Wave The Flag

Wave The Flag

I started this quilt in April during our spring camping trip, then set it aside. Fast forward to September, when we headed to Dale Hollow again. I took along more scrappy red, white, and blue half-square triangles and finished the blocks.

Ocean Wave is a vintage design that was published in several women's magazines around the 1930's. I've seen this classic quilt many times and always wanted to sew one. It's a bonus that I pieced it on Annie, my Singer Featherweight. 

Once home, I added the light blue corners and completed the quilt. Wave The Flag is 48” square, quilted with light blue thread in a simple 2” grid pattern. I finished it off in a red and white striped binding.

Accuquilt dies used:
55039 Half Square Triangles 2½” multiple
55031 Half Square Triangles 4½”
55017 Strips 2½”

 

Camping, Scraps, and A Clever Substitute

Obey River, Dale Hollow Dam Campground

We're home from an interesting trip to Dale Hollow Dam Campground. First, it rained every day...Hurricane Helene remnants...but thankfully no flooding or wind damage at our campsite or our house. I'm so sorry for everyone who has been devastated by this unbelievable storm.

After we determined we were safe, our stay was actually very quiet and relaxing. Soft rain on the roof was nice and the campground was less than half full because of cancellations. A few days there were only a dozen sites occupied. We had plenty to do: tablets loaded with books, movies on a hard drive, and fairly good internet access. We cooked some nice meals, ate delicious Mexican food at Los Primos in Celina, and walked the trail in between showers.

Of course, there was sewing! I brought along my Featherweight (Annie), bins of cut pieces for blocks to make two quilts, plus some random scraps. As I set up my sewing station, I realized that I forgot my thread stand. Huh. I tried putting the cone thread in a cup, but it wasn't working well.

My clever husband pulled two items out of his tool kit: Vise-grips and a long screwdriver. I added a little binder clip to the top as a thread guide and it worked a treat! It never hurts to have a backup plan or the ingenuity to create an alternative.  A bit of redneck in us, I guess.  We could have gotten extra points if we had also used wire-ties and duct tape. 

We made the best of a rainy escape, plus came home relaxed and happy. And I have two nearly finished quilt tops ready to sandwich and stitch. That's a story for another day. See ya next week!

 

Waste Not, Want Not

Waste Not, Want Not

Here's the third quilt I worked on during our two weeks at the campground. I brought along a storage bin full of 2½” half-square triangles cut from scraps left over from other quilts. I've been collecting these for quite a while; the top wouldn't close on the box.

They were sorted by color, so finding coordinating fabrics was easy. I chain pieced the triangles, then pressed before sewing into four patch blocks. My Singer Featherweight, Annie, breezed right through this project.

After we got home, I arranged them on my design wall to balance out the colors before sewing them into rows. To fill in the sides, I used 4” triangles from another of my remnant boxes. Neutral striped borders made a nice frame.

I quilted with white thread and a walking foot, using a zig-zag utility stitch. Waste Not, Want Not is the perfect name for this bonus quilt. It finished at 52” square.

I didn't even use half of that storage bin, can you believe it? There's probably enough left in that one for two more quilts. I just can't keep myself from saving little bits of material, especially my favorite fabrics.

I try to schedule a day every few months to cut scraps into most used shapes and sizes: triangles, squares, strips, and rectangles. It pays off because I sort them by size and color, which saves time and reduces storage space. I always have something ready to sew for borders, blocks, or whole quilts.

Accuquilt dies used:
55018 Value Die Half Square Triangle 2½”
55031 Half Square Triangle 4½”
55032 Strips 3½”
55017 Strips 2½” 

Bohemian Rhapsody

Here's the second scrap quilt that I pieced during our camping trip. Hot pink, navy, bright aqua, chrome yellow, and vivid orange prints blend together for a wild hippie 1970's vibe. I enjoyed sewing all these blocks on the Featherweight.

Once we got home, I arranged them on my design wall and looked in my inventory for sashing fabric. My final choice is unusual, but suggested by my husband, so I went for it. The small yellow flowers on a black background look very similar to a peasant dress that I wore in high school.

Bohemian Rhapsody finished at 48” square. I quilted with dark gray thread in a free motion meandering pattern, while listening to the music of the 70's...perfect!  

