Journey of a Quilter

Yarn Swift

2012-01-18T22:36:00.000-05:00

Back in November I began my internet search for 100% wool yarns to use for rug hooking and came up with some wonderful possibilities. Maybe in my travels I will happen upon Halcyon, Blackberry Ridge, Harrisville Highland or Violet Jane and I am sure there are many more just waiting to be discovered. Two great yarns I have already started collecting are Cascade 220's and Briggs and Little yarns.

Briggs and Little are located in York Mills, New Brunswick and is Canada's oldest woolen mill, established in 1857. The photo above is just a few of the Briggs and Little sample cards I received in the mail with many wonderful colours, in several ply's and roving too.

I plan to stock up on Natural White, Washed White and Bleached White for dyeing and also the Natural Sheep's Grey and Light Grey for overdyeing. Another mill of interest is MacAusland's Woolen Mills in Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, established in 1870. Both MacAusland's and Briggs and Little offer free colour sample cards.

All it took was a couple of hours in the wood shop and for under $10.00 I made myself a wonderful yarn swift, built from pine, stained in English Chestnut and finished with a little Tung oil. I have already spent many a happy hour turning skeins into balls. Winding the balls by hand is relaxing and how I like to do it, but you can purchase an electric ball winder to use with the yarn swift.

I did try one center pull ball of yarn, but nothing beats the look of a ball of yarn wound the old fashioned way.

Until next time.....happy rug hooking!

Karen

Building Houses

2012-01-09T22:41:00.000-05:00

I just could not resist Building Houses from Scraps a fun project Jeanneke put together for 2012. The plan is to try to make a house block every day, so at the end of the year you have a total of 366 (it's a leap year) house blocks. The houses are tiny (7.5 cm x 7.5 cm) and meant to be hand pieced, which is perfect for me, but you can make them larger and piece by machine, if you like. Rules are few, but one important one is not to show a completed quilt before the end of the year, as Jeanneke said, it is not a race and takes the fun out of it for other participants if you do.

Last year I decide to go smaller and not make large quilts anymore, just finish the ones I have on the go now and a few I have already purchased the fabric for. So, I will be sticking to my rule and only building enough houses for a doll size quilt and it will be stretched out over the year. As you can see, I'm going with Batiks to build my houses.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Adventures in Rug Hooking

2012-01-03T12:18:00.000-05:00

It was the summer of 1991 in Cheticamp, Nova Scotia when I was first introduced to rug hooking. With the hopes of making my own rug one day, I returned home with a little inspiration, a small mat made from fine wool yarn and a tiny hook.

One day came in 1994 the year I signed up for a rug hooking class. Thirteen lessons for $65.00 and $100.00 for materials which included a pre-stamped pattern on burlap backing, a hook and pre-cut wool fabric strips. I worked on my rug over a 17 month period and spent a total of 200 hours hooking it.

When Anne, from Anne's Original Hooked Rugs posted a comment on my blog earlier last year that started me thinking about rug hooking again. I decided if it was still on my mind come fall, I would look into making another rug. It was still on my mind and so began with a trip to the library where I checked out every book on rug hooking, all great reads. One book, Basic Rug Hooking, by Alice Beatty and Mary Sargent I ordered for my personal library. I did purchase a few other books and will tell you more about them later.

Between the internet and reading books my head is spinning with so much information, I need to compile all I have learned for future reference.

Frugal is the way I would like to go about rug hooking, but at first there is some expense. New wool fabric is pricey, but an option is to recycle old wool and one that many rug hookers choose. I love the look of wool yarn hooked rugs and am leaning that way right now, but I also love the look of primitive rugs using 1/4 inch wide wool fabric strips. I have seen the two mixed together with wonderful results and can see myself doing that to.

A decision has been made on the wool yarns I will be using and I even started my search for recycled wool fabric, with excellent results. And, I am very excited about learning to dye wool. Backing fabric has arrived and I have also added a couple of hooks to my collection. But, what has been the most fun so far is time spent in the wood shop building a few rug hooking accessories. I'm very pleased, wait till you see!

Also, before Christmas, I did order some new wool fabric (for dyeing) and binding tape to take advantage of a free shipping offer. And, for Christmas, my sister brought me some nice white wool fabric and Cushing dyes to try, along with a big bag full of beautiful wool yarns. I was planning to cut all my fabric strips by scissor, like the old days, but my sister is also interested in trying rug hooking and cutting by scissor is not her idea of fun, so she decided to order a Fraser 500-1 Strip Cutter.

So, once I compile my notebook of information, I will be ready to make my second rug, a new, old adventure that I'm sure to enjoy as much as quilting and stitchery.

Until next time.....happy New Year!

Karen

Making Friends

2011-12-20T12:01:00.000-05:00

I thought I had finished my November Sweet Nostalgia block, but I see I missed stitching a little grass under the squirrel's tail. Such a delightful stitchery, that I have already started stitching Santa, on the December block Checking the List...Naughty or Nice?

Only a few days left before the big day and surprisingly everything is in order. The house is decorated, gifts are wrapped, baking is done and meals have been planned. Today, I think I will make a batch of yummy Holiday Jewel Fudge and start binding my sister's Christmas quilt.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Until next year.....happy quilting!

Karen

Double Twisted

2011-12-04T23:48:00.000-05:00

My Twisted Tumbler turned out a little more twisted then planned. I carefully arranged and numbered the rows for piecing, but somehow managed to start several rows from the wrong end of the previous row. Oh well, it definitely has the scrappy look now. The original Twisted Tumbler has a border, but I was thinking of going borderless.

The weather is not what we would expect for December; this afternoon reached the mid 50's. The grass is still growing and plants are starting to break ground. A heavy frost turned the garden into a sugar coated wonderland, but was soon washed away by heavy rain.

Countdown to Christmas with Aurifil Thread

What a nice collection I will have by December 25th.

Once the calendar flips to December the main focus is Christmas, but I hope to find a little time to finish my November Sweet Nostalgia block, Making Friends and more importantly to complete my last five Dear Jane center blocks.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

CWB Block 18

2011-11-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

Block 18 of the Civil War Bride quilt stitched in a timely manner, but how is it possible for three weeks to pass by before I find five minutes to French knot the eyes? Anyway, the girls are finished and looking rather lovely. Another block with tiny toes, but a challenge I quite enjoyed.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Trash to Treasure

2011-11-13T21:36:00.000-05:00

Can you believe this little beauty was sitting at the end of someone's driveway waiting for the garbage truck to take her away? Beautiful she was not, covered in a very ugly orange/brown varnish, but I knew what was underneath and there was no way this little lady was going to come to a crushing end.

One day was all it took to strip away the old varnish and give her a couple fresh coats of clear to bring out her natural beauty. I also replaced the existing drawer knob with a very sweet antique porcelain brass knob.

So, where will her new home be? My sewing room of course and a new work station just for my Quilters' Compost.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

The Black Cauldron

2011-10-25T22:46:00.000-04:00

You have to watch where you are walking this time of year as spiders and cobwebs seem to be everywhere. Last Sunday it was warm enough to wear shorts and a T-shirt as I gave the garden its final weeding of the season. Now, I wait for the first frost, and then garden clean-up begins.

The Black Cauldron

I almost forgot to show you, my first block of Hocuspocusville. It sure is a fun one to stitch and I look forward to the next eleven blocks. Done all in black thread, two strands and backstitched. For a better look at the background fabric, click here.

As spirits roam the neighborhoods at night,
Let loose upon the Earth till it be light...

~Nicholas Gordon

One Ostrich to go, then I will be finished appliqueing Block 18 of the Civil War Bride quilt. But, first it's time for a tasty treat, homemade peanut brittle.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Stash Building

2011-10-13T22:18:00.000-04:00

Reproduction Fabric

More Reproduction Fabric

1930's Fabric

Primitive Muslin

Mixed Fabric

and Asian Fabric

A good road trip and even though I bought more fabric then I should have, I did buy a lot less then I could have. As you can see, I do love the reproduction fabrics. Great sales on some, so I purchased extra yardage, good for backing doll quilts.

I was a little disappointed with the 1930's fabric, very little caught my eye, until I discovered the sales table, once again, good for backing. Also, very pleased with the Primitive Muslin and guess what, it was on sale too! Love the Asian fabric and I think I did a pretty good job with my mixed fabric.

Oops! I almost missed some!

The washing machine is humming away and the laundry room floor is covered with piles of fabric, now the hard part, finding a place to store it all.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Milkweed

2011-10-11T23:26:00.000-04:00

The milkweed pods are breaking,

And the bits of silken down

Float off upon the autumn breeze

Across the meadows brown.

- Cecil Cavendish, The Milkweed

Fall Road Trip

2011-10-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

It is time for a road trip and I am pretty sure it will include lots and lots of quilt shops. But, will I be able to stick to my Quilters' Diet, seeing that I have not set foot in a quilt shop or ordered anything online since spring, we will see!

With the blink of an eye, summer became fall, with a chill in the air and colour everywhere. The weatherman predicted a dry, warm autumn, but it has been raining for days and is as cold as can be. Still, it is going to be an excellent adventure and not even the rain can put a damper on things.

I began a new project, the time was right, Hocuspocusville, by Crab-apple Hill. One of my favourite blocks is The Black Cauldron, so I started with that one. Spider Soup and Worms Alfredo, now doesn't that make your mouth water?

Such a very busy season and I have been working overtime to see that everything on my To-Do List gets checked off. This has left little time for quilting the past few weeks, other than stitching up my weekly Dear Jane block and cutting out pieces for a quilt called Crazy Cats. My sister is machine piecing it, which is good, because I'm not that crazy about the Buggy Barn method. Anyway, if all goes well, this will be a Christmas gift for my other sister.

