Glorious, gracious gifts

      One of the super cool things about blogging is the people. I have met such wonderful people over the years. Sadly, some have stopped blogging and communicating. Boy, do I miss them! Because some readers know I make comfort quilts almost all the time, they have sent me fabric and quilt tops to finish. What a delight that is! I have been able to back quilts, finish quilts and quilt them with the generosity of others. Recently, I got a boxes of fabrics and I received tops from across the ocean. Can you believe it?

A big load from Gwen!

Loads of strips from Quiltdiva Julie and some great blender yardage! I have already picked patterns for most of the strips and sorted them.

 

     These two phenomenal tops made it across the ocean from Maureen ready for quilting!

     I also love, love vintage sewing machines. Except for my long arm, I piece on vintage sewing machines. Don't ask how many. I don't count my husband's sneakers/shoes and he doesn't count my machines. Anyways, I am always looking out for some great ones to fix/clean and pass on to others as you cannot beat the vintage machines for sewing anything consistently and solidly- Metal machine innards.
     Recently, I found a Kenmore 158.1304 reasonable on ebay and bought it to rehab for a friend whose had a non-functioning plastic Singer (what a surprise) and needs to do some home dec/repair sometimes. Unfortunately the seller packed it very poorly in just brown paper in a poor thin box and it arrived damaged. It was so sad because it was a pristine machine. I went and pleaded for some parts on the Vintage Kenmore sewing machine groups.io, and a woman told me she had the parts for that one and another I had bought locally not noticing that the bobbin door was broken (it was dark, in the garage, and the guy was rushing me- not a good combo). So, she sent me all the pieces from a donor machine and would not take payment for the parts or shipping when she learned what I do with the machines. Because of her generousity, I have 2 machines that have been given new life and one has already been given a home.

These few parts gave 2 machines a new lease on functioning life! Thank you, Marsha!!

 

 

     I am so grateful that people trusted me to make good on their donations and I received such wonderful things to support the comfort quilting efforts!

Rolling stone gathers no moss

      Jordan Fabrics has a free pattern called Rolling Stone. They have a wonderful site and great daily emails with ideas.  I used a layer cake from Anna Maria Horner called Made my day that I got somewhere on special. Her fabric is so, so colorful and lovely. This pattern uses almost every single piece. I finished the top awhile ago, but recently quilted it. I got the backing from Gwen in a box of fabric she sent and it went with the theme of the front fabric I thought, just bigger (why not?). It was a picky pattern to make, but I really like it. I quilted in a new blue Glide and I did lots of stitching on it. I know some of you hate that, but I love turning quilts into textural delights. My taste preference on display.

Trying to get unstuck

       I have no idea how I cannot get posts up. I am working on quilts and paintings and gardening, and I take photos of it, but I cannot sit down and write. My brain seems bound up. I know I have been suffering sleep issues and the normal stuff. I want to get something down here. I think I need to stop reading so many distressing reports and world events as I think that may sucking the juice out of me. I will try and show work I have completed and not try to backtrack what I have missed blogging about. Thank you to those who keep at it that I read everyday. Thank you to those who emailed to see if I was ok. I will try to do baby steps and get posting.
    One quilt that is kind of funky I finished is Jimmy John, free pattern from Jo's Country Junction. A woman in my guild had given me a free jelly roll and I thought it was perfect for this. The tomatoes and peppers will appeal to someone who needs some humorous comfort. I quilted the white part with leaves in Glide Willow (thank you, Julie for showing that color idea). The print parts I just did long line quilting. Rosie jumps in to inspect.

Detail

Backing was donation, green strip to widen, striped binding

     Some spring tulip photos as they were very gorgeous this year in April!

Projects in the Pipeline

     When it was time for the retreat, I went into a cutting frenzy to get ready as I had no projects at a point to bring. Cutting is always easier for me when I have a bunch to cut- the mindset I need is better when totally engaged. After choosing/cutting the strip pairs for Maggie Pearl, I cut more quilts.
     One of the projects is Jelly Twist, a pattern I bought from Cluck, cluck, sew. I had a few friends that had made it and I thought it would look good with a darkish jelly roll that a blog friend gifted me. I was able to sew 30 of the I think, 48 blocks. All pieces are cut, just sew, usually I do two blocks at a time.

     Then I cut Fat Quarter Frenzy II from Sew Can She. I had a fat quarter bundle I had bought of Tula Pink fabric. Not my favorite fabric, but some girl will love it. I did some sample blocks and sewed all the HSTs. I did not do the lines drawn across the square and cut in the middle method. I never get the lines straight. I cut all the squares in half and sewed with the guide  (credit card) on my machine. I can be much more accurate. I still have to sew the white triangles on.

    I also mostly cut an octagon One Block Wonder, but did not sew any blocks. Photos at a later time.
    Other cut quilts, I did not get to at retreat. But, I have plenty of stuff to work on now as well as leader/enders for my Sugar Grove quilt.

Sort of spring

     It is a bit early here in Buffalo, NY to see outdoor flowers, but I had some Snow irises, crocus and the beginning of the Hellebores start to open.

Yellow Hellebores

Pink buds starting on Hellebores

     Inside, some of the Christmas cactus are blooming the second time- first at Christmas, then now. Lucky me!

     And two orchids are blooming although one has to open yet!

Maggie Pearl progress

      I took strip pairs to the retreat that were pulled from my stash to make the Maggie Pearl free pattern I saw other blog friends make. Each set of strips makes one block. I sewed all the strips and subcut them, sewing again, and then tried to arrange them in a coherent way.

     Finally, I found a layout and sewed the entire quilt using the webbing technique.

     However, when I got home, I realized that the quilt was too narrow. I dug around and found 5 more sets to sew after auditioning them to the left side.

     After completing those blocks, I finished the top and like it much better for a comfort quilt.

Birthday retreat and lots of quilts!

      My quilt guild had a retreat at Stella Niagara, an old Catholic school and convent complex in Lewiston, NY the first weekend of March. March 3rd is my birthday and this was a great way to celebrate it. It is a terrific place. The view is atop the slope of the Niagara River and you can see Canada across the river. There is actually a path down to the River that is flat enough to walk and stand as most of the river from the Falls to Lake Ontario is a gorge. During the War of 1812, the British crossed from Canada at that spot and marched the miles to Fort Niagara and burned/captured it.

Building complex behind trees, meadow in front between buildings and river. Taken in November, too rainy to take on this March.

Meadow down from buildings to Niagara River, Canada across River, tiny chapel at edge of shore. Photo taken in November, weather was uncooperative for photos this March.

 

 

 

     We have a large room in the basement where we leave all our sewing set up. We go upstairs and they feed us. We all have a single bedroom and share bathroom facilities. Everything is clean and nice. One of the things we do is, as we finish projects, we hang them over the railing to the ramp in the room. At the end of the retreat, we do a show and share. I finished one quilt top as I had a lot of quilt kits I had cut up to bring.

     I especially loved my friend, Elizabeth's, quilt that was a memory quilt dedicated to her mother. It was just beautiful.