Piecing It All Together

Like all of us, I have a real life.  Chores to do like laundry and dishes and cleaning and cooking and grocery shopping (never mind babysitting!)  And like all of us, I'm trying to fit my all-engrossing hobby of quilting into that life.
Mostly, it works out.
Above is my Little Buddy, helping me take pictures of the little quilt I finished this week.

It's a framed 4-patch, easy-peasy baby quilt for charity.
I've been making this pattern off and on for years after seeing an antique quilt in a magazine.  Naturally, I used my favorite bright and novelty prints for this child's quilt.

Little Buddy and I agree, we like this square best.  That is just the cheekiest T-rex ever.  Not scary at all, even with all those teeth.  I should learn more about rotating pictures, but it's late at night as I'm finding the time to post.  Maybe next week.

I haven't used teal for a binding very often, but it picked up colors here with both top and backing.

If you'd like to make a framed 4-patch like mine, here's the recipe.
1.  Make 4 patches with 3.5 in. cut squares, two light and two not-as-light.
2.  Frame the 4 patches with 2.5 in. cut strips.  You'll need two cut 6.5 in. long, and 2 cut 10.5 in. long.  Add the two shorter ones first, then the two longer ones.
The blocks finish at 10 in. square.
I made 12 blocks, and set them 3 x 4.
The yellow print border is cut 3.5 in. wide.
The finished quilt is fairly small, at 36 in. x 46 in.

I pieced this quilt several weeks ago, when Mrs. Pfaff was still under the weather.  She and I made short work of the utility quilting on this little quilt.  I call this quilting "sort-of straight line quilting".  The lines are about 1 inch apart, and sort-of straight.

So that's what's done!  Here's what's not done.

I'm burning the midnight oil, sewing my flying geese blocks for the Fly Away Home quilt, one of my projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

All the blocks like the ones in the bottom of the picture are done.  I need about 30 more of the flying geese blocks.

I've mostly been working on them in the morning, before the boys arrive.

Then there is this project.  I'm piecing these blocks for the Antebellum Album Block of the Month, run by quilt historian Barbara Brackman.  You can see the first post from January 2018 HERE, and follow the links for the other blocks.  We're up to 8, but as you can see I've only got 6 done so far.  Participants are using newer fabrics as well as reproductions.  Mine are very traditionally red, cream, and green.

Here is yet another little quilt to be quilted, maybe this week.  It will be a lap quilt for charity.  Mrs. Pfaff and I are willing and able, we just have to find the time.

We're sliding into fall here!
My Big Buddy starts 8th grade on Monday (hard to believe!).  Little Buddy will still be here to keep Grandpa and me company.
Today he had finished eating some yogurt, more with his hands than his spoon.  I said something like "Aren't you a mess?" while I went to get a wash cloth.
"Hot mess!" he said.
And it was TRUE.
We both had a laugh about that.

I'm wishing you lots of laughs and lots of stitches this week.
Cheers for reading,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
Linking up with:
Amanda Jean (welcome back!) at Crazy Mom Quilts
Sarah at Confessions of A Fabric Addict 
Myra at Busy Hands Quilts
Angela at Soscrappy
Cynthia at Oh Scrap 

Come enjoy all the linky fun with us!

Way Out West

This view is from Red Rocks Amphitheater, in Morrison, Colorado, which is west of Denver.  I can't believe I was standing there only 3 days ago.
Hubby and I took a quick vacation last week, while Little Buddy and Big Buddy were on vacation with their parents.  We saw so many wonders.  Pikes Peak.  Dinosaur bone and footprint fossils.  Garden of the Gods.  The Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, featuring ancient petrified giant sequoia trees.  Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum.
Are you seeing the pattern here?  My husband loves fossils.  I love him.  So I cheerfully look at fossils.
But I did have a request--to see the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.  So we did.

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon.  The museum is small, but very well done.  Click HERE for the web site.

The current exhibit in the main gallery was Pieced Together:  Patchwork Quilts from Russia.  This is a detail from one of the quilts.  I love the cats, and the (very large) butterfly.  Also, notice how the yo-yos are holding the quilt together.  The Russian quilts are on exhibit through October 20th.

The museum's gift shop is like a small quilt shop!  Here's the loot I got there.  I've been wanting this book for a while.  I took a class with Marsha McCloskey years and years ago, and never lost my love for feathered stars.  The fabric was on sale for 30% off.  Woot!

