September 2020 – Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas

September 28, 2020October 4, 2020

Stars Around the Garden (SAG)

Well, Happy Monday morning. I have really been pushing on working on the 14 blocks for SAG. The Fabrics I selected range from greens through blues through turquoise and lights! My goal was to use different fabrics for each block. I THINK I may be running to a problem on that goal! Each block requires fabric audition to ensure placement of the darks, medium darks, medium lights, and lights (sometimes she through in a zinger which can be difficult to select). Making a one color using dark, medium and lights would have been easier, but I am enjoying the challenge. I tend to learn with each quilt I make and those that I will make down the road.

I have completed 6 blocks, and have 2 blocks with “tentative” fabric selections. I like to select fabrics that “I think” will look good in the evening and then re-check my sanity the next morning! LOL – anyone else do that? All blocks are 12 1/2” unfinished.

This block had issues! I had problems with my fabric selection for the green star and then realized that I needed to redo the flying geese (the blue and green one). I chose to take the block apart and change the corners around. I could have made a new block faster, but chose to just rip and redo and it came out better than the original one. This is why you see where I had seam allowances already sewn.

This was another block that I had to change fabrics. The zinger I originally selected BOMBED! I prefer the lighter green swirled. The pattern called for some of the zinger fabric to be on each corner. I felt that the dark green would make it look better and it did!

I am enjoying the entire process, but darn if Mr Meniere’s and Mr Fibro didn’t show up today after my walk! Cool front blowing in along with high winds – killers for M&F together!

Going to make a short run to HEB for groceries and then back to the Studio. Hopefully I can get 2 more blocks completed in spite of M&F (good acronym for them).

Have a great week and hopefully a quiet Monday!

Nanette

Linking To: My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away; Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts; Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday, For the Love of Geese,Scrap Happy Days

September 25, 2020October 4, 2020

A Big OOPS!

I want to apologize to Marti who was so sweet to send me these beautiful blue fat quarters. I do not know what happened to divert my attention to this sweet gesture. She posted on her Blog that she had ordered some fat quarters for a quilt and was disappointed in the colors with some of the fabric. I posted that I would gladly purchase them from her! WELL, look what she sent me as a gift! They are colors that I am going to try to blend in with my Stars Around the Garden quilt.

I also enjoy sending others fabrics or patterns that I know I will never use so it was very special to received the fabric from another quilter. I always try to share and pay things forward because through the years things came my way from a stranger just at the right time. I wish to thank Mari for taking the time and spending the postage money to send me the fabrics. They are truly beautiful. It was an oversight on my part that I did not include this thank you when I received them – Can I blame Medicare????

Nanette

September 23, 2020September 23, 2020

Stars Around the Garden (SAG) Has Begun!

Greetings – I am soooo happy! I feel like my life has returned. Yesterday I completed preparing the Medallion for Stars Around The Garden (SAG) I am ready to start the applique process for this puppy! Today I started on making blocks for SAG. There are 14 total. I completed the first 2 blocks today! I am so proud of them. This is going to be a beautiful quilt and so different from the pictures on the pattern.

Here are the fabrics that I have chosen to use. AND here are the first 2 blocks of SAG!

I wish I did not have to go for my annual check up tomorrow, but at least the appointment is early and maybe I will be able to get one block completed tomorrow afternoon.

It has felt so wonderful to spend my day in the Studio making these blocks! LIfe is back for Clay and I – peaceful and problems just waiting for solutions and I am no longer going to be concerned about Medicare or a Doctor’s office to do what is correct! I AM QUILTING IN SPITE OF THEM!!!

HUGS, PRAY FOR KATHY,

NANETTE

September 23, 2020September 23, 2020

To-Do Tuesday – A Day Late!

Morning all. I just remembered yesterday was Tuesday!!!! Weather is OK here – back to a 6 AM (ok maybe 6:15) walk. Getting closer to life as we knew it before then! Still looking forward to Fall weather. Yesterday we got our Flu shots – we have not taken one since 1998. They have changed a little as I had no problems with it! YEA!

Well, let me think. Did I get any of my goals done that I had listed last Tuesday?

