Betwixt the Betweens

A new project!

2012-02-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

Awhile back I fell in love with Sue Garman's new quilt "Sarah's Revival". I really didn't need another project, but......................what can you do? This one (go to Oct. 1st entry, third photo down) is all cutwork applique, something I've long been interested in but haven't done. I figure by the time I complete 36 blocks (!) I should feel pretty comfortable with the technique.

Somewhat distressingly, Sue says she made one block a day appliqueing this quilt. Now, I know she is an incredibly prolific stitcher/designer, but I just can't imagine how she managed this. Here are the my two finished block, each of which took me at least five days. I may be getting faster, but I don't believe I'll ever have the stamina to finish one in a day.

Yes, I'm using cheddar for my background. This will be my second cheddar quilt. I just love how dramatic red/green/cheddar is, and how classic. The third block is almost a quarter done, and the process is getting more familiar. Each red will be a different fabric, and some will have other accent colors.

Have any of you seen Blue Hill Fabrics Manchester Glory in the shops? I haven't been able to locate it yet, even though it isn't marked as a new line. If you know where it may be purchased, please let me know.

The little calico cat is still shy. We wish she would come inside, as it's quite cold outside at night.

I hope all of you are finding plenty of time to stitch. Till next time, Michele

Hello friends.......................

2012-01-29T09:52:00.000-08:00

I sure have missed you all. I have looked in on all of you, wanting to keep up, but I have so missed hearing from you and hearing your comments on my various endeavors. I have noticed lately, that a number of you have taken breaks from blogging for lengths of time, and this encourages me to believe that I can re-enter blogland after (gasp!) almost 7 months.

Y'all know ole Medusa? The chick with all the natty dreads sticking up outta her head..............well, I feel like her. My many "snakes" are each a project, either partially underway, or ones I am longing to begin, and they are all hissing, and snapping, at one another competing for my attention. Reckon I feel positively schizophrenic at times! This lack of focus has made the last year difficult because nothing has been completed. This has been the longest I have gone without a "finish", and it doesn't feel good.
I have sewn. I made my husband a lap quilt (partially hand quilted, and in the hoop), a baby quilt for an upcoming grandbaby (ready for the LAQ) and numerous other blocks that have, as yet, led nowhere

I am pleased with this block, made from a Jeanna Kimball pattern, which only lacks a birdnest to be
completed.........................that and a plan for what comes next. Any suggestions as to what should come next, to work towards a harmonious quilt? I'm stuck for the moment.

Some of you may wish to tell me that there are no blue hummingbirds. I googled, and I do assure you that they exist.

As for news, other than sewing related, we have been adopted by the daintiest little calico cat. She hides from our dogs all day long, and shows up after dark looking for her dinner. We have no idea where she comes from, and she hasn't let us get close enough to pet her. I don't know why I refer to her as "she" except she has such flirty ways. We wish she'd let us closer..........maybe in time.

I'm going to say Ta-Ra for now. I know I won't be writing every day, but I do believe I'm back for certain. Thank you all for hanging around. Michele

Hello!

2011-06-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in. How y'all are, anyway? Have you missed me? I has been way too long, but I'm so astounded to discover people are still checking, that I think I'll have to get back in the program.

First, to bleonard02, if you will email me, I would be happy to share block one with you. You didn't leave me any way to get in touch with you.

For the rest of you lovely people, I promise a longer email, one with some pictures, within a few days. I have company coming until Tuesday.............so please give me till then.

By the way, if you know where the first line comes from, good for you! Those were the good old days. Google does NOT count. Michele

Random thoughts................

2011-03-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a bit of a trial at Chez Barnes this week. In fact, I hate to say it, but the year hasn't provided too many chuckles thus far. Our power went out Sunday evening, and it took an electrician till 6PM on Monday to get it up and running. We haven't yet received the "bill". That is probably a good thing. A truly abyssmal fact, is that our central air is kaput. Finished. Done For. This is only April, but it's over 80 degrees in my house, and I am heatphobic. I keep reminding myself about the poor, suffering Japanese people. I realize that I don't have a clue what genuine misery is when compared with the utter devastation they are coping with. Even so, I'm pretty uncomfortable, and way too hot to quilt.

So, before I give up, and go back to sitting 3 feet in front of a fan, with my feet in a tub of icewater, I thought I'd just share a few wildly random thoughts with you good people. Sadly, no eye candy here, but head on over to Barb's for some truly inspirational photos.

