Friday, March 25, 2022

Dutch Apples

What started as a garbage can save ended up in this lovely wall hanging.  The lady that started them (hi Cathy) threw them out and a visiting friend saw them and grabbed them with intentions of doing something with them (hi Karin).  Karin brought the apple cores to the garage and told us the story of the rescue.  Another day in the garage and Karin gifted them to me as she didn't want to work with the apple cores but she knew that I could do something with them.  Then Cathy found more apple cores and mailed them to either me or Karin (I can't remember).  Anyway, I now had another apple core project to work on even though I was done working with cores.

Before starting anything, the rescued cores had to be disassembled and washed to remove the permanent markings and once dry, the cores were resized because some of the markings just didn't want to wash out.  So my cores are a bit smaller than the original.  New templates were made and then  the EPP process got started and then it became this quilt.  A few more apple cores were added from my stash to round out the rows.  

For the applique, an image was found on the internet and then it changed once I started playing around with curves and circles until it became my own version.  Notice how the star in the centre of the applique lives on yet another quilt.  That star is my trademark now.

A few years later, here is my quilt.  "Dutch Apples".  Well, apple cores and the applique looks Dutch inspired.  That's my thinking and I'm sticking with it.  LOL  I'm very pleased with my quilt!

  
Quilt Details:
Pattern Source:  my design
Top Started:  Aug. 2019
Top Finished:  Feb. 2021
Quilt Finished:  March 2022
Quilt Size:  57-1/4" x 64" (top size before quilting, washing and drying:  60-7/8" x 67-1/4")
Batting:  Hobbs poly
Machine Quilted by:  Kathy Wareham

It will be a fine addition to my apple core quilts!

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Monday, March 21, 2022

March Binding Challenge

So, month three and no-blog Mary and I have each completed our challenge!  That is three quilts times two (3 x 2) = six quilts done .... except I did one extra, but we won't count that as the challenge is to do one per month!  Bravo to each of us.

This is Mary's quilt.

During the binding of my quilt, I played binding chicken and lost.  Oh, so close!
After doing a frantic search through my solids bins, the remaining (and I do say remaining) piece of matching fabric was found and another strip cut off.  There is only enough left over to do one more strip, but I'm good to go now.
My quilt is now finished.  Sleeve and label on?  Tick and tick!   More about this quilt on my next post.

So, our March challenge quilts are done and 10 days before the end of the month.  No sense in waiting until then to post about it.  We are both pleased to show them off now.

Will each of us have nine more quilts to complete the year challenge?  Oh yes, on both sides.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Friday, March 18, 2022

Postcard from Sweden

Well, I'm tickled pink that my top is a top.  That is an odd expression .... but nonetheless, I'm very pleased.  I wonder if anyone else participating in the quilt-along that was hosted by https://www.mmmquilts.com/ will add borders to their tops?  Go here to see other quilts/tops and the link to Instagram.

Backing fabric has been pulled and that will be next to get made.  Batting will be frankenpieced.  Have you heard about the cost of batting these days?  Every little piece counts and will get pieced together.  I still have batting on rolls, but I really need to shrink my stash of smaller odds and ends.

Next up will be getting borders on a few more tops and get them ready to bring them to my lovely LAer.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Monday, March 14, 2022

"Dotty Dots" and a slice of Pi

I just couldn't think up a better name, so "Dotty Dots" it is.  After seeing my friend, Darlene make a circle quilt, it inspired me to make one too.

Since it is National Pi Day .... this is the perfect quilt to show.  Lots and lots of circles.  So why pi and circles?  Because pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter and now you know why there are lots of quilts with circles being shown today.  To celebrate,  we will have meat pie (tourtiere) and a salad for supper tonight and perhaps a round cookie for dessert.

Quilt Details:
Design source:  my own layout
Block size:  3" finished with 2" finished circle
Quilt size:  42-1/2" x 59-1/2" (top size before quilting, washing and drying:  44-1/4" x 62-1/4")
Started:  June 1, 2021
Top Finished:  Aug. 10, 2021
Quilt Finished:  Feb. 20, 2022
Batting:  Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly
Machine Quilted by:  Kathy Wareham using Circle Meander quilt design


Below is another pi quilt to look at.  I have lots more quilts with circles on them, but you can go to my files at the top of my blog and peruse them and see how many have been done over the years.

Cherish your day, cherish your life .... because like the people of Ukraine, we will never know when our lives could be shattered!

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Combining UFO's

I've been looking at a few of my UFO's to determine if two projects can be combined and I think these are two good candidates.

This one is "It Takes Two" and only a few blocks have been made.  I lost interest in making the quilt, so, why not take these and ....

.... these hearts and combine them?
I'm going to be playing the 'what if' game and see what comes of them.  A few more blocks of each project will have to be made to make a decent size wall hanging.  My hanging will be in blues and greens and these two projects are perfect.

Cherish your day, cherish your life .... because like the people of Ukraine, we will never know when our lives could be shattered!

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

"Northern Lights"

So, so glad that this quilt is finished and up on my wall for the month of March.

Pattern source:  Bought at Fun with Stitches quilt store in Belleville, Ontario, Canada and the pattern name is "Lightening Bolt".  Once I got to the halfway point, my brain started to hurt in trying to figure out the placement, so the pattern got tossed and I went my own way.   There was extra fabric and strips were cut in different widths and sewn to resemble our northern lights.   So, so glad that the pattern got tossed!  

Started:  Nov. 19, 2016
Top finished:  Aug 16, 2021
Quilt finished:  February 13,2022
Quilt size:  66-1/2" x 66" (top size before quilting, washing and drying was 68-1/2" x 69-1/4")
Batting:  Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly
Machine quilted by:  Kathy Wareham

Today, is my Mom's birthday (she passed in 2008) and she would have been 104.  Happy Birthday wherever you are.  Thinking of and missing you greatly!  

Cherish your day, cherish your life .... because like the people of Ukraine, we will never know when our lives could be shattered!

Saturday, March 5, 2022

"Presents Galore"

This quilt has been shown, but not the details surrounding it.  So, finally here they are!

Pattern Source:  inspired by "American Wildflowers"in McCalls's Quilting Mar/Apr. 2015 edition

The quilt below is what the pattern should look like (minus the applique flowers in the setting half  triangles).  Quite a difference, eh!  "Presents Galore" doesn't even resemble this quilt at all, so I was inspired by the block pattern, but then my quilt took off in an entirely different direction.
Quilt Details:
Started:  April 16, 2018
Top Finished:  Aug. 18, 2021
Quilt Finished:  January 17, 2022
Quilt Size:  70-1/4" x 86-1/2" (top size before quilting, washing and drying was 75-1/2" x 90-1/2")
Batting:  Hobbs poly
Machine quilted by:  Kathy Wareham

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

February binding challenge - tick and tick!

Well, my friend no-blog Mary and I finished our challenge for February.  Oh my, we are both so happy!

This is Mary's quilt!

This is my quilt (more on this later)!

A second quilt also snuck in and got binding on it too (more on that one later)!  The circle quilt is small and was begging to be finished ..... so, it got finished!  No pressure, Mary.

Now for our March challenge, this is Mary's quilt.  Mary says that she is so happy we are both doing this challenge since this quilt is about 10 yrs. old.  Whatever is the quilt on top of the pile is what she pulls for the next challenge.
Below is my challenge quilt.  Let the fun begin!
I know there is another person out there that has many, many quilts to bind and she needs a gentle push too ...... you know who you are because I'm not naming names!   🐱🐱  Pick a quilt and join us!

Continue praying for Ukraine!  Why, why, why?

Cherish your day, cherish your life!