Category Archives: hand piecing

Clamshell Diamond Sashed

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Ever since I first saw the picture in Kaffe Fassett’s Museum Quilts of the clamshell quilt in the V & A, I wanted to make one with the sashing.  If you haven’t seen a picture of that quilt, there is a picture on the V & A web site.  I had intended to sort out how to do the sashing after I had all the diamonds ready but on Saturday a new Inklingo collection was released for the sashing of the 3″ clamshells that makes it oh, so easy.  I initially thought about sashing them in a stripe of some colour but then realized that as each diamond is going to have multiple colours in it, finding just one stripe that would work was probably not going to be possible.  So I decided on a black and I’m so glad I did.  I think it really makes the colours pop!

Pressing is a breeze.  The back:

I’m never quite sure where I’ll find some of Mr. Q.O.’s drawings.  This is one that made me laugh out loud.  He always puts a banana beside my orange juice in the morning, but this was a first.  Banana art:

Monday was a pretty quiet day as far as the cats were concerned.  Very early in the morning, Smudge was on the windowsill chattering at a bird that was sitting on a branch directly in front of the window.  I wasn’t quick enough to get a shot of him there.  But later in the day he was having fun dragging toys out of the toy basket. Then he had to rest.

Lester loves to sort of hang over the arm of the chair.  He had quite a look on his face.

Chintz Circles & My Aunt

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Sunday was the big day, my aunt’s 90th birthday.  She is an absolutely amazing lady — sharp as can be and has a fabulous sense of humour.  I have the most wonderful memories of playing double solitaire with her at the cottage.  The two of us would be laughing like hyenas and my mother, who was always a sports fan, would be trying to listen to a baseball game on the radio.  She usually gave up and went out on the porch to listen to her baseball game.

The birthday party was at a golf club.  The setting was beautiful.  This was the table just before dinner began.  My aunt is sitting with her son and daughter standing on either side of her in this picture.

Between courses, my aunt was opening gifts.   I love the wide-eyed look when she saw her quilt!

The quilt was washed and dried on Sunday afternoon and it got that wonderful crinkly look.  I think if you click on this picture to enlarge it you can see the effect.

The label for the quilt, before it was appliqued on to the back:

The best part? I know my aunt will use the quilt.  I enjoyed making that quilt and knowing it will be used makes every hand stitch and the fabric wrestling, aka machine quilting, a real labour of love.

There was some big news at the party on Sunday.  There will be a new addition to the family in February, and I’m planning a quilt now.   I’ve got a few ideas floating around in my mind, but no definite plan.

Looking out the window of the dining room, Mr. Q.O. got this shot of a cardinal.

My hands/wrists are definitely somewhat better, so starting today I will get caught up on replying to comments and will finally be able to start visiting blogs and leaving comments.  Monday is a holiday here in Ontario and we’re about to head back into high heat and humidity.  After Saturday, when 70 felt cold, I look forward to the warmth again.

Smudge, generally speaking, ignores cat toys.  But there is one which he absolutely loves.  A friend sent the kitties what we call the caterpillar or “Cappy”.  They have been playing with one for a few years but it was starting to look pretty worn out so we finally broke out the second one.  Every evening Smudge will suddenly start playing with it, so we’ve now dubbed it “Cappy Hour”.  The other night he had both the old and new ones.

Lester was in his usual windowsill position on the weekend.

July Clamshell Report

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One more clamshell diamond was finished this month.  I had hoped to finish Pink Clamshells, one of the smaller clamshell projects I’ve got on the go, this month but that just didn’t happen.  Maybe next month.  The pieces for the third clamshell diamond have been picked out and are ready to stitch.

I also started making a little quilt I’m calling Clams on the Half Shell with half and quarter clamshells using the Inklingo 3-inch clamshell edges collection.  This little quilt will have half clamshells in the centre, a plain first border, a second border made up with quarter clamshells and finally, another plain border.  The half clamshells are as much fun to put together as the full clamshells and the quarter clamshells are very quick to stitch.  In the picture below there’s only one block of quarter clamshells put together so far, but a few of the half clamshells.  To see some other examples of quilts that could be made with half clamshells, go to Linda’s blog post here.

Hopefully in August I’ll get both the Clams on the Half Shell and Pink Clams small quilt tops finished as well as making the third diamond.

Lester had some windowsill time on Friday.

While it was Smudge’s turn to curl up with the teddy bear.

Pink Ice Blocks Revisited

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Wendy at Ivory Spring suggested I show the blocks again so over the next couple of days, I’m going to post photos of some of the first of the Pink Ice blocks.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed I can get the setting blocks cut out this weekend and, with any luck, get a start on putting the top together.   I loved making these blocks — so easy with the free Inklingo collection.  A couple more and a few more tomorrow.

Both the kitties had windowsill time on Tuesday.  Lester in a typical Lester window pose.

And Smudge looking rather camera curious.