I have averaged reading one book every two days since the first of the year. I heartily recommend "The Weird Sisters" by Eleanor Brown, and " A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness. Also, all three of the Flavia De Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley, about the post World War Two adventures of an eleven year old sleuth. Funny, and touching. Phil, and I, both love this series.

Here, in no particular order, are a few things you might not know about me:

1) I am adopted. It always seems that I should say I "was" adopted, but never mind. I was raised an only child.
2) I also married an only child.
3) We are both Aries, which isn't supposed to work, but has for going on 46 years.
4) My father was career Army, and I never lived anywhere longer than three years in a row.
5) We lived overseas in Okinawa, Panama, and Orleans, France, which you may know from Joan of Arc fame. They actually celebrate Jean d'Arc day there.
6) Due to a shortage of military housing we were "forced" to live on the economy...........which means rent from the French. Now, I ask you, which would you rather do, live in ordinary base housing, or in the two hundred year old millhouse on the Loiret river, where we were sublimely happy? No contest. Even though the only WC was downstairs, and we didn't have electricity for the first 30 days. The same swans nested, and raised their cygnets every spring right in front of us, and Wisteria absolutely covered the millhouse for several months a year. The mill was the Moulin St. Julien, and I will post photos when I can dig them out. I promise you it was heaven on earth.
7) I love all most things domestic, with sewing and cooking, being my favorites. I make a hell of a piecrust, and don't understand why people are afraid of making them.
8) We love escargot, but haven't been brave enough to try pickled pig's feet, even though my Daddy loved them.
9) We are stupid for animals, particularly dogs, of which we own five............or they own us. Our kibble bill is $100.00 per month, and we don't need to talk about the expense of Heartworm, and Flea/Tick preventatives.
10) I grew up being motion sick on anything that moved, and still am, yet I signed up for the upcoming bus trip to the International Quilt Museum. Surprise, Lisa! I neglected to inform my roommate/seat buddy about this till now.
11) Lastly, for today anyway, I just finished watching all 3 and 1/2 hours of The Seven Samurai, directed by Kurosawa back in 1954. I had never seen it in the original, just the remake we know as The Magnificent Seven.......you know, Yul Brenner, James Coburn, Charles Bronsen etc. I preferred the Japanese version, though I did miss my son, Tony, who used to watch foreign movies with me, before growing up.

Okay, if you're still reading, I love you all, even though you have air conditioning, and I don't. Be well, and be happy. Michele

The Plumbing Inspector

2011-03-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

Our oldest son, a wonderful, handsome, fellow, has just returned from a business trip to China. Nineteen hour flight, each way. A total of 6 plane rides in a mere 7 days. I would have to go to bed for a week! However, I digress. As a child, when taken out for a restaurant meal, he would disappear a third of a way into the meal, headed for the bathroom, not to be seen again until the rest of us were completely finished with our dinners. Thus, he acquired the nickname of "The Plumbing Inspector".

Well, guess what. Nothing has changed. He sent reams of photos to share with us, and fully half of them were pictures of the local plumbing. His dad, Phil, got to laughing so hard he was crying, comparing the child that he was, with the man he has become. I let most of the photos go by, but I thought I'd share a couple with you, my beloved readers. I hope you get a chuckle out of them, as I did.

I believe this one to be self explanatory. I was taken with a cell phone, so this was as large as I could make it without rendering it completely fuzzy.

I do realize, as a rule, the Chinese people are shorter than Americans.....................but ? I should step in here and mention that the hotel was a four star beauty, with a bathtub, and a shower, that were big enough for a family of four to share ablutions in. It was a high rise with a spectacular view of the ocean, and the ginormous pool.

So, there's your cultural tidbit for today. I'm now going back to dive in to volume three of the Ladybug Farm series. It reminds me strongly of the Boxcar Children, only for adults. Very enjoyable chick-lit.

Oh, and thank you, thank you, thank you all, for you kind, encouraging comments concerning my blogging irregularities. I appreciate you more than I can say. You are the best!! Michele

Here's the thing..............

