Pumpkin Runner

I’ve finished the final class sample for this calendar year.  The pattern for this runner is the Pumpkin Runner from Bloomin’ Minds.  I didn’t change anything from the pattern directions.  I’ll be using this project to introduce people to fused applique and the machine blanket stitch.  If any of you are local and interested, the class is scheduled for October 13 at 1pm or 6pm. A minimum of 4 students per session need to sign up by October 10 to ensure the class proceeds as scheduled.

I bought the fabric for the background and the narrow border.  Everything else came from my stash (which bothers customers when they can’t match everything exactly — what happened to changing things up by pick your own fabrics?).

I quilted a poem I found while search the web in the outside border — I still need to work on getting the rest of the chalk marks out!  I found the poem here.  It says, “When you see me in the fields, my orange glowing in the sun, it’s time to say goodbye to Summer and hello to Autumn Fun!”  I frequently find my self putting poems or song lyrics in borders that are around 2 inches wide on my own quilts.  Not sure why.

Bloomin’ Holly

My 6th day working in the store, I was approached by the person who schedules classes and asked if I was interested in teaching in the next schedule.  I was late to the party, the dead line for turning in class suggestions had already passed so I scrambled for some ideas.  I managed to come up with four things for the schedule and now I’m trying to get samples finished.  The place mats I posted last week will be one class that is beginner friendly.

This table runner (it would make a pretty cool narrow wall hanging)is another class I will be offering.

I started with the pattern “Bloomin’ Holly” by Bloomin Minds.  Everything in my sample is scraps from other projects except the leaves.  The pattern used fused applique for everything, but the background. I didn’t use fused applique at all.  I’m going to demonstrate the use of bias tape makers for the stem.  The berries are all small yo-yos and I will demo the yo-yo maker for those.  For the leaves I chose to use wool felt.  Which results in no need to finish edges and means I can have dimensional leaves.  I’m really pleased with how it turned out and will take it to the store tomorrow for display.

Calico Cat in a Meteor Shower

Choosing fabric from my stash for this block, I settled on a sky fabric that resembles a meteor shower.  I was reminded of a first hand account I once read of the 1833 Meteor shower.  It talks of it being almost as bright as day at 3am in the eastern United States.   This is a small  portion of the account written by Samuel Rogers –”Some of the meteors were so bright that they were visible for some time after day had fairly dawned. Imagine large snowflakes drifting over your head, so near you that you can distinguish them, one from the other, and yet so thick in the air as to almost obscure the sky; then imagine each snowflake to be a meteor, leaving behind it a tail like a little comet; these meteors of all sizes, from that of a drop of water to that of a great star, having the size of the full moon in appearance: and you may then have some faint idea of this wonderful scene.”

Having been in heavy snow storms, it is fascinating to imagine meteors that dense.  In 1833 the meteor showers inspired terror rather than fascination.  My cat doesn’t seem to be concerned by what’s happening in the sky.

This is block 9 in this series (I was mistaken in last week’s post — in a hurry to finish?).

More Autumn Joy

I was going great guns on the Autumn Joy applique blocks when my neck “went” in January.  In fact a couple of these blocks were finished before that, but it hurt to use the computer.  These are the blocks finished to date — I’m pretty sure it is through month 9.  Out of all these blocks the only fabric I bought specifically for them was the black sky on the house block.  The rest was already in my collection, which may be a sad commentary on how much fabric I own

I decided to add green apples to my basket rather than all red.  Believe it or not, the brightest green apple was even more fluorescent when I first finished doing the applique.  I almost always refuse to rip out applique once it is done.  So to tone down the apple I used Tsukineko inks and shaded the apple.  It  still draws the eye, but maybe it won’t blind anyone.

I consider the next two blocks filler, and one of them is my least favorite in the whole project.

Then we have the brick house.

I’m very pleased with the field of sunflowers, but it looks like I need to do a better pressing job on the sky.

I’ve started the next block, so I “could” conceivably finish it by Autumn .   .     .    .    . 2012?

End of Fall?

According to the calendar, today is the last day of Fall.  I would argue based on the fact the leaves have been gone for about 2 months here, that Fall is already in the past.  However, I suppose because we have had temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s during the last two weeks here at over 6000 feet elevation,  one could make a case that winter isn’t here either.  It probably doesn’t really matter one way or another, since I continue to work on a Fall project.  I’ve completed three more blocks in the Autumn Joy BOM over the last few days.

Block two is a basket of cone flowers.

Block three is made up of  oak leaves appliqued to two Hole in the Barn Door blocks.  I did have to go out and purchase the rust fabric to frame the blocks.

