Hard to believe it is finished

     I hardly ever buy a kit. I don't usually like the fabric or the pattern. I don't want to make something a jillion others are making. But too many years ago, I was at Quilters Corners in Ithaca, NY and the fabric in the kit and sample sang its siren song. I don't know why- I am not a neutrals person. I loved every bit of fabric in the bag. I asked if I could buy the same fabric without the kit, but they had used the whole bolts in the kits. I swallowed hard and my husband bought it as an Anniversary present for me. 
     When I got home and took it apart, I was unhappy with the directions because they called for cutting and fusing the raw edge slashes over the seam. Raw edge sets my teeth on edge, sorry. I can't imagine how bulky that would have been. I ended up instead of sewing the two slashed blocks together, sewing the slash strip to either side of the blocks. I was not happy that I could not get the inner squares to meet perfectly on either side of the slash, so it sat a long time. Finally, I grit my teeth and sewed all the squares. Assembling the quilt was not hard.
      Then it sat again for a long while because those not lined up center squares made me unhappy, but I could not change them. In May, I finally loaded the top on the longarm and then there was a three month redo of the longarm basement space. Eventually, I started quilting it. I quilted all the light squares with lines that alternated 90 degrees from the one next to it. In the dark small blocks, I quilted one design on one half the block, and another on the other side of the slash. I did the big gray blocks the same way.
      It took forever. I am the slowest longarmer on the planet. It did get finished, I trimmed it, and laid it on the floor in the family room and went to get the camera. And Tugger somehow roused himself from slumber and found the quilt by the time I came back with the camera. How does he do that?
     I pinned the quilt on the design wall for photos. And, oh yes, I still have to bind it before it is totally done. Looking for some real dark gray. When I put the binding on, I will photo the backing. 
     And those inner squares are still bugging me. It was called Square Value and I have the pattern around here in my files.

Searching for a leader ender quilt

     Having finished the Wonky Star quilt, which was a leader-ender for a couple of years, I have been trying to get another one established. It has to be interesting, scrap based, and friendly. I have had a hard time finding a good candidate.
     I tried Bonnie Hunter's Shoo fly, and it did nothing for me. I tried her new Leader-Ender, but endless squares did not hold my interest. The other day, I tried her Snail's Trail scrap blocks, drafting my own pattern, but when I did 6 blocks, the result seems menacing to me. 
     I like the Wonky Stars because they all looked different and the angles made things move. I am searching for another candidate and would love to know if you have any suggestions.

Nah

Drafted the pattern

Too scary for me

ADK Stash Enhancement

     While in the ADK, I always shop at a small quilt store. For a small store, they have a very nice selection of outdoorsy flannels that I buy every year to make pillowcases for Christmas presents. I also buy a selection of batiks and choices for border fabrics. I spend a chunk of money there. The owners are capable and nice, but are always silent and you can only get one word answers out of them. No music, no friendly atmosphere. I try to look past that and keep them in business. This year, having little outside contact with quilt people, I tried engaging them in conversation about anything. Nothing. All the time during two visits while cutting all the fabric, no talk. It drove me a bit nuts. I crave small talk from shop owners about what they are up to. Here is the fabric.

Batiks and some border fabrics as well as some neutral batik for mask linings

Pairs of flannel fabrics for pillowcases- cuff and body, photo muddied the colors

Hoffman water ombre fabric, just had to have after staring at lakes all week.

Needed break

     Last week was our annual family vacation in the Adirondack mountains, probably my most favorite place. Our entire family rents a house for 10 near Old Forge, NY and enjoys the gorgeous landscape. This year, it was a great break from the coronavirus trap. 
     I took my sewing machine and set it up in a corner, but only got to make masks. I should have set in up on the deck overlooking a lake, but I think the rain would have done it in. We were fortunate to have just one day of heavy rain from the hurricane and none of its winds.

First Lake

≈     It was so cool and wonderful there. Nights where you had to use a blanket and snuggle.

First Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Lake in fog, hiding McCauley Mt.

Lock and Dam trail

View of Fulton Chain from McCauley Mt. Chairlift

Start of paddling trip down Moose River

Waiting for truck pickup at end of trip

End at North Street Bridge on Moose River

Drum roll please! It is finished.

     Well, actually it is the basement, but I am calling it the longarm studio. Before, it was a basement, now it is a loft type studio.
     My husband put in hundreds of man hours taking down the suspended ceiling, cleaning up wires and pipes, priming with 2 coats the floor joists and cross bars and knotty pine panelling and then 2 coats of paint. We bought single bulb LED fixtures that were tucked in between the floor joists. The light they give is beyond what the old double bulb flourescents did. And for less electricity.
     The big splurge was the luxury vinyl tile planking from Home Depot. I had been carrying a square sample with me for four years and never found anything I liked as well. It is rigid, wide, rubber backed, clicks together, guaranteed for life, waterproof and a gorgeous color. My husband's knees have yet to recover. 
     I decided to move the longarm to another wall and it gives more floor space. The whole space seems so much bigger now. I also am trying to eliminate some shelving I had. I am dying to dive in and use it. However, our whole family annual trek to the Adirondacks is upon us and I am packing like crazy.
     I cannot believe I have such a big, gorgeous space to quilt. Wow.

The before

Emptied out

Voila!

Tidal Pool contained

     I am not going to call this Tidal Pool anymore as I used the pattern as inspiration, but did not copy it exactly. It looks like Crayon Circle Scribbles, so that is its name.
     When it came time to assemble all the 8 1/2" unfinished blocks, I was going to web the construction as usual. However, I saw that Lynne remarked that hers was a bit ungainly to manage and I remember that stage. I thought if I assemble the blocks into 4 patches completing a circle block, it would be easier to web. Then, I remembered the Left Handed quilter showing how she webbed from the left vertical long row instead of the top. Since this quilt was longer than wide, I tried that and then I only had a few short row seams to sew. So, blog friends helped in trying a new way to construct a quilt. Thank you.

The blocks sewn into 4 patches first

All sewn up. A border maybe? 2 1/2" strip scraps around the edge?

     I have no idea yet how to quilt it and it doesn't matter as my longarm is still hostage under drop cloths although I can hear the laminate floor being banged together underneath me as I type.

Surprise!

     That is what I got when I arrived home after cardiac rehab on Wednesday. A box from the company that sells the tote bags I have been using for my comfort quilt packages. When I opened it, all 13 bags left in their inventory were in the box. Hooray! They generously donated them to me!

     Even funnier, is that the company is in the neighboring town from me. What are the odds? They are in an industrial park and I had no idea they were there or what they did.  I sent them a thank you card already. If you don't ask, you won't know if someone will help you.
     Prayer answered!