WIP

Stacks of Fabric–WIP

Elizabeth E.5 Comments

I’m still working on my Lollypop Trees.  Now that’s a Work in Progress.

I also have two Bee blocks to think about: Krista’s wonky houses.  I have an idea or two for those, but this is a very cool mosaic that she put together for us.  Now that’s another skill I need to learn.

And this one intrigues me.  It’s a Cloak and Dagger block by Judy Martin.  I found it in someone else’s book, and it’s dated 1983.  I have done major searches on this pattern and have turned up nothing.  That’s the blind spot of the internet.  We assume everything is on here.  It isn’t–just everything from about ten years ago, or maybe even fifteen.  But 1983?  That’s practically the Dark Ages in Web 2.0. But like I said in my last post, the internet did save me ultimately, and I found the book on Amazon.

Still no progress on any of my Cross-X blocks.  Those Lollypop Trees have taken all my time.

Lee, of Freshly Pieced fabrics is taking a long summer break.  Click *here* to return to see others’ works in progress, hosted by Amy from Sukie Don’t You Know Who I Am?

Quilts

Quilting Resource–Judy Martin

Elizabeth E.2 Comments

With all the modern quilts flooding the blogosphere, it’s good to remember some of the more traditional quilters that have been around for a long time.  Judy Martin is one of those.  I’ve frequented her site over the years, because she always has a free block of the month, or quilt of the month for us to download.

So while I may say “traditional” I think this one–Posts and Rails, the block and quilt that are up there now–read very modern.  She also has a list of her patterns that takes up 28 pages, and has one of my current favorites: Cloak and Dagger, which I saw in a Roberta Horton book.  From Judy’s list, I found out which book it was in, hopped on Amazon (it’s way out of print) and was able to pick it up so I can have the pattern.

I have several of Judy Martin’s books (she has a publishing company) and they always have great designs, which are drawn in full color.  She also has many quilts for sale for very reasonable prices, if you are interested in that.

Here’s one called Big Sky Log Cabin, and she made it by leaving off the last two logs of a Log Cabin block.  I think this also fits into the modern quilt sensibility, if that’s your bend.  I also think of her as a master of stars and star combinations, which I love.  Even though I have not ever made a completely “Judy Martin” quilt, I have used her block ideas in swaps and in sampler quilts.  She’s another one of those masters in the quilt world who I have learned from.

Quilt Bee

First Far Flung Bee Blocks

Elizabeth E.3 Comments

I mailed off my first Far Flung Bee block to Australia, and she’s received it!

Essie wanted Bear’s Paw blocks, and she posted a great tutorial on her blog.  Here’s my first one.

And here’s the second.  She wanted to make a quilt for her newborn son, so I chose juvenile prints for her blocks. This one is a really old Alexander Henry fabric.  That’s the other fun thing about our Bee–we’re using fabrics from our own stash so our quilts will be scrappy and fun.

Books · Finishing School Friday

Back Among the Lollypop Forest: Blocks 5 and 9

Elizabeth E.4 Comments

I like this part of the Lollypop Tree blocks the best: laying out the color scheme in those great big petals.

The part I like the least, in the cutting and choosing category, is the little circles all around.  I chose Block Five to start back in again, because there only a few circles and they were all jumbo.

Block Ten, as labeled in the pattern, has a few more circles. (I call this my block nine.) But two down, seven to go.  I’ve got to stop now and get the binding on the gingham quilt (which STILL doesn’t have a proper name) in order to tuck away a few loose ends before the arrival of Barbara and grandchildren.  I went to JoAnn’s yesterday and bought two more boxes of applique pins.  Since my goal this summer is to get these blocks all cut and pinned, and it’s taking one box for two blocks, I may be running there again–or else I’ll resort to the wicked long pins which stab you a lot when you’ve got it under the machine–or maybe pin with the stabbers, then change out.  Playing it by ear.

And what book propelled me through these last couple of days?

On Canaan’s Side, by Sebastian Barry.

A lovely quote: “Bill is gone. What is the sound of an eighty-nine-year-old heart breaking? It might not be much more than silence, and certainly a small slight sound.”  Narrated by an elderly woman, it is her story, and the story of the people she loved.  I listened to this intently as not only is the story interesting and well-told, the language and imagery is inventive and descriptive.

I thought of my own mother, and the people she’s said good-bye to.  And her mother, and then her grandmother, who came over from England, leaving that land behind forever.  I guess all of our lives could be an interesting novel, if only the right author told our story.  And this story is told by exactly the right author.

I loved listening to it, as the narrator gave shade and color to the characters, perfectly intoning the Irish inflection, as well as the Greek shopkeeper in the later section.  It’s not a long novel to listen to–only 7+ hours–a relief after the last one I listened to, which was fifteen-plus hours (with irritating piano music off and on).