Lost Boy Quilt – Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas

June 19, 2016June 19, 2016

Progressing with CWB Project (Lost Boy Quilt and A Bountiful Life)

Happy Father’s Day to all Fathers! Looks like we will have another banner day here in Hotsville! By this time I do become used to the heat and humidity AND it is ONLY 3 more months to Fall! YEA!

By now I should have 6 blocks completed, but only half way there. Cathy has completed Block 4 and I bring up the rear with Block 3. Lynn has postponed working on the project until September. Jaydee is soooo far ahead – she has 10 of the 20 completed!

Cathy changed her Block 4 to put a dog and a squirrel! I just love the way she did it as the dog is looking up at the squirrel in the tree and one can imagine the barking going on!l Cathy is doing a more “scrappy” for her leaves. Very unique to have different colors for each leaf, and remember she is doing her blocks in 10.5″ X 10.5″…..

For my Block 3 I changed the strawberries. I did not like the pattern so I used fabric to provide the effect of the red and green. This was an easy block, but for some reason I slowed rolled its progress, but as usual, now that it is finished I like it. My blocks are the traditional 14″ X 14″.

I am still trying to have some progress on my UFOs. Today I am working on a lap quilt called Bell of the Ball. There are 4 Southern Ladies with their Civil War era dresses and umbrellas. I made it for a Wanda over a year ago. So it really needs to be completed.

Have a wonderful day and week.

PS. This is the first post I have done 100% on my iPad! Neat!

Continue reading “Progressing with CWB Project (Lost Boy Quilt and A Bountiful Life)”

April 24, 2016

Progress on the CWB QAL

Good morning to all. Well, we can almost scratch April 2016 off the calendar. Before we know it Christmas will be here, but before that I am sure that the 100 degree weather is just around the corner – YEA (not really).

We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen and bathrooms and are almost through (I say “we” but O’Krent and Clay have done all the work), but what a messy month with this project. Nothing is in its’ place, and time to sit down and really finish something, or work on a quilt project is out the window. In fact, again, I am in a holding pattern! I am really looking forward to 1 May – my house cleaner will be here to take care of that and maybe the 2nd bath will be complete and we can start the month of May having fun – at least I hope it goes that way. I could have skipped all the “fun” I had this past week, and Clay surly could have been having more fun working on his hobbies than doing what he did. But I digress again…. This is time for CWB updates.

Today I am going to post Lynn’s Block 1 and 2 today and re-post Cathy’s, Jaydee’s and my Block 1 along with our completed Block 2. Cathy and I are playing the “catchup” game with this project. My hands (CTS) sometimes just do not want to applique anymore. I am in the mood to just do some “easy” piecing and getting some quilt tops put together and of course, quilt the darn quilts that are screaming at me! Oh well.

Lynn is doing machine applique (smart lady – saves the hands – but I do not do machine applique) and is using the Lost Boy quilt pattern. She is miles ahead of Cathy and I but that is OK we have not clock to watch. Our original goal was to post 2 blocks a month, but when it takes 30 hours plus to needle turn one block,and about 10 hours in fabric selection and preparation of the pieces, this tends to take up a lot of time, so we will be posting our progress as we finish our blocks. I am trying to post the same block for all of us at the same time so it will be easier to compare the differences in the blocks.

Lynn is also modifying the pattern as she goes. She is using reproduction fabrics and machine applique. Lynn also changed the birds from the original pattern. The bunny rabbits in the vase are quite different and she added Lady Bugs on the leaves! Good idea.

Lynn changed the stems in the original pattern to a tree and re-drew the “buzzard birds” to Eagles. Nice work.

Lynn's Block 2 Eagles — Lynn’s Block 2 Eagles

Cathy is using The Lost Boy quilt pattern and here is her Block 1. She decided to put Butterflies rather than birds! Cute

Cathy's Completed Lost Boy Block 1 with Butterflies — Cathy’s Lost Boy Block 1 with Butterflies

For Block 2 Cathy has used ultra suede for the bird’s feet and the eyes are part of the black paisley found on the brown. Neat feet! She is using reproduction fabrics. Cathy also changed her “buzzard birds” and did some fussy cutting! She also used a different fabric for each leaf for a very different look.

Cathy's Block 2 — Cathy’s Lost Boy Block 2

I am doing my quilt in Batiks, so mine definitely has a different look. I did not like the “original” birds, so I added Humming Birds. I am following A Bountiful Life quilt pattern.