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55601 Mill & Stars 8” finished
55017 Strips 2½”
Blue Wren 6015 Strips 1½”

Midnight Shift

Midnight Shift

I'm back, relaxed and recharged after spending two weeks camping at Dale Hollow Dam. Walking the trail, sitting by the trout stream, reading, people watching, and hanging out with my sweet husband was so nice. We had a delicious Mexican meal at Los Primos on my birthday.

Since I can't go that long without sewing, my Singer Featherweight (Annie) and two tubs of scraps went with us.  I sewed blocks for two different scrap quilts, and I'll finish those soon. A couple of cool rainy days gave me a chance to sort quilt idea photos on my computer, and I designed a few quilts in EQ8.

I cut all the half hexagon shapes for this quilt on the Accuquilt cutter before we left. Dark navy blue prints with crisp white on white vine fabric is a classic look. It didn't take long to sew these together in rows. I improvised a design wall by pinning them to the valance on our back window.

After we got home, I sandwiched the layers and quilted on the Janome. With dark blue thread and the 2-point shell stitch, I used a ruler to sew vertical lines. Some of those utility stitches are fantastic for quilting. Midnight Shift finished out at 46” x 50” size.

Accuquilt dies used:

55437 Half Hexagon 4¼” finished
55017 Strips 2½” binding

Camper Sewing and Fabric Bliss

Sorry to miss last week's blog post. We had poor internet connectivity at the campground. We were able to check email and a few favorite online sites, so we got by. It was actually a very nice, relaxing two weeks, including my birthday. We ate inside a restaurant for the first time in over a year!

We filled our time with leisurely walks, reading, movies, people watching, and enjoying each other's company. I was able to sort some of the hundreds of quilt design idea pics that I've saved on my laptop. I moved them into folders organized by the block name or die design.

Both quilt kits that I took along are nearly done, just a few finishing touches left. I set up Rockette on the dining table and stitched away on those cool rainy days. Here's a sneak peek at the tops. I'll post details later when they're quilted.

I saved the best news for last: This past weekend, I saw a yard sale listing that included a room full of fabric! Yep, it was only 40 miles away from the campsite, so my darling husband had keys in hand and was ready to drive me. A sweet lady was downsizing into a condo. Wonderful antique quilts, unfinished tops, books, notions, and hundreds of yards of fabric, sorted by color. Needless to say, I wanted it all but I practiced some restraint. I did buy a lot of it. I haven't measured yet, but I estimate over 160 yards of quilting cotton.

One of the coolest finds was her huge collection of vintage flour and sugar sacks, all sizes and such colorful and retro prints. Of course, I bought all 169 of those! I also got a set of gorgeous hand stitched blocks that I plan to finish into a quilt. Thanks Mrs. Mary, I absolutely love every single piece.

I'm an extremely lucky woman to have such a supportive husband who indulges and encourages my fabric addiction. He always says “Go for it” when I tell him about a fabric sale, new die or handy sewing gadget. Of course, I do the same when he finds electronic gear, radios, or tools.  I love that man to pieces!

Spring Cleaning

I didn't do much sewing last week. Between spring cleaning and stormy days when my machine was unplugged, my stitching time was limited.

When I'm really in the mood to clean, I go all out. Our camper needed the full treatment since it hasn't been used for almost 18 months. Because of COVID, we canceled all our 2020 trips. Oh, we aired it out and unloaded some gear during that time, but it was still a little dusty and stale.

We spent all week. EVERYTHING came out: pots, pans, dishes, linens, all the stuff that normally stays in there. Lots of laundry and several dishwasher loads made it all fresh and clean. I wiped down walls and cabinets, replaced shelf liner, vacuumed, mopped and dusted.

I find it very satisfying to clean and organize once I get started. I culled out duplicate, expired or unused items before moving it all neatly back in. Rockette, my sturdy Singer 500-A, is stashed snugly in a cabinet with her sewing supplies and a couple of quilt kits. I've loaded basic clothing and canned goods. 

Now the camper is ready for our next trip--a few weeks after we get our 2^nd vaccine. All I'll need to add is fresh food.

Spring cleaning will now carry over into the house, but not until we rest and rejuvenate. I logged several miles just toting things back and forth. Thank goodness I had the help of my favorite guy. He finished indoor and outdoor trailer maintenance as well.  We're a great team.

Spring time

is the perfect time

to clean!

Life's A Trip

This cute luggage fabric has been my closet for over 15 years. It was intended to become a shirt back when I worked in the tourism industry, but I never got around to sewing it.

