a small stash, but enough to play scrappy.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I am off to my sewing room to work on my ......... You fill in the blank! (If you said Prairie Paisley, you are right)!