Tag Archives: fabric

Stormy Seas

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Working with the batiks proved to be irresistible so shapes were printed on two of the fabrics.   I actually have the individual units for a block stitched but not yet pressed or stitched together into the block.

This little pile of pieces is all I need for the next block.

The Stormy Seas quilt will be a long-term project as I plan to make it large enough for a king-size bed  and will be using 9″ blocks.  There’s a lot of stitching ahead of me on this one, but I have no deadline so can just enjoy the making of the blocks over the next year or so.

One of the other projects that is likely to get started on sometime in the next month or so will be made with these charm packs and the one larger piece of fabric from that line.  I have  a few ideas in mind for this one.

It has been amazingly mild this week.  The mornings are a bit chilly, but as the day wears on we are hitting temperatures in the 50s.  The other day, Mr. Q.O. got this photo of one of the trees at the front of our building.

Each week new floral arrangements are placed on pedestals in the lobby.

Smudge and Lester look so sweet in this shot — but don’t be fooled.  Lester was wanting to curl up in the pink chair and was hoping Smudge would move.

Project Preparation

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When the Rouenneries line of fabrics came out, I fell in love with it and bought some charm packs and a bit of yardage.  Initially, I printed the shapes for Drunkard’s Path units on 2 of the charm packs.  At that point, I wasn’t sure how big I wanted to make this but now, as I look at the blocks, I’ve decided to print the remaining charms and continue making these blocks.

The deciding factor was that I’d rather have a quilt in a size that’s useful than a couple of wall hangings.  So the printing of the remaining charms is on my list for this week’s preparation day, whatever day that ends up being.   It also is the first of a few charm pack projects I want to work on over the next few months.  I have a number of charm packs and have set a goal for myself of coming up with some design ideas.

I rather like this routine I seem to be falling into of setting aside one or two days a week to plan and print shapes for a variety of projects.  On that note, after I decided to use additional fabrics for the Storm at Sea blocks and figured out the layout I’ll use, I had my new cheat sheet filled out in about 5 minutes.  Now all that’s required is cutting the fabric to the appropriate size and printing.  Another on the list for this week’s preparation day or days.

On Friday evening, we decided to go over to the local deli for dinner.  As we walked down to the sidewalk, we saw flashing lights, ambulances, fire trucks and then we saw a car that was literally hanging from the side of another car at a 45-degree angle.  For a fleeting second, I thought perhaps there was filming going on in the area, which isn’t unusual, as it was such a bizarre sight.  It was difficult to believe what we were seeing was real.  After we came back from the deli, the cars had been separated and a definite crease could be seen all up the side of the one car where the other had seemingly driven up it.  It appeared as though a driver exiting from an underground parking garage and making a right turn was struck by the second car’s right front wheel on its left rear wheel and the momentum caused the second car to ride up on top of the first.   I can’t imagine how frightening that must have been for the driver of the first vehicle.  The good part to the story is that no one was injured, but I can only imagine the damage that was done to both cars.   Mr. Q.O. took a photo with his phone, but we haven’t quite figured out how to get the picture from the phone to his computer.

Neither Smudge or Lester like being in cars.  Smudge would rather curl up and have a nap with some soft friends.

While Lester likes to watch out the window from the safety of his own home.

New Pressing Board

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Friday night, we went to the Creativ Festival and I was thrilled.  I managed to get exactly what I was looking for — a new Quilter’s Cut ‘n Press.  My old one had finally got to the point of no return and it was time.  I use the Cut ‘n Press constantly as it’s the perfect size for pressing a block or two or pressing fabric to freezer paper and doesn’t necessitate dragging out the ironing board and then putting it away.

I also stocked up on the heirloom cotton thread I love to use for hand piecing and found 2 more florals for the Pickled Ladies as well as a pink FQ that just had to come home with me because it was — well, pink!  I don’t think I could ever have too much pink.

