Comfort and Joy

 Dear Readers,

When my adult children got home from visiting their father's people for Thanksgiving they said their Uncle Dwight, who was battling cancer, was always cold.  Well, even though we are not legally bound, those are my people, and none of my people should be cold since I can make them a quilt.  

So I went to my stash and started looking at what I have that I could quickly turn into a recliner sized  quilt.  I found a flannel layer cake in manly colors that I bought,  years ago, then did not really have a plan for it at the time... so I got online and found the company does not make layer cakes of flannel anymore, but I found someone on Etsy that had some of the same fabric brand.  I had decided that I would make a circle magic quilt like I did for Sue when she was battling cancer.  But I didn't have enough squares in the layer cake to make it big enough to be a man-sized recliner quilt. So I bought the only color that had enough yardage to give me enough circles to make the size I needed from that Etsy store.  BTW Missouri Star has bought the rights to the template, so if decide to make one, check their website. 

So once the fabric arrived I cut it and all of the neutral sides using the circle template.   Once the edges of the circles are folded over it makes a square, and since Dwight was cold a lot, I cut scrap batting into squares to go in the center of each circle.  

I then went to making circles, and turning them inside out.  

Once I got the circles made, I sketched out a pattern for the brown yardage circles and the layer cake circles.  Then I put them out on the bed to see if I liked the color arrangement.  I played with the color arrangement a bit and when I found one I was satisfied with, I moved to the next step.

Next it was time to sew the circles into rows.

Finally I got all the rows together.  The cool thing about this quilt is it looks totally different on both sides.  

For the "white" side I used quilting cottons that I cut no more than two out of each of the neutrals.  I wanted it to give it some movement.  

Got it all done and mailed, but before it could arrive, Dwight went home to meet his Heavenly Father.  I hope either Kathy or one of his kids enjoy it.  

I am posting a link to his obituary.  You can click here if you want to read it.  I will miss Dwight, I considered him a kindred spirit.  Kathy, his wife, is also an amazing woman.  Please keep her in your prayers.  It is not an easy transition to make after 45 years of marriage.   Hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight and every chance you get.  

Sew on, 

Terry

Explorers - Updated!

 Hey Readers,

I went to the MQA Fall Gathering in Biloxi, and MQA hosted a shop hop in conjunction with the Gathering.  At one of the shops I found a National Park panel that had the emblem in the center and 63 of the national park posters on it.  I have always loved those posters so I picked one up and some fabric for a border.  

So all I did was put a border on the panel.  The back took just about as long, figuring it out and piecing it.  I used a bit of national park fabric I had left from Sue and Bill's quilt for the center stripe.  

The binding was also left over from Sue and Bill's quilt.  I was sewing it on and did NOT have enough, and that fabric was about 3 years old.  I was only about 30 inches short.   So I knew it was too old to go to quilt shops to find it, so I went to ETSY and found it there.  What a relief.  It came in the mail yesterday so I was able to put it on this morning.  

Here is the label.  Big thanks to Will, my son, for always being willing to get on the phone with me and discuss different names and verses.  

Sew on,

UPDATE: Sue and Bill sent me cute videos. Made me tear up...

Terry

The Kitchen Sink

 Dear Readers,

I recently completed a quilt, just before the MQA Fall gathering in Biloxi, MS.  I did not have time to blog about it at that time, so I wanted to tell you about it now.  If I have made you a quilt there is probably some of your fabric in this quilt.  Also every SEC school is represented including Texas and Oklahoma.  

Around the first of this year, I saw a video series on you tube by Terry Rowland.  She was telling her steps to make a color wash quilt.  

Video 1:  https://youtu.be/2UQE5SlOLqg?si=_l8GE0COHLWgPnaF

Video 2:  https://youtu.be/ozxEs1B_Ih0?si=TYoRcEZs0plFCWDV

Video 3:  https://youtu.be/4R9hAE7zXss?si=-kwfyLD-w2_bq04g

So I mentioned this to a few of my Quilty friends to see if anyone was interested in doing it too, it helps to have a friend to hold you accountable!  Well I was on my own.  None seemed interested.  While I was the librarian I was working on Winston Ways so I decided to use my scraps to start making some of the blocks and see how it goes.  So I made about a few dozen or so blocks while there, but I really liked the improve process and the instant satisfaction of getting a block done so fast.  So about once a week I would dig in my scraps and kit up a stack of blocks.  Then I used two cookie sheets to put my blocks by color.  

I worked on it in between other projects and at both of the retreats I went to this year.  

My color wash blocks over on the right, next to Rita or Patti's blocks at Quiltville Inn

On the design board at February Hill Quilting Retreat House in Jonesborough, TN

While I was at one of the retreats, my friend Lauren saw this back and thought it would be perfect, so I had her pick it up for me.... I was sewing while a bunch had gone shopping. 

I used a lot more neutrals than Terry Rowland did, I may do another that is more saturated with color.  

While we were in Biloxi, Lauren helped me stage my quilts for a different view.

