Category Archives: quilts

Baby Quilt, Take 2

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I had already made a quilt for my cousin’s new addition to the family due in February, but realized it’s really too large for a newborn and is more of a lap quilt size.  I was playing with some ideas for another baby quilt, when I remembered this was partially done.  So on Boxing Day I got this out of the UFO pile and started adding to it.  It’s quick to stitch, so I’m hoping to have the top finished by the end of the week other than the final setting pieces around the edges. I have lots of diamonds and triangles of the right size already printed on ’30s prints, so will be able to use them for the edge pieces.

I’m very grateful I had started this and had put everything for it away together.  It was nice to be able to just pull out the box and have everything in one spot.  Within minutes of pulling the box out, I was stitching.  As much as I enjoyed making the blocks, I think because I didn’t have a recipient for it in mind it lost some of its appeal.  Now that I have a goal in mind, I’m excited about stitching it again.

Smudge continues to improve.  He’s starting to treat us to some of his crazy poses, like this one.

Lester is being a bit more dignified.

Feathered Star

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The block was finished Tuesday evening and I’m thrilled with it.  Now to decide if I try to rush and make it into a table topper for this year or make this the first of 9 blocks and a start on a Christmas quilt for us.  I’m leaning towards taking my time, making the remaining blocks and having a Christmas quilt.

Heirloom cotton thread is one of my favourites for hand piecing.  When putting the arcs together for the Pickled Ladies, I use black thread.  The black heirloom thread seems to break much more easily than any other colour, which leads me to wonder if the black dye somehow weakens the thread.  Have you ever run into a particular thread colour that tends to break more easily than others?

I’ve done no baking yet for Christmas.  Usually I make butter tarts and a lot of different cookies as they’re great gifts to give to neighbours and friends.  I don’t think anything will get made this year but the butter tarts.  They’re fast and easy and everyone loves them so a few dozen of those will be made over the next day or two.

We got an early Christmas present on Tuesday when we took Smudge to the vet.  The jaundice is barely evident now and he has put on more weight.  He’s now up to 16.8 pounds, so only a few more to go until he’s back at his normal weight.  They gave him another antibiotic shot and he’s still on the syringe feeding, but he’s definitely on the mend.  He was relaxing Tuesday night.

Lester was napping.

Feathered Star for Christmas

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This is what I worked on over the weekend.  For me it’s an enormous block as it will finish at 20″.  Feathered Star is a pattern I’ve been fascinated by and, over the years, I’ve thought about making one but the idea of the acrylic or mylar templates, specialty rulers, tracing and on and on made it less appealing.

On Friday night, three Inklingo collections for a 15″, 20″ and 30″ Feathered Star were released along with an absolutely fantastic Design Book.  Because the centres of these feathered stars are 4.5″, 6″ and 9″ respectively, one could use any number of blocks in the centre rather than the octagon.  Saturday morning, I had this stack of shapes printed and cut out, ready to make my first block.

The instructions in the Design Book are for both hand and machine piecing.  I read through the machine piecing section and felt like I could make one of these by machine.  That said, all the continuous stitching that putting the feathers together offers was irresistible to me and hand piecing was my choice.  Putting the HSTs together by machine would be so easy the Inklingo way; just stitch on the line and cut.  No paper to remove, no bias to handle.   The Design Book is free to download for a limited time.  If you’ve ever thought about making a Feathered Star, this is definitely a book you want to add to your library.

This could be the beginning of a Christmas quilt for next year or perhaps I’ll finish off this one block, add a border, quilt it and use it as a table topper this Christmas.  That may be a bit too optimistic to think I’ll finish it by Saturday, but I’m tempted to try.   I’m amazed at just how quickly it goes together.  It won’t take long now to finish the star and then add the setting squares and triangles.

Smudge is on a tablet that helps the liver.  He has a habit of spitting the pill out when I turn my back.  Saturday morning, he did that very thing and I didn’t notice it until we took this picture.  If you look closely, you can see the little pink pill on the towel.  He seems to be doing better.  Tomorrow we take him in for another antibiotic shot and his weigh-in and colour check.

Lester has been enjoying the variety of foods that have been showing up as we try to get Smudge to eat more on his own.

Stormy Seas Block 8

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The eighth block is finished.  It didn’t take long, as I had already put the units together and really had only 2 long seams to stitch.  My wrist felt much better on Wednesday, although I am going to try to not push it for another couple of days. While I’m dying to haul out the bin with the brights and other appropriate prints for the baby quilt idea I have, I’m resisting it as I don’t think it’s going to take much to set this off again.

