Petting Zoo & Christmas Donation

This darling quilt is constructed with animal themed fabrics, most given to me by a friend, some picked up at estate sales. Cats, dogs, lions, owls, rabbits, llamas and other critters frolic with coordinating prints.

I used the snowball block, with black weave on the corners. Piecing was done on Elizabeth, my vintage Singer 404. Petting Zoo is 48” square. I quilted with white thread, adding straight and serpentine stitches across the center of the blocks.

Petting Zoo

Accuquilt dies used:
55330 Snowball 6” finished
55017 Strip 2½”

🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄

Christmas donation 

This was one of a group of quilts that I donated to a local senior living facility. The ladies were so surprised when this Santa's helper dropped by. It was lovely to see those smiles as they unwrapped their gifts.

Spread some

J O Y

this Christmas

 

Christmas Past

This quilt has a story, although I don't know much of it. I found a box of beautiful hand stitched quilt blocks at an estate sale earlier this year. The fabrics are soft and look old, probably feed sacks and repurposed clothing. Each 9” block contains four 4½” LeMoyne Stars around a center square.  I can't imagine hand stitching all those tiny points with such precision!

Interestingly, these lovely blocks had once been in a quilt, then taken apart. There is cotton batting fuzz on the backs and tiny holes around the edges from picked out stitching. I'm guessing that the red material bled onto the original sashing, since a few look slightly faded. I don't know happened to it, but someone took that quilt apart to salvage those blocks, and meant to finish it. I guess now that someone is me.

There were 37 blocks total. I chose sixteen that had some green coloring to make a Christmas wall hanging. I added narrow green sashing after doing a couple of repairs and squaring up blocks. Considering they were hand cut and hand stitched, most were nearly perfect.

Christmas Past vintage quilt rescue, 2021

To keep the vintage look, the backing is natural muslin and binding is a green mini check. I used a machine stitch that looks like handwork for quilting with cream thread. My hand stitches are not that pretty. Christmas Past finished out at 42” square.

I'm so pleased that I rescued vintage blocks that someone felt were important enough to carefully pick a whole quilt apart. Now they'll live on in at least two projects. And that's a happy ending in my book.

Merry Christmas to all,

and to all a good night!

Vintage Bows

Remember those sugar sack remnants from last week?

I couldn't wait to use them for this reproduction of one of my Granny Hill's quilts. The bow tie block is quick and easy in the 6” size. I added more feed sacks in yellow, red and green prints, including a scrap of Granny Rose's.    

Tan muslin squares alternated with the bow ties add to the traditional design. I framed it with two borders, a 2” navy and cream mini print and a 3” tan muslin on the outside. Vintage Bows finished at 53” square.

Vintage Bows

I quilted with cream thread using a straight stitch in a 3” grid. Backing and binding features the navy/cream print. Such a soft and cuddly Granny quilt! It looks and feels like an antique, even though I just finished it. Of course, most of the fabric IS vintage.

Accuquilt dies:
55000 6” Square
55772 6” Bow Tie
55818 Half Square Triangle (6” Bow Tie set)
55017 Strips 2½”
55032 Strip 3 ½”

Joy is

a day

spent

sewing

Glorious Day

Aqua, lime and hot pink combined with white and gray make me think of blue skied summer days. For this beauty, I dipped into my scrap baskets and cut with the Glorious Nine Patch die from Blue Wren.

Sixteen blocks, bordered by 3½” strips make a 46” square quilt called Glorious Day. I quilted with light gray thread around the circles, across the centers, and over the block seams. The backing is a gray and white medium floral print.

Glorious Day

On a side note, even though some businesses in Tennessee are reopening, we are still taking precautions and isolating at home. The only exception was Saturday, when we picked up an order of fresh strawberries and bedding plants from a local farm.

The upside to staying home is taking time to enjoy being here, relaxing and just living. I did get a bit too close to nature on my walk the other day, though. I stepped on a big ole snake that was snoozing in a pile of leaves! Scared me to death, but it wasn't poisonous and didn't bite me. I'll stick to walking in the driveway for a while.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6562 Glorious 9 Patch

Accuquilt 55032 3 ½” strip

Wake up in the morning

with a positive mindset

and a joyful heart.

Be determined

that it will be

a glorious day. 

Celtic Chains

I recently saw a photo of this quilt online and I just had to recreate it. I don't know the name of the designer or the quilt block but I'm calling it Celtic Chains.

I drew it out in my design notebook, then finalized it in Electric Quilt (EQ8) for a small version. Later I'll sew a larger one.

