Sunday, in which I worked on three projects

What a great weekend.  It rained and was disgusting outside and I had no plans so I got to clean and then work on my quilt projects.  I even made enchiladas which are really great vehicles for guacamole if you are so inclined to look for guacamole vehicles.  Honestly, guacamole vehicles are my favorite vehicles.

At any rate, here is what I did:

The back of the Ingie Quilt

This back is actually done in petal pink, even though it looks peach here.  This photo was taken in the small bedroom upstairs which has the best light in the house.  Seriously, that's as good as we are going to get here.  I took a class on photography at the Sewing Summit and I basically learned that I have to move if I want better pictures.  None of us want me to do that, so we will all have to use our imaginations when it comes to my photography.

Next up:

October

I'm all caught up with the Modern Block of the Month project sponsored by Sew Mama Sew.  This is October and I have to say that I really like it.  I'm thinking about doing this again but with shades of grey instead of purple.  It was quick and easy and I'm pleased with the results.

Finally, a Spinster update:

Corn and Beans

Have you ever dug through your fabric stash and shouted, "Corn and beans! Corn and beans!"?  Oh, yes you have don't deny it.  This little block came together well, but was very bulky in its seams.  Still, I love those colors.

Country Farm

I know what you are thinking, "Shouldn't a country farm be red?"  Well, my response is that it would be lovely if I could find three red fabrics that looked good together and blues blend so much better.  My country farm symbolizes the fresh water and air that we can find out in the country.

Country Path

I couldn't look at the instructions for the Country Path block without thinking about a primrose path and how it is best not to be led down one.  Which is kind of a weird expression when you think about it because primroses are lovely and a path lined with primroses would be nice to be led down.  But, maybe that's just me with my pro primrose agenda.  I felt some pretty pinks were in order because a pink primrose path would be even more lovely even if the result would be being led into something far more sinister.  (A primrose path story:  My grandmother did not like to serve me alcohol when I visited her because, in her words, she was leading me down the primrose path; considering this was when I was in law school and I was in my mid-twenties, I assured her I could handle her watered down scotch drinks without turning into a drunken reprobate - I had being in law school in my mid-twenties to do that for me.  Still, I think she viewed me as a lush after that. I'm drinking Irish whisky tonight in her honor. See grandma, you were right.)

Tomorrow, or the next day, I will show you my next non-Spinster quilt project.  I know. I'm excited too.  

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Dutch Windmill Quilt

The beautiful back.

Black thread for the black, variegated pink and orange for the windmills.  

Proof from where the fabric came.

Good morning!  It is Bloggers Quilt Festival time again and I've decided to participate this year by showing off the quilt I will probably always love the most of all my quilty children.   But, first some details on Bloggers Quilt Festival:  Bloggers Quilt Festival is a virtual festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side and I encourage everyone to go there and look at all the amazing quilts up for display this year.  Bloggers Quilt Festival is my kind of festival - you can look at all the amazing quilts while in your pajamas and drinking coffee with a cat on your lap (this may or may not be what I am doing right now).

Now that you are all encouraged to go somewhere else, let me tell you a little about my Dutch Windmills Quilt and why I've decided to put it up for display this year.  This quilt consists of fabrics I purchased last year at a fabric store in Amsterdam which specializes in reproduction fabrics.  I really wanted to make something to commemorate my trip to the land of Van Gogh, and I felt that a quilt made of these fabrics was absolutely the thing to do.  This quilt also marked a series of firsts for me.  It was the first time I bought fabric without a pattern directing me how much fabric to buy.  It was the first time I made my own pattern (based on a couple windmill patterns I found on line, but adjusted for the flowers in the fabric).  It was the first time I used two different colors for the quilting process (I thought black was  needed for the black parts, but I didn't want the black to overwhelm the blocks).  It was the first time I really tried to put "meaning" into a quilt; fabrics from a place I visited, quilting the windmills with a bit of orange to symbolize the national color of the Netherlands.  It was the first quilt I brought to work and showed off to my friends.

Looking back at this quilt, my skills were still a little raw (and they still are now for that matter), and I can see a couple of things that I would do different.  But, this is still my favorite quilt of all time; warts and all, I love it.  It hangs on a wall in my bedroom and every day I look at it an remember that great store in Amsterdam and the experience of escaping the tour for an hour with a fellow quilter to dash across the city, grab fabric and dash back to the tour.  It was so much fun and I love how my quilt tells me that story.

