HQ Day 79 - Brimfield Block

Finished my first English Paper Pieced Brimfield block today while sewing on the back porch with my good friend Darlene.  I plan to make 20 of these blocks.  I am thinking a dark green background, but really still pondering over that.

HQDay 78 - Secret Garden Thread Keeper

 My newest project, designed by Katrina Hadjimichael, is a thread keeper.  The front and back are hand embroidered

 I did substitute magnetic snaps instead of the string ties in the pattern.  Unfortunately for me, my spools of Coats and Clark threads are too stubby and round to fit in the pockets.  I can get them in the pockets, but they are tight and difficult to get out.  So fortunately, for Darlene, this will be a gift to her for her Gutermann threads which fit it perfectly.  I did talk, via on-line messaging, with Katrina about how it did not fit my spools, but then I should have realized this would be the case when I was making it.  She suggested making only 4 pocket on each side and that would give room for the stubby spool. 

I am thinking I might just make a second one, with four rows of pockets, more to the size of my spools.  I could have two rows on each side just have to make the holder a little deeper.  I might even do EPP blocks instead of the embroidery. 

Katrina also suggested pulling a thread from each spool through the mesh and that way would not have to take the spool out.  An interesting modification.

Whatever I do, it was a fun project to do and I think I will make another for my applique threads.

HQ Day 72 - Granny's Garden Folder Cover

Today I completed a Granny's Garden Folder Cover, a pattern by Katrina Hadjimichael.  This is one of the patterns she is offering on-line workshops for and I had so much fun making it.  One thing I learned is that notebooks sold in Australia vary in dimensions from those sold in USA.  I would have thought they were the same around the world as I am sure the manufacturers probably export them to other countries.    Katrina helped me understand how to make the adjustments based on my dimensions, and it came out just right.  This will now become my English Paper Piecing project notebook - first up is the Brimfield Quilt .

Each of the flowers is English Paper Pieced then appliqued to the cover front and back. The quilting on the front and back is hand quilted and the spine and flaps are machine quilted.

Front

Back

Inside flap

Spine

HQ Day 70 - My 70th Birthday !

This is so ironic.  Today is my 70th birthday and wouldn't you know, it is also the 70th day of home quarantine.

The bluebird fabric was given to me by Darlene, my sister of the heart.  She knows how much I love Bluebirds.  They remind me of my Momma, who collected Bluebird plates, which I now have many of, and Momma always said that Bluebirds bring happiness.  These Bluebirds are even acrobatic - some flying upside down.  Appropriate for my topsy-turvy Coronaville.

For Day 69 I made a haunted house.  The Casper I downloaded off the internet  - my house has a friendly ghost.  There are bats flying around in the attic though, thanks to a quilting friend in NC, Elizabeth F. 

HQ day 62 - Coronaville Topsy-turvy

This morning I decided to get my Coronaville and my Seasonal Temperature Quilt caught up.  It amazes me sometimes how fast these days seem to go for me, you would think they would just drag by.  Today is 8 weeks, 6 days of quarantine.  My friend Darlene gave me some fabric scraps with birds and I had a couple in my stash, so I made a bird house today.  I will use some of the other pretty fabrics with birds in future houses.  I have to search my stash for a cardinal, I think I have some Christmas fabrics with cardinals.

I watched some of the hearings yesterday with the health care folks, and its makes me feel like things are just going topsy-turvy.  Between our economists, our health scientists, our government leaders and our family/friends...how do you know who's advice to take??  I try to find a sensible approach to this crazy world and have decided my quarantine will last until I feel safe going out.  Right now, SC is re-opening, maybe Phase 1 opening, but number of cases and deaths continue to rise.  And now the scare about the children and I sure do not want to take a chance giving the virus to my grandchildren.  I am ok staying at home and I do get to see my grandchildren, although they have been instructed not to give hugs and kisses.  My hair is almost to my shoulders now, longest it has been in quite awhile. 

Looking at my Coronaville blocks on my design wall, I decided it was too orderly and organized - so I came up with a new layout.  I call it Coronaville Topsy-Turvy and will do my whole quilt like this.  I will have to come up with a little square to put in the middle.  Still not sure how many blocks will be in a row.  I guess it will depend on how many houses I end up with. I may put a little sashing between the blocks - but then I may not. 

HQDay 57 - Pineapple Punch Table Runner

Well today has been a somewhat quiet relaxing day.  Spent the morning in the kitchen making a pot of vegetable beef soup and then giving my refrigerator a thorough cleaning. When that was enough of not-so-fun stuff to do.  I spent the rest of the day completing a Pineapple Punch table runner, using the Pineapple Punch blocks designed by Katrina Hadjimichael.  It was part of her first month of on-line classes, actually the last class of the month and now all my projects are finished.  That is a good thing as the second round of classes has begun.

