Work in Progress Wednesday- Puss in the Corner

 

Working on honoring time to create, time to fill my tank back up rather than working, working, working all hours of the day and night. So a bit of vacation with a bit of quilting was in order.

 

 

I agreed to participate in a Civil War fabric block exchange with a group of quilting friends, so last Wednesday, during my stay at Wrightsville Beach I began cutting out 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 squares and the rectangles that go with. Some in the group will be doing Fons & Porter Butterscotch Pudding with these 4 1/2 unfinished blocks.

 

I am not sure yet what my final project will be. But I do know that cutting this precise is a bit of a challenge, especially since I have been working on less conforming art quilt pieces lately. I am doing my best to get into a Zen cutting place with this challenge.

 

 

I like that varied combinations that I pulled from my stash and I think the overall scrappiness will be pretty in the finished project.

 

 

It is satisfying to have a little pile growing. I have until November to finish.

 

Twenty done....about 64 to go!

Leaves on the Brain

Fall arrived unusually early here in Southeastern Virginia- Northeastern North Carolina with a low temperature of 45 this morning! I have had this obsession with applique leaves going for a month or so and this thought of an almost bare tree with some of those leaves was my mission yesterday.

 

I had no pattern, but did have this great dark brown fabric for the tree trunk and branches. I wanted it to look a bit beat up from the weather, so I decided to tear the edges of the fabric for the tree so it would look rough.

 

I laid the tree form down first attaching it with free motion wood grain on well pinned fabric. I looked at a few free motion quilting sites for wood grain. This one gave me courage that I could actually do it! Woodgrain Free Motion Quilting on Pinterest

I realized that no matter which way I stitched it would look okay, that was liberating!

The leaves are so fun and again, the lack of "rules" is very liberating!

 I wanted the look of leaves blowing in the wind around the tree, not necessarily of the tree. The wind proved more challenging...I wanted swirls and my inexperience with FMQ definitely showed through....but these little pieces are my trip into building skill in FMQ so all good!

 

Today during football, I will calm my nerves and stitch on the binding while watching the Eagles play the Rams. Fly Eagles Fly!

A Touch of Autumn in the Air

 

Sewing from the stash this weekend with some Cherrywood hand dyed cottons in rich fall colors along with some maple leaves I had cut eons ago. Low stress "Zig Zag Runner" was the result.

 

Had a blast putting on the leaf veining in a variegated thread.

 Not bad for not sewing a thing for quite awhile. Sets the mood for fall with the cool overnight temps that came in.

 Could not resist this creepy bat on sale at a local garden center....I love Halloween décor!

March Sewathon

Time for March Sewathon this weekend. Lot's of fantastic projects worked on all around me.

We were gifted a four pack of fat quarters by Frieda the shop owner...mine were a collection of spring greens. I took the pattern, Little Charmer, from a vintage quilting magazine and sewed up those quarters into a table topper. Of course, a bit too much talking and laughing had me cut the original squares the wrong size! Oh well....I just kept going.

 

 The little quilt reminds me of a garden with lots of little patches of green sprouting up.

 The tv was on in the background, and we all were laughing at the formal wear these ladies had on to quilt those hexies!

One of my favorites made from Deb Tucker blocks.

This made me long for summer.

A class sample made by my friend Jennifer. A mixed media wall hanging that turned out just adorable.

Always sad when Sewathon ends....

Happy National Quilting Day!

According the National Quilters Association website:

"In 1989, the Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society organized a "Quilters' Day Out" on the third Saturday of March to celebrate the rich tradition of quiltmaking in Kentucky. In 1991, the NQA officers were so enthused with the concept and success of "Quilters'Day Out" that they voted to take it to a national level.

The first National Quilting Day was observed in 1992 and since then it has grown into a global celebration for all quiltmakers and quilt lovers. Helen Storbeck, one of the founders of National Quilting Day, wrote in The Quilting Quarterly, "Groups of quilters were encouraged to hold special events, publishers and shop owners were invited to sponsor promotions especially for quilters and it quickly became a grassroots endeavor with quilters in every part of the country participating.  In the first year of National Quilting Day, quilters in other countries asked to participate. They were welcomed with open arms. As our feelings of a community network has evolved to include a world community, it is only appropriate that quilters and quilt lovers everywhere united to give recognition to the special art form."

Tidewater Quilter's Guild March Night Chapter

A big crowd was in attendance to see Susan Emory, a fifth generation quilter and graphic designer  who owns Swirly Girls Designs.

 

 

Susan brought all sort of colorful quilts and had a funny engaging delivery that kept the enthusiastic audience's attention.

 

A big "circle" person, she had lots of ideas for incorporating circle designs into quilting.

 

Of course, I bought the circle ruler!

 During show and tell, one of the guild members showed an African inspired quilt she made...that was really colorful and eye-catching. She is in the process of embellishing along the quilting lines.

Another fun filled guild meeting!

Passing on the Love of Sewing



Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859

 

Had the opportunity to participate in a Guild activity, working with Girls Scouts on their sewing patches. We had the tiniest Daisies to Juniors. It was so much fun to see the creativity and joy that some of the girls had in sewing.

 

 

Here I am (below) with a few Junior's who had never used a sewing machine before. But they took to it right away and enthusiastically stitched away.

 

 

There were more than a couple future sewers identified in the group, those not at all intimidated by the machine. <3 <3 <3