Shabby Chic Log Cabin

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The first of my little shabby chic log cabin blocks, which I made with the .50″ Inklingo log cabin collection.  The block finishes at 5″.  This one I stitched by hand.  The next one I will definitely stitch by machine.  While it didn’t take long to stitch by hand, I imagine I could get a lot of them done in the same amount of time if I machine stitched them.

The back, which pressed quite nicely.

One of the things I was looking for at the Creativ Festival on Saturday was Superior Threads’ MasterPiece thread.  I had read so many good things about it that I was dying to try it and had been hoping to find it at the festival.  I found one vendor who had it and bought 4 spools — red, black, white and cream.

It is every bit as great as I had read — and then some!  It’s lovely and silky 100% cotton that is wonderfully fine and just melts into seams.  I’ve been stitching with it since I got home Saturday and  am thrilled with it.  It’s easy to thread a #12 sharp with it, doesn’t knot or tangle, and just glides through fabric when stitching with it.

Smudge decided to show that he truly is a quilter’s cat — posing amongst fabric and quilts.  He has been eating lots and lots for the past 4 days, as we found a food he seems to really love.  We are so grateful to see him eating this well!

Snuggly Stars

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The baby quilt which I named Snuggly Stars, thanks to a suggestion from Karen Dianne, was finished Friday night.  After cross-hatch quilting the two stitching books, I decided I’d cross-hatch quilt the baby quilt as well.   I started quilting it around noon on Friday and by the time the evening was over, I had finished the quilting, put the binding on and tacked it down. All that was left was to add the label, which I did Saturday morning before I left to go to the Creativ Festival.  The little quilt finished at 24 x 36 and was totally machine pieced and quilted.

Sunday morning we threw it in the wash, which was a bit of an adventure.  Mr. Q.O. took it up to the laundry room to put it in to wash and, when I went up to transfer it to the dryer, the machine had seemingly malfunctioned.  Rather than draining the soap suds, it seemed to be making more and more.  We think someone had put detergent in the machine previously and then not used it so that, when we used it, it had much more than recommended amount of detergent.  When it finished the final spin, I couldn’t even see the little quilt for all the soap suds.  I was holding my breath when I opened the door.  As soon as I did, there was an avalanche of suds on the floor.  I finally fished out the little quilt and put it in another washing machine with no soap to let it run through an entire cycle with just water as I figured that was the only way to get all the soap out of it.

We made a decision on Friday that, as we don’t want to leave Smudge alone for too long,  Mr. Q.O. would stay home on Saturday while I went to the Creativ Festival on Saturday and I’d stay home while he went to the baby shower on Sunday.  By the time it finished its second run through a wash and then dried, there was just enough time to put it in the gift bag before Mr. Q.O. had to leave.

Saturday the rain poured down for most of the day.  Sunday we had snow.  It didn’t stay on the ground, but there were a few times I looked out the window and couldn’t believe how heavily the snow was coming down.  Smudge decided the best thing to do was have a snooze.

Small Log Cabin Blocks

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Last week, a new Inklingo collection for a log cabin using .50″ logs was released.  Up until recently, I have never been inclined to make a log cabin but I loved having the rectangles with all the matching points and stitching lines, as there are a lot of uses for rectangles.  On Thursday, though, I started playing with some ideas and printed 2 sets of the logs on 16 pink and 16 green fabrics.  As I’m contemplating stitching this by machine, I printed with a somewhat darker ink than I would use for hand piecing.

After cutting out a few of the logs, I started playing with laying them out using my design book.  I hope to spend some time on the weekend stitching at least a couple of these blocks.  It won’t be a large quilt, probably only a small table topper or teddy bear quilt, but I’m looking forward to seeing the blocks come together.

If I actually stitch these by machine, it’s possible I’ll have made 2 quilts by machine within a couple of weeks.  That’s rather hard to believe!  Today I’ll be working on the baby quilt all day and evening.  It has to be finished up to the point of getting the binding on by the time the night’s over as I’m heading off to the Creativ Festival Saturday afternoon.   I can tack the binding down Saturday night and then wash it on Sunday morning in time for the baby shower.  Then I get to play with the log cabin blocks.

Smudge was posing for the camera Thursday night.  We’re seeing quite a change in him.  He’s much more vocal and wants to have us within his range of vision at all times.

Red and White Again

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One more of the red and white blocks was finished late last week for a grand total of four so far.  I was going to set them with plain white 6″ squares in between, but now that I see them side by side I rather like the effect.  A lot more blocks need to be made before I make that decision.

I couldn’t resist making a red and white 6″ sunflower block.  This is definitely a favourite block to make for me.  Putting the ring of diamonds and triangles together takes no time thanks to continuous stitching.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll end up with sunflowers as the alternate block for the other blocks.

The back of the little sunflower.

A close-up of Smudge relaxing on the couch Wednesday evening.

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Rouenneries Drunkard’s Path

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Over the past week or so, I’ve been stitching the Drunkard’s Path units together into 4-unit blocks.  Last night I decided to lay out some of them.  There are more that are already put together and yet more to be stitched together so it will finish at a decent size for a lap quilt, exactly as I hoped.   An idea for a border for the quilt is starting to form in my mind but until I get all the blocks put together and laid out I’m not making a decision.

The baby quilt top is stitched together.  I didn’t get it basted on Tuesday, so am slightly behind but I do have a little wiggle room in that I can work on it all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday and, if need be, wash and dry it Sunday morning.

