Humility Quilting

All quilters have heard of humility blocks, the block that is pieced wrong or turned, with scrap quilts and log cabin blocks and fan blocks it is pretty hard to go wrong. I could and probably did sew some log cabin blocks clockwise and some counter clockwise but who is to know with scraps. And with fans a wedge could be turned the wrong way but a quilter would notice that during the pressing. My humility is not with piecing the blocks but with the quilting. I sewed arcs from point to point using half circle curves....what could possibly go wrong?? using the outside curve instead of the inside curve and visa versa or choosing the wrong end point. Bingo on both accounts. I believe I got it right in the center and first ring of dark log cabin blocks, and there are some crooked lines in the next ring of light fabrics. The fans are free motion quilted with loops and swags. Lots of variation in loop size and swags.....its free motion quilting......there will be variation. I skipped to the dark side of the 5 diagonal log cabin blocks I  stitched a straight line across the center of the block then swung  arcs from point to point. This arc went into the next block by a log. oops....so the arc in the next LC block is small. Then in the next section of 5 blocks I moved the point over a log..oops again That's when I decided I had quilted enough for one day and went for a walk and wrote this post in my head and contemplated whether I should rip or not and possibly damage the quilt. The errors are near the edge where the quilt will hang over the side of the bed, will anyone ever trace the quilting lines with their finger? a child maybe but with electronic games for amusements... probably not. So I'm leaving it, my humility quilting. Hoping today is a better day for stitching and linking to Leah FMQ.--Ann--

Monstrous Morning Glories

 I didn't plant morning glories last spring. It was so late when I planted peas and beans that I saw a few heart shaped leaves volunteering so I let them be. Big mistake.

 I set my supports out for them, they knew exactly what to do, they crawled right up and all around.

But they are taking over everything, fortunately the beans are done, they are blanketing my potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries even the weeds are being strangles by their tendrils. Only the dark purple came back no pale blue blossoms. Next year any heart shaped leaves are going to be slashed.--Ann--

late night finish

Late night finish last night. My first big quilt on my sweet 16 and 16 inches of throat space is wonderful!.  now on to the next. --Ann--

sewing room tour

A sewing room tour! What a wonderful idea! thank you to Ellison Lane for hosting the Studio Tour.

My sewing room looking south is my fabric stash behind door number 1 or door number 2? or door number 3? looking north at my design wall. The design wall is 2 sheets of foam insulation each 4 feet by 8 feet covered with flannel and nailed to the wall.

 Door number 3 because it is close to my cutting mat. The table is my old kitchen table with an 18 inch leaf in it. The step stool was my Grandma Selma's and I sit on it to cut strips and pieces.

 The stacks of fabric are mostly folded into fat quarter fourths and are 2 deep and 6 across. They are sorted by color and theme to a point. The upper left is hand dyes and batiks then background fabrics in small yardages then background fabrics in longer pieces. Some of the piles in the center are bits from current projects that I haven't refolded and sorted.

 

 I keep my rulers on nails behind the door. My old Elna and very best friend (of 36 years and no complaints) is sitting on a stack of magazines at the moment while I do machine quilting. I needed her small table to the left of my cutting table to support the quilt and hold the tray of tools. When I am in piecing mode and want to sew fast my elna sits in front of my sweet 16.

Thread and tools more books and magazines under the quilt.

I wheel my chair around to work here when it is not a catch all space. The little wooden drawers were made for my  Grandma Selma by her grandfather in Sweden. She got it from an aunt of hers when she went to Sweden in the 1950's.  The high chair with the basket on top was my Grandma Elsie's. The steps come out and make wonderful shelves. This is where I sketch, design and figure, write letters and scrapbook. It is good to have a  place to work and play with all my tools in easy reach. --Ann--

machine quilting

Its been a week of machine quilting so far over 45,000 stitches, I love the stitch counter on my machine and I'm only about halfway through. I'm using the acrylic rulers and templets for the first time. The half circle templets make swinging arcs so much easier and accurate. I used the straight edge for the straight lines around the dark circle of log cabin blocks. Rather than go around 8 times I went back and forth in each quadrant so I wouldn't have to maneuver the quilt so much but also so I wouldn't have pull lines. I tried using a ruler to keep my echo lines in the fan background equal distance but quickly learned I was much better at eyeballing it. I free motioned the loops in the fans. I'm very pleased with it so far and might even finish this weekend. Happy Quilting--Ann-- linking to FMQ Friday

Design Wall Three Queens and a Glorified Nine Patch

 The blocks sewn together

 Borders added and on the quilt frame for spray basting. (click to see the other 2 log cabin fan quilt tops or click on Design Wall in the label section to see the design process.)

 Glorified nine patch using Quick Curve Ruler---slick and click!

I spent Sunday afternoon spray basting quilts in my garage. It was the biggest space available and since darling daughter got a job and found an apartment, her stuff is in the garage until the apartment is ready.  She had a table and chairs so I only had to move the car and take 2 more chairs to the garage and the quilt frame and all the necessities but compared to moving furniture in the house then squeezing around things. The garage was the easiest.  And she helped me with the spray basting. The quilt frame sits on the backs of the chairs with the table underneath so the quilt doesn't fall on the garage floor. (click quilt frame how to)  My fitbit said I walked almost 8000 steps, that's almost 4 miles! just basting the quilts and all the trips up and down the stairs to the dryer to fluff the batting and steam the backings and back and forth to my sewing room for the little tools. Then to put it all away again. My feet were tired by the time I was finished. My design wall is bare I will put some fabrics or unfinished blocks on it to ponder the next project. Sometimes solutions come at a glance while I machine quilt these three queens and a glorified 9 patch. and one more link to Judy's Design Wall Monday and be inspired. --Ann--

on the needles

 July was the month to unravel. I started the blue green socks and was knitting a 4 by 1 rib, it was really boring so I ripped and restarted and am using a p1 k1 slip k1 p1 pattern much more interesting.
Socks for oldest son...... hubby tried them on, they wear the same size shoe, they were huge so rip again and start over, son is coming home this weekend so he will try them on before I go farther. I like the way the colors are pooling and will look more like camouflage.

 These are for my daughter, I love the cheerful colors just like her. I just started increasing for the gusset. And wonderful news she got a job as a dental hygienist!!! I have 3 taxpayers now!!!  and isn't that what this country really needs is more taxpayers! I've done my part.

 

My go bag with pockets on the inside are just right for a ball of sock yarn in each no tangles.  Life is good. --Ann-- 
P.S. the sweater from my last "on the needles" post was huge, really huge, I tried it on then laid a couple other sweaters on top, it was huge so I am ripping that too. Good thing yarn is so forgiving. check out on the needles at Judy's blog. Hope everyone's knitting is a size that will fit.