Days of Leisure

I am greatly enjoying this holiday from all my usual "duties."  The first week and a half I read several books.  One very enjoyable one was "A Christmas Blizzard" by Garrison Keillor.  I had actually heard that whole book (it's a small paperback) read on CBC FM last year about this time.  I was sewing on a lap quilt for the DDIL at the time.  That's such a wonderful combination: sewing on an interesting project and hearing something interesting on radio at the same time.  I used to listen to CBC FM from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.  Their programming included a great deal of classical music, along with some commentary, and a few news breaks.  A few years ago they cut back severely on the amount of classical music and started broadcasting jazz, which I don't care for.  Just a matter of personal taste.
They now broadcast classical from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., which is not prime sewing time.  Plus, I just don't care for the host, Julie Nesrullah.  Now I often put on a CD to accompany my sewing time.  Lately I've been listening to the West Coast Mennonite Choir CD, "Carols to the Infant King."  What glorious music for the Christmas season!

I did finish one project early in December, but couldn't post a picture on the blog at that time.  Now whoever is in charge is letting these pictures slip through.  I never did sign up for paid picture space.  But I've reduced the size, just in case.  I believe if you click on the picture you can see it full size.

So this is a lap quilt that I started some time ago, just to see if it would work out.  These are paper foundation blocks.  That's not
paper-pieced, which is pretty "fiddley" but strips of material sewed
onto 6 1/2 squares of phone book paper.  It's totally scrappy, made with almost any materials. I just controlled the colours a bit.

I started each square with a strip of red diagonally across the paper backing.  Then strips of scraps are sewn on either side.  This photo shows the start of the second half of the square being applied.

Here's the pile of scraps I was using.  A Purrfect place to relax!  I think scraps actually multiply when you are not looking, much like wire coat hangers replicate themselves in the closet when the door is closed!

When you have four squares completed, sew them together to make a block.

The red fabric is from one of the first quilts I made.  It was bought in 1986.  A friend who was a quilting instructor helped me cut out the squares for that quilt, a Pennsylvania Hex design that has been on our bed since January of 1997.  Yes, it took me 11 years to make that quilt, one that is completely hand appliquéd and hand quilted.  It's coming to the end of its useful life, as the fabrics have faded completely away, and even have rips, due to exposure to sun while on the bed.  The quilt I'm working on today is intended to replace that old quilt.  Either that or become a gift quilt for a DD.  We'll see.

There was enough of the red fabric to make 16 squares, and that's what determined the finished size of this lap quilt.  I quite like it, and have decided to keep it for ourselves.