Now, I must pack my bags and get a good night's sleep, as soon it will be time to hit the road.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

October Moon

2011-09-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

Fall is fast approaching, my favourite time of year. Crisp flaky crust and smooth, creamy custard, pumpkin pies will soon be here. During this chilly season I also like to delight in a warm cup of hot chocolate or, how about the tempting aroma of homemade applesauce as it is simmering on the stove. Oh autumn, I welcome you, it is none too soon for me!

My intention a couple of weeks back was to prepare October Moon for a later date, but Pumpkin Patch Cat said I should start right away. A wise cat he is, as September 23 is the first day of fall and now my little wall quilt is ready to hang.

October Moon

15" x 25"

Machine pieced, hand appliqued and quilted

Pattern by Sandy Gervais

A fun applique project, I like how the cat is pieced with different strips of fabric. October Moon is a two part pattern, I made the Pumpkin Patch Cat, but there is also a second wall hanging called Moon Cat, which is very cute as well, maybe a project for next fall.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Squirreling Away for Winter

2011-09-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

I am taking my cue from the squirrels, as the weather gets colder, days get shorter and the leaves soon to turn colour and fall off the trees, it's time to prepare for winter. As they busy themselves building up fat reserves and creating a cosy place to sleep, I too have been busy squirreling away for winter.

As I busied myself basting October Moon for hand quilting I started thinking about all the quilt tops still hanging in my sewing room waiting to be quilted, ten to be exact. Winter is just around the corner, surely I can find some time for hand quilting. But, so much prep work needs to be done first, preparing backing and binding for all the quilts and marking a few before basting. I can just see it now; winter will be over before I even get started.

Well guess what, I got started!

~~Veranda Views~~

~~Amish Stripe~~

~~Friendship Star~~

~~Tiny Thimbles~~

~~Elegant Nine-Patch~~

~~Red Delicious~~

Bad Apple

Butterfly Garden

Farmer's Market

Times Remembered

Just look how many I now have basted and ready for hand quilting this winter. Even the binding is made and ready to go. I will continue, but with less urgency until all ten quilts are basted. But first, I will bind October Moon.

My Hand Quilting Basket

So, as the squirrels sleep away the winter in their cosy place, you will find me in my cosy place, quilting away the winter.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

“The dog that buried the bone which even a canine appetite could not manage, the squirrel that gathered nuts for a later feast, the bees that filled the comb with honey, the ants that laid up stores for a rainy day - these were among the first creators of civilization. It was they....who taught our ancestors the art of providing for tomorrow out of the surplus of today, or of preparing for winter in summer's time of plenty." ~ Will Durant 'Our Oriental Heritage' (1935)

Kaffe Klosjes Completed

2011-09-06T09:33:00.000-04:00

248 of 500 Klosjes Completed

I needed a project to take with me well away from home for a couple of days, something that would fit in my overnight bag. And, that turned out to be my little box of Klosjes. The last of my Kaffe Fassett's just waiting to be stitched and that makes twenty.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Worms in the Garden

2011-08-30T22:07:00.001-04:00

Who doesn't like worms in the garden? They feed on litter and debris and convert it to a mucus-rich excrement loaded with nutrients and minerals that forms a foundation of quality soil. All you have to do is feed them a little compost. Now, doesn't that sound yummy?

My flower garden is growing by about a worm a week. A single row of border hexagons is making its way around my garden. I started by stitching down one hexagon at a time, but in no time that became very annoying.

So, following the shape of my flowers, I stitch together six hexagons, before attaching them to my garden. This way I have a longer run of continuous stitching and it works out to the equivalent of stitching one and a half flowers a week.

Flies, worms and flowers exceed me still.

~ Isaac Watts

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

The Witching Hour

2011-08-22T23:36:00.002-04:00

Finally finished, my second block of the Sweet Nostalgia BOM. I was so relaxed and enjoying myself as I stitched away on The Witching Hour that the month just zipped by. Oh well, they don't call it the lazy days of summer for nothing!

I had a light bulb moment, but it came after I finished stitching the leaves. The instructions called for a dark green, I should have done them in autumn colours!

It wasn't all stitchery this month as I spent many hours in my sewing room doing prep work. First, the layout for my Twisted Tumbler blocks. Now they are numbered and ready for hand piecing. I also prepared my next Civil War Bride block and a wall quilt project called, October Moon. This one had me so excited I started it right away and already half the applique is done. Because I am moving along at a nice pace I think I will wait until I have it all quilted before I show you.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Marieke

2011-08-21T12:56:00.002-04:00

With the sudden passing of Marieke,

My thoughts are with her family.

And, I too will miss her.

In Memoriam

There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go. ~Author Unknown

What's Next?

2011-08-04T00:44:00.005-04:00

Twisted Tumbler

by Pat Yamin

Pat is known for her scrappy one-patch quilts and to celebrate the debut of her 40's inspired fabric collection, in 2008, she released this free pattern. My version will be made from 23 different Holly Holderman fabrics. It is not a big quilt; the finished size is 28" x 23."

Well, back to The Witching Hour. The sooner I finish my Sweet Nostalgia stitchery block, the sooner I can start piecing together Twisted Tumbler.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

The Perfect Summer Day

2011-07-24T22:06:00.004-04:00

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. ~James Dent

Even though the dry spell continues, the lawn has gone dormant and I have been working overtime to keep the garden hydrated, I still can say I have seen a perfect summer day or two. When the daylilies start to bloom not even record high temperatures can spoil the moment. I love daylilies and thanks to this year's abundant spring rain, my garden is exploding with colour.

On the sewing front, I am happy to say my Tiny Thimble doll quilt top is now finished, made from 240 tiny thimbles, hand pieced and measuring 19 x 24 inches. It was fun working with the Charisma fabric and I still have plenty more for another project or two.

Click on photo for clearer image.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to update my Tea and a Good Book page. Instead of reviewing my books as I go through them, because I am so slow, I decided to just list all the quilting books I have in my personal library. It was fun to do and no, I didn't count how many, but back in January 2010, I was up to 156 quilting books.

Okay, don't laugh. Yes, that is a headlamp! Sometimes, for a change, it is nice to sit in other places where the lighting isn't as good, as at my favourite chair and this little gadget works perfectly. And, the cats love it too. They chase the light across the floor and up the walls. It has a zoom on it so you can focus the light directly on your project and low/high light settings. You are laughing aren't you?

Until next time....happy quilting!

Karen

CWB Block 20

2011-07-04T22:09:00.005-04:00

Well, I think I just appliqued my tiniest piece ever, the bird beak. Can you see it? You may have to enlarging the photo. And, I also appliqued my second pair of tiny feet. Block 20 of the Civil War Bride quilt was a nice one to stitch and unlike the previous blocks, there was room to spare without crowding the seam line.

Last week, I hand appliqued Block 20, but really should have had it done months ago. Everything was ready to go; I just needed to make some bias stems. Now, I don't know what it is about me and bias stems, but I always seem to put off making them. I'm not sure why, as it is not difficult to do. Anyway, when I finally got to making them, I made lots of stems, so I should be good for many more blocks.

228 of 500 Klosjes Completed

I have really fallen behind on my Klosjes, only six made in a little over two months and what a depressing bunch they are! Of all the bright and happy Kaffe Fassett fabrics, I managed to bring home some dull ones.

Time in the Pink Garden is where most of my free time has been spent over the past couple of weeks and I sure can't complain about that. We seem to have come into a dry spell, so many evenings are spent watering the gardens. On July 1st, as I watered away, fireworks filled the sky for Canada Day.

Right now, my focus is on my Tiny Thimbles, but I also have the urge to do a little stitchery too, so I have prepared the next Sweet Nostalgia block, it is called The Witching Hour. The question is will I get it done before the real Witching Hour?

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

On the Go

2011-06-21T21:01:00.002-04:00

My good friend Jigsaw thought seeing that I was almost finished joining all my flowers together, it would be wise to start preparing hexies for the border and so I did, 140 to be exact. Though still undecided on my Flower Garden border, I think I'm just going to see how it grows.

Since my last posting, it has been go, go, go in the garden and still so much to do, but besides my hexagons, I did manage to complete the sashing on all sixteen of my Shades of Autumn POTC blocks, made a few more Klosjes and even added a couple more rows to my Tiny Thimble quilt, all portable projects, done on the go.

It was nice to spend an hour, Sunday evening, in my sewing room, organizing and getting my thoughts together. I really haven't been in there since the end of April and long to work on my Clamshells again, plus prep work for other projects.

Two new books have been added to my library; Kathleen Tracy's first book, American Doll Quilts is back in print, so I ordered it right away and can't wait to get started. Also, Classic Quilts from the American Museum in Britain. I held off ordering this one for several months wondering if it would be money well spent and based on the photos alone, it was.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Friendship Star Quilt

2011-06-06T20:51:00.001-04:00

Friendship Star is my first doll quilt from Kathleen Tracy's book, Prairie Children and Their Quilts. Measuring 20.5 inches by 25 inches and pieced by hand. Kathleen went with a contrasting colour for the binding, but I was thinking of using the same fabric as the border. All fabrics are reproduction and I plan on hand quilting.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Constant use will not wear ragged the fabric of friendship.

~Dorothy Parker

Tiny Thimbles

2011-05-24T22:13:00.001-04:00

A fabulous quilt called, Rocky Mountain Thimbles can be found in a wonderful book called, Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storm. From 14 yards of fabric Biz pieced together 6,536 tiny thimbles. I'm going to piece together about 260 tiny thimbles to make a doll quilt from Charisma fabric. And, yes, I did follow my Expires in 30 Days rule!

As I started piecing the tiny thimbles together, I realized that I have a thing for one patch quilts. Clamshells, apple cores, hexagon flowers and POTC blocks are a few projects that come to mind. Also, in my Rainy Day Cupboard is a box full of 1 inch squares, 2 inch squares and tumblers. And, sitting on my work table is fabric and a template for a very interesting one patch, which I found on the internet last year, but more about that later.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Time in the Garden

2011-05-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

It has been a very wet spring here in my neck of the woods, but has had only positive effects on the garden as plants emerge from the ground, big and lush and loaded with blooms. The busy season has begun, with two large gardens to tend. In the past, I would have been up with the birds and gardening until well after dark, but the body now sees it differently, the pace is a slower and gentler one.

