Trying to close out the month of March

 This post has been sitting around waiting to be finished for a week now, so here goes.   

For the end of March here is one more quilt off my to-do list!  For lack of inspiration, I'm just calling this one Checkerboard on Point.

And with this one finished all the remaining 2-1/2 inch squares are gone!  This throw size quilt measures 58x68 inches.  The top looked pretty boring until I found the two border fabrics, which seemed to perk up the entire quilt.  Still, not a quilt I plan to keep, it will go to our quilt ministry for donation.  

As with the last quilt, this one is machine quilted  with variegated thread using the serpentine stitch in vertical rows about 1-1/2 inches apart.  

This next photo shows a bit of the backing fabric, left over from a wide back of a few years ago. 

That backing has appeared in several smaller quilts, and I wish there was more of it as it's busy enough to hide the seams and minor issues with tension, etc.  Plus, it just seems to harmonize with everything I've used it with.  

So, what criteria do you use for deciding whether a quilt is a keeper or sent off for donation?  I've asked myself that question a lot recently, especially since storage space in this small house is at a premium.  There may or may not be one dresser drawer vacant at any point in time, depending on how cold the nights are seasonally.  Right now there are five quilts on my bed, three that I sleep under, one humongous queen bedspread size, and one (the only "springtime" looking quilt in my possession currently) that will shortly take a place of honor on the back of my recliner in the living room.  All the quilts on the bed are "keepers."  All are pieced, some with limited applique, and all are hand quilted. Any new makes destined to become "keepers" first and foremost need to make my heart sing, that bring a smile every time I see them. Secondly, they will be hand quilted; there is a special softness and loft from hand quilting that greatly appeals to me.  Color and design are right up there as well.

So, the quilt above, does it check any or all of those criteria?  I'd have to say no.  Nice enough perhaps, maybe, but no.  I have very few quilts that could be classified as evoking "spring time," though here is one fairly recent make that checks all the boxes as a "keeper" for me.

Do I have a rational explanation why this one holds the magic and the first one above doesn't?  Nope!

Though I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it is hand quilted, the colors and fabrics are all ones that I love, and that the center block was a gift from a fellow quilter/blogger.  

So, please chime in on how you decide which quilt holds the magic for you?  

A Checkerboard Finish

 Here is the finished "checkerboard" quilt, completed last week.  This is the one with the "greenish" alternate blocks that are so hard (for me) to photograph accurately!  

I used a lovely variegated thread for the quilting, though the colors are not immediately visible in some of the photos.  Serpentine stitching in vertical rows about two inches apart for the entire quilt.

The quilting went fairly quickly, a couple hours a day until the wrists got tired and sore.  Not hurrying these things anymore!

I love the serpentine rows of quilting as they leave a nice loft and ripples throughout the quilt, even before washing.  I actually did not wash the quilt before putting it in the donation bin at our quilt ministry.  Finished size is about 72 inches square.  Here's a peek at the reverse - the darker green is used along each side with a length of the pale green striped fabric in the center back.  

The bulk of my scrappy 2-1/2 inch squares were used up in this quilt (656 squares to be exact) and the remainder will appear in the encore (smaller) quilt, maybe in the next post.  

Simple piecing, simple quilting, slow and easy seems to be my current pace.  Next up for the weekend, the state taxes, having finished the federal forms this morning.  I'll be VERY happy to have that chore off my desk for another year! 

A sneak peek at the "encore" quilt top:

And that's a wrap for today.  I'm slowly, slowly, advancing in hand quilting my Bramble Blooms I quilt, and looking wistfully at the unfinished Bramble Blooms II top hanging in the closet awaiting a decision on final border(s). At this point I'm planning on keeping both of those quilts when they are eventually completed, hopefully at least one of them will be in the finished column later this year.  

March is the season of Lent and the month for pruning back many shrubs and our overgrown blueberry bushes are in need.  The deer always help out during winter though their reach doesn't extend much over 5 feet.  Our bushes have grown to an unwieldy 6 or 7 feet high and equally wide.  I've always been nervous about this chore, not having anyone personally show me how or what truly needs cutting back.  Words in a book certainly are not always a good substitute for practical in-person lessons in these things are they?  

