Spring

                                                                                            
I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.

—Ruth Stout

What a pleasant surprise this morning to see my tulips blooming.  --Ann

Morning Walk

 I am not a morning person and never will be but since I have my son's dog this week I am up and this is what I saw ribbons of fog across the prairie. The beauty of morning makes me wish I could be a morning person but then I couldn't be a night person. We went for a short walk then came in for my breakfast and coffee then out again for a longer walk and tour of the garden. My asparagus is up!!!!!!! and all frozen!! they were nice fat stalks This is the year I get to pick some to eat. It has come a long way since the spindly stalks of its first season.

I'm going to need a nap later,    Ann

Out of the Cupboard -- 30's quilts

These quilts were made in a block exchange among a group of 8 quilters. We each made 4 1/2 inch nine patches from reproduction 1930's fabrics.

large enough for a full size bed

We exchanged blocks over a 6 month period then had 6 months to complete the quilt or quilts.

sold on etsy

We bought bolts of the background fabric and divided it so the cream fabric would be the same for all the blocks.

baby quilt

doll quilt

I sewed my leftovers into more 9 patches and used the rest for the borders and a few odd 9 patches became potholders.... I have no 30's fabrics left

table cloth for child's table

Happy quilting,
Ann

Tessellating Star Tutorial

 Sewing these is not difficult they just need to be kept in order.  I start by flipping the center square over the left triangle and sew from the ends to the center of the square and stop. Then sew the triangles to the square clockwise matching the base of the triangle to the edge of the square. Finger press the seams to the outside.

 top triangle

 right triangle

 bottom triangle

 sew rest of first seam

 press and trim dog ears
All bias edges on outside

To chain sew I start at the top on the left side and flip the center square to the left and pick up all the center and left pieces in one pile. Start at the top each time and pick up the top triangles, then the right triangles then the bottom.
I sew all the partial seams first then sew all the top triangles, all the right and all the bottom and then the final partial seam.
Press each one and trim dog ears and return to the design wall in order.

Happy stitching,
Ann

Design Wall Monday

I played with blocks and fabric all weekend

I may still do some rearranging

This is the block and every piece needs to be kept in order, chances are only a couple border blocks will be interchangeable. 

I flip the center square over the left triangle and sew a partial seam then sew the top triangle, then the right triangle, then the bottom triangle, then I finish my first seam. The center square is 2 1/2 inches the same as the base of the triangle.

There will be no open windows or fans in my sewing room until this is finished.

Linked up to Judy at Patchwork Times so much fun you do this Judy
 http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/03/19/design-wall-monday-march-19-2012/

 never too old to play with blocks,   ann

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

 

Saint Patrick's Day is an enchanted time---a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer magic.  author unknown

Our snow is gone, the geese are heading farther north, dead sunflower heads with the promise of more blossoms, kildeer, doves, meadow larks and robins are back, tulip, iris, and daffodil leaves are just braving the day at an inch or so tall. I scattered spinach seeds close to the house. The only green I'm finding is in my sewing room.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Celebrating with an Irish Coffee!! Ann

daffodils

I think daffodils are the most cheerful flower even saying the word daffodils makes me smile, its kind of a silly sounding word say it out loud daffodil, daffodil,  daffodil see you are smiling too. I bought 2 bundles of daffodils from the American Cancer Society. The flowers were the inspiration for this cabinet topper (9 1/2inches by 36 inches), I sketched them in various stages of blooms then cut and fused and quilted.

Happy Spring Days,   Ann

Design Wall Monday

Tessellating Star

I love arranging tessellating stars. Everything has to be placed before any sewing is done.

I still need to cut more blue and green squares for stars and decide what I want to use for the background fabric, either a pale yellow or a white with a light blue print.

I cut 5 inch squares then cut in half 2 1/2 inches wide then cut the rectangles in half diagonally. All fabrics must be right sides up and always cut  the same angle otherwise you star will twist the other direction.

Planning color arrangement on graph paper.

Happy planning,
Ann

brighter days

The colors of this quilt sing spring.  Our days are noticeably longer but spring flowers are well over a month away. The sky is frequently gray as is the shrinking snow which is interspersed with patches of  bare ground. The pattern is Hummingbird by Darlene Zimmerman, I used her 30 degree tool to cut the kite shapes and side triangles. It is sashed with cornerstones.  Most of the fabrics are from the Cabbage Rose collection from the late 1990's. I like my fabric well aged just like wine and good cheese.


The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.  ~Bern Williams

Cheers,
Ann

Design Wall Monday

Its a T shirt quilt I'm pleased with it. The owner is thrilled.

Ann

machine quilting

I had a really bad quilting day back in January when I broke 5 needles I was using a polyester thread that kept kinking and getting too tight in the top tension so I quit quilting on that quilt. I went to my Bernina dealer to get more needles because I was down to my last size 80 needle, she suggested adding a thread guide hence the paper clip and tape

so far I have gone through 2 bobbins of bottom thread at full throttle its fun to go fast and no broken needles or threads

 

happy quilting,
Ann