WIP Handwork - Hawaiian Quilting #1 2017

There is something special about hawaiian applique quilts.  Thinking of a fabric tradition introduced to a culture with no need of a quilted bedcovering....  and the art form that emerged is so incredibly personal.  As always when I quilt, I imagine generations of women working together (even as I play alone in my studio!)

I fell in love with the idea of Hawaiian quilting years ago.... and even got a book or so.... and cut out two motifs.....  and basted them on..  and stalled!

In 2015 I had an opportunity to actually GO to Hawaii!  And I discovered that there are several classes held in the community where you can learn traditional Hawaiian quilting.  I blogged about my first class in the Royal Hawaiian Mall.   

This is the completed block I purchased that day.  (It was actually a pillow kit - and I still have the backing, etc.. that I will probably use as a quilt block.)  And I should clarify that the applique is completed - not the actual quilting.

But I got lazy and didn't share about the second - and much more important - to me - one.

The second class was held at the Iolani Palace on Saturday morning.  And, I might add, there is a gathering of quilters and a session for interested newbies almost every Saturday!  The cost was minimal... and I was to bring 2 pieces of fabric - 5/8 yd each of a backing and a color.

I had corresponded with the ladies who run the classes via email and felt like part of the family before I ever got there!  Their dad, John Serrao, is a designer of Hawaiian quilts and this is a family passion.  I am honored to be a little part of it.  I have to admit to a real FANGIRL obsession with the Poakalani family.  I own all their pattern books and watch their website religiously.

Anyway - they allowed me to choose a pattern and walked me through the traditional methods of folding and cutting, basting and stitching.  I thoroughly enjoyed the traditional wisdom and ease of learning.  Being a booklearner usually, it was wonderful to just be guided along.... (and, I admit, a little gratifying to be not too far off the mark!)

This is the block I started in that class - applique is complete!

See..... I do have all there books - and there is another by Elizabeth Root peeking out from behind.  Her designs are definitely simpler but I kind of like the tradional ones better.

Below is one of the two ones I originally cut out (also a Poakalani design)

I finished the applique during my handwork week.  I have one more ready to applique... which will make FOUR total.  I think I will work on a design for a quilt that is mostly these 22-inch blocks..... maybe I will feel competent enough to do a size larger one for the center?  We will see.....

Anyway - I also chose some designs for moving forward.. and cut out ONE to baste next time....

I will let you guess what it will look like.....  show you next Hawaiian post!

What are you stitching?

WIP - Handwork - New Hexagon Rosette 1

I spend most of my evenings doing handwork and watching either television or dvds.  This year, my focus is more on sewing than crocheting.

Each week I am working on a different project trying to make headway on all of the ones I've stalled on.

This last week I spent on the Millefiore Quilt Along I started this year.   In a nutshell, I will be creating hexagons and sewing them together into rosettes.  All by hand.  the end result is a quilt that looks like a kaleidoscope (or one of those Venetian glass paperweights known as millefiori [which means Thousand Flowers in Italian]



The patterns come from Katje Marek's book New Hexagon and she also hosts the
 quilt-along

It's made in smaller sections - rosettes.  I've decided for each rosette - to choose a floral pattern in a similar color scheme as that in the instructions.  Hampered a little by choosing from my stash only!  This will be a "free" quilt made from leftovers or fabric unused for some reason...

So - for the first one, I chose a floral that I love... it's bright!  I've used it in a Lovers Knot (sandwiched but not quilted) and in the Sister's Choice quilt I made for my sister. 

 The hot pink was used in my granddaughter's dresses.. and the green came in a bag of scraps somebody gave me.

By the end of the week I got to the third round of four:

..and have the next round all prepped and ready to sew!  See the little sandwich bags?  Those are the prepared pieces for the next round of hexagons!

Fabrics:  Let's see.... the outer round.... center peach is a solid of an uncertain age :-) (I have no idea where it came from!), the darker peach I bought once when trying to add this color to my stash, the darker orange I bought for my grandson's quilt I made in 2015, and the fuschia is a recent purchase for Bonnie Hunter's latest mystery - En Provence.  I did it when it was a free mystery quilt and now it is available as a paid pattern!  (still working on it!  I will share another day)

I also have - ready for basting... the bags of pieces for the Rosette # 2 -

I keep forgetting to mention the WHY of so much handwork this year.... travelling!  I expect that we will be doing a good bit of travelling this year so I want to make sure that - at any given time - I have sandwich bags of things to work on.  As you can see from the note above - ONE week of dedicated work got me ALMOST through the first rosette.