2011-03-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

I've been blogging almost a year now, and I am not happy with my performance. Some of you gals are so wonderful at multitasking, working on numerous projects, switching back and forth, and generally keeping things interesting photo-wise. My idea of multitasking is listening to audio books whilst quilting. So, what happens is that I don't blog unless I have something new to "show" you. Henceforth, I intend to make an effort to blog, even if it's just a paragraph, or a few random thoughts, to keep track of my daily doings, rather like a personal diary that I don't mind you all reading. That, at least, is my intention. I can assure you, I will NOT be working multiple projects. I simply can not do it. One of them always ends up taking precidence, and since I do all my quilting, and applique, by hand, I'd never finish anything at all. I feel like I've been working on this border for my entire life. I'm sick of it. I like how it is turning out so far, but I'm very restless, and wish I could be quilting it already.

I am currently working the far right hand corner, which will be sewn on before completion, just like the left hand side. Also, I've determined that I don't want all four borders to be the same, even though that would make my life a whoooooooole lot easier. Oh no, I want them to differ. Go figure.

Many thanks to those of you who commiserated with my dental problems. I am happy to report that the dentist had me so stoned before drilling, that I remember nothing of the experience. I don't even remember the ride home! Next week I go in for the crown, but that is no biggie.

I am getting quite excited anticipating my upcoming bus tour from Arlington, TX, all the way up to Lincoln, Nebraska. We will end up at the International Quilt Study Museum, receiving a "special" tour of behind the scenes. Naturally, pictures will be forthcoming. Along the way will be multiple quilt shop stops, and a visit with Terry Clothier Thompson at her studio. I am truly looking forward to this adventure. Lisa, who many of you know from her blog, is flying down from Michigan to go, and we are going to room together. Sounds like fun, and an opportunity to meet some really neat ladies, and hopefully make some new friends.

If you haven't checked out the Maltaville Album Quilt, I hope you will do so. Margaret is doing a fabulous job of drafting the 60+ blocks involved, and offering them as four blocks per month. It's a monumental work of love, and will be a real heirloom I feel certain. I have the first four blocks, but as I say, I'm not good at multitasking, so I'm trying to delay starting for as long as I can stand it.

Well, I must get back to that dang border. I love seeing all the varied, and wonderful projects you are working on. See you online, Michele

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hello, Spring is in the air here. I know a lot of you have a while to go before the snow melts, so I hope your Valentine gave you something to help you hang on. I have been plugging away on my first border, and I have the top halfway done. I hope it will ge a little easier from here on in. I have been very concerned that I wouldn't be able to make a border that would "belong" with the center, and it has been a bit of a wrangle. I am finally happy with this much, at least. Each border will have variations, but all will consist of fruits, veggies, and flowers, with a few birds thrown in. I love the original so much, but after commiting to the vivid broderie perse flowers in the center, I couldn't wrap my head around managing it through the rest of the original Mary Brown blocks. To me, those seem to demand a more dignified palette. Thus a change was made.

Do you all read Margaret's blog? She is drafting the Maltaville quilt, an absolutely gorgeous quilt from 1847, and will be offering the patterns as a 4-block per month quilt along. Lisa, and I, have been rooting from the stands, eagerly awaiting the start of the fun. On the 22nd, Margaret will officially start the blog that she is setting up for us to share tips, and photos of our progress. There are so many blocks (around 60) and such a wide variety of designs for applique, that this promises to be something extraordinary. I hope many of you will join us. The original is in the Smithsonian, and partial proceeds will go to the museum. Do take a look, won't you?

I'm off now to listen to an audio book, and see what I can accomplish on this border. Tomorrow is D day, as in root canals. Wish me luck. Michele

How many of you hate going to the dentist?

2011-02-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I hate it a lot. A long time ago a dentist drilled my tongue, and I've never really gotten over it. However, after suffering for several days, I went to the dentist yesterday, only to discover that I must have, not one, but two root canals. Imagine my horror and dismay. Or don't....................I wouldn't if I were you. I must wait till the 16th, and I pray the antibiotics will help with the pain till then.

Meantime, I have added the outer border of dogteeth, and moved along to the final applique border on Mary Brown. It's not actually Mary at this point. I don't know what it is, but I am enjoying making fruits and vegetables. Time will tell whether it will work with the center theme. The photo below will be the upper left corner.

This pineapple is my own design, and I don't know if it looks more like a man with a strange hairdo, and handlebar mustache, or just a flying pineapple. What do you think?

Perhaps I'll add a little leaf to rid myself of the mustache effect. Hmmmmm.

We've had snow, and it's quite cold here, but nothing like you guys up north, and on the east coast. It's definitely "soup" weather.

