Stars for a New Day, month 7

I’ve been keeping up with my plan to work on Stars for a New Day on a monthly basis, but this month – arrggghh…I’m getting awfully tired of those little 1” hsts and all those stars, and all that paper ripping, this month’s set would have ended up in the garbage if I hadn’t been so determined!

All the hsts are sewn by using a paper piecing hst grid - kind of like Thangles but in a rectangle shape to yield the correct number of hst colour combinations.  Then those have to be cut apart, and paper ripped off, and pressed.  Then each of the "fancy stars" are made up of 8 rows of 8 hsts or plain squares.  The little sawtooth stars are kind of fun to sew up, once I'm past the paper pieced hst part!

There are six month's worth of making up these sets - four "fancy stars" and 8 sawtooth stars - I've done four sets, and still have two to go.  I just keep looking at the centre feathered star I had done earlier to make me keep going.

Four Winds (aka just kisses)

I completed this quilt a couple of weeks ago, for my aunt.

The applique are four blocks from Sue Garman's b.o.m. at the Quilt Show.  I had intended to make a quilt using all six of the leaf blocks, but when playing on EQ, came up with this layout.  As is my habit, I don't usually go about making a quilt for a specific person but rather make quilts as I like to, then as I go along a receipient comes to mind.  This one just called for Aunt Pauline. 

I got a Kindle!

My son kept telling me about ebook readers - and I totally rejected the idea because a book is a book - nothing better!  But then I became aware that I  haven't read a book in several months -which for me is more than unusual - because I can't afford or won't pay the high prices for new books; the library is hard for me to get to on a regular basis; and  second hand stores don't seem to have the selection they once had.  An ereader gives me instant books, and after testing out a Kobo, I found that it really was possible to lose myself in the story and forget that I'm reading it on a device instead of from a book.  The page has no glare, no backlit, clear black and white printing, and is very easy on the eyes. 

I so much wanted a Kobo, I guess because it looked like it had the most simplest form, and to me it was Canadian, and it supported epub books which are a bit more readily available than the Kindle format.  But I just couldn't cope with the blue navigation button on the right front of the reader.  It gave my thumb a cramp, as it required a bit of push; and its location made it very difficult to use with another hand or finger.

One very neat thing about the ereader is that I can put my pattern pdfs on to it, and save printing all those pages.

So, here's my new Kindle (a birthday present from my husband), along with a cover made from a pattern at Moda Bake Shop.  I even used the kindle to read the directions for the cover, while making the cover!

Meet me at the Manor

Quiltmaker magazine has introduced a four part series quilt called Meet Me at the Manor.  I love houses, and samplers, and so I had to give a try to making this quilt from scraps.

I have collected quite a few pieces of what are to me "brights" - as compared to my usual 1800s repros I'm drawn to.  Most of these were precuts of charm squares and eighths from Connecting Threads, some pulled from my stash, many of them already having been used as experiments in other quilts.

For this quilt I took a leap and did not do any sketching or colouring on EQ!  I just went for it - which is really not in my comfort zone...I usually need to have a really good plan of what I'm putting where, especially as I don't have a large design board to arrange pieces.

The first part of this series required quite of a bit of sewing...nine houses, and some fusible applique - here's what I finished with and I'm really very happy with this beginning.  These blocks will be randomly spaced out throughout the top, with smaller pieced blocks and sashings filling out the centre.  I don't think I'll be doing the sawtooth star border that shows in the pattern (I've got enough stars going on with other projects!).  There are lots of options flitting around in imagination that will make up the last border, or more!

Something from something else!

I had an idea to give a quilt to my Aunt...thinking of what was Select Six put together some time ago.  After taking it out of the drawer, I thought I would make it a bit narrower, so I played on EQ and took apart the top a bit, and re-designed it.  Its looking okay, but I don't like the last brown border (unfortunately it doesn't show much on this picture)...so that will eventually come off and be replaced with something a little brighter, maybe a colourful small open design on cream.

Still wanting to give a quilt to my Aunt, I started thinking about the "just kisses" applique blocks I had made so far.  Back to EQ, and after lots of playing, I came up with something I think will be wonderful for Pauline. This quilt is 68" square, all fabrics from the Golden Afternoon collection from Connecting Threads. 

One more top is on its way, from blocks that I had made but didn't like. I made the mini churn dashes that formed the inner part of a block in a pattern called Odds and Ends from American Patchwork and Quilting. After completing a few blocks with those churn dashes, I was just not happy with the look. EQ to the rescue, again, and I came up with this idea, followed by a picture of the blocks made so far. This will eventually be a quilt for a niece, I think.

Show and Tell

August was busy in the sewing room - I thought I'd finally catch up on the blog with some pictures of recent projects finished and on their way -

First is a quilt I made for my niece's first year in university residence.  Its a variation of a quilt called CrossRoads in American Patchwork and Quilting, August 08.  I revised the pattern a bit to accommodate charm squares.  I used to packs of  Rural Jardin charm squares, less the light ones, plus some odd bits from my stash.  Finished size is 62 x 77.


I quilted Starlight Starbright for  my daughter's graduation present

I finished a top to give to my Aunt, then decided another WIP might be more suitable for her, and its almost ready for quilting.  I've re-designed another UFO that may be a quilt for a niece.  I've been working on blocks from the Farmer's Wife book,  and with a goal of 10 blocks a month, I'm up to 40 blocks. 

I've also been very much enjoying the ease of applique from b.o.m. kits!  Its an easy way out, I know, but absolutely no stress over colour choices, which seems to be my nemises for applique.  I'm working on Baltimore & Bali, and a folk version (kansas troubles fabrics) of My Whimsical Garden. ). I'm also keeping up with Honouring Emma. 

More pictures tomorrow,

Penny

P3 Designs block of the month mystery

This series is up to month five - we have a centre, and four each of the blocks I've placed on the design flannel, to the side of the centre.

I find it hard to get enthusiastic about mystery quilts - I love the idea, but ensuring that I pick the fabrics correctly to get a nice quilt is a little intimidating.  This year, for Pearl P. Pereira's mystery quilt, I found fabrics in my stash that have worked pretty well.  The peach check (that make up the large flowers on the sides of the centre block) could be brighter - but it still works.


Pearl writes terrific instructions - which is a very good thing because these are not your usual blocks!  I don't know how she comes up with her designs, but they are the kind where you stitch, cut and flip pieces until you end up with these interesting leaves and flowers.  Very different, and a bit challenging - you  have to follow the directions and work carefully step by step.

If you'd like to join in, all the previous month's instructions are still available.  Go to Pearl P. Pereira's website, and click on the forum link in the menu on the left.