Spring showers

The spring rains and warmer weather are upon us. I’m spending the morning emptying dressers of sweaters and the like and finding lighter wear to fill them for the summer months.

I have rolled down the Bon Bon quilt for the last time. It is so good to see the final edge of a project. I was hoping to have it ready for the Bloggers Quilt Festival, but it’s not going to happen. While I quilt this final stretch, I’ll be contemplating what will be marked onto the Celtic Solstice top.

I also started hand piecing the sashing strips for the Compass quilt. I know I said I did not want to go this route, but I needed some handwork to do during tv time.

I am starting with cutting up the compass centers, after all, it is good fabric and I’d rather use it than have odd shapes in the stash. Out comes the Easy Angle and Companion Angle Rulers. Now a stack of triangles.

I am surprised at just how far these centers go. From just 4 of them, I have completed 6 vertical sashes with more pieces waiting. I should get most of the inner sashing done without cutting yardage. Once I have the center assembled, I’ll make decisions on the border. I think that this will measure around 60″ without a border.

I’ve been plugging away on the Grandmothers Flower garden as well. Pictures of cream hexagons are not all the exciting, but this completed stack is another story. Next up are all the green connectors to make a row. This is row seven of nine. I had planning to leave this “gated”, not making two sides even, but now I’m not sure. I’ll have to see how much fabric is left after all the rows are assembled. I purchased for this quilt over 6 years ago and trying to source matching fabric will be almost impossible. Today’s theme seems to be the quilts will dictate their fate.

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Setting in circles

Our household got hit with more crud after Easter and I have been fighting it this past week. BUT I have completed the remaining compasses and started setting them into the background.

. They are unpressed, but looking good. I’ll keep working on this tonight and see how many I can complete this week.

I’ve also been digging around for my graph paper. The computer on which my EQ program was housed died on Wednesday and I need to upgrade versions for the new laptop. I was in too much of a fog to hand draw several layouts in order to audition sashing ideas. It truly feels like stepping back into the Stone Age after having EQ in the studio for almost a decade.

We have also lost my husband’s grandmother this week. She was one spunky lady whose grit got her through a lot. She was a gifted seamstress and made many quilts during the revival of the 1970s. When she could no longer work a needle, she focused more on knitting. I have inherited her remaining quilting things and found amongst them a pattern for a whole cloth quilt. My SIL has already asked about doing a memory project using some of her clothing. For myself, I will be remembering her by doing a service project. Grandma was a great humanitarian and always volunteered. As she became unable to go out, she turned to knitting bandages for a leperosy hospital. I think I am going to try and make a few to donate in her memory after the compasses are set together.

And a Happy Mothers Day to all! We will be grilling and remembering the legacy of those great women who have influenced our lives, especially Edna Mae. >

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Finding my way

Some projects take their time coming full circle. I have had a project bin sitting untouched in the corner of my living room since Christmas. Before that it was in a prominent spot in the studio. One of those projects. I finally opened the box last week to find out exactly where I left off and decide on a next step in construction.

I had twelve 12″ completed, hand pieced Mariners Compass blocks that I made after a workshop in Houston with Cindy Blackberg. I decided that I want a 4×4 set and have made two more so far. Below is a close up of two compasses against the background fabric (Butterfly Kisses by Andover). It’s not the best photo as the background is blending into my hardwood floor.

Next step is to finish two more compasses and set them into the background. I’m debating between a 15 or 16″ finished size. I wanted to do a pieced sashing with cornerstones of this Windham print. My original plan was to do this all by hand piecing, but when I calculated the number of flying geese I needed …. It’s making me rethink the strategy if I want this to a flimsy before the kids leave for college. I’m inclined to use the machine to make all those pieces.

A note: I took the hand piecing class with Cindy in Houston. She is now retired from the teaching circuit, but still keeps an active blog, mailing list, and continues to develop new products. She designs rubber stamps to mark the cutting and stitching lines onto fabric with indelible ink. No tracing. The stamping is fast and great for scrap quilts or unusual shapes. Here is her website

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