I think my husband was feeling a little guilty about all the fossils etc., so he made no objections to stopping at Fabricate in Boulder.  Click HERE for more info on the store.  Above is my loot:  a large remnant of novelty fabric featuring winter clothes, 5 bright fat quarters, and the pattern for the Washi dress, which I have wanted to make forever.

But wait, there's more!  While we were in Golden (seeing the Geology museum), we just happened on the Golden Quilt Company.  It's an amazing shop.  If you love Kaffe Fassett, do not miss it!  Click HERE for their web site, complete with virtual shop tour.  I got some great loot here, too.  The book has been out of print for a while, and I've been borrowing it from the library over and over.  I'm glad to have my own copy at last.  (And I'll bet the library is glad, too.)  That's a half yard of the light cat fabric in front, two 89 cent 8th yard pieces with dots, and the rest are scraps I crammed into a scrap bag for $5.
I had so much fun shopping it was a challenge stuffing it all into my suitcase to go home.

It's good to have some handwork to take along on a trip.  I think this is the first time I've actually finished everything I took with me.  Those are 6 knitted dish cloths stacked up, and 3 hand appliqued quilt blocks.

Here's what the blocks look like opened out.  I seem to only work on this project on vacations, so I don't know when it's going to get finished, but half of the blocks are done now.
We got in late last night, or rather early this morning (3:00 a.m.!), and I definitely need a nap.  Please excuse any typos or grammar mistakes.
Happy Labor Day to all in the U.S.!
Have a good week everybody.
Cheers,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
Linking up with
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Busy Hands Quilts
Oh Scrap

Snakes In A Tree

The Snakes in the Grass quilt is finished, and has been renamed Snakes in a Tree.  Don't worry, people-like-me-who-are-freaked-out-by-snakes!  It's not real snakes, just snakes printed on fabric and made into a child's quilt.
Here's a photo from July, when I pieced it:

The pattern is HERE, a great tutorial for a fun, easy scrap quilt.  Only 5 seams in each block, no kidding!  A big thank you to Cyndy from Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.

Mrs. Pfaff and I got the quilting and binding done this week.  It's ready to go to a child who needs it.

My Little Buddy posed with it outside.  Unfortunately, he now thinks it's his, like all the other quilts in the house.  (He especially loves the little bit of Minions fabric pieced in one block.  I need to make a quilt with that fabric just for him.  Yep, it's going on the list.)

Little Buddy's really been noticing all the little figures in prints lately.  He loves to lay the quilts on the floor and "see".  He wants Grandma to come and see, too.

He would love these Fly Away Home blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The color for August is orange, one of my favorites.

I've even got orange Minions!

Bugs, too!  I can't wait to start putting this top together.

I should have some more time soon, after I get the canning and freezing done for the year.  These green beans are cleaned, snapped, blanched, and headed for the freezer.  I use canning jars (the ones that are also good for freezing).  They are reusable, so no extra cost and no plastic to throw away.  Plus they don't slide around in the freezer like freezer bags do.

This is a picture from a fun day.  My husband and I went to the flea market in Elkhorn, Wisconsin a week ago Sunday.  This was my favorite booth.  No, I didn't buy anything, but a girl can look, can't she?  Lots of inspiration here for future quilts.
I'm wishing lots of inspiration for you this week, and every week!
Cheers for reading,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
Linking up with  Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict,
Myra at Busy Hands Quilts

Crossing the Finished Line

Finally, FINALLY, I have finishes to show!  According to my notes, I have not finished a quilt since June.  It feels good to accomplish something at last.

This little quilt came to me as squares cut from striped fabric, in a zip lock bag from the sale at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts in June.  The border was in the bag too.  I set it like a rail fence.  (You can read about the piecing HERE if you care to.)Mrs. Pfaff is back in working order, and together we got the simple quilting done.

The back is from my stash, and says "baby girl" with drawings of toys and bunnies.  The binding came from the sale, too, but wasn't in the same bag.
The quilt will go to a baby girl that needs it.

Guess what these are.  Mittens for cats?  Drumstick warmers?

Skillet handle pot holders!  A friend of my daughter is getting married, and requested these.  I made them up with scraps of bright prints and 100% cotton batting.  I used the Youtube tutorial HERE to get on the right track, although there are lots of other directions and all seem to be about the same.  Now I need to make some for me.

At last, the Ohio Star is quilted and bound, and on the bed.  I had a problem with it that I'll tell you about sometime.

Here's what I decided on for the border quilting.  It's a simple 4 strand cable, with gentle curves.  As you can see, I put the binding on by machine.  I'm saving my hand stitching for other projects.

Last but not least, orange!  I'm making blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge in the color for August.

