What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Yesterday, I was up early and got some sample-making done. Everything was bagged and ready to be sewn later on at the retreat. Dogs walked, clothes packed, and it was time to pack the car. 

Look who slipped by the closed door. She did NOT want to get out of the car. 

Murphy -- you can't stay in the car!

People say that New Zealand is a very small place.  They don't just mean the size of the land mass, but the fact that everyone seems to know everyone else.  We didn't all marry our cousins, but the "six degrees of separation" rule is more like three or four degrees of separation here.  We can usually find a connection in common with fellow New Zealanders.  

I'm off to teach some classes in Tauranga this weekend and I'll be interested to see how many connections are made over the weekend.  

I'm taking My Small World quilt ...

This has been a long time project. Well, it seems that way. It became part of my 5 quilt UFO project in March. I had 10 cut in April. I had 5 made in May.  I made more blocks in June. All the blocks were made in July  And the top is made in August. Jen didn't border hers, but, I am worried if I don't do something, it will be hard to have the binding meet the points on the edges. decisions..decisions...decisions

last report July 19,2023

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another. 

There has been some rotation of projects as I have finally finished a few. I look forward to new Ufos that have come out to play with me.

1. wensleydale a jen kingwell pattern - twosies have turned into foursies. I have not taken this quilt out to social sewing. I feel it requires more focus. But, it takes longer.

2. Block of the month UFO ...

 last report june 23, 2023

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another. I decided that for 2023, rather than work a little on each one at a time, I would concentrate on just one. I still use the list to plan and look ahead. 

I feel like I have cheated on the 5 quilts, and, dabbled too much with new shiny projects. I played with my hsts drawer for sugar grove, I played with fractured squares ...

I have a love/ hate relationship with Jen kingwell patterns. I fall in love with the quilts, but, agonize over the patterns and execution. My quilting buddies decided to make wensleydale found in kingwell's book. I started gathering scraps and colors for it. The templates and book was pricey, so I waited for a cheaper alternative. I ended up buying the paper piecing papers over the templates. But, I waited until I wanted to paper piece the blocks, which didn't happen. So, I bought the templates, anyway. They are fiddley to cut. My cut pieces don't match ...

 last report May 29 2023

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another. I decided that for 2023, rather than work a little on each one at a time, I would concentrate on just one. I still use the list to plan and look ahead. 

I have made more progress than I thought I had this last month on my 5 quilts. Progress seems small, as there are so many steps to each one, and I may ...

 last report April 28, 2023

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another. I decided that for 2023, rather than work a little on each one at a time, I would concentrate on just one. I still use the list to plan and look ahead. 

Ok, confession, I have not stuck to my 5 quilts very well, I have continued to work on them, but my resolve to stick to them only has not worked. I have ...

According to Wikipedia, a Dear John letter is a letter written to a man by his wife or romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over.  

I've called this quilt Dear John because my relationship with the Dear Jen pattern is over.  Although the fully finished quilt looks beautiful, (see below) I just don't have the energy or dedication to make all the templates required and then hand piece all the blocks.    

link to the pattern at Amitie Textiles

So I've turned my blocks into a cute wall hanging, table mat, sampler quilt.  

Next weekend ...

On Sunday I went digging in my quilting cupboard to find a WIP I wanted to work on.  But before I could find that WIP, I came across my Dear Jen blocks from the quilt along in 2019.  

Jen Kingwell ran the Dear Jen programme and she issued patterns for 6" hand pieced or hand appliqued blocks each week or month.  The blocks were very intricate and making my own templates for every block added to time each block took too.  

In a sign of how my thinking has changed, I went from, "I'll make some more of those ...

This amazing quilt is a free pattern! 

Tripping QAL ~ All Info Here ~ @ Tula Pink 

Here is a list of the designers:  

Jen Kingwell - Part 1: https://www.amitie.com.au/
Carolyn Friedlander - Part 2: https://carolynfriedlander.com/
Anna Maria Horner - Part 3: https://www.annamariahorner.com/
Sue Spargo - Part 4: https://www.suespargo.com/
Tula Pink - Part 5: https://www.tulapink.com/
Sew Kind of Wonderful - Part 6 (Jenny Pedigo & Helen Robinson): https://sewkindofwonderful.com/

Some of the free parts may be downloaded now:

Tripping Block ~ Part 1 ~  by Jen Kingwell

is up and ready for download! 

 I have made great progress on boho heart. Another day at the library, and, I was able to assemble the right section of the heart. I have had the left section together for some time.

 I began assembling group 4 of boho heart blocks and was able to make the section. I had the room to lay it out at the library during an open sew.

I saw this ghostie online and liked him. I haven't "crafted" in a while, but, bought the pattern. It was fun. The hardest part was finding all the tools and paints ...

I have had a roadblock working on this quilt. I stop and start alot. Last week, I was half way through this section 2, and, I was able to finish it in one evening. It was a great feeling. I am half way through the quilt. I have many of the blocks already done. I just have to sew the pesky vertical sections. I am doing a rainbow colored heart. There are two of us completely done, and, two of us still working on it. And I think the other friend is waiting for me to get closer, to finish ...

We had a fun Saturday with a trip to Danville Indiana for a woolkeepers 'hook in'. The weather was lovely and the skies were blue. The projects on display were amazing and wool was everywhere in beautiful colors. I managed to leave it all behind and spent my money on cushing dye to dye my own wool. I have started dyeing background for my village rug, and, I was afraid, I would not have enough of the dyes I used in the mixture. It is a big rug, and, I will need 6 yards of background.

I had a chance ...

It was one of those days. I have an issue with my phone. I will be chatting away, and then suddenly, the person on the other end can't hear me. If I go outside, then they can hear me. However, on one call yesterday, even that didn't work. Last week, I was in the car and chatted for an hour, and no issues. So why is being in the house causing the problem? 

Is anyone else having this difficulty? I had been to the Bell store in the mall, where the people are really salespeople, and they had ...

OH -- I have to get back to responding to the comments!! Someone is also reading The End of Her. I finished it while walking the dogs, and well -- I don't want to say what happened, but I was a bit surprised. That's all I'm going to say! This is NOT the sort of book they talk about in a book club, but I want to discuss this with someone! 

I've started another book -- Looking for Jane by Heather Marshal. Someone recommended it to me. OH my -- what a fantastic premise. Who dreams up this stuff? I ...

My January OMG (One Monthly Goal) is to finish putting together my Jen Kingwell quilt top.  I thought I should share the background on that so you can celebrate with me when I finish.  

Last February, almost a year ago now, my quilty friend Denise suggested we do a Jen Kingwell sew-along, and she chose the "Long Time Gone" pattern.  It isn't the style quilt I usually make, but I was onboard.  

It has a lot of little tiny pieces.  Like 1" x 1.5" strips for the Courthouse Steps blocks .....