All Day Sew

Last week, May 19,  another wet heavy snow.  Good grief - spring takes a long time getting here!  Generally, we don't plant petunias or tomatoes until June 1.  We are at high elevation, 4000 ft., which accounts for late snows!  My poor droopy "birthday" Linden tree. 

Below is my finished top, a Split 9-Patch.  I'm loving the final result!  Back to the quilt shop for more batting!  This "system" is a Strip and Slash" by Jackie Robinson. Now, a name for this project of over 3250 pieces!  The value are very rich in person. A blogger (Fat Quarters) taught me how to keep warmth in the light neutrals by adding some pastel pinks, yellows, blues.  

Yesterday was our local All Day Sew and we were working on this design.  Jody made the red one we used for our example - what a great scrap user.  I think this was a free pattern from Blank Quilting called "Hot Flash".  (By the time we were half way done, all of us (10) decided we HAD to make this one for our own use as well!  It's all 2 1/2 strips. 

 One block.  Be careful which way they are cut - easy to cut incorrectly. 

End result was 6 x 7, 12 inch blocks.  Then a plain border, then a checked border and a third plain border.  We managed to get all the blocks together, then sewed the rows together into a top.  Carol took it home to quilt on her long-arm.  This was about 5 hours of work, including lunch time.  We have a talented group of ladies, each of us with various skills and talents.  And yesterday we had a new "joiner" -- 8-)))  Many thanks to our hosts and hostesses, Gene and Nancy.  This quilt will be raffled to support Masons children's programs.  We are all waiting for the tickets - we'll each be first in line! 

 Uh oh, I didn't want to stand on a chair for this photo (below)! 

Birds, Goodbye Loved Avenger, Split 9-Patch

We have been enjoying lots of finches, (blue) buntings that I thought were Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo  Buntings and that brown/black one on the barn feeder is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak.  

No owl these days - we think the little ones might be hatched, and parents are sitting on them, based on dates of several years ago.   Several years ago, I had photos of the new owlets perched on my deck on June 24.

My much loved car (Avenger) is getting traded in.  It is almost 20 years old, I am tearful and sad  with my decision, but it is low and I have to FALL into it, and CLIMB out - very hard on knees, and both actions require a lot of UUMPHF and groans.   8-))  It's been a wonderful, reliable car.  There is little room in back seat for my quilting girlfriends, but someone else is going to have a nice little red car with lots of zoom! 

Split 9-Patch -- this is all the rows put together - looks a little washed out!   It's about 52 by 60 in.  I will add some borders and bring it up to about 60 x 70 in..  

 Perhaps this brick/like print for a narrow border, then this light pinky-orange for 3 or 4-inch border.  The blocks (each HST) finish at 3.75 inches.   There are 3256 pieces in the center.  Wowsa!   I've LOVED making this one, and finding many bits of suitable fabric.  Again, this is called a Strip and Slash design by Jackie Robinson and the 3 or 4th I've made, and the setting is a Split 9-Patch.   

Scrappy and growing Strip and Slash

It's growing - this is my "Design Floor"  This project is a bit over half way lengthwise, and the width is done.  I LOVE how the small pieces, despite the colors used  just blend into each other, especially when one uses small pieces.  There is a seafoam green that pops, and the gold also stands out.  My dark colors are browns, greens, purples, eggplant (maroon) a few checks, a few polka dots, only a bit of blues but no reds.  On the light side, a LOT of plain pastels, pale turquoise, pinks, a few soft oranges and yellows.   I didn't purchase anything for this quilt.   Despite the word "Scrappy", which I ALWAYS make, I do plan my colors and values to some degree, but I am not fussy.  That's me, "not fussy Elaine Adair." 

This is a Strip and Slash, by Jackie Robinson, and as I've previously noted, the entire project is a "method".  I LOVE her pressing plans that ensured the blocks would fit together.  When completed, and putting blocks into rows, it's not possible to have them all pressed perfectly because the options are many.  The pieces are very small -- each block is only 3.75 inches and I have close to 300 ?? HST blocks.

Here are some Quilt Pro options.  I liked the first one, but thought I'd go crazy trying to follow it and the design would be lost on this small quilt.  Second one has several possibilities, but I chose the third (below) because from far away it looks like squares on point, but when close up, the viewer will be drawn closer to see they are all very small pieces that create the illusion, and also because stars appear. 

I'll probably add a border or two.

Blizzard for Mother's Day

Spring  2015 Mothers Day, May 10.  It's somewhat subsided now, Yesterday evening and last night was a real blizzard, preceded by 3 inches of much wanted rain.  The snow accumulated to about 10 inches.  My lawn is/WAS lovely green, poppies WERE about to bloom, I had just weeded some of my gardens, I had been sitting on the deck enjoying bluebirds and finches on the feeder ...

I caused it all, by moving the snow shovel from the deck to the garage a few days ago. 

GREATS, Strip and Slash, GFG (Grandmother's Flower Garden)

We had young guests over the weekend - 2 1/2, and 10.  We are out of practice with little ones!  These are greatgrandkids.

This one  (below) is not a kid -- he is the great grandfather!  totally engaged in a game of rubber band shooting.  I was waiting for "someone" to land on the floor, but nothing critical happened, except that all my rubber bands are gone.  There is a 10 yr. old out of sight in this photo!

OK, now for more "great stuff", here is the beginning of the layout I chose for my latest 300 or so blocks of split 9-patches.  This is an entire "method" from Jackie Robinson, "Strip and Slash".  I've made it 3 times previously.  These blocks are small, about 3.75 inches.  

 and .... I have become addicted, as previously posted.  I think I have 30 rosette blocks so far.  Again, I have to say, these are not as hard as we have been led to believe.  I invested in a paper punch for perfect paper forms, which made the job so much easier and precise.  These hexagons finish at 1 inch (length of each of the 6 sides).    I stuck with a lot of pinks and blues.  Since I am sitting waaay more than I used to, trying to watch/find something decent on TV, I am using my time for something  useful. 

OK, one more thing.  I've had to change browsers from IE to Firefox for posting on this blog.  For some reason, I couldn't "sign out" from my Gmail account to access my Yahoo account which is what I use for Blogger -- just another one of those mysteries.  Thank you to several of you who made that suggestion.  

Today, off to Walmart for a Wi-Fi printer.  Oh dear, another mystery that requires courage!