Nancy's Strip Quilt

Nancy loves to make these small strip quilts to give away.  

At 84 (I think she said 84 if not please correct me) she isn't buying anymore fabric and the goal is to use up what she has to make quilts for people that need them.

Nancy requested a topstitch pattern that was very affordable and big, bold, and simple.

What could be better than large loops and stars to match the stars in the fabric.

Made with a flannel blanket for the back this cute little quilt is sure to keep someone warm and toasty for many years.

Calendar Quilt

I finally finished my calendar quilt about a month ago and thought it was time to post it for all to see.

I will apologize now for the photos as some came out with the background brown instead of black.

I started this applique quilt when I had 6 Ave Quilting in Nakusp, BC back in 2013.  Most of the appliques were adapted from free images on search engines and changed or modified to make it possible to applique.

It has turned out to be as much a memory quilt as a calendar quilt as it moved to Vancouver with me and was worked on a bit.  Then across the southern US in a motorhome to be finished here in Saint John, NB.

Scrappy loops.  To much fun!

I was lucky as I had every thread color in the world (well almost) to be able to match tread color with the fabrics being appliqued on.  I makes a big difference when you really want to pop the designs.

See the birds?

  I also packed across the continent black batting which I new would be important to make the quilt dark and to make sure that there was no white showing through the needle punctures on the longarm.

Butterflies and dragonflies.

Then came the fun part.  Topstitching this quilt was a blast as I just added a few of my favorite things, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, swallows, and flowers.  A quick meander and echo around everything gave the quilt life, motion and interest.

A few of my favorite things.

It takes very little extra time to add images into a echo or meander.  Using a dark blue thread instead of black makes the topstitching visible without it being lost in the background color.

I had debated whether or not to applique on the end year (2020) and decided not to.  But I did topstitch it in just under the 2013 as a reminder that not everything happens at once and with a little preserverince all things are possible.  

Although it took me 7 years to finish this wonderful quilt, it was well worth the stashing and packing it around for that time. Once my bedroom is painted, this calendar quilt will hang on the wall at the end of my bed so every morning I wake I can smile and remember all the adventures I have had along the way.

Terry's garden

A friend from the west coast asked that I post a few of my garden photos so she could see what was going on, on the east coast.

This was my garden April 5th when I started.  Tyler and I had pruned the 2 cherry trees by then and I started planning the garden.

April 5, 2020

I started all my seedling way too early thinking like a westerner that things would go in the ground about May 1st.   

Seedlings started March 

Big mistake as May 10th it snowed and the temperature dropped, again!!

Geraniums in the sun room are doing great.

But by the end of May my tomatoes, peppers and patio cuc's were busting out of their cups so I bought a few tubs from the dollar store and out they went.  In every night and out every day.

Great tubs, had to drill holes in the
bottom for drainage but they worked well.

Carl's new home!!

By June 7th the old tin roof shed in the back came down.  I managed to plant the brussel sprouts and cabbage.  The top garden also received beets (which today are 2" tall), fennel (didn't grow at all), lettuce (bolted before we even had a chance to use it).  The cabbage looks like a war zone even with all the slug pellets and hand picking the cabbage moths.  The only thing that did awesome in the little top garden was Tracy's beautiful garlic.  

Top garden June 7

July 17

The bottom garden is coming better and the vegetables are (were) coming along.  If the sun would come out we might actually have a few this year.

July 17

I should note that we have been sampling a bit out of the garden as there have been mustard and red leaf lettuce coming up everywhere from self seeding.  Radishes that haven't bolted have been hot and yummy.  My little herb garden under the cherry tree has been growing well and parsley, sage (love sage ice tea), lemon balm are doing well.  If we ever get a few weeks of summer (last nights temperature at 12 C) we may even have peas (second planting as 1st did not even bother to grow) which are about 3" high and beans which amazingly enough have made it to the 8" high state.

Tomatoes on the deck are showing fruit and the patio cuc's are flowering so come on sun!!! please...lol.

Only other thing to show is the grape arbor and swing I built 2 weeks ago.  The original did not make it through the hurricane last september but this one isn't going anywhere and the grapes are already climbing up the one side.

Next year I will be better prepared and not be so gungho to get my seeds in the dirt.....maybe I'll build a greenhouse next...hmmmmm.

30rd's Bouquet

Norah's very spring felt quilt is a bouquet of 1930's fabrics.

Topstitching a simple 4 point flower in the offset flower petals really popped them out.

 

Then of course what do you circle the bouquet in, leaves of all sizes to fit around and encompass all those spring flowers.

Love the bright yellow centers.

The meandering leaves never cease to please.  To make sure they look natural they twist and turn on the quilt winding in an out of Norah's 30rd's bouquet of flowers.

A beautiful back.

Stars and Pinwheels

Dorothy's Stars and Pinwheels turned out beautiful.  

The copper thread that Dorothy chose was brilliant and loops and shines throughout the quilt.

Copper thread.

Look at all those stars!

Loops and whimsical stars are one of my favorites.  They always look great and an affordable topstitch patten all in one.

Echo the Stars.

Echoing the feature stars really makes them pop.  Being able to meander into and out of the ruler work also helps to make machine quilting a affordable and showy way to make your quilts really shine.

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And Dorothy's quilt does just that....really shine.  A lovely and fun quilt to be enjoyed for many years to come.