Anyway - Handwork Progress!   Next week - the Hawaiian quilt project :-)

What are you up to?

Marmalade - Batch #5 - Cherry Limeade Marmalade

So... today's marmalade adventure is Cherry Limeade marmalade..... which sounded awesome when I first found it!

The only real downside is the cost of frozen cherries... 2 pounds of them... yikes!  This had better be good :-)

This is the basic recipe.......  Cherry Key Lime Marmalade

I changed it up just a little... first off..... lemon verbena stems?  Really?  I can honestly say that these are not at my local Food Lion.... which is 30 minutes away AND the closest store.... so... yep - left them out.   I wondered about giving the mix a spritz of lemon juice - but then decided to just do without.

I also used regular limes because that is what I found.

And the recipe called for cutting the limes in half and then slicing thinly.  I did that - for 8 limes - and cooked as directed.  But while they were cooling in the fridge overnight, I decided the rind pieces were larger than I liked.....  so this morning, I chopped them up more finely.

I must say, my cherry-lime mixture on the stove smells divine.... enough that I starting singing the Lime & Coconut song...... and started thinking about a lime & coconut marmalade... hmm.......  I wonder if that would work....

....and then .... I got distracted here writing... and scorched it!  I sprang into action and dumped it into another pan to keep cooking - lowered the temp of the burner... and scraped all the burned mess into the garbage disposal :-(    I got a new oven for Thanksgiving and am still figuring out the dual burner thing on the top.   I try not to walk away from something cooking without a timer on but apparently did forget that this time!

At any rate - I think it is salvaged.... and I will know later.

It's pretty anyway - and I have a tasting jar in the fridge too.


I must say - the Orange-Ginger Marmalade I scorched the other day doesn't have any of that scorch flavor today so... cross your fingers!

I think though - if I do make another batch today - it will be later on when I decide to babysit it better!  I have one more recipe to try but I need to get some lemons.  I do have enough oranges in the house to make another basic batch and redo the syrupy #1 batch with it - so that WAS my plan.....   I will decide later and add a post script if I do it!

Tomorrow I have an appointment in town so will get the lemons and more seals and jars... and honey, too I think..  The Lemon-honey marmalade sounds awesome - particularly this time of year when everybody is sick - it sounds like it would be a great add-in for hot tea.

*****************************

ps..... I did NOT make another batch of marmalade..... It was a foggy misty day and I settled in to watch some dvds and stitch on my kaleidoscope hexagon project..... which I will share more about in another post.....

WIP - Flower garden #1 2017

It's not just marmalade happening here - though it seems like it!

My sewing machine is in the shop for maintenance so all machine projects are on hold!  I am finishing up a week of working on my Grandmother's Flower garden - with English paper piecing.

So - handwork.  I am thinking this year - when I am at home, I will be working on several handwork projects so will prob focus on something different each week.  At the moment for the Grandmother hexy project, I do have several flowers completed and am sewing them together in twos.

 I spent last week working on them and will have completed two by the end of the day to have a total of 8 sets of two.  I think I will need about 30 whole flowers for the quilt and some halves.... so am currently shooting for 15 sets of two flowers before I go further.  I am hoping that doing it in segments will make joining all 30+ of them a little less daunting at the end.

I know we will be traveling a bit this year - and the English paper piecing projects travel well - so I have been creating little sandwich bags with hexagons ready for assembly.  I can make the flowers on the road - and do the assembling at home.

I have more projects going on that I will write about as time progresses.

I do want to get my blog up and running again.  I seem to have somehow lost my voice in the last few years.

WIP Post Feb 17, 2016

So I came back home from my daughter's and promptly got sick!  Not badly enough to be in bed the whole time - but def enough to spend time resting and drinking hot tea!

BUT lots of sewing!  Any time away from my machine leaves me in a spot where I need to work on my ongoing projects and get moving again!  I found 2 samplers while I was away.... one is the 365 Challenge - where you make one block daily for a year.  I said NO at first - and then had to take a peek!  Some are fairly easy - some pretty complicated - but all piecing and fun :-)  And so tiny that they use up my bits and pieces that might have been trashed.  BUT since we all know I've been saving them, well.... they are ready to use for a free quilt :-)

365 Challenge

Of course - at this point, I need to play catch up... so here is what I have this week - untrimmed and all only 3.5 inches square unfinished

January 10-16

Jan 17-23

Feb 10-14 + extra Bonus Valentine block

I am having more fun than I probably ought to.... I feel that however rough some of these are - I am honing my piecing skills like crazy!


