F.O.'s and A Different Delivery

We had a delivery by an unusual means this week.  A friend of ours knew we needed some bags of soil picked up from a supplier in Calgary.  He happened to be there, and made the pickup for us, but we were amused by the means of delivery: he drives a tour bus, and was in Calgary for the day with time to spare, so he went to the supplier with this huge highway bus.  The guys on the loading dock were quite amused.  When he got home he picked up his wife and son, and they helped us unload.  I took the picture on my camcorder with the "night shot" on, since it was almost ten o'clock by the time they got here. 

 There was plenty of light to see by yet, as our days are really lengthening.  When I got up this morning at 5:20, the sky was bright with sunrise colors, although the sun was not up yet.  Likewise, in the evening the sky stays bright long after sunset.  By the summer solstice we will have sunrise shortly after 5 a.m. and sunset shortly before 10 p.m.  I just love those beautiful summer evenings.  And the early mornings are a great time to be in the garden.  But we do pay for it in December, when we get the opposite: very short days, and very long nights. Great time of the year for knitting, quilting and reading.

This is a pattern from Bella Nonna Design Studio in Kennewick, WA (www.bellanonaquilt.com).  The petals on the topiary came in a kit, but you had to buy the fabric separately.  Linda B. had bought the pattern and petals, but figured she'd never get around to doing it, so I bought it from her.  It was a pretty simple project.  The petals are just glued on (though you can see a few fell off the bottom bloom).  I thought it was kind of cute, and when I brought it in to show at the LQS, Linda P. convinced me to leave it there (along with two other projects) for them to display for a while.  It's hanging from the ceiling there, with the original shown below and another original that I haven't posted.

Here's a little placemat that I finished this week, made from a pattern I found on the net at www.  geocities.com/pcpiecers.  The neat thing about this paper pieced pattern is that you can cut all 1-1/4" strips ahead of time, and there's no wasted fabric.  On the site, the pattern is even more striking, because there are one more horizontal row, and one less vertical row, and the borders are half green and half white, which make the inner part blend into the border.  Check it out, it's a great site.

About two weeks ago I finally got around to making a new cover for my EuroPro Pressing System.  I bought this in 1996 for around $600, and have been VERY happy with it.  There's nothing like it for creating a flat intersection, or a sharp crease in trousers.  It has a reservoir to hold water for continuous steaming, and a vacuum that pulls the steam immediately through the fabric.  Red Deer Sewing Centre told me that new covers are impossible to get, so I made one, and am very pleased.  I also picked the  lint out of the exhaust screen from the vacuum fan, and that upped the vacuum power by quite a bit.  It's like new again!

  

About three years ago I wanted to use some colors I don't ordinarily choose, so I bought these fabrics.  I wanted to use a striped fabric at an angle, and worked on creating a new block that would feature this.  After about four different 

versions  I arrived at one I liked that was simple enough

(only three pieces to a quarter block).  I made up this wall hanging (or lap quilt) and was quite pleased with the result.  Then our quilting group made a trip to Red Deer for the big spring Quilt Show, and what did I see there?  A quilt with this identical block.  Guess I wasn't so original after all! My creation is now hanging in the local quilting shop.

F.O.'s in Quilting

In my last post I mentioned the fun of beginning a new quilting project.  Today I want to look back at this last quilting season (October to April) and reflect on some of the projects that I finished.

At the start of our quilting group meetings I felt pushed to complete some unfinished projects, so I worked determinedly at them and managed to finish up several.  The first one finished was a lounge or patio dress that I designed myself.  I drew up a sketch of what I wanted to started working toward it.  Along the way some things worked and were used

 as I planned.  Other parts looked awful when I sewed them as planned, so they were discarded and a new plan was substituted.  When the dress was finished I was quite pleased with it.

I made a square table topper for our younger son and his family, but when it was put on their table, it became obvious that it should be oblong, not square.  So I took it home again and made a new one in the oblong arrangement.  That was sent off in time for Christmas, along with handknit leg warmers for the two granddaughters.

Last summer I had asked our older son if he would like another quilt, and he said Yes.  So I started sewing madly, trying to finish a single bed-sized quilt in about 6 weeks.  I chose to do an all scrap, controlled placement 6 x 6 block design.  About half way into the project I had another talk with him, and found out that he didn't mean a bed-sized quilt, but another wall hanging.  So I set aside the quilt I was working on and promised him I'd try to produce an original design wall hanging.  After we returned from our holiday which included visits with both sons, I set to work to finish both of those projects.  The wall hanging, which I had originally titled "Green Dreams" was sent to him in the mail. 

The bed size quilt is still at home here, waiting to find a new owner.  I have an idea it may go to son #2's nephew, who needs some encouragement just now.  I'm thinking of calling it "Zig-Zag RazzMaTazz," just for something upbeat.

Then I actually finished up a chenille jacket I was making for myself.  I had become discouraged about this project, because it was turning out way, way too big.  But then I

figured out a way to take the sides in, and, though it will never be a favorite because it still feels too bulky, it is now wear

able.  

 

I just love the "buttons" I found for it.  They

 are actually pendants from Michaels.  I love

 the way they echo the stitching in the jacket.  

My next project was a Country Creations kit that I started in a class in Edmonton that Lorraine Stangness taught.  It's called "Log Cabin in the Round." 

And last of all I finished the main part of a scrap quilt for our bed.  Elaine Adair had posted pictures of the quilt twice on her blog "Elaine Adair Pieces."  She wrote that it was just pinwheels and four x fours.  I thought it was so attractive, so I charted it up and started working on it just before Christmas.  I didn't finish it until the last day of quilting group.  Now it needs a border, and then the sides and bottom that hang down. I do think it's really attractive, but found the pinwheels extremely hard to do well.  I don't think I'll ever go back to that pattern.

All in all, it's been a good year of quilting, and I'm happy with what was accomplished.