Block four is probably my favorite, at least so far.  I’m not sure why, since I don’t particularly like to cook.  I did have to buy the background fabric and the white bowl fabric.  I changed the recipe to an apple pie  rather than pumpkin because I’ve never seen a pumpkin pie with a double crust.  I suppose I should have used a cherry pie recipe since I made the vents in the crust red.  But the apple pie recipe is a real recipe (abbreviated slightly for the block) that is Guy’s favorite.

The first three blocks have been combined into a unit.  The filler strip made up of 2-1/2″ squares came from pieces in my scrap box.  Most of those scraps aren’t even that large.

 

So it seems whatever the calendar says, Autumn continues for me.

A Little Bit ADD

No, I don’t really believe I have Attention Deficit Disorder.  However, this one symptom is a perfect fit — “Often shifting from one uncompleted task to another.” 

You got it, I’ve started ANOTHER new project.  Today I finished the first block in a new quilt. 

While the quilt is a new one in my line up, the pattern is not.  It was published in 2000 by Susan Garman.  I picked up most of the block patterns for half off at Ruth’s Stitchery in 2004 or 2005 and ordered the ones I was missing from Quakertown Quilts.  I stumbled upon the patterns again when I was cleaning the basement before my in-laws came at Thanksgiving.  The patterns started calling out to me on Thursday last week, and when I could no longer resist I started appliquing.  I’m happy to report all the fabric in this block came from my stash.

 If I don’t get distracted by some other task, I could have a new fall quilt when that season rolls around again next year.

Warped?

A friend, who shall remain nameless, accused me of having a sick sense of humor!  What brought on this heinous accusation, you may ask?  I was simply working on stitching together the blocks I showed in my quilt escape post at the beginning of July.  How, could someone malign me over something so simple?

The quilt is from the book “Time to Quilt,” which I purchased in 2003.  I spent some time collecting  homespun fabric, and finally started working on the quilt, because I hoped there was enough leftover for a different project.  I spent a day and a half stitching blocks at the quilt retreat, and then finished stitching them in short bursts, when I needed a break from client quilts.  So lets take a look at this quilt.

Just a nice homespun quilt — which by the way even with all that stretchy fabric the center came out to exactly the size specified in the book.  But wait, did you notice the applique in the center?

Oh no, the fox got one of the chickens!  I would like to point out to my friend this is no more “sick” than people eating the poor things.     

Did you see the worried look on the face of the remaining chicken?

While she should probably be concerned about Mr. Fox coming back for seconds, she doesn’t have to worry about me!  I haven’t eating any of her relatives in about 35 years.  Twisted sense of humor or not, this quilt makes me smile.

A Little Catch Up

I’ve been playing a little catch up with Bunny Hill’s Snowbound block of the month.  I did most of the applique on our road trip to Oregon last month, but have been very slow about adding the finishing touches.  This post is a little catch up, because I’m already behind again.  The July pattern is out and August’s is just around the corner.  Here are March through June.

Recent BOM Blocks

Two blocks finished recently.  The first is Under the Sea from Willowberry Deigns.  I think I was a little heavy handed coloring in the jelly fish, but it is acceptable.

The next one is the second Snowbound block from Bunny Hill Designs.

Creating Design Opportunities

“Creating Design Opportunities,”  ah yes, that would be the code phrase for messing up or not planning far enough ahead to know what a decision will mean in the long run.

My Tisket a Tasket blocks from Bunny Hill Designs are now set in a quilt top.  I had no idea what fabric I would use to put it all together since I was just using up fabric I had for the blocks.  I took the blocks to the quilt store and this fabric was what looked best.

When I purchased the fabric, I had no intention of adding the 1/4″ green frame around each block.  Once I laid the blocks out with the sashing they just sort of blended together.  I had purchased the green to use as binding and decided a narrow border would nicely set everything off.  (I still think it does.)  So I used Ricky Tims’ method to apply it.  This means after the first seem all the others are a 1/4″ from the original seem rather than from the raw edge to keep those strips accurate.  This made putting the center of the quilt more complicated/tedious.  It also means the sashing is where any imperfections show up.  So far it is just a little more trouble.  Now comes the part where I didn’t plan ahead.  I put the narrow red borders on and was ready to add the final border.  Oops, those 1/4″ frames had extended the quilt just  enough that the width of the fabric was not quite long enough to make the side borders.  I could have pieced the sides, but I didn’t want a seam in such a small quilt.  I thought about extending the sashing into the borders, but decided that would require a great deal of precise measuring and I was feeling too lazy.  Corner stones wouldn’t work.  I finally decided on the design you see above.  I ripped the narrow border off the top and bottom and added the last  side borders.  This gave me just enough length to make it.  Then I added the longer top and bottom  inside borders and pieced in the shorter pieces on the outside border to give the cross over effect.  I’m pleased with the outcome, but if I had figured out what the changes would mean at the outset, I could have made plans and decisions then.