Miniature Quilt Exchange...for the Second Time!

After a week of great anticipation and excitement Karen and I have received our swap quilts from each other. My little package arrived on Friday and look what a treasure I found inside!

Do you recall the hint I told you about? Well, she also shared with me the fact that I would probably recognize the pattern of the little quilt once I set eyes on it. For the last few days before its arrival I racked my brain trying to guess what it could be, knowing it must be something quite familiar to me. Within minutes of having it in my hands, however, she was oh so right! In fact, I had only a quick trip to my bedside table to confirm my suspicion in the pages of Kathleen Tracy's delightful book, Prairie Children and their Quilts. Sure enough, there I discovered the vintage photo hint that had so haunted me as well as the Game Board Quilt I now had in my possession! Such a meticulous job she did in her fabric selections and placements one would have to do a double take to determine whether or not it was in fact the exact quilt featured in the book!

It wasn't until yesterday's photo shoot that I discovered this additional little tidbit of "coincidence?" For there, pictured on the back cover of Tracy's book I found not only my recently received Game Board Quilt but also an image of the Broken Dishes Quilt which inspired my piece to her last year! Have a look see for yourself!

And the similarities don't stop there. . . . . see this snippet of calico Karen placed in the corner here?

Well. . . . .in the early morning hours of those horrid, hot, and humid July days. . . . .

. . . . .as I sat down to my quilting and hoped for even the slightest breeze to pass through the window. . . . .

. . . . .I seem to recall a similar snippet in a corner awaiting my needle! Truth be told they both came from the same cut of fabric. I had found a bolt of it several years ago and fell in love! It was amazingly reminiscent of a favorite calico dress I'd worn to absolute shreds during college. I bought far more of the fabric than I needed and so eventually used up a good portion of it on quilt backings in some kits. When Karen caught sight of it in one such of these quilt kits she expressed a similar fondness for the print and asked if I might have some extra to spare, which of course I did! How funny that we both now re-shared the print with each other in our new quilts when it very easily could have turned out otherwise.

We first set up the terms and conditions of this second quilt swap in April. The following two months were abundant with false starts and numerous trips to the quilt store. While any excuse to buy fabric is most welcome I found I was unable to settle on a collection of prints or even a pattern to work with. I was becoming a Goldilocks of sorts. . . . .too bright, too dark. . . . . too abstract, too traditional. . . . . too disjointed, too much the same. And then, by chance I happened upon a reference to Russell H. Conwell and his most popular lecture, "Acres of Diamonds." Conwell retells the story of a farmer who, in his intense desire for riches, sells off his property and heads out in search of diamonds only to meet with misfortune and death in the end. Meanwhile, the man who purchased the farm from him spends his days tending to the work at hand in the fields and in doing so soon discovers his beloved acres are literally filled with diamonds.

Now, farm girl wannbe that I am, I took this "dig in your own backyard" philosophy to heart and promptly headed not to the store but to my fabric stash instead where numerous treasures were awaiting my discovery!

A sweet blue polka dot by Moda that so matched Lily Red's skirt that she promptly sent me right back to Candlelite to purchase two more yards of it just because we might need it someday!

My cherished "Red Daisy" print that arrived from who knows where but that I've carefully divvied up in order to have enough to someday complete a tiny hand stitched log cabin quilt featuring the blossoms in each center square.

The sage green and floral print fabrics used in the creation of Miss Lily Olive.

What I affectionately call "Periwinkle Rose" was acquired not from a bolt but by scavenging every last fat quarter from each of the three different Jo-ann Fabrics within driving distance of my house. I REALLY loved this print! You can imagine my excitement therefore when I purchased a bundle of vintage scraps off Etsy only to discover a small piece so similar I can't help but wonder if it wasn't the direct inspiration behind this newer version.

The green micro check was picked up long before I had received my Gail Wilson Hitty kit in hopes that it would someday serve as the perfect dress upon which an assortment of pinafores could be featured. Alas, almost a whole year has gone by since my birthday and poor Hitty is still awaiting my attention. Assortment of pinafores. . . . ha. . . . . the poor thing hasn't even got a body!

