Quilting at the Farm: April 2017

Sunday, April 23, 2017

OMG Finish for April

And one more BTCT block is complete.

This was my omg-one-monthly-goal.

for April.

Today I made up 4 yellow perfect circles for the centers of my imperfect flowers.

This will have to do for slow sunday stitching .

I started stitching on this block in November on my way to Shipshewana in the back seat of the van. Got 8 leaves done.

Then I took it to Poland with me and did the rest of the leaves and buds.

I did not have enough bias strips to do the whole wreath

so made some more when I got home.

I am off to babysit little boy grandchildren for 5 days

then my Quilting at the Farm friends will be coming on Sat.

I haven't seen them for a couple of months.

I have 2 BTCT blocks to take along for some slow stitching.

Blessings,

Chris

linking with

needle and thread network
http://estheraliu.blogspot.ca/

17-ufosin-2017

omg-one-monthly-goal

needle and thread thursday

confessions of a fabric addict

let's bee social

sew fresh quilts

sunday slow stitching

midweek-makers

moving it forward mondays

wips-be-gone-almost

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Completed Quilts So Far in 2017

I was busy earlier this winter and spring completing five quilts that I took to Poland with me to give to my cousins as gifts. I made the right choice for colours. They were completely surprised and delightfully pleased.

This first one was made about 20 years ago but I misplaced the fabric for the backing and finally found it, pieced it together and sandwiched the quilt a few years ago. I simply quilted curves diagonally starting with the corners. Robert and Krystyna love it.

This was one of the $10 quilts I had made blocks for several years ago. I bought a variety of blue and brown civil war reproduction fabrics in anticipation of completing. Ella loved it.

I had a different plan for this cousin, but my Sweet Farmer, in his great wisdom, said to quilt this one for Beata instead. I love this quilt. I used a variety of solid fabrics for crazy patch blocks and machine embroidered as many different designs as I could using variegated threads. I used the walking foot to straight stitch around the borders and sashing. Then, I made ties using some black perle cotton I found in one of the stuff drawers. The backing is a wide tan flannelette.

I have shown many pictures of this one since I started it in Shipshewana last November. Upon receiving it, Anya commented that she loved that it was a modern quilt. I had to chuckle since it is based on an antique quilt owned by Linda Collins. I started it at a workshop in Shipshewana. I believe there are 3248 pieces in this quilt. But who is counting?

Now this is the first quilt I thought about making when I had the idea more than a year ago to take quilts for my cousin in Poland. This modern quilt was going to be perfect for a house that was decorated in basic black and white with zebra curtains and a touch of red. It is perfect - on their bed. Andrje and Ewa redid the living room with blues and yellows.

Here I used a variegated black and white thread and did large curves though each of the intersections. I like how the variegations look. I used a wide flannel backing.

I think I deserve to start a brand new quilt. But I don't have time till May. Sigh.

Blessings,
Chris

linking with omg-one-monthly-goal
mid week makers
Moving it Forward Mondays
Let's Bee Social
Needle and Thread Thursday
needle and thread network
whoop-whoop

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Context is Everything

today I got a pedicure

my toes certainly are bright

but in a different setting

they really are a sight

I think Ava will approve

because her heart is full of love

blessings,

Chris

Saturday, April 1, 2017

April Goals

How do we choose which project to start next? I have been busy this past month completing several quilts and thoughts of starting at least five new quilts have been dancing through my head. I could not give in to them because I was on a mission to complete quilts. I had to use the Bernina since the Brother machine messed up and then I broke the acrylic darning foot from the Bernina. Fortunately, I had a metal one that I used to finish the free motion quilting for my 17-ufosin-2017 challenge. This month I will be working on beyond-the-cherry-trees-album-quilt. I am packing my bags to go to Poland to visit my family for Easter. She is not well. At 91 that is no surprise. I am taking 9 year old Ava with me. I plan to take some hand applique with me and at least one text book.

I have the entire pattern packet for the Caswell quilt from sentimental stitches in a box with fabrics and shirting backgrounds waiting.

I also have all ten months of Susan Smith's stonefields-quilt-block-of-the-month that I bought when I was in Australia two years ago. I have an old collection of fabrics and various backgrounds ready in a project box waiting until I get back from Poland. These have been pre-washed because they were so wrinkly from sitting in a few boxes for years.

After I get home I am going to babysit the little boy grand children for four days and doubt I will get much stitching done. But who knows, I won't get any done if I do not prep some blocks and take them along,

I see so many interesting patterns and projects in blogland and am tempted by many of them. I have at least 80 blogs on my blog list. Most post weekly, some monthly. And some days when I am avoiding doing any real work I will wander off on rabbit trails and see what else is out there to see. I follow lots of blogs that are doing some of the same projects I am doing so I can get encouraged. But right now it seems that they are over whelming me with so many options.

I started talking about how we choose which quilt to make next. I am drooling over the 150+Canadian+Women weekly quilt-a-long.

And I have been collecting the patterns while they are free to make this tribute to Canadian women as we celebrate our 150 birthday as a nation. I have fabric. I bought some of the Northcott collection at Lens Mill Store when everything with red in it was 25% off. I like sales. I spend more than $200 on fabric that day. And I already had some in my cupboard with the Canadian national anthem and some with maple leaves. It is going to be a spectacular quilt. I am only 57 blocks behind. But I have a plan. I will pull out the GO cutter and some dies with one inch and one and a half inch options and blitz them. They are all pieced with none appliqued. I like applique, but have enough of that in project boxes.

How do I choose which quilt to make next? I usually jump in impulsively and blitz it for a while. Starting quilts is so much fun, but I have tasted what it is like to complete not one but 4 quilts this past month. I could put off starting anything new for a whole month and complete another one or two. Maybe. But I have a plane to catch Friday and . . . the power just went off . . .

It was off for a couple of hours so we went to bed really early since it was dark and very quiet. Eventually we heard the furnace come on so knew the power was back on. I have a family wedding to go to today and it is overcast and gloomy this morning, but the sun is supposed to come out this afternoon.

I do not have to worry about what I will start next since I do not have time this week which will be filled with appointments like dentist, massage, chiropractor and the little boy grandchildren are coming for a sleepover just before we leave. But I do have to decide what my omg-one-monthly-goal will be for April. I will try to complete one, just one BTCT block.

The RSC colour this month is multicolour. Since I am doing this challenge with my Bright Jane and there are no multi colour fabrics I plan to make more aqua blocks since I prepped a whole bunch that did not get made in Feb.