Flowers around the cabin!

FINI!  DONE!  BRAVO!

I started this quilt in January of 2017 as a part of a Log Cabin Quilt along online.

I have always loved Kim Diehl and this is her pattern from one of the 5 books I own.

I easily got my blocks done in time, but wanted to do the applique by hand. 

There are 53 of those little circles which I used Karen Kay Buckley's circles. I also used Kim Diehl's paper for making templates. 

The quilt was started from my collection of Thimbleberries fabrics.  I love their rich colors. But  I did add some  pinks and purples and blues ( which I seem to use a lot). 

Here is the back which was quilted by Julia Rockwell who no lives up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. 

She does exquisite work . The center is an all over design. The first border is a small 1/4 inch lines. And the border is echoed. 

The back is just a tone on tone black. This shows more of the applique which took me 4 months to lay out and then stitch around. I am proud of my work on this one. 

More photos of the applique design and quilting. 

Art fair and binding

This was the weekend of Madison Art on the Square.  ( Madison, Wisconsin)

My spouse and I have gone for 20 ish years.  

Yesterday, I proctored the ACT test at school, so we were unable to go then.

But today, we left early and arrived as they opened at 10:00. 

It was HOT!  But we saw all kinds of beautiful things; there were booths lining the 4 streets that surrounded our capital building in downtown Madison.  

Here is me near some wall art!

Here is the Capitol and a few of the booths.

And yes, the guy in the hat is my spouse. 

This is a lovely look down State Street with a few more booths.  Lots of good music, too.

And we had a good lamb gyro.

After we returned home, showered, and napped, I got out my quilt and finished the binding on the last side.  

Tomorrow I will reveal my quilt.  It is so cool and I really like how it turned. out.

But here is the back that shows the quilting on the bottom around the applique border. 

And it is done!!!!! Hooray!  A year and a half in the making

Applique and strips

I spent every evening this weekend and all the football games yesterday appliqueing these beauties.  . I started the 2nd set of borders during Thanksgiving weekend. I had completed all the vines and leaves and berries on these and only had the flowers to do: 12 flowers each with a center.  I now only  have 4 left to complete .

 Woot Woot!

 Then I need to attach them and connect the vines to the corners from the other set.  I am hoping to get this to the quilters this week. It is looking fantastic.

This is the quilt laid out without the borders attached and only the 2 short sides are have applique around them. It is a wonderful Kim Diehl pattern which I started last January as a sew along.  

Here are closeups of some applique sections. 

For my lovely 30s strips I now have a pile of 30 assembled lengths. Much better!  Now I can't work on it until I get more 30s which a friend has agreed to contribute.

Time for recharging

Love this 5 day weekend.

First of all here are my two munchkins.  We had so much fun for Thanksgiving and got some great pictures.  ( Family group still on daughter's camera.)

              

But after all the fun and food, I have had some time to SEW ... Heaven!  

Here are photos of my coloration of the Magnolia Mystery by Meadow Mist Designs. 

Here are assembled blocks. Just 2 more colors and the odd ones. I postponed it as I thought I needed to trim my half square triangles.  But they were already done.  Bonus!

And here is the Crem de la crem, the sugar on top, the project we have been slowing completing:

I laid out the last of the 2 borders last night while watching Ice Age 4. (Yes, my hubby and I like animated movies that make us laugh.)   But I carefully pulled papers out of prepared applique, made the last 3 stems and placed all the leaves and such.  It is just pinned at the moment and will need some Roxanne's Glue Baste It...... The close up of one end is first

Followed by the "long shot".

borders

I am so excited after 2 months of stitching I have finally finished the hand applique for my Kim Diehl log cabin quilt. I binge watched TV last night and Saturday we watched West Side Story. I love, love love, Bernstein's music. When watching TV movies, I will go online to find out about actors and the background behind the story. I enjoy getting the history.

                        

Here is the center of the quilt:


Now to get the 2 last borders assembled.  I have all the leaves and flowers and most of the vines.  I have fabric cut for the last of it.  Funny I didn't read directions carefully enough and didn't make as much as I should when prepping in the spring.     And then all that is left is to do the applique.  I am sure it will take a while. On the other hand, I do have the holiday weekend.

Applique

I am enjoying the hand stitching of my applique  borders. I have completed the vines and some of the berries and leaves. What is left are the varied flowers and centers. Here is one of two borders laid out. I used Eileens glue in the squeeze tube to attach the background. 

Here is a close up of the needle work, although the photo doesn't do it justice.

Here are a few photos from the Apple Harvest Fest with the grands. Despite the 90 degree weather, we had fun.  It is great to be outdoors and see such fun things. Thy little guys aren't quite old enough to participate in the crafts, yet. But it is yearly, so we will have more visits.

Here are 2 of the scarecrows we liked best.

The storm trooper

Little Shop of Horrors

March

March 26.   Daunting approach to the end of March.  Isn't there one more weekend. Please!

I have so much I have been working on. And even more that I want to get done. There are the little things like just fixing the quilting on a donation small quilt, to the new donations started,  and the one that has been occupying my living room floor for a WEEK.  ( Although it was good for moving a few blocks for better color placement. )

1)Oh, and the weekly blocks for blockheads.


2)My RSC blocks are increasing: (see previous post for pics of latest and tricks).

3) Working on donation quilts:A) quilt of valor lap from my bull's eye almost done, B)homespuns needs a border and quilting C tumblers : still on the floor and I started D an eye spy for kids.

 $And lastly my log cabin quilt along just isn't going anywhere. ARGH!

