Donation quilt, spring, and ENUF!

This has been our local project for a few months - to be donated to a church who is trying to install Air Conditioning in their gym.  This gym is where our Guild holds it's annual Quilt Show and we ROAST in that gym in July.  We are hoping this quilt could be raffled by the church to add to the church's air conditioning fund!  The pattern is "Eli's Wheel" found at Moda Bake Shop, and we named the quilt "Sandhills Sunrise" (or Sunset?)"  Can't remember - you know, Senior Citizen and all.  We hand sewed the binding down at a friend's house yesterday.  Anita (anita@prairiecreations.net) did the beautiful long-arm quilting.

  I was checking the front garden, and under the mulch lump I found this!  Yeahhhh!

Below is the beginning of Snow on the Mountain, that returns every year.  It only grows on the North side of the house, fills in solid so weeds don't grow, pulls up easily in the fall, and faithfully returns in the spring.  

And here is just a beginning of green (trust me!),  lilies from a friend in Illinois.  This is along our back fence, adjoining the alley, so it has to be tough!!  Hope it makes it - ground is very poor, although I gave it some extra good soil and fertilizer.

I had a burst of energy today - and broke up the "ice jam" that always accumulates.  It's usually a small skating pond, treacherous when not expecting ice under snow.  Hard work, DONE!


Then I cleaned the garage -- where did my energy come from????  Pulled out the cars, opened doors so the puddles dried, swept up clods of mud, leaves, debris from snow accumulation, threw a few items in the trash, and set up my tables to baste this latest quilt, "ENUF".  Temps were close to 70 today, sunny, birds singing.  8-)))

Enuf! Progress on Split 9-Patch

This top is finally together -- I was getting tired  - so many little pieces, and have named it "ENUF!"  There are well over 3000 pieces, and for so many pieces, you'd think it huge, but NO, it's about 51"x 74" -- a lotta work for a small quilt!  It's from Jackie Robinson and she calls it Strip and Slash.  

Getting those chevrons to "close" at the top and bottom took extra thought and planning.  There are also a few almost-quarter-square-triangle blocks at the top and bottom inside and outside points.  That took planning!  I would not have thought of it if Kathy G., a new quilt member, had not made that suggestion!  Then it needed more lights around the chevrons so I made MORE lights, then the border needed more lights, so I made MORE!  Now I've called it DONE, and stay-stitched around the edges to hold them in place while wrangling the quilting - to be started soon.

Our snow is almost gone from most places and the last few days were so warm, there are puddles, messes, mud everywhere.  I wanted to get to my favorite quilt shop  to purchase backing, but my LQS is waaaaaay out in the country, on gravel roads.  Traveling those roads in this weather is for fools only so I forced myself to "make do", and stayed home.  I'm relieved that conditions made me stay home and use what I had!  There's good in everything, isn't there?

I've been cutting extra fabric into 10 1/2 in. squares (below) and occasionally use the squares for a backing.  I already had over 150 pieces of 10 1/2 in. squares -- time to stay home and make the back from what I already have.  I pulled out the blues, lights and mediums, pressed them and laid them all out in one direction; i.e. all cross grain in my case.  I needed 6 x 8, (= 60" x 80") or 48 squares.

Then I made a quick drawing (below) of my diagonal plan, counted how many squares of each color would be needed. I most cases I had enough of each fabric, but added some that were close in value.  After all, this IS patchwork!!  If I had needed an uneven number of squares across and down, wouldn't it look great as Trip Around the World???
 


Here is it, laid out on my design floor.  This sews together FAST, if I stack each row, put a pin pointing either right or left on the top square, take them all to the sewing machine and just get sewing, pressing the seams either right or left for speed.  Whew!  Dreaded basting is next  (my least favorite quilting job).

You might consider using some of YOUR stash for the backs.  Getting the fabric cut into a usable size is the first hurdle.  I tried using chunks for the back, but somehow, it just was NOT attractive, or balanced and I cut them into squares instead.  This backing idea came from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com, and I've made 4-5 like this.  Thanks Bonnie!

