LABEL AND BACK MADE

I started piecing the leftovers together for the back for Abracadabra and then decided I wanted a more plain backing.

So, I went to Pacific Fabrics on 4th and looked at every piece of cotton fabric there yesterday.

I started on the flat fold table because they are cheaper and funkier and was shocked that everything was $8.48 a yard.  I guess I haven't been paying attention - that seems expensive to me!

I couldn't find anything, of course, and moved on to the upholstery fabrics and then to the quilting fabrics.

I found one I sorta liked in the upholstery fabrics at $21.48 a yard. But at only 54" wide that seemed very expensive.

So on to the quilting cottons.  Nothing seemed just right, but I settled on a greyish, greenish overall that would work at $12.78 a yard.  Yikes.  I bought 4 yards of that and another 1/2 yard of the plain green to use for binding and a spool of green thread to use for quilting.  The total was over $78 dollars.

What happened to my plan to not buy more fabric and use up my stash?

I made a label and pieced together the back and now it's all ready to pin.

You can see the plain grey allover print in the corners.  I had to add a little bit to make the four yards big enough, so I did use up some of the leftovers.  There's a big cross on the back, with the label where they meet.

SOLSTICE QUILT CHALLENGE

I was intriqued by Pat Sloan's Solistice Quilt Challenge.  I've had this bundle of flannel plaid fat quarters in blues (Moda) for years and years now.  I think they are just perfect for this.  I took them out of their hiding place and washed and ironed them.  And here we go.  Pat is going to post a block each Wednesday between Winter Solistice and Summer Solstice, 26 weeks in all.

There will be 25 blocks and a setting.  I hope I have enough fabric!

First two blocks:

Week 1  - Churn Dash

Week 2 - Day into Night (I love this block!)

FOUND RED QUILTS

This morning in my studio, I noticed a project box with what I thought were red fabrics in it.

I know several years ago, we all collaborated and exchanged a bunch of red fabric squares.

I was thinking it might be fun to start thinking about doing something with those squares.

When I opened the box, I was surprised to see two quilt tops in there along with a few leftover red fabric pieces.

Sometimes having a really poor memory makes for some interesting surprises.

CINCINNATI QUILT ON THE WALL

I finished the last few blocks this last week.

I could hardly wait until today to put them up on the wall.

I have more than enough, even after I use some of them for half-blocks.

It took me a little over an hour to put them up and move a few around.

Now I need to start sewing the rows together.

BABY QUILT DONE!

I got the quilting finished Tuesday (woke up in the night with my right arm totally asleep - aarrgg).  Got the binding on and hand stitched it down while watching TV the last couple of days.

Here it is, finished and ready to go...

I made the binding before I could finish the back so I'd know how much of this fabric I could use on the back.

All pinned and being quilted

hand made label for the back

Here it is - finished!

BABY QUILT TOP FINISHED

Another almost full day working on this and I 've got the top finished.

I was sewing together two rows at a time - chain piecing them and taking the pieces off the wall two at a time.  It's a good system that works for me.

Of course, with an odd number of rows I end up having to do the last of them as a group of three.  So, I have to label them or I get confused.  Even then I have to pay attention and keep checking that I'm sewing the pieces onto the proper rows.

Here's the completed top.  It's still a little too wide.  I'll add a strip to the back with the leftovers and it will be fine!

I COUNTED!

Maybe I shouldn't have, but I counted the blocks I have made so far.

102.

I haven't been posting pictures of my completed blocks, but I've been making them all along.

I need about 110 (some of those will be half-blocks), and I have 4 more hexie patterns to go.

BABY QUILT STARTED

I need to make a baby quilt for my nephew and his wife who are expecting a boy in January.

I bought the fabric quite a while ago.  It's been washed and waiting.

Since I'm into equilateral triangles lately I decided to do another one.

Yesterday I cut out almost all of the triangles.

I finished cutting the triangles this morning, and then after lunch I put together a few rows.

After I got a few rows together I measured it up against the back and the top was wider than the back.  I don't get it - I measured and figured and still got something wrong.

I'll figure it out some other time.  Right now I can't argue with it, it is what it is.

So, I removed the light green outside half triangles and cut down the first triangle on each side.

Now it is the right size.  I'm so confused.  Each triangle is 4" finished, so I figured 10 across and I'd get a 40" wide quilt.  But it ended up wider than the 42" back.  So now it's only 9 triangles wide and and it fits.

ABRACADABRA TOP FINISHED

I finished all the rows, sewing them together as I went.  Each row had to be pinned so the intersecting triangles tips lined up correctly.