Goals for the next week – 15-22 September were:

Begin work on 3030 quilt – This has been rescheduled for October!
Begin Stars Around the Garden (SAG). I have the Medallion prepared and ready for applique!
Continue with Mary Brown blocks and Sweet Stitches. I finished the November Block!

I received all fabrics for 3030 and we will be starting that project sometime next week. And hare is November Sweet Stitches.

Goals for 22 – 23 September:

Start on the 14 blocks for Stars Around the Garden (SAG)
Continue with Sweet Stitches and Mary Brown blocks.

Please continue prayers for Kathy.

Nothing really going on but some peace and quiet and cooler weather (no 100’s). Have a great week!

Nanette

September 20, 2020September 23, 2020

HQAL for 20 September 2020

Well, didn’t I forget to do an HQAL for the day!!! DUH! Did one last week but it was for SAL – who am I anyway?

Here is a finished block for Sweet Stitches!

Please remember Kathy and her husband in your prayers that they do not get the Chinese Virus. Thank you!

Hugs, Nanette

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan, Nanette, Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Connie, Bella, Gretchen, Daisey,

Connie, Monica, Sherrie.

September 20, 2020October 17, 2020

Slow Sunday Stitching

Good morning and Happy Slow Sunday Stitching! It is 20 September 2020! Can you believe that we are 10 days away from 1 October – and 3 months away from 1 January 2020 – A New Year is coming and I am ready for it! It will be so much better than 2020!

It was a great walk this morning about 64 degrees and low humidity! I will really be happy when our weather produces morning in the 50’s – even better in the 40’s! Call me nuts!

I had planned on working on my 3030 quilt over a week ago but I did not receive my Bella Solids for the background fabric and additional 3030 fabrics until Thursday afternoon! (Why plan I ask myself?). Gretchen and I will start this project in October. My plan was to work on Stars Around the Garden (SAG) during the this time, BUT alas, I had a quilting brain fog incident (ever have one of those?) and forgot to read the pattern directions like a good little quilter before cutting the applique medallion fabric!! In the end, it was a blessing because the fabric I had selected would not have blended with the other fabrics. I immediately called my “go to gal for fabrics” Carly whom I have been dealing with since 2003! I had my fabric within 3 days – Carly beat the Fat Quarter Shop who took a week to get me the Bella Solids (and they are less than 100 miles from me! All fabrics have been washed and ironed and I am ready to start on SAG TODAY!

Not wanting to start another quilt project while waiting for all that fabric, I spent my time finishing the November Block for Sweet Stitches! YEA, a finish of something! I have one more block for Sweet Stitches (October) and the next step will be a decision on how I will put the quilt together. The BOM was intended to make a block representing each month and then purchase a little stand to hang a new quilt for each month. I am going to use the fabrics and incorporate them into a quilt. (See picture below)

I have 2 more blocks (yup the same 2) to finish for Mary Brown. I am hoping to have them completed by the 30th of September and MAYBE have the corners sewn together and the vines appliqued by then also. I know that it is a positive thing to plan and set goals, but I am apparently having issues meeting my goals. It must be due to either life’s lovely interruptions with Amazon, Medicare, and Doctor Billing issues, it could NOT be that I am about to turn 76 on Halloween could it be?????? Naw! That won’t happen, as I am just warming up for 2020 or at least what is left of it! Just got a late start this year! I refuse to get old!!!!

I would like all to offer a prayer for Kathy and her husband. She has been exposed to the Chinese Virus through someone who was not aware that they had been exposed. Please pray that Kathy and her husband are spared from getting sick. Kathy hosts our HQAL every 3 weeks and is just so sweet and such a hard worker and they just do not need this. Pray for her and her husband be protected.

Nanette

September 15, 2020

To-Do Tuesday

Greetings – again! Still H&H here! Still walking!

I did not meet all of my goals this week, but what else could be new. I do have good excuses though! (don’t we all) Here were my goals for this week and any hold overs!