I prefer early morning and evening gardening and staying out of the midday sun. As I move from garden bed to garden bed, it's out with the unruly, overgrown and poor performers, it is time for a makeover. It is also time to enjoy the sights and smells of the garden, a place to disappear, if only for a few hours at a time, it is my tranquil haven.

Karen's Flower Garden

continues to grow, with 78 of 95 flowers joined together.

Ideas are still dancing around in my head, for the border, so nothing is for sure just yet. But, I did find an interesting Micro Dot fabric by Lakehouse Dry Goods to use as the main border fabric. The colour, though not exact, in the photo, is a perfect match for my flowers, as trace amounts appear in each of the different fabrics.

As you can see it has a blotchy look, which gives it some texture. Because my flower garden is a busy one, I think the border needs as much texture as possible. So, to give it more, turning this fabric into hexagons just may be the answer.

A big thank you to the Garden Party, for making this such a fun journey.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

A Splash of Colour

2011-05-09T22:44:00.001-04:00

222 of 500 Klosjes Completed

18 made in April

The first of many Kaffe Fassett spools!

Our annual spring road trip to Shipshewana, Indiana came a little earlier this year. It was mostly sunny, with a little rain, but warm enough without a jacket. More time than usual was spent on the road, as we decided to venture off the beaten path and explore a few new quilt shops.

Last year, we discovered two great shops in Michigan; The Hen House in Charlotte and Quilts at the Marshall House in Marshall. After a return visit this year to both shops, we decided to explore more of Michigan and stopped at Ann Arbor Sewing & Quilting Center in Ann Arbor, The Quilter's Garden in Fenton, The Quilting Season in Saline and The Village Quilt Shoppe in Lake Orion, all lovely shops.

The bulk of my purchases, though small, as I was careful to follow the Quilters' Diet came from Yoder's and Lolly's Fabrics in Shipshewana. My shopping list was a short one and I found all three items; border fabric for my Flower Garden, sashing fabric for Dear Jane and more background fabric for my Klosjes.

Also, I did carefully select a few extra pieces of fabrics to take home with me, because one does not drive 6 hours for just three pieces of fabric and besides I have been fabric free since the beginning of the year, except for a piece of muslin I purchased in February.

Although I stuck with my Quilters' Diet by selective shopping, I didn't do so well with my food diet, as delicious food is all around you in Shipshewana.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Block Book

2011-05-01T12:37:00.001-04:00

Now finished and such a pleasure to stitch, my Block Book cover will soon be turned into the perfect place to store my ready to stitch Dear Jane blocks. To see what the finished book and inside looks like, pop on over to Ellen's. Or to purchase the pattern click here.

The stitchery is just so pretty; I may have to use it again on something else. Like Ellen, I prefer to hand piece and I like how the Block Book stitches up fast, the perfect project for one that likes to hand piece.

Many more great patterns can be purchased at Ellie's Quiltplace. You may remember Ellen's free Country Calendar BOM that adorns my family room wall. The pattern is still available, along with her latest, Cat Quilt BOS. A must do pattern for me, as we are a cat loving family.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Quilters' Diet

2011-04-25T22:23:00.001-04:00

What makes a quilter happy, a well-balanced diet. But, finding the right balance is sometimes hard to do. I have been working on my plan since the beginning of the year and hope by the end of the year I will be well on my way to enjoying all the benefits of a well-balanced diet.

Finding a way to reduce intake was first on the list. That would be on purchases such as fabric, notions, gadgets and books. To help reduce intake, I have established the Expires in 30 Days plan which means before buying on impulse or starting a new project, I wait 30 days. What I have discovered is how time can change one's mind. It's almost magical.

Now, I do realize that it may not always be possible to wait 30 days, if it is a onetime chance to purchase something, and avoiding temptation can be difficult, but I think by keeping a list of items needed for current projects and limiting myself to a few extra purchases, by selective shopping, may be the answer.

Knowing what you have in stock is very important, so keeping the pantry organized is a must and it is a good aid for trimming the fat. Frequent visits, to the pantry, is a great reminder of what supplies I have on hand and projects waiting to be finished.

In my pantry you will also find a Rainy Day Cupboard with ready to do projects. By scheduling regular prep work times or using the kitchen timer to gain a few minutes here and there I am well on my way to a well-stocked cupboard.

I will focus on the finish line and challenge myself to more timely finishes of new and old projects. This means increasing my hand quilting time and taking smaller bites (smaller projects) for faster finishes. For me, variety is the spice of life and I will continue working multiple projects at one time.

Each year, I will select a Gift of a Year by making one project my top priority. It doesn't have to be over 365 days nor is it meant to consume all my quilting time, but one that gets extra attention.

And, lastly, it is time to say goodbye to the To-Do List and say hello to the Ta Dah List - a sizable handful of things well done.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Do Penguins Fly?

2011-04-14T19:41:00.001-04:00

Well, these five little fellows did, all the way from South Africa!

Incomparable Buttons has been in business for over twenty years selling fabulous handmade buttons and providing employment to women of South Africa. I thank you Tamara and Esther, for selecting my name as a giveaway winner.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

A Quilt for Raggs

2011-04-11T20:46:00.003-04:00

Confetti

205 Pieces, 20" by 20"

Hand Pieced and Quilted

My first doll quilt completed and Raggs is very pleased. Quilting was fun as I stitched on an angle, one way through the squares, forming a zig zag pattern, then I stitched around the inside edge of the border, followed by double rows of soft waves in the border.

My second doll quilt, Friendship Star is well under way and I am about to start joining the stars together. Maybe a nice cup of tea and a little star stitching would be a perfect way to end the day.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Splashy!

2011-04-04T10:33:00.001-04:00

I was feeling a little splashy and needed something to take with me to Sew Saturday. Because I am still waiting for the perfect project to come along, to use my Kaffe Fassett fabric, I thought it would be fun to make a klosjes from each piece in my collection. I now have about 45 klosjes cut and ready for hand piecing.

And, speaking of splashy, a couple more great deals on books; Material Obsession and Material Obsession 2 by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke for only $8.00 each! Who knows, maybe I will be back cutting into my Kaffe Fassett fabrics sooner then I think.

204 of 500 Klosjes Completed

6 made last week

A few klosjes to welcome Spring.

And, my first Kaffe Fassett.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

March Clamshell Report

2011-03-31T00:43:00.001-04:00

Great progress has been made this month as I stitched down 63 clamshells. In other words, 201 of 720 are now pieced together. With almost 10 rows completed, it is beginning to look like a quilt top, once all pieced together the clamshells will measure approximately a 65 inch square.

The question is To Border or not to Border? Without a border the focus would remain on the clamshells. With a border, I think it would have to have something special about it, so as not to be boring, but at the same time not to take away from the clamshells.

I have plenty of time to think about it, but your suggestions are always welcome.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

A Needle and Thread Kind of Week

2011-03-28T11:24:00.002-04:00

Spring is in the air and with it came lots of snow. The poor flowers appeared and then disappeared under a heavy white blanket, but without a doubt they will reappear. In the meantime, all warm and cosy inside, I have been busy working on a variety of projects.

Hand quilting is almost completed on my Confetti doll quilt and the binding is ready and waiting to finish it off.

Well hand quilting I tested out the Clover Protect and Grip Thimble which is made from flexible rubber, but I soon set it aside. It was so flexible as you press down on the needle the metal tip wobbles all over the place. I think it was designed for the tipsy quilter! I find the rubber is just not firm enough to support the metal tip.

I also finished cutting out the stars for my Friendship Star doll quilt and began hand piecing them on the weekend. Just three more to go! I also made freezer paper templates, selected fabric and began cutting out the applique pieces for my next Civil War Bride block. And, a little more hand piecing of Klosjes and the borders around my Shades of Autumn POTC blocks.

198 Klosjes Completed

18 made last week

So, all in all, last week was pretty good quilting wise and the way the sun is shining today, the snow should be gone in no time. Thursday I will be back with my March Clamshell Report, progress has been very good, and now my fingers are crossed for another productive week.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Veranda Views

2011-03-21T22:45:00.002-04:00

Veranda Views had me excited from the start, because I love to spend time in the garden. Fabric selection was pretty easy. I had a few pieces in mind and just added to them.

Then I stitched it all together and didn't like the end result. It was way too busy with all the different fabric and the stitchery was lost. I took it apart (January 2010) and used the pieces for Quilters' Compost.

Since then, I selected three fabrics that went nicely together and hoped for the best. It only took a little over a year to attempt it a second time, but it turned out much better than the first time and the focus remains on the stitchery.

Click on photo for clearer image.

I did change it some from the original pattern by adding more sashing and I tried not to increase the overall quilt size too much, so as not to tip the balance. It looks nicer in person then in the photo and I am pretty sure I will not be taking it apart again.

Well working on Veranda Views, I had a chance to test out my Center-to-Trim Guide by Dritz. Normally I work on blocks that have already been cut to finished size, but for Veranda Views you cut them larger and then trim back when finished. This was a first for me and I was pleased with the ease of the Center-to-Trim Guide.

In the close-up photo you can see a series of measurements and dots. First you find the center of your block and mark it, through the hole, with a wash away pen. You continue to mark in the same way, for the size of block you desire. Then, with a ruler and rotary cutter, you trim down your block. So fast and easy!

Do you remember my Brother PC3000 sewing machine ordeal? I drove by the repair shop the other day and guess what; they have gone out of business! Now, doesn't that explain a few things?

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Civil War Bride Block 10

2011-03-15T12:56:00.007-04:00

All finished and pleased with the results. Not even all the pointy strawberry tops could take away the pleasure of stitching this lovely block. As you can see, I have to finish two leaves, which land close to the seam line, but will be completed when the blocks are attached together. My next block will be Block 20, with lots of leaves, a few flowers and one bird.