Split 9-Patch, and Windows 8.1 progress

Above is a version of brilliant border that a new quilting friend suggested.  Thank you Kathy G.!! Kathy is recently retired, a new member of our Guild and also visits our local sewing group - this gal has clever ideas!!

My chevrons are running vertically on this quilt and somehow, the quilt needed a way for the chevrons, or HSTs to END.  I will do the bottom the same way, but might put the treatment on the LIGHTS to see how that looks.  This was time consuming and DEMANDING, as I had used up all my little pieces, and had to make MORE strips, sewing together, cutting diagonally, resewing, etc.  


Here's how the quilt looks - it's not huge, just looks that way.  I'm working on bottom border today - remember this view is horizontal, but in reality, it runs vertically.

On the new Laptop front, and Windows 8.1, my frustration has diminished, as 8.1 is soooooo much easier than regular Windows 8.  Thank you for consolation from some of you, encouragement from a few others, and enlightenment from a few MORE others!!!

We opted for a large screen HP laptop, and since we seldom go anywhere and wouldn't expect to take this laptop, the large screen laptop is working for us.  It's a big large and clunky moving from room to room, but DH and I are also kinda large and clunky, so this laptop size is a good match.

Onward to playing with those little Split 9-patches!!!

Split 9 Patch Progress, and New Laptop

Above is my current project, a split 9 patch.  This one is totally "process" -- no one would ever make blocks this size the usual way.  This is from Jackie Robinson, and her method is Strip and Slash.  I have her CD and enjoy watching, just to be watching something quilty.  The individual squares are 1.25 inches, so the blocks are very small.  The photo is horizontal, but I'm going to finish it in vertical configuration.  Remember the lesson, you can use any fabric, no matter how ugly, if you cut it small enough!  I have a LOT of strips 2.5, and they were used as well as a lot of strips cut smaller. 

I think this is a perfect example of adding "twinkle" to a normally ho-hum quilt.  Look how the turquoise blue "pops"!  (it was accidental!) 

My younger brother and wife (also Elaine) visited over the weekend.  His goal was to help me pick out a new computer.  He worked for HOURS getting it set up - while I don't consider myself a dummie, I could never have done it myself!  I paid him back somewhat by sending them off with 6 quilts.  We encouraged them to take more of our stuff to help us downsize.  They went home with quilts, family paintings, and below he is trying to pack one of DH's boats.  

 And here is DH (below)  playing with the new computer/laptop.


Windows 8.1 is just FULL of "stuff" that, for now, (IMHO) we are finding useless.  Skype was fun for a day or so, taking our picture was entertaining, but I prefer e-mail.  OK, YouTube was good .   We had to purchase Excel and MSWord separately.  I know we will get better, but it's so full of gizmos, and stuff, and popups, and full-page pop-up ads, and "stores" to purchase more stuff, and unexpected screens in and out, enlarged or reduced screens for no reason, (?) no menus that are easily available, that I already ordered "Windows 8.1 for Dummies."  Bookmarks, so far, are unavailable, the URL bar, if I can remember an address, jumps in and out of the screen, and one never seems to "close" anything.  BING is the Search Engine (don't want that either).  If you are familiar with Windows 8.1, PLEASE send me some encouragement that it will get better!!!  I purchased the laptop specifically so we would have less stairs to maneuver.  This present XP is downstairs, and I really like it, but felt we should try to keep up with the times.

I made my living on the computer during my working years, using the computer as an aid to working using Windows XP.  This laptop seems more of a toy, with the goal being playing, and figuring it out, rather than using it for sensible purposes.

OK, enough whining!!!  I am thrilled I kept my "old" desktop.  8-))))

Scrappy Project, Strip and Slash

 Whew - the last 2 months went by FAST!!

I'm working on a Strip and Slash, by Jackie Robinson.  I bought her DVD a while ago, enjoyed it many times, and last year made this blue one.  However, a friend needed a quilt FAST, and I needed something SHE had so we traded and I've started another.  (I wonder if the fabrics are some of the same???)

First, this is one excellent scrap user.  You make a LOT of DARK strips and sew them together.  