I never have understand the best way to take a picture of a table runner, so here are two different  views.  H,mmmm, neither looks too great, but I do like the way it turned out.  Guess it is time to take down the Winter decor in the house and put up Spring.  With this virus, I just have not felt like taking down the quilts and other Winter things to change out with the lighter color Spring.  Maybe tomorrow will be the day.  I still have Christmas plates on display in the dining room!

HQ Day 55 - Coronaville - Construction Boom

Wow, my Coronaville Village is growing bigger than I thought it would.  I originally started with enough blocks for 46 houses and thought that would be plenty.  Well tomorrow will be 8 weeks, 56 blocks!

Some special houses are cropping up. I hear there are plans in the work for a Haunted house and a bird house.  Gonna be an interesting village.

Animal House

Nut House

Green House

HQ45 - Pemberley quilting

Today is the 45th day in Home Quarantine.  I spent my morning quilting on Pemberley - finished one of the corner blocks and have three more of these big blocks along the border to do.  There are 16 of the big blocks and I was hoping to complete the hand quilting before my guild's quilt show in September.  These stay at home days have given me the time to almost all of the blocks completed, but now the guild has cancelled the quilt show.

While I quilted, I listed to My Dear Hamilton on audible.  Its the story of his Alexander Hamilton's wife, Eliza (Betsy)Schulyer Hamilton.  I do enjoy listening to books while I quilt, much more than music or watching tv.  I just finished listening to America's First Daughter, (about the daughter (Martha, Patsy, Jefferson Randolph) of Thomas Jefferson. Odd that Eliza was called Betsy and Martha was called Patsy.  I guess Betsy could come from Elizabeth, but her name was Eliza.  Not sure how they got Patsy out of the name Martha.

 I find that historical novels make learning history much more interesting.  Just have to take into consideration that many times the stories have been embellished. Both of these books were written by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie.  The authors provide clarification in the end of the embellishments they made and why.

HQ Day 44 - Lone Star / Rose Star

Today I decided to work on my Lone Rose Star quilt.  This has been a difficult one for me to name.  Basically its a Lone Star quilt, and I have EPP'ed some Rose Star blocks to encircle the Lone Star....so I call it my Lone Rose Star, but then there are multiple Rose Stars.  Hmmm...I may have to change this name.

I debated on the layout of the star point so I took two pictures:

I decided to send the pictures to two friends (Darlene and Brenda ) and get their opinion.  I was so glad they picked the one that in my mind I had already chosen, the one where the center is yellow - pink - green.

Today I got it put together and laid it out to see how the Rose Stars will look.  I still have to square it up, add a border the same as the background so that the stars will fit and make one more Rose Star.  I actually have two more Rose Star blocks, but I made them before I decided on the grey background and both of those stars have grey on the out edge and just get lost in the background. 

The assembly of this quilt top was a real challenge for me with all the Y seams.   Its not as wrinkly as it looks in the picture as I have it laid out on a sheet and could not pull it tight.  Once I get the borders on , I will be able to pull the stars away  from the Lone Star a little bit and maybe that will give it a little better look. 

HQ Day 42 Wild Rose Duchess Table Topper

Is it possible that it has been a week since my last post????  These days are going by faster than I thought.  I lose total track of what day of the week it is and my goodness it has now been 6 weeks.
I thought I would have a lot more done in 6 weeks, but then I didn't factor in making masks, fixing hubby breakfast, lunch and supper, and cleaning projects in my projection of all I would finish. 

 This is my Wild Rose Duchess table topper that I completed last night.  This was a on-line workshop being sponsored by Kristina Hadjimichael.  It was a fun one, but also several new things I learned in making this topper.  I think I put my binding on a little too tight as the topper puckers a little...but I can live with that.

Next project pineapple blocks which I love to paper piece.  I spent at least two hours gathering fabrics from my stash.  Had to rob several project boxes where I had set aside fabrics for future or current project, but gotta do what is necessary when fabric stores are closed.

HQ DAYS 32, 33, 34 35 - Pinning Technique

Well this post will cover 4 days activities.  Days 31, 32, 33, and 34 were spent making face masks, primarily for a local hospital.  I took a little break yesterday afternoon and this morning to get my Coronaville and Temperature Quilt caught up.  This afternoon I will get back into the mask mode and make some for a local volunteer fire department that contacted one of my friends with a need for face masks.  This is sure making a dent in my fabric stash :) which pleases me.

 This is the 5th full week I have been in Home Quarantine, or I guess I should say the current reference Stay-At-Home.  I don't actually have "the virus", so not quarantine I guess.  But I like the HQ term so will continue to use it.

