How I spent my summer......

How I spent my summer vacation...........Sewing log cabin blocks by the dozen and........
reading. I read 4 books about Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln. 
Visual aid please Log Cabin Quilt of course.

This is my first log cabin quilt sewn in 1987, traditional red centers with three dark fabrics gradually getting darker and 3 lights gradually getting darker. It is about 40 inches square and I hand quilted it.
Reading list:

1. Love is Eternal by Irving Stone  I have been reading biographical novels by Irving Stone since college, he researches all of his books the facts are there along with the real places and people, he gives them personality and dialog. He also wrote The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michelangelo, Lust for Life about Vincent VanGogh, The President's Lady about Rachel and Andrew Jackson, Those Who Love about John and Abigail Adams and many more. I should reread some of them.
2. Behind the Scenes or, Thirty years a slave, and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley  non-fiction, this book is referenced in the three novels. She was an incredible woman.
   
3. An Unlikely Friendship A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley by Ann Rinaldi  Look for Ann Rinaldi books in junior fiction and young adult fiction in your local library, she also  researches her characters,events and places. At the end of her books she tells what is fact and what is not and who she created or embellished and why.
4. Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini  This might be Jennifer Chiaverini's first book not about the Elm Creek Quilters. This is a look into the Lincoln White House, Mrs. Lincoln after the assassination and publishing Behind the Scenes. 

I had no idea there was so much controversy and scandal during Lincoln's presidency. 

another visual aid please    A ceramic figurine that my mother painted in the late 1940's, I think it looks like one of the dresses Elizabeth Keckley sewed for Mrs. Lincoln.

Sometimes when I am reading a book I imagine the actors I would cast as the characters in the book. It was always Sally Fields voice who was speaking to me as Mary Lincoln and I have not seen the latest Lincoln movie. I could not imagine any other actor in that role.

That's what I did this summer.
would I be teacher's pet or what for all this historic reading!?!
  And now that all my kids are done with school vacation just continues for me!!--Ann--

On and off the needles

 I finished my sweater and I love it............soft and comfy..........as soon as I was finished with my size 8 needles and changed to a 6 for the ribbing.........

I started the Age of Brass and Steam kerchief/shawl free pattern from Ravelry, the yarn is Schoppel Zauberball. I love the way the yarn is wound by color I'm pulling from the inside so the next color is a mystery I'm just going to knit until the yarn is gone, its almost as big as the pattern for the kerchief. I want to wear it with black slacks and a black top. I think that will be sharp. The tag on the yarn said Knitting can be addictive! I'm not ready for an intervention--Ann--find more knitting addicts at Judy's On the Needles.

Another finish

The second of three queen size log cabin and fan quilts is finished! I free motion quilted loops and arcs in the fans and straight lines and half palm leaves in the log cabin blocks and background. The greens are so calm and peaceful the word serenity comes to mind. One more to go.--Ann--

On the needles

 I have made progress on my sweater after ripping it twice, just like little bear the first was too big, the second was too small and this one is just right. I should be able to wear it when the air turns crisp.

 I have spent more time quilting than knitting the past couple weeks,  the camouflage yarn is striping diagonally rather than narrow bands of color as in the first too big pair of socks these have 33 stitches on each needle the first try had 36. Amazing what a difference 6 stitches makes in the way the color stripes or pools. Trekking yarn socks are ready to turn the heel but I think they will wait until I am wearing the sweater to finished the socks. When I turn the heel I usually keep at it until I  finish that part. Another hot day here.--Ann--check out what's on the needles at Judy's

Out of the cupboard

Another quilt out of the cupboard.  I named this quilt Steps to the Campanile, I made it for my oldest son, he was the first of the third generation to attend SDSU (that would be South Dakota) and graduate. He was 12 or 13 when I made it. He chose the colors blue and yellow (go Jackrabbits) I added some red, green and purple for interest. The block is Jacob's ladder which is half square triangles and 4 patches in this configuration it is sometimes called wagon wheel. More HST make up the border. I quilted it by FMQ in reasonable straight lines through the 4 patches and stitching in the ditch in the border. I extended the truck fabric on the back by adding roads and my boys did play with their little cars and trucks and legos a lot on the back of the quilt. Missing my little boys.....they grew up into wonderful young men. --Ann--
P.S. I should have darling daughter check me on the facts before I hit the publish button. Oldest son was the second to graduate from SDSU, he was in the Navy 5 years, 2nd son was the first. The first is second the second is first are you as confused as I am now?

More Morning Glories

The monster grows......But isn't that a beautiful combination of violet and red violet in the five point stars and the perfectly spaced crease between each point where the bloom unfolded!?! And that shade of green compliments it so well?!! However next year......I am making a note in my garden journal to refer to August 28, 2013 post to nip them in the heart, the tiny heart shaped leaves, as they come up and I begin gardening next year. But until then I will enjoy their fabulous color.--Ann--

Design Wall

I pulled an old project out of the closet, the fabrics are all batiks and commercial hand dyes. The Winding Ways blocks and colors have been calling to me all year but I had another big project with a deadline so now that I am quilting on the commission quilts I can consider the possibilities of this one while I machine quilt. I started it in 2004 sometime. The F & P magazine was in the tote with all the parts. There are enough parts for a queen size quilt and 2 moves ago I had it all on the design wall and I was trying to create some horizontal waves of color but now I realize the circles of color are dominate. Each block is influenced by 9 circles, the one encircling it and 8 more made up of one or two segments of the center block. I need to arrange segments by color families and value and might be able to create some diagonal movement. I was thinking I would make it into 2 quilts but Darling Daughter asked for a queen size quilt for her bed now that she has a real job and an apartment and guess what she loves these colors. click the Erin quilts then scroll into October 2012 for the last installment.  It is going to be a scorcher here so I'm off to my sewing room to machine quilt until my arms get tired then add more parts and bask in the refreshing cool blues. Linking to Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday and Anything Goes Monday  be inspired. --Ann--