A Special Baby Quilt and more!

This weekend I get to work on a special quilt for a new arrival in our family. Our newest granddaughter is due to be born any time now. It is an exciting time for all! 

Now, in all fairness, I had the top for this quilt assembled for months. The inspiration? Well, you know those random mailings for quilt magazines that will include free patterns? This quilt comes from one of those patterns. It was so easy to customize to the fabrics I had picked. Very rarely will I not make a scrappy quilt, and this was no exception.

I had laid this top out multiple times before this morning. It was not until this morning that I noticed a rather obvious mistake - technically two mistakes!

For the green block and one directly above it, I assembled backwards likely due to hurrying in an abundance of over confidence. Do you ever do that? Get comfortable with what you are doing which forms a confidence that leaves you not double checking your work? This left me with deciding to break out Jack or leave it be. I asked my daughter her opinion, and she suggested leaving it be as she hadn't noticed until I pointed it out. This was not the first time she has seen the top. It continued to bother me, so I decided to rip it apart after getting some things taken care of in the garden.

After an afternoon in the sweltering heat, here is the final haul from the garden this round.

Over 2 gallons of beans, half a gallon of peas, plenty of lettuce, first cucumber, and wonderful zucchini - so much more as this is still the beginning.

Also after an afternoon in the sweltering heat, I came to my senses. Those blocks are staying put. It keeps the quilt unique. Anyone who is bothered by it, well, it's their problem. No quilt police here! On to getting it sandwiched, quilted, and bound hopefully before baby arrives. 

Oh! This is what my morning started with:

Cutting fabric for masks. Thirty-two masks to be exact. Some are for a couple people near and dear. Considering we do not know what this coming school year will bring, and the county next to us has already implemented mandatory masks, I am planning ahead for my family. We have been using disposable masks because we already had them. It was time to change that to something a bit more sustainable.

I will be taking on a project for work. Our infant/toddler playground needs more shade. Watch for my blog post on that adventure!

For now, keep quilting, creating, and living!

Fawn

***Edit***
I do believe in giving full credit to designers for their work. My studio has been a mess lately as we have also been purging the rest of the house. It became a resting place for "items that need deciding on later". The pattern was temporarily lost in that mix. Having located it this morning, I can give credit and show you a photo of the mailing I received with the pattern.

This pattern was created by mother/daughter designers Bonnie Olaveson of Cotton Way and Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms called Modern Vintage. I was lucky enough to get it in a mailer, but the pattern is also in Bonnie's book - Cotton Way Classics - and the August 2015 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. I think I might need to find a copy of the book! This was an easy and fun quilt to customize. As for my "mistake blocks", I might just make another quilt based on those blocks. Always inspired!

July 2020 Monthly Color Challenge

American Robin - Rust

That is the bird and color inspiration for July's block from Patterns by Jen in her 2020 Monthly Color Challenge. 

Growing up, I heard the robin referred to as

"robin red breast". While looking for a stock photo to share, I found that European robins are called this. One could assume that the elderly portion of the population where I grew up used that same name for American robins?? Possibly the two were mistaken for each other. I might have to do some more reading on this. Curious minds want to know. Here is what a European robin looks like:

They do both have the red breast. That "red breast" is truly a rust color. 

My personal conundrum for the challenge months? I have defined "oranges" already used or designated for other months. July made me get out my thinking cap when applying color use to my batik stash.

In my stash were some Island Batik 5"×5" stacks waiting for a purpose. There were not enough of any two colors for this block to follow the exact directions. It is also a block for July - one of the hottest months of the year. Taking the feel of the block a bit exotic seemed just the right thing to do. 

I picked four fabrics that would lend to the color of the month, compliment one another, and have enough fabric for me to make the block. Then cutting commenced.

This block has HSTs, so I break out my Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmer to get the best results with those units.

I will always chain piece to keep the momentum going and not waste thread.

This was the original layout, but....

When it came down to it, that look just didn't feel right. Here is the finished block.

This feels like a block that could easily be put with repeats to make a quilt. I love the look, the textures in the prints, and that I was able to meet the color requirements in a fun roundabout way. 

Masks - take two!

I got to finish some masks that were overdue in their delivery. My son's girlfriend put in a request that needed to be put on hold while we got the bulk of the garden planted. I already made some masks for others near and dear, but that pattern was quite vague on some key areas making for a rather unpleasant experience. I swore off mask making for a while. Then this request came, and many more pattern options had become available. 