This is a super satisfying quilt to make...

Sew on,

Terry

Linked

 Dear Readers,

This year, now that I am retired, I joined the Jackson Quilters.  They request that each quilter create one charity quilt a year.  It can be simple, or complex, or a Quilt of Valor.  I know you know I have been trying to get my sewing area a bit more functional by reorganizing and straightening and purging what I will never use.  

Well I found a bag with a stack of 6 inch civil war reproduction prints.  I put it in my purge bin and moved on with my life.  Then one day I was thinking about the charity quilt, and decided to rescue it from the give away bin and use that to make a disappearing 9 patch out of it.  That is a quick super easy pattern and since civil war fabrics are somewhat masculine that would make a quilt for a guy....not the type most donated by quilters.  

I put the top together at a retreat at Quiltville Inn and it was a little smaller than the requested size, so I added a border.  Tried a new, to me,  quilting pattern of Baptist Fan.  It quilts up really fast.  Definitely a plus for a charity quilt.  I really like how it came out.  I wish I had used a slightly lighter color, but over all I am happy with the result.  

Sew on,

Terry

Sower For God = Updated!

Dear Readers, 

I know since February I had not had many finishes.  I had started too many things and was moving all the projects forward, but could not seem to get them across the finish line.  So all of a sudden they are all coming to a conclusion, which is very satisfying.  This is the latest finish! 

I have wanted to make Ellie her big girl quilt, for a bit, and talked to Sue about what she liked and what were her favorite colors.  Her favorite color is yellow with pink being a close second.  I saw this pattern and sent it to Sue and she and Sally (Ellie's mom) both loved it. The pattern is called Hello Spring, and it is by Pen and paper.  I picked Tula Pinks white with pink dots for the background and her yellow with pink stripes for the binding, I also bought a couple of bright yellows as most of what was in my stash was either very light or more golden. The rest is left over from other things or basic colors that I had bought for my stash.

So before I went to the retreat at Quiltville Inn, I kitted up each ladybug, stem and bloom.  

I got most of the stems done while I was there and a bit more than half of the blooms, although I didn't take a photo of them all, then when I came home I made rest of the blooms and the ladybugs.  

 

Finally I got it on the quilter and I used a lemon ice color of glide thread for the quilting.  I chose a fairly open pattern that is butterflies and swirls.  

I had found a wide back with yellow butterflies on it, so that was perfect.  Will helped me come up with some options on a name and verse and Sue, Bill and family helped me pick the winner.  

This was such a happy quilt to do.

UPDATED:  Bill and Sue, the grandparents, sent me these photos....

I am so pleased she loves it!

Sew on,

Terry

Be Like Mike

 Dear Readers,

One of Celeste's dear friends is having a baby boy.  Celeste called me and wanted me to make a quilt with an LSU theme as the parents to be are both big LSU fans.  I am a big MSU and Ole Miss fan, so it is hard to make an LSU quilt, but the mom to be is such a sweet lady, that I did it.  I decided with would be happy to make her a quilt.  So I found a pattern by Elizabeth Hartman called Antonia Tiger.  Celeste and I decided to make it in LSU colors.  

I had enough purple and gold fabrics from the stash but found the purplish grey for the background and purchased it.  I also bought small cuts of any SEC school that I did not have in my collection and LSU fabric for the back and for a pillow slip.  I usually give my quilts with a pillow slip to store the quilt in and to be used with the quilt.  I also remembered from when Celeste and Jill lived together that Celeste said Jill liked to watch all the SEC football games.  So I put a panel in the back with a patch for all the SEC schools that will be current next year.  I did that because the grad school that Celeste and Jill attended was University of Texas and they will be in the SEC next year, so if I was including that I needed to include the other new schools.  

I did something new with the label.  Celeste had the idea that the girls that she and Jill were friends with would each make a label to go on the back to I sent them each a couple of white squares and a fabric marker, but the postal system only got one of them to me on time, so I put a bunch of blank blocks on the back and will give Jill a marker to have them write their messages to the child or parents on the back.  

Baby shower is tomorrow so I might add photos before I post this.  I did not take any pictures of her getting the quilt, but I sure enjoyed her reaction.  

Sew on,

Terry

Summer Dreams

 Dear Readers,  

Had a long time finish last week, but had not had time to write it up.  I finished a Bonnie Hunter quilt that I had started in 2018.  Bonnie's pattern was called Winston Ways, but I renamed it Summer Dreams.

