Little Things and Big Things

I'll start with the little things. The first little things are all about leftovers. In the photo below you see on the left side the results of my participation in Lori's Homestead Quiltalong (Humble Quilts Blog) started September 2024. I will state the obvious--it still is not quilted.

On the right you see what I did with the handful of 2" finished 9-patch blocks that were leftover and have been kicking around the sewing room, getting shifted from surface to surface, because I had intentions of making something from them. I finally followed through. It is hard to see, due to the poor choice of fabric for the outer border, but the chain continues to the outer corners. The fussy-cut plaid in the 4 light colored center blocks was what I almost used instead of the gingham in the quilt on the left. 

You may recall the tiny blocks I've been making off and on for a few years with Lynn's Tiny Club. The first batch I made were in repro fabrics. I also threw in a few blocks I made just by shrinking down some other blocks. This is the collection of those blocks (the star being one I cut with the wrong rulers and ended up too small). Other than the star, these will finish at 2".

I have been wanting to try the setting below, on the left, with these blocks for a long time. I finally did it! I haven't decided yet whether or not I will border it somehow.

The leftover blocks that didn't seem to "fit" in that layout went into the little quilt on the right.

Earlier this month I had the "opportunity" to do a trunk show for the Tiny Club at the little shop over the mountain. This is the fifth trunk show I have done for guilds and groups, over the last 12 years. There is just enough time between them that I kind of forget how much work they are.

I gather little quilts from all over the house and figure out how I will set them up, by putting it all up in my living room first. Then I take photos and take it down as carefully as I can so that I can put it up quickly at the trunk show. After everything was packed up, my son, who lives here on the family farm, walked in. He looked around at the bare walls and tables and asked, "Have you given up quilting?"  I got a kick out of that.

This was held in the new classroom area (called "Village Next Door") of Village Dry Goods in Brigham City, UT. The Tiny Club meets there once a month. They were a great group. There was much laughter!

On the big end of things I will just give a quick update on the house quilt. All of the stars around the center block are completed. I have chosen fabrics and soon hope to cut the stars for the next round of sashing. Next week I am going to the next "ChitChat, Finish That" at Village Dry Goods and hope to get a few more houses and stars made.

I think I will not put another row of houses at the top of the quilt. I like my quilts to just tuck under the pillows, rather than tuck and come up over them. If I do another row of houses at the top, the center of the quilt will be toward the bottom of the bed. 

Have you ever made a center "medallion" style quilt where the medallion was not truly centered?

The other "big" things to share are the winners of the drawings from my last post. The anniversary drawing winner is Gladi. Congrats, and I will get that sent off to you, as I believe I have your address. 

The winner of the Thimbleberries bundle is Kathy S. If you can email me your snail mail address, I will get your bundle in the mail.

Last of all is the biggest thing, really--the moon! From June 11th, a shot of the "Strawberry Moon" coming up over the Bear River Range of Mountains--view from the front deck. Click to get the full effect.

Until next time, be creative and be kind.

Janet O.

Serving Up Some Leftovers and Other Stuff

As I was cleaning off my cutting table today (long overdue), I was putting some bonus HSTs into my "parts" bowl and decided to get a few little quilts laid out from some of the leftovers there. I pulled out three design boards and soon these were born. I only let myself work with stuff from the cutting table, in the "parts" bowl, or the scrap baskets.

They will be leader/ender projects as I work on the last few deadlined projects for this summer.

I have to admit that feathers have become a favorite for me and Gidget. After trying hyper-quilting recently, I had to do more. I selected a few more batiks and got one of them sandwiched up and quilted. I had to try Fall colors this time because when I go out to work in my garden in the mornings now, there is that nip in the air, even though the daytime highs are still in the 90s. This is in the process of being bound (obviously).
Can't decide whether to do the deep plum or bright orange next.

I wanted to share with you something DD#1 did while she was here. She liked the hexie flowers I did in that little AAQI quilt and wanted to give it a try. When it was time for her to go home she was starting to applique the flowers down and had chosen sashing and binding fabrics.

I am so excited to have a new Koala sewing chair. It is wonderful. I have had lower back trouble since I was about 10 and the lumbar support of this chair feels so good. I saved my pennies (well, dollars, really) for a few months and I have had it for a week now. I think it was money well spent.

Another new arrival is my latest AAQI purchase. When I first saw Jean's little quilts I knew I wanted the R/W/B one. I had read the description, but the size escaped me and I was unprepared for how small it is. This makes me love it even more. You know me and minis! : )  It is now proudly placed in its new home. See it in the lower right-hand corner of my small quilts wall? So cute!

I have volunteered at the county fair Home Arts building for years, and I have usually entered baked goods, or soap, or even some sewing, but I have never entered in quilting. My Mom, who enters a quilt every year, has tried to talk me into it many times, but I have always resisted. This year I decided that Black & Blooms was worth entering. You can see the top of the blue ribbon it received in the bottom of the photo.
Now that looks like a bigger deal than it really is. Everything gets a ribbon in our county fair, so a blue ribbon is good, but there are LOTS of blue ribbons given out. I do feel good about it, though, based on the judges' comments on the judging sheet. They had nothing but good to say.

Another rambling post. Wish I could bake cookies or something for everyone who sticks it out to the end.

Until next time,
Janet O.