Throwing Snowballs At The Castle Wall - A Hand Quilted Finish

 

Throwing Snowballs At The Castle Wall

It's a hand quilted finish!

48 x 63

The center block is called Castle Wall and finishes at 21 inches. Back in 2014 I had this grand idea that I would use my little collectiton of Valentine themed fabrics bought over the years on clearance after many Valentine's Days to make a Castle Wall quilt consisting of 12 Castle Wall blocks.  So in 2014 I made one block.    Then in 2018 I made two more blocks including this one.   Then in 2023 as I was evaluating UFOs and ran across the three blocks I finally decided my 2014 grand idea of a Castle Wall quilt was not meant to be so I made three different medallion quilts. 

More back story on my 2023 blog post about this quilt.

In 2023 I framed the Castle Wall with a little solid pink border and made it the starting block to a medallion quilt.  Since the Caste Wall block had purple, red, pink and black in it I pulled out mostly Valentine fabrics with those colors. 

Then I decided to throw some Snowballs at that Castle Wall.

I alternated Snowballs with black and white corners. 

Then I needed to add a little length because I usually prefer to make rectangluar quilts. What better to add for a border than a couple of hearts and some roses! 

Then as you can see I big stitch hand quilted it all with black perle cotton #8. 

It has a pieced backing. 

And it is bound with LOVE! 

FYI - the other two Castle Wall quilts:

Smitten was finished in 2023

Hugs and Kisses at the Castle Wall is still an unfinished top

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

I received a box of treasures from Nann yesterday. And, woohoo, it included a big bag of postage stamps (PS) - 1.5 inch fabric squares - so I can continue on with a couple of PS UFOs! 

SAHRR Round Two On Five Row Quilts

 I am participating in the 2025 Stay At Home Round Robin (SAHRR).

As I mentioned in a previous post...

I am going to use the weekly prompts to make 5 kiddo sized row quilts. 

The prompt this week -Use Half Square Triangles (HSTs) in your block(s). 

The Elephants...

...got a row of Pinwheels. 

The Construction Zone...

...also got a row of Pinwheels. 

I added rows of little 5 inch (finished) Churn Dashes to the top and bottom because I have a pile of those in my Parts Department made of 30s reproduction fabrics. 

The Race Cars...

...got a row of Pinwheels made with racing stripes.

And the sweet little border print...

...also has a row of Pinwheels. 

And sew on...

SAHRR Round 2

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

I did more winter sowing of seeds

Top Row for the new Kayla Memorial Garden (Perky Goth/Moonlight Garden with black and white flowers with pops of pink) - Innocence Evening Primrose, Vicars Mead Angelica,Black King Carnation. Nigra Hollyhock, Creme de Cassis Hollyhock, Black Knight Hollyhock, Black Adder Dianthus, Fama White Scabiosa, Black Barlow Columbine. 

Bottom row sown in small pots either because I had a partial seed package or not many seeds came in a package (<20): Korean Angelica, Mad Dog Skullcap, Rattlesnake Master, Hoary Vervain, Burning Bush, Globe Thistle Star Frost, Globe Thistle Blue Glow, Crimson Star Coumbine, Halo Mix Hollyhock, Canterbury Bells, Duble Take Columbine, Brazilian Vervain, Comfrey, Cream Wild Indigo, Anise Hyssop, Swan Lake and Sky Dance Salvia. 

And I still have some seeds I need to winter sow!

Hand Quilted Americana

Americana

A Hand Quilted Finish

64 x 80

Four Patches made with red, white and blue scraps. 

The top was finished back in July 2023.

This month I have been big stitch hand quilting on the diagonals through the neutral squares with ecru perle cotton #8.  I just love to look at all the fabrics as I hand stitch and also I love to feel how the quilt softens as the hand quilting progresses. 

I've had this backing fabric for ages. I've been saving it for the back of a red, white and blue quilt to stay at my house. I had to piece it together and put it with the pictures oriented sideways on the back but I'm okay with that. And before I even told hubby this was our quilt he claimed it for himself. 

And sew on...

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

Finished a book! Twins On A Train by Suzanne Goldring.

 A WWII historical fiction novel inspired by true events. 

Author Suzanne Goldring explores how the Quakers helped with Kindertransport (Children’s Transport), the series of rescue efforts undertaken between 1938 and 1940 to bring refugee children, many of them Jewish, to Great Britain through Holland from Nazi Germany.

While doing research for the book the author discovered many horrific events that she included in her novel such as a swastika branded on the back of a young girl. 

 

Adding Pink Backgrounds

Pink is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color for January. I used most of my small pink scraps except for strings and crumbs and larger chunks (greater than a six inch square and less than a Fat Quarter (FQ)).  So for this week's color pink I dug out an old UFO that needs some pink. 

I started making Stars for an Edyta Sitar quilt called Blueberry Farm back at the end of  Dec. 2023. 

 I made one complete block and then in January 2024 I made the remaining 11 Stars but did not add the backgrounds. 

This week I dug out the Stars and pink background fabric, cut pieces and added backgrounds to 8 Stars. 

It's a good thing that a long time ago I had looked for errata because the pattern in the book was incorrect as far as cutting the background pieces. If I had followed the pattern as written I would have ended up with a lot of pieces that were too small.   It's also a good thing I looked for that errata a long time ago and documented it on the book page because I see that the link to the errata is no longer valid.  

I rarely follow a pattern to make most quilts but there are some more challenging ones I want to make so buy books or patterns by various designers just for the challenging instructions or templates.  Unfortunately I have come across errors in those books and patterns more often than not and that does not make me a happy camper. It's like gettting damaged merchandise that can't be returned. 