Now it's a travel quilt! I found several red, blue, and gray fabrics to coordinate with the busy pattern. I designed the square in a snowball block in EQ8, with different dies in mind (listed below) to cut all the pieces and sashing.

Life's A Trip is 41” x 52” in size. I quilted in 1” vertical rows with dark gray thread. I used the luggage fabric for backing.

Life's A Trip

We didn't take any trips in 2020 and I do miss camping. When I feel safe enough to get on the road again, this quilt will make a nice addition to our gear in our truck/fifth wheel.

Accuquilt dies used:
55000 6 ½” square
55180 Spool 6” finished (trapezoid shape)
55006 3 ½” half square triangle
55017 Strip 2 ½”
55059 2 ½” multiples

“On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again”

Willie Nelson

Star Island, Part 2

I did get some time in the sewing room last week, but not enough to complete the Star Island quilt. I finished stitching the last few blocks, arranged them on my design board and sewed the quilt top. 

The layers are now sandwiched and pinned, ready for quilting. Tomorrow I'll choose a quilting design and thread color. Final photos and details will come next Monday.

Camping for two weeks is wonderful, but there's a little work involved afterward to get back to normal. Unloading food, gear, clothes, and supplies takes longer at the end of the season since anything that might freeze has to come in. The camper got a thorough cleaning inside and out, then winterized for storage.

What else kept me busy? Two weeks worth of laundry. Putting away all the stuff we unloaded. The cupboard was nearly bare, so grocery shopping was necessary. (I put that off as long as possible; it is not my favorite activity.) Routine household chores.

Sometimes daily life gets in the way of quilting.

Campground Sewing: Star Island

You didn't think I could go camping without some kind of sewing project, did you? For our latest outing I created a quilt kit to take along. My inspiration was a nine-patch star test block that I made last year.

I selected light colors in soft green, lilac, latte, and aqua prints from my 3 ½” square and triangle leftovers and pulled other coordinates from my remnant baskets. After designing in Electric Quilt 8, I spent an afternoon cutting the pieces I would need with Accuquilt dies. All the star points are a simple white dotted print. Everything fit nicely into a storage container.

I loaded up my trusty Singer XL1000, the fabric kit and a sewing box of notions, and off we headed to Defeated Creek.

Taking over the dinette table gave me enough room to stitch, especially with my pressing annex. I wouldn't want to try to sandwich, pin and finish a large quilt in this small space, but sewing the quilt top was a breeze.

After a couple of days unloading and cleaning the camper, I'll finish up the quilt and show you the final results next week.

Camping in fall is usually great but this year temps went from 96 to 39 during our stay. Air conditioning and heaters were necessary.  We had fun anyway!

Is is a vacation if you're retired, 

or just another day in a good life?  

Cottage Charm

What a sweet soft quilt made for a country setting. I cut scrap pieces in neutrals and brights with Accuquilt 3 ½” square and 3 ½”x 6 ½” rectangle dies. 

Making the modified log cabin blocks was my camping project, stitched on a portable machine while we were at Defeated Creek Campground in April.

I finished it off here at home, adding 2” sashing in a pale spring green. Backing is cut from an old soft floral sheet. I mounted it on my Flynn Quilt Frame, free motion quilting in a meandering pattern with tan thread.

Cottage Charm, 45” x 55” in size, could be the perfect accent to someone's shabby chic décor. Can't you see it in a log cabin or cottage, draped over a wicker chair or an iron bed?

Beautiful things

come together

one stitch

at a time

Midnight Star

This week's quilt is my version of the Hunter's Star block, using pieces from the Accuquilt Lemoyne Star and 4 ½” square dies. Rich brown and cream print and a subtle midnight black swirl provides the contrast needed for a striking design. 

I added a 3 ½” leafy brown border to four 9” blocks to make a 25” square table or wall quilt. I straight stitched along each section in a square pattern with tan thread. Backing is the same brown leaf print. Midnight Star is another favorite; I plan to sew a bigger one later.  

It's finally feeling more like fall! Now that we're home from camping, the temperatures have dropped. I wasn't exactly planning for 90 degree days on our October retreat, but we still had a good time at Defeated Creek. There was a breeze off the lake and our site was shady. Two side trips had us exploring the Roller Coaster Yard Sale and the Granville Quilt Show I wrote about last week.

