Back to Basics

I often wonder why we do the things we do.  My husband once described quilting as the act of cutting up prefectly good fabric to sew it back together again, what's the point?  I see it a whole different way.  I find quilting therapeutic and very rewarding.  One of the struggles I have always and still have is accuracy. I find miniatures are a way for me to work on the basics of quilting, accurate cutting and pressing make all the difference.  I am not always as successful when it comes to larger projects, probably why I have moved to applique and hand piecing more as of late.  So when I set a side a day to tackle a mini, it is always a very satisfying endeavor.  Not only do I get to work on my skills, but I end up with a miniature version of a quilt on my bucket list, which is way to long to ever complete. 

 

Klosjes

I have had a klosjes quilt on the back burner for awhile now.  I work on it when I travel or I just want to do some hand stitching.   So I am spending some time basting these blocks so that I can turn under the edges and applique them onto a  background block.  It is mindless stitching, but I still enjoy it.  This is the kind of project that you work on here and there and before you know it you have another quilt top, although this one is still pretty much in the beginning stages.

 

Slow Stitching Continues

Progress is being made! I almost completed the two long sides of the quilt, so hopefully I can get all the rest of the blocks finished in the next couple of weeks.  Then I will go back and start the background quilting. I think a double forty-five degree lines about an inch apart will suffice.  I guess I should also start thinking about what fabric I will use for the binding!

Amish Garden

Taryn over at Reproduction and Antique Quilt Lover blog is hosting a cheddar give away. She is asking bloggers to post a pic of a favorite doll size quilt. I have made a few over the years, but this little amish quilt has to be my favorite. So if you are a miniature or doll quilt lover and want a chance to win some solid cheddar fabric go over and link up with her blog.  There is still a lot of space available on my mini wall and I think my Amish Garden would love being next to a cheddar mini.

Slow stitching but making progress

I am still stitching away on my peony quilt. I am currently working on block 14.  I have nine of the twelve alternate blocks finished, they have taken the longest since I am doing the double feathered wreaths on them.  The stitching gets a bit easier when the center gets done and you get to work around the outside.  Of course, I will need to go back to add the background stitching, but I feel I am making good progress. I am linking to Kathy's Quilts blog so if you are wanting to see what some others are doing follow the link.

Combining two of my favorite things African violets and Quilting

One of my favorite things to do is follow blogs about quilting.  Last week someone (sorry I can’t remember which blog) posted a picture of their african violet on top of a quilt.  That got me thinking about the window in my bathroom that has the perfect lighting for my african violets.


So I decided to use the color of the african violets to make a window sill runner to go under the pots and brighten the ledge a bit.  I decided to make easy little nine patches, and I always love blocks turned on point so why not.  Well it ended up taking quite a bit of time to draft it all and get it put together, but I really think the extra time was worth it!

A star is born!

 
Being the frugal quilter that I am, I had to decide what to do with a box of scraps.  The strips were all under two inches wide, but it seemed wasteful just to pitch them.  I decided to turn them into beautiful stars.  I used Bonnie Hunter's website for inspiration!  She does so many wonderful  things and offers so much support and ideas for quilters.  I used old telephone book pages as my foundation.  I also used Bonnie’s leader and ender method to work on these all summer long.  Once I get all the stars assembled, it will be time to applique them to the background fabric.   I love the way my first star turned out, all the scraps of fabric really make it sparkle.

Peony Quilt

I started quilting this quilt last week. I wasn’t able to stitch every night, the beginning of the week was a bit warm, too warm to be under a wool quilt.  However, the weather did change drastically and now I am thankful to be covered by it in the evening while I work on it.  I have eight blocks finished. There are 32 full size blocks, 14 setting triangles, and four corners that all need quilting. I really enjoy stitching everyday, and if you want to see what some others are doing you can visit Kathy's Quilts.