The Splendid Sampler

Bonus block + Block 1

I still need to machine applique the heart on Block 1 but have am collecting a few items for machine applique and will do a lot of that at one time....

I had a brainstorm thought about the fabric for this sampler.  I am using some leftover fabric from curtains I made.  the prints are botanical... the designer from North Carolina.... all flowers and birds and butterflies.... (and if I run out of fabric I can cut up my curtains and make new ones :-)

Aurifil Blocks
 - finished up one from 2015

and the current one for January 2016

For these I am choosing colors as I go..... 2015 was specific colors for each month.... this year I am choosing by block

Droid Quilt Along

making progress!  I finished the Week 3 - Block B

I have the next week's cut out but we will see whether I get them done or not!

And.... the Shenandoah Botanical Album

I have had the fabric for a while but couldn't decide whether I was going to hand applique it or use fusible.  I decided that I would get frustrated with the hand applique at this point in my learning so fusible it is!  And machine applique (I TOLD you I was stock piling some machine applique for a marathon session!)

Month 1

I am several months behind in the sew along... I have kept us with printing and enlarging the patterns.  So at this point I need to trace the patterns on to the fusible interfacing and choose fabrics.... then cut, place and press!

Month 2

Boy, that sounds easy!  But the patterns are fairly intricate - so it's time consuming.  I am enjoying learning about period fabrics though and creating something so completely different than my usual :-)

When I get caught up with fusing the months, I will begin the applique.

And... then......

I made some Half square triangles from a charm pack to make a quilt for my new grandson...

and some more half square triangles for a quilt that my local shop is teaching...

I am making 2 versions in 2 colorways and 2 sizes....

...and I cut the fabric for some burp cloths my daughter requested....

 [I think I need to pick up more diapers and make a shower gift for someone else before I keep going on this project!)


Other projects that are ongoing..

Dublin quilt (I need 198 of these 3 patches for the size mentioned so I have a while to go but I stitch together a strip or two of green each time I sit to sew)

..and another hexy..... at one per week, I will eventually have a quilt :-)

.... and still using up yarn :-)  VA lap robes in progress....  as of the end of this week, I have squares for 2 lap robes and lots more yarn.  I will need to work them together.

I will be finishing up quilting and binding a birthday gift next and I can't show it off until I give it :-) 

What are you up to this week?

WIP Feb 10, 2016

While I was at my daughter's home..... I worked a little bit crocheting on the next VA lap robe.... and on my next hexie flower...

I can't wait until I can start putting these together into a quilt top!

...and when I got home, I started movement on some of the ongoing projects in piecing ...  like the next set of droid blocks for my BB-8 quilt & the extra row of blocks on the churn dash....

and the next rainbow set of blocks in Tula Pink's book.... (I don't like having a book I'm not using :-) - though I must admit to having quite a few!)  Anyway, a friend mentioned last year that she and her daughter were making all the blocks in the book and it sounded like a fun project for my rainbow scraps....  the book is sorted into several categories - and I am working category by category.. color by color...   I did the blue in the first category last year - here is category 1 Pink & category 2 Blue..  [so.. 3 for next month]

The Modern HST (half square triangle) sampler by Alyce Blyth  at http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ is a fun new project I started this year. 

This is the third block in her series..... and I am choosing the fabrics as I go...

And a third sampler I discovered while I was away..... the 365 Challenge.  A little nuts, I know... but a block a day for a year...  I am working on catching up now in my rainbow color scheme

January 1-7 + a bonus block

January 8&9; February 7-10

These are tiny blocks... finishing out at 3 inches.... and really fun!  A skill builder, for sure!  One of the things I love about my rainbow scrappy projects is that they will be FREE quilts..... this one particularly is using bits that most people throw away...  If you are interested... http://www.365challenge.com.au/

Let's see... I also worked on a couple of new projects I just started... a Star Splash they will be teaching at the shop - in 2 colorways and different sizes.... I cut some of one of them and started stitching.... A blue pinwheel for my new grandson.... and a bit of sorting for the Shenandoah project.  I still have a bit of work with fabric selection and fusible tracing but will soon be able to fuse some of the pieces and get moving on those blocks!

