June | 2010 | Quilt Obsession

A few brighter flowers for my garden. I had some like these tucked away and decided to make a few more as a plan is slowly forming for this quilt which will involve some of the very delicately coloured flowers together with some brighter ones.

My klosjes production has dropped off rather considerably in the past few weeks, but a couple more have been added to the group now and I hope to make at least two or three each week.

And something that has been in the back of my mind for ages — some 4-patch blocks that finish at 2″. I’m not sure where I’m going with these but I have a box full of 1″ squares that are ready to piece. Sometimes it’s fun to just take a few minutes to stitch one or two of these little blocks and slowly, but surely, there will be enough to make a small quilt. Or I may use these in a postage stamp quilt, which is another long-term project on my quilt “bucket” list.

I was actually contemplating how marvelous it would be to have 48-hour days, 24 of which could be dedicated to quilting. It was a complete flight of fantasy — I was thinking about all those lovely hours of daylight during the summer and the fact that one would still only need 8 hours sleep per day, even a 48-hour day. Just think about all that could be fit in that remaining 40 hours!!

Tuesday was another wonderfully hot and sunny day. The rain they had forecast, and which we do rather need, didn’t materialize. I think we’re going to have a nice hot summer which will make up for last year’s non-summer!

Smudge was wide awake, lounging on the couch.

Lester, a bit soft focus.

For a very long time I have been fascinated by clamshell quilts. Then I got a copy of Kaffe Fassett’s Museum Quilts book and was sure a clamshell quilt was in my future — somehow. There is no way my hands will stand up to tracing templates, but I could dream about it. Then I learned about the Clamshell Club and wanted to join in but knew I wouldn’t be able to do it, so decided I’d just enjoy watching others, like Karen, make them.

Then, last night, a fabulous Inklingo clamshell collection was released. Problem solved!! I’ve joined the Clamshell Club and will be working on a quilt of clamshells now. Perfect shapes every time and wonderful matching points which make stitching these little gems a delight! Just a plain running stitch, no basting or stitching over papers for me! Although there is a page of the shape without seam allowances in the collection that one could print out and use for English Paper Piecing, if wanted. I had printed out about 400 clamshells on a variety of fabrics within minutes of downloading the collection.

A close-up of one of the printed sheets of fabric which shows, if you click on it to enlarge the photo, the stitching lines and matching points.

They are incredibly quick and easy to stitch thanks to the matching points. If I had picked out the fabrics for this diamond of clamshells ahead of time, I think I could have finished that first diamond easily. But I was auditioning fabrics as I went, which slowed me down a bit. So much for completely devoting my stitching time to the Spring Circles. As the Clamshell Club officially starts on June 1, I just couldn’t resist getting a start on the clamshells but they are going to be in the wings waiting until I finish the quilt for my aunt. I may work on them one evening a week until then, but no more than that.

The back of the clamshells I’ve put together so far. Not the best pressing job I’ve ever done, but I was being extra careful not to distort the shapes as they’re nothing but bias.

Monday was quite hot and humid and I had a migraine that just would not quit. It finally started to rain late in the evening and the headache started to lift so I was left with just the bruised head feeling that one gets from those.

Lester was enjoying the windowsill and watching the robins and grackles.

And this is what I wake up to almost every day. Smudge loves to curl up on my pillow and often will rest either his head or a paw on my head. Mr. Q.O. got this shot before I even woke up.