Along with collecting fabrics I've always enjoyed picking up bits and pieces of assorted dishware. After sorting through more than twenty boxes of the stuff stashed in the basement this week I have since decided I need to put a limit on this habit once and for all. Lids without sugar bowls, saucers with out cups, pitchers in duplicate (and I'm afraid to admit the occasional triplicate) have got to go. We are going to have one doozy of a yard sale next week! The one china pattern I won't be parting with is my Blue Willow, although I was more than happy to share a morsel of some matching fabric for Karen's quilt. I purchased a yard of it at the Lowell Quilt Festival more than seven years ago but can you believe this was the first cut I ever made into it!

I was amazed at how many fabric "gems" I found stashed away, more than enough for a miniature quilt. There was of course no question by this point as to the pattern choice and so the cutting began...in the shape of diamonds of course!

Summer Stitching

As you may or may not have noticed from the sidebar I've decided to put my little Etsy shop on summer holiday. As a family we've dedicated the month of August to finally cleaning out our dungeon of a basement in hopes of creating a finished room down there for the kids. While I'll admit it's no small task (think Hoarders) we won't forget to throw in some fair weather fun as well. This, however, does not mean I intend to abandon my sewing nook. Instead I'm excited to use this time to work on some new projects and build up a bit of stock for a "Grand Re-Opening Celebration" come September when school starts up again.

The patchwork pincushion above is one such project. Do you recognize the fabrics from my pantry skirt? I loved working with them so much I put the scraps to good use! All that's left is to finish off the crochet picot trim and then I'll try some more cushions in different color schemes. Maybe something a little more cheery? I'm also debating trying out a bit of hand quilting across the patchwork tops . . . . . hmmm. . . . .could that be because. . . . .


. . . . .I've had such a good time quilting this! Unfortunately I can only show you this little snippet of the piece as it's currently en route to Karen from Humble Needle for our 2nd annual miniature quilt exchange. And since I imagine she might pop in here for a visit I want to keep it a surprise. I figure a little peek is ok, especially since she gave me this hint oh so long ago. I haven't the foggiest idea what to expect but I can't wait to see it!

Playing Hookie.....

On our umpteenth day of excessive heat and humidity.

Can't sew.

Can't write.

Can't remember ever being this hot!

The only escape is in the pages of a good book . . .

. . . thank goodness for this one.

Two Down!

While the kiddies are in their final count down to the end of school, I got to do something I haven't done in a very long time. . . . . head off to a classroom!!! Yes last Saturday was my first meeting of The Farmer's Wife Club. With great anticipation I loaded up my tote bag with goodies and made my way over to Candlelite Quilts.

While not officially a "class" there were plenty of new techniques for me to discover. Making templates from which to cut each piece individually was definitely an eye opener and has given me a far greater appreciation for all the patchwork done prior to the days of the rotary cutter! I'm sure they didn't have the pleasure of using a sandboard back then either and that's too bad because now that I've been introduced to it I can't imagine trying to trace onto fabric without one. The most surprising tidbit, however, was the concept that one shouldn't do more than to lightly press straight down on a piece of patchwork when using an iron. Shocking! Or at least for me, a huge fan of working my iron into all the little nooks and crannies of my patchwork blocks in order to make them lie flat as a pancake. Apparently, by doing so I am stretching the fabrics out of the proportions so carefully created by sticking to the seam allowances. Unfortunately, I do believe it's going to be very hard for me to kick the ironing habit. I've already cheated a teeny bit . . . . . but at least I know now why I can never seem to have precise piecing when it comes time to assemble my blocks all together!

By the end of the day I had two, slightly wrinkled, 6.5" blocks completed. I present you with Evening Star (#31) and Autumn Tints (#2). Now only 109 to go!

