English Garden Block

This is Gayle's English Garden block. I embellished wisteria around the silkie she had attached and did a gold metallic chain stitch around the frame since there was already a dark line around it. Then I added some silk ribbon roses, some blue silk ribbon larkspur, pink silk ribbon tulips, purple silk ribbon cone flower and some white #8 perle cotton daisies. Of course they don't all flower at the same time in a real garden but in a silk ribbon garden whatever you can imagine blooms all at the same time.

9 Patch WIPs

I participated in a scrappy 3 inch 9 patch swap. I'm going to particpate in a couple more...

...and turn them all into 5 inch Sister's Choice blocks with blue points.

I'll also be participating in a 3 inch 9 patch swap of blocks made of 30s reproduction fabrics and kona snow. I will just throw them all in a box and pick them out and sew together. There will be no further manipulating of these.

I won the last block lottery on another list and so I got to pick the next block up for lottery. I chose an easy 6 inch 9 patch block since summer is here and it's easy to make. These are the blocks I'll be sending the next lucky winner. I chose country type fabrics and made a set of blocks that alternate placement of lights and darks.  And the reason I chose the fabrics I did...

...is because I needed some more Country 9 patch blocks to add to my collection Add a medium shade 5 1/8 inch block cut on diagonal to all sides and you get a 8 inch block from your original 6 inch.

And now I have a pile of country blocks that may be enough to make a full size quilt. Some of these blocks were originally swapped on yet another yahoo quilt group last year.

Another way I am using 6 inch 9 patch blocks is by alternating them with 6 inch snowball blocks. I need to add 4 more rows and I will have a top for a queen sized quilt. Then I have to decide on borders...I think I will have a prairie point border that looks like leaves since this is a "Bird Quilt". Colors are mostly pink and lime green (both colors I originally hated) as well as deep purple and blues. I think a little border of plum then a little wider one of pink then the green prairie points is the way I am going to go. This is the quilt that will also have a matching crazy quilt bedrunner to go over the top of it (or I suppose it could be an extra long and thin wall hanging.)

You know, I was watching an old VCR tape I had of me in the garden when I was a little younger. I was struck by all the colors when I watched it. I don't think I had ever noticed so much color before when walking through the garden. I mostly notice the weeds since my flower garden gets weeded only after the veggies and with working full time + at my paying job the huge flower garden is never all weed free. But, I stray...anyway...color...when I watched that movie I was struck by the color and I couldn't help but feel uplifted and joyous. I hope when I look at this darned quilt I get the same feeling because this thing is pretty wild if I say so myself.

Catching Up on Civil War Blocks Again

Blocks from Barbara Brackman's block-a-week release from her blog Civil War Quilts

There is also a button on my sidebar that links to her website. Even if you are not making blocks the history she presents on the civil war is very interesting. Below are my interpretation of her blocks. I have this week's block done too but wanted to fix it a little before I took a picture of it. In the sane quilting world I do love samplers. I need to work a little more on the Farmer's Wife Sampler now.

Tone on Tone

This is Ruby's block in the pink color study RR after Nina and I have worked on it.

I added the ribbon around the girl, bullion teddy bear, doll in pearlescent pink. I wish I hadn't used that pearlescent and used single strand floss instead, but there it is.

The large silk flower with jewel center, crocheted medallion and dark pink silk ribbon rose were already there from Nina's work. I added a piece of lace highlighted with sulky, an embroidered cupcake, a yoyo heart, felt hearts and all the rest of the flowers.

This is Rita's tone on tone block. First I embroidered a flower fairy, then I added some different laces (one piece was already on block) and embroidered between them. Then I added some flowers. Picture is dark but I couldn't get anything to show up when pic is lightened up with flash on my camera. Oh, and I kind of like the beads dripping from her hand that turns into a bead flower.

Latest CQ

This is Beryl's block for the "Anything Goes" RR. The block had beautiful gold/orange/yellow fabrics so I chose an analogous color scheme since I seem to like that combo most. I pulled all my purple, red and orange threads (and a touch of green) and stitched several seam treatments and then filled in with the twisted silk ribbon chrysanthemums.

This is Kerry's Tea Time block. I didn't pick any special color scheme. I just tried to use what was in the block. I started with a small cross stitched teapot and cupcake done mostly in gold to pick up the gold in the piece on the block. I did a curvy seam treatment up in the upper right corner in the same colors as the circles on the fabric. I added the teapot and cup buttons. They stuck too far out and were too heavy for the block so I made a tiny hole to insert button back into hole so button would lay flat. It looked much better that way. The silk thread vine with pink silk flowers that meanders around doesn't show up too well. And finally, I appliqued on some varied flavors of tea bags. This was the last of the blocks for this RR so I'll be mailing them home to Kerry soon.

This is a block I made for the CQ4Newbies Asian Challenge. It follows same color schem as Beryl's block...red, purple, orange. As challenge moves along we will be introduced to several different seam treatments that need to be added as well as some other items. A big embroidered dragon is going in the middle! I don't really like the Asian blocks; however, I just remembered that my sister is now a Buddhist (one in a long line of religions she has embraced) so I will be making this 16 inch block into a pillow for her for Christmas. 

Pardon Me, Madam, Do You Think My Mulch Gaudy?

When cotton scraps get too small to use...

...they go to the garden...sometimes along a path...

...to a fairy door in a sundial.

In memory of my husband's Aunt Essie who used old cotton clothes in the garden as mulch and watered with manure tea. She had 11 kids and a large garden and wasted nothing. We miss her. Someday if I ever breed my own daylilies one will be named Aunt Essie.

The Rest of the Story...

The "Once Upon a Time" quilt for the grandkids is now finished. I just did a simple "stitch in the ditch" to quilt it.

It will go in our pop-up camper so we can unfold it and tell stories when we are bored. Follow along a path between pictures and who knows what you will find or what will be part of your story. Skeletons, eyeballs...

...castles and princesses...

Or we may blast off into outer space, encounter a witch, be scared by ghosts, play a game of baseball or get bit by spiders...

And the back is some "Where the Wild Things Are" fabric I've been saving for just the right project.

I woke up a couple of days ago with a strange neuropathy - tingling and the feeling of pins and needles in my arms and hands and feet. I got out of bed and my knees buckled and I fell. The feeling is still here today. It takes a lot of thought to use my fine motor skills to even type this. I thought it might be due to cough syrup I started taking but did without yesterday and symptoms still persist today so I'm back to taking it again. I tried pulling weeds today since the rains have finally stopped but fell twice and it's hard to pull weeds when your fingers are on pins and needles. I'm making an appointment tomorrow!