I used precut remnants for the 2 ½" squares and half square triangles. My box of those was nearly full so that worked out perfectly. Cutting up remnants with Accuquilt dies takes some time, but sure makes it easier to create new scrappy projects. The only parts I had to cut were the 5" squares of white on white dotted fabric, using the value die (55018). I chose teal, aqua, navy, sage and light gold colors for the chains.

Simple squares and HSTs go together easily so it didn't take long to finish the 24 ½" square table mat. I used a teal and navy paisley print on the back and navy paisley for binding. 

For quilting, I made use of the Janome circular attachment to sew intersecting circles all over the quilt with white thread. This lovely mat now decorates the end of my kitchen bar.

Last week I bought the 6 ½" bow tie on closeout from Accuquilt. I wanted to make a test block, so I got teal and navy prints and whipped up a hot pad to coordinate with the mat. I added flying geese triangles to frame the square. Another pad was created with a block made of leftover chisels and 3 ½" HST.

All this is a perfect match for new non-stick bakeware that I found in a beautiful speckled teal color. Who said pans have to be dull and neutral? Not me! Now my kitchen has a bright look that makes me joyful!

I prefer living in color

~Daniel Hockney

I Shall Wear Purple

The fabric that inspired my latest quilt is bright, cluttered, and loud. I bought eight yards of it at a closeout sale in 1995...yeah, I know, but it was only 25 cents a yard! I've used it for backings and in scrap quilts.

I chose a granny square design to showcase individual prints used in the material. I cut 2 ½” squares with Accuquilt, then sorted them by pattern. I added red, blue and purple blenders as the four center squares, with light beige prints for the triangles.  Layout was done in Electric Quilt 8.  

original fabric

The sashing is a grape Quilters Candy chambray from Connecting Threads. Binding and backing is the original wild and crazy fabric. Quilting in a medium purple, I used a straight stitch horizontally and vertically across each square. Then I added the wide zigzag stitch on the sashing.

I Shall Wear Purple

I am so pleased with the result; it finished out even prettier than I expected. The 44” x 54” size is handy for naps or display.

Jenny Joseph's poem, Warning, has encouraged many of us to keep our playful nature alive. I Shall Wear Purple seemed like the perfect name for a granny square quilt made by an old lady whose favorite colors are purple and red.

So, go out and do something unexpected today and don't forget to wear purple.

Sampling Designs

Fancy Flowers pattern

I see design ideas everywhere. Magazines, blogs, Facebook, Pinterest and nature are my favorite inspirations for color and block layouts. 

Lately I've been experimenting with Accuquilt dies to reproduce vintage blocks. My resources are Granny Rose's clippings from Progressive Farmer magazine and Nashville Tennessean newspapers. I also search online for photos of vintage quilts.

Lydia Rose block

Before starting a new project, I usually sew a test block to see how it will look, especially if it is new to me. I also use EQ8 to design and test color combinations.  If that block doesn't end up in a quilt, I keep it in my sample drawer or make something useful out of it.

I found Fancy Flowers in Granny Rose's pattern shoebox, complete with templates and notes of how many to cut of each fabric. She also had one completed block in a lovely yellow, green and navy color combination.

Fancy Flowers - my version

My scrappy version is cut with Accuquilt Lemoyne Star, 4½” half square triangle, 2½” square and strip dies. I made an 18½” table mat with the sample, quilted with several decorative stitches. You may see this pattern again in a larger quilt.

I am thankful to Lydia Fort Rose for her quilts, and to Hazel Rose Ireland for saving these bits and pieces of patterns and scraps. Using them to sew new quilts brings me joy.

Indulgence

I treated myself to a couple of birthday presents last week. First, I ordered a new extra large 30” x 60” cutting mat that fits my cutting table. This Martelli mat is commercial grade, reversible, and self healing. One side is purple, matching my décor. The reverse is a cheery yellow. The markings are crisp, with grids in ½” increments and numbered down the center as well as each side. You can even iron on it if you cover it with a good quality ironing mat.

Next, I splurged on an ergonomic rotary cutter from the same company. The design is unique, with a cushioned handle perpendicular to the blade, making it easier on the wrist and hand. There are right and left handed models. So far I love it! It has an easily operated spring loaded safety guard, and can cut up to 15 layers at a time with less pressure needed. The blades are supposed to last 3 to 5 times longer than typical ones. Check the Martelli website for details on both items.

Upgrades for my sewing space are apparently in process this year. There could be more. I spend a lot of time in here. Investing in better equipment, supplies, and accessories helps me enjoy the experience so much more. And that is a good thing!

