2.10.13

So do you think that was enough activity for the week? Me neither. Here are the blocks for this month's Small Quilt Challenge. 

Yup, I chose fabric on Feb 1, cut out on Feb 2, did preliminary stitching on Feb 3, secondary stitching on Feb 4, finished on Feb 5. I am sort of proud of them. I can tell from the photos that I will not be happy until the whole thing is tea-dyed. I do not like the flash of white with the creams.

If you are my sister-in-law in Portlandia, you will recognize fabric that until last week was in YOUR stash! Thanks, Sis!
My personal challenge was to look at the picture of the quilt and figure it out because my copy of the book had to go back to the library.

I have not cut the setting triangles but I have selected the fabric and done the measurements--at least according to MY size blocks. I made the tiny light colored squares to finish out at 1".

My next challenge was to try to mix it it up a little bit color wise. This is outside my comfort zone but I DID try. I am very comfortable with BRIGHT BOLD colors and I especially like an analogous pallette with an accent from across the color wheel.

This fadey stuff is hard for me but I am really enjoying the challenge and I am taking the time to look at each print by itself. So far, I have made 3 small quilts and each has one fabric found in one of the others. I like the connection, like a circle.

2.9.13

Told you I was BUSY, yes? I finished this hexagon flower quilt top. At least, I thought I had. I think I will add a border in brown and do some fancy hand stitching.  It is about 12" by 16". Even though I hand appliqued, I went ahead and used the machine to join the blocks, unlike the previous Small Quilt. This is a design by Kathleen Tracy from her book Civil War Sewing Circle. I think this quilt would look great in contemporary fabrics, but for some reason, I am being drawn to these of long ago. Unfortunately, my stash keeps increasing every time I get with Quilty (Original).

And yes, I did this in between working on my schematic for the Audrey class. Sometimes the brain needs to disengage and handsewing is the perfect activity.

1.30.13

My January SMALL QUILT CHALLENGE 2013 is complete! I FINALLY attached the binding. I spent almost a month trying to decide if I would put the binding on by machine or by hand. 

Usually I would attach one part by machine, then hand finish the other side but this time, the entire quilt was done by hand and I didn't want to impurify my project. Here it is. It is 19" square. I have found that a quilt which is smaller than a fat quarter yields a TON of scraps for future quilts.

I posted it in my Yahoo group called SmallQuiltTalk .  The group is moderated by Kathleen Tracy, whom I have mentioned before. She is the author of many books I have been studying over the past couple of months. One of my small quilts in the works comes from her Hexagon Flowers Doll Quilt.

1.27.13

We did NOT get the ice storm we were promised but we did have a few drippy, cold hours.

 I can't say I am disappointed but I might have liked to see a few snowflakes.

 Anyway, it was good weather for hand-sewing. I decided to attach my binding to my January Small Quilts Challenge by hand since all other aspects were hand done. Besides, the sewing machine is nicely stored under my desk and I didn't want to bother setting it up. Time enough later for good light and color choosing for the next project.

1.5.13

If you thought you recognized some of yesterday's fabric, you are right. Some is from the small size circle quilt. I am nearly finished quilting it and will, I HOPE, have the binding on by the end of this month. Then there is the matter of the small garnet and yellow chicken quilt...

1.4.13

Here are six finished hexagons in size POINT SIX.  That is, the flat sides of each petal of the flower measure six tenths of an inch. The flowers themselves are three inches across. I am sure I do not have the color synced up exactly right but reds and browns are difficult. This is fairly close. 

The pattern calls for 12 of them but as you can see, I have only half that. If I find more fabric in the right color family, I may go to nine. Remember, I DID say I was doing a modification of Kathleen Tracy's Hexagon Flowers Doll Quilt.

1.3.13

I have been working on ideas for little quilts, or doll quilts. Just because. Just because they are fun to do. I am attempting one from the Kathleen Tracy book Civil War Sewing Circle, The Quilts and Sewing Accessories Inspired by that Era.

I joined a little Yahoo Group called Small Quilt Talk and Ms Tracy is the moderator. Last year, the group made a quilt a month challenge. This month is quilter's choice--we are encouraged to select something from one of Ms Tracy's books or any other small style quilt, or design our own.  I thought I would use one I already started and just try to finish it in January but instead, I have chosen to modify one of the quilts from the cover of the Civil War Sewing Circle book.

If you guessed I chose the hexagon flower one, you are correct. Tomorrow, if the sunlight cooperates, I will show you my progress.

11.15.12

I've been out every morning this week so today, I am taking "off".  As I write this Wednesday afternoon, I have plans to sleep in Thursday. One of my sisters-in-law, the one I sent the wool and bamboo yarn cowl to, sent me some nutritional supplement and a calming tea to try. Yesterday I tried a little of each and got a solid 6 hours of sleep! I will keep it up all week and see how it goes. Sometimes you just need a one week adjustment to reset all the dials.     

Meanwhile, I am still enamored with small quilts. I have several small quilt books including these. All are published by That Patchwork Place. 

When I have to decided on a book without actually getting the chance to thumb through it I can always be sure that if it is published by That Patchwork Place, it is a GREAT book.  This first book, Bits and Pieces, by Karen Costello Soltys, has so many great little quilts in it, I wanted to make them all. I had not looked at it in several months and Friday, I found myself  practically recreating one of her little quilts just with the three colors I bought as inspiration.

The Paper Pieced Mini Quilts book is a little daunting. I know how to paper-piece (this book means foundation piece, really) but it takes some prep and the right mindset. Still, there are some lovely ideas and with patience, I could enjoy the final product. I am more likely to find something in Little Quilts, though. It is written by some ladies who live not far from here. I do not know if they still have their quilt shop, but I am willing to find out. It is only about a two hour drive. When dog food and groceries are a half hour drive and the nearest family is an 11 hour drive, going two hours for another quilt shop is NOTHING.