One (called "Taco Tuesday" on JoAnn.com) caught my eye with easy to follow directions for assembly plus an easy pattern for cutting. The recipient for these masks is not a fan of reds/pinks, so picking fabrics from my stash was simple and fun. I broke out some fun Tula Pink fat quarters just waiting for a purpose and got to work!

Cutting came first. No need for keeping anything "directional" as they are just masks.

Assembly was so easy.

Trickiest steps of assembly were tacking down the seam allowance on the curve. It required a teensy bit of extra patience. 

I took the clear plate out from around my machine to make working with the material easier and assembly in those first steps so much faster.

Then I remembered I still needed to cut ties. Masks I made prior had ties made like binding. A bit tedious and not a process I wanted to repeat. T-shirt material was up for a try. So simple! 

When I went to put the clear tray back in my table I discovered so many areas that need some TLC. Yikes! Don't forget to clean around your machine if it sits in a table/cabinet like mine does. Much of this excess can get into your machine.

One done. Three to go. The fit was great! Might have to make a couple for the people in my house.

This was a pleasant mask making experience. I know some have taken on making them to donate or sell by the droves. That is not a desire of mine. Making a few here or there is enough for me around the rest of life.

Time to check on the garden!

Fawn

June 2020 Monthly Color Challenge!

Yay! My first 2020 Monthly Color Challenge from Patterns By Jen blog month is finally here!!  You can get the block with instructions that includes a video tutorial on Jen's blog. 

June's 2020 Monthly Color Challenge inspiration is the bluebird. I secretly love that this is the first month I am a blogger for the challenge because my mother's birthday is in June AND blue happens to be her favorite color. She is also responsible for initially getting me into quilting. Thanks, Mom!

Where I live, we are visited by the Eastern bluebird throughout spring, summer, and fall. They are quite beautiful in color and eased the fabric selection for this month. 

The male and female display dark and light blue colors for us nicely. I got to work sizing my fabric. For me, this step is essential in keeping my fabrics in check throughout the construction process. I do not have a preferred brand of sizing product (what is in my spray bottle is not what is on the label). Try a few yourself and use what you feel works best. 

I soon had all my fabric cut and marked for assembly under the close supervision of one of my four-legged shadows. One or both of our cats is always keeping a close eye on my quilting progress - waiting for dropped scraps or loose threads to play with. 

The machine I currently use always stops in a needle up position. (An older machine I started on would stop wherever releasing pressure from the foot pedal.) While this is helpful when completing a project, I find it to be a hindrance when doing almost all other sewing. Stopping with your needle down can help control where your fabrics are at for pattern matching, chain piecing, just lining things up for a straight stitch down a long seam, and a variety of other reasons. 

The photos above show where I stopped with needle down for piecing and straight stitching, but also show the reminder to myself that the bobbin case is not the only part of my machine in need of some cleaning. I have a few other projects to finish before sending it in for some much needed TLC. 

As you can see in my finished block, I followed the lead of the birds for color inspiration. Perfect match, if I do say so myself.

Every quarter of 2020 that you complete and link up your block on Patterns By Jen link-up specific post you have a chance at great prizes from wonderful sponsors. This quarter's sponsors are:

Quilters Chic - PDF pattern

For the Love of Geese - PDF pattern

Said With Love - PDF pattern

Quilters Dream Batting - Dream Poly 60"×60"

Island Batik - Garden Party Fat Quarter Bundle

Cherrywoods Fabrics - (2) $40 Gift Certificates

Warm Company - 100 Warm - 100% Natural Cotton 55"×60"

Patterns By Jen  - Superior Thread S-Fine 50;  PDF Pattern

After you check out our generous sponsors, hop on over to each of this month's bloggers posts for their creative take on the block. 

Jen - Patterns By Jen

Kate - Katie Mae Quilts

Terri - Purple Moose Designs

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Kathleen - Kathleen McMusing

Don't forget to link up your block at the end of each month when Jen posts the link-up post for a chance at those prizes. The specifics for the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge can be found on her blog.

I will be blogging for next month's block. Come back to see a fun twist on my interpretation and the reasoning behind the "why". July will also start a new quarter for prizes, sponsors, and new month of bloggers!

Please join me on my blog for some personal quilting projects I have in the works. Plus, with summer upon us, it is a great time to expand on my other page. Gardening sneak peeks, fails and triumphs will be shared as we put in 6 (yes, 6!) raised vegetable beds with more work to do for planting in the ground. It has been a few years since we had gardens, so taking this on is quite satisfying. 

As always, keep quilting! 

Greenery in the Garden and More!

This year we got back to gardening in a big way. Our house is located on decent corner lot with plenty of space for gardening of whatever variety we choose to take on. Having previously operated a licensed family daycare here that required a fenced in space, we chose to utilize that area for the vegetable gardening. 