A treat is a small pleasure or indulgence that we give to ourselves just because we want it. ~Gretchen Rubin

You have the freedom of indulgence. Be extravagant. Allow yourself to think and feel and do what you please and hopefully…everything you do will make your life better. Stronger. Enabling you to live in happiness. ~Michael Feeley

Dazzler

Dazzler

I love purple...from grape to lilac, amethyst to lavender. I recently added touches of royal purple to my guest bathroom. This small 18” x 22” wall quilt, Dazzler, is made up of drunkard's path blocks. I quilted around the curves in dark purple thread. This one only took a day to complete. It's satisfying to work on small projects because they finish up quickly.

Now I am on the hunt for a couple of matching hand towels and perhaps a colorful rug. It's the little things, you know, that bring me joy. 

This month I've been making a daily note of gratitude. Looking back, most of them are simple pleasures, and I like that. 

  

Sometimes we get so caught up
in trying to accomplish
something big,
that we fail to notice
the little things
that give life its magic

Blooms For Mother's Day

These gorgeous flowers always bloom in May, and they remind me so much of my mama, Sam.  Jerold's mama also loved flowers, so every Mother's Day we bought them pretty hanging baskets for their porch and patio. A spring and summer of colorful blooms brought them more joy than a couple of days of expensive flowers in a vase!

Sam liked digging flowers nearly as much as she liked fishing. She'd stop by the side of the road to get a wildflower and never, ever passed up a plant sale. She generously shared cuttings and bulbs that I still enjoy today. Quite a few of them came from her mother's flower garden, especially the iris. I often gave Sam pots of perennials, which we planted together in her yard. I hate that I didn't get to dig up any of those daylilies and ferns before her house was sold.

Apparently my love of flowers must be genetic; I have an old fashioned rose that came from my great grandmother and a blooming shrub from my granny. 

This Mother's Day, I'm buying hanging pots for myself, and planting a few perennials in memory of the women in my life who passed on their passion for flowers and digging in the dirt.

Flowers...

are sunshine,

food,

and medicine

for the soul.

~Luther Burbank

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a 

joyful

Christmas

filled with

happiness and fun

Hard Lesson: AccuQuilt

Play Time

I bought myself a new toy, an AccuQuilt Go fabric cutter. It was on sale at their website at the end of August, so I ordered. As soon as it arrived, I used the basic die to cut pieces for several quilt blocks. The cuts are precise and the blocks went together perfectly. I loved it at first use, so easy and quick!

Play Time is a sampler quilt from those blocks plus a couple of test squares from recent projects. The bright red, aqua and white colors blend these different designs into a pretty 32” square.

Unfortunately, my happiness didn't last. I was enthusiastically cutting and sewing up a storm, when I saw AccuQuilt advertise a new sale on Labor Day. The cutter I just bought is now $50 less for the month of September, "lowest price of the year." I contacted AccuQuilt customer service twice and found out that their 30-day satisfaction guarantee is far from satisfying. They would not give me the $50 discount, even though it had only been 10 days since my order.  All they said was NO, have a nice day and here's a link to our latest sale. WHAT???

They just took the joy right out of my new purchase. I truly like the product, I even did an positive online review right after purchase, but their company policy stinks. They could at least offer a discount on another die, or a coupon, or something. Now every time I use the thing, I remember that I got fleeced.

I guess I'm used to nice merchants who want their customers happy so they will continue buying their products. I found out the hard way that AccuQuilt is NOT one of those.

One customer 

well taken care of 

could be more valuable 

than $10,000 worth 

of advertising.  

Jim Rohn

Your most 

UNHAPPY customers

are your greatest source

of learning.

Bill Gates

Three Christmas Wishes

PEACE

Wishing you the peace that comes from within -

the tranquil serenity found in moments of quiet reflection.

LOVE

Wishing that you experience pure love –

giving and receiving the warmth of affection

for yourself and others.

JOY

Wishing you the joy of living –

the ability to recognize and pause to experience

simple moments of bliss in daily life.

Merry Christmas!

Road Trip - Beach Time

Last week, I took my own advice and went on a road trip with someone fun. The destination was Orange Beach, Alabama and my sidekick was my sweet husband. We loved every minute, even though it was mostly cloudy and cool.

We spent one of the rainy days exploring the National Naval Aviation Museum at the home of the Blue Angels in Pensacola, Florida. They have added another building since we visited ten years ago, and now have over 55,000 sq. ft. of exhibits covering early flight to modern aircraft and space exploration. I took over a hundred photos of historic planes and informative exhibits. If you've never been, I highly recommend making time to go.  It's free, except for the IMAX films and Simulators.

I'm all relaxed now after beach walks, shopping, and amazing seafood at our favorite spots. Mikee's Seafood and DeSoto's in Gulf Shores served us grilled amberjack, fried red snapper, pan seared mahi-mahi, and fried shrimp, which were mouth-watering with very reasonable prices.

