Vintage Patchwork finale - Pride and Prejudice

This is the 12^th and final project from my yearlong challenge to make every project in Pam Buda’s “Vintage Patchwork” book. It has been a lot of fun.

The book is designed so that all 12 of these projects can be made from forty 10” squares. I picked out 40 of my favorite fabrics and followed Pam’s clear and concise directions for cutting all 12 projects out at once. Each month’s quilt was neatly packed into a tiny bag and ready for stitching.

Thanks Pam, for a wonderful year of mini projects!

Fun with Barb - star block swap

I was fortunate enough to get in on this year’s “Fun With Barb” block swap. Barb does two swaps, one for modern fabrics and one for reproductions. Both swaps filled the day she announced them. Way to go Barb!

 

She chose stars this year so how could I say no? I had a ball making these 6” gems. I challenged myself to use fabrics from my scrap bins only. Turns out it was no challenge at all. In fact, after making 40 six inch blocks, I didn’t make a dent!

I see a scrap giveaway in my near future. Stay tuned!  

Barbara Brackman's Hospital Sketches finale

I have enjoyed many of Barbara’s sew-a-longs, but I have to say that this (Hospital Sketches) has been my favorite so far. Please visit the Facebook page to see all the incredibly creativity. I was so anxious to take the photo, I forgot to press it first. I'll try for a better photo if we ever have another sunny day! 

Back

When I decided to make mine in the potholder method, I wasn’t sure what I would do for the borders. Thanks to my friend Cyndi (Busy Thimble) who had just enough of this wonderful Barbara Brackman print to complete the border panels.

It is from the Old Cambridge Pike line and it works perfectly with my pea green background fabric. And, when I say “just enough”, I mean it. After I cut my last piece of binding, this is all I had left! (Please pardon my filthy ironing board cover!)

The appliqued blocks are all hand quilted, but since I wanted to finish this before the end of the year, I decided to machine quilt the borders.

This is so much easier for me in the potholder method as the pieces fly right through the machine! Here's a close up of the corner blocks front and back. 

 

Since I like to give my potholder quilts names with some reference to cooking, I am calling this one “Pea Soup”. It seems fitting for the background color and I’m quite sure that pea soup would have been served in hospitals during the Civil War.

Once again, with a potholder quilt, the back can be as much fun as the front!

Thanks Barbara for another great sew-a-long!

November mini and a funny story

I just love a “strippy” setting! For my November mini I took a stack of mini 4-patches I had lying around, paired them with this super fabric and voila! It practically made itself. The backing fabric reminded me of turkey feathers. Perfect for November! 

I have many things to be thankful for this holiday season. One of those things is the fact that there are so many of you out there keeping blogging alive. I so enjoy reading about all your fabulous quilts and journeys. Despite this busy holiday month, I have lots of cohorts in this mini madness.  Barb (Fun with Barb) made an adorable modern mini (here). Barbara's (Quilts, Gravestones and Elusive Ancestors) is extremely clever (here). Kyle (Timeless Reflections) finished her "Cinnamon Toast" (here) just before the snow started!  Sandy's (My Material Creations) mini is adorable (here), Randy's (Barrister's Block) serves two purposes as it will be for her new grandson! (here) And, Janet's (Rogue Quilter) is fabulous as always too (here). Thanks for sharing all your wonderful minis! If I have missed you, let me know and I will link you in. 

And, for the funny story… I had an episode this summer which prompted a visit to a cardiologist and his eventual decision to implant a traveling heart monitor (I believe they call it loop recorder in the profession) in my chest. There were 7 people in the operating room for the 10 minute procedure - no wonder health costs are outrageous! The sales rep handed me a box with the sending unit and instruction book. I got home, and started reading the mile long of things to keep clear of the monitor. Most were of no interest to me, but my husband came running as I shouted out “you’ve got to be kidding me”!!

We had a good laugh at the fact that although I do put my heart into the quilts I make, I rarely get closer than 6” to the machine! 

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! We had a record number this year at 44 (yes, 44!). I am so thankful for our wonderful (and large) family!

C1880 Quilt Club update

I have been diligently working on my little c1880 blocks.

 

As I have mentioned before, I traded blocks with the creator of this club, Pam Buda, and my friends, Cyndi (Busy Thimble) and Janet (Rogue Quilter). It was like Christmas to open each package as it arrived. 

 Imagine my surprise when I opened a recent package from Janet and found these little gems! Janet has added a few “Rogue” blocks to her C1880 quilt and has shared these little treasures with me. Those little centers boggle my mind! So, now I cannot wait to start piecing my quilt together so I can find a special place for these babies. 

For more information on the c1880 Club visit the Facebook page (here). Pam's quilt is amazing and there are many other quilters who have finished theirs as well. These little blocks are addicting and I don’t think I will be able to stop making them after my quilt is done!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Barbara Brackman's Hospital Sketches sew-a-long update

All 9 blocks in BarbaraBrackman’s Hospital Sketches sew-a-long are now quilted and bound. The patterns call for an 18” block, but I downsized a bit to finish at 17”.

Now I just need to stitch them together and add the borders and corner blocks.

This is the design I came up with for the corner blocks.

 It looked more than a little naked to me so I added leaves and I like it much better! 

 Once again, I am having trouble capturing this wonderful yellowish green background. These were taken on the same day in different light. The top photo is closest to the true color, but still not perfect. It really is a yummy color!

One of the great things about the potholder method is that the back can be as much fun as the front! 

I hope to have it all pieced together by Christmas. Do visit the Hospital Sketches Facebook Page (here) for all the fabulous variations. I am always amazed at the creativity of quilters! What fun!

Pam Buda's Vintage Patchwork - "Jane"

How cute is this little quilt? This month’s Vintage Patchwork (by Pam Buda) quilt is the smallest yet. Named “Jane” for Charlotte Bronte’s, Jane Eyre, this little piece was so much fun to make. 

 It is interesting how these tiny little pieces seem so distorted before the rows are stitched together. 

To get you copy of Pam’s book visit her blog (here).