 

So anyway...this is the quilt I'm making  - Blueberry Farm by Edyta Sitar found in the book Scrappy Firework Quilts.  I've renamed my quilt to Peace Patch.   

  I found a new link for the errata in the book. FYI -there are two other patterns in the book with errors. 

I've decided that these blocks will move forward all the way to the TBQ (to be quilted) pile and not go into the UFO bin of partially made blocks and parts or into the SAR (some assembly required) bin.   I had not previously decided upon sashing for the blocks  - the sashing columns are different from the sashing between stars in the columns. I looked around in my brown fabrics and I think I have enough of that seedy looking fabric for the column sashing.  The sashing between stars in the pattern is strip pieced with a couple of different fabrics but I am thinking I might just use the pink and brown floral if I have enough of it. 

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

The past years I've been doing a lot of scrub brush trimming (for new gardens) with pruner and lopper which is hard on the hands after awhile. Sometimes I use the chain saw which is gettting to be a bit much for this old lady to handle. I bought myself a new small lightweight battery operated mini chain saw that can cut branches up to six inches in diameter. I'm ready for warmer weather! 

 

And Then There Were 48

In December I started making these Sixteen Patch blocks with vintage florals and shirtings, plaids, stripes. 

I made 19 blocks and set aside some pieces and fabrics because this month the theme in my sewing space has been "Quilting Marathon".    I ended up quilting 16 kiddo sized comfort quilts on my sewing machine and then at the beginning of this week got a little burned out on quilting so grabbed my little pile of florals and shirtings and finished making the 29 blocks I need for a complete block set. 

Now I don't think I will assemble the top right away. Instead I will put the complete block set into my SAR (Some Assembly Required) bin so I can tackle a few other things left out and set aside when I started my quilting marathon. 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

Finished the book Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom. 

Quoted from one summary -

...The story spans the years of 1863-1892. After Goes First marries Abe, she is given a new name, Crow Mary. She cooks for the traders and witnesses first-hand what whiskey does to the Indians, the traders and eventually her husband. The men responsible for a Nakoda massacre take five Nakoda women back to their camp to abuse them. The historical fact of Crow Mary following them and single handedly rescuing the women is included in the novel. Crow Mary and Abe have three children, two of whom are sent to a white school against Crow Mary’s wishes.

As the jacket says, “inspired by the life of the real Crow Mary and endorsed by her great-granddaughter, Crow elders, and Crow scholars, this is an epic love story that sweeps across decades, showcases the beauty of the natural world, and probes the intimacies of a marriage and one woman’s heart.”

 

SAHRR Round 1 on 5 Row Quilts

 I am participating in the 2025 Stay At Home Round Robin (SAHRR).

As I mentioned in a previous post...

I am going to use the weekly prompts to make 5 kiddo sized row quilts. 

The prompt this week -Make a King’s Crown block/s for your first round OR make blocks that begin with your first initial.   There are two versions of the King's Crown block in various sizes offered as possibilities to be used. 

Basket Orphan Blocks 

is the center row.

I used some 30s reproduction scraps to make 8 inch Kings Crown blocks. I added a row of Kings Crown blocks above and below my center row. 

Big print construction novelty fabric is the center row.

I added a row of 8 inch Kings Crown blocks to the top of my center row. 

Big print race cars is my center row.

I added a row of 12 inch Kings Crown blocks to the bottom of center row. 

Big print Elephants is the center row.

I added a row of 8 inch black and white Kings Crown blocks to the bottom of center row. 

A piece of border print is the center row. I added a red polka dot strip to the top and bottom of the center row and then added a row of 8 inch Kings Crown blocks to the bottom of it all. 

And sew on...

Round 1 SAHRR

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

My husband John has been surprising me with some signs for my gardens. 😀

When the grandkids were little I hid a bunch of little gnomes and other surprises  here and there in my fairy and cottage gardens. When they arrived for a visit they would run out to see if they could find gnomes and surprises. I even had a little clothesline I would put up sometimes and little bucket, and garden tools for gnomes and fairies and little lights and I hid little trinkets and pretty jewels/rocks...oh, that was all so much fun.  And then the grandkids grew up, moved away and passed away and the gnomes and fairies got lazy and sad and didn't hide or leave trinkets or dance and laugh anymore.     Now that hubby bought me this sign for my garden I think it is time to dig out and hide the gnomes again even if no one finds them. 

Orphan Stella Is Ready For Some Lovin'

Orphan Stella

40 x 60

I finished her a few days ago and took the photo outside when it was a bit warmer. The last few days have not been "venture outside" weather. 

I made the orphan block top last December when I was working with a collection of orphan blocks received from other folks over the year. I'm pretty sure all of these blocks came from the same person. 

I just had to add sashing between columns and a top and bottom border and Stella was born.  

I quilted her on my sewing machine with swirls in a variegated thread in colors of a sunset - the same colors in the quilt.

The binding is a solid yellow.  The backing is pieced...

...with lots of butterflies and flowers.

And sew on...

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

My husband John has been surprising me with some signs for my gardens. 😀

 

Irish Chain Finish

Irish Chain

42 x 54

It's a finish! 

Last year I received a very long row of six inch Nine Patches and squares plus some Nine Patches. I took apart the long row and I think I was able to get two shorter rows for a kiddo sized quilt.  

Then I used the Nine Patches with dark corners I received, made a few Nine Patches with dark corners from my scraps and cut some 6.5 inch squares from some neutral bits and pieces and assembled a top in June 2024. 

I quilted it with light gray thread on my sewing machine with diagonal lines through all blocks. 

The back and binding. 

And sew on...

***

REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

Just as the white Amaryllis blooms started to fade red and white blooms opened on three Amaryllis. Oh joy!