There was a white on white fabric that also came home with me but didn’t get photographed, as it’s rather hard to show the design in a white on white.  It’s one I’ve used before that has a lovely soft feel to it and is not hard to needle.  All in all, I’m thrilled with what I found at the show although I wouldn’t have minded a few more florals.  There were lots of quilting booths with lots of fabrics and bundles but they seemed, for the most part, to be more of the earth tones and the like with very few florals to be seen.  I wonder if that’s a product of the time of year and if at the spring show there will be more light-coloured and floral fabrics.

Lester continues to do well.  Today is his last day on the antibiotics so I guess the next few days will tell the tale as to whether the infection is gone.

Smudge has been busy chasing leaves as they go by the window.

Fabric Choices for More Pickled Lady Blocks

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Although I already have close to 30 of the clamshells printed for more of the Pickled Ladies, I decided to go through and pick out some other fabrics that are candidates for fussy cutting/printing.  Some of the ones I’ve picked out are shown above.  With any luck, I may be able to get 2 different clamshells from most of these fabrics which should take me up to 80 or so blocks.  My goal is to make approximately 120 of them and then either decide to continue and make it a bed quilt or stop there.

Work has suddenly become extremely busy, which meant that on Thursday I didn’t get a chance to visit many, if any, blogs and very few of the other clamshell club participants.  Hopefully I’ll get caught up on the weekend.

The cats are beginning to settle in for the fall.  Smudge was curled up on the sofa.

Lester was having a snooze in one of the cat beds, with one of his favourite toys nearby.

Repurposing Fabric

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been looking at a couple of BOMs I had put away.   One I will make as Mr. Q.O. really likes it, it will be quick to piece and, as it has flannel fabric, will be a perfect lap quilt for the winter.  The second one?  The more I looked at the patterns, the more I realized they just weren’t appealing to me.  So I had a long hard look at the fabrics contained in the kits for it and was pleasantly surprised when I realized there are some very pretty and quite useable fabrics, most in half yard or long quarter cuts.

There are some pretty pink and brown fabrics:

Some brown, gold, green and red fabrics:

Some lovely blue fabrics:

Some smaller rectangular pieces in a variety of colours:

All this fabric from kits to make 9 small doll quilts.  Lots and lots of ideas are swimming about in my mind regarding what I might make with these.  I’m really looking forward to playing with these now that they’re all washed, as they’re quite different from those which I normally use.

Wednesday was a rather overcast day but Lester was on the windowsill.  Here he was resting his eyes after watching to see just what the gardener was doing on the roof garden:

Smudge  was busy with the toy basket.

Fall Fabric & Pickled Lady 6

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A fall or a leaf quilt has never been something that I’ve thought of doing.  But then I came across these fabrics in my stash.  They are so perfect for a fall quilt that I can’t resist them.  What kind of pattern, though?  I remember some of the wonderful Japanese hexagon quilts I’ve seen online and in books and keep thinking that perhaps some hexagons falling on to the ground might be my version of a fall quilt. Maybe.

Or perhaps a Winding Ways quilt.  I’m leaning towards that as I’d love to make something in the Winding Ways pattern again, but this time with the smaller blocks. There’s a cream batik in my stash that would work with these fabrics.  Starting the fall quilt won’t happen immediately as I really want to keep going with the Pickled Ladies  and the Pickled Clam Star blocks, but these fabrics are going to be kept together and a note is now in my ideas book.

The sixth Pickled Lady block is done.  Again in a favourite fabric.

The back:

Tuesday was a gloriously sunny day and both kitties were watching out the window. Smudge at one end:

And Lester at the other:

Pickled Ladies Quilt, Block 1

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The new clamshell pickle collections have me completely enthralled.  I immediately had at least three different ideas, one of which will involve  my favourite shabby chic fabrics and some Oriental prints.  I’m calling it Pickled Ladies as there’s a story that goes along with it which I will eventually write and share.  The first of the Pickled Ladies is shown above.

The back:

I’m fussy cutting/printing the clamshells.  It’s quite quick to do as I printed out one clamshell on a piece of paper cut down to the right size for printing just one shape, Mr. Q.O. cut out the interior of it and I have a window template which makes it very simple to figure out how to cut the fabrics and have a flower or other item as the centre of the clamshell.