Our trip was relaxing, even with the heat. Good books, yummy food, and leisurely walks fit perfectly into my plan for taking things as they come and enjoying the journey.

One little monkey wrench when we got home Friday: our 3 year old refrigerator had quit. All food lost. Four trash bags full of mushy, thawed and questionable stuff. We plugged in our 24 year old frig; it is now running fine in the basement. 

Fortunately we have extended warranty, food spoilage reimbursement, and the repairman is expected today or tomorrow. Who knows how long it will take to get parts, fix or replace?   To be continued...

Catching Up

On Friday, we came home from camping, and are still catching up. I'm thankful that we left before the holiday because Dale Hollow Dam Campground was beginning to fill with barking dogs, screeching kids, and rowdy people. 

I like it much better when it is a quiet shady retreat populated with old folks like us. We're done for the summer; happily abandoning campgrounds so that families with kids can enjoy them.

Obey River: Dale Hollow Dam Campground

Our weekend was spent doing laundry, yard work, and unloading the Sabre. It's nice to settle into our regular routine, although I do enjoy taking a break now and then for impromptu adventures. 

Some much needed quilting time is ahead for me, beginning today. My backlog of projects has grown since I sewed more blocks and designed five new quilts on this trip.

Whether you're catching up, taking a break, or staying with your routines, have a meaningful Memorial Day!

Road Trip

When we were camping in April, I pieced a bunch of four-patch squares in random color combinations. Once we were home, I added a few signature blocks, resulting in this cute 29” table mat called Road Trip. The bright yellow and white dot backing and binding gives it a happy look. It's quilted with bright yellow thread in a diagonal pattern.

I enjoy sewing in the camper, especially using scraps from my favorite quilting projects. When a small scrap basket fills up, I schedule some cutting time with my AccuQuilt cutter. It's much better than my former system: a huge hamper and boxes stuffed with wrinkled fabric odds and ends. Cutting pieces into commonly used sizes keeps my scrap piles neatly organized and gives me plenty of inspiration.

Starting somewhere 

now

is better than

starting somewhere 

later

Travel Day

Yesterday was a travel day for us, so I didn't get to post.  We drove home from a two week stay at Defeated Creek Campground, then picked up mail and retrieved the cat from boarding.  

It was an interesting trip.  The weather was strange even for April in Tennessee.  Blowing rain, 40 with chilly wind, 79 and sunny, lows in the 30's, snow flurries on my birthday, then more rain. Luckily rain held off for both camp setup and tear down. We didn't walk or sit outside as much as we usually do because it was just too darn cold and wet.

Thank goodness we like each other, since we spent a lot of time inside.  Even though cell service is horrible north of Carthage, Jerold's custom external antenna gave us enough bars to access the internet a little bit each day. (I think it was a nice change to be mostly offline, though.)  We had books, magazines, music, movies, and a good DTV signal.  

We had fun despite the weather.  He worked on some electronic projects and I chain sewed 2" squares together on my little Singer machine.  I finished a crochet cat blanket and whipped up several dish cloths.  We made the usual Walmart and Dollar Store run, and ate fabulous Mexican food in Gordonsville twice.  We cooked several nice meals in the camper.  

Life is what you make it.  

Life is good.  

It's Spring, Right?

Remember back in February, when it was 75 degrees here in Tennessee? Well, now it is April; the high Saturday was 35 with snow flurries, and the low dropped to 25. Good grief! Mother Nature is playing tricks on us. I had azaleas budding, early iris blooming, hosta leafed out and apple trees blossoming. I picked the iris, covered the rest with sheets; hopefully they will survive.

We've been preparing the camper for a spring trek. I don't know whether to pack coats or shorts. Probably both. There are definitely quilts in there. With our unpredictable weather, it could be freezing in June. We always load too much stuff anyway, but I like to be prepared. We are not minimalists and prefer to be comfortable. The basics stay in all season, until we winterize for storage. 

Sewing at the campground? Absolutely. I have a little Singer machine, shoe boxes of cut scraps, a mini iron, and a kit of everything I need to stitch away on small projects. I also use our time away to design new quilts on my laptop. Inspiration is abundant in nature, whatever the weather.

Despite the forecast,

live like it's spring.