P.S.  Blogger is no longer sending comments to my gmail account for reply.  Has anyone else experienced this issue recently, and have you found a fix for the issue?  I attempted to fix it in my blog settings to no avail.   So, if you are commenting for the first time and I don't already have your email, kindly include that with your comment if you would like a reply.  Thanks!!

Forest Litter

 The myriad of twigs, leaves, grasses, ferns, etc. littering the forest floor alongside the creek inspired the name for my latest finish, another triangle quilt. 

This quilt finished at about 72 inches square, and was part of my attempt to begin emptying the bin of batik fabrics.  Happy to say that after two quilt tops I can finally get the lid back on the bin, but it remains full.  Looking to make another small dent in these fabrics over the next couple months, just need to wrap up a few other projects to clear the deck a bit first.

I used up several of my favorite batik pieces in this quilt, including a couple for which there was just enough for one 8-inch triangle plus a side edge half-tri.

The quilting is all straight-line with the walking (even-feed) foot.  Looks easy, and it is, although a few of the longest diagonal lines made for a lot of quilt-shoving through the harp of the Janome. Six passes through each and every triangle gives a nice texture which will improve after washing the quilt (not yet done in these photos).  The quilting took a couple weeks to complete since I'm trying not to overtax my wrist joints these days.  

A completely different look for the back of the quilt with the formal floral fabric in the middle flanked by the tan fabric along each side.  That formal floral is gorgeous in person but I've had it in the stash for about 15 years now without a clue how I might use it so a backing it became.  

This quilt has been donated for the camp auction to be held over Labor Day weekend.  Hopefully, there will be time to make another couple quilts for the auction over the summer months.  

Mid-February and we are enjoying a break from the cold, cold winter weather.  Temperature is in the mid-40s this afternoon, the cat is enjoying a bit of sunshine on the deck, wishing I could get out for a long walk but the snow-pack is still fairly deep and walking along our heavily traveled road with all the logging trucks and dump trucks is less than pleasant.  

Winter/Christmas quilts being washed and put away one by one in eager anticipation of bringing out some lighter spring quilts by the end of the month.  I don't wash the quilts every year unless they've gotten soiled, but every few years they do seem to appreciate a freshening up.  

That's about it for today.  Wishing you all a lovely President's Day/winter break this week.

January Scrappiness

 Hello friends!  To celebrate the first month of this new year with something beside snowstorms, I have one finished quilt and a completed flimsy!  Besides a cat on my lap as I type this, he's ever so good a helper pretty much all day long as he's bored silly in the house and too cold to spend much time outdoors.

Anyhow, here is my first completed quilt for this new year.  In my last post of 2025 I had just completed a triangle top made of batik scraps.  That quilt is currently in the quilting process.  But, there were leftover triangles, lots of them, and those leftovers have now become a finished quilt destined for our quilt ministry.

The flimsy, measuring about 50x65 inches:

And now finished:

Lots of brights in this one!!  The back (hopefully) used up all that orange/yellow batik from who-knows-when-or-where ...

My favorite way of quilting these triangle quilts is shown above, lots of long straight-line quilting paralleling the seams with stitching lines approximately 3/4 inch apart.  No ditch quilting since the triangles are pieced with the seams pressed open rather than to one side.  

Late last year I pulled my box of 2-1/2 inch squares and began making scrappy16-patch blocks during our quilt ministry meetings (lots of mindless sewing which is great for getting some stitching done in the midst of all our ongoing conversations, show-and-tells, coffee and snacking, and helping each other with the boring stuff like sandwiching and pinning our quilt tops).  I ended up with 59 16-patch blocks, and pieced some of them into this simple top.

I couldn't get far enough away to capture the entire top nor get a good rendition of the color of the solid blocks.  The top measures about 72 inches square.  The next photo shows the light green alternate blocks closer to their true color.