I do have a good excuse.  My sewing machine is in the shop.  My really good one, the one I just know how to operate for careful sewing and the only one I have quilted on.  It has been gone for almost 3 weeks. Can you hear my exasperation?       Luckily I have a back up.  Thanks Hubby!
The extended deadline for my log cabin. will be for my guild's quilt show:  April 22.  
It has had one border added, but all it needs is applique placement, borders sewn, and then quilting.



Good news: checking the posts from March I can  see my accomplishments:
( goal for creating this job accomplishing)

My En provence is completed and given away.  WOOP, WOOP!


I quilted and bound my brother's extra courthouse steps 4th of July square.     Yes, an extra square.
But it is DONE!



And of course, new starts:

Easter bunnies!  Well, bunnies anyway for my mom.   I am now thinking a full quilt and to be done when I visit her in the summer.  Latest idea is to use the twister borders with the 30s fabrics and then borders of the variety of prints I have.
    (still has menacing eyes)

But I also think I am going to make placemats.  I am hating the lack of springtime weather and need something to look forward to.   If you want to make it the directions are :Here

No school!

Remember when a radio announcer would declare a snow/ ice day? Oh they joy!

  But no, this was not a weather break, but a planned inservice day for the teachers.  No I am not a student, just a learning assistant. Actually, I run our tutoring center, guided study: for those who really need a kick in the pants, and lunch duty.  Ah, the joys of not being in middle school anymore!

 I am a jack of all trades, who has taught almost anything from kindergarten to high school biology and and can even do algebra 2. I am great with a resource, and can edit, research, be a scribe, and motivate.  I love working with kids.  Sometimes, I am so frustrated for them for making those choices. Lately, a couple of them have had the dawn awakening. The lows... the highs.

Anyway, I had Friday off.  And I stayed home and worked like of son of a gun on my applique. My husband judged solo and ensemble contest yesterday; so I even had a 2nd day of concentrated effort.

And I prepped, and prepped my applique. All my leaves are made, all my flowers and center circles are made and my small circles as well!  Hooray!


I used Kim Diehl's applique paper. Then used kids washable glue to hold the fabric to the template. Next I sprayed Magic sizing into a bowl and "painted" the solution onto the edges. This was followed by ironing the seam allowance onto the back of the template.  (without burning your fingers.)


For the circles, I used Karen Kay Buckley's small template, gathered the edges around it.  ( which seemed to take forever)  " again painted the sizing onto the seam allowance on the back, and ironed it dry.  I used the same technique for the larger ones, which were a hair to big for her largest template.



My other resource has been Erin Russek, blog One Piece at a Time. She has great videos, and free blocks, and old patterns she has designed.  She is now an editor for McCall's quilting.

It has been tedious. And the pieces were previously cut out of the applique paper.



All the while, sitting in front of TV, which I can't do when I use the sewing machine.  I saw Butler lose to Seton Hall.  Butler is my alma mater, years and years ago, when it was affordable.  And they are doing very well this year in basketball, except yesterday.

And then, there was a string of Star Wars movies.  I stopped at 10:30.

February coming to a close.

I feel like an inchworm: making little progress to show, yet definitely moving.

February goals done:
1) En Provence top completed  63 inches square!
backing purchased  Sent to quilter.  I just could not see me quilting over those bulky intersections.
Kudos to those of you who do! But on my regular sewing machine, I just dreaded the thread breaking. I steamed the heck out of the seams, too, without trying to warp the size and keep it square.

2) BOM for quilt guild done

3) Stash Bee blocks made: It is a great pattern for those 5 inch charm packs.
I happened to have one for an eye spy quilt, and found awesome guy prints.
Even had a pack of Cherrywood fabrics of a 8 by 9 size variety found at Quilt Expo in Madison, WI.


4) Rainbow Scrap Challenge:  4 blocks made, 4 cut out to finish
Teal/aqua/sea green are not colors in abundance in my stash. I had to break down and acquire a few.



Added to all the blocks so far made:  my colors are muted, and don't always like the lighting/camera.




5) Challenge for small group selected:  postcard scenery with small bits of fabric for greenery
There is a wonderful tutorial in the latest Quilting Arts magazine.  The challenge is to do thread painting.



Other progress:
Homespun bull's eyes almost quilted.  Ugh.  ran out of navy thread........

Log Cabin quilt along: piecing completed along with inner border, applique prep for pattern pieces cut out, bias stems and circles made

Started a donation quilt for church for the Native American tribe we support;
blocks made from disappearing 9 patch with red centers.  6 x 7 patches put together.
Additional blocks made. Wool batting and flannel red backing purchased.

No UFO progress this month. Oh,  Scrap!

On to March:   Goals:

1) Finish. Yes Finish the Log Cabin.  Lots of applique in my future.

2)  Put together my 30s hearts!  Need to get it done for the quilt show in April.

3)  Red Rainbow Scrap Challenge

4) BOM for quilt club

5) Leaving room for inspiration and squirrels.    But thinking I need to get grandson's  big bed quilt going.  His birthday is in May, and I didn't get it done for when he turned 2 last year. I let it go as he has been using my son's graduation quilt from high school. But I did make a matching pillow case.

Cutie that he is:  Here he was experimenting with magnets.  He is really getting good at figuring things out, like how to take things apart.

First Flimsy!

PROGRESS!   I put the light border of my beige checkerboard on En Provence. Looks great!  It has been laid out on the floor for a few days, and I am really liking it.  But I am not adding the second light border. All it needs is a good press! Then for the finishing!

No progress!  I have not been successful on my UFO goal for February.  Not even a decision for which to complete.  I think that the donation quilt took up that time allotment. And I have made progress on that for additional blocks. 

More progress. My log cabin has the light border on it.  And I made 4 additional 9 patches for the ones that are somewhere to be found in my stash.  I have all my applique foundations cut out while in the car last weekend., and now, the green leaves are also cut. I even have the black borders cut for the applique.