Pink Ice Block 30

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Hard to believe I’ve finally finished the pieced blocks for the Pink Ice quilt.  All that’s left now is to cut the plain setting squares but that’s beyond my wrists/hands at the moment.  Maybe on the weekend I can tackle that.

The back:

Both boys were on the windowsill on Monday so we got  a rare picture of them together.

Pink Ice Block 29

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One more block to go and the snow crystal blocks for Pink Ice will be all done.  I’m rethinking how I’ll put the top together.   The blocks will be set on point but, rather than making 9-patch blocks for the alternate blocks, I think I’ll use plain 9″ blocks.

The back:

My wrists/hands are still somewhat sore, so Mr. Q.O. may end up guest blogging a day or two this week.  Or perhaps I’ll post photos with very few words.

Saturday was a very overcast day, although we really didn’t get anywhere near the ran they said we’d get.  Smudge took advantage of a lazy summer day.  This is one of his classic poses.

While Lester got in some windowsill time on Sunday.

Beginnings of Clams on the Half Shell Border

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My plan for the Clams on the Half Shell quilt is to add 3 small borders.  The second border will be made up of these little blocks made from quarter clamshells.  Each block measures 3″.   They’re amazingly quick and easy to stitch, as it takes very little time to get each seam done.

The back:

For fun, I put the first border block beside the first block of the centre of the quilt.  I think this is going to be a fun quilt with lots of movement.

There are a few lilies growing on the roof garden.  I love the colour of this one.

Wednesday we were supposed to get thunderstorms.  I woke up with a migraine and was rather hoping we would get a storm to clear the air, but they seem to pass us by.

Smudge spent some time on the windowsill Wednesday.

While Lester snoozed.

Clams on the Half Shell

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After finishing Chintz Circles yesterday, rather than working on a project already in progress, what did I do?  Started a little doll’s quilt with the new Inklingo clamshell edges collection which has all the shapes to finish the edges on a clamshell quilt made with the 3″ clamshells.  This block finishes at 6″.  It’s made with the side halves, but I have ideas as well for some blocks made with the top and bottom halves as well as the quarter clamshells.

The back:

These are the fabrics I’ve picked out for this little doll’s quilt, which won’t take long to put together.

After we took the photos of Chintz Circles yesterday, we went out for dinner to celebrate.  On the way back home we came through the bookstore in the retail section of the complex and heard the most incredible piano playing.  The bookstore is a multi-level store, which we had entered through the lower level.  There’s a baby grand piano on the main floor of the store which is frequently played by a number of people.  But yesterday?  Yesterday was phenomenal.  I was sure it had to be a professional pianist playing.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It was an 11 year-old boy who was playing so beautifully I actually had tears in my eyes listening.  We ended up staying in the store for quite a while just listening.  After striking up a conversation with his father, we learned he has been playing for only three years and has had no classical training at all.  Apparently he and some others have been playing there nightly for a while and sometimes are there until closing at 10:00 p.m.   I know where we’ll be going most evenings.

It was fun watching people’s reactions.  Any number of people stopped and just stood quietly drinking in the beautiful music.  A little girl was standing absolutely still,  mesmerized by the music.  After each composition he played, there was applause.  It was one of those magical moments when you come upon something totally unexpected.

Lester had some windowsill time on Tuesday.

Smudge at the toy basket.  He rather exhausted himself playing with the toy we call Cappy — the orange and black striped one, and seemingly had to have a nap right there.

Chintz Circles Completed

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The binding is finished and photos were taken out on the roof garden this afternoon. I am thrilled with how it turned out.  672 pieces in the top that all went together so easily thanks to the Inklingo Orange Peel Deluxe collection printing the stitching lines and matching points on the fabric.  I couldn’t wait till tomorrow to post these photos!

The back.

The final touch was a totally lump-free binding thanks to this tutorial I found on Bonnie Hunter’s website.  I’ve tried doing lump-free binding many times with instructions from books and various sites, with varying degrees of success.  The tutorial on Bonnie’s website made it absolutely foolproof for me.

Now I can’t wait for August 1st when the quilt will be given to my aunt on her 90th birthday.  All that’s left now is the label, which will be added this weekend.

To see more finishes, go to Lit and Laundry and the post here with links to Friday finishes.

Pink Ice Block 28

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… got finished after all on Tuesday night after some quilt wrestling of Chintz Circles was accomplished.  After doing more of the quilting, I think I’ve got a “route” mapped out so as to be able to avoid having quite so many threads to bury.   Today and Thursday will be busy with work, but Friday and Saturday I plan to stay at the machine and keep going until the quilting is finished.

Two more Pink Ice blocks to go and then I’ll try a few of the 9-patch blocks to see if they will work as the setting block for the quilt.

Although it’s hot and humid again, Lester saw a few things out the window that he had to keep his eye on.

While Smudge was staying with his in warm weather, do as little as possible mode.  He was awake — if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see one eye open watching to make sure he didn’t miss anything interesting.