A couple of years ago I made a Scandinavian Tomte Quilt. I wrote a blog post about it, My first Tomte Quilt if you click the link, it should get you to the blog-post about it. Ever since I gifted the quilt I had wanted to make another, for my very own self! I do that you know, ha!

Yesterday was all about being outside.  I planted 10 small very healthy tomato plants and two pepper plants – one sweet red and one orange.  It is always surprising how fast these will grow – within 6 weeks or so they might be to the top of the cages. Honeysuckle growing and smells so pretty […]

Birds 46 to 54.

The Hope block…as in I hope I have the wherewithal to continue this project…

DISCLAIMER: When I started writing this post, it was about 6 weeks ago. Life (actually, death) intervened and I talk a little bit about it in this post, so here’s your trigger warning. All references to days are from that time because I didn’t feel like guessing at when they were. Enjoy.

My goodness. Talk about labor intensive—two sections have a triangle about half the size of a pea. And Sunday, I saw where someone on Reddit had pieced the quilt and ...

Sadly news in the Kramer family…Early last week my son Buck was getting out of the shower, slipped, fell, and broke two ribs. UGH. Nothing takes a strong man down like broken ribs. I saw it in my Dad. I saw it in my husband…and full circle, now I’m seeing it in my son. Broken …

A Little TLC Read More »

I was afraid to look to see when was the last time I had posted but it hasn’t been that long ago. I posted on the 20th, and until 12 minutes ago, it was the 23rd. I was sick for 1-1/2 days and, for anyone who knows me, sick means let me sleep 24/7. Sunday...

While I’m away teaching at the AQS show Paducah, KY this week, I thought it would be fun to reminisce about one of my early “modern” quilts I made several years ago. It’s called Facets, and it’s extra special because it got a 2nd place ribbon at the show back in 2016.

This was shortly after they first introduced the modern category to the show, AND this was the first quilt I designed and made for the first book I ever wrote called Machine Quilting with Style. (The Facets pattern begins on page 90).

Although this book ...

This morning, I decided to get back to working on my quilting stuff.  First I needed to clear off my table top to make room for cutting. I turned the fire on downstairs, because it was cold. Weird when it was 70 degrees today. I put my embroidery floss away. Took my kit and put everything away, since the project was done. Stacked all the quilt blocks up. 

Interesting start for this weeks collection of Log Cabin quilt designs.

Very different, but still interesting!

Rather stunning … would be interesting to swap colours around in this one! Log Cabin quilts are not usually a great showcase for quilting, but that light centre could be turned into something pretty special.

The one above is very interesting, but a bit dark for me.

The last Log Cabin variation for this week would make a nice quilt, or a nice mat for the floor.

That is all for this week, but there will be more Log Cabin designs mid week, next week.

 The Attic Window Quilt Shop.  It is open Monday-Friday, 10-5, and Saturday, 10-4.

 The AAUW-Illinois convention was held at Elgin Community College on Friday evening and all day Saturday.  

Though the Illinois Division (as the state organizations were called) was organized in 1924, the Chicago, Inc., Branch was chartered in 1889 followed by Champaign-Urbana (1901), Springfield (1906), Rock Island-Moline (1909), Aurora (1919), Elgin (1920), Quincy (1923), and Monmouth (1924).   My branch, Waukegan, was chartered in 1928.  

The focus of the state convention is about learning and building skills to be better advocates for AAUW's mission of advancing gender equity.  Dr. Suzanne Chod, North Central College, talked about the how and why of ...