Keep warm and cozy, Spring has to come along sometime. Michele

Murky Monday..........

2011-01-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

I hope the sun is shining where you are. Here we have had days, and days, of wet, gray weather, and I am sick of it. It isn't even that cold today, though it was this weekend. It's just so dark, dreary, and yucky. Also, it's a no mail holiday, and I am one who likes her mail delivery. I am happy to report that I finally got the first dog tooth border on, as well as the four setting triangles. It was not an easy task, either. I realized about half way through, that I have never successfully completed an "on point" medallion. They are tricksy little boogers, what with all those bias edges.

Some of you thought the dog tooth a swell idea, and some did not, but I like it. To me it defines the center, and adds a bit of crisp, geometric interest amidst all that applique. A bit of tart to break up all that sweet, if you will. I have appliqued dogtooth borders before, but this one is 1.5 inch pieced, using my trusty Tri-Recs ruler. If you don't have one of these, I can tell you that it's a truly great tool, and well worth the money. Now, I need to decide whether, or not, to put a second one around this whole 59" square before moving to the next border treatment. Due to "trimming" the center down to 59" (it was supposed to be 60") making a pieced border may be problematic. I'll have to have a think about what to do. One comment made by those who voted against the pieced border was a lessening of quilting space, but I think there is still plenty of room for stitching.

How many of you are going to vote with your credit cards for Sue Garman's new BOM, Friends of Baltimore? Check it out at Quakertown Quilts. I ordered a bolt of Kona in Snow specifically for the project. I'll probably regret it, because I never do the darn things, but it is just so gorgeous, and I am so weak.

Happy stitching where ever you are everybody. Michele

More neutral..................

2011-01-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, if you haven't gone to sleep, lulled by the lack of bright colors, here are four more blocks. There is actually one more finished, but let's face it...............it's DUMB to have to do three posts in one day, just to show 9 stinking photographs. Grrrrrrrrr. If this makes no iota of sense, please read previous post.

For those of you who expressed concern for my wellbeing, I thank you. I am sporting one heck of an ugly shiner, or "mouse" as my husband put it. I guess it's a good thing I wasn't wearing my glasses, or I'd have probably had cuts as well as the abrasions.

One last request: a lovely, warm, Canadian quilter, whom I've mentioned on this blog before, suffered a terrible fall ten days ago. Her husband emailed me to say she had been on life support since the fall, but had finally opened her eyes, and smiled at him. Her name is Bonnie Tooze, and I hope that you will take a moment to say a little prayer in her name. She was in Houston for Festival in November, and we had lunch together. It is hard for me to wrap my head around her being injured so very badly, because she is so full of life, and joy. It's a real reminder that we need to live each day as though it were our last. Thank you all, Michele

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.......................

2011-01-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, some pictures, and a question. Here is the 32" center of my "neutral" quilt. Technically I suppose it isn't neutral at all. It is actually variations of murky greens/black/taupes with an orange accent in each block.

I pieced the background with 2" squares, and used batiks for the Princess Feathers.

Here is the first of eight completed 14" blocks. There will be a total of 16, so I am over half way done. My problem has been that of uncertainty as to what to use to segue from the center to the outer blocks. A frame, or multiple frame borders? A pieced border...............what? I realize for you to provide any feedback you really need to see it all together on the design wall. I will do that once I have completed the rest of the blocks.

Now, here is my question: If any of you wonderful bloggers understand WHY Blogger/Picasa limits me to four photos per post, could you enlighten me? I would be extremely grateful. Extremely. I know there's a way, because so many of you do post more than four. I've tried using the "Help" button, but I never seem to ask the question in a form that will get me an answer I understand.

Till I figure this out, I will continue to do two posts, instead of one. So, to see more of the neutral blocks, go to the next post. Michele

The day I got the crap knocked out of me................................

2011-01-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

Today, on my merry way to the mailbox, I was literally knocked flat on my face in the dirt by three, very large, and boisterous dogs. My nearest, and dearest, (read ONLY) human companion being away for a few days, I lay there wondering if I'd be able to get up. Naturally the dumb dogs were capering around my prone body believing that this was a game designed for their amusement. They hit me knee level, from behind, and when someone says they fell ass over teakettle, I now know precisely what is meant. The right side of my face is scraped and swollen both above the brow, and below the eye. I am a beautiful sight. Plus my right knee (that would be my GOOD one) is sore. I am not a happy camper. That is the scary thing about living far away from people, and often being alone. If we leave this family property, which I have come to love, that will be the reason why. I wonder if I'll have a black eye? Stay tuned.