The baby quilt top is finished, pressing is partially done and I’m still hunting for the flannel backing for it.  As soon as it’s quilted, which I expect will only take a weekend or two, we’ll get good pictures of it.

Labour Day weekend was chilly.  In fact, so chilly that on Monday we turned the heat on for a bit.  It’s too bad that it was chilly, windy and rainy as so many people head to cottage country for that one last summer long weekend.  Of course, today it’s supposed to be quite warm and humid again — typical of the weather here, as I can’t remember a year when, on the first day of school, we weren’t all roasting by the time school was over.

Smudge was curled up on the pink chair.

Lester was also on the pink chair … at the same time.

Possible Fabric Combinations

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After reading the comments on yesterday’s post, I pulled out 4 fabrics to pair with the fabric I showed yesterday.  While I like all of them with it, I think the purple/pink batik is the one I’m going to work with.   I may do a block using the purple/pink and then another using the white.

The baby quilt piecing is tantalizingly close to being finished.  Tomorrow I’m going to see if I have a large enough piece of flannel for the backing and, if I do, I’ll hopefully get it basted this weekend and ready to quilt.

It was a rather cool day on Thursday and by the time the sun went down, it was a rather chilly 55F.  Once the temperature gets below 60, I start thinking about the day we’ll have to turn the heat on.  Hopefully, that won’t be for a few weeks yet.

Both cats were showing signs of getting ready for the cooler weather.  Lester curled up in a kitty bed.

And Smudge was on the couch.

Finding the Right Fabric

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This fabric has been in my stash for ages.  I love the look of it, but never seem to come up with the right fabric with which to pair it.  I’d like to use it to make a two-colour quilt but am thinking it needs something other than a white or cream as the neutral.  Any thoughts?  I have one idea which I’ll try this weekend.

I am very close to finishing the piecing of the baby quilt.  Two more evenings of stitching and it should be done.   This is, without a doubt, the quickest I’ve ever put a quilt together.  It will be less than a month from starting it to finishing the piecing.

Wednesday our weather really changed — from quite warm and humid to heavy, heavy rain and then cooler temperatures.  I think our high today will be only in the low 70s, although they say we’ll have humidex readings back up in the 90s by Sunday.   I’m definitely not ready to see summer go.

Lester had some windowsill time on Wednesday.

And Smudge took over my desk chair to pose.

Charm Squares and More

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While working on the baby quilt, I am thinking about doing something totally scrappy with batiks and hand-dyed fabrics.  So I dug out those squares and rectangles and started thinking about just what I might make with these.  Batiks seem very attractive after working with the ’30s prints for a while.   This also has me thinking that I will haul out the bin with batiks and hand dyed fabrics and perhaps cut charm squares from some, if not most, of them as well.

Then I figured that, while I was at it, I may as well take a look at the other charm squares I have washed and ready to use.  There are more that aren’t yet washed, but I’ll start washing those this week so that when the baby quilt is finished I have lots of choices in front of me.  🙂   There’s just something about charm squares that I find irresistible.

Picking up a light box last night has sent my wrist into fits again.  I don’t seem to be learning that I just cannot do what I used to be able to do easily.  So once again, I’m probably going to be rather slow in replying to and leaving comments.

Mr. Q.O. does cryptic crosswords — and had put his puzzle down in front of Raggedy Ann.  We couldn’t resist taking the picture.  It almost looks as though she’s working on the puzzle.

A friend (no blog) has adopted an adorable 4-month old black kitten named Jasper.  In this picture he’s lying on the quilt with one of her other cats, Kleenex.  Jasper is slowly winning over the elder cats in her household.  Jasper is a three-legged cat, who started out life as a feral and unfortunately lost a leg but, from all reports, it sounds like he has already learned to compensate and is lively and playful as can be.

Periodically, I love to look through the America’s Glorious Quilts book (although the weight of it is an issue for me) and had it out last night.  I put it on the footstool in front of Smudge who, at one point, appeared to be interested and almost had a paw on the book.  We didn’t get that photo but we did get this one.

Lester stretched out on the pink couch.