Goals for 8 thru 15 September were:

Continue to work on Mary Brown blocks and Sweet Stitches – Still working on them-Progress made on Sweet Stitches
Begin working on my 3030 quilt – Pulled fabrics, but had to order Bella Solids Ivory for background – Delay!
I am contemplating working on other UFOs or BOMs but am not sure, so I will just list the 2 goals. I selected 4 that I would like to participate in but unable to start on any.
Previous week was to clean the Studio. I have completed this Goal. Studio and House Clean – Sewing Time

When I pulled fabrics for my 3030 quilt I realized that the Bella Solids I had (Snow and Beige) would not blend well with the fabrics so I ordered some Ivory from Fat Quarter Shop. Still have not received that order. I also ordered some Rothermel 3030 fat quarter fabrics. They are so soft and beautiful!

I ordered then from Pat’s Fat Quarters and Pat’s Fat Quarters. She ships fast and the fabrics are great! They beat the delivery for my Bella Solids. I am happy that I ordered them, as most of the Rothermel fabrics I have were not going to be used in this quilt.

I made some progress on Sweet Stitches block for November.

Goals for the next week – 15-22 September are:

Begin work on 3030 quilt
Begin Stars Around the Garden (SAG)
Continue with Mary Brown blocks and Sweet Stitches

Here are the fabrics I have chosen for SAG:

And a few more fat quarters to blend in. The light background will be for the Center Medallion. I believe I will be able to trace the applique pattern OK – time will tell!

I believe I will be able to do better this next week! Have a great week!

Nanette

September 13, 2020September 13, 2020

Slow Sunday Stitching

Happy Sunday! Can you believe that we are half way through September? We hit 101 degrees again today! It was hot and humid at 6:00 AM for my morning walk. Looks like we are back in H & H again! Today was a ‘produce nothing’ day.

I have not finished my handwork like I had hoped to but I am making progress. This is the November Block.

Have a great Week. I am waiting for my fabrics to get here for my 3030 quilt!

Nanette

Kathy, Margaret, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Susan, Nanette, Edith, Sharon, Karrin, Connie, Bella, Gretchen, Daisey ,Connie, Monica, Sherrie.

September 12, 2020

Ingenuity Lives Here!

Greetings! Back to summer here in South Texas, cool was nice as it lasted! Back to the walk in a sweat box at 6AM! I am sure all will be happy to see Fall coming and I am wondering which Almanac prediction will be correct – the old or the new one that says it will be a hard winter! Time will tell!

Now that I have covered the weather – let’s talk quilting things! The other day as I was taking pictures of Pukeko and Tuis quilts I wished I had a place to take them outside or another way other than laying them on the floor. I have also draped them over the long arm, but doing either way does not do the quilt justice! Putting them on the design wall is a hassle because I clean the threads off of it as soon as the quilt top is complete!

Enter Clay – my sweet engineer – he told me he had an idea that would allow me to hang the quilts for photographs! This man can fix anything, remakes most things that we have purchase to make them better, and now he has solved my picture taking issue.

I grabbed a quilt top (from 2006) and look how great the picture came out!

There are so many neat free BOMs, SALs, QALs to participate in and I try to hold it down on the number I want to do, but Deb at Happy to be Scrappy has found a Hexagon quilt-as- you-go project that I found to be quite interesting. She is going to start a SAL in November and invited anyone to join in the fun. I checked out the YouTube video from Missouri Quilt Company and decided I would tag along with her in November. I checked out my “ruler drawers” for hexagon ruler/template that I could use without having to buy anymore and found the one from Quilt Sense and Marti Michell. So I am all set to do this one – just need to find the right fabric in my stash! Should be a great hand project and by November I will be caught up on other hand projects!

I am in the holding mode as I wait for my Bella Solids and more Judy Rothermel 1930 fat quarters for my 3030 quilt with Gay. I went through all of my Rothermel Aunt Gracie fabrics and realized that she had done an entire year (2003) of Aunt Gracie fabrics for each month of the year – A BOM fabric collection. I have the entire collection and want to make a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt rather than using them in the 3030 quilt. So this is why I am now waiting on more Rothermel 1930 fabrics and will be delayed in meeting my weekly goals for 3030.