This quilt has a somewhat weird story.  I took a class from Bonnie Hunter that Mississippi Quilt Association had sponsored for their annual Summer Gathering.  This pattern takes a lot of red and white four patches, I won't give the number as it would violate copy rights.  So after the class I made lots and lots of 4 patches.  Within a short period of time I had the four patches done.  I then I kitted up the other the other parts, putting the parts for each block in a ziplock bag.  Then it sat for a long time.  It was sidelined for other projects took priority.  Then last Spring I took the position of temporary librarian at Winona High School.  The librarian monitored 4 classes of on line learning, but that left 3 free periods a day.  After two days, I knew I had to bring a project up to work on when I just had to keep the library open, but not in charge of students except if someone came to turn in or check out a book.  So I went home and packed up the project a travel iron, featherweight and other sewing supplies.  I decided this was the time to work on this Bonnie project.  This quilt is in her book, More Adventures With Leaders and Enders.  That means it is designed to be done in-between other quilts, but I decided to do it in-between the other classes. So I would try to finish 2 blocks a day, so that I could be done by the end of school.  So I did it.  I finished by the end of school, but I had a couple of trips planned and didn't get to quilt it till July.  

The Back

More Cowbells - Updated!

 Hi Readers.  

I don't usually write tutorials but I am going to attempt to write out a tutorial on how I made the cowbell handles.   I used the Missouri Star small tumbler template to make this quilt on both the bell fabric and the handles.   I had seen a quilt made by Robbie Wise at the Fall Gathering in Starkville a few years ago, and my friend Lauren and I both thought we would like to make it.  I looked at this quilt, and realized she had hand appliquéd all the handles.  I don't do hand work,  if I can avoid it, so I decided I would figure out how to machine piece the handles.  This is a picture of her quilt.

Robbie Wise's Cowbell Quilt

The Fabrics:

I used all the different Mississippi State fabrics I could find and added grays, maroons, light maroons, white with maroon prints, blacks with bones and anything with a bulldog or paw print.  Since I had some of that in my stash it is hard to say exactly how much you should buy, but I wish I had thought to add some pirate fabric in honor of Mike Leach, but I didn't think of that.  Lauren suggested that a khaki for the background would make the white bells stand out.  I have also thought about using a black as a background, but then the dog bone fabrics would blend in. I used about 3 yards of background, but a throw would take less.

My Quilt

The Bells:

The Missouri Star template is designed so that it can be used on charm squares.  It is 5 inches tall and almost 5 inches wide at the bottom.  So I cut 5 inch strips of the various bell fabrics and if the fabric was not directional I would cut bells, flipping the tumbler upside down on every other cut.  That way there would be very little waste.   On the State fabrics, it was directional so it could not be flipped and there would be a bit more waste, but it wasn't too bad.  I had a thought later that a charm packet might give greater variations but I haven't seen one that is primarily maroon.  

The Tumber Handles:

I cut 1.5 inch strips of black and 2 inch strips of background and and used the strips to make a width of fabric strip set of background, black, background ironing toward the black. 

 I then cut these strip sets into 3.75 inch sub cuts.  I could get 11 pieces out of one strip set.  I then cut a bright piece of scrap fabric into 2 x 5/8 inch piece.  I used a bright piece so I would not lose it in my sewing area.  This was to be used as a spacer (not to be sewn in) so I would not line the handle block either too close or too far apart on the top of the tumbler strip.  So I took another 2 inch strip of background and put one of the handle on it right sides together and sewed it down.  Then when I got to the end of the handle part, I put my spacer down then another handle part.  I picked up the spacer and sewed my quarter inch seam across the top part and onto the next handle. 

(These are not actual handle pieces, they are end of strip sets that were a bit short or uneven.  I am just showing how I laid them out.)

I repeated this across the whole strip.  I ironed this to what would be the top of the tumbler.  I could fit 8 handle piece on one strip of fabric.  I then used my template to cut the handle tumbler.  Click here to go to MSQC

Layout:

I wanted my cowbells to float so I put tumblers cut out of background (without handles) on the each end of each row and between the handles on the top row.  I also put one background tumbler between each of the bells on the bottom row.   I also put a two inch strip on the bottom the give the bells some space from the borders.  I trimmed the sides two inches out from the side of the last bell.  I did 16 rows of tumblers.  I kind of wish I had done an odd number of rows and alternated rows of 9 and then 8, beginning and ending with 9, but hind sight is twenty-twenty.  In my layout I did 144 handles and 144 bells and 50 background tumblers.  To cut the background tumblers I cut a 5 inch strip and then cut one up and one down on each strip.  I forgot to count but I think you can get 10 or 11 per strip.  I sewed two 2 inch strip pieces end to end and put it under the cowbells, trimming to width of quilt.  I cut strips 5 inches x 15 inches out of the left over bell fabrics and put them around the edges so I could use most of the left over fabrics and not have too much more in the stash.  Here is a quick sketch of a smaller version, if you made the same number of bells in the top row as the bottom row.  

Finishing:

I used a gray and maroon plaid on the back.  Thought it looked like a man's shirt.  I put a piece of MSU fabric across it where I had to seam it together to make it big enough.

Back

label

I created a worksheet to help you plan your quilt...Cowbell Quilt Worksheet

Options:

This technique could be used to make Christmas Bells or as my friend Naomi suggested that they could be chimneys of houses or if you turned them upside down you could make popsicles.  So rethink how you use your tumbler templates!  The options are endless!

Sew on, 

Terry

Update:  Jim loved the quilt!!  His praise was over the top!