Factoid #1: It could be Christmas Trees. It could be Easter Trees. It could be Halloween Trees, even though I posed it in a Christmasy setting in a small town in Arizona.
Factoid #2: Started in a small sewing group swap in 2016, it lingered in a bag somewhere in my closet. I found it again this year, and when my friend Lisa finished hers up and prompted me to Get Going.
Factoid #3: The block pattern has been spruced up into a charming new version of itself. Get it yourself by clicking on the Download button:
Factoid #4: This is a great quilt for using the shirt from your husband/boyfriend/son that has worn out. Or your Dad (see different trees from different shirts, below–somehow blue checks are popular).
Factoid #5: These make up fast. What takes the most time is picking out the fabrics. I decided a slim border with a fun binding would finish it off nicely.
Factoid #6: This is the second “holiday-ish” quilt I finished this year. I never seem to get into the mood until Thanksgiving rolls around. Next on the list: order the Christmas Cards. (eye roll)
Factoid #7: Label
Factoid #8: (last one) This is quilt number 296. Four more to go to reach my goal of 300. Then what? (I don’t know. Probably not much will change.)
Have fun choosing fabrics and breezing through a fast quilt–
Other posts about this quilt:
Christmas Tree Block Swap Original Block freebie pattern is here, but it’s gone now. Do yourself a favor and use the new one (download above). However–> Step-by-step directions are found here, if you need them.
Tiny Tree and Teeny Trees — if you want to make little ones, this post gives you instructions for how to make wee quilts that slide over dime-store plastic frames. Again, free pattern.
You’ve seen this quilt in a sketch — before — but here it is finished. In that linked post, I showed all different kinds of ways to color this quilt, and in different sizes, too.
Since this quilter lives far away from me, I can’t show with my hands how big I want the panto to be. So I mock it up on an illustration. (Thanks, Affinity Designer, which is now half-off in price.) I sort of obsess about the right panto for the right quilt; in this one I didn’t want any sharp points, but I didn’t want any curlicues either. In a “what do you think about this quilt design?” discussion, and Carol said “that one works” I felt better about it.
When I opened the box when it was returned to me and unfurled it onto my living floor, I fell in love all over again. In the end, I had the Greek Key design lean to the left, for no apparent reason. You have to call them like you see them.
Last year, I scooped up the backing fabric for a song when our LQS closed (sad sad to see them go), and I ended up loving this bright fresh green against that poppy red fabric.
Many of these blocks were made for me by members of The Gridster Bee; some are missing because of health reasons — theirs or a loved one. I finished up what blocks were missing, and sent it off to my quilter. I started the Gridster Bee several years ago, and when I needed to retire, Patti took it over. This year I joined for one last time. As a thank you, I sent Patti this little badge: she deserved it. (badge from here).
We went over to a favorite place for photos: the exterior entrance of the California Air Resources Board. We had about 6 minutes of sun today and that’s when we snapped these photos. This is quilt number 295 in my Quilt Index. I also get to put it up on my Portfolio of Group Quilts. And I’m thankful for my husband, who gamely goes with me to hold my quilts, and cheers me on.
Twenty-one quilts made with friends: quite a history. Something more to feel grateful for this week.
At first I thought it was a squash patch, but there were the onions. And the carrots. And the cabbage and corn, so I included them all:
Of course, the fabric is by J. Wecker Frisch, which I fell in love with (pattern) and convinced Leisa and Carol to buy, too. Leisa and I sewed the quilts together, then dropped the tops off on Tuesday. The quilter had them back to us by Thursday night — a record. We wonder what we are going to make next, for we are both giving them to our sisters. A quilt this whimsical needs to be gifted.
As I was trying to beat a deadline, I put a machine-stitched binding on it, but the quilt is still very soft and snuggly, due to the very loose density of the quilting. I hope my sister loves using it this coming season. I snapped a photo of the backing while I stitched. I thought these Halloween heads were hilarious. And I loved how well the seaming went on the back — it was a challenge to match up those pumpkins, but I think I did okay.
