Category Archives: Alabama Beauty

Photographing of Chintz Circles

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For a number of reasons, I wanted a good photograph or two of Chintz Circles taken before giving it to my aunt on Sunday.  So on Wednesday a friend, who is a professional photographer, took some shots.  It was a fascinating experience.  The photos I’m showing in this blog were taken by us — not by the professional.  But some of the photos taken by him will eventually show up here.  The photo above was taken of the photographer checking some of his equipment and the area where the quilt was going to be hung for its pictures.

This shot was taken before any of the lights were turned back on but after the quilt was in place — with Goddie, the resident kitty, in place beneath the quilt.

From a different angle.

The wooden bar on which the quilt was pinned was then raised up a bit and the lights were turned on.

Watching the pictures being taken, and seeing them appear immediately on his computer screen was fabulous.  I’m fascinated by photography, so having this experience was wonderful.  If you ever have the opportunity to watch a professional photographer in action, don’t miss out on that chance!

Goddie is a gorgeous, friendly kitty with a beautiful coat.

Our resident kitties were having windowsill time again on Wednesday.  Lester was looking up at a toy I was holding over the camera.

While Smudge was doing what he does best, looking cute.

Fabric on Friday

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Last weekend when we were at Sew Sisters, I found some great fabrics in the remnants bin to add to the shabby chic collection for the Alabama Beauty quilt I plan to make for us.  Finding remnants like these is perfect for Chintz Circles and other quilts.  These are all around a quarter of a  yard — just right for the scrap quilts I love to make.  While I have a few — some — well, okay, a lot of other things on the go, making that Alabama Beauty block and a quilt like Chintz Circles for us is definitely high up on the list.  I enjoyed everything about making it, even the fabric wrestling aka machine quilting.   Before I begin it, Pink Ice and Clams on the Half Shell will be completed, some more pieces printed for the Summer Picnic Dish quilt and, knowing me, who knows what else will be started.

The label for my aunt’s quilt will be done this weekend.  I’ve decided to make a block using shapes from the Orange Peel Deluxe collection, so some more curved stitching, and use a few of the fabrics that I used in the top.

I’ve added the post about Chintz Circles to Finished for Friday at Lit and Laundry.  It has been ages since I’ve had a finish and couldn’t resist.  There’s a list of those with finishes for Friday on this post — definitely worth going and taking a look and, who knows, you may just find a new-to-you blog that you really enjoy.

For some reason, my wrists and hands have really started to hurt again and, as I type this, my right wrist is swollen.  Because of the discomfort involved with typing, I’ve not been great about responding to comments the past couple of days, but hope to get all caught up over the weekend.  I have a feeling it was doing the binding that started this as applique does tend to bother my hands.  I think next time I’m stitching down binding I’ll do it in stages rather than all at once and see if that helps.

Thursday was a very cloudy day.  I think we’re going to get rain at some point today.  Thursday Smudge enjoyed some windowsill time.

While Lester was lounging in the pink chair.

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.

The Almost Completed Never-Ending Quilt

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The quilting is finished, the binding made and stitched to the front and tacked down on three-quarters of the back, but I just got too tired to complete the binding last night.  I’ll finish it today and we’ll hopefully be able to get a really good photograph out on the roof garden.  These pictures don’t really show the true colours as they were taken quite late at night with the flash on.  The binding fabric was just the right choice.  I like the look of it both on the front and the back.

Monday was nowhere near as hot as it has been the past couple of weeks.  Both cats got in some windowsill time again.  First Lester.

And then Smudge.


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.


Chintz Circles Quilting

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A sneak peek of the quilting I’m doing on Chitnz Circles.  The fabric wrestling, aka quilting by machine, will result in interlocking circles following the shapes in the blocks.   I haven’t done a lot of machine quilting, or machine stitching for that matter, but I’m relatively pleased with how this is turning out.  Wrestling with a quilt that has a silk batt is a lot easier than wrestling with one with a cotton batt.  The difference is quite evident.  I’m not finding it anywhere near as hard on my hands as I have when I’ve machine quilted a quilt with a cotton batt.  What’s taking forever is the burying of the threads.  There is some continuous stitching I can do but not a huge amount, which results in a lot of threads to bury.

It’s not going anywhere near as quickly as I had hoped, but I feel like a fair amount was accomplished Monday night.  If I can devote 2 or 3 hours every evening this week, I should be able to finish it by the end of the week.  Then it will be a matter of figuring out what fabric to use for binding.  That has me completely perplexed at the moment.  There are so many different fabrics on the outer edges of the quilt that choosing a fabric for the binding may be a bit more challenging than I had anticipated.

As well as the clematis (thank you everyone for identifying that) shown yesterday, Mr. Q.O. got this shot of a part of our friend’s garden.

Neither cat was very active on Monday.  Lester slept on the pink loveseat.

While Smudge was having a snooze on the pink chair.


