Sunday, November 22, 2020

Wheels on the Cart!

Well ..... all the wheels/stars are done!  Whew, that was a job trying to select fabrics.  My friend, Darlene, asked me if it was designed to have a row of darker hour glass blocks above and below the wheel/stars?  Can you see those rows?  Oh yes, that was intentional!
Hour glass blocks are starting to be sewn together.    
Since there are so many seams, they are being pressed open.  Less bulk at the joins.
See the beige fabric in the wedge part of the wheel/star?  There is none left.  There are enough scraps to make a couple 1-1/2" squares, but that is it.  Close call, eh!
If I wanted the quilt to be larger, it couldn't without introducing a different beige fabric.  That would not be a problem, because I would make it work.  The quilt size will be big enough for a single bed.

Here is another wheel/star.  They were made using EPP (English Paper Piecing) method.  The thought crossed my mind to do them using paper piecing, but EPP is the method that was used instead.

Most of this top has been made from Civil War charm squares; but I did have to dip into my stash a few times to find the right colour that was not in my charms.  

This is what is left of my CW charms.  This drawer was so full that it could hardly be opened.  I'm thinking there might be enough charms to make a thimble quilt, so that will be a new project down the road.  That is, as soon as I find my Dresden Plate template to make the thimbles.  It is somewhere ....

To all my American friends, have a safe Thanksgiving!  We had our Thanksgiving last month and there was a spike in Covid-19 cases afterwards.  Be prepared to see a surge of spikes a few weeks from now.  In our district, we currently have 11 cases (10 from a close contact) of Covid-19.  So far, we have had a total of 65 cases with 1 death.  We take Covid-19 seriously in our neck of the woods!  Wear a mask, wash your hands, regularly wipe down surfaces (your vehicle and your home) and keep your distance.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Friday, November 13, 2020

A bit of progress!

I've been doing a bit of sewing lately and progress has been done on my newest project.  All the hour glass blocks are done and now I'm working on the stars or wheels.  I'm doing something outside the box and those stars are going to go right out into the border.  I'm excited to see how this will turn out!

Update with my sister and her cancer.  After her last treatment next month, her oncologist is going to release her from the treatment program and she will be dealing with her family doctor going forward.  He is very pleased with her results and this is a man of few words.  Good news, for sure!

I just dropped her off for her IV treatment this morning and will be back to help her later this afternoon.  Stew is already in the slow cooker and tea biscuits will be made later for supper.

My days are busy with her and helping out as much as I can.

So, a day in my studio is most welcome.

Here in Canada, we had our Thanksgiving mid-October and we are now seeing a spike in Covid cases.   Today, across Canada, our new cases are 4981.   The health experts say it is the family gatherings that are the spreaders of the virus.   Family gatherings and travel are not good to do right now.  For those of you in the U.S.A., think about that and don't gather or travel.  My husband and I have already decided that we will not gather for Xmas or New Year's.  Our health are more important now so that we can enjoy family later when Covid is not an issue.  We wear masks and keep our distance and stay away from crowds.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Couldn't help myself!

LOL ..... I just couldn't do it!  Make the pattern as is?  Nope.  Not me.  Mind you, the pattern looks ok as is.

So, I was staring at my design wall and thinking ..... you know, it is dangerous when I think ...... what could I do to make it different?

Stars.  Stars are needed.  What kind of stars?  The perfect pattern was found on my EQ 7 and Blockbase.

This is a start.  It may not be the final layout, but a good start.  The stars will float across two rows right into the border.

I feel good about this new project.  It is helping me get my quilting mojo back.

Cherish your day!  Cherish your life!