Random 5 Friday

(1) This is Stephanotis

I knew this only as Jasmine when

I received this plant from one of my sons for Mother's Day.

So I had to look it up.  I always start on Wikipedia.  

I love Wikipedia.

 

(2) I also had to look up How To Care for this lovely fragrant plant.

The scent is wonderful.  Not too strong. 

Just a touch of sweetness in the air.

I do not have the greenest of thumbs.  I hope to keep it happy.

The buds were closed tight when I received it.

Now the flowers are opening and a few new buds have formed.

So far so good.

 (3) I am quilting this week.

This is the back of my project.
It is for my daughter's wedding tables.

Next week I will be posting photos of the front in a blog hop.
 

(4) This is a very random close up of the varigated lavender cotton thread

that I am using and my bobbin winder on my sewing machine. 

I love my bobbin winder.

Many years ago I had an old machine and no bobbin winder.

I can remember winding bobbins by hand ...

 around and around and around and around.

 

(5) This photo is blurry but I like it because Butterfly,

who is 13 years old this year, looks very kittenish. 

Butterfly is very playful and loves to roll up and hide under my quilts

and whatever I am working on. 

Lots of my quilt blocks get re-arranged for me this way. It is okay.

I love Butterfly.

 

 

I am linking up again today with one of my favorite weekly linky parties ...

 

Random 5 Friday @ A Rural Journal

 

I always find lots of interesting photos and facts and stories.

Enjoy!

 

Have a lovely long weekend ...

 

and remember.

 

~ <3 ~



 

Time to Quilt!

 

Cat On Guard

 

Butterfly says ... 

"Mama is working on one of those top secret quilty projects."

 

It is for ... 

@ Sew We Quilt 

 

Full Schedule Here

 

"Mama says we have to be ready to post on May 29th ...

so I have to be very helpful."

 

Under Wraps

 

"Mama said to keep this under wraps ...

that means I wrap up in it and jump out at you if you try peeking.

You do not want to mess with The Claw."

 

Naptime

 

"Mama, you do not want to quilt this right now do you?

I need my nap."

 

The Chair

"Mama took the quilt.

This leaves me no choice but to

take The Chair"

 

 

 Ready!

 

Set!

 

Quilt!

 

(in the uncomfortable folding chair)

 

It's The Cat's Life.

 



 ~ <3 ~

Building Blocks Tuesday

Blocks for Boston

 

(l-r-t-b)

click on block name for tutorial

 

 1) Boston Hub Block

 

I will make this block again and would like to make a quilt with this block design. I will most likely simplify the block making the trapezoids one piece,an interesting dimensional fabric such as a strip or chevron.

 

2) Beyond the Wall Block

 

I will make this block again. 

No changes.

I am thinking to make a wall size mini-quilt in this design.

It would be really fun to quilt.

 

3) A Drop of Sunshine Block

 

I feel this was my least successful block, even after making improvements. It was a challenge to make this not look like either a pineapple or a pear.

In retrospect, I would make the drop smaller and the blue field larger and place the small drop in a slightly different place.  I almost took this one apart and remade it before I sent it, but decided it was time to call it done and get to the post office to mail.

 

4) Boston Roads Block

 

I will make this block again in a whole quilt design with construction changes.  It is added to "the queue" ... though not near the top of the list.

 

These blocks will be going in the mail today to

 

 

@

Boston Modern Quilt Guild

 

Linking up for the first time with 

 

 

Building Blocks Tuesday @ Quilter in the Closet

~ <3 ~

Boston Roads Block ~ a Tutorial

Boston Roads Block

and original block

block size 12.5" by 16.5"

 

This block will be sent to

 

 

@

Boston Modern Quilt Guild

 

I like the look of this block a lot and am thinking I am going to make a quilt someday with this idea.  The trick would be to make the long "curb" lines connect.  I have a good idea how I would do this, but it is going to have to take a place in line in "the quilty queue."

How I made this block:

 

I gathered my blue, yellow, gray scraps and strips

and cut 2.5" x 4.5" bricks

 

laid them out and made a plan

 

 

I sewed the roes together left to right

 

 

I like to leave the thread between the rows uncut

to keep the pieced in the right places

 

 

the block laid out with the rows attached

 

 

I used my seam roller to press the s eams in opposite directions

 

 

to nest the seams

 

 

I do not use pins;  I align by touch.

 

 

I give the block a good pressing with Best Press.

I added the yellow corner as for a snowball block.

I fold the square in half and use my seam roller to show the center line.

I stitch just to the outside of the line.

 



fold over and press with the seam roller.

 



ooops!

 

At this point I realized that I did not have enough rows for my block to finish to 12.5" on the bottom edge.

...

So back to the planning board, I laid out another row on the left.

 

adding the row

 

the right size

 

adding the blue corner

 

I like to run a second line of stitches a half inch to the outside of the stitching line and cut the middle to form a HST with the corner pieces

for my scrap drawer full of HSTs. I use these as needed for blocks.

 

two corners done

 

 

adding the 1.25" strip for the curb

 

 

cutting the corner triangles

adding the gray corner

 

 

I used the lines on my mat  to get the same angle

and my ruler to measure the distance to the opposite corner

the corners are not the same size as the one on the right is longer

but the corner angles are aligned.

 

  trimming

 

squaring to 12.5 by 16.5"

 

 

The Boston Roads Block

 

I made this block in memory of Sean.

 

Tomorrow I am off to the post office to mail my blocks

 

to the

 

Boston Modern Quilt Guild

 

for

 

Quilts For Boston

 

~ <3 ~

 





Beyond The Wall Block ~ a tutorial

Beyond the Wall Block

and original block

block size 12.5" by 16.5"

 

This block will be sent to

 

 

@

Boston Modern Quilt Guild

 

How I made this block:

 

Using the same fabrics and method as I did for the Drop of Sunshine Block, I wanted to make a "half-flower" block. 

 

For this one I started by cutting three white "petal shapes" with smallest

  Hex n More  jewel shape

 

 

nest seams to sew petals together

 



 

sew 2" yellow strips to sides and the top

 

trim and shape with the half hexagon shape

with the Hex n More  ruler

 



 

press as you go

l

my last band was a scrappy 1.5" strip cut from my

Drop of Sunshine Block

 

bottom block dimension is 16.5"

add blue triangles to sides

 

add 1.5" band of gray to the bottom for the wall

and 5" band of blue to the top for sky

 

square block to 12.5" by 16.5 "

 

I made this block in memory of Krystle.

 

When I was thinking about what block I wanted to make

for this young woman, a poem that was

My Mother's favorite sympathy poem kept coming to mind ...

 

The Rose Still Grows Beyond the Wall

 

Near a shady wall a rose once grew,
budded and blossomed in God’s free light,
Watered and fed by morning dew,
shedding its sweetness day and night.
As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,
slowly rising to loftier height,
It came to a crevice in the wall,
through which there shone a beam of light.
Onward it crept with added strength,
with never a thought of fear or pride.
It followed the light through the crevice’s length,
and unfolded itself on the other side.
The light, the dew, the broadening view
were found the same as thy were before:
And it lost itself in beauties new,
breathing its fragrance more and more.
Shall claim of death cause us to grieve,
and make our courage faint or fail?
Nay! Let us faith and hope receive:
the rose still grows beyond the wall.
Scattering fragrance far and wide,
just as it did in days of yore,
Just as it did on the other side,
Just as it will for evermore.

 

 by A.L. Frink

 

~ <3 ~