A Quilt For Dorothy

Geo's aunt, Dorothy requested a brown quilt for the couch in her living room. This is what I came up with. The colour and size are the only input that I want to be provided with. I would rather think of what pattern, style and fabrics to use rather than somebody overseeing every move. It makes the creative process more enjoyable for me. In other words, I don't like being told what to do, haha! The Maple Leaf block pattern came from the book, Quick Country Quilts by Debbie Mumm. The way the blocks were set with the staggered sashing was my own idea. I don't work with browns very often, it was a good opportunity to dig through my stash to see what fabrics I had. After this quilt was finished, I was compelled to start on something bright and bold to clear the brown colours out of my mind. I will post in the comments what Dorothy thinks about her quilt after she receives it. :)

Apron

I just finished making this apron. The picture of it on a hanger didn't turn out great because the apron was folding in on itself. I wasn't about to take a photo with me wearing it because I've been in my pyjamas all day, haha! The orange fabric has been in my stash for ages, the floral was too pretty just to chop up and use in quilt blocks. The pattern said to also make pockets on the inside so the apron would be reversible, I didn't do that. I'll take my old apron to the cabin to use there and I'll use the new one here.

Throwback Thursday: Vest Making Class From 1987

After I joined the local quilting guild in 1987, I took a class on making quilted vests. At the time, I couldn't find any 100% cotton fabric in the store so I had to buy polycotton fabrics for this vest. I never wore the garment after it was made, but I learned a lot, since I was new to quilting. Thirty seven years later, I'm still a member of that quilting guild.

Stashbuster 2024 Is Completed

I'm in a Facebook group that picks a pattern each year and holds a stashbuster challenge. This year's pattern was Scrappy Irish Chain. Because the quilt was so large, I had to photograph it outside, there's not enough room in my house. The wind was ruffling the quilt around on the frame, it wasn't easy to hold it still for the photo. When I win the lottery, I'll hire a professional photographer. It's free-motion quilted with flowers and leaves, using Glide thread. When I took it off the frame, I noticed a fold and some puckers on the back. I tried picking out the quilting in that section and redoing it, but it didn't look satisfactory. My solution? Applique a quilt block over the offending area. I'm keeping the quilt for myself. It's a good thing I don't quilt for customers.

This picture was taken when the quilting was still in progress.

A Solution To A Problem

These days, they seem to make socks for people with pencil-thin legs. The bands are so tight, they are impossible to wear without discomfort. There needed to be a solution to the problem. I stretched the band over the free-arm of the sewing machine and did a large zigzag. Look at the comparison with the unsewn sock:

I'm going to do this with all of my socks now. As long as the thread matches, they don't look too bad. They should be more comfortable to wear.

Coin Quilt Completed

In an attempt to whittle down my stash of blue fabrics, this quilt was born. I'm probably going to get tired of using the same kind of backing for multiple quilts, I bought an entire bolt because it was on sale. There wasn't a pattern, it's just an common design that people have made for eons. It's free-motion quilted with all-over feathers, using Glide thread.