CWB Block 1 — Nanette’s A Bountiful Life Block 1

I totally wiped the buzzard’s and/or eagles off the block and chose to do Blue Birds. I do not think they will have feet on the stems as I like to think of them just lighting on the branches. I may get some suede from Cathy do redo the eyes as it is hard to see them with the embroidery thread and the dark fabric I used for the heads. The background fabric did not come out the true color that is in Block 2. I am using Michael Miller Krystal fabric and it is the accurate color in my Block one. I guess the lighting makes all the difference in the world when taking the pictures!

Nanette's Block 2 CWB — Nanette’s A Bountiful Life Block 2

Here is Jaydee’s Block 1. She has been working on this project before we decided to start the QAL and she is using the Australian quilt pattern Civil War Bride. She is also using Reproduction fabrics. The blocks that she has already completed are set different in her pattern, so she is realigning her block numbers to coincide with ours and working on Block 2. She calls that block the “pink” bird blocks. No hurry as I am on my tricycle trying to just get to Block 3!

Jaydee's CWB Block 1 — Jaydee’s Australian Civil War Block 1

I have decided that my nighttime fun will be A Bountiful Life of Applique. Daytime is going to be Dear Jane and maybe Brinton Hall placement of hexagons. Whichever, I had better hurry up if I am going to have anything finished by the end of the year – maybe my choice of doing different quilts at the same time was not to smart – time will tell!

Well, hope you have enjoyed revisiting our progress of CWB, Lost Boy Quilt, and A Bountiful Life, and from now on I will be posting each series of blocks as we have completed.

Have a wonderful Sunday and hopefully a safe and sound and happy sewing week!

April 13, 2016

Update to CWB, Lost Boy, and A Bountiful Life QAL and Life

This morning I received a picture of Cathy’s finished Block 1 with Butterflies. I really like the Butterflies – especially better than the original “birds”.

Update on the RF treatment – things are looking like I am back to normal – YEA! I just did not realize how bad I was hurting. Let’s do more of this more often Dr Growney!

I usually do not blog personal feelings, experiences, etc, but this morning I was looking back at the year 2014 before Clay’s son was diagnosed with terminal cancer and where I was in my quilting journey. It was on 22 April 2014 on his 50th Birthday. And here we are 2 years from that horrible day when we found out about Darryl, and I have been wondering – “why do I have this feeling that I have lost 2 years of my life”? Why am I so behind on the projects that I wanted to do in 2014? It was at a time when I had started my Blog, learned about Australian quilts (like Di Ford’s Mystery Quilt), and buying all those beautiful Reproduction fabrics and patterns, when our lives stopped in time.

Before this happened, Life was good, I was happy and excited about taking on highly technical and challenging quilts to enter into Quilt Shows. It has been difficult for me to find that “spot” again, but I do believe it is coming back to me. I realized it this morning when I scrolled back to my 2014 Blog Postings. Ah, the memories of where I was then and where I am today. It has inspired me to realize that I need to “get with the program” and go forward – as fast as I can.

I have learned that anytime one goes through this type of situation, life changes all around you, and when it is over with one has to deal with “getting over the horrible emotional time”. For the first time in 2 years, I feel like I am coming back. Energy level is going to be so much better, mood will be more like I was before that date in April 2014. I had experienced something similar to this when I had to become Legal Guardian for my Mother from 1986 through 1996 when she had Alzheimer’s. She was in a nursing home and I had a full-time position with the Government. No one even knew how to spell the word, much less what it was and how devastating it can be on the person who has it and the family. Of course I was still in my 40’s and maybe I was able to handle the stress of her illness, my position at work, raising two-step sons, finishing my college degree, and ending all with a divorce much better then. When she passed the one thing I remember was that I wanted to retire and quit working. I had a difficult time trying to figure that one out. I think it was the grieving process that we all go through when we lose a loved one.

As we age, stress is more difficult to handle and especially if it is a family illness that takes a loved one away. But we who are left to continue on with our lives must continue to work through the sadness and learn to appreciate and love life again. I feel that I am on that positive road again, especially with the help of my dear Dr Growney and Dr Neidre who have helped me through 4 back surgeries and now watching over me with post operative sciatica. How Blessed I am to have wonderful Doctors to care for me!

Of course, none of my happiness would be possible without the love of my husband Clay who has never left my side in 20 years, and my dear friends, Jaydee, Cathy, and Wanda who always support me when I am need a friend!

Thank you for listening as it is rare for me to post anything but quilting on my Blog.

Have a blessed day and Live and Love your Life! Always!!!