So... lots of starts this week (new month!) and no finishes....  Tune in next week and see how all these projects are moving along!

WIP Wednesday Feb 3, 2016

How did another week go by?

Time surely does move faster as I get older....  I am going to spend a few days with my daughter and new grandson... so the last few days have been about wrap-up and a little preparation...

I finished up the extra blocks I needed for the 2 churn dash quilts.... [if you remember, I assembled one last month and didn't have enough blocks.... I've located enough fabric for one more lengthwise row.. and will add to the one - and I plan to assemble the second this month]

I have purchased and prepped [washed and pressed] fabric for a quilt they will be teaching at the shop.  I envisioned it in 2 different colorways and will play with that in the weeks ahead.  I am going to change the measurements too - so I want to pull together my versions before the class to give the instructor some options.

Oh - purchased and prepped the backing for my Spooky jelly roll gift.... so I can sandwich and quilt as soon as I get back home...

The set of blocks for Week 2 of the Droid Quilt- Along are done.. and I have cut the fabric for the Week 3 blocks.  They will fit in with the next set of piecing I do..

Also did one of the blocks from the McCall's Irish Sampler I started last year..  I stopped because it was too hard.  I've learned enough this year to keep moving... so here I go...

I found patterns to use some of the charm packs I've been buying from Missouri Star.  I don't know if you are familiar with them but they have a daily deal that I check religiously.  They often have charm packs for $2 or under and with $5 flat shipping, that is still a deal.  I've been purchasing for a while.... kind of playing.  If I can make a purchase for under $10 total, I do it.  Kind of my version of splurging on  a fancy coffee a couple of times a week.  Sometimes their daily deal is a different, more expensive product but I rarely get those.  $10 or under.

Anyway - at this point I have a collection of charm squares that I need to start using!  I found patterns that will use 3 packs and some solid white yardage... so yay for me!  Valentine Notes and a blue pinwheel (that if my daughter likes it will become a baby quilt for her son.. and if she doesn't.. it's still a quilt I want to make that I will find a home for)  Those are ready to add to the piecing line-up when I come home.

I decided that I will use fusible for the applique on the Shenandoah quilt along.... so ordered a bolt from Joann Fabrics during one of their online sales... and started work on the first set of blocks.  Somewhere in the next month or so, I will have enough fusible applique projects under construction that I will have a day or so that I can devote to the stitching only!

Let's see...... I dove into the handwork basket and finished up a hanging sleeve on a wall hanging.. and also pulled out a couple of the quilts to be mended (from my mother-in-law).  Two will have to be completely reassembled... she made them later in life and hand-tied them.  The fabric has ripped around the ties and they are really a mess inside.  I am thinking about removing the top from the back.... adding new batting and doing a stitch in the ditch - probably by machine.  But I will take them in to the quilt shop first and get advice.

And... last but not least... I finished up an afghan (one of maybe FOUR where I did the blocks and never put them together....  One is DONE!

The pattern is from the Crochet Crowd and is called Stitch-cation 2014.  I had a lot of fun doing the blocks and am pretty psyched to have the afghan finished......

So... what kind of crafty things did YOU do this week?

Snowy Sewing....

   I know it's early for a WIP post.... but for the last few days...
.....between waiting for the new baby call (still waiting... we're just a few days overdue but with a late baby, we've all been prepped for weeks!)
...and being snowbound....

I've been sewing up a storm!

I had promised myself after the first week of the month, that I would work on projects already started... and I have ALMOST done that :-)  But I wanted to share what I have been working on for the last couple of days.   I'll get some pix before I post :-)

I wish I was the kind of person who could work on one thing.... and then say - voila!  There you have it!  Look what I completed!

But if you have been following me, you know that is not the way I work.  And I do get a kick out of looking at the line-up as I pass through these sewing days...

So - here we go....

Writing-wise.. I completed my quilt stories!  There is a new page on this blog with my Quilt Completions and the stories to go with them.  I have a little story to go with each quilt that I have finished.... each quilt got a blog post... each year has a post with all the links.. and there is a page with links to each year.  And here is a link to that page... Finished Quilts   .Whew!

My first FINISH! for 2016... Sandcastle..... I still need a photo and will be able to post that story.

I quilted the second quilt in my stack - Toy Box - and it has made it to my handwork basket for embellishments.