A border has now been added to my Veranda Views quilt top and I have just two sides left of the Confetti doll quilt border to hand piece, and then Confetti will be the first, of the two, to be hand quilted.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Lobster Quilt

2011-03-07T00:15:00.000-05:00

This past week I've been enjoying an oldie but a goodie, printed in 1949 and full of inspiration. No coloured photos in this book, it has been left to your imagination, which usually is not a problem for quilters.

Of all the quilts in the book, Lobster Quilt is the one that caught my eye. The photo changed instantly, in my head, from black and white to bright, beautiful lobster red. Can you see the lobster resemblance; wouldn't that make a nice summer table topper?

The back of the book is loaded with wonderful quilt blocks. I can picture Cross Roads done Amish style, with a black background and colourful solids or how about in 1930's fabric? Wheel of Chance is such a fun one, I can see it fussy cut or done in Kaffe Fassett. The St. Louis Star block is another excellent one for fussy cutting.

Besides reading, I am almost finished my Civil War Bride applique block and should have it completed in the next couple of days. Clamshells are becoming part of my daily routine, even if time allows for just one to be stitched down. Until my bucket is empty, cleaning up my Quilters' Compost has also become part of my daily routine. Veranda Views blocks are back on the design wall and have now been pieced together. Just the border needs to go on. So, it looks like a few finishes are in sight.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

February Clamshell Report

2011-02-28T00:08:00.001-05:00

February turned out to be a very good clamshell month. Not only did I stitch down 35 clamshells, I also basted 135 more. All the paper templates, except for around the edges, I removed as I stitched down the new shells. I was nervous about doing this, but it worked out just fine and makes it so much easier to handle. The clamshells also look much nicer with the basting thread gone. I now have 138 clamshells pieced together.

Just out of interest, I started counting the minutes of the various stages of the clamshell process and concluded that I spend approximately 30 minutes with each clamshell. Now, times that by 720 clamshells, I think I'm going to be busy for a very long time!

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

New Pincushions

2011-02-20T10:25:00.001-05:00

It's time to replace some pincushions, so from Kathleen Tracy's new book, The Civil War Sewing Circle I made the Pillow Pincushion. I also made two Pointer Fingers.

Sew Saturday, Sew New!

2011-02-13T22:32:00.004-05:00

Sew Saturday had a theme this week, it was all about new. New to you, that is. Trying something new, learn something new and starting something new. First up was a new gadget, so I decided to give the Twin Pointed Stab Stitch Quilting Needle a try, a gift from my sister a couple of years ago.

When I first started hand quilting I tried the stab method with a regular quilting needle and a handheld hoop, but had a hard time keeping my stitches uniform. The stab method is intended for tabletop or floor frame quilting, which I rarely do. I prefer the handheld hoop.

Anyway, out came my little floor frame and after poking my finger about six or seven times, I got the hang of the twin pointed needle and was pleased with my nice straight stitches and how small I was able to make them, but it did take more time than the rocking method. Maybe with more practice it would be just as fast.

Next up was learning something new, so I decided to try Sashiko. There again, I have had all the fixings to try it for a couple of years now. Basically, if you can do the running stitch, you can do Sashiko.

The thimble is interesting, as you place it on your middle finger (with flap pointing down) to protect the palm of your hand when you push the needle through. It comes with a traditional needle (2 inches long) and a modern needle which is shorter and has a larger eye. I didn't get very far, but sure did enjoy it.

Then, on to a new quilting project, which I had a few things in mind, but decided to prep my next doll quilt. From Kathleen Tracy's book, Prairie Children and Their Quilts, I selected, Friendship Star. The book is designed for machine quilting, so I first had to change the measurements to adapt to templates and hand piecing. I still have lots of prep work to do, but couldn't help myself and stopped to stitch a star.

Other things I worked on this week, Clamshells, Quilters' Compost and my Civil War Bride block and did the prep work for my Block Book.

Before Christmas Ellen sent me a copy of her Block Book pattern, which you can purchase at her web shop, along with many other wonderful patterns. If you like to hand piece, then you are going to love this book, perfect for my Dear Jane blocks. It is a great way to layout and store your prepared block pieces.

Ellen has posted about the Block Book on her blog, so be sure to have a look at the pretty cover and the inside of the book. I will show you my cover when I get it all stitched together, and then I will turn it into a wonderful book.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Vintage Charm

2011-02-06T21:52:00.002-05:00

The center of my Confetti doll quilt is now finished. Being such a fun pattern to stitch, it was hard to stop. With no repeats in fabric, you would say my quilt is charmed.

Instead of squaring up the edges with ruler and cutter, I have made up some templates. This way I will not have to cut into the diamonds and squares. Now, I have to decide if this round will be an inner border, or part of the border.

The month of January came and went and I am happy to report that it was a fabric free purchase month, but I did go a little crazy with books. I just couldn't resist Link to the 30's by Kay Connors and Karen Earlywine.

Last posting, I mentioned the three books by Kathleen Tracy and I also ordered Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms. Plus, Quilting Line & Color, by Yoshiko Jinzenji, which is techniques and designs for abstract quilts and a book by Jean Wells, Intuitive Color & Design, about the adventures in Art Quilting. It's just like going back to school!

180 Klosjes Completed

10 made this week

It looks like I have been enjoying a little vintage charm!

The other day, I final got around to testing out my grandmother's Singer 301 and it seems to be running just fine. So, on Friday, I purchased some sewing machine oil and needles, and soon she will be ready for her first assignment. The original darning foot (for free motion) is missing, but I can easily order one and I also have my eye on a 1/4 inch foot with a quilting guide bar attached.

As for my Brother PC 3000, it has been three months and the keypad has yet to come in. What I didn't know was because the repair shop is not a Brother dealer they cannot order Brother parts, they order from a distributor which sells parts that will work in a Brother machine. I didn't like the sounds of that and told her to cancel the order.

After thinking long and hard about it I have decided not to get it repaired. I am not willing to travel as far as the nearest Brother dealer is located and the keypad and installing of it will cost almost half of what I paid for the machine. Not worth it for a machine I rarely use. If I was ever to buy a new sewing machine, I would be sure to leave all the bells and whistles at the store.

Now, I can still use the machine, but the needle is locked in the left hand position. Why one would sew with the needle to the left is beyond me, but I tested it out and am still able to attach my walking foot for quilting, but not my 1/4 inch foot, as this requires the needle to be in the center position, but I did find another foot in my bag of goodies, that works like a 1/4 inch foot, so piecing and binding is still possible. And, because the free motion foot has a wide opening, it should work with the needle in the left position.

So, all is not lost, just the parts of the machine I never really used. Sure wish I thought of this three months ago!

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Sweet and Delicious

2011-01-25T08:06:00.001-05:00

So sweet and delicious to indulge in applique once again. I'm back working on my Civil War Bride quilt and about halfway finished block ten. This will be my fifth block of twenty. The stems and strawberries have been appliqued and now I'm working on the berry tops and leaves.

Prepped and ready to go are thirty 1930's Klosjes. That also finishes up the last of my background fabric, but I have been on the lookout and was successful in finding other fabrics that match nicely. So, I am still aiming for 500.

Hanging among the tablecloths was this long since forgotten cross-stitch, of quilt blocks, from 1996. A pleasant surprise, but I really don't know what I would do with it other then hang it back in the closet.

My Sewing Chair

Polka-Dot Girls

I can't tell you how long I have been working on this block, but it sure felt good to finish it up over Christmas along with my last two Ring in the New! blocks.

December

I will honor Christmas in my heart,

and try to keep it all the year.

Charles Dickens

November

How bountiful is the good earth.

I am a little overdue for a One Flower Wednesday report, but I have been working on my garden, every Wednesday at teatime and now have 43 flowers joined together.

As I piece my flowers together I continually change my thread to match the colour of the darker of the two flowers I am joining together. This way, I don't have to worry about that odd stitch that makes its way to the top of the quilt being noticeable. Does anyone else change thread colours as they go along?

Last Saturday, at Sew Saturday, I spent the day working on my Confetti doll quilt. I just love the diamonds and squares pattern and as each row is added the more I love it. About three more rows to go, then the center will be finished.

And, speaking of doll quilts, I ordered three of Kathleen Tracy's books; Prairie Children and Their Quilts, Remembering Adelia and her soon to be released book, The Civil War Sewing Circle. The first two books have arrived and I like what I see. It is going to be a fun year of little quilts.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

A Doll Quilt in the Making

2011-01-11T22:33:00.001-05:00

Before Christmas I took advantage of the online sales and free shipping and placed an order for a couple of quilting books for my sister, for Christmas, and then I decided to purchase a book for myself, Amish Abstractions. And, am I glad I did. It is a wonderful book.

After Christmas, I attended a book warehouse sale and purchase four, brand new, not used, quilting books for $16. Patchwork Skills & Techniques by Dorothy Wood, an excellent little book and it only cost me a $1.50. Whip Up Mini Quilts by Kathreen Ricketson, for $2.50 and I love almost every pattern in the book. And, the last two books cost $6.00 each, Quilt Romance by Kaffe Fassett (now that's a deal!) and 5,500 Quilt Block Designs by Maggie Malone.

The idea of mixing diamonds and squares together came from the book Patchwork Skills & Techniques. I thought it would be a fun pattern for my first doll quilt and the 1930's fabric only added to the fun. Hand piecing has just begun, so what you see has yet to be pressed. Because I like to name my quilts, I think Confetti would be an appropriate name.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T23:11:00.001-05:00

The Old Year has gone.

Let the dead past bury its own dead.

The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time.

All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!

~Edward Payson Powell

My holiday blog break is now over and I have lots of catching up to do. I did sneak on the computer a few times to visit members of One Flower Wednesday and to post my weekly Dear Jane blocks. Now it is time to tend to my e-mails and comments and see what others have been up to.

