Country Lanes by Kaye England

Here is a quick shot of two of my GFG blocks. I have more done. I just did not have them up on the wall when I took this pic.

Have any of you ever made a quilt to go with the backing? Well that is what I have done. The quilt is 54" square and I have 4 yards of the backing fabric. Seems to me it is a perfect match. There is enough backing to allow me to add a small border. I plan on using the new Quilters' Dream silk batting for this quilt. It is staying home with me!

73 of these small (3 1/2") 9-patches were leftovers from my Double Delight quilt designed by Bonnie Hunter. I had to make 100 9-patches with an extra light square and 60 with all light corners.

I started this quilt on April 18th. Then put it away for a month. I got the box out on Saturday, since we were having a cool rainy day, and made a big batch of homemade chicken and noodles and sewed away.

Here it is on the wall. As I said, it is 54" square. Someday I am getting a larger design wall. One I can actually walk up to instead of climbing a ladder and leaning across a desk.

And to add another kitty picture to this new post, here is Baby laying on my bed. She warms up my spot before I get there.

Hubby and I really like the Batik Virginia Star quilt made with wool batting. It is lightweight yet warm. I know I will be making many more quilts with the Quilters' Dream wool blend batting.

Current projects: GFG, Daisy Chain & 9-patches

I have fallen in love with English Paper Piecing. I hope this does not stop me from doing any hand quilting. I am sure the "newness" will wear off but for now I pick it up at any spare moment.

I started this at my retreat. I did not use strip piecing. I used 2" squares of batiks. This could have been a "Leader/ender" project but I did not do it that way. This was stitched on my 1938 Featherweight...one square at a time. It is now 65" square and is just needing a border.

I made another black/white 9-patch for my daughter's birthday She loves Oriental fabric and I used it for the border and for the backing. It turned out beautiful. I quilted it on my DSM.

Here is my Precious Pearl sleeping near the sewing machine. She looks as if she is praying. I hope she is praying for me. Somehow I have hurt my back. Until yesterday I was not able to walk without a cane/walker. I started PT and my mobility has improved but the pain level is still near a TEN! I fear it is more that a pinched nerve...feels more like a blown disc. I see the back doctor again next week.

Great weather for ducks

I live in a small housing addition. We are not smack dab in a big city but we are also not out in the country either. We have had these ducks hanging around for the last month. They peck at the birdseed that spills when the squirrels take seed from the bridfeeder. Now we are wondering where the nest is? What say you animal experts?

Back from the retreat

We had one Scrapbooker working her magic. The results were very impressive. Her equipment was mind boggling! Looks as if she brought her entire craft room!

Ellen was my "table mate". She finished this hand quilting project on Saturday. She then started quilting another small wall hanging made from our guild's mystery quilt.

Here is Susan, one of our GREAT waitresses. She is a quilter too! She showed us her purse she had made. Beautiful. She promises that next year she will bring some of her work to share with us!

The food was unreal. We were treated like royalty. Two musical shows, Prime Rib, Broasted Chicken, Shrimp, full salad bar, full dessert bar....we sewed, ate, sewed, slept, ate, sewed all weekend.

Deb managed to get all this sewn by Saturday night! Beautiful work Deb! She is working on a Flying Geese border for this beauty!

My view from my little cottage. They were so quaint and tidy. I do not know how many cottages there are but they also have log cabins to rent and a campground. So nice and quiet back off a country road. You can hear cows mooing and donkeys braying.

All in all we had a great time. I knew I had brought way too much stuff. I will know better next time. And my 1938 Featherweight, Sissy, sewed like a champion. All the quilters came over to admire her beauty and the lovely sound she makes as she sews.

100th post!!!!! Going to a quilt retreat.

Wow! 100 posts! I amaze myself at times.

I am all packed and waiting to join a convoy of my fellow guild members for a 3 day retreat at Bear Creek Farms in Bryant Indiana.

I have never been to a quilt retreat. What to take? I need all my sewing gear! So I ended up with a small tote with my clothes and toiletries and 6 large totes with my sewing supplies. I am taking a chance and am bringing my 1938 Featherweight, Sissy. She was a bad girl at my paper piecing class. Her light would not stay on but she sewed ok. So...she is freshly oiled and lubed and her light was behaving as of yesterday. In case she decides she does not want to sew this weekend I brought two hand sewing projects and another tote with fabric for cutting. I have in mind to make a scrappy tumbler quilt. Years ago I bought a 2000 piece 4" square assortment from Keepsake Quilting. That is my cutting project. I keep opening the lovely gift box they came in and fondle the squares. I cannot take them with me when I die so they are going to be cut up.

I know I am going to miss my DH and my five cats. He understands. They will not. For an animal every moment is forever. Sigh!

Country Lanes pattern by Kaye England

I bought this batik off EBay. They called it Taupe and the picture looked very light taupe. But this is what I received. Looks gray to me.

Anyway, I went to a Gathering of quilters a few weeks ago and met Kaye England. I also bought several of her patterns. This is the first one I am doing. It is called Country Lanes. I am using the bagillion pink/white 3 1/2" 9-patches I had leftover from the Double Delight. And throwing in a few of my precious neutrals.

I still need to make 100 9-patches that have an extra light square in them.

I modified it to a 1 1/2"x 2 1/2" piece to make the odd square. I found some deep cigar boxes at the smokers' store. They are about 4" deep...great for patches.

Yes, I know...looks like a mess but I am totally in control until a cat decides to patch-out on my stuff!!! MaggieMae you know who I mean!

Another stash giveaway

http://turningturning.com/giveaway-granny-day-2009/

Great site and fun to read!