STRIP QUILT TOP (or how to make a really fast quilt top)

STRIP QUILT TOP (or how to make a really fast quilt top)

I am back from vacation and looked ahead at the calendar for October - well shucks, I need a smaller quilt top to do a hand quilting demo the very first Saturday of October.  Now what??  I guess this is one reason I have so much fabric stored.......

Anyway, I went thru all the interesting fabrics or fabric panels to see if anything I had on hand would work for a historical demonstration (1820ish) and found a border print that if left intact would work as a strip quilt.

After ironing the fabric, I trimmed off enough to make a section that was 42" wide x 54" long.

I found a solid blue cotton that matches the blue that is in the paisley strips and cut enough 1.5" strips of it to make a narrow inside border all the way around.

The outside border is a dark red (with a very small white print) that makes a nice frame for the top.  I cut 4" strips of this fabric and added to the top.

 I ironed it and the top is now 50" x 60". Now to baste and hand quilt.

**For more info on this quilt, go here on my new blog**

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RETURNED FROM TRIP AND READY TO GO AGAIN

In my previous blog post, I was leaving for two weeks to see family and go to Maine for a quilt retreat.  Had a great time - it was hard to return to the traffic and noise of real life.  I did not get nearly as much quilting done as I hoped and planned for - I guess I just needed to stop and really relax.  Read a couple books just for fun (gasp !!) and walked a lot in the beautiful nature I was surrounded with.

I was planning on doing mostly applique during this time - it's easy to stop and start, and picking up where I left off allowed me time to walk, visit, and look at the scenery. I even did some more of a counted cross stitch project I started last year while in Maine. I work hard for 50 weeks a year to have these two precious weeks a year to totally relax and do only what I enjoy (phone and internet connection was not reliable so even technology was put away).

I can't decide if I want leaves or not.....

So, combining 3 sections of small tumblers and 2 sections of flowers with solid-colored borders between - still a work in progress. 

It has been years since I heard loons, but they were a constant on this lake.  Wonderful, eerie call that they make just made the time at the lake even better.

This trip was a good reminder to take some real time off - from work, stress, technology, day to day life, and really just relax.  I woke rested and ready to take on each day - not because I had to, but because I wanted to.  I am not a movie/TV watcher normally, but as a group we watched "chick flicks" each evening (usually something with Sandra Bullock) and it felt so good just to laugh and joke. Wow didn't even feel guilty for not doing anything while just sitting there...

So, here is a few photos of the scenery around the cabin deep in the Maine woods. It was rustic, fun, and stress free.

Early evening - the loons are calling, but too far away to get a good photo

Mid-day view from the picnic table

Beautiful fall color

On the outhouse door - there was a tin can inside for $$

This photo might inspire me to try a landscape quilt

For more info on this quilt, go here on my new blog.

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OFF TO A QUILT RETREAT

Happy Fall

View from Haystack Mountain in northern Maine 9/1998

Peace and calm in northern Maine - 9/1998

It is September again and it is time to endure flying (I remember when it was fun to fly...) so I can see family in Lancaster, PA for a few days before heading up to northern rural Maine for the annual quilt retreat. We decided to rent a cabin deep in the woods on a lake this year instead of meeting at SB's home.  

We have been sewing together for over 20 years and started back when Loring AFB was still up and active - about half of the group are local ladies and the other half of us were Air Force wives. We did all kinds of sewing projects together and have just continued the tradition once a year when we can all get together.

However, the internet connection is very undependable there so I may not be posting anything until I return in two weeks.  In the meantime, I will take lots of photos and hopefully even get one or two of the four projects I am taking along completed - wow, wouldn't that be something...

The three projects I am taking are:

1. English paper piecing hexagons in two sizes to work on "flowers" to applique to "vines" for part of a scrap quilt.  I have the background fabric cut, and the vines already sewn down so just need to add the flowers. There is more info in this post on my new blog.

The bigger size hexies - scraps being put to beautiful use.

2. Pumpkin Spice - this wall hanging needs the pumpkins appliqued down and something done about an outside border and it will be ready to quilt.

3. A strip quilt trying to use up the leftovers from several log cabin quilts.  This one is more an idea at this point so I guess we will see how it works out. For more info, go here on my new blog.

In the meantime, please read older posts you haven't gotten to yet, and just have a great time quilting.  The time will fly by fast, and I will be back to show off the projects and give some basic directions before you know it.

Another place for quilting ideas is my Pinterest account.

                                                         

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