I guess I was not on Santa's naughty list because under the Christmas tree was a brand new laptop computer, printer and router to go wireless, such a big change from my desktop computer. Needless to say, I have been busy saving files from my old computer and setting up my new one, a very big job indeed! My camera software would not work with Windows 7, but I found a free download, from the manufacturer, to make it compatible. It came with a little glitch and I have yet to work it out.

I did complete my November and December Ring in the New! blocks over Christmas and will post them as soon as I finish setting up my new computer. Still no sewing machine, I brought it in for service on November 3 and I am still waiting for the new keypad to arrive.

New Year's Day is one of my favourite days of the year and is when I like to set up my Day Planner. There is nothing like a fresh start, but this year I was away on New Year's Day and am just getting to it now. I feel so behind! LOL. Anyway, I am off to finish my Day Planner, but first I would like to wish you a happy and healthy New Year!

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Christmas Break

2010-12-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

This will be my last post until the New Year, as I am running on empty and the holidays are fast approaching. I need to focus on Christmas preparations and catch up on some much needed rest.

Maybe it is an age thing, but every year seems to pass by faster then the last. It has been a wonderful blogging year and I thank you for your company. I look forward to reconnecting in the New Year and all the inspiration to be found along the way.

170 Klosjes Completed

7 made two weeks ago

My sewing room has been organized from top to bottom and now the untrained eye would not know of my quilting hoarder ways. I did ask Santa for more time to quilt, in the New Year, so I will just have to wait and see what he leaves in my stocking.

Sashing is starting to go around my Shades of Autumn POTC blocks. Three of the sixteen blocks are now completed and I am very pleased with the results. You can see the colour of the Bali Bluff fabric more accurately on a previous posting.

Over the holidays I hope to finish the last two blocks for my Ring in the New! stitchery and work on other hand piecing projects. I will also continue joining my flowers together, each Wednesday, for One Flower Wednesday and plan on visiting any Garden Party members that post over the holiday season.

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.

~Author Unknown

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Until next year.....happy quilting!

Karen

Elegant Nine Patch

2010-12-02T00:17:00.000-05:00

As I was organizing my projects for the New Year, I happened upon my nine-patch quilt. Pieced by hand, a little over five years ago, and patiently waiting its turn to be hand quilted. I love the simplicity of the nine-patch block and would say it is one of my favourites. The border fabric added a bit of elegance to this uncomplicated block.

I have been without my sewing machine for three weeks now and probably will be for another week or two, as it needs a new electronic touch pad, a pricy item indeed. Buttons 0 to 3 are not working and my needle is locked in the left position. Due to a backup of machine repairs, the service man just looked at my machine last week. The order for my new keypad went in yesterday. So, my plans of finishing off a few more quilts, by machine, before the year ends will have to wait until next year.

Being without a sewing machine got me thinking about my grandmother's Singer 301, manufactured in 1956, and last used by my mother almost six years ago. Weighing about five pounds more then the Singer Featherweight 221 and is referred to as the featherweight's big sister. All that is required now is a little TLC (a good cleaning and oiling) and then I can take her for a spin.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

CQH

2010-11-22T23:36:00.003-05:00

163 Klosjes Completed

14 made last week

The last of my fall klosjes completed and just in time, as the busiest month of the year approaches. Before Santa arrives I hope to have a few Christmas klosjes to show you.

My name is Karen

And I am a

Compulsive Quilting Hoarder

The day a stack of fabric filled containers came crashing down to the floor; I knew I had become a Compulsive Quilting Hoarder. After taking a good long look around my sewing room, I realized that it had become too small for all my quilting stuff.

In hoarding terms, my sewing room would be called a clog. In my clog I have several clots. A clot is a "work in progress" or an "unfinished project" that sits around, unmoved for years at a time. Does this sound familiar? I am also obsessed with fabric and wonder just how many yards of fabric one needs to have before they can truly be called a hoarder?

One of my big goals for 2011 is to decrease my quilt related shopping. I'm not too worried about it, I'm pretty sure I can do it. I also need to decrease the time I spend on the computer, because this is the only way I will be able to gain more quilting time and start using some of that stash.

This year felt like a year without applique and I missed it, so I will make that my focus in 2011. Hand piecing will continue, which I love, and I plan to start adding some Doll Quilts to the mix. I also look forward to getting back to hand quilting on a regular basis and relaxing with my stitchery.

How are your goals for the New Year coming along?

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Louisa

2010-11-16T20:43:00.001-05:00

I just couldn't resist a few simple pleasures, Valdani thread and an old wooden bobbin. I'm not sure if the other is a bobbin, but I found it wrapped in thread. My bedtime reading is a book by Janet Bolton called Patchwork Folk Art and now I drift off to sleep with ideas stirring in my head.

Though not the most exciting quilt, my Louisa is finished. I just wanted to test out my new pyramid ruler, but really didn't have a plan, so my pieced pyramids sat for almost a year. I never did come up with a really good plan, but I sure had fun needle turning all the circles!

To always have a plan is my lesson learned.

From the top of the Porcupine grass.....

to the bottom of the Japanese maple,

Signs of Autumn's near End.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

November in the Garden

2010-11-09T23:37:00.002-05:00

You never know what the weather will be like in November and gardeners always hope for the best. I'm one of those gardeners that refuse to cut down anything that the frost has yet to kill, so my gardening season usually ends late November, early December. Each fall brings a surprise and this year it was an early summer Iris that decided to bloom again in November.

Every Wednesday, during the month of October, I arranged and rearranged my flowers for piecing together. My thoughts were all over the place and I kept straying from my original plan, before I knew it, it was November. After all that wasted time, I went with my original plan and started stitching my flowers together last Saturday.

It feels good to be back on track with Karen's Flower Garden and Wednesdays just can't come soon enough. It makes my heart sing to see all the lovely flowers, each week, posted by Garden Party members. And, it is very exciting to see some quilt tops close to being finished, others already finished with quilting well underway and even a few starting a second garden.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Can we conceive what humanity would be if it did not know the flowers?

~Maurice Maeterlinck

A Little Bit of Orange

2010-10-28T20:47:00.004-04:00

Road Trip

We covered miles and miles of road and enjoyed the fall foliage along the way. Twelve quilt shops and 23 yards of fabric later, I had a very good time indeed. Just one photo to show you, I seem to have taken a fancy to the colour orange. Not everything was orange; I bought lots of other colours too!

Ring in the New! BOM

I fell behind on my Ring in the New! BOM, but now I am caught up. If you remember, I added an accent colour to the January and February block and thought I would do the same on the October block, but I do not like it, so the moon with be changed to black.

October

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,

Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"

D. Kozen

September

Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow.

August

Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,

Ripening fields lush - bright with promise...

Michelle L. Thieme

Lucy

Left all alone in a very big world, how do things like this come to be? Looking out my window exactly when I did, I guess it was meant to be.

Say cheese for the camera Lucy!

October Clamshell Report

October was not as productive a month as September when I started fresh and stitched 67 clamshells together, but I did squeeze in a little time and added 18 new clamshells to my quilt, for a total of 85. Just 635 to go!

149 Klosjes Completed

4 made this week

I'm seeing more and more finished and near finished klosjes quilts and they are all so beautiful! My background fabric will soon run out, but I have found a couple other fabrics that will match nicely. My goal is to make 500 klosjes, and then I will start piecing them together.

Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC)

Shades of Autumn

Back to working on my POTC quilt, I did a rough count and believe I need 504 elongated hexagons for sashing and the border. The thought of tracing and cutting out that many pieces from a plastic template is delightful!

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

‘tis near Halloween.

~Author Unknown

Well, it is time for some milk and cookies, and then back to my sewing machine. Soon I will be finished Louisa and another one crossed off my list.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Awesome Autumn

2010-10-09T01:09:00.007-04:00

How sweet is that? This is just one block of many from a beautiful redwork quilt on display at a quilt show, when I was in Shipshewana. Sadly, the photo I took of the quilt was too blurry to post. I just love the background fabric and the detail around the block.

Now’s the time when children’s noses

All become as red as roses

And the colour of their faces

Makes me think of orchard places

Where the juicy apples grow,

And tomatoes in a row.

Katherine Mansfield, 1888-1923, from “Autumn Song”

It's beginning to look a lot like fall everywhere you go and how can you not love the sights, the smells, and the change in the weather, falling leaves, pumpkins, frosty mornings, crisp, fresh days and wood smoke in the air. And, don't forget, spiders everywhere! The sounds of twigs snapping underfoot and blackbirds high above, a harvest moon, acorns too and oh the sweet taste of autumn; grapes and apples and pumpkin pie just to name a few.

So, what to do with my apples....
I'm thinking a delicious pie or two!

145 Klosjes Completed

10 made this week

with a fall theme of course!

The Thanksgiving long weekend has arrived here in Canada, so that means time with the family and lots of yummy food. Then, off we go on a road trip to be awed by the blaze of brilliant fall colour. The GPS is programmed for lots of quilt shops along the way. I'm sure we will be home before every leaf has fallen from the trees, but not before we have filled the car with fabric.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

September Clamshell Report

2010-09-30T00:24:00.001-04:00

After reading Belinda's August report about a template/grid she made for placing her clamshells, I thought I would give it a try. My grid is much more simplistic and on a smaller scale, as I am only adding one clamshell at a time, but how delighted I was with the results. So delighted I decided to start my clamshells over again!

Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

As not to waste any clamshells, I will be taking apart the original 64 and can you imagine the fun I'm going to have doing that, and then I will recycle them back into my quilt. My goal for September was to get back to the point I ended in August, which was 64 pieced clamshells. I am happy to say 67 clamshells have been pieced together.

If you asked me last month if I would make another clamshell quilt, the answer most likely would have been no, but if you ask me now, the answer most likely would be yes. I never thought I would use the words, clamshell, easy and almost perfect in the same sentence. What a difference a few lines on a piece of paper can make.

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.