Chintz Circles Top Finished

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Saturday night I took the last stitch and the piecing of the Chintz Circles top was complete.   The backing is washed, the batting ready.  Issues with my hands started again on Saturday, so pressing of the backing and the final pressing of the top before basting will have to wait a few days.  I’m hoping to get it basted at some point this week and then do the quilting on the weekend.  It will have to be machine quilting as I absolutely need to finish it on time which won’t allow any wiggle room for hand quilting and hand problems.   As soon as the quilting is done and the binding is on, the quilt will be going for a photo shoot.  One of our friends is a professional photographer who has generously agreed to take a couple of shots of Chintz Circles.

Oddly, I felt almost lost for a few minutes when that last stitch was taken and the top was done.  It didn’t last long because I have more than enough projects on the go.  Now it’s a matter of choosing on which one on I want to focus next.   Will it be Summer Picnic Dish, POTC, the Harpsichord Quilt, the Drunkard’s Path baskets, Storm at Sea, the Drunkard’s Path in Rouenneries, one of the clamshell projects?  Who knows!!  I’m still deciding.  Sunday night I spent some time sorting through the pieces I have left from Chintz Circles.  Choosing fabrics for our Spring Circles quilt will be something I will work on slowly throughout the summer.

We had a glorious weekend with lots of lovely warmth and brilliant sun.  The flowers on the roof garden are thriving.

Very early Sunday morning, before the sun even had come up, I could hear a bird singing away.  I think perhaps a mockingbird has taken up residence on the roof garden again this summer.  The morning doves are back.  They haven’t been here for a few years.  I love hearing them.  Still no squirrels, though.

Lester spent a fair bit of time on the windowsill over the weekend.  There’s a lot for him to watch right now, although in this picture he’s looking into the living room.

Smudge, on the other hand, was having a lazy Sunday afternoon nap.

Chintz Circles

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It rained, on and off, all weekend so getting a shot of the top outside was impossible.  This is the best we could do inside.  If it’s dry enough later today, we’ll try for a better shot outdoors.  One more row to finish, which will add to the width of it, and it’s done!

We went to  Sew Sisters on Friday to pick up the silk batt.  I was hoping to find a wide backing that would be appropriate — thinking my best bet might be a mottled pink or green.  I was thrilled to find a Robyn Pandolph print in a wide backing.  I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

During the weekend, I also reorganized partially done projects.  I’m glad I did that as it reminded me of a few things that  need very little to complete them.  Once my aunt’s quilt is done, I now have a better idea of what I want to work on next.  One project in particular will jump to the head of the queue and be ready to quilt in very little time.

I have quite a collection of Australian Patchwork & Quilting magazines, which is my favourite of the quilt magazines.  Storage of them is something I struggle with.  If I put them in a bookcase, they are going to take up at least 2 shelves, probably more like 3.  I love having them available to leaf through so having them handy is rather nice, but I’m trying to come up with a different idea.  Do you keep all of your favourite magazines and, if so, how do you store them?

Smudge was helping me piece one of the Alabama Beauty blocks Sunday night. He’s often on my lap when I’m stitching.

Lester was watching out the window during the weekend.

Final Row Started

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Row 6 is attached, the first block of the final row is done and the pieces are ready to stitch for the remaining 6 blocks.   The block hasn’t been pressed yet as I wait until all the blocks for a row are completed before pressing.   It was quite windy on Thursday so there was no chance of getting a photo of the top as it now is on the roof garden.  Hopefully that will be accomplished this weekend. I’m thinking of renaming the quilt Chintz Beauties.

The weekend is going to be busy with errands and doing some rearranging.  Bookshelves need straightening up and some furniture rearrangement may be in the plans.

Lester doesn’t much care as long as he has a soft spot to curl up.

While Smudge is only interested in whether it’s treat time.

Spring Circles – Row 6 Blocks

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The five blocks for row 6 are done.

The pictures were taken before I joined them into a row but they are now ready to join to the rest of the top.

The pieces for the blocks of row 7 are selected and ready to stitch.

With any luck the piecing of those blocks for row 7 will be done by Wednesday of next week and I’ll have the top completed before next Friday.

Wednesday I had one of the worst migraines I’ve had in years — visual disturbances, nausea and, of course, the throbbing headache.  Work was put on hold and very little got done.  It finally started to lift around 11:00 p.m.  What a waste of a day!  I’m sure it’s weather related as our weather has been cool and wet.  We have even had the heat on a bit first thing in the mornings to take the chill out.

The last time we were out on the roof garden, we got this shot of the plants that line the pathway from the doors down to the garden.  Once the flowers start to really bloom, the display of colour is fabulous.

Wednesday night Smudge was patiently waiting for his yogourt treat in my desk chair.  If I’m sitting there when it’s yogourt time, he can be very vocal about wanting me to move.

Lester in an upside-down pose.