Then you make the same for light strips, and sew them together in precise configuration.  Anything goes in this quilt, just light or dark.  The pieces are small so they all blend in the end.  There is a lot of "process"  - something I enjoy.  Pressing is very important for successful abutting of seams later in the process, and Jackie Robinson's instructions were clear and accurate.  Her DVD also explains "twinkle",  and she also displays her own errors in color choices, which I definitely appreciated.

Using your triangle ruler, (note black tip on lower right extending past the edge of the black piece), cut all the 9-patches diagonally.  Notice upper left - that is about 1/4 inch "off".  If you've cut and measured fairly accurately during the process, you will have a quarter inch seam allowance between the lower left and upper right on that diagonal cut.  See ruler below.

Do the same for the light units.

 Sew all the light triangles to the dark triangles.  Matching along the diagonal is easier than it looks - there is a lot of "feeling" to get sharp points, and a 1/4 inch seam allowance is not followed.  One sews from "X" to "X".  I had to resew very few.

Below is just one arrangement of 4 Split 9-patches.  I was planning for a quilt 10 x 12 but made too many light ones, so expanded my plan to 12 x 12, but then made too many dark units.  The current plan is 12 x 14, or 168 blocks.  I'm close to my goal.  The blocks finish slightly less than 4 inches.   Can't wait to get it together - the arrangements are endless!

An Exhibition

For the past several months, we've (DH and I) been preparing for a 6 week Exhibition at our local Carnegie Arts Center., (click on current exhibits).   My goodness, how VERY exciting, and we are sharing the pleasure with artist Ron Nordyke, also of Nebraska.  The staff at the Arts Center makes our items look so beautiful!  I cannot believe how well all is coordinated - Paintings, Boats and Quilts.  You may have seen many of my quilts before, but they look 1000 times better, when well displayed -- I can't take any credit for those skills.  Saturday is a reception for US all.   It takes a lot of coordination, work, plans, schedules, e-mails, setting values on items, to get this assembled.  I know we both have been busy with preparations -- I can only imagine the work it takes to keep new exhibitions coming and going.   Thank YOU to all who work on projects such as these.

Here are photos of my/DH items.  Some might be similar to the web page at Carnegie.

DH is dusting just one of the boats.  He has 10 for display.

We climbed around stuff like this for weeks!  

I've made approox. 10 of this Kaleidoscope quilt, but kept my first!   Notice how the boats (lower right) and the paintings are somewhat coordinated!

I brought 10 quilts for display.   

There's a small boat on the small table.   

The colors in the painting are very similar to the colors in the quilt.  Remember, two different makers. 

 I NEVER thought anything could "blend" with this small Log Cabin but sure enough, the painting and the boat look like they were made to be together.  The deer in the painting are standing near water, that morphs into quilt images.  And the small boat looks perfect with the other 2 items. 

 The colors on the boat are definitely the SAME as the painting of Orcas, above.  

The African Queen, with a real working boiler, made by a friend in Iowa.   

Again, painting blends so nicely to quilt. 

This is probably my own favorite quilt.  

We both LOVE this painting - perhaps this is a new one that Mr. Nordyke said he was hoping to paint, when we saw our boat photos.   

Another favorite - "STEPS", meaning naturally, the steps in our lives, good or bad, easy or exciting or calm or not calm.   

My goodness, how this one shines, with all the extra pieces of glass.  

I noticed a lot of combinations of texture.  Fabric, wood, metal, glass, ceramics -- things that just BEG a person to touch.   

 A couple from California had stopped on their way to visit cousins and had questions, comments and were happy they ran into us.  So were we happy to run into them.  8-))  

What an honor to have been asked to present our humble efforts.  Just goes to show, we quilters, and boat builders, and artists are all talented more than we know.  Having our projects displayed in a beautiful location definitely boosts our own self-esteem.

We were asked to write an Artist Statement.  Oh TERROR!  First I had to Google the term to see what might be needed.  But writing it, thinking about why I do what I do, was enlightening and encouraging.  

If you have the chance to display your items, go for it!  We are immensely grateful for this joyful experience.