~Earl Nightingale

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Last Blooms

2010-09-28T22:29:00.001-04:00

94 Flowers Completed

Just as summer ends, so does the flowers for Karen's Flower Garden. It was an excellent month for flower making, as I stitched together the last 18 flowers. Ending up with two more then I thought I would have, it is now time to arrange my blooms and watch as they slowly turn into a beautiful garden.

Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.

~Samuel Butler

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Recipe for Friendship

2010-09-19T22:12:00.004-04:00

What I needed was a recipe, a Recipe for Friendship, something to make from my one and only jelly roll by Mary Engelbreit. A few ideas came to mind, but what I kept seeing was hexagons, not a flower garden, just lots of colourful hexagons mixed together. A trip to the market provided the extra ingredients needed for the border, red and yellow polka-dots!

So, over the summer, a little at a time, I mixed up some delicious batches of hexagons and now I have 560 baked and ready to go. With 37 different fabrics, this should make a fun mix for the center of my quilt.

I still need to prepare hexagons for the border, but in the meantime, I think it would be okay to start stitching together a Recipe for Friendship.

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.

~Douglas Pagels

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Art, Gift and Other Bits

2010-09-09T23:54:00.001-04:00

September is a very good time of year to fall back into reading. With autumn just days away, it is the perfect season to snuggle up in a comfy chair with a good book. A little adventurous with my latest purchase, I look forward to exploring the unknown.

Last week I received a very lovely gift in the mail from Sheila, a wonderful selection of tea and two beautiful coasters featuring birds of Australia. I will treasure my coasters and think of Sheila each time I place my teacup upon them.

Thank you Sheila!

134 Klosjes Completed

I can't believe I didn't make any klosjes in August, and then again, I can't believe August is already over! So, to be sure September doesn't pass by without any klosjes, I made one today.

These days, I am seeing hexagons and clamshells in my sleep, with lots of prep work going on. A stitchery block half completed and a finished quilt top that I started a year ago. I have added some applique and now I am deciding how to quilt it. I hope to finish it soon so I can remove another project from my list.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

August Clamshell Report

2010-08-31T00:15:00.000-04:00

Not that I am wishing the days away, but I do look forward to the end of the month to see the progress of other Clamshell Club members. This is definitely a challenging, but fun project. I must admit that on a couple of occasions I was more then willing to toss my clamshells overboard. It may not be smooth sailing just yet, but I am feeling pretty pumped about my next round of clamshells.

This month I have increased my basting even more, changed my template some and I no longer draw seam lines on the front bottoms of my clamshells. I think my tweaking days may soon be over.

65 inches wide

21 clamshells per row

64 of 720 pieced together

It's looking good and I love it!

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Mile High Flower Cake

2010-08-25T00:06:00.002-04:00

I was going to make a Mile High Chocolate Cake for visiting One Flower Wednesday Garden Party members, but decided a Mile High Flower Cake was more appropriate. Seven new flowers top the cake this month for a total of 76 of 92 flowers completed.

Orange Crush Daylily

Last year I read a book called Give It Up! by Mary Carlomagno, a book about learning to live better with less. Each month for one year, Mary would choose one of her favourite things and give it up, cold turkey, for one month. Things like chocolate, dining out, cell phones, shopping and television.

After reading the book I decided the first thing I would give up was magazines (except for one quilting magazine) and it would be forever, not just a month. That turned out to be very easy to do.

Back then I also thought I could give up television forever. It was always on my mind to do, but I never did. Now, television would not be considered one of my favourite things, it's just there and I don't believe it has even been turned on all summer. So, last week I picked up the phone and cancelled my television service.

I think I will make a list and see what else I can give up.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Mini Yo Yo Quilt

2010-08-16T22:16:00.001-04:00

Sew Saturday (August 7) was New Project Day, so I decided it was time to give my Clover Yo-Yo Maker a try. I must say it is a nicer way of making yo-yo's then the old template way. The pattern is from Country Friends Go Quilting, by Gooseberry Patch, printed in 2000.

I thought I would have had my little 12" x 15" quilt completed by the end of the day, but that didn't happen. Maybe I spent too much time talking! Anyway, I did manage to make the 80 yo-yo's required for the quilt, arranged them in rows and pieced the first four rows together before the day ended. Last week, I finished piecing and added the finishing touches. My little quilt is made from leftover Sandy Gervais, Fall Back in Time.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Simple Pleasures

2010-08-10T20:55:00.003-04:00

Thank you Terry!

I won her Half Blog Anniversary giveaway.

Simple Pleasures by Anni Downs

Enjoying the simple pleasures of life, letting nature do the entertaining, finding a balance between activity and quiet time, and not spending a lot of money in the process.

The new definition of luxury is life's simple pleasures. This new luxury doesn't involve great expense, but things like time, quiet time, and private spaces. Being able to indulge in hobbies, recreational activities, and perhaps some extra time with the family is now seen as a luxury.

So, don't let another day go by without a simple pleasure or two!

My Agenda for the Week

Baby Ralphie has been selected for completion. Machine quilting is well under way and binding is just around the corner. It was New Project Day, last week, at Sew Saturday and I just have a few finishing touches to go. One Flower Wednesday is tomorrow and my Dear Jane block is ready for piecing on Thursday. And, hopefully, the weekend will be spent with my clamshells.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

July Clamshell Report

2010-07-29T00:14:00.000-04:00

July started off real well and I finished the last half of rows one and two, for a total of 42 clamshells pieced together. Then I basted the 21 clamshells needed for row three. Lots of time passed by before the next 6 clamshells were pieced, and then it was time for my July report. I know. I'm disappointed in me too! I even have a work table set up just for my clamshells, so I can get down to business at a whim.

My Quilter's Cut'n Press board is handy for keeping the clamshells straight; just wish it had a little more padding to hold the pins better. And, speaking of pins, instead of applique pins to hold my clamshells in place well appliqueing, I am using Dritz Super-Fine Sharp Pins #110, they are longer and hold so much better. When I pin, I am just going through the fabric and not the paper template as it causes too many lumps and bumps and makes it hard to applique a nice rounded edge.

One thing I did chance since my June report was increasing my basting stitches. This has made a world of difference. A little more work, but worth it. Also, I've been having a little bit of trouble getting my needle through some of the Asian fabric and I think I now know why. No, not a dull needle, but the gold painted on the fabric.

A real pain in the bum is how stiff the paper templates make my rows of clamshells and how they keep falling off the edge of the table as I work. Then I remember Jossie (I think it was Jossie?) saying how she rolls up her pieced clamshells as she works. Oh yes, sooooo much better!!

As you can see, I did not take a picture of my progress to date, this way it will look so much more impressive next month!

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

How is my Garden Growing?

2010-07-28T00:18:00.000-04:00

My outdoor garden is struggling from the never ending hot, hot, hot temperatures and little rain, but my hexagon flowers are blooming away! I just love this time of year, in the garden, as daylilies are one of my most favourite flowers. This one is called French Vanilla and smells so sweet!

69 of 92 Flowers Completed

10 made this month

I've said it before and I will say it again, how happy I am One Flower Wednesday blossomed into such a wonderful event. Wednesday is now one of my favourite days of the week. I look forward to making a flower or two then off I go on a garden tour. Sometimes I'm still visiting into Thursday, but I don't mind at all. So many wonderful people I have met along the way. Each and every garden so blooming beautiful!

Look how my pile of hexagons has dwindled down!

Just 23 flowers to go!

I'm just thinking ahead, as I'm not ready just yet to start joining my flowers, but I have a question about basting stitches. My question is should they be removed? The answer would have to be yes, if you baste through the paper template, but what if you don't baste through the template? I don't, so my templates are easily removed. Any thoughts?

A Gift from Simone

2010-07-24T09:42:00.012-04:00

Because she enjoys Marjolein Bastin as much as I do, a gift from Simone.

My new address book has been filled in and I am already posting notes.

Thank you Simone!

133 Klosjes Completed

11 made over a week ago!!

Time to dig into my stash, for the next round of klosjes, as this is the last of Miss Jump's Scrapbag charm pack. And, things are moving along nicely with Ring in the New! My July block is completed and August is ready to be stitched.

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.

~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Please send a little rain my way said the garden to the gardener and the birds to the sky above. What I would do for a little rain! Such a hot, humid, dry summer and we still have a ways to go. Time spent in the garden, or outside for that matter, has been kept to a minimum.

Why is it the weeds don't seem to care if it is hot and dry, they just keep growing. The cost of water keeps rising and where I once watered the garden every other day, during dry spells, I now only water once a week. Sometimes this seems for not as it is rain water that makes a garden (and gardener) happy.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Fiddlin Around goes to.....

2010-07-21T22:52:00.002-04:00

Marieke

Congratulations Marieke!

I hope you enjoy making Fiddlin Around.

Please send me your mailing address.

Fiddlin Around

2010-07-18T13:40:00.002-04:00

I headed off to my sewing room one evening with a purpose and before you knew it, I was just fiddling around. The large stack of quilting magazines, sitting upon the shelf, caught my eye. Out came the scissors and I started to thumb through the pages. Interesting how our taste changes and I ended up saving very little.

Next, I started going through a pile of single patterns and even though I still really like some of them I decided it was time to give them up. My wish list of quilts to make continues to grow, so why hold onto something that most likely will never come to be. The next day, armed with a bag full of goodies, I headed over to my sisters. Out came her scissors and you know the rest.

I was thinking of posting a large chart on the wall of my sewing room with outstanding projects, but because I enjoy the process more then the finish, I decided not to pressure myself. But, out of curiosity, I did make a list to see where I stand and it wasn't as bad as I thought.

Quilts in the Making:

3 ready for machine quilting (2 small, 1 medium)

5 ready for hand quilting (3 small, 1 medium, 1 large)

2 being appliqued (both large)

2 blocks to turn into something

2 being machine pieced (both small)

5 being hand pieced (4 medium, 1 large)

3 stitchery (1 small, 1 medium, 1 large)

Maybe as I did with Karen's Flower Garden, I can slowly start to allot a little time each week to each of the groups above. Now, don't for one minute think this is going to stop me from starting new projects as life's to short for that kind of silly stuff!