Smudge was just waking up from a nap on the couch when we got this photo of him.

Baby Quilt

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Late last week, Mr. Q.O. informed me that we had been invited to a baby shower this coming Sunday.  Of course, I immediately thought about making a quilt but in such a short time span?  It obviously wasn’t going to be hand pieced or involve small blocks. Only 4 of the blocks are visible as Smudge clearly is insistent on participating in showing quilt blocks if they’re on the floor.

Out came the books as I searched for an idea.  I finally settled on the 12″ star blocks shown. They’re even entirely machine pieced!   I used the 4″ HSTs and squares found in the 12″ Storm at Sea Inklingo collection collection as that way I knew I’d have no issues at all making the HSTs.  Just print, stitch on the stitching lines, cut apart and they’re done.  No cutting down to size, no dog ears, no paper to tear away.  Just perfect HSTs each time.  And, thanks to the stitching lines, I was able to consistently get a scant quarter-inch seam so that my blocks finish at 12″.

The little quilt will finish at 24 x 36 and will be machine quilted with 1″ cross-hatching.  I’ll have it sewn together and basted  and the binding made by tonight, will start the cross-hatching Wednesday and finish it Thursday, get the binding done on Friday, wash it on Saturday and it will be done in time for the baby shower on Sunday.

Making this baby quilt has been a learning experience of me on a couple of fronts. One, that I can manage to machine piece accurate blocks.  Second, and more importantly, that there really is nothing wrong with simple blocks for some quilts.  I had to battle with myself about making the blocks because, as they are so large and involve so few pieces, somehow it felt like I wasn’t making something appropriate to give.  Then I thought about it, talked to a friend about it and realized that it was just fine for a baby quilt.

Once this is done, however, I’m going right back to a Feathered Star or Sunflower block.  I need some hand piecing with small pieces to keep me happy.

Smudge is clearly missing his brother, as are we.  He has never been an only kitty, so I suppose this is a huge adjustment for him.  For now, we’re trying to make sure one of us is home with him most of the time.  Hopefully, he will adjust but, in the meantime, he’s making sure he can keep us within his sight.

Stitching Book

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There was a box containing various applique blocks which I knew I wasn’t going to set into a quilt.  So they sat and sat and sat.  I finally decided to use them to make some large stitching books.  This one took two of the large applique blocks.  I added some batting, a backing, did some machine cross-hatch stitching, bound it and then cut 2 large pieces of batting which, when folded in half, turn into the pages of the stitching book and will be perfect to hold pieces of a block laid out ready to stitch.

Smudge was determined to inspect both the front and back of the stitching book.

The batting works well to hold the pieces of a block and, when closed, there’s no worry about them getting lost.  When laying out a block like a Feathered Star or Sunflower for hand piecing, having a book like this is helpful.  A friend who does much more machine piecing than I do assures me that a book like is helpful for machine piecers as well.

Smudge was curled up, having a nap Sunday afternoon.  We’ve found some different cat foods that he’s willing to eat.

Thank You

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It’s difficult to find the words to express our gratitude for the outpouring of support and heartfelt messages in both blog comments and e-mail which have meant so, so much.  Please accept this as an enormously grateful thank you.  Your words have meant the world to both of us as we try to adjust to the huge hole that has been left. Hearing that his pictures brought delight to so many others was wonderful.  The past few days have been ones of quiet reflection on the joys that Lester brought into our lives.   His majestic lion-like look, his wonderfully goofy personality, the incredible amount of love that he bestowed on us, his delight in giving kitty kisses, the delight we got in patting those enormous kitty paws are all things that are and will be missed for quite some time.

Lester tried so hard, but just couldn’t recover from that last stroke. We were very fortunate that he bounced back from the first three strokes so well and we had all that extra time with him.  When we took him to the vet on Monday, he just wanted to lie down, rest his head on my arm while I stroked him and Mr. Q.O. held his paw and talked to him.  It was time.  He left us very peacefully and quietly and for that I am grateful.  The hole left in our hearts will take time to heal, we know.   Now our attention is on Smudge, who is clearly feeling the loss of his brother.

I have closed comments on this post as replying to comments about Lester is beyond me.  The tears still fall all too easily.  Once again, thank you all so very, very much.  The comfort we got from reading your comments is impossible to put into words.

Red and White Blocks

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After seeing so many pictures on various blogs of gorgeous red and white quilts from the exhibition in New York City over the past few days, the urge to start a red and white quilt proved irresistible.  I have a feeling I’ll be making more than one red and white quilt as I’ve identified a number of patterns that I’d love to make.  These blocks will be used in the quilt together with an alternate block.  They finish at 6″.  I was inspired by a photo of one of the quilts.  Using various Inklingo collections, I printed the HSTs and squares I needed for the block and was stitching in no time.  And yes, I’m hand piecing them.

The back of one of my blocks.

I saw this video on YouTube on Sunday and was absolutely entranced.  I cannot imagine what it must have been like to actually see all the beautiful quilts in person.

Pat Sloan has put together a list, which can be seen here, of blogs and Flickr pools with photos of the quilts from the exhibition.

Lester has taken a bit of a turn for the worse.  We’re trying syringe feeding for a couple of days to see if that helps.  We got this picture of him last Thursday.

Smudge is back to being super finicky about food.  We picked up a variety of different types from the vet’s office last week and so far he seems to like most of them.  This photo was taken after he polished off another bowl of food on Sunday and was settling in for a nap.