April 12, 2016

Civil War Bride, Lost Boy, and A Bountiful Life Quilt Along

Well, this year is going to just fly by! We are almost half-way through the month of April! We are having nice Spring weather and maybe it will be this way through May – would be nice. Yesterday I had the Radio Frequency treatments in the back. Technology has come a long way for those with post back surgeries, etc. It will take a few more days, but I am motivating and the leg pain is gone – of course when you kill the nerves the brain just doesn’t feel a thing! LOL.

Today I am going to post our progress so far with the CWB project. Yes, we are a little behind schedule, but we will catch up by May (maybe). So here we go – it is so interesting to see the differences in the quilt patterns. There are five (5) different versions of the original quilt:

Bird of Paradise Quilt Civil War Bride (Australian Version) Lost Boy Quilt (Barbara Korengold) (Scroll down to Quilt Number 4) and A Bountiful Life by Karen Mowery who passed away in 2013 from Breast Cancer and Folk Art in NYC Patricia Cox’s adaptation of the original quilt.

I am using the pattern A Bountiful Life along with changes by using bird patterns from Patricia Cox’s adaptation Folk Art NYC. My blocks will be 14″ x 14″ finished and I am using all Batiks for my quilt. I did not care for the “birds” in the original designs so I added Hummingbirds. The beaks are embroidered.

Cathy is using the pattern Lost Boy Quilt and decided to reduce the blocks to 10″ x 10″ finished. (Brave Lady)! You can see the difference it makes by reducing the pattern in her 2nd picture where she placed the original size apple next to her apple in her block for comparison. She is using Reproduction Fabrics and has not decided on which birds she will add to on the top 2 corners.

Cathy's CWB Block 1 — Cathy’s Lost Boy Block 1

Cathy's CWB Block 1a Apple Comparison — Cathy’s Lost Boy Block 1 – Apple Comparison

Jaydee is using the Australian version of Civil War Bride and had already started making the quilt before Cathy and I even dreamed of making this quilt. The Blocks are 11″ x 14″. She is definitely ahead of the game, but as we progress we will showcase her blocks along with ours. Heck – we may even catch up with her someday. LOL.

This is going to be a fun project, and very interesting as to how the different blocks turn out. As we work on the preparation of each block, each of us are adding/changing the pattern to personal preferences. This is what makes working on a quilt as detailed and technical so challenging and exciting. After all, it will end up each Quilter’s own personal quilt!

PS. I do not have Lynn’s full size pictures to post but as soon as I receive them I will update the post.

February 15, 2016

Hello Applique Projects!

First I want to take a moment to state the following. We have lost one of the most respected Jurist that this country has ever known, at least in my time. I offer a prayer of healing for his wife, 9 children, and 36 grandchildren. May Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia rest in peace with God.

Here is a shout out to those who are in the middle of a snow storm and freezing weather. South Texas is the new Florida for Snow Birds! Looks like this year South Texas is going into a drought again and forget winter – We are in the mid-80’s during the day and I completely hate this when it is only February. We will either go straight into a very hot and humid summer – bypassing Spring, or we will have a very cool March……….only time will tell. So on with the air conditioners so I can pretend it is 68 degrees!

Here is the status of where I am on my projects. I have finished with putting the basket blocks together and I was going to add them to the “stack” of applique that I already have patiently waiting for me to finish what I have started in the last month. I have 7 Stonefield Blocks (Segment 3) to finish; 18 Basket handles; 2 Christmas place mats and one Christmas table runner “yelling” at me. I could start another project, but have decided that I need a change from machine sewing to hand sewing. So here is my “stack” to start working on this week.

Stonefields Blocks (Seg 3) — Four Finished Blocks Segment 3 of Stonefields (7 more to go)

A Lot of Applique - WIPs — The Applique Projects Patiently Waiting!

I will also be working on Civil War Bride (CWB) blocks. I need to have at least 5 blocks prepared and ready to applique by 1 March and that will have to include a decision on whether or not to use Batiks or Civil War fabrics and then select the fabrics – oh Joy! I am really leaning toward Batiks. I am going not do the Australian version – I will be working on the Lost Boy Quilt. Not sure but think I will be changing some of the blocks, but time will tell as I approach the blocks that I really do not care for.

I do hope everyone has a wonderful day – I have already walked 5600 steps by walking my 30 minutes, cooking breakfast, and cleaning the floors (a weekly endeavor that I am beginning to wonder why!) It is terrible to be such the perfectionist. I should be sitting in a chair just reading books!!! HA never happen until I can no longer move this old body! Enjoy the day – we are not promised anything!