"Make what you want to make, and make it the way you want to make it." Gwen Marston

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Quilts, Flowers, and Penny Farthings

It rained.  So I didn't get my quilts photographed.  Then it gets dark each night, so I didn't get my quilts photographed.  Then I just forgot.  No more excuses.  I just dragged DH outside to be my official quilt holder.  First up is my Baltimore Album quilt.  I challenged myself to make just 4 blocks to see if I liked making them.  And I loved it!  There will be another quilt in the future.

Next up is my second RSC16 quilt.  This has been sitting in the 'to-be-quilted' pile for awhile now, but it's finally ready to find a new home!  I didn't think I liked string piecing, but it turns out I enjoy that, too!


Last Saturday, we drove down to a nearby town to watch the Clustered Spires High Wheel Race.  It was another hot day, so we only stayed for the first heat, and took loads of photos.  Lots of fun to watch.  Some of the riders are very competitive, and others are just out to have a good time.  The eventual winner actually came all the way from Sweden!

Many wore period costumes

Female Winner!


Hometown favorite

Winner - from Sweden


This guy was just having fun riding, not racing.


I got up early this morning, and went for a nice long walk on the towpath.  Found some nice flowers, grasses, and mushrooms.
Cutleaf Coneflower

just a grass I liked

Pale Touch-me-not

C&O Canal Towpath

Butter and Eggs

Common Morning Glory and Queen Anne's Lace
In addition to these events, DH and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary, I went on a road trip with Guild members to visit 7 shops in the Lancaster Amish area, and I joined a gym.  I'm taking a water aerobics class, and hanging out at the outdoor pool as much as I can in the next two weeks!

Life is Good..............Sunny



Tuesday, August 1, 2017

OPAM and quilting progress

The Quilting Blitz continues, so I have some pretties to share!  Last week I shared my blue doll quilt, blue baby quilt, and charity child's quilt.  Another child's quilt was finished but apparently I didn't take a photo before I shipped it off.  I then had to take a break to make my monthly Prairie Women's project.  It was a smallish  table runner, but it took longer than I anticipated.  But then doesn't everything?  This is the fourth project I've made with this fabric, so the back is pieced, using up most of the remaining pieces.


I don't think I ever showed the third project from this fabric, so here it is!  What a fun one to work on.  Lots of little yo yos and triangles, and I just love it!  I'm way ahead of schedule on finishing this one, so don't tell anyone you saw it here!  LOL!

Next up was this little sampler quilt, from Quilts from El's kitchen.  Back in the spring of 2013, Eleanor Burns' sister, Pat Knoechel visited our guild.  This book was new then, and I think almost everyone in attendance purchased a copy.  And I have yet to see a finished quilt from it!  I purchased the fabric shortly after the book, and finally got started in March of this year at retreat.  I had fallen out of love with the fabric by then,  but once it was finished and quilted, I loved it again!

This next one has been waiting to be quilted for several months.  I couldn't decide what I wanted to do, but decided it was time to just do it!   I began by quilting a little swirl in each of the hexies.  Then I did some loop de loops in the background..  When I was all finished, I knew the swirls in the hexies were a huge mistake.  I spent most of Sunday ripping out quilting.  Not my favorite thing to do.  But I like it so much better now!  This was designed as a table cloth, without any batting in it.  I wanted to make it a wall hanging, but didn't know quite how to hang it.  I was advised to put a tab on the back of each scallop, then thread a hula hoop through the tabs to keep its shape,  I'll be going hula hoop shopping soon!  


I also whipped this little wall hanging out right before the 4th of July.  The sample I saw in the store featured the tiniest little buttons, but I used some beads that I already had rather than ordering the buttons.


So, I started with a pile of 10 projects to be quilted.  Six are finished, one is under the needle now, I'm waiting for special thread for another, so I'm very happy with my progress.  And then there are only about 102 other projects waiting to be made!  No time be get bored.

I'll close with a few nature pictures.  Check out my Wildflower page if you're interested in seeing more.  I'm not completely up to date, but I have been adding to it.









Keep on stitching..... Sunny