My sister Susan said she’s going to hang it over her stair rail, so I thought I’d given it a try before it left our house. Halloween in front, summer in the back hanging on the wall. Time to change out the hanging quilt, as tomorrow, what my daughter calls the “bers” will be here: September, October, November, December. But we’ll also have a scorcher of a week, so out here in Southern California, we’re not quite through with summer’s heat.
Quilt #291 • 54″ square
And it’s gone!
And this one waits patiently to be finished.
Soon, soon.
(Too early for pumpkins?)
P.S. The quilt arrived, and is hanging nicely on her stairwell.
Yesterday we went to our town’s Maker Space which was filled with all kinds of machines from sublimation to a movie studio to laser cutters to several 3D printers, and it was on this last enterprise that they decided to train us. We filed into the computer room, filled with all kinds of computers (nice ones!) and opened up the program and started to design. I mean, I tried to design. The plane on which I was creating was wobbling all around, and then it would leave my screen, floating around.
Many of the design tools were like my Affinity Designer at home, but not really. I just couldn’t figure this thing out, even though I was madly clicking and trying. It was then I realized: I have a 2D brain. My final project in my Digital Art class many years ago was titled, Leaving Flatland. I won’t bore you with the details, but that exhibit came back into my mind as I sat at the fancy computer, desperately trying to leave flatland. At the end, I deleted my file of 3D doodles, and we went on a tour of the building. The very next room was a room filled with sewing machines.
Now we’re talking.
(dreaming in color) • Quilt number 289 • 24″ square
I’d been thinking about flat quilts this week, as I kept calling this “the flat houses quilt” while I was working on it. I wanted it to be a smooth 2D plane, where color would be the focus through repeated shapes. Simple. Flat. Repeated. Colorful.
In the 3D world, they did have this concept of printing something to help you print, a circular idea which still is rolling around in my mind. But that’s sort of how my patterns evolve: I am making the quilt as I’m writing the pattern, each process a support and discovery for the other. I originally imagined this as a large wall quilt. And then maybe I wanted it a bit smaller. And smaller yet, to fit a particular corner of my sewing room. And I wanted to try some reverse appliqué. I wanted it to be made in grunge fabrics. And I wanted to be able to make it with the windows >inset< rather than >applied.< By the time I was finished with the quilt, I was finished writing the pattern.
I spent time on three patterns this week:
This one, because it was old and needed a make-over. How old? It didn’t even have the one-inch key on the templates, as I didn’t know how to make that item when I first started out.
This one, because although it was mostly finished when I posted about the quilt last week, I needed to finish it up for someone who asked about it. This has three different sizes and looks.
This one, because it was finished, and I was ready to post about the quilt.
Like many of you, I watched the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies, and like some pundits, declare Mongolia’s outfits far and away more beautiful and interesting than some larger nations’ costumes (like why does the USA always seem to have the same ones, over and over?) I got a kick out of the boats on the Seine, and the various parts that sort of held together with luck and a prayer, but that last song by Celine Dion was incredible, as was the lighting of the cauldron. I loved it all.
The athletes have been featured in many different ads (Sara Blazer for Dior).
I knew it would happen: Christmas prints are finally back to Christmas green and Christmas red, after veering through pink and turquoise and whatever. While it was fun for a while, I’m happy to see these colors come back.
And this kept us on edge this week, too. This roaring fire was too close to my neighborhood and too big, and too fast and frightening. Our city’s firefighters tamed the beast, started by three teens with fireworks. As one boy was running away (as caught by a security camera), he turned and asked “Do you have a fire extinguisher?” The man of the house answered, “You are way beyond that now,” as the kid jumped into a silver pickup with his friends and roared off.
I signed up for a class at our local-yet-national quilt show, Road to California, one where I wouldn’t have to think too much, nor buy too much, nor cart insane amounts of gear: blackwork embroidery.
A friend advertised on Instagram that she was So Done With This Quilt and did anyone want it? I was second in line, and this week it showed up. Absolutely gorgeous work, with every point pristine and every flower in place. I hope I don’t ruin it, but did order pattern and fabric to try and finish it. That will be my winter project.
Quilting, while listening to PBS Newshour, which discussed Biden’s stepping away from the race, and Kamala Harris’ ascension to presidential candidate.
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 