Counting Down the Hours

 In a small effort to clean up in my sewing room I came across a bag of hourglass blocks.  Not too many, and they didn't match anything in particular.  Just perfect for a little scrappy quilt.  Cheri Payne had a sweet little New Year's Eve sew along called this Counting Down the Hours in 2013.  Ten years ago!  It's never too late to sew along, right?  This will make an adorable topper for a small end table, or maybe a perfect gift or give-away.  

Counting Down the Hours 14.5 x 18"

How did I find the pattern?  I was keeping a quilt journal at the time, and sketching quilts that I came across and loved, but didn't have time to make.  It's fun to page through and find just the right thing now for using up these little extra blocks.

Easter Memories

 When I was a toddler, my mother made a grey wool coat and bonnet for me.  Easter time in Minnesota often has cold weather.  The lining she used was a pretty yellow cotton, with bunnies, kittens and teddy bears, and little blue flowers.  

    I found some leftover fabric in my mother's boxes of fabrics after she passed away.  This year that fabric finally found its way into a quilt.   The border was a bit of a problem.  Straight borders just weren't speaking to me.  Finally, I looked at a book on pieced borders for inspiration and the on-point Seminole style blocks were just the thing!  It took a bit of math.  Using different size border strips on the sides vs the top/bottom got everything to come together right.

   

Easter Memories 2023  34.5x38"

Bats and Boos

 Last year the Fat Quarter Shop shared this mystery quilt along.  Such cute little bats and pumpkins!  The fabrics were pulled and pattern printed, but the season passed before I knew it.   I never even got started.  Late this summer I finally got tired of moving the pile of fabrics from place to place in my sewing room.  I pulled it out and got to work.  The purple border was an extra step I added, and it frames the quilt so nicely.   All finished- well in time for Halloween.  All fabrics from my stash too!  (5 1/2 yards worth) 

Bats and Boos 43.5 inches square

Wedding Ring for Jackie and Jeremey

 Yesterday extended families and friends came together to celebrate the marriage of our lovely niece and our new nephew-by-marriage.  What a beautiful day!  You can't have an aunt who quilts without receiving a wedding quilt.  Every stitch made with hopes and prayers for a wonderful life together.

Our niece has always enjoyed skiing, and their new home in Colorado will offer many opportunities for them to continue in the sport.  Fabrics chosen for their quilt kept that in mind.  The blue and white both are snowflake prints.  Navy and grey borders frame a field of single wedding ring blocks.  The pieced  blocks even reminded me of snowflakes.

The pattern was in a 2006 Quilting Block & Pattern-a-Day Calendar by Debby Kratovil.  Coincidentally, the blocks were featured over days that included the bride's birthday.  It was meant to be!

It's not quite queen size in width.  Perfect for cuddling up on the sofa on crisp winter evenings with a cup of hot cocoa.  Love and best wishes to the bride and groom!

Jamestown Landing in progress

 Bonnie Hunter has been a favorite quilt designer of mine for years now.  Every year I try to do one of her designs. They are challenging for me, and it's always interesting to give it my own twist.

For a number of years I've been saving blue and white half-square triangles.  I've also been saving selvage edges from fabric.  Instead of string piecing the neutral blocks on Jamestown Landing, I used neutral selvages.  It certainly gives a similar look, and it was a great way to use up the selvages that I didn't use in my basket weave quilt.  That being said, I'm all done saving selvages!  Three quilts is enough.  I don't think the method of topstitching them together is strong enough to withstand much practical use.  But, I did enjoy giving it a try.

Here's a quick snapshot of Jamestown Landing before I started quilting it up.  The quilting was finished last weekend, and trimming and binding are up next.  I hope to share the finished quilt with you soon.

Valentine Mystery

 Here's a sweet little quilt that seemed to take forever to get the binding handwork done.  I can hardly remember when it was started.  It was the Valentine Mystery sew-along from last February by Kathleen Tracy.  This little cutie finished at 15 1/2" square.  Usually these small quilts are part of my sit-and-wait handwork when I go to doctor appointments, but lately I barely get in three stitches before my name is called. 

A quilt for the June bride

Our niece was married last weekend and I finished their wedding quilt with just two days to spare.  Her favorite color is red, and she wanted a controlled color palate.  Nothing scrappy for her!  Classic and classical are her style.

As I thought about the design I wondered "Where does the time go?  Sand through the hourglass."  It has been a joy to watch her grow and change, and she was a stunningly beautiful bride. Disappearing Hourglass is the pattern I chose for their quilt, in a two-color red and white.

Disappearing Hourglass 92" square

The white fabric has a sweet gray swirl which softens the look of the quilt.  Her bridesmaids wore burgundy red dresses quite similar to the red in the quilt.  I'll call that a win!

While I was sewing their quilt, I was reminded how a marriage and a quilt have some similarities.  As much as I try, on my quilt blocks there are always points that just don't match up right.  But, in the grand scheme of things that doesn't really matter unless the quilt is going to be entered in a competition.  A marriage is NOT is a competition!  Some points won't be perfect, but focusing on those too closely just makes you dissatisfied with the whole thing.  With a quilt, and a marriage, you need to  see it as a whole.  The imperfections become insignificant, the overall beauty is revealed and you see that marriage, like a quilt, is truly a work of art.