Credit where Credit is Due

A number of bloggers have asked about "Earthy Stars," a previous post, and I did not include appropriate credit -- this is really a big 'no-no' to me -- but I was so caught up in the nitty-gritty details of posting, I totally forgot.

For few days, I couldn't even FIND the book (am I the only one?) even though I faithfully alphabetize them -- group them in like kinds, but some are next to or under the bed, some in the bookcase, some next to the TV, a few loaned out, some buried in fabric, or a wanna-be project, and one original book, that I actually bought a SECOND COPY because I was positive I had left it at a fabric shop, was found 6 months later under my car seat, where there is NO SPACE, except for one book!

Lo and behold, I found the sought-after book, properly alphabetized, exactly where it should be -- who knew I actually WAS that organized?

I wish I could say "Earthy Stars" was my own idea but NO .. but DID make some minor changes. It is from a book by Evelyn Sloppy, "40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts" and is called "Sew Scrappy," made by Marge Springer, 2003. The book is from That Patchwork Place, and includes a number of neat scrappy quilts. I have another one of her ideas already paper clipped, and fabric purchased -- if I can find where I put it ...

Out in Left Field, and Earthy Stars DONE!

Out in Left Field
This quilt is from a pattern where you make the blocks oversized, then chop them to size – this procedure definitely appealed to me - so much so, that I made 3 others within several months, and then gave a workshop for our quilt guild. For whatever reason, this one reminds me of a baseball field, hence the name.

The blocks are oversized, then trimmed wonky, with a 6 ½ inch square ruler. Everything that is trimmed off is later put back together on a separate border, which is machine quilted heavily, and THEN sewn back onto the quilt. I LOVE all the various shapes that show up in the border - there is no predicting what the quilt will look like, until it’s done! My kind of quilt! I LOVE the surprise aspect.

This is a “Confusion Quilt,” by Debbie Bowles, of Maple Island Quilts. The first time I saw her on Simply Quilts, I ordered the pattern the same day - her example electrified me with enthusiasm. When it came to choosing fabric, I had to trust her judgment with lights, mediums, and darks because I absolutely could NOT imagine the end product. While it was not technically a ‘mystery’ quilt, the end was going to be a mystery! What fun this was!


Earthy Stars DONE!
I showed this some time ago, as a WIP, and it doesn’t look a whole lot different, except that it’s done! Those double rows of HST were not easy, since they had to line up exactly across from each other. I had visions of hand quilting this project, but my time ran out, and it’s a gift for someone who will not know hand quilting from machine quilting, so... machine quilting it is! I might still make another one, hand quilted, for me ... oh yeah, I already have over 50 others in the house, for me ...

I am still having problems figuring out how to modify borders such as this (the plain light border), when the last row MUST be a definite size. Something about measuring the width of the quilt (finished or unfinished?), divide by 2, and then my eyes glaze over. I’ve only been quilting 25 years, you would think I could soak that solution into my brain. Note my ‘creative’ center in each HST on the 2 borders – another one of those ‘I shoulda planned better’ moments.

Coming along

I ran out of fabric ... because I didn’t quite know my plan with my original purchase until I ‘got there.’ Then, I expected a week or more delay while my written request to the out-of-town fabric shop was processed. Was I surprised when I received my order in 3 days! So, back to work tomorrow with a wide border, then ... I don’t know what after that..

The border has taken me some time. The triangles are made from the trimmings of the pseudo flying geese. Note the center spacer in each border. I had to do some fiddling where they meet in the middle. I’ve learned to start at the ends, and work towards the middle. If I had figured more precisely with the first narrow green strip, I wouldn’t have run into that problem, but ... do you ever enjoy boxing yourself into a corner and then enjoy solving the problem?

Now, even though I’ve been quilting many years, those spacers threw me. It WAS early in the AM, and no kidding, I messed up 5-6 times before I did it correctly. Something about lights being on, but nobody home? Some days are like that.

Renewed Energy and Earthy Stars

After two weeks on ‘slow’ with dental discomfort, and 2 days recovering from tooth extraction, I am now burning with new-found energy. Today I worked for several hours on this project. It’s from a book by Evelyn Sloppy whose projects are all very tempting. The half square triangles salvaged from the quick corners will be used in one of the borders. I LOVE the ‘almost flying geese.’ Generally I use bright, highly contrasting colors, but I think I was successful in muting them, and then adding sparkles of color. I only purchased the background and the dark green star point fabrics. The little squares already in my stash sure didn't use up much fabric!

This is for a relative of my husband who likes earth colors. I have not mentioned I’ve started it, because well, you know, sometimes the quilt just doesn’t ‘do.’ However, I think this one is working very well. The colors inside the stars had to blend with the star points.

See the blocks at the right? They were supposed to go in the center of each star (and they were supposed to be random colors) , but turned out too colorful. This quilt is coming along nicely, and is inviting hand quilting. It may be hard to give it away if that is the route I take. I love to hand quilt in the winter, with a quilt draped over me while winter winds blow. We live in Western Nebraska - the winter winds ALWAYS blow!

Thanks so very much to those of you who have visited my page and left me comments or messages. I appreciate you all very much. There are various methods for me to respond to each of you but I haven't figured all that out either. So far, I cannot decode how to get Googled, or whatever the method might be to get noticed. Another day ...

Fresh corn-on-the-cob for supper. Yeahhhh!

Peace,
Elaine Adair