In the meantime I did a review the patterns and started selecting fabrics for each block with the remaining fabrics. There are a lot of flying geese in this quilt and made a practice block following Gay’s instructions. I have the entire collection of Eleanor Burns Flying Geese Rulers and will use them for more consistent and accurate blocks rather than using Gay’s method.

Most quilters will use paper piecing, but I personally do not care for that technique – probably because I have never spent anytime on becoming proficient with the technique, OR maybe I just like to do things the hard way as a challenge to get my blocks perfect by sewing so many pieces together! Probably the latter.

Have a great week-end and enjoy quilting and your CVV!

Nanette

September 9, 2020

The Infamous 3030 Quilt Project!

It is raining – off and on, but at least it is rain and I love the cloudy rainy days – if only it were 50 degrees! It is 77 degrees BUT 87% humidity. Mr Fibro and Meniere’s are here with me today and will be until the front passes! Talk about unwanted guests!!!! I detest days like this because it slows me down and I was doing so well with multi tasking my way through my projects. Ah, but cooler days are coming soon! Then I will have an abundance of energy! I would love to be in Colorado where the snow is!

BACK TO QUILTING! I signed up for the 3030 quilt from Sentimental Stitches. Since I had uninvited guests today I decided that this morning would be the day to pull fabrics and start cutting out blocks – something that would not tax my non-multi-tasking brain! As usual, I am behind in making any blocks for this quilt (like 14 blocks) and Friday Block 15 comes! I had decided on the fabrics I had purchased previously (about 4 years ago) for Farmers Wife (which had too many pattern problems) so I ended up using some of them for my Dresden Plate quilt that is still a UFO (more hand work)!

CHANGE IN PLANS: As I started pulling the fabrics I quickly realized that the original fabric selection were definitely not going to be used on this beautiful quilt! I wen into the other staff room of my Studio where most of my stash is (most, well maybe part of it) and there they were – the Judy Rothermel fabrics that I had collected since 2001 when I started to “become” a quilter (which was delayed until 2004 after 3 back surgeries). They are going to be perfect for this quilt! I also have 8 yards of Sun Bonnet Sue fabric for the backing of a quilt that I was going to make with this collection – Yup a Sun Bonnet Sue! THAT Never happened!

I pulled the entire collection from the shelf and decided I would cut either one half or one fourth of a yard of each piece for my 3030 project. (Now am rethinking this – maybe just 10″ of each).

For the background fabric I have a lot of Bella Solids and Kona Bay that I use for applique or embroidery projects (snow and beige), but neither of the colors blended well with the Rothermel fabrics so I checked my sample book of Bella Solids and called Fat Quarter Shop and ordered 15 yards of Bella Solids (9900-60). They offer a 20% off for bulk quantities which ended up being a great buy at $5.59 a yard! YEA!

So here are the fabrics I will be using for my 3030 quilt! I am quite sure that I will have plenty! You can easily tell I was a Newbie Quilter thinking that I would need yards and yards of each fabric in order to make one quilt! LOL

Now I cannot start making blocks until I receive the Bella Solids, but I can certainly start cutting smaller pieces of each fabric for the quilt. I may even prepare the center medallion applique pieces! At least I can select fabrics for each block and cut the background fabric pieces later this week. Who knows what progress I can make on the preparations, but I would really prefer to just crawl in the bed for the rest of the day, but cannot give in to the uninvited guests!

NEW PROJECTS: There are a couple of free BOMs that I also would like to do if I could catch up with their postings. (What a dreamer I am!). (This is what happens you follow other Bloggers – you get hooked!)

Jen’s 2020 Monthly Color Challenge. Colors Inspired by Birds
Melva Loves Scraps Pieces From the Past
Jenny of Elefantz The 23rd Psalm
For the Love of Geese. The Tree of Life

OK, I know that all of the above are impossible, but heck, since we are now on the China Virus Vacation (CVV) I may as well make the best use of my time at home on the 5 acres where we are safe and secure! As soon as the CVV dies we are headed to the nearest Casino for 2 weeks where I will be able to drain the brain (probably the pocket book as well)!