 El's Kitchen.... a quilt class from 2014.. it's been languishing for a year while I stopped to take the time to figure out how to do the borders.  I have laid out the borders and applied a vine.  And I prepared applique flowers for it.. drawing and applying fusible, cutting them out, etc.  [I also spent a day drawing and preparing fusible for 2 other upcoming applique projects that I have set aside for now]

I changed from natural to white thread in my machine with the intention of working on quilting my next prepared quilt.. Snowball... but I don't have a proper set-up for quilting yet and it hurts my shoulders to do too much of it.  So I moved on....

.. to my white quilt.  One of my daughters expressed an interest in a white quilt.... and I have a log cabin in progress that is mostly white with very slight variations in ecru.  I need 80-some blocks and am up to 35 now.  A long-term project since I can't seem to work on one color for very long :-)

... and while I am piecing log cabin blocks..... I cut and prepared more churn dash blocks.  I assembled one of those last week and it was too narrow.  I had enough fabric to make another 8-10 blocks for both quilts and am preparing those at the same time.  I have stitched all the HSTs for them in the last couple of days.  About half are pressed and trimmed....

...... began the scrappy piecing on one of the Ireland Sampler blocks I began last year [20 1-inch 9-patches!]

.....  started the Modern HST Sampler sponsored by Blossom Heart Quilts.
... worked on my orange scrappy 9-patch stars..

.... made hanging sleeves for 3 wall hangings and done the machine stitching on them.. They have now moved to the handwork basket.

.... while the handwork basket is increasing.....

......I stitched the binding on the Toy Box quilt..

......I finished my second Hawaiian applique (need to prepare both for hand quilting and start stitching the next one - I have two more cut and basted)

..... and am working on finishing a crochet afghan... did the blocks last year and am putting borders on the squares and stitching together...

So... lots done.... a little completed.... much moving along...

So.. today since there is too much snow to go to work.... and, as yet, no baby....
I plan to ..
......lay out the El's Kitchen applique flowers, press and fuse them on the 4 border pieces... perhaps begin the applique stitching (perhaps set aside and stitch on the other stuff)
.....cut the strips for the next 20 or so log cabin blocks and perhaps begin piecing
..... cut out the pieces for Block 2 of the HST sampler

WIP Jan 6, 2016

Since I had promised myself not to start anything until after the new year began....  I'm still using up cotton yarn in dishcloths....

I think I've made about 45 and given away 30 or so in my Christmas wanderings...  but I still have a couple of cones of thread.  I can envision myself getting bored with one color soon :-)

and the littlest leftover bits have gone into makeup pads

I've quilted some on my sandcastle quilt (should be done in a week or so... my first 'finish' of the year)

I've done some cutting and pinning on several things
- on the rainbow scrap blocks I started last year
-  on an easy strip quilt that will use a jelly roll I already have and some green 2.5 strips (new project)
- on collecting 2.5 WOF strips (from my stash) for a quilt for a March birthday
- on my Advanced Virginia sampler class (there are 2 blocks I haven't done yet)
- on the Aurifil mini blocks from last year (I'm on July)
- on assembling completed blocks from one of my churn dash quilts
- on locating and preparing the border pieces from my El's Kitchen quilt (2013 class)
- starting work on one of 3-4 applique kits in my possession.
- prepping fabric to make hanging sleeves on the wall hanging quilts I am working on
- and a birthday pillowcase

and I've allowed myself to work on the Shenandoah album project.  This is a reproduction of a vintage quilt offered as a fundraiser for the Virginia quilt museum.  I had planned on doing more handwork this year.. and this is already a challenge!  It's a quilt-along and I am joining in on the 4th block pattern.  I have had to enlarge the blocks... which meant that I had to cut and tape sheets from my printer to get the proper size...  and I am tracing the pattern onto freezer paper to help me with my applique shapes.   More details later as I move along (or ask me questions and I will share now!).  I am under no illusion that I will catch up or keep up on this project!

Oh  and I also did a little stitching on my hexie flowers...

I love doing this WIP post.. because I often feel like I don't get much done.... but I guess I did!

Wip Wednesday.. Dec 2, 2015

A traveling week which began before the LAST WIP post.... but I thought I'd just do the preparation bit last week..

and now.. traveling..

several dishcloths...

a hexie flower finished

and one of the Hawaiian applique pieces is ready to layer and quilt

And now back home to figure out where I am in the grand scheme of things!