The two winsome faces, pictured below, belong to Mabel Jane, on the left, and Woodrow, on the right. This is where they spend a lot of their time when indoors during the day. Out of sight to the right of the photo, is a bank of windows looking out into the fenced yard, and beyond to the land of the "woman assaulting large dogs". They can even see distant cars far down the drive, scene of my humiliation. Aren't they sweet? I do love my puppies. Poppy wasn't available for a photo op, being otherwise occupied with digging up a fine mole to present to her parents

I have finally completed the applique for the four setting triangles. Whew. Thank goodness. I know you are all rather tired of seeing the same thing so starting next post, I will show pictures of another applique quilt that is over halfway completed. It is my neutral quilt, and attempt to emulate the wonderful Japanese taupe quilts, but with a little twist. I want to get back to it but I'm stymied by what to do around the center medallion. Perhaps one of you will have a suggestion. Perhaps not, but I'll show you what I've got and go from there.

I don't know if you've seen the ads for the HBO series coming in April called Game of Thrones. I ordinarily do not dip into the fantasy genre for my pleasure reading, but I was caught by the medieval look of the promos. I am currently in the middle of the third book, and I will tell you it is keeping me from my sewing. It is a marvelous, complex tale reminding me a lot of Ivanhoe, and Robin Hood, a true, old fashioned adventure tale. It is only that the country/world is imaginary.

I hope your January is passing happily, and accident free, unlike some peoples. God Bless. Michele

Happy New Year!!!!

2010-12-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here is corner number three for ole Mary. Seemed to take forever, with the Christmas holiday. We had our son, and family here, which was lovely, but there was no stitching going on.

Here is Mary with three corners. I am leaning more, and more, towards a very small geometric border to separate the center. There would still be considerable space for fancy quilting, and I do love the crisp look that a little geometry adds to an appliqued quilt.

I have signed up for a quilt history bus trip for next April. Lisa, is going on the trip, too, and that makes it even more fun to anticipate. The trip culminates in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the International Quilt Study Museum, which is something I've longed to visit since first learning of it.

My best friend Gina, and her husband are coming up from Houston tomorrow to spend New Year's Eve. Gina will then stay and sew for a few days, and I really look forward to her visits.

I wish you all a wonderful, safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Michele

Corner #2.......................

2010-12-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

Here is corner number two, one of the cornucopias. The cornucopia itself gave me fits, and I'm still unsure whether I can live with it, or will end up having to change it later. If anyone cares to offer an opinion, I would be interested to hear it.

So this is where I am today. Although the original has nothing between the center, and the corners, I find myself wondering if a small, pieced sawtooth, or square on point, would look good as a first border. Again, I would be interested in your thoughts. You all wouldn't believe how much Philip Jacobs fabric I have gone through. I have an enormous pile, but when I pick up a yard, and open it, all the good bits are gone. It's sad really. If you are curious, let me tell you that in a one yard cut of his fabric, you MAY have two, or maximum of four, of any one blossom. So I have laid waste to yards, and yards, of expensive fabric, and I can't imagine what the rest of it could be used for. Not a project for the thrifty quilter.

The weather is pretty, if unseasonably warm, here. I know many of you are coping with ice and snow. I think it's easier to get in the swing of the holidays when Mother Nature gives us appropriate temperatures, but that's Texas for you.

I hope all your Christmas preparations are proceeding smoothly. Have a wonderful Christmas week.

Merry Christmas to you all! Michele

Ahhh, poetry........................

2010-12-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

The first setting triangle is all but complete. Yayyyyy! I lack only the stitching of two small leaves, and I can move on to another. It's been fun watching the whole thing evolve.

Here is a close up of the corner. Can you Kaffe/Philip Jacobs fans pick out which prints the flowers came from?

As for the poetry, Ogden Nash, my favorite poet, said: "If called by a panther, don't anther." Good advice, then and now!

I hope you are all making it through the holiday stress with joy, and panache. Michele

Quote for today...................

2010-12-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

"I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall."