Modern Block of the Month - September

September

The Modern Block of the Month Sew Along at Sew Mama Sew is now into October's block which made me feel slightly anxious in that I hadn't finished September's block yet.  Having been gone for most of the month of September on vacation, I have a good excuse for not finishing September's block.  However, vacation isn't really the reason it hasn't been done.  Here's the thing, every time I looked at this block I thought to myself, "Ugh, triangles" and then put it away for something else.  I guess realizing that I was soon to be two months behind made me leap into action.

So, here it is - slightly crooked, but overall something I can live with.  I mostly like how it looks like an owl and how I managed to get the cat hair off it before taking the picture.  Next will be October's block - let's shoot for Thanksgiving for that one.  

FNSI - Results

The Ingie Quilt - Completed Front

The beginnings of the back.

Welcome to everyone visiting from Friday Night Sew-In.  Tonight I finished piecing The Ingie Quilt and started on the back.  The back will have two rows of blocks which will be placed in a field of Kona Petal.  It will be very sweet when it is done.  On a side note, I love it when the fates intervene and I get to show a completed object for FNSI, rather than bits and pieces of what I managed to put together that night.

Tomorrow I work on piecing the back and will make an appointment with the fine folks at the LQS to put this puppy on the long-arm.  But, tonight is cocktails and Ghost Adventures.  I've tivo'd the episode where the ghost adventures crew visits the Lizzy Borden house which should be entertaining and quite appropriate for the holiday season.  

Piecing madness

All footprints will be washed away. I promise. 

Several days ago I promised Ms. IM an update on how her quilt was doing.  As you can see, it is under an appropriate level of supervision and is getting some necessary attention.  So far, its gone from 156 squares to 16 blocks to the current 7 blocks.  The hardest part now is keeping everything in order (thank you handy new design wall) and keeping the cats from stretching it while they sit on it.  This is about to be locked away in a plastic tub so I can finish the binding on another project that might make it to work tomorrow to be shown off.  Ladies, prepare your amazed sounds now.

Booty! (no, not that kind)

This isn't the best picture of the thread that I won, but I like Scout's toes in the picture. 

A weekend's worth of damage - bought by me, given to me by the Sewing Summit and its sponsors, and some won by me.

Greens

Purples

Orange and yellow, featuring scraps I won from Fabricworm.

Black, grey, and circus animals.  

Fat quarters, solid charm squares, and small Christmas fabric from Moda.

112 charm squares from the charm square swap?  Yes, yes they are. 

Blues, baby. 

A hint of brown.

Pinks and reds.

See what I mean by too much stuff?  I won a lot of this which is pretty sweet.  Honestly, I could have left after the Shop Hop and been happy. I'm glad that I didn't because the classes and instructors were pretty awesome and inspiring.

Many thanks to the lovely Scout for providing her modeling services.

A discussion of a trip to Utah with some pictures of Wisconsin

Turkeys

This is a disturbing sight when it's the first thing you see in the morning. 

Brewing beer at the New Glarus Brewery

Laverne and Shirley's new home. 

Two weeks ago I said I'd be back with some pictures of Wisconsin.  Honestly when I got back last week, I had so much to do that I just didn't get around to posting these. I was in a bit of a time constraint because I was back for three days and then I headed out to Salt Lake City for the Sewing Summit.  The Sewing Summit was great - a weekend of sewing classes and a shop hop to some of the local stores.  I bought an insane amount of fabric, won an insane amount of fabric, was given another insane amount of fabric, and won other great stuff like 20 spools of 50 # weight Egyptian cotton thread and a really cute book on doll quilts.  I'm inspired and ready to do some more quilting.

Oh, and Wisconsin with the family was exhausting and wonderful.  My parents' house attracts the local wildlife (as you can see above) and is a pretty nice place to go walking around and to just relax in.  My niece and nephew are really amazing kids and I was lucky enough to see my niece run in a cross country meet and I got to attend the homecoming parade which featured a float that my nephew worked on.  We all toured the New Glarus brewery because it wouldn't be Wisconsin without beer (and I managed to avoid eating a bratwurst).   All in all, a pleasant vacation.  Now I'm ready to do some serious quilting.