My plan is to quilt this with a serpentine stitch using a variegated thread.  A second top is in the planning stage using the remaining 16-patch blocks in an on-point setting.  

All of these projects are destined for our quilt ministry as we have more than enough quilts around here to keep us warm.  My goal for the year is to use up as much yardage as I can from stash and get more simple quilts completed and out the door, and reduce the number of overflowing bins around the perimeter of my sewing room.  Wish me luck!

Til next time, in these dark days may we all be a light for others in our circle of acquaintances.

Finished on Friday, Gifted on Sunday

 A fairly quick last-minute finish for August, and already gifted to a sweet young girl, I'm calling this quilt Butterflies and Batiks.

Simple patchwork and bordered with my very favorite batik fabric.  The quilt measures 70x58 inches.

I took these photos quickly just as the sun was about to set, so rather weird lighting on some of them.

Shadowlands!

I made a quilt similar to this but baby size around 40x40 inches a few years ago.  The remaining pieces of butterfly fabric were just sitting in a bin at our ministry closet, and so all I had to do was add another soft pink print, and the light purple batik and green stop-borders and the outer batik border from my stash to bring it to a size just perfect for a 7-year old cutie.

Here's a photo of the back, fun large dots!

I machine quilted all over with a leaf and loop design, you might be able to see the quilting a bit better in the following photo.

Sometimes the simplest gift can bring both the giver and recipient much joy.  My heart is still smiling!

So, what's on tap for September?  I'm planning to work on a Christmas gift for a family member, so no photos will show up on the blog.  The blocks were completed in August and I just need to add sashing and borders before it can be machine quilted.  Beyond that I'm planning to spend the rest of this year trying to finish at least one of my Bramble Bloom tops, and complete the quilting on a long-neglected historic panel quilt that really needs to be finished before next year's bi-centennial + 50 (whatever it's called) celebration.  That one is currently my oldest ufo and really really needs to come to a conclusion!

Our last week of August has been Cold!  Two nights we just missed having a frost by a degree or two.  Some areas near us were not as fortunate.  Our tomatoes are just beginning to ripen and the deer are decimating anything in the garden that hasn't been doused with chili powder or cayenne pepper. We haven't yet figured out if either are effective.  The bucks are gathering in our hayfield every evening, some days as many as eight.  The does and fawns come out in the early morning to browse whatever is left.  Early one morning last week a flock of about 15 turkeys wandered into the hayfield and side yard, the first wild turkeys we've seen here in the past 4 or 5 years.  It was nice to see them back again, all looking very healthy and well fed!

That's about it from my little corner of the world.  Til next time, hope, love and joy to you all.

An August Finish!

Here is my completed "Kaffe to Cranston" quilt, all quilted and bound!  

This was made using the "Sticks and Bricks" pattern that appeared in American Patchwork & Quilting in April 2012, designed by Amy Walsh.  As you will see from the photos this wasn't the easiest quilt to photograph, the solid bars appear as either brown or a deep purple depending on lighting.  We've also had hazy and smoke-filled skies this week due to the western Canada wildfires.  

  

Another finish that is destined (eventually) for our Quilt Ministry, but for now it's spending a bit of time on the quilt rack in our living room, so we can soak up all the intense colors and patterns.

I machine quilted this one using the "Jester's Hat" motif that we learned way back in the 2012 FMQ Challenge.  It's a versatile motif that is enjoyable to quilt except for the fact that I keep running into dead-ends and have to break thread and restart in another section way more often than I'd like!  It finished at about 66x74 inches.

The backing is pieced with the remainder of this wide back that I used in my improv Log Cabin quilt completed earlier this spring.

We are expecting a second cool night of mid-50s temperatures, then it's back to high humidity and mid-to-upper 80s for the next week.  We could certainly use some rain although there's none in our forecast until next Wednesday or Thursday.  My husband has been on garden watering duty daily, and his tomatoes are thriving though none are red yet.  Hopefully in the next week or so we will see some beginning to show color.