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

I've persevered, and finally I have the center medallion finished. Unfortunately, this required sewing on, and removing, TWICE, the base of the tree (dirt and leaves) in order to get them to look straight. Not my finest hour! First it slanted one way, and then the other, and it would have driven me completely nuts every single time I looked at it, so it had to be corrected. As you know, if you've seen the original, Mary Brown likely intended her medallion to be set square, then changed her mind and set it on the diagonal. Apparently it didn't bother her that this left her center tree at a 45 degree angle. I appreciate the quirkiness of antique quilts that chop off points, and do all sorts of interesting things, but I am just not able to relax and whack away. I make plenty of errors, but I am incapable of making them on purpose!

I will most likely do some embroidered detailing at a later time, but for now I've moved on to the first setting triangle.

Here is my progress as of this afternoon. On the cooking front, I am trying to make my beloved some split pea soup, his favorite, and my blasted peas won't soften. Shoot! I wanted to surprise him when he got home this evening. I don't care for split pea much, but it is getting more, and more, difficult for him to find canned. I guess I'll just keep cooking them till they either soften, or the bottom of the pot melts. Will I still get an A for effort? Probably not.

Back on October first we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. It's rather a mind boggling thing to have made it this far, but you can NEVER take anything for granted. It ain't over till it's over. I remember when one of our sons was getting married and he asked us when it would be okay to (ahem!) "pass gas" in front of his bride. The answer, from both of us at the same moment, was "never"...............not deliberately. If you think this sounds silly, and unimportant, I'll just say that a bit of courtesy never goes amiss in a marriage. The little things can show the overall tone of a relationship. It still makes me incredibly happy when I make my husband laugh out loud, or when I cook something that he raves about. For a teenage girl, with very little sense of what is needed in a marriage, I sure lucked out when I picked Phil...............and he picked me. I wish all of you as much joy in your lives as I have found in mine with my sweetie. Enough sentiment. Happy stitching. Michele

Mary Brown Thanksgiving Update...........

2010-11-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

Slowly, slowly, I am filling in the blanks. Boy, are there a lot of leaves/flowers on this one block! Somehow, or other, in spite of the fact that I've been moving back and forth from side to side, The bottom corner stays empty. I have a plan for almost every empty space, but that bottom is still a mystery. Meanwhile, Dorothy has moved on to her first setting triangle. Bravo! I'm already worrying about mine. It's lovely to be able to see others interpreting the same wonderful old quilt. It gives me a sense of quilting community.

I am now going to wish you all a marvelous Thanksgiving, with all the yummy foods that your family look forward to all year. For those of you in countries that don't have this holiday I have a proposition..........I'll eat enough Thanksgiving goodies for you, if you will eat enough goodies for me when next you have a feast, and celebration. Will that work do you think? Now, if we could find a third party to gain the weight! Sigh.

A little shopping show and tell............................

2010-11-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

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If I were to tell you how much this small load of choice goodies set me back, you would likely be shocked. I was myself! However, there is nowhere else I would ever find this particular bunch of textile treats other than a perfectly huge quilt show. The gorgeous box above contains all the Den Haan chintz, plus some checks, and plaids, to make the quilt shown below.

Although I think the quilt is gorgeous ( I seem to be all about orange/yellow/red right now), I purchased the kit because it was the only way to obtain all these wonderful oranges and yellows. They were either sold out of the fat quarters, or didn't bring those colors, I'm not sure which. I just wanted them for applique, along with the pieces shown below the boxed kit below.

I just couldn't help myself. I also helped myself to the pieces below:

The two pieces on the far right aren't from the Netherlands, though, they are yardage I picked up with the idea of Broderie Perse in mind. I can't say enough lovely things about Petra Prins, the Queen of Den Haan, and her staff. They were warm, and funny, and I was actually happy to throw my money at them. In addition to the fabric, I invested in a two year subscription to QuiltMania magazine, because I am so fed up with our American publications. I won't even be renewing my Quilter's Newsletter when it expires, and I would never have believed it possible to become so disenchanted with a publication. Don't get me started, or I'll do a rant that will most likely send you far away from this blog, and I don't want to do that. I decided to put my money where my mouth is, instead of just whining every time the mail delivers another unsatisfactory issue to my door. Thus, I'm paying a small fortune for overseas postage, as the only magazines I seem to enjoy come from France, Australia, and Japan.