All the pieces for the remaining Stormy Seas blocks are sorted and in individual glassine envelopes.  Something tells me I need to find a larger box for them or get half a dozen of these blocks made up rather quickly.  The box seems as though it’s rather overflowing at the moment.

I was looking for a two-fabric applique pattern last night that I’ve had tucked away for a while.  When I started reorganizing a few months ago, I put it and the other applique patterns like it somewhere.  But where that somewhere might be has become a puzzle.  I searched and searched and couldn’t find it.  I remember putting them all in one spot … somewhere.  It looks as though I’ll be through with work sometime early next week for the balance of the year.  Perhaps I’d better have another go at reorganizing, and when I put things in “safe spots” I’m thinking I need to keep a list in a notebook of just where those safe spots might be!

Smudge is much more active, playing with toys and having the odd mock battle with Lester.  And treating us to poses like this, showing off his paws.

Lester was also showing off his huge paws while he relaxed on the couch.

It’s Way Too Cold!

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Nothing much quilt-related to show.  My wrists have really flared up.  The swelling is noticeable at this point and the pain is getting rather tiresome.  However, I’m playing with an idea for a baby quilt, thinking of making a 12″ version of this block using some bright prints.  If I decide to do this, I think it will only take 6 blocks and a small border so could be made relatively quickly.  I’d love to be able to pull the fabrics I want to use, but that’s going to have to wait till this flare-up has ended.  At least I can plan.

Wind chill temperatures of -20C are just too cold for me, particularly when the wind is gusting between 40 and 60 kilometres per hour!  And we have to go to the vet this afternoon.  I’m going to put a fleecy towel in the carrier.  Thankfully, Mr. Q.O. can pull up right to the door and I can jump out with the carrier.  Because it’s so bitterly cold, Mr. Q.O. is going to stay in the car and keep it running so that Smudge goes right into a nice warm car after seeing the vet.  At least we’ve not had any snow other than a light dusting.

Once again, I’ve fallen way behind on responding to comments.  Until the inflammation in my wrists subsides, I’m trying to avoid the keyboard as much as possible.

The cats know how to deal with this weather.  They curl up and have a snooze.  First Smudge was on the couch, curled up with a teddy bear.

Then Lester.

Seven Stormy Seas Blocks

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The first seven blocks are done and the eighth is close to being finished.  The circular effect that these blocks give is something I absolutely love.  I can’t wait till they’re all done and I can lay them out and decide on placement.

I got all the remaining fabrics printed.  In just slightly over 2 hours I had all the fabrics ironed to freezer paper, printed and cut out.  Then I started sorting them into glassine envelopes in sets for each block.  This box has all the pieces for each of 17 or 18 blocks, ready to stitch.

This box has the remaining pieces, all sorted in envelopes by fabric, ready to be pulled and put into block envelopes to join those in the first box.  I love having lots ready to stitch like this.

I wanted to get all the Storm at Sea shapes printed on the fabrics and ready to stitch before I somehow or another “borrowed” one of those fabrics for use in something else.  Two of the fabrics I’ve picked for this are batiks with a slight dusting of a gold metallic that I think are going to look rather like light reflecting on the water.  The best part of this is I know I won’t get bored making the blocks as each one will be slightly different.  There will be 41 blocks to go once I get the current one finished.

We’ve yet to do any decorating for Christmas.  But our door decoration is up.  A few years ago we decided to find something that was a bit different than a formal wreath.  I think we managed to definitely find that something different.

The weekend was relatively mild, but we’ve had a real drop in temperatures that started overnight.  While there was a lot of snow around us, the city once again didn’t seem to get any.  I have a feeling the roads and sidewalks are slippery, though, as it rained on and off throughout Sunday and then the temperature dropped suddenly.

Smudge definitely seems on the mend.  Trying to figure out what he’ll eat on his own is becoming an adventure.  What he likes today, he won’t like tomorrow.  We’re fortunate in that he is still being quite cooperative with the syringe feeding.  I can’t wait until tomorrow when we take him in to the vet.  We can’t see any signs of jaundice now and I think he may have put on another pound.  He was very lively on the weekend and even had one of his play fights with Lester.   He also found a few spots to sprawl out and snooze.

Lester was also in snooze mode a lot of the weekend.

More Stormy Seas

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Up until last night, I had only 3 of the 7 fabrics that will be in the Stormy Seas quilt ready and printed. Last night I got the fabric for the remaining 4 fabrics ready to print and will print all the shapes over the weekend.  Once that’s done, I’ll have everything ready to stitch the blocks.  I’ve found a stitching sequence that makes the blocks relatively quick to construct.

