Saturday, July 27, 2013

My Tree Quilt


This week my kids watched a bunch of TV, ate picnics outside (because the table was covered in fabric!) and my house looks like a tornado hit it, but I made a quilt in one week!  I had planned to enter this quilt into the State Fair and realized Tuesday that the due date was this Saturday not next Saturday!  I didn't think it was possible, but I finished it and turned it in with 15 minutes to spare.  :)  


I am loving it.  I think tree quilts are my thing.  I think it is the only type of quilt I have made multiple times.  The original Tree Quilt, the Baby Tree Quilt, the Commissioned Tree Quilt and now My Tree Quilt. 


 I quilted it by writing the names of different trees across the quilt.  More closeups later.  The backing was some vintage cloth from my friend's grandmother's stash.  In fact, I didn't have to buy anything for this quilt, which was good because I didn't have time to run into town.  :)  The cut down tree was the idea of my friend Eva-Marie.  I love it!


I also turned in my circle of geese block for the Quilt Block competition.  I reduced the pattern by 75% so that it met the 9.5 inch size requirement.  I love this pattern!   Wanting to make a circle of geese block was what motivated me to learn how to paper piece last year.

Now I am going to take a deep breath, relax and clean the house.  ;)

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Random Bits and a Craftsy Sale


Well, we have been busy with swimming lessons (last one today!), gardening (lots of blanching and freezing today!) and birthdays (three!) over here.  It doesn't leave much time for sewing (sad) but I played around and made this log cabin block last week.  I never get tired of log cabin blocks.  Really good classics never get old.  :)


And just so you know, Craftsy is having a Sweet Summer Sale on select classes through June 21st.  Classes start at $9.99! Not too shabby.  I hope you are having a sweet summer!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Just Because...


I feel like I have a million sewing things that I should be working on, but yesterday I took some "me" time and stitched up this star.  It seems like forever since I have made any quilt blocks and I was glad to see that I hadn't completely lost my touch.  :)


A tutorial for this block can be found at Fresh Lemon Quilts.  
The fabrics are from Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet collection.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Pella

Well, there hasn't been any sewing happening around here, but we went on a fun "field trip" yesterday to Pella, Iowa.  It was founded in the 1850's by a group of 800 Dutch settlers looking for religious freedom.

We toured the working windmill that the town built in 2002.  Very cool.



And toured a bunch of old homes in the Historical Village.  My big question was "Why are old sofas so short and small?  Were people so much smaller?  Smaller homes?  The 1890's sofas were "modern sized."  Any one know?  


I loved the colors and patterns in this carpet.  Wouldn't it be a great inspiration piece for an applique quilt?


I love this log cabin with it's flower garden!  But I just have to get something off my chest:  Why do people insist on having crazy quilts in pre-1880's historical homes?!?  Don't they know that crazy quilts weren't made until the 1880's and that it is going to bug me to death and that I will have to tell my children that the quilts aren't right for the time period represented?  And thank goodness that no one else was in the cabin or else they would have had to hear about it too....  Anyway....  :)


 Pella is a wonderful little town with beautiful architecture and we had a great time visiting.  My children even pointed out a cute little quilt shop!  Then moaned when we went in.  Aleah gives it (or leaving it?) two thumbs up.

I hope you are all having a great summer!  And Happy 4th of July to everyone in the United States!