Mary Ann's basket blocks in orange reproduction fabrics are on the design wall.  I actually made 10 of them this time.

Orange is not such a common color in repro fabrics.  I dragged in everything I could find, including cheddar and brown.

Stripes are fun in repros, especially when they go all different ways.
We are getting close to the end of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2018!  I'm actually starting to plan how to put all these blocks together.

And now for something completely different.

My oldest grandson got new shoes.  These are something to do with Lebron James.  If you look closely, you can see--these shoes are quilted!  No joke, the upper is a knit fabric quilted with a sort of diagonal crosshatch.  The fabric is intentionally tucked irregularly and sewn.
I think these are just about the ugliest shoes I've ever seen, but don't tell my Big Buddy.  He thinks they're amazing.
Have an amazing week, everybody, whether things get finished or not.
Cheers for reading,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
 Linking up with
Can I Get A Whoop Whoop
So Scrappy
Oh Scrap

I Spy Charm Squares Quilt

Good morning, and happy Saturday!  This is my I Spy quilt, made with 5 in. (cut) squares.

I had planned to share the pattern for this quilt, but have been requested to take it down by another blogger who shared a similar quilt.  Her quilt is not exactly the same, and is not an I Spy quilt, but in the interest of peace on the internet I am complying.

I honestly did not copy her quilt, and I even had a hard time finding it after I knew it was out there.  As a retired librarian I am very conscious of copyright law.  It is never my intention pass off others' work as my own.
I'm still happy about this quilt, and it will go to a child who needs it after it is quilted.

I'm hoping to quilt the I Spy quilt soon, since I'm almost done with the Ohio Star.
Here's where I am today:

Everything is quilted except the outer border.  I'm feeling kind of lazy about this.  I know I just need to suck it up and get this done.

I'm auditioning these stencils for the border.  Once I decide, it will be time for the dreaded marking.  I actually like the quilting part.  If I can see the darn marks!

Here's my little buddy, in his orange shirt, watering the flowers (some orange) with his orange watering can.  He is just the best helper ever.

Have a wonderful week, and don't forget to have a little fun.
Cheers,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
Linking up with:
Soscrappy
Busy Hands Quilts
Confessions of a Fabric Addict

In the Making

My favorite music this week should be Schubert's Unfinished Symphony.  Much is started, nothing is finished (yet).  It's all in the making.
Above is the Ohio Star reproduction quilt.  Mrs. Pfaff and I have been busy quilting, but progress is slow.  At least each of the two pieces is quilted as much as it can be before joining, and is joined together on the top.

This is the back, waiting for the hand stitching.  When I get that done, I'll quilt the area near the join on both sections, and then the borders.  There is hope for finishing this UFO yet.

I'm also piecing an I Spy quilt made of 5 in. squares.  I hope to get the top done today, but I won't get it quilted until the Ohio Star is done.  (It's a promise I made myself--don't set aside the Ohio Star to do other quilts.  I want that quilt done!)

The I Spy has been lots of fun.  I have so many great novelty prints, and I can use lots of them in this quilt.  Stay tuned--I'll share the pattern on next week's blog.

I've been thinking about orange this week.  It's the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Quilt Challenge.  I absolutely LOVE orange.  I think this will be one of my favorite months.

My Little Buddy wanted to pick the orange cherry tomatoes, but I convinced him to wait.  This variety is red when ripe, but a very pretty orange when immature.

This is my roll of orange 2.5 in. strips for the Fly Away Home quilt.  I can hardly wait to cut into them.
But first, I have to deal with this:

25 pounds of peaches and a dozen ears of corn, fresh from the West Bend Farmer's Market.  The peaches need to rest a bit and "air-ripen" before I can them, but I'll blanch, cut, and freeze the corn today.
Sometimes I wonder why I go out and buy more work for myself.  On the other hand, there's peach pie, even in the winter.  And delicious Wisconsin corn. 

Here's another project--what to do with this gorgeous olive oil can?  I removed the top and washed it (after we used all the olive oil, of course).  I might put utensils in it or something.  Any ideas?

If I'm to make a dent in any of the projects I have planned, I had better get to work.  And my Little Buddy had better start taking reliable naps again.  (Sigh.)

Finishing quilts does make me do a little happy dance.  But there is really no hurry. I get a lot of joy just in the making.

Wishing you joy this week, in whatever you do.
Cheers,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with Angela at Soscrappy
Myra at Busy Hands Quilts  
Sarah at Can I Get A Whoop Whoop
Cynthia at Oh Scrap