The Farmer's Wife

Inspired by Lily Red's new quilt I've decided I want one for my bed as well. One small problem. . . . . the scale at which I tend to work is far from conducive to creating a queen sized patchwork piece. The idea of working in such a large scale, in fact, terrifies me. I'm not quite sure how to begin, am uncertain about maintaining my motivation, and find it difficult to even imagine being able to complete such a feat. So I've enlisted some help by joining The "Farmer's Wife" Club over at Candlelite Quilts. Based on the book by Laurie Aaron Hird, in which excerpts from real letters written by farm wives in the 1920's are paired up with inspired patchwork blocks, the group will meet once a month for the next year. At the end we will each have a minimum of 24 completed blocks and some new tips and tricks up our sleeves. I'll still have a ways to go in order to complete the 111 blocks needed for the queen sized version but hopefully I'll have developed the confidence to charge on to the end by myself. The very first meeting is next weekend and I can hardly wait to get started. In the meantime I'm gathering up fabrics, reading the letters, and imagining life as a farmer's wife.

Now considering our property consists of a mere 1700 square yards, the chances of cultivating such a lifestyle would seem quite slim but there is still plenty of outdoor work to occupy our time. In the short ten minutes it took me to survey our entire lot I found enough projects to last us the entire summer. The front dooryard for instance is in serious need of some tweaking. Bushes, flowers, and herbs that were planted several years ago have outgrown their locations and need to be either thinned or transplanted.

The walkways and cobblestone pathways are in desperate need of some weeding.

Pots everywhere are lacking a new selection of annuals and I'm thinking a few patchwork pillows would really cheer the bench up (and make it a bit more comfortable!)

Out back the shed stands as the keystone to a multitude of tasks. The very first thing I see every time I look at it is the lack of a curtain in the window. Lack of red gingham to make one is not, however, an issue so its time I buckled down and did it. The clematis on the corner has really thrived these past two years. Although originally a withered stick of a thing rescued from Walmart's clearance section, I now have visions of training it's vines to climb along the left hand wall of the shed. A small crop of sunflowers on the other side would be lovely as well.

Here a proper trash area made out of brick would hopefully make it a bit more difficult for the raccoons to topple the barrels over and wreak havoc with the contents.

Behold a mess of another sort, and one for which I can't blame on the raccoons. This definitely needs to reckoned with!

The removal of our yard debris remains to be dealt with. Times were that it could be bagged and delivered to a local tree nursery for use in their giant compost pile. Now, out of business, the moment has come for us to maintain a compost bin of our own. And the black gold we hope to mine from such and endeavor?

Why it will head directly into our raised garden beds. Actually we only have one this year. . . the square foot gardening concept was recommended to us by a friend so we figured we'd give it a trial run. If all goes well we hope to add two more beds next year and be able to have a full blown harvest.

And what is a farmer's wife to wear when she's out in the back 40. . . . .why a wrap dress of course! I've wanted one of these for ages, ever since discovering the romantic creations of MALPHIE. This version from Target doesn't have near the charm that her creations do but I thought replacing those jeans with a proper pair of bloomers might improve the look which led me directly to one of my favorite farmers of all times. . . . .

Mary Jane Butters! Her magazine is one of the prettiest around and I save each and every issue to reread over and over again. That must be how I remembered she once featured and article on pantaloons. And so it was that a brief respite spent poking through their pages provided not only the desired pattern but also a wonderful reminder that "farmgirl" is a condition of the heart and that no matter where you find yourself it is always best to "bloom where your planted."

Hands to Work

I've had such fun on my little patchwork project! To my surprise, however, it was the process of crocheting a lace trim edge that gave me the most satisfaction.

So much so in fact that I convinced Lucy to let me have at her tiny quilt and add a bit of trim work there as well. That one whipped up in a jiffy so before I knew it I was free to head downstairs and complete the final step on my piece. . . . .

. . . . . by hanging it up in the pantry! If you recall I was bothered by a certain lack of "charm" once the pantry re-do was complete. I'm quite pleased with this result if I don't say so myself. Having always wanted a kitchen sink with a skirt hanging beneath it, but never the style of kitchen conducive to such a decorating delight, I find this to be a nice substitute. Unfortunately that trim work I was so fond of making earlier this morning seems to get lost in the shadow a bit.

Good thing for me I get to wash the floor every week. . . . .down there on my hands and knees I'll be sure to get a real good close up look!

