FANS AND MORE FANS

First, I want to thank you all for your kind words of encouragement yesterday when I blogged about my very ambitious project!


I didn't know that I should have cut the foundation block about an inch larger...thank you very much for tell me that...the pattern did not state that!

Also, nowhere did the pattern say how hard it would be to turn those curved suckers! Nosireebob! No statement to that effect!

After getting lots of comments about doing this, I tried, lord knows I tried for a long time to practice on those extra pieces to make them look like the samples on the quilt pattern.

Didn't happen. I may need to make something so that I can indeed curve the tops. I was very very frustrated. I am going to see if Helen can show me how to do this without my going nuts! I don't know how you hand quilters do it! I am now understanding what
makes you tick...


So, then after thinking about it, I did make a practice square by using a blanket stitch that I think Jane or Anya (bloggers extraordinaire) did sometime back and thought that my Janome must have this stitch.

So, without much frustration! Some, but not much I say, I managed to do this block. My sweetie, who is always coming up with opinions (I didn't ask for this one) said that it was nice, but didn't look like the hand quilted one in the photo......NO, it DOESN'T. But, it looks pretty good.

So, I'm putting this away till I see Helen, and if I don't get the hang of this, then, I shall do it in the blanket stitch, and improvise the finishing.

Since I use cotton batting for most quilts, I'm thinking poly to do some hand work, I'll need advice on this. I know that Helen used a silk batting on one of her quilts, but I don't want to spend that kind of money on this . What do you use to hand quilt an ordinary project?

I'm further thinking, yes the mind is reeling from all the goings on! I'm further thinking that I shall do the bottom in yellow, and not blue, finish the border in yellow which would make it go with the nine patch I did last summer and be on the bunk bed with that one.

Always thinking folks, always thinking. However, I must put this to print as my mind is like a sieve and I shall have forgotten it all by tomorrow.

Again, thank you those that left the little comments of advice. I probably wouldn't have started it all if I had read them.before, as it is a daunting endeavour for me to do on my own, which is why I'm waiting till I get to the cottage.

Have a fun weekend.

PS, just noted Green Fairy quilts is have a jelly roll sale, $25.95 ea. Lots of them.

TWO NEW PROJECTS!

I found these two lovely quilts in a book that I have at the cottage...given to me by my buddy Helen...I love them both.



I honestly have never done applique work. This Dahlia one, (that's the name of the quilt) is a 1930's scrap quilt.



I am of course thinking of more modern colours for the flowers and a more subdued yellow for the sashings.



Not only that, but I am thinking of trying Lap Quilting!
Yep, this is a whole new venture for me. I have been
intrigued by this method, specially so that if I was making a large quilt, wouldn't that be easier? Don't know how the method works, but I've seen a video a few times on it.

Ok, I've watched it a dozen times and for the life of me,
I can't figure the sashings that join the blocks together.



But...and that's a big but (my other one is too) I'm a
great stitch picker, so I suppose I'll figure that out too!

This one is also a 1930s quilt, and I love this pattern, I figure, that I can machine sew the fans together and do the curvey part by hand.


I made the mistake of asking my sweetie what he thought of the quilt with the blue sashings, (which I don't particularly like) and he says that he thinks that it is great with the blue.


What? there is nothing blue in our lives, not even when we are down....blue is not what I would call it!

Ok, so now I'm thinking blue...nope not gonna happen!

I have cut out all the fans using the jelly from American
Jane which is more country, so I'm getting ready to
start this.

Now this one is a Granny Fan quilt, fabric is also from a 1930s stash . I love this one, no sashings, which I couldn't do the lap quilting thing, but more to my liking I think.


I bought muslin fabric yesterday to cut out the 8 1/2" squares that they both go on.


Which to do? Also thinking of making the dahlia one with the Chez Moi fabric. More modern but still I think using only 8 colours to do it.


So, I'm not going to pump out quilts as I usually do. These two look like projects of an undertaking in a whole new direction for me....Helen is getting ready for these two.


We are heading to the cottage for good in the next few weeks, so I'll have them cut out and hopefully started with some semblance of order.


I'm feeling retro!

TWO MORE QUILTS FINISHED!

Here it is, the last big orange quilt that I'll ever make. If I do decide to do another, please feel free to shoot me!


I was looking at the finished quilts on my shelves and I have at least four which are orange as primary colour.



This one measures about 50 X 65, so it's an odd size too.I ran out of the large orange dots. My sweetie loves this one too as you can imagine. He looks at the work and not the colours.



I finished this little quilt for my friend. The back has
the black dots , yep used up a lot of the dots fabrics I
have too.



I didn't quilt the hats but just outlined them, so they are unheaded by any black threads. It's cute. And finished.



Too much going on yesterday to get to the workshop to see about doing a new project, but what with the new fabrics, I do have a couple of ideas beyond the new pattern I bought.


Getting caught up on my blog roll was quite time consuming yesterday, but worth while, http://myfatquarter.blogspot.com/ has a story of her daughter who has had 17 years living with a liver transplant. I should never complain of my life's little ills. The story is very moving and this young woman has a definite Passion for living. Worth a read.

Another sunny day...isn't life grand?

LUNCH AT THE COTTAGE

Well I did say we were going to the cottage to see what had happened to our little piece of paradise over the winter.

Helen and I brought lunch for the four of us. It was a warm, sunny day so we had lunch on the deck. Helen's sweetie has been making wine...We toasted to his success at making pinot grisot and celebrated the opening of the cottages.


We brought so much food that the four of us could have actually stayed over for a couple of days!





Here is a photo of our place all boarded up, not very inviting at first glance. But a half hour later, shutters were off, the deck was swept, the chairs were out and we were in business.


We had a broken glass on one window which appears to have been caused by the wind! Wierd, since the screen was undamaged, and just glass on the deck. We are so far out, about 6 miles that no one ever goes out there in the winter, too cold, so we never worry about breakins.

We were also surprised at how little debris there was around us. Usually, there is so many branches that have been blown off by winter storms and we need to clear a path to get to the cottage, but not this year.


Leaving the cottage, of course the wind came up and
we all got fairly wet going into the wind to return to
the marina. Not a nice journey, but still all in all
we are back at the cottage for the season.



This is the other jelly that I purchased, and I have brought home from the cottage a couple of patterns, one being a fan, and the other a daisy pattern.

I am thinking a 1930's style of quilt which I love to look at. It must be something in me that does that, as I love the fashions, and the movies of that era.

I have finished quilting two quilts which I will post tomorrow and am ready for new adventures!

Exciting things ahead.

http://robingallagher@blogspot.com is having a giveaway of fat quarters to celebrate her birthday. I am posting this, but don't expect to win as I see some of the lucky people are entered.....I have some irish blood in me....what happened? But since Barb posted about it, now so many people will enter, so there you go.