Here's the finished top.  

When I finished it, I folded it up and gathered up all the leftovers, bits and pieces and put them all away.

I have another project that needs to be finished soon.

I really want to finish this one though.  So, hopefully, I'll get back to it soon.

ABRACADABRA

I've been working on the green cat quilt.  And as I do, I've been thinking of a name for it.

I finally came up with Abracadabra.  That's it.

I finished all of the blocks and sewed two rows together yesterday.

Today I did two more rows in the morning and two more after lunch.

It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to get two rows sewn together.

NEW GREEN QUILT

I found this interesting cat fabric (with a green backgroun) on the flat fold table at Pacific Fabrics on 4th Avenue South in Seattle.  I couldn't resist it, I bought all they had in two pieces, probably about 2-1/2 yards.  Then I wandered about and found some go-withs, including two yards of a green.  I got extra, thinking I'd use it as the binding at the very least.

The pile of fabrics has been sitting around for several months at least.

I decided I wanted to use them and experiment with 60-degree triangles.  I've never really made a quilt using them.  And it was about time.

I added some more go-withs from my stash and started cutting triangles.

I've been sewing little pieces into bigger pieces for the last few weeks.

Today I stuck them up on the wall.

Here's what I have so far.  The white spots are blank.  I need to fill them in with fabric.

THREE QUILT SHOPS IN NEW YORK

Saturday morning  I dropped Darrell off where he was giving his all day workshop and I headed out to see some local quilt shops.

The first on the list opened at 9:30am, which I was happy to see.

IVY THIMBLE QUILT AND GIFT SHOP

in Victor, New York

A very nice store, they had everything you could possible want.  There was a class or workshop going on in the classroom and they were having a ball.  Everyone was laughing and talking and it sounded like a lot of fun.

I had decided I had enough fabric and would limit myself at the shops I saw today.  Now I'm kicking myself that I didn't buy more at this first stop.  They had some wonderful fabrics that I passed by.  (I would have gladly made this my one and only stop if I had only known).

On the road again, headed to the next shop.

PATRICIA'S FABRIC HOUSE

in East Rochester, New York

There's a banner on the outside, saying 30 years in business.  (It looked it).

Their fabric choices were not my fabric choices.  I was hard pressed to  pick out a few things to buy.

They did have a triangle ruler that looked like it would work better than the one I have at home that I've been using on a current project.  Plus they had a bowlful of what they called "Quilter's Candy"   - little 6" by 6" pieces of fabric folded up into little squares.  They were only 25 cents, I couldn't resist.

Off again, this time to:

JACKIE LYNN'S FABRICS

also known as Discount Sewing Center and Jackie Lynn's Fabrics

in Rochester, New York

Nothing much happening here.  There were shop cats, but they were standoffish.  I found a few things and was happy to move on.

If you want a sewing machine, this might be the place to go.

That green is a fabric I had before and I used it all up, so I had to buy more, I love it.

Done for the day with quilt shops, I went back to the room.  My phone was almost dead.  I didn't have a charging cord with me and I was afraid if my phone died I'd never find my way back without Waze.

NORTHEAST EXCURSION - DAY 5

Friday.

We left our hotel in Utica and drove straight to Rochester.  Darrell had to be there by noon to set up for his workshop.

While he did that, he dropped me off at a nearby mall because I wanted to go for a long walk after having spent the last two days mostly sitting in the car.  Since it was raining so hard, I figured a mall would be a good place to get some exercise yet stay dry.

It was a little less than a mile to make one circuit around.  I made a few rounds than sat down and had some coffee and sketched. 

I made another round before Darrell finally picked me up.  I noticed that the older couple in my sketch were sitting in the same place two hours after I sketched them.  

That evening we went out to dinner with members of the Rochester Woodworkers Society then went on to St. John Fisher College where Darrell gave a slide show and talk.

NEW YORK CAPITOL - ALBANY

More Staircase

Great Western Staircase

The Assembly Chamber viewed from the Gallery

Looking out into courtyard

Darrell on the stairs

The Legislative Library

A hallway

Doors to the Senate (we were not allowed in there)

Beautiful leaded windows in Senate Chamber Lobby.

The Assembly Staircase

More of the Assembly Staircase

There are little faces carved everywhere.

A Hallway

More little faces.

The Assembly Staircase.

The Assembly Chamber from the floor.

Looking out into courtyard

The Governor's Reception Hall

You should read this if you can.

Part II