Quilts Old and New and Other News

It has been a very busy summer. I have been reading up a storm, trying to get in some quilt projects, and mothering our dear senior doggie.

I got out my 2015 Row By Row kits to complete. I machine sewed around all the fusible applique pieces. I decided to make several rows into small wall hangings or table toppers.

The quilt below was from A Little Quilt Shop in Waterford, MI, an area full of small inland lakes used for boating and sport. Techniques include fusible applique, machine sewing, and machine quilting. The kit included two sea gull buttons.

My brother lives on Cass Lake in Waterford and we have many pleasant memories of evening boat rides on the lake.

Our dad on my brother's boat on Cass Lake, Oakland County, MI

Setting sun over Cass Lake, Oakland County, MI

Waterlilies on canal access to Cass Lake

There are lilies on the canal that leads to the lake from my brother's back yard. This row from The Pincushion in Imlay City, MI, was one of my favorites from 2015. The kit came with pre-fused pink circles and the fabrics and pattern. To ensure placement of the applique pieces I traced the pattern on clear plastic, which could be laid over top the pieces before ironing down. Techniques include fusible applique and machine quilting.

I am still working the modern wall hanging Seed Collectors.

bottom portion of my wall hanging

Completed flowers of my wall hanging

The original quilt in the book

A Christmas block of the week is available from I Wish You A Merry Christmas on Facebook.  This lovely star pattern I just had to try. I'd like to make it again. This was hand appliqued.

Christmas block of the month

I love this block of vintage Christmas tree ornaments! I want to make it again and again with different fabrics!

I am trying my hand at several Distinctive Dresden blocks. My review of this new book is coming soon!

My Tuesday quilt group friend Theresa Nielson brought in quilts belonging to a client. I was amazed to see a Marie Webster French Basket kit quilt!

This pattern can be found in  Joy Forever: Marie Webster's Quilt Patterns, which can still be found for sale online.

 These are photos from the book.

 The original quilt kit fabrics are seen below and it appears that Theresa's client has the same fabrics!

Theresa is completing her client's English Basket quilt. The solid fabrics were in luscious Nile Green and a soft lavender.

Theresa Nielson and the English Garden quilt top

 The flowers are from a variety of 20s-30s era prints.

This pattern was shared as an heirloom pattern in Quiltmaker magazine in the March/April 1994 issue.

And, Theresa is washing this Grandmother Flower Garden for the same client.

Our Kamikaze's health has been precarious and several times in August we thought we had come to the big decision. Thankfully, we have worked with the veterinarian and Kaze is doing better, acting more like her old self. She has an enlarged heart and the medications that are keeping her alive gives her tummy issues and depresses her appetite. We lost our dear Suki a few months ago.

I had a sudden insight that I had better buy several books before they are no longer available in hard cover! Last year I had read library copies of The Nix by Nathan Hill and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. They were two of my most favorite 2016 books, so with my new Barnes and Noble membership discount I ordered copies for my library.

J. J. Abrams is bringing The Nix to television with Meryl Streep as the mother! And I am thrilled that Towles' book is on the best seller list!

 Our big Zinnias have attracted bees and lots of butterflies this summer.

We let part of the herb garden go to flower, and bees of all sizes and kinds flock to the flowering oregano!

I discovered that Goldfinch love to eat the Zinnia seeds!

We have a farmers market a few blocks away in the local city park. There has been a booth selling crafts to raise money for Alzheimer's disease research. I picked up some cute Altoids tins decorated with paper, paint, buttons, and other embellishments. I put in a small magnate and use them for my needles and pins. I keep my projects in plastic boxes, the kinds used for scrapbooking and available at craft shops. In each project box I have all the supplies I need--needles, threads, scissors, pins--for easy grab and go.

Last of all I want to share some of the lovely quilts that were in our city's  library in August.