Good Things Are Always Worth Waiting For

"To everything there is season ..."


Last fall was the season of the Fall Table Runner Swap on the Quilt & Needle Forum. My partner was Susie in Ohio. We exchanged messages to get to know each other better and to get an idea of what to make for your buddy. I must say I was very fortunate to have Susie for a buddy! Life got in the way a bit for both of us and we missed the mailing deadline and then the winter holidays were upon us and our table runners did not get to grace each other's tables before the year ran out. This week we both finally got the finishing touches on our runners and they passed each other in the mail. The beautiful scrappy Maple Leaf table runner at the top is the one I received from Susie. Thank you, Susie! It is just perfect for my table. You make the type of country home scrappy quilts I aspire to be able to put together. What a wonderful collection of fabrics, placed so ably and they all work together gloriously. :-)

Below is the runner I made for Susie ... who told me how much she likes purple. I had a nice piece of the purple border leaf fabric from Jackie Robinson of Maywood Studios that I had never found a purpose for and I knew that this was just what I wanted to feature in my runner for Susie. Choosing a pattern is always difficult for me, but my family had given me EQ6 for my birthday in September, so I decided I wanted to make my first design creation to be this table runner. So after much happy playing with EQ's blocks and features, I cam up with this design. Here is the EQ sketch of my pattern ...





For the other fabrics I went to my favorite local quilt shop and was actually fortunate enough to find the ends of bolts of a few other of the Maywood Studio leaf fabrics on clearance. Lucky find! So I chose these for the rest of the fabrics for my runner.

Here are some photos of my working on the quilting ... always the hardest part for me. This time it was made more difficult by the fact I had problems with muscle pains in my feet and could not use the foot pedal on my sewing machine for over a month. I was sew unhappy about that. A change in medications has brought much needed relief and I am happy to be sewing again.

I tried something new ... outline the leaf motifs with my open toe foot. Above is a photo of the runner completed and ready to mail and, lastly, one of the label I made for the back.



I hope Susie will enjoy her table runner as much as I know I will treasure the one she made for me.

No matter what the season ... a gift made by hand and from the heart of a friend always arrives at just the right moment in life!


" ... and a time for every purpose under heaven."

:-) Pat

A Good Day for a Road Trip!

Yesterday the sun was shining on the snow and the air was clean and the open road beckoned. I talked my hubby into a quilt shop adventure!

There are two quilt shops west of me that have glorius reproduction and traditional fabrics and they are just far enough away that they require a day outing.

We left mid-morning, visited one of the them, Cobblestone Quilts, in its new location in the center of Townsend, MA ...

http://www.cobblestonequilts.com/

... and then headed further west to this quilt shop desitination for traditional fabric lovers, Pickering Farm, in Richmond, NH ...

http://www.pickeringfarmquiltshop.com/

... a bit off the beaten track but well worth the journey. Their fabrics are always $8.00 a yard and their pre-cuts are priced accordingly. Very pretty backroad vistas too. I bought some more 30's repros, a Scnibbles pattern for a table topper and some charm packs and border fabrics from Moda's lovely new Old Primrose Inn fabric line ...

... AND ... um ... er ... I just could no longer resist some of their 1800's repros, too. I have been wanting to make a pink/brown quilt with these fabrics for some time, so I now have a start my "stash" of these ...

I did buy a Miss Rosies scrappy pattern that would work well for these ... but I may just get my courage up and start a Dear Jane Quilt in these repros ... that would be a real challenge for me ... and I am sure it will take me a few years to complete!

When I was talking with the gal who cut my fabric at Pickering Farm she said that her husband has asked her if she really expects to finish all the quilts she has fabric and plans for in this lifetime and she said she told him, "Yes! Why not?" ... sounds like good-thinking to me!

Then we wandered up to Keene, NH, where we used to live and where my two boys were born. Always feels a bit like coming home to me even though we have not lived there for many years. This is just a nice small city in New England.

Turning late afternoon, so we headed back east on Rt 101, and I just had time for a stop before they closed to the Bunkhouse Quilt Shop high on the snow covered hill in Lyndeborough to check out their new stuff ...

https://www.bunkhousequiltshop.com/index.php

This is where I bought the nice white TOT for the back-gound of my 30s quilt.

