1930s Applique Sampler

I have had The New Applique Sampler by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins for several years, but hadn't really done anything with it. I am now taking an on-line class using this as the textbook. We are making the samll applique sampler, and the fabrics I am using are below.

So far we have made the overlay, the templates and stitched the leaves. I need to redo my tulips because I shouldn't have trimmed them yet. I got carried away. But I put them on the fabric to show the colors I will be using. It also needs a stem, fabric TBD, might be one different than the rest of the greens, or will use four and match the leaves.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Last weekend DH,DD, and I went up to Ashland Oregon for the Shakespeare Festival. As usual, the plays were excellent. I especially liked the new play, Equivocation. It depicts Shakespeare being commissioned to write a play about the Gunpowder Plot, which is not his usual thing, generally histories are not recent. This was really a current event, and he is not sure that what he has been given is actually true. Trying to please King James, Robert Cecil, himself, and his company, without losing his head (literally) was fascinating. Full of relevant Shakespearian quotes, it was a crowd pleaser. We also saw Henry VIII, MacBeth, Paradise Lost and Don Quixote. I liked this version of MacBeth a lot more than the last time I saw it at Ashland. This was at the Angus Bowmer, the older version at the New Theatre, too small a venue and too small an ensemble cast. Peter Macon played MacBeth, does crazy very well (he was Othello last season). Kevin Kenerly (one of my Ashland favorites) played MacDuff.

In addition to 5 plays in three days, DD and I went shopping, we all ate, trying a couple of places we hadn't been to before, Harpers being the most memorable and one we will go back to, and I sewed. I managed to finish two Dutch Treat Blocks, picking that up after a long hiatus.

Butterfly was started a long time ago, and finally finished.

Cherries was started on this trip, and finished too. Both are 6" blocks.

King Tut at the DeYoung Museum

We took a trip up to San Francisco on Saturday, going to the DeYoung Museum to see the King Tut exhibit. I have long been fascinated with ancient Egypt, since the seventh grade (at least). Now I am thinking of creating an Egyptian themed quilt using some of the objects I saw at the exhibit. Can't you just see something like this pectoral in a quilt? Not sure of everything yet, and I have several quilts in progress that I want to finish, but meanwhile I can start playing around with designs. Image is from the King Tut exhibit preview images http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/category/image-galleries/king-tut-exhibition-preview

One thing I do know, I want to put my name in heiroglyphics on the quilt.

Empty Spools, among other things

I've been down at Empty Spools, a quilt retreat with classes held at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, CA. Fabulous fun. I took a class from Suzanne Marshall, an appliquer with a quirky sense of humor. I can't show you her latest quilt, but it is called, at least right now, The Musicians, and what musicians they are! Taken from an old print, she enlarges them and makes them her own, with her signature bugs. We worked on what she calls Wacky Birds. Mine is almost ready to quilt, having found a perfect border fabric in my stash. It is hand appiqued, hand embroidered, and will be hand quilted. We learned her take away applique method in class. Works well, but I need more practice.

Before I left I had been working on the Prairie Paisley baby quilt, made with some blocks I decided not to use with the Patchwork Party blocks. The four extra blocks are in the center, surrounded by a pieced border, and then a triple border. I used Marti Michell templates (sets B & D) to make the blocks, which work lovely with the Peaky and Spike and Ice Cream Cone shapes. I pieced the border before attaching, reversing the pressing so the seams would nest when I mitred the corners. Works pretty well . Now to find backing and batting, this will be machine quilted.

The Cotton Patch from Lafayette brings down a mini-quilt shop so that people can get things easily that they need for class, or another new project. They had some flannel baby kits, I got one. I decided to make nine patches, 4 sets are done, 4 more to go. There are 8 fabrics in the quilt, then I need to get backing and binding. This is the first flannel quilt I have made.

Oh, and I finished a sock! Just one, working on the second one, made from Opal's Harry Potter yarn, Ron coloring.

Next goal done - Table Runner

Number 4 on my list of things to do was to finish my HST table runner. Originally this was for a how to make half square triangles (lots of them) accurately using a method I have seen a couple of places, but involves cutting strips on the bias, seaming them together, pressing them and then cutting squares. This helps to get rid of the distortion (I get) when pressing the squares open after cutting them. Since this was a sample, I decided to use some fabric I had purchased a while back (~8 years I think) for placemats. This was a table runner that would go with placemats, after all. Now I just need to make the placemats and napkins (right...) Anyway, at the beginning of the month I had the HSTs shown in the top picture completed, and figured I could use the fabric on the right for the skinny border and not so skinny border, setting triangles, and whatever. Didn't happen. The blue was just too close to the blue in the HSTs, and I opted to use a darker blue for setting triangles. I had a lot of the medium blue used in the HSTs, so used that for the skinny border and binding. Only problem was it was in fat quarters, as was the dark blue. So did a bit of piecing to get pieces long enough. The checked fabric ended up as the backing. I used a double cotton batting so I can set hot things on it at the table and not worry about my wood tabletop.
It is machine quilted in the ditch, all of them, and then a meandering leaf pattern in the outer border that complements the leafy background fabric.

Meanwhile I have been getting stuff together to head off to Empty Spools, where I get to take a class from the fabulous Suzanne Marshall. I am sooooo excited! You can check her out at http://www.suzannequilts.com/index.html . Check out her gallery and you will know why I am so happy to be taking a class from her. I will be learning her "Take away applique" technique.

Crane Wife done

Been a busy couple of weeks, having fun, working, and, yes, even some sewing. Last weekend (Saturday) I went to see "Julie and Julia", which I thoroughly enjoyed, enough so that I want to try some of Julia Child's recipes. Today I bought both of the books that the film was based upon, and one of Julia's last cookbooks. It does have the Boeuf Bourguignon recipe featured in the movie so much, and I hope to make it this week.

Then Sunday, my son came home. Doesn't sound quite as exciting as I felt, he has been in Iraq for the last six months. We knew he was coming home this month on leave, but didn't know exactly when, so it was a surprise seeing him, a very pleasant one by the way. He went off to surprise his friends (after taking a nap), so we continued on our trip to Santa Cruz for dinner. On the way we discovered a art/wine/craft fair, so stopped for a bit. I found some lovely pottery, bought a vase and a cup/mug for my weekend coffee.

Then we had dinner with a wonderful view of Santa Cruz beach, and the dinner was yummy too. I had salmon with a citrus (lemon) butter sauce, the salmon was grilled perfectly, and the spinach was tasty too.

I also managed to get the binding prepped for "Crane Wife" and the first step of sewing the binding to the quilt. During the week I worked on the binding, finally finishing it today.

Today, DH and I went to see "The Time Traveler's Wife", which we had both read a while back. They did a good job converting from the book to the screen, and the casting was spot on.

After getting back home I made Ratatouille, not from Julia Child, but from The Moosewood Cookbook, and polenta. None left, so I guess it was enjoyed.

Then on to pillowcases and a label. The pillowcases are coordinated, but not the same. There wasn't enough fabric for two bodys, but I am happy with the look.

Next Goal - Katie's Quilt - Crane Wife

The next quilt on my to-do/finish list is my niece Katie's quilt. I managed to trim the edges tonight, and take its picture, or at least most of it. You can't see the edge, so I guess I won't bother taking another one when I do get the binding on. The binding will be the same fabric as the border. This is the "Just Can't Cut It" quilt pattern. My sister quilted it for me, so it will be a joint present.