Art, Craft and Needlework, May, 2011

[Harriet]

You're all very kind, thanks so much! Harmony, the last thing I did to each house block was to add the background under the roof at the sides. I couldn't do that until the blocks without houses were beside them to match up. That's why it's hard to figure out "where" the blocks are in the landscape. It was more tedious than I thought it would be, but I'm so glad I made it. No, I'm not quite finished yet but hope to be before WonderBoy gets to come back to see me.

Scraps in the mailbox... a little pack of fabric scraps I ordered off of ebay for the new baby quilt arrived. None more than 1/8 of a yard. It is a variety of more 1930 repro "conversational" or "novelty" fabrics to add to what I have. I have the rest of the blocks drafted, pretty much. Really hoping I can find time over the next few weeks to work on it.

[Harriet]

Noticed in PWYC that Emptynester is cross-stitching again.

Sunny, are you still working on the quilting or have you started playing more with the flying geese?

Wonder how SuzLew's skulls quilt is turning out!

LisaB, have you heard from your exchange partner?

Smiling to think of little grandson making his chain, Nancy.

[Nancy]

Harriet glad you have been able to track down quilt blocks from e-bay.

I'm working on the last of the yarn odds and ends in the third strip of a colorful throw
I'm knitting up in random stripes it's fun with such a cold wet spring it's been a joy to work
this one up!

[Lisa B.]

Harriet, thank you for asking. I have not heard from my exchange partner despite several posts on the forum of the quilting group, a personal message through contacting a member. I then contacted the hosts of the exchange, detailing what i had done. They tried to contact the lady whom I had as the partner. The hosts did not get a response in almost 2 weeks. They decided that the lady doesn't seem to be participating anymore, so they released my name to sign up again. I have signed up again. My hope is to make a queen size quilt for my personal use on my bed with all the lovely colours that are dreamed up in the mosaic block, even if I have to make several blocks myself.

In the meantime, I will continue cutting the fabric for my anniversary quilt. I did cut and stitch the first block already. I have decided to complete all the cutting for all the blocks first, then stitch them together. Since there is only 12 blocks total, it shouldn't take too long in between continuing on making my skirt and top and now DD13's winter flannel PJ's.

[Harriet]

That's a shame, Lisa. There you were, ready and waiting, hearing nothing. Now, was this partner meant to exchange with you enough to complete the quilt, or are you changing partners with each successive block? Hopefully the new person will be eager to exchange. I meant to tell you that once I worked with traditional African fabrics and I remember their stiffness. They were beautiful, though.

The random-stripe project sounds warm, Nancy. Oh yes, really happy those ebay purchases were finally found by post office. The lady says they have a NY postmark on them, and she is in the northwest and I am in the southeast, so they have been on an adventure.

Three boat blocks started here, 1 kite block finished, 4 kites cut awaiting backing, the 1 truck planned but not cut. Gee, I love kites. Cute doesn't even cover it, kites are WAY too cute. I'm trying baby rick-rack sewn into the very tip of the kite's bottom to be topstitched down in curves later with matching thread as "tails". There's red and blue. If I can get it to work it will be meaningful for me, because I found the baby rick-rack in my grandmother's sewing basket. The red was wrapped around scraps of the fabric she made my curtains from when I was a little girl. I'm sure it was from apron-making. In other news, I have about decided to super-simplify the borders, because the interesting one I wanted to try is likely to be so time-consuming it could become a real problem.

[Sunny]

Answering Harriet's question..... I had wanted to get dgd's quilt done by the time they cam for their spring break vacation. That didn't happen! I started sewing about two weeks before that and spent one afternoon just on one little 3" x 20" section I had marked. I don't know if that's normal timing or not since this was my first attempt. But at that rate it would take forever to get finished.

I have thought long and hard about what to do. My machine is 43 years old & not adequate for what I want it to do, so I have decided on a different, simpler pattern that will make the center easier to do. Then will do a fancier pattern on the borders where it will be easier to move the quilt around. Now I have 'till the end of June, but am anxious to finish it before then!

Haven't had much time for anything else except to gather a few ideas for a couple more projects I want to do.

Lisa, I hope things work out for your special project.
Nancy, you always have such good ideas about how to use small amounts of yarn and cloth for new projects.
Harriet, glad you were able to track the e-bay blocks, have you received them yet? Your kite blocks sound really cute with rick-rack for the tails!

[Nancy]

Thanks gals for your responses to my posts!

Dgd finished the granny square throw and took it home with her yesterday yea she got it done before summer. {Told her dad to make a big deal about it & he said he would.} She started a granny square and nearly had it finished her next goal was to learn how to make those!

I have the knitting part done of the project I'm currently working on a knitted striped blanket.
Doing it in three strips now for the sewing together part. I had to redo the end sevearl times to get this last one the proper length glad I finally got it!

Missed goals this year of getting #1 dgd to knit a dish cloth so she can learn in creases and decreases.
#2 dgd to crochet more than a chain

Next goals to do the above plus dgson could learn to do more than a chain!
Get out loopers for them to try for a change.

[Harriet]

Sunny, are you using a "walking" (quilting) foot or just going along with your regular foot, or are you actually quilting freehand to get pretty curving designs? I have really only used the regular foot. It has made me prefer straight or very gently curved lines since it won't do fancy. I haven't learned much about free-motion quilting because I just won't take the time. I do own a walking foot but will admit I'm not positive it even goes with my new machine. Surely it does!? I do not own any kind of free-motion foot but have thought about it. There's one called "Big Foot" that seems popular.

The vintage blocks arrived and seem in good condition, clean. Somehow I actually believe they are better off now, tucked into my collection with other vintage blocks. What on earth makes me believe that? They are safe, but is this living? Someday, SOMEDAY... ... I am going to dive in and make a big fun sampler and enjoy the serendipity of it!

Truck block is cut out - no templates since I am winging it with this one little truck, no need to match any other. Airplane block drafted and templates made (out of graph paper - nothing special since I will only make a few blocks.) Guess I could glue them down onto some cereal box cardboard to keep. Found extra of the background fabric and that's reassuring.

Noticed TarJay is advertising a Singer for only $129 that looks really nice.

[Nancy]

Dgd is doing a really nice job on granny squares now she has two completed!
So so took some yarn home with her to work on them.

I've started a new knitting project prayer shawl with some blues and greens I had here.

[Sunny]

Harriet, I was not using a quilting foot. My sewing machine came with lots of attachments, none of which I have ever used. I also was sewing with the feed dog up, so it definitely was not freehand quilting. The pattern is not complicated...diamond shapes alternated with an almost oval shape. Very gentle curves. My problem was there was so much material it was hard to get it all turned the right way at the right time. Now I just have to work up my courage to get started again! Your new blocks sound intriguing!

Nancy, WTG for your dgd working on her granny squares.