It was time for dinner so we noshed at one of our favorite spots, the Black Forest bakery/cafe in Amherst, NH ...

http://www.theblackforestcafe.com/

... my hubby loves the rare treat of a huge slice of their decadent Carrot Cake. I was too full for dessert, but I did have them pack a lovely lemon tart for me to enjoy today with a cup of tea.

After all that it was time for us to head home for the night ... where I enjoyed fondling my fabric purchases ...

"You can never have too many friends ... or too much fabric!"

:-) Pat

I have the best hubby!

Yesterday my hubby visited a used book store ... he likes to browse ... and this is what he brought home to me for a "little light reading" ...

What a guy! I am soooooo lucky!

One time he brought me home this used copy of Alex Anderson's book. "Fabric Shopping" ...

... LOL !! I tell him is is aiding and abetting my fabric addiction!

My hubby also likes to go to quilt shows with me. He usually prefers the smaller quilt guild shows. He even fills out his own "Viewer's Choice" selections sometimes. His favorites are usually oriental quilts and fabrics. He even shops the quilt shops with me for oriental fabrics and patterns. His favorite quilt magazine is "Asian Fabric." Guess what he is getting for his next gift? ;-)

It is "sew nice" to have my guy share my quilty dreams.

:-) Pat

Round Robin 2010!

This block is my center medallion for this year's Round Robin. It is on its way to Ohio for the first of five borders to be added. I put my RR in the "non-peekers" album. I love the beautiful surprise I will have in the mail in a few months!

This is the second year that I will be participating in the member-run Quilt & Needle Round Robin, organized ably by by quilty friend, Ms. Dorian. To read all about this follow this thread on the Q&N Forum ...

http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1272&posts=320&start=1

The Quilt & Needle is just the warmest, friendliest, soft squishiest quilty home that I have found on the wide, wide web. Come join us! There is always room for a new friend in the Snug!

The first of the Round Robins which I will be adding a border to has arrived here from Canada.

Be watching for photos of my progress. I find these RRs to be real challenge to my quilty ability. I have learned so much participating in this activity and everyone is so supportive of everyone's efforts.

Here is the lovely RR that came home to me last year ...

I still need to get this one quilted. It is one of many UFO's ... alas ... so much to sew ... so little time ... best get back to playing with the fabric ...

have a happy quilty day, everyone! :-) Pat

Every day is a better day when you tell someone that you love them ...
:-) Pat

A Quilt to Warm the Winter

Two posts in two days !

When I tucked away my Christmas decorations, there was the usual "changing of the quilts" that make my home quilty and comfy. This is especially true of the wall quilt in my dining/sewing room. It was also nice to get my sewing space back after the need to put everything away for a month to make room for the holidays.

Here is one of my favorite quilts ...

I made this one two years ago using a free pattern I found on this lovely quilty lady's blog ... "Freda's Hive" ...

http://fredashive.blogspot.com/2008/01/free-pattern-valentine-flagbanner.html

Thank You, Nanette!

For this one I took the yard of the

dark floral focus fabric from my

stash and then cut up neutral and pink/rose/red scraps into small squares and sewed them into the rows to make the hearts.

I loved this pattern and hope you enjoy it, too.

Just one month to Valentine's Day!

Hmmm ... and the song pick of the day ... "1,2,3,4, It's so easy" by Plain White T's

Someday I hope to be able to come up with my own free pattrens for you to do ... but for now, I shall have to scrounge for these wonderful free gifty patterns on the wide wide web. Enjoy!!

:-) Pat

Happy New Year!

It was a resolution for me to make more regular entries into this blog this year. Hmmmmm. Well here we are in the middle of the month and I am just getting to wishing all of you a ...

happy, healthy and prosperous
New Year !

The new song in my playlist for this one ...

Feeling Good (the Nina Simone version) ...

" ... Dragonfly out in the sun

you know what I mean,
don't you know

Butterflies all havin' fun

you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me
Stars when you shine
You know how I feel
Scent of the pine
You know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine

And I know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day

It's a new life
For me

And I'm feeling good ..."


... and my quilty squishie for the day ...

this is a block I made for a group baby quilt that the Quilty Aunties of the Quilt and Needle made for a darling baby girl ...

... dragonflies ... pink and green and yellow ...

... for a "new life" ...

you know what I mean ... ;-)

Have a happy new day, my friends ...

{{{{{{{{{Quilty Hugs}}}}}}}}} ... :-) Pat