Sunday, September 14, 2014

Quilt Process, new awning, train ride

I have been working on this pineapple quilt, now called Hedgehogs in the Daisies.  Named because, I was noticing how "Prickly" it was looking, one of the results of paper piecing.  It began to look like pine cones, but then what would pine cones be doing in Daisies?  So, it became hedgehogs instead.  This project seems to never end!  My blocks are rectangles, I stretched them from squares, and I made the corners different, causing myself all sorts of confusion, eventually solved by drawing colors on the back of each paper.  You might notice, I have continued some of the quilt inside, into the border, so the quilt doesn't just END at the border.  I hope there is some continuity. 

I don't have a photo of the back - oh so cute Hedgehogs!!!!   

The brown triangles (below) are also now extended into the border.  The green/brown triangle is sewn in here, not pressed down (fusible).  It will overlap the double border.   I have used this technique before - this time it is tedious!!! The top and bottom shapes are not the same as the right and left shapes.  I realized that late into the process.  

Efforts to extend the corner triangles into the mitered corner were a failure.  I may revisit that option when the miter is all sewn in - not sure.  Sometimes it's better to stop making more work!

This is not a large quilt.  The little strips are about 3/4 in. finished.  I think the quilt is now about 60 x 70 with the border, maybe less.  


Something new - Our awning over the deck had seen better days.  Gears were seemingly stripped, so, "Call the Man!"  This is a Sunsetter, and was installed by a roofing contractor.  It took weeks, not days to get the finally adjustments made because of unusual rain, downpours, hail, etc.  When you live far from the larger town, contractors don't just run out and finish the job - they come when next they have another job.  

The awning gives us another space when weather is nice.  It's not easy to get a nice photo - perhaps I have to climb the tree!  We always roll it up (manual, not electric) when frequent wind picks up.  


Yesterday, we took a day trip, a train ride on an 1880 train, in Hill City, SD, 3 hours north of our home, through so much open country, then Custer State Park, and more.  There is NO traffic out in the open country!!!  The day was beautiful, scenery lovely, this was a Wine Express, with wines and lunch provided on the train by Prairie Winery.  Lovely!  I was unable to get a photo of the old engine, but what a machine it was, puffing out black smoke as it snaked through rocky spaces, past mountain homes.  We saw many deer and turkey. It was a beautiful fall day, warm and sunny.  Most of the recent snow was gone.


8 comments:

  1. That quilt is going to be beautiful!

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  2. I love everything about your quilt--the design, the colors, the name!! You do love a challenge, don't you? : )
    The train ride looks delightful! A couple of hours from our home they have the Heber Creeper--a similar train ride through some beautiful countryside and along a lake--but no wine.

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  3. Good luck with the challenges your quilt is presenting -- love the story of the name!

    That train ride would have been such fun!

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  4. A Prairie Winery train ride, how special is that? I love a glass of wine with a nice meal. Your pineapple is almost done, good for you!

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  5. The quilt looks like a lot of work! Love the name. We need an awning like that as we have a patio with no cover, and wouldn't want a cover there all the time blocking the light. The train ride would be fun! It's good to get out for something special once in a while!

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  6. Oh my! That quilt is a lot of work! I love it! I would love to see it close up. Good call with the hedgehog name!

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  7. Love the quilt and the name! You always do such interesting things with your borders.

    Having been immersed in all things 19C for a while, I'm loving the train ride you took, that had to be fun! A real taste of the show "Hell On Wheels"!

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  8. You make the most striking quilts. Love it!

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