So, what's with the pattern in the photo above?

It's a giveaway!

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

I love this pattern, but most likely will never get around to making it. So, if you can promise me that you will piece it together in the near future and not file it away, then leave a comment asking to be entered in the giveaway.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Stash Builders

2010-07-13T00:03:00.002-04:00

One never comes home empty handed after a road trip to Shipshewana. This was my third visit and well worth the 6 hour drive to get there. My first purchase was some Gee's Bend fabric, so beautiful and vibrant, with slight variations. It was suggested that I purchase a small bottle of Synthrapol to pre-wash the fabric with as it is very over dyed.

Even though my reproduction bin is filled to the brim and the lid will not close, I just had to bring home a handful or two of Civil War fabric. My eyes go straight to the cheddar, isn't that wonderful!

A pretty green Asian fabric and a few very different ones also made the trip home. I was thinking of cutting a clamshell or two out of each of them, but I think I have enough clamshells to keep me busy for a very long time.

And, I could not resist a few Kaffe Fassett, 1930's and Batiks.

My search is now over for an accent fabric to go with my Shades of Autumn POTC background fabric, as this dark green fabric turned out to be an excellent find.

The last bit of fabric I will show you, but not the last of the fabric I bought, is a mix of solids and others I just couldn't live without. I also bought background fabric for my Hocuspocusville stitchery quilt and some polka-dot fabric for an upcoming project.

And, a few more stencils to add to my collection.

I did take some pictures at the Shipshewana Quilt Show and will share them with you once I get a chance to go through them.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

New Gadget

2010-07-08T20:05:00.000-04:00

Before I put this little gadget away, I thought I would show you what I found during my road trip to Shipshewana, Indiana. It is a needlepuller for hand quilting. Ellen uses one and I was very surprised and delighted when I came across it at Yoder's, my favourite quilt shop in Shipshewana.

A little pricey at $10.99, but I was looking for something better then rubber disks and scissor forceps. Rubber disks work fairly well, but I am always losing them and spend more time searching around my chair then quilting. They also wear out fast. The scissor forceps are a great idea, but then tend to bend the needle. This new gadget stays on your finger as you quilt. Click here to see how it works.

Up next.....

some Stash Builders from my road trip.

Like I need to build my stash!

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

June Clamshell Report

2010-06-30T00:17:00.004-04:00

I had envisioned many completed rows of clamshells for my first clamshell report, but that soon faded to the hopes of stitching together the first two rows by the end of June.

Sadly, I didn't reach my goal and ended up with about half of rows one and two stitched together. I will be glad when the first two rows are completed as keeping them straight is not easy. Row three should be a breeze after that!

I did get a little carried away cutting out clamshells and have 720 to use in my quilt. So, I'm thinking 21 shells per row and about 34 rows should give me an almost square quilt.

Behind each clamshell is a paper template cut from card stock. I pinned the template to the fabric clamshell and with a running stitch through the fabric only, I drew up on the thread to pull the fabric around the paper template.

One thing I found with this is that it is hard to keep it nice and firm (as I tied the knot) and so the fabric is a little too loose for my liking. Though I am getting better at keeping it firmer, I'm still not 100% happy with this method.

Though more time consuming and more work to remove the paper templates later, I may start basting through both the fabric and template to hold the curved tops under. Just for curiosity, last night, I basted the top edge of a clamshell down without a paper template behind it. The fabric feels really stretchy to me and I wonder if I risk distorting the clamshell as I applique it down. I will give it a try and see what happens.

I also drew on seam lines with a wash out marker on the front bottoms of each clamshell to use for lining up the top edges of the next rows clamshells. See blue clamshell in photo above.

In this photo you can see that I did baste through the fabric and paper template on clamshells in the top row, the reason being to keep them from coming undone as I proceed with the quilt.

The second row has been appliqued down. I was very surprised at how easy it was to applique the clamshells with the paper templates behind them. What I don't like about the paper templates is as my first two rows are getting longer the paper holds the clamshells stiff and you can't move it freely as you work. But, this problem should be eliminated as I add more rows because just like piecing hexagons, you can remove the paper template as each hexagon (or in this case clamshell) is surrounded with other clamshells. Just clamshells on the outside edge will keep their paper templates until the quilt top is completed.

This is what the back looks like. Once the next row goes on, I can then remove the paper template from the clamshell with the pin in it.

Another concern of using paper templates is pinning through them for appliquing. Sometimes the clamshell will move and you don't notice it until you are finished appliqueing it down. Maybe used regular weight paper or freezer paper instead of card stock would be easier.

I was thinking of adding a border around my clamshells, but then I realized how large my quilt would be and thought twice about it.

When I was in Shipshewana for the Quilt Festival I found this beautiful Asian fabric (Robert Kaufman - Imperial Collection - Screen Print #9917) and my clamshells came to mind. Wouldn't this make a wonderful border? So, I will just have to wait until all my clamshells are pieced together to see if it will work.

That's my progress so far. I may change the way I do things as I go along, kind of trial and error like. Suggestions are always welcomed.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

One Flower Wednesday June Report

2010-06-30T00:16:00.001-04:00

Here it is the end of June and I'm feeling pretty good with seven flowers completed this month, for a total of 59 of 92 flowers. I wish I could start piecing them together now, but because my flower fabric repeats I will have to wait until they have all bloomed.

Members Note

A handful of members are still not using the Sign In Sheet. If you would like other members to visit you, please sign in on the weeks you are posting. Having trouble signing in? The problem appears to be how you enter your blog link. Some members need to enter http:// before their blog link and for others it works without. So, you may have to try it both ways to find how it works for you.

I wondered if I would see any Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts at the Shipshewana Quilt Festival and I did! Two full size quilts and a little pictorial quilt with hexagon flowers in the border. Note the addition of the diamond shape border around the flowers on the second quilt. I like that!

Today I do a double post because not only does One Flower Wednesday fall on the last day of the month, but it is also the day my Clamshell report is due. So, off I go to post my clamshell progress for the month of June.

Road Trip

2010-06-22T10:21:00.005-04:00

June

The green grass and the happy skies court the fluttering butterflies.

Astrid Alauda

Summer has officially arrived and what better way to start the season then with a quilt related road trip. Our bags are packed; we are ready to go, to Shipshewana, to see the show!

I've been twice before, but not for the Festival and Shop Hop, which has a basket theme this year. And, for the long drive ahead of us, I have selected a project or two to work on in the car. Shipshewana Quilt Festival, here we come!

Time

2010-06-13T22:01:00.010-04:00

It strikes! one, two,

Three, four, five, six. Enough, enough, dear watch,

Thy pulse hath beat enough. Now sleep and rest;

Would thou could'st make the time to do so too;

I'll wind thee up no more.

~Ben Jonson

Is it just me or have hours turned into minutes? Maybe it is just the changing season, with summer just around the corner, grass to cut, gardens to tend and more outs and abouts. A couple of weeks have passed with very little time spent quilting and this makes for a very sad quilter. It's time to regroup. I'm hoping that by the time June comes to an end I will be able to settle into a new normal flow and the change of direction will lead me to a few extra hours, under a big old shade tree, happily stitching away.

122 Klosjes Completed

22 made over the past 2 weeks

With a minute or two, here and there, I managed to piece together some very special klosjes, from scraps of fabric Jeannet sent me. And, even from scraps of fabric you get leftovers, enough to make 20 1-inch squares for my Postage Stamp quilt. Thank you so very much Jeannet!

I almost went with an Aged Muslin background for my Patchwork of the Crosses Shades of Autumn quilt, but by chance, I ordered some Hoffman's Bali Hand-Dyed Bluff Watercolors and I think this is the one, a medium light neutral that will frame the blocks nicely.

Time in the garden brings a smile to my face, as Peony flowers turn into beautiful crowns.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

2010-06-01T00:00:00.159-04:00

Sign In Sheet for One Flower Wednesday

January 25, 2012

Would you like to join One Flower Wednesday?

One Flower Wednesday is all about traditional hexagon flowers, please do not substitute other forms of hexagons, such as hexagon diamonds as flowers. I would like to keep One Flower Wednesday as it was originally intended. Thank you.

Please sign in below only if you are posting this week.

CLOSED
New Sign In Sheet will be posted February 1

A Blooming Good Time

2010-05-26T10:03:00.003-04:00

In the garden.....

Magellanica Anemone

Tree Peony blooms .....

and hexagon flowers for the month of May.

So, here it is, the last Wednesday of the month and the day I have selected to report my One Flower Wednesday progress. I must say how inspired I am with all the beautiful flowers being made. So inspired, I see a 1930's flower garden and one with a rich green background, in my future.

For the month of May, I exceeded my one flower a week and made a total of 9 flowers. I am using a mix of Withering Heights and Mistletoe Manor, or so I think they all are! As you can see, in the photo, my lilac blooms overtook my hexagon blooms, but I thought it made for a pretty neat picture. I plan to piece my garden together with no separation between the flowers, very busy and kind of Monet inspired.

Welcome to the following new members: Sue, Judie, Tineke, Angelika, Pauline, Gayly, Auntie Em, Anita, Gerda, Sam, Nancy, Bente, Jeannine, Marianne, Joke, Gerda, Corrie, Sarah, Marlise, Cheryll, Martina, Yvonne, Heike, Marieke, Marion and Steffi for a total of 78 members. Dianne (D. Kellock) please e-mail me your blog link so I can add you to the Garden Party list.

Members, if you have not seen my previous post about the Sign In sheet, please read. With so many blogs to visit and not enough hours in the day, I'm hoping this will make things easier for you. With so many beautiful flowers to see, I would not want you to miss a one!

