While all the border segments for the Patchwork of the Crosses quilt are done and border segments have now been added to the last two blocks of the first row, I started thinking about what project I want to work … Continue reading
Planning
Tag Archives: Storm at Sea
Stormy Seas Block 25
I was surprised when I realized I now have 25 blocks finished. Only 17 more to go. Maybe this weekend I’ll put the 25 up on the design wall just to get a feel for how they look so far. … Continue reading
Stormy Seas Block 24
This block was a bit of a challenge. Why? Because the darker of the two batiks has a metallic element to it and is harder than most to needle. I definitely switched needles after stitching this one. Now there are … Continue reading
Stormy Seas Block Beginning & Decision Made
This was the total of my stitching yesterday. One centre and the four little square in a square corners for another Stormy Seas block. With any luck, I’ll get the diamonds into rectangles and the block put together tonight. Looking … Continue reading
Two Blocks Each for Two Quilts
The poll is closed. It was fun watching the votes come in over the weekend and I loved reading the comments. The lead went back and forth between Stormy Seas and Memories of Smudge but Memories of Smudge is the clear … Continue reading
Batik Star
Seems I got a bit more distracted last night. I wanted to make another of the 6.75″ batik stars with the extra Storm at Sea pieces I had printed. It was sort of bargaining that went on internally, “Hmm. You have two of the four cornerstones for the pieced border done, so you can play again. But only tonight. Tomorrow you have to make another one of the cornerstones.”
Because it’s a batik, it presses like a charm. I really have no idea how many of these stars I’ll make and what else I’ll do with the extra pieces, but it’s fun to have the option to just pick up and stitch a block like this every once in a while. I think I’ve finally learned my lesson and am grading the seams as I go.
The Drunkard’s Trail/Snail’s Trail has me absolutely captivated. I have many ideas flying around in my mind now and know I’ll end up making at least two and probably more quilts using those shapes. There’s one idea that’s begging to be made soon. Of course, the fact that there’s all that delicious curved piecing has something to do with my fascination with that pattern. Whether these ideas will wait until the red and white top is finished remains to be seen.
It was another remarkably warm day here yesterday and today sounds like it’s going to be even warmer yet. Then it looks like we crash back to the reality of March but what a nice treat this taste of summer has been.
This may be one of my favourite pictures of Baxter yet. I love how well his lynx tips show up.
A New Start
When I printed all the shapes for the Storm at Sea blocks, I purposely printed many extra shapes. They’ve sat for ages while I thought about what I wanted to do with them. For starters, I’m going to make a few of these stars. They finish at 6.75″. Then I’ll start working with the extra diamond shapes. There’s a quilt design slowly taking shape in my mind for these extra blocks.
I love working with batiks. They press so beautifully. I’m grading the seams as I go so that I won’t be faced with having to do it all at the end.
When I said I printed a lot of extra shapes, I wasn’t kidding. This box is absolutely full of the various extra shapes.
This is the box that contains all the pieces for the Storm at Sea blocks along with the threads that match the various batiks. The Storm at Sea blocks have been neglected for too long. I plan on making at least one or two of them this week.
Baxter loves playing with his feather toy. On the weekend, he gave it the seemingly obligatory dunk in his water bowl. He does that with his favourite toys. I started to laugh when I found it in his water bowl, as he was lying beside the bowl just happily watching it float. Thankfully it dried quickly.
Stormy Seas
While the temporary design wall was up, I put up the 17 Storm at Sea blocks that are done so far. When I put them up, I was trying to put blocks that used the same 2 fabrics beside one another to see if I liked the effect. This has given me a slightly different idea about block placement in the top when all the blocks are done.
When will that be? After Twinkling Stars is finished (hopefully that will be when the baseball season is finished), the Pickled Ladies top is together and I hopefully find enough of the white on white I’m using for the Feathered Star/Sunflower to complete it. Then Stormy Seas moves to the top of the list.
There were some fabulous tips on removing quilting in the comments to yesterday’s post. After reading them and thinking about it some more, I’m now not sure if I will take out the machine quilting. I’ll spread the quilt out over the weekend and have a good look again.
Baxter in Pink Chair. That’s what we’ve titled this photo after Mr. Q.O. played with some photo effects.
This one we’re calling “Kitty in the Hall”.
Stormy Seas
Finally, another Stormy Seas block. Tuesday night the box containing the pieces for these blocks came out and one more block has now been added to the group. That said, there’s a very long way to go until I have them all done.
Hopefully by the time this week ends I’ll have the Farmer’s Delight blocks finished. That’s my goal as I’d like to start playing with a setting idea. Whether that plan is going to work depends on how much of the background fabric I have left. I don’t think there’s much, so I’m going to have to get creative.
For some inexplicable reason, the program in which Mr. Q.O. keeps kitty photos crashed Tuesday night. So I’ve gone back in the archives to find some good pictures of the boys. This one of Smudge was taken back in September.
Lester , also back in September.
More Stormy Seas
A bit more contrast than the last one. Putting these blocks together gets easier with each one. Hopefully that means I’ll be able to keep to my goal of 2 blocks a week. No guarantees on that as I found myself looking at the autumn colours fabrics I had pulled out for a Winding Ways idea.
There’s another design floating in my mind that’s made with Drunkard’s Path blocks. That one is as irresistible as the Winding Ways. So far I haven’t pulled any fabrics for it, but it’s getting awfully close. As soon as the baby quilt is quilted and bound, I have a feeling I’ll be starting one of those two.
My Patchwork of the Crosses blocks seem to have been put away a bit too well. This may finally teach me to label the boxes in which I put blocks so that I don’t need to go through every one in order to find whatever it is I’m looking for.
Smudge was eating a bit more on his own on Thursday. Still nowhere near the 250 calories he needs, so the syringe feeding continues.
Earlier in the day, Lester had been grooming Smudge. Normally, Smudge would never let him do that but these days he seems to be quite enjoying the attention.
Quilt Obsession 