I adore going to the beach, especially in the off season when there are no crowds. The sound of the sea always calms me, the expanse of sky and water inspires me and brings me joy.

Smell the sea, and feel the sky,

let your soul and spirit fly.

--Van Morrison

Holiday Season Challenge

Let's face it, December can be hectic. We're just coming off Thanksgiving, which has evolved into a pre-Christmas shopping frenzy. The pressure is on to find the perfect gift, decorate the perfect house, and be the perfect hostess.

I have an idea. Forget the nonsense and enjoy the Christmas season. 

 

What if, each day, we did something nice for someone else AND something nice for ourselves? 

 

That's right. Be generous and selfish every day. Embrace the joy with no guilt. As you buy presents, get little gift for you. Bake your own favorite dish and share it with others. Pay it forward to the next person in line as you indulge in your favorite beverage. 

 

It doesn't matter what religion you are or what you believe. Just be nice.

It's the season for giving. Treat yourself as you give to others, and see how much better you feel about the holidays.

One of the secrets to a happy life is continuous small treats. ~ Iris Murdoch

Believe In Magic

Magic exists, we only have to pay attention in order to experience it. We need to use all our senses to detect it. It may come as a touch, a taste, a sight, a sound, a scent, a feeling, or all of these at once. Love is magical. So is music, art, a good book, people, laughter, changing seasons, silence, joy, a cozy quilt, solitude, a kiss in the dark, and a cup of coffee. A simple meal can be as magical as a gourmet feast. 

 

There is magic in our universe. 

Look up at the evening sky full of glittering stars, watch a colorful sunrise, witness the power of a thunderstorm, wonder at the beauty and smell of flowers, hear lapping waves on the beach: nature is magical. 

 

We miss a great deal of magic because we're busy, preoccupied, or multi-tasking. Some people simply don't expect to find any.  It could be that we need to slow down, become more aware, and open the door to a magical life.

“We have to believe in magic, 

because life without it is dull indeed.” – Anonymous

“The world is full of magic things, 

patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” – W.B. Yeats

Contentment

 

con·tent·ment

 : the state of being mentally and physically satisfied with things just as they are

: peace of mind; satisfaction

: a happy or pleased feeling with one's circumstances

It is comforting to be at place in life where you know you can handle whatever comes along. You've cleared unnecessary things and exasperating people out of your path so that you can go your own way. That's contentment. 

 

Some people always strive to be somewhere else or someone else; they will never be truly content. You have to be comfortable with who you are before you can find your way to where you want to be. 

 

Happiness and satisfaction in life come from knowing you are where you belong. That doesn't mean you're stuck in one place, but that you trust yourself to go forward confidently and enjoy the journey.

“When you can think of yesterday without regret 

and tomorrow without fear, 

you are near contentment.” 

– unknown

“At some point you gotta let go, sit still, 

and let contentment come to you.” 

– Elizabeth Gilbert

Pure Joy At Daytona

Photo from Dale Jr. Facebook page

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finally done something in racing that his famous dad didn't accomplish.  Last night, after a six hour rain delay, Junior won the Daytona 500 for a second time.  He led the most laps and held off a charge from a pack of hungry drivers.  There was pure joy radiating from him after he crossed the finish line.  The excitement continued as he celebrated with his crew and hugged everyone in sight. I have never seen him so thrilled and happy after a race.  

Of course, I was dancing around the living room and crying, and doing my own celebration, like I used to when Dale Sr. was alive.  I've missed that passion and excitement while watching races.  I hope Junior will take this motivation on to Phoenix, then continue his winning ways all season.  Maybe he'll even win the Chase trophy.  He deserves that joy!


“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.”  ― Marianne Williamson

Light And Shadow

Obey River in Celina, Tennessee

Nature is my favorite source of inspiration for quilts and home décor. The palette of earth's colors range from muted to brilliant. Contrast of light and dark, sun and shadow, occurs everywhere around us if we take the time to look. 

Something as simple as sunlight on leaves shading a cool green river bank triggers a design idea for a forty shades of green quilt. And makes me want to stop there for a while to enjoy the view.

Even when I'm not working on a specific project, I find interesting themes in unexpected places. That's why I keep my camera handy and snap lots of photos of things like rocks, fog, flowers, sky and water. Tiles, fences, angles, shadows, texture...there's so much to take in.

Though I haven't made time to sew in the past couple of weeks, I have plenty of projects lined up on my to do list, in my photo file, and in my brain. I'll get around to them sooner or later, there's no rush. I want to smell those flowers and relax in the outdoors to renew and refresh my spirit. 

"Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher." 

 William Wordsworth  

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." 

 Ralph Waldo Emerson