Here we have the six raised beds my husband built. They measure 4'×8' and are 16" deep. In this photo, it shows the progress of filling each with soil/compost/soil and adding some of the landscaping fabric between and around each that wood chips will top for weed control. Very little grass will remain in this enclosed space once all is said and done.

This photo shows my patch of rhubarb in its second growth. We need to separate that this year as it is now too big for the space it occupies. We use some, but sell the excess creating a nice opportunity. Also shown are the variety of bush beans, peas, lettuce, celery, beets, two varieties of tomatoes that were transferred to one of the beds, and the hills (zucchini, carnival squash, mooregold squash, and cucumbers) established. There might be more peas and beans sprouting after the rain from yesterday and with the heat today. We also have radishes, onions, carrots, and another row of beets that could also sprout. Some sunflowers are started and waiting for their home outdoors. The corn will go in the ground soon. Another week or so and round three of peas and beans will get planted. And then there are the tomatoes...

The long teal and oval white planters are all spinach. There are two more containers that are also spinach, one is cilantro, one sweet basil, and one thyme. Everything else you see is one of four tomato varieties - Martino's roma, ultimate opener, candyland red, and SunSugar. I had not intended on having so many tomatoes. 

When I was growing up, we always had gardens. BIG gardens! I don't remember ever seeing mom or dad start their own tomato plants. I do remember being told not to do it because it was difficult due to the seeds rarely growing. As you can see in the photos above, that is not the case. I am pretty positive that almost every seed for each variety grew. 

They were started in appropriate potting soil and compostable egg cartons as shown above. (The right half of this photo shows the tomatoes. The left half shows spinach, celery, lettuceand sunflowers.) I spent the morning yesterday separating each of those little seedlings. We only want a few plants of each variety. A person has to look at what they will use, what they can store, and what they have time to work on storing. 

Upon first separating them, almost all wilted significantly. They should have been separated a week ago, so I expected the shock reaction to the plants. The best I could hope for is getting them in new soil fast as possible and watered for recovery. The collage photo above shows not only significant recovery, but also growth now that the roots can expand. Fingers crossed this trend holds as the extra plants will be sold. That should be in another week or two.

We also have our flower beds. When I was out checking on the transplants and recent seed plantings, I also snapped a few pics of some blooms in the flower beds. The bleeding hearts, parrot tulip, and blooms on the chives caught my eye with the rain drops still hanging on them over their beautiful colors. 

Are you doing any vegetable gardening this year? If you are, what are you growing? Do you grow just to eat for the season or to preserve for the cold months and cut down on the grocery bill? What is your preferred method of preservation - freezing, canning, dehydrating? Share your methods, tips, tricks, etc in the comments. Let's share with each other. While this is not my first rodeo in the gardening and food preserving world, there is always something to learn. 

Thanks for following along on my adventures! Check out my quilting projects. Please subscribe. 

May's Budgerigar Inspiration

Do you know what a budgerigar is? I have heard them called by their nickname: budgie. You can find them in pet stores in a variety of colors, but in nature they are green and yellow - American Parakeet! I know what that is, but had never heard "budgerigar" until the May block was introduced. I just love learning new facts. Nature for the win!

In making the May block, I reversed the light and dark fabrics due to the supply I had on hand. 

The dark green has a pattern to it that is allowed to be better displayed while that light green just pops! 

This block is made of squares and half square triangles (HST). It goes together very well and quickly as long as you mind your scant 1/4" seams, or in the very least keep your seams uniform throughout this and all your blocks. If your seam allowances are not always the same, it will cause your blocks to be "off" as the pieces go together. I was able to complete this block in a couple hours. That includes fabric prep, cutting, and assembly.

Join us for the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge from Patterns By Jen as it is never too late to start. You can find the past month's blocks through her blog. 

In the meantime, keep on quilting!

Fawn

Purple Inspiration

Another month has come and almost gone in a rather interesting 2020. I, for one, am thankful for the beautiful distractions that come with the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge.  

April's inspiration was the purple honeycreeper. Patterns By Jen chose a wonderful block to display the contrasting light and dark colors. Who doesn't love a few flying geese surrounding a beautiful square in square? Add a few half square triangles and wow! 

This block was easy to assemble, as always. Some tools that I like to use for keeping those flying geese on point and half square triangles looking fine are Deb Tucker's Wing Clipper Ruler and Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmers. There are no affiliate links, just my personal preference.

Go check out the challenge. Never to late to join the fun!

Keep quilting!

Fawn