Sadly, my photos of the quilts are sub par, but I will publish the ones that are halfway decent in my next post. I was fortunate enough to be taken to lunch by Bonnie Tooze, from Canada, and her traveling companion, the Grove. Thank you again, Bonnie, it was wonderful to meet you both, and I enjoyed the company and the meal whole heartedly. I also got to spend an hour getting to know Jossie, from the Netherlands. The opportunity of meeting these two ladies made the entire trip to Houston worthwhile for me. Kaffe Fassett did a short tour of the quilts in his exhibit, and isn't he a handsome fellow?!!! So strange when he speaks to hear an American accent................I knew he was from the US, but somehow expected a British accent.

The Baltimore Album exhibit was fantastic, but requested no photographs. Darn. I saw what might be my favorite quilt of all time, and have no picture to enjoy remembering it by. Kaffe said he doesn't know why they request no pictures, and I don't either. He encourages you to photograph his quilts.

I am having trouble picking up where I left off stitching, but hope that I will soon be back in the groove. Enjoy your weekend, Michele

Continued Mary Brown Process

2010-11-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Just a brief update on Mary. I have been at Quilt Festival in Houston, and must recuperate. Pictures of the show quilts will follow, if the Good Lord and my new IPhone permit. Please realize these are "process" pictures, and only grapes, and the large red Poinsettia type flower are actually stitched on at the time of the photos. Oh, and all the leaves, as you already know. I'm struggling to balance my colors, and shapes . I'll be back with pics of my outragiously luxurious purchases (Ouch!) and quilt photos soon. Happy stitching till then, Michele

Mary and I keep on truckin'...................

2010-10-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

I know I'm bad about not showing "process", even though it's not an intentional thing. I just keep thinking that I'll do "one more stem, or one more leaf", and before I know where I am, it's too late! So. on purpose, I took these photos on three separate occasions.........yesterday morning, this morning, and lastly, the end of sewing today, so you can see how it's gone. Let me first say that needleturn applique is simply cutting out your shape (leaf, petal, etc.) leaving a turn under allowance, placing it on the background, then stitching it down by using your needle to turn under the small seam allowance. I was asked by a commenter, and couldn't email her because I could not find her address. I hope this helps.

So, this is what the medallion looked like yesterday morning, with quite a number of stems stitched, and over half of the leaves.

This post picks up on the very next entry, so if you want to see what came next, please keep on scrolling. Sorry for the problem! Michele

As I was saying.........................

2010-10-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

You know what? Blogger seems to be doing peculiar things. I don't know if it's their idea of Trick or Treat, but I wish they wouldn't! Course, it's my fault that I only understand how to do things on Blogger one way. If something goes wrong, I'm just stymied. Anyway, in the previous post, which was "interrupted", I showed yesterday AM's medallion. Above is how it looked by the end of sewing yesterday afternoon.

Below shows today's additional stems, with the new leaves just pinned on for purpose of auditioning the fabric choices.

I'll tell you it took all the discipline I was capable of to hold off adding any flowers until the basics were chosen, and stitched. These leaf fabrics have a lot of colors in them, aside from the obvious green, and I was afraid that I might regret some flower color placements if I didn't do my groundwork first (no pun intended).

I've been so "into" this project, that I have been sewing from approximately 10:30 AM till 4 PM each day! This is a lot for me, and my wrists are pretty noodle-y, so I've been sleeping in my braces each night.

Just a little over a week until Festival! I wish more of you were coming, because I'd really like to meet you. Hope you are getting a lot of sewing done. Michele

Second weeks progress on Mary Brown...........................

2010-10-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Just this minute put the last stitch in the center portion of the medallion. Next is the surrounding border of flowers and foliage. I sure struggled with my flowers, removing several completed ones before finding a combination I liked.

I am particularly happy with the leaves! The bird's eye is needle turned, and is 17/64 of an inch, if anyone is curious. The color/fabric plan is to make the top bright, and use clear colors, without making it loud, or garish, and I think I have achieved that. Quite a few of you did express your preference for strictly reproduction fabrics in the remaking of antique quilts, and I have done that in the past, enjoying it very much. Perhaps because I've lately been working with all the Kaffe Collective fabrics on the Roseville Album (see Glorious Applique blog) my eye has adjusted to the point that I wanted to continue using some brighter colors. I think I'm sorta doing the exact opposite of Kathie. She is doing Roseville Album (a comtemporary design by Kim McLean) in all reproduction fabrics, and with lovely results. So I have just reversed the process. I look forward to your comments. Hope your stitching has been a true pleasure this week.

Mary Brown begins...................

