Sunday Slump

So here I am feeling sorry for myself for a host of reasons, most of which have to do with my dear Red Sox. There is nothing like the thrill of winning or the doldrums of defeat. But hey, go see MoneyBall with Brad Pitt. This movie will be sure to lift your spirits.

BUT

Quilting always has a way of lifting me out of myself. What IS it about the texture of the fabric, or the color and design? Or a particular pattern that speaks to your soul? Wow....I'm feeling better already!

Here are two versions of a baby quilt pattern that I made as a request and as a personal gift. Happy thoughts!

For Kate's Baby Girl

For Michelle's Baby Girl

Bent!

My pal and I are registered for a quilt retreat in Litchfield in early November. This is something we've been wanting to do for a long time and this year is it! The issue today is, "What the heck are we going to work on?" So we spent a good part of the day recently teaching ourselves a new technique for putting together a Hunter's Star. So we picked some ugly fabric to experiment on. Well, the results are OK, but the method to make the star with a "special tool" was no time-saver and is not fail-safe by ANY means. It took the two of us to puzzle over and think about the written directions. AND did I say it took almost a whole day to do this? Perhaps if we had treated ourselves to our glasses of Sam Adams Summer Ale first we would have breezed through this exercise.

My vote? Thumbs down.

Unhappy blocks

Pre-Quilting Era

Before I took up quilting, I did a LOT of needlepoint and bargello. Because I give everything I make away, the only piece I've got is this one that lives over my bed.

I loved working on the patterns from a graph. No painted canvas for this girl!

Gratuitous picture of adorable grandson #3

(I admit it - I'm only posting so I can put pics of him here!)

Quilts for MIL

These quilts were made over the years and given to my mother-in-law.

Flannel Lap Quilt made from scraps of
Kim's "pregnant" quilt

A Star for All Seasons, a perennial favorite

First ever Mystery Quilt

My favorite Christmas quilt, also a mystery project.

Blue and Yellow Fans, from a class.

Gratuitous picture of adorable grandson #3

Court Street Quilt Retreat Update

Well, it's been several months now and the CSQR participants were busy during the winter months trying to finish their projects. Here is an update on our progress:

Joann's Quilt

Due to what we think were very badly-written directions, Joann spent HOURS working on this masterpiece and had to buy MORE fabric! She is still looking for a particular Fusion green for her border. Completed quilt top will be posted!

Barb's Quilt

The pattern is Deb Tucker's Star Shadows, using her Flying Geese method and ruler. Let me tell you, I lost count of the number of Flying Geese units! As I began this project I thought I would make three separate wall-hangings in different color ways to reflect the seasons. Yeah. Now the challenge is to hand- or machine-quilt!

Really??!! It's been THAT Long????

Wow, I can't believe it's been 6 months between posts! That tells you how busy I've been! In addition to today's feature quilt, I've been working on my sister-in-law's birthday quilt from last August, and I've started a new Civil War block-of-the-month, Civil War Chronicles. It's a huge quilt with a LOT of sewing.

My nephew Nick and fiancee Jamie were married on May 20 in Stockton, California (another California quilt!!!). I was not sure what I would make them because I did not know what they shared together or how they spent their time when not working. Well, that question was answered as soon as I walked in to their home last May! It's contemporary in shades of brick red, brown and black. Bingo! I've had a kit in those exact colors sitting in a project basket for a "few" years and I was so excited to finally make it!

Living and Dining Room

Master Bedroom

The happy couple stopped by Mom's (my sister's) house before beginning their honeymoon trip, so it was the perfect opportunity to present The Wedding Quilt. They were exhausted from partying all night but were very happy to receive something for their home. The quilting was done in a tan thread in a vine and leaf design, but it's very subtle.

The Unveiling

Full View



The Back

The Newly Weds - and Tank

On a Snowy Day

What's better to do than spend a snowed in day working on quilt projects! After digging out from the latest snowfall, I'm starting new projects and catching up on some ongoing ones. I usually post only completed projects, but in this case, I'll make an exception. If I posted all my unfinished projects, there would be a LOT of reading to do!


I'm working through my Civil War projects which until lately have taken a back seat to other, more pressing gift projects. I recently completed the small wall hanging using 5 inch charm squares. The big single block is the first in the Civil War Chronicles series, which in the end will be HUGE. The 6 smaller blocks are from the cover issue of the June American Patchwork & Quilting magazine (the same one that the plaid churn dash came from). I am just loving this day!

Christmas 2010 Quilt

My son Kevin, the paramedic firefighter, was the only one to get a quilt this Christmas, and it wasn't even planned. My pal Joann suggested that a churn dash pattern in a recent magazine would look great in plaids and wouldn't that be a great way to sew down that particular stash?! So I challenged her to show up at my house the next morning at 10:00 to start this project - and she did!!!

We finished our tops in record time and I sent mine off to be quilted ASAP, as I was leaving for California mid-December to spend the holiday with my West coast grandchildren. I like to put the binding on myself and knew I would not have it finished in time for Kevin to get it on Christmas morning in Connecticut. So I brought it with me and managed to actually do some sewing on the plane! I wound up sending the finished quilt by overnight mail to his firehouse in Massachusetts, so that he would have a gift on Christmas morning. (A 24-hour Christmas Eve shift and all day Christmas schedule prevented him from spending time with the CT family contingent.) While he loved the quilt, he made me promise not to send any more boxes to the firehouse unless there was food he could share with the guys in the house.