CUSHION FOR NEW DECK TABLE

 Darrell has been busy designing and making a new table for our deck.  And of course, we wanted to incorporate a place for the cat or dog to hang out underneath like they did with the previous table.  I made a custom cushion to fit in the space.

Cutting out the pattern piece from paper

I sewed in a zipper, back view

Finished zipper, front view 

Sewing on the sides

Both top and bottom sewn to sides, along with some ties to keep it in place

Finished!  Just needs stuffing.

Cushion in place - table still waiting for glass top to arrive.

BACKING FOR PLAID BRICKS

 I stopped at Carriage Quilts in Des Moines looking for a backing fabric for the Plaid Bricks quilt.  I had an idea of what I wanted exactly.  But, I know how difficult it is to find that perfect fabric.  But, I was surprised that my ideal fabric was right there by the front door.  Easy Peasy.

So after prewashing and pressing out the wrinkles, I made the backing.  

BRICKS QUILT TOP

 I've been sewing the Plaid Bricks together over the last few days.  I first sewed them together in pairs.  Then I sewed the pairs together.

When I got about two thirds of them sewn together I noticed the top four rows were longer than the rest.  

I let the whole thing sit for a few days while I figured out what to do.  

I finally decided to unsew a few of the rows and 'fix' them.

I hadn't pinned or worried about the how the rows were going together when I sewed them into pairs and subsequently that led to the length differentials, probably because the fabrics are so 'stretchy'. 

Only a few rows had big problems and I needed to adjust and even replace some of the bricks.

Then I measured each block and marked the center so I could line it up with the seam on the previous row.  That worked.  The rows were now the same length.

And I finished it.

 There's something very satisfying and comforting to me about some of these 'traditional' quilts, especially the ones made with plaids. 

HAND QUILTING HOURGLASS

 I jumped in, finally, and started quilting the Improv Hourglass quilt.

PRACTICING

 It was suggested to me that I practice my hand quilting on something else before I dive into quilting the Hourglass quilt.

I ran across a lone Double Wedding Ring quilt block and made a quilt sandwich with some of the leftover wool batting I used in Hourglass.

And started hand quilting it with a 'Big Stitch'. I need to figure it out and get my 'rhythm' for this kind of stitch.

NEW BRICKS

 I was excited  making another Bricks type quilt.  I cut a bunch of 3-1/2" by 6-1/2"rectangles from the plaids in my stash and started arranging them on the design wall.

Here it is so far:

WEIRD BRICK PROJECT DONE

Sherri Lynn Wood's Improv That Block Squad explored the Brick block and patterns.  

I used some leftover rectangles and squares I had cut out a long time ago and turned them into something else.  Here they are all finished - it's a quilt top.  It's  68" by 85". 

JELLY TURNS 10

Happy Birthday Jelly!  

She turns 10 years old today. 

BASTING

 I finished marking the Carpe Diem quilt top with a quilting design.

I've loaded it onto the longarm to baste it.

MARKING QUILT TOP

 I have hesitantly decided to hand quilt the Hourglass quilt, Carpe Diem.  

So I set about pre-marking the top before I baste it all together.

I'm using my acrylic template set of circles to create a Baptist Fan quilting design using a water-soluble marking pen.

ANOTHER BOOK MADE

 I had some papers laying around that I had sewn together into signatures.  I'm using them to complete a simple handmade book.

I used some of the book cloth I made recently.  I stitched them all together with a simple binding.

Sewn signatures ready to go

Newly made book covers 8-1/4" by 10-1/2"  using a batik book cloth

BRICK BLOCKS VARIATION

 Saturday was the Improv That Block Squad's last workshop for this year.  This time is is the Brick block that we are playing with.  I have a box of solid fabrics that I cut into rectangles and squares years and years ago.  I figured I should use those, but most of them are a rectangle sewed to a square.  So, there would be a lot of unsewing required to use just the rectangles.  And that doesn't sound fun.

So, I decided to use them the way they are.  I made some big squares with them, stacked them and slashed them diagonally, and sewed them back together, like the Hourglass blocks we made in the last workshop.

First making 18" square blocks

Next, slashing the two stacked blocks diagonally

Then, swapping every other triangle

And sewing them back together.

So far...