2010-10-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

I thought you might be wondering how Mary Brown, and I, are getting along. It's a big quilt at 100" X 100", and it is all applique, so it will take me a good while to complete the top even if I don't work on other projects. I have a feeling I will aggravate some of the repro purists among you, because I am not confining myself to repro fabrics. I will use anything I have that gives me the look I'm going for, including Kaffe Fassett, Jenny Beyer's color palette, and batiks. While I admire historical accuracy as presented by quilters like Cindy Vermillion Hamilton, among many, my theory is that if Mary Brown were alive today, she would be using all the wonderful fabrics we have now to create her masterpiece..........why should I limit myself to what was available in the 1800's? This may bite me in the behind at some future date, but it's how I'm rolling on this project, this time.

The center medallion is worked on a 42" square of fabric, and is the largest center I've worked on. It's a bit unwealdy to manage, but I figure the floral border won't be so difficult to handle after completing the center tree/bird/flowers. I found the bird wings rather "challenging", but they are done, and I'm ready to begin the foliage.

I have some new followers, and I want to say welcome to you. Thanks for your interest! I hope you will give me your feedback, because I am interested in all your comments. I also want to remind you about the International Quilt Festival the first week in November, in Houston. I'll be there, and I'd love to meet you in person if you're going to attend. Till next time, happy stitching. Michele

Starting something new...............

2010-10-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

What is more fun than starting a new quilt project? Nothing, would be my answer. The planning, and the fabric selection, and the endless possibilities are just so exciting. I have long wanted to do a version of the 185l Mary Brown quilt (shown below):

I purchased a pattern awhile back from Patricia Cox, but it entirely eliminates the outermost border, as well as altering the innermost border, and I may want to do it differently..............what else is new? HaHa. I assure you that I will go back to my clamshells, just later. I am soooo in the mood for something fresh.

I had a lovely surprise recently, when I received an email from Karey Bresenhan, Queen Mother of the International Quilt Festival. It informed me that two of my quilts from previous exhibits had been selected to appear in the upcoming Lone Star III book, which will be published sometime next year. Only 200 Texas quilters were selected for the book, and I would have been extremely happy just to have one accepted for inclusion, but they chose two. When things are going amiss in the old sweat shop (quilt room) it is awfully gratifying to have someone validate your work. Makes me hope that someday................down the road, maybe the clamshell fiasco, completely reworked, of course, might end up making me proud. We'll wait and see.........never does to count your chickens too soon.

Anyway, I want to say again, how much I would enjoy meeting any of you who may be planning on coming to Houston the first of November. It is always an awesome show, and offers an endless array of shopping for those of us who enjoy it.........................and who doesn't? Wish me well on the new quilt venture, and have fun stitching yourselves. Michele

Gone walkabout, AWOL, French leave.................

2010-10-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Whatever you call it, I have been secluded, licking my wounds. Finally, I talked myself in off the ledge, pulled up my big girl panties, and decided that life will go on. I am sorry for being silent for so long, and delighted that so many of you enjoyed my way of expressing my dismay at the spectacular failure of my clamshell efforts. I have NOT given up. I WILL lick the damn things. That said, though, I am working on my Kaffe project (Glorious Applique blog) and deciding what repro venture is next.

A picture of said disaster is coming up, and some of you lovely people may be tempted to tell me it isn't "that bad"..........but it is, and here is why:

If you look closely, starting at the center of each side of the square, you will note that my clams gradually move inward from the center to the corner. This is not right. Properly sewn, I should be able to lay a yardstick along the entire side of the square and have each clamshell just touch it in a straight line. It might not matter if I had been sewing them in straight rows of repeating lines. For the quilt I was planning, this just will not do. They must be straight.

So. Do I disassemble, and save the clamshells, as they are some of my favorite fussy cut ones, or scrap 'em? Do I salvage the feathered star? I think so, because I like it. How do I create a grid that will avoid my doing the exact same thing all over again? I plan to put in some time studying the blogs of those of you smart enough to have used a grid in the first place. If you have any words of wisdom for me, bring 'em on. If I had the sense not to wing it in the beginning, I might not have had to deal with the aftermath you see here.

On a completely different subject................I will be attending the International Quilt Festival in Houston, the first week in November. If any of you will be attending, I would really love to meet you in person. This is my first year of blogging, and it would be wonderful to be able to put faces together with blogs and emails. I'll be at the Crown Plaza, which is on the shuttle route. Please let me know if you'd like to meet to say "hello".

Bye for now, but not for long, Michele