No sooner had the pantry skirt gone up than Lucy could be heard calling for assistance with a bit of wrapping. Bundled up tidy in a wee bit of seam binding it was easy to tote over to Wayside Cottage where Lily Red welcomed her new gift with open arms!

And while those two wasted no time putting their hands to work making up a proper bed, I enlisted the help of another set of wee hands to help me with the last (and most exciting) task of the day. . . . .

. . . . .picking the winner of the Quilting Bee Giveaway! Happy, hearty congratulations to Lina!!!
I can't wait to post out your ditty bag of goodies so please e-mail me with your address.

Busy Bees

The upcoming giveaway has everyone doing their part! Lovely comments and quite a few book recommendations are being shared by sweet readers as they enter to be the lucky winner.

One stitch at a time I'm making headway on a special patchwork project of my own...one I'm especially excited about because I'm going to give it to myself!

And finally, in true "Persian Pickle Club" fashion little Lucy is hosting an official quilting bee right here in the sewing nook. I do believe, given a few more stitches and some CAREFUL snipping of thread tails, Lily Red's big surprise will be complete!

Quilting Bee Giveaway!

I must admit, Lucy's fabric jumble was quite a job to tackle! At long last, however, it was tamed, tidied, and trimmed well enough to be snuggled into a wee ditty bag and toted away. Arriving at Bogg's Cottage I found Lucy's spirits were much improved. . . . .

"Why good day! Good day to you," I heard her call out. "I've had such a lovely time this morning amongst the lilacs. I'm cutting blossoms to bring indoors and seem to be quite an expert at it. Having the cottage overrun with their sweet smell will be much more agreeable than the fabric fiasco I created."

In no time at all her blossoms were bundled. "Is that for me?" she asked finally spying the wee ditty bag I'd toted along. "I do believe it must be for I see my name there right up front! How exciting!"

Thus without delay the contents were revealed. "I'm afraid there will be no more cutting to perform for awhile Lucy," I cautioned. "Piecing shall be your new task at hand for with some tiny stitches and a bit of time you'll be able to create a cozy quilt for Lily Red. I was able to salvage quite a bit of the fabric and cut it into squares. You need only trace the template and sew them together. It will be fun. . . . . so much so that I've decided to make a patchwork of my own to sew along with you. But wait, that's not all. . . . . "

"While cutting piecing strips from my own stash," I continued, "I realized what an abundance I've acquired over the years. So I kept cutting until a second ditty bag could be filled with a wide assortment of scrap pieces. This I thought would be fun to share with someone. . . . ."

". . . . . in our very own Quilting Bee Giveaway! To round out the scrap bag I even added a copy of an all time favorite read, The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas. It's a fantastic quilting novel and the perfect inspiration for making do with scraps."

Lucy was game. "Count me in," she chirped.

Anyone else wishing to be counted in? It's ever so easy. . . . . just leave a comment. Do you have a favorite read of your own, especially one pertaining to quilting? Share it's title with me and you'll be entered twice! Comments will remain open through May 21st. Be sure to check back on Saturday, May 22 when the lucky winner will be announced!

May Day Surprises!

After a week full of days spent cooped up in the sewing nook trying to make some sense out of Lucy's oodles and oodles of scraps, May Day offered the perfect excuse to escape for a romp in the garden.

It was lovely to see the violets have run absolutely wild among the hostas and hyacinths!

The lilacs were noticeable by smell as soon as I stepped foot around back. Given a few more days for them to bloom in full and I'll be hankering after a vase of them for the bedside.

It's always delightful to see the forget-me-nots make their appearance but stumbling upon these in the daisy patch reminded me it was time to get back to work on Lucy's fabric lest she think I forgot her. Headed once again up to the nook, I prepared myself for the jumbled mess I'd left behind. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I was met instead by. . . . . .

. . . . . . a wild ruckus of Lilies! The mini troop of them had gathered around what appeared to be a new issue of Art Doll Quarterly, chattering and pointing with great enthusiasm.

And how could I blame them once the source of their excitement was revealed. A featured article on the Pick-a-Lily pincushion dolls was contained within its pages! I must admit, the news had me in a bit of a ruckus as well!