HEMMING PANTS

 Victoria stopped by with a couple of pairs of pants that needed hemming.

I'm amazed that wide leg jeans are back in style.

MAKING BOOK CLOTH

I made a batch of wheat paste and pulled out some Japanese paper to use for the backing on fabric to make some book cloth.  Since I made more paste than I needed I made several pieces.

But look at the fabulous fabric I pulled from my Batik stash.  It will make a great book cover.

JUNE'S BOOK

 This month's book on Handmade Book Club is the Japanese Stab Stitch in four different versions of the binding. I made three.

I cut the paper and made the book blocks yesterday.   Then I glued the decorative corners on to them and left them to dry overnight.  I cut the covers from Kraft-tex.

Today I sewed some fabric to the covers.  I used Darrell's drill press to punch out the sewing holes in the covers and book blocks, which was much easier than doing it by hand.

And finally, I stitched the bindings to complete them.  On one of them I tore a strip of silk and twisted it to use as the thread.  That was fun.

TUESDAY PLAYTIME QUILTED

 Erik and I have been computer quilting on the Tuesday Playtime quilt, formally known as Quilters Playcation 2024, for a a few weeks now, off and on.  And it's finally done and off the longarm.  Just needs to be bound now.

PAPER BAG BOOK

I've been saving the paper bags, I get for vegetables, from the grocery store for a while now.  Today seemed like a good day to make a book from them.

Yesterday I glued the sides of the bags together I then wrapped some cardboard with a flattened bag to make the covers.  This has all been drying over night.

Today, I punch the holes in each of the bags for the binding.  I threaded some twine onto a needle, not an easy task, and sewed them all together using a Coptic Stitch.

MAKING A BAG

I was watching Making Zen, a free for 24 hours limited series of classes online, when I saw this bag, Japanese Puzzle Pouch.  I had to make one.  I've been working on it. The 'Worm' stitch (Sue Spargo calls it 'Double Cast On') was giving me trouble and I kept doing it wrong.  I had to get out Sue's handy instruction book, Creative Stitching, to figure it out.  Once I did that it was easy.

It's not quite done yet.

BACKING FOR HOURGLASS

 I finished sewing together the scraps from the Improv Hourglass into a long strip.  I inked the label onto it, renaming the quilt Carpe Diem.  I found a haiku I liked and inked that on there, too.

Hold time in a hand

frail golden droplets of sand

whisper carpe diem

I sewed the strip of scraps into the middle of the African fabric I purchased for the backing.  So, it's done and now I have to figure out how I'm going to quilt it.

HOURGLASS TOP FINISHED

It's done.  I finally finished the Improv Hourglass top.  

It's about 51" by 72".

There's lots of scraps, I think I'll sew them together and incorporate them into the backing.

LAST MEAL FROM SHANGHAI GARDEN

 Our favorite restaurant is closing at the end of the month.  So, we got our last takeout for dinner tonight.  

We will miss this.

REPLACED THAT BLOCK

 I spent the morning making a bunch of smaller wonky improv Hourglass blocks to replace that dark brown block that was bothering me.

I got it all sewed together, too.

Here's how it looked at the end of today.

Now, I think that left side looks a little bland, so I changed the bottom right corner.  

I think it's looking better now.

PIECING THEM TOGETHER

 I've been sewing more and more of these Hourglass blocks together.  

Here's how it looked at the end of today.

I'm thinking about replacing that large chunk of dark brown with something else.  

MORE HOURGLASS BLOCKS

 The Hourglass quilt is getting closer to the size I want as I add more blocks and move some around.  And sewing a few of them together.

WALK IN MT RAINIER PARK

 We left early and headed south to Mount Rainier National Park for my birthday trip today.  It's about a two hour drive. 

We first drove up to the Longmire Visitors Center to get a stamp in the passport.  Then we headed back to the Kautz Creek Trail where we went for a short walk. 

When we reached this foot bridge we turned around and headed back.  This was the one mile mark.

There was lots of interesting mosses and lichens.  This is 'Toy Soldiers' lichen.

After, we headed out of the park to this nice little restaurant/inn, Copper Creek Restaurant and Inn for breakfast.  They had homemade blackberry jam!  So good, nice breakfast scramble, too.

A really nice mural in the dining area.