If you need more hexagons in your life, check out:

Hexagon Charm Quilt Piece-Along

Look Diane, I was able to cut 123 clamshells out of your leftover Kimono quilt scraps. They are just beautiful and I thank you for your kindness! The Clamshell Club is scheduled to begin June 1 and by the end of the week, I should have around 800 clamshells ready for piecing.

100 Klosjes Completed

19 made last week

Here are a few more klosjes made from Miss Jump's Scrapbag. It doesn't seem that long ago when I pieced together my first klosjes and look how many I have made now!

I read an interesting post on Vivian's blog about Moose Muffins, and the first thing that came to mind was my Postage Stamp quilt. I'm a recycler and have a hanger full of Quilters' Compost waiting to be turned into tiny squares. My box of squares will soon be full and when piecing begins on this quilt, I will have myself a Moose Muffin.

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

Attention One Flower Wednesday Members

2010-05-25T20:16:00.006-04:00

One Flower Wednesday came about so unexpectedly. Never would I have imagined that saying I was going to make one flower a week, to get me back on track with my flower garden, would turn into such a Garden Party. If I was to start over again, maybe a group blog or Flickr group would have been the way to go. But, I believe we are too far into it now to make that change, as it would not be fair to those that are content with the way it is.

The Garden Party has grown to 76 members and finding the time to visit everyone is probably impossible for most people to do. Ideally, we post on a Wednesday to make it easier for others to follow, but we don't know for sure what Wednesday members will be posting, making it hard to know which blogs to visit. To make it easier and to know exactly who has post each week, I thought a Sign In sheet would be a good idea.

After you post your One Flower Wednesday entry on your blog, you then sign in on the Sign In sheet. From the Sign In sheet you can visit other members that have posted that week. This reducing your time spent going in and out of blogs looking for One Flower Wednesday postings. A new Sign In sheet will be posted each week and the previous one will become inactive. Shall we give it a try?

Sign In Sheet for One Flower Wednesday

May 26, 2010

Please sign in below only if you are posting this week.

Miss Jump's Scrapbag Klosjes

2010-05-16T13:01:00.001-04:00

Klosjes Completed

8 made this week

This week I am serving up a delicious plate of klosjes made from Miss Jump's Scrapbag by Linda Brannock for Moda. I was planning on using this charm pack for my Tumbler quilt, but thought I would make some lovely spools instead. It's a large charm pack, so I have about 30 more spools to make from it.

Have you seen Julia's finished Klosjes quilt?

Until next week.....happy quilting!

Karen

In the Potting Shed

2010-05-12T08:39:00.001-04:00

Wednesday again and time to tend my flower garden! The list of gardeners just keeps growing and we are now up to 52 members. Welcome to One Flower Wednesday, Marion, Marcia, Anne-Mette, Tree, Anette, Carolyn, Elin, Dawn, Martine and Tina.

Out of the rain and in the potting shed, is where you will find me. Today I hope to prep a bunch of hexagons and as I prep, I will string them together in little bundles, each containing enough to make one flower. Then, during afternoon tea, I will bring a beautiful flower to life. Later, as I take my evening stroll, maybe I will get lucky and see you in the garden.

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.

~Abram L. Urban

Clamshells

2010-05-08T00:07:00.007-04:00

They say patience and accuracy is what you require to make a Clamshell quilt. Well, when it comes to hand piecing I have the patience, but I will just have to wait and see if I have the accuracy to keep my clamshells in nice straight rows. It was not easy finding instructions for piecing and what I did find was not very detailed, then I stumbled upon Jossie's blog and her Clamshell quilt. Needless to say, I had questions for her and now feel comfortable enough to begin my journey.

Klosjes Completed

7 made last week and 0 made this week

A Garden Party Report

This week, I sure needed a pick me up and it happened well on a garden tour. Wednesday and Thursday evening I visited all the members of the Garden Party and was delighted to no end. Such beautiful flowers, created so lovingly and so very inspiring.

I have put together an information page for One Flower Wednesday and will be updating it on a regular basis. Also, I have moved the list of members from my sidebar to this page. And, speaking of members, I would like to welcome Sharmayne, Lynn, Sharon, Bobby Ashley, Bep, Miriam, Marianna, Melissa, Joan, Marieke, Carol, Saskia, Cindy, Martina, Anita, Kathleen, Rockgranny, Sarah, Gisele, Jossie, Danetta, Sheila and Heather to One Flower Wednesday. We are now up to 42 gardeners!

I feel very badly, but I have has to say no to a couple of people interested in joining. Hexagons can be stitched together in so many ways and create so many beautiful patterns, but it's One Flower Wednesday and you have to be making traditional hexagon flowers.

I look forward to touring the gardens again next week. Did you know that 34 members posted this past Wednesday/Thursday? How great is that! Well, that's it for the Garden Party Report and remember you must post at least once a month. Now, have yourself a blooming good day!

May
See the blossoms blooming sweetly!

And, thank you my sweet little sister for this memory of the past.

Now, to find the perfect spot in the garden.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

So Many Flower Gardens

2010-04-28T00:11:00.011-04:00

I have been kept busy adding new gardeners to the Garden Party list, for One Flower Wednesday. Hope I didn't miss anyone. If so, please let me know. Since last Wednesday Jeanette, Jeannet, Betsy, Sheila, Nadine, Terry, Carrie, Jilly, Satu, Simone, Narelle and Anne have joined the party, for a total of 19 gardeners. All this enthusiasm makes me want to start another flower garden!

One of the best loved vintage quilts is Grandmother's Flower Garden. Usually pieced and quilted by hand, about 1/4 inch on each side of the seam lines and usually done with white or off white thread. It was very popular during the 1920's and has continued to be a favourite. Typically flower gardens, of the past, used a yellow hexagon to represent the flower's center, and then it was circled by six colourful printed or solid hexagons with another row of 12 hexagons around that. Between each flower was a row of coloured solid hexagons to represent the background. A green background might have been the garden while white could have been a white picket fence. Today's flower gardens are limited only by your imagination.

The most popular way of piecing a flower garden is by English Paper Piecing. I also like the idea of hand piecing the hexagons and will give that a try one day. To make my templates, I load my printer with card stock paper and use the free printable page of hexagons by Cia's Palette. With the assistance of Darlene Zimmerman's hexagon ruler, I then cut out my fabric hexagons.

Before I head off to make this weeks flower, here is a little inspiration for you. Sue-Anne is working on a quilt called Swan Lake that requires 107 hexagon flowers. You must see them, they are just beautiful! And, if you like to fussy cut, have a look at Jean's tutorial for making fussy cut hexagon flowers.

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.

~Walt Whitman

Flower Basket

And well on the topic of flowers, this little stitchery is part of Block Three of the Polka-Dot Girls.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Klosjes Saturday Report # 8

2010-04-24T07:08:00.004-04:00

Klosjes Completed

3 made this week

I have no idea where the time went this week and only managed to stitch three klosjes. For a change of pace, I dipped into my 1930's fabric. Hope you like 30's fabric, as I will have more to show you next week.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

One Flower Wednesday

2010-04-21T22:07:00.003-04:00

The last thing I do before going to bed Tuesday evenings is set out my Karen's Flower Garden project box, to have ready for One Flower Wednesday.

Today was a good day and my garden has grown by three flowers.

Danielle has joined our little group this week and her first flower is so sweet! Jan is prepping and will have something to show soon. Ann is making her Flower Garden from beautiful Lecien fabric and Cathi has two Flower Gardens on the go! Valentina is really getting into One Flower Wednesday and has designed a badge (photo above) for her sidebar. Isn't it lovely? And, another lady that likes to garden is Sandra, her first flower is made from reproduction fabric and it is just beautiful!

Would you like to join our little Garden Party? The only requirement is to make at least one flower every Wednesday and post your progress at least once a month. Posting on a Wednesday would be ideal and make it easier for others to follow your progress.

I'm so happy to be back working on my hexagon flowers and it feels like I am sitting in the same room with the rest of the ladies, as I stitch away.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Last of the POTC Blocks

2010-04-16T13:07:00.005-04:00

Late Harvest

Indian Summer

A Walk in the Woods

The last three blocks for my POTC, Shades of Autumn quilt are finished. Now, I must decide on the background fabric. This has been on my mind since last October and is slowly driving me crazy. I keep thinking it should be something rich and earthy to go with the autumn colours in the blocks, but as I audition this type of fabric it seems to take the attention away from the blocks.

The original quilt is done in white and it really makes the blocks pop. Maybe I should be focusing on a light to medium beige or cream. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Plus, I need any accent colour to go with the background fabric.

The photo above, of all sixteen blocks, is not the layout for my finished quilt. I have yet to decide that. As you can see, my focus was more on making autumn coloured blocks then fussy cutting them. This is just an excuse to make another, all fussy cut POTC quilt.

Blooming abundantly in my garden this spring is Hellebores.

Klosjes Completed

8 made this week

My project box is now empty! All 63 prepped spools have been made. With rain in the forecast, this weekend, most likely you will find me in my sewing room preparing another large batch of klosjes.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen

Klosjes Saturday Report # 6

2010-04-11T13:05:00.005-04:00

Klosjes Completed

10 made this week

I've been making klosjes for six weeks now and am enjoying every minute of it. Even though each one is made from a different fabric, I wonder if they are all starting to look the same to you. Would it be better if I posted a report every other week or even just once a month? I'm not sure how many I plan to make, but I'm thinking it will be in the hundreds.

Week two of One Flower Wednesday was successful, as I made another three flowers for my garden. Ann and Cathi have also joined the One Flower Wednesday Garden Party. See sidebar, for my progress report.

What else have I done since last Tuesday? Well, I attempted to tidy up my sewing room and I started hand piecing the last three Lucy Boston POTC blocks for my Shades of Autumn quilt. Also, I spent some time making freezer paper templates. Although I don't mind making templates, it is one of those things that are hard to get going on. I hope to make a few more next week, but five Dear Jane blocks and a Civil War Bride block, is certainly a good start.

Until next time.....happy quilting!

Karen