Hugs, Nanette AND KEEP ON STITCHING EVEN WITH UNINVITED GUESTS! MAKES US TOUGH!

September 8, 2020September 9, 2020

To-Do Tuesday Linky Party (Update)

Welcome to To Do Tuesday! This is the first time this year I set goals and finished 2 and worked on 2! It is always so nice to start a brand new year even if I am 8 months late!

A week ago I joined up for the To-Do Tuesday Linky Party! Here were my goals:

Finish my Easy Breezy. DONE! Both quilt tops are complete (Inspire of Medicare, Amazon, and Doctor Billing Office)
Finish Mary Brown’s 2 blocks to complete all four corners of the quilt. Well, I worked on 2 of the blocks will that count?
Begin work on 3030 quilt by Gay at Sentimental Stitches.
Dust the Studio – Halfway done! At least I am more organized and my cutting is cleared off and the Design Wall Clean.

I now have 2 new quilts that are going to the “to be quilted” rack! Introducing Pukeko Swamp and Tuis and Pohutakawa. The link provides you the background on the names of the quilts.

Pukeko Swamp Quilt

A little progress on Mary Brown remaining blocks for the quilt corners.

And here is Goal Number 4.

I am so happy with my 2 quilts for 2020! They were easy but still time consuming. If you notice, I have figured out how to put my name on my quilts now that I put on my Blog! I called Apple this morning and it was the quickest call I have ever made to them and the guy was great! All in about 6 minutes!

For Next week – 8 thru 15 September my goals are:

Continue to work on Mary Brown blocks
Begin working on my 3030 quilt
I am contemplating working on other UFOs or BOMs but am not sure, so I will just list the 2 goals.

Have a great week and see you next week on the To-Do Linky Party.

Nanette

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!!!

It appears that I will be working on the 3030 quilt, but only after the Fat Quarter Shop ships my bolt of Bella Solids (9900-60) for my the background fabric. And I am certain that I will not be getting 14 blocks done by next week (of course the applique will take longer).

September 6, 2020

Introducing Pukeko Swamp Quilt

Greetings from South Texas where it is beginning to cool off and we are back to walking at 6AM! Still a little warm and very humid, but only 3 more days of that and a cool front comes into town! Supposed to be in the high 50’s and low 60’d Thursday and Friday morning – looks like we will now get into the 80’s during the day by the end of the week. Think I will still walk in my night shirt with that cool front while hubby will have a coat on! What can I say?

I had set my weekly goals and was determined to have 2 quilts finished by Friday, then Saturday, and here it is Sunday! But alas, Amazon treadmill return issue and Doctor Billing issues kept that goal from being reached! Again, What can I say?

Saturday was a banner sewing day and if I had not had to stop and eat at 4:30, I would have finished both quilts! I have completed Pukeko Swamp Quilt and Tuis and Pohutakawa with T&P on the design wall ready to be sewn together tomorrow. I am very surprised at how they have turned out and especially and enjoying the new names! I used the block pattern from Bonnie Hunters Easy Breezy pattern for her leaders and enders project for the year. Gretchen told me about the block, so I decided this would be a great little project to get my quilting life back in order. I only have 3 months now to produce some of my 2020 goals. These quilts were just the right ones for me to do to start my quilting year! They were fun, easy, and has made me a quilter again! What more could I want from life in 2020 (besides having Clay healthy and here with me)!

I did have to laugh at myself as I put the first border on because 8 months away from quilting tends to make a Quilter rusty in the quilting brain! When I put the border on Pukeko, rather than start with the sides, I started with the top and bottom. I do believe my brain was thinking “binding” when I started putting the strips together and realized – WHOA Nellie – these are BORDERS!

I am very happy with my first quilt for 2020 so with that, I give you Pukeko Swamp. It will go to the “to be quilted” rack and hopefully I will start working on them in November. But for now, I am happy!

And here is Tuis and Pohutakawa on the Design Wall! I am so excited to get the quilt to this point and can hardly wait to see how the border that I have selected for this quilt will make it really pop.