Bramble Blooms 1 is in the hoop for hand quilting, but I haven't had the motivation to pick it up and work on it in the evenings.  I'm sure that will change as the weather cools and autumn is upon us.

Thanks for visiting, and happy quilting!  

June Doings

Here it is, the last day of June, and I'm left scratching my head wondering if anything significant was accomplished this month amidst the days of high temperatures and humidity that has left us lethargic at best.  

We started the month with one of the largest floods we've seen since we've lived in this house.  My attempt at photos of the worst of it was a big fail, all too blurry to show anything significant.  The creek was probably nearing 100 feet beyond the bank and into our far back yard, and deposited a lot of crud, small trees, large limbs, etc. to be cleared.  Mostly accomplished at this point.  

The rainy days as well as the heat and humidity left me with more than the usual days of summer sewing time.  So, there is one small finish, a wheel chair/nursing home size quilt for our ministry efforts.

Yet another hollow star quilt that used up all the blocks that didn't seem to fit with the first and second quilts.  The first is yet to be finished since I'm hand quilting that one, though it should end up being a July finish.  

A lot of "vintage" fabrics appeared in this small quilt. Serpentine stitch to the rescue for quick quilting! It finished at 36x45 inches.

While I was outside I attempted to photograph some of our flowering plants, limited success there but here are a couple of the better ones.

We've had beautiful blooms so far this spring/summer, so far the intense heat hasn't diminished the flowering, though the hard thunderstorms do take a toll on the taller plants. Thankfully hubby has built tubing rings to hold the peony plants  upright as much as possible which has really helped a lot.

One last bit of quilty fun, I've continued to work on the small bin of "Kaffe to Cranston" brights, here is the third attempt at emptying the bin, a finished flimsy and now pinned for machine quilting. About 66x74 inches.

And would you believe, that little bin is still over half full!  Of course you would!  After I put together a binding, I think the remainder will be processed into 2-1/2 inch squares or strips and taken to the quilt ministry.  I'm tired of looking at them at this point.  

Many reasons for this month to be done and dusted, and I've already switched my calendar over to July in anticipation of some brighter, lighter days!

Til next time, happy quilting!

Between the raindrops, a finish for May

I've been having fun making up a bunch of Hollow Star blocks according to the tutorial that Jolene of Blue Elephant Stitches provided on her blog awhile back.  This latest finish is actually the second quilt made from her tutorial, the first is still in the hand quilting process.  

This latest finish is slated for donation to the church camp's annual auction over labor day weekend.  Measuring 63 x 72 inches, I quilted this one by ditch stitching around each block, then used a serpentine stitch down through each of the star blocks.  

I was finally able to grab a few photos outside when we had a bit of partial clearing yesterday.  May has been a rather dismal month here, fairly cold, windy and rainy much of the time. We're all looking forward to some warmth and sunshine, soon!  A few closer shots of some of my favorite blocks:

A bit of whimsy here and there, so the quilt doesn't take itself too seriously!

As I look at these photos, they all seem a bit blurry, almost as if viewing them through a light film of rippling water.  Please let me know if they appear clear to you, it's always possible that my eyes are the issue rather than the new camera I've used over the past few months after my beloved Sony died last fall.  I so wish they still made that camera, simple to operate and great pictures nearly all the time.  

Til next time, I hope you are enjoying some warmth and sunshine!

One Last April Finish

Just a short post to celebrate one last finish for April, just completed yesterday morning in time to grab a few photos before the T-storms and high winds hit.

These were the leftover blocks after I completed the first quilt in this little series (see my last post for that finish).

This was free-motion quilted throughout, the meandering jester's hat design.  It measures 50x50 inches after its beauty bath and dry.  

Used all of a couple smaller pieces of yardage for the back.  This will go to our Quilt Ministry for donation as the need arises.  

And that is a wrap for April.  Next up, a second hollow star quilt top nearly ready for assembling.  Next post ...

Happy stitching and looking forward to May and the blooming of the peonies and irises!