I’ve made blocks using the three fabrics that have been printed so far and am thrilled with how they’re turning out. These three were stitched over the course of the last 10 days or so.

While I had initially thought I’d use 11 fabrics in the Stormy Seas quilt, I’ve now decided to narrow it down to 7 fabrics and will make a slightly smaller quilt. It will be a lap quilt. Making that decision actually got me thinking about the size of quilts I want to make going forward.   Lap quilts seem like the best idea for me.  While I want to make a king-size quilt for us to use, I still haven’t decided on a specific pattern although it may end up being a large Chintz Circles, aka Alabama Beauty, quilt.  I have been slowly printing pieces to make another one of those for us and am debating whether I want to make it a lap or bed quilt.  It would be beautiful thrown over the back of the pink loveseat but would also go wonderfully with the toile wallpaper in the bedroom.

Do you have a favourite size of quilt to make?  Are they all large enough for a bed or lap quilts or wall hangings?  If you do have a favourite size to make, why did you choose that size of quilt?

Smudge continues to improve daily now.  Thursday he was eating more on his own and was livelier than he has been in a couple of weeks.  He and Lester were curled up together Thursday night.

Arcs for the Pickled Ladies

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One of the things I’ve been working on is stitching the arcs for the Pickled Lady blocks.  I’m trying to get lots and lots of them ready as stitching the arcs to the clamshell body takes next to no time.  Unfortunately, my wrists are still not cooperating so pressing the arcs wasn’t possible before the picture was taken.   All the black triangles are cut for at least another 40 arcs while the white pieces are being cut as I need them.

It was bitterly cold here on Wednesday.  So cold that the first cold weather alert of the season was issued by the city.  It seems awfully early for this horribly cold weather and makes me wonder what January and February are going to be like. When it’s bitterly cold, I resort to my mice slippers.  They are toasty warm and I really don’t care how ridiculous they look.  My mother bought these slippers for me well over 15 years ago and I treasure them.  They only come out in the winter so they’ve stood up quite well.   Watching the cats’ reactions to the oversized mice on my feet makes me laugh.  The sight of them makes Mr. Q.O. laugh.

Smudge greeted me Wednesday morning by chirping for his breakfast and doing figure eights around my legs.  Huge improvement.  Getting him to eat on his own has been a challenge, so hearing him ask for breakfast felt like a huge achievement.

Both of the kitties were spending time either in the cat beds or on the couch, staying warm.  Lester looked at the windowsill ever so briefly on Wednesday afternoon but I think he could sense it was chilly and decided to head for the couch.

Planning A Christmas Quilt

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A Christmas quilt is on my list to make one for next year using these fabrics.  I know that an Inklingo Feathered Star collection will be coming out sometime in the near future and have decided that will be the design I’ll use for a Christmas quilt with these fabrics.  A Feathered Star has been on my want-to-make list for years, so I’m really excited about the thought of making one.  These fabrics have been tucked away for ages, waiting for the right idea for a Christmas quilt.  I’ll get them washed and pressed in the next few days so that I’m ready to start.

I have been working on blocks for two quilts but, as my wrists are too sore to handle pressing at the moment, nothing is pressed so no photos to show quite yet.

Once again, thank you to everyone — all the good wishes and thoughts for Smudge meant a lot!  We had Smudge to the vet again on Tuesday and he has put on a pound.  We’re thrilled.  Our vet’s  happy.  Smudge seems livelier and more engaged. That is the best Christmas present we could have asked for.  We’re still syringe feeding and will be for a few weeks yet to ensure his weight gets back up to his normal 18+ pounds.  Along with syringe feeding the food, we’re giving him a bit of yogourt every night now as he was given an injectable antibiotic yesterday.  While he has always loved having a bit of yogourt, since he got sick he hasn’t wanted any of it so we’re giving that by syringe as well.

This photo was taken on Tuesday night.  It’s hard to tell from the photo, but he’s more interested in what’s going on around him than he has been the past week or so.  He’s still a bit jaundiced, but not as much as he was.  A visit to the vet is scheduled for next Tuesday for another weigh-in and colour check.

Lester has continued to keep his eye on Smudge.  He’s intrigued by the syringe feeding to the point that last night when we were giving Smudge some food, Lester decided he had to sniff the syringe.

Hopefully I’ll start replying to comments, visiting and commenting on blogs a bit more now.