~Lily Pulitzer

Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde

Colors for this lap quilt were inspired by Mesa Verde  
National Park in Colorado. These rust solid, green print and black/rust prints remind me of the beautiful cliff dwellings and scrub pine trees found in the park. We were there on vacation years ago, but I'd like to go west again one day.

I designed in EQ8, alternating the 4” kite block with a plain corner block. Using Accuquilt dies made quick work of the cutting. I set the blocks diagonally, creating a flowing pattern that I followed when quilting in rust thread. The back of this 48” square is a black/rust print.  

Since Mesa Verde matches the colors in our camper, it will ride along when we head out later this spring. It might come in handy on a cool night by the lake.

By the way, I sewed this as a birthday gift for my sweet husband, but I caught Callie cat taking a nap on it last night. 

If you truly love nature,

you will find beauty everywhere.

~Vincent van Gogh

Nature always wears

the colors of the spirit.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Know When To Fold 'Em

This is a late blog post because yesterday we broke camp and headed home from what was supposed to be a two week relaxing escape. Six months ago we made reservations at Dale Hollow Dam Campground. We envisioned bright fall days and crisp nights sitting around the campsite with nice breezes blowing through open windows. That didn't happen.

Our trip started great, an easy pull and smooth setup in our favorite site. We kept getting a whiff of something, maybe an RV needed to go dump or the wind was coming from the dumpster area. Nope. By the next day we realized that it was coming from the river, every time they let lake water through the sluice gates. Rotten sewer smell, enough to make you nauseated. Whatever was in that lake bed was extremely nasty. Be very glad photos don't convey scent.

So, windows closed, air conditioner on. OK, we can deal with that for a day or two, surely it won't last long. And it was ok at night, except for mosquitoes. But then rain came, making it hot and muggy and stinky. We explored around Celina, ate exceptional Mexican food at Los Primos, shopped the Roller Coaster yard sale. Campground was nearly full because it was fall break for several surrounding counties. Kids, dogs, noise.

We kept thinking it would cool off and that smell would go away. It didn't. Then yesterday morning, the power went off for several hours. Now it was hot and smelly and no AC. Enough already. No peaceful fall days, no crisp nights, can't sit outside, might as well go on home. Life's too short to waste time being miserable. At least we got a refund for the rest of the week. And Callie cat was happy to be sprung from the cat spa at Critter Clinic.

You've got to know when to hold 'em

Know when to fold 'em

Know when to walk away

Know when to run.

The Gambler, Kenny Rogers/Don Schlitz

Stormy Path

Stormy Path

Finished in early March, this modern quilt is crafted from navy, cream, and blue fabric set in squares and rectangles. The back features one large centered square with blue borders on each end. I used navy thread to quilt on the diagonal with a scalloped fancy stitch. The size is 33” x 44”, perfect for a crib quilt, wall hanging, or table topper.

I took two weeks off from sewing to camp at Defeated Creek back in April. It did storm a couple of days, but most of the time was pleasant and relaxing.  Except for the 24 hours that the dog tied up in a nearby site barked...constantly...with no intervention from his owners. The six adults were too busy loudly screaming at their eight kids, putting up tents, and hollering back and forth at each other to notice the poor dog. Finally the camp attendant told them to hush up the dog or leave. Amazingly, after that the dog didn't bark much, but his people were still inconsiderately loud. 

Still, there's always a bright side:  I'm happy they only stayed one weekend, and I feel extremely fortunate that they don't LIVE next door to us.   

✤✤✤✤✤

Some people need a shock collar,

and I need the remote. --Unknown

(But I wish I had thought of it myself)

✤✤✤✤✤

Sewing On The Road

With all the rainy days in the past three weeks, I was happy to have a portable sewing machine along on our camping trip. I'd packed two shoe boxes of scraps – four inch and two and a half inch strips, along with my rotary cutter and a tiny cutting surface. I started by matching up lights, mediums, and darks in pleasant color combinations. No real plan or pattern yet, just a scrappy project that I will work on during each trip this year.

I sew on the dining table or the small desk, so I have to keep the area neat and put things away after each session. Later this year it will be warm and sunny, so I can sew outside on the picnic table. Stay tuned for updates and the final reveal later this year.

I did some crochet as well, a couple of spa washcloths in beachy blue and green hues, and finished a pink, green and white summer shrug that I gave my mama for Easter.

“Wherever you go, 

no matter what the weather, 

always bring your own sunshine.” 

--Anthony J. D'Angelo