My block 35 is the purple house with red door and yellow roof.  I am enjoying picking out fabrics from those I have pre-cut to make my houses - and trying to keeps color balance through out the quilt.  I have them all on my design wall and I am afraid I may need a bigger wall before this is all over.  Right now, they are saying in SC it may be June before we can start moving about.  The "elderly" \, which I am considered one, may be asked to stay home longer than others.  But that's ok - that is the way it started, and I sure do not want to get the virus or give the virus to any of my friends and family.

My Seasonal Temperature Quilt is coming along nicely.  Spring blocks have the green between the temperature blocks and this green fabric makes me happy.

I know I have talked about how I have learned to pin my quilts in the past, but today when joining one temperature row to another, I thought about it again and decided to share it again.  My dear friend Darlene (who I sure miss spending time with) taught me to pin at a diagonal when I want to match seams. This allows you to sew right up to the seam before pulling the pin out and works fantastically, especially since I press my seams open - and flat.  I have also started pinning straight edges sideways - this way I do not have to worry about the raw edges being even and can sew right past the needle without hitting it. 

One thing I have learned is to push the pin through twice and it won't come loose while you are sewing.  For years I only did it once, and on long seams the pins would work their way out.

 I am taking an on-line class with Katrina Hadjimichael and noticed that she pins straight on the seam line, rather than perpendicular to the seam.  She then removes the pins as she gets to them.  It's always interesting to me to see the ways people do things differently, which is one reason I enjoy workshops.  I had signed up for a Mexican Star workshop that was scheduled for April, and sadly has been postponed.  I sure do miss spending time with my quilting friends.

HQ Day 31 - Quilting on the porch

A continuation of my earlier post.   Our power went off at 8:45 last night, and came back on at 1:30 today.  When I see on facebok all the damage done to trees and homes of some of my friends, I feel so fortunate that all we had to deal with was a loss of power.  Thankfully, no injuries or loss of life - Praise God.

I spent most of my morning sitting on my front porch and enjoying the beautiful blue sky, cool breeze and birds chirping so happily.  Saw my neighbors going up and down the road, many of whom I have not seen since this Stay-At-Home started and even had a chance to chat with some when they stopped and talked from their car.

The lighting was so nice outside, I could sit in the shade and hand quilt with a soft light on my quilt.  I had gone to Bojangles and gotten coffee, and stayed out on the porch for several hours.  It was right about the time the sun started eating up my shade and I decided to go inside that the power came back on.  So I spent the rest of the afternoon ironing binding for masks and cutting out a few more to work on in the morning. 

HQ Day 31 - Til the Storm Passes By

One of my favorite gospel songs by the Gaithers is Til the Storm Passes By.  I tried to copy a link to a YouTube of them singing this song, but could not get it to work.  Last night we had a bad storm and today all the power is off...has been off since 8:45 last night.  Lots of wind, lightening, thunder, and darkness last night and I thought of this song.  We are in a storm of many things these days,  but this morning when I got up, still dark but gradually the sun arose, the birds sang and the storm had passed by.  Power is still off, but that makes everything still, quiet. My heart is at peace as I see it as a reminder that this storm in the world will also pass by.

I did not make this quilt, but pulled the picture off the internet (Etsy)  This is a Storm at Sea quilt  - pattern offered by Generations Quilt Pattern

‘Til the Storm Passes By

Gaither Vocal Band

In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face

While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place

'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try

For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"

But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise

Where the storms never darken the skies

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

HQ Day 30 - Happy Easter

It sure did not feel like Easter to me when I got up this morning, but then my daughter called and wanted to know if I would take a picture of her family around the cross .

And when I came back in the house, I had a message from my other daughter and her family at their family cross.

I did not hear from my son, but I am sure they were at their church this morning.  At their church the congregation gathers in the parking lot, everyone stays in their cars, and they listen to the service together over the radio.

I am so blessed and so thankful for my family and for God's loving grace.

Hq Day 29 - Sherbet Fizz Cushion

It is hard to believe it has been 4 weeks since I started staying at home, not going to see friends, not going out to eat, not visiting with my family, not going to church. But today is Day 29 and here are my 29 houses in Coronaville.

I just heard on the evening news that China is experiencing a resurgence of the virus as people return home from other countries, and as the people of China have started returning to their normal lives.  That is soooooooooo scary.

Today, I worked to complete a pillow called Sherbet Fizz, design by Kathrina Hadjimichael.  This was the first class she is offering on line.  I am already behind in the second lesson which hopefully I can start working on tomorrow.

I had to order the rickrack and it arrived yesterday.  I have it finished now, but I had to order a pillow form today .  This pillow is made from the same fabrics I am making a Lone Star Quilt, with includes EPP Rose Star blocks.  The pillow measures 20" square and I think it will make a nice pillow to put on the bed with quilt.
I like the braid so much that I might use that as a border for the quilt.