A Few Things

Here are the last three quilt-as-you-go blocks finished this week for the Soy Amado charity quilts.

 

These and my other orphan blocks have now been mailed off to Leila in Iowa, who will get them to Alison to be sewn together into quilts for street children in Mexico City.

 

There are some wonderful, colorful quilts resulting from this block drive.  You can check them out at Little Island Quilting.

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We did a little thrift store shopping last weekend.  I found these Sigvard Bernadotte-designed china cups at St. Vinny's.

They are smallish in size, a little bigger than a demitasse but smaller than a standard coffee cup.  I think they may have been part of a hot chocolate set.

Love the modern, no-nonsense design and functionality.  They fit perfectly into the curve of your palm, great if you like to warm your hands the way I do.  I'm guessing they were produced in the 1970s maybe (?), by Johann Haviland, Bavaria, Germany.

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Lately, I've been serenaded at night by a newcomer to the neighborhood.

Great Horned Owl (Image Source: Wikipedia)

"Hootie" perches in a tree just outside the house in the wee hours and starts making his presence known.  It's fun to imagine he's trying to deliver a message, like Hedwig in Harry Potter, but he's probably just establishing his territory.

If you believe in spirit animals, "When an owl shows up in your life, pay attention to the winds of change. Perhaps you are about to leave some old habits, a situation that no longer serves you or bring something new in your life."

I'm too much of a realist to put stock in such things, but it is interesting to ponder. The winds of change I'd really like to feel about now are the ones that blow in warm spring weather.

As owl calls go, his is fairly soft and soothing.  (You can hear samples HERE).  Although its repetitive nature means that about the time I nod off, he hoots another chorus.

It could be worse.  Just over the hill, about two blocks away, there was a barn owl last fall with the most blood-curdling scream.  (Samples HERE)  I would hear it in the evening just after dark as I took a walk.  I don't know how anyone living in the vicinity managed with all the ruckus.

But if they keep the population of furry critters down in my flower garden this summer, I'm good.  

Nature...gotta love it!

More QAYG Blocks

Got a few more orphan blocks quilted this week for the Soy Amado charity block drive.

These blocks date back to the beginning of this blog in 2010.  I was thinking of making a bento box quilt at the time, but it fizzled.  It's still on the bucket list, though.

It feels good to finish these up quilt-as-you-go style and send them off to where they'll be made into colorful quilts for those in need.

Again, just doing what seems natural when I sit down to quilt these.  I have always wanted to try wishbone quilting, but my attempts on paper have been pretty wonky.  Well, it came out just as wonky in the actual quilting too, but hey, that's why it's called practice.

Looks better from the back, perhaps.

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Last Sunday afternoon, I had the pleasure of hearing the fabulous Jeni Baker of In Color Order talk about her quilts and her career as a pattern and fabric designer!

She spoke to a group of us at Mill House Quilts in Waunakee, Wisconsin, within easy driving distance for me, and the weather cooperated, thank goodness.

It was fun and fascinating to hear about her quilt making experiences and what sounded like a true Cinderella story when it came to her entry into the world of fabric design.

I loved seeing her trunk show.  So much wonderful color and pattern!

I was especially enamored of this one (below), an early quilt of hers replicated from a quilt her grandmother had made:

We even chatted a little bit before her talk, about Pyrex, her bunny George, and the joys of thrifting. 

Her new fabric line, due out in April, is an ode to her love of vintage linens, called Dreamin' Vintage.  I meant to tell her that her Lazy Daisy Raspberry reminds me very much of a bedspread and sheet set I had on my bed back in the day.

I probably got a little carried away by asking for a photo with her, but she happily obliged.  I am a giant by comparison to her petite frame, so I squatted down a good bit for this shot.  Work those quads!

Jeni was such a delight to hear speak.  Her energy and bubbly enthusiasm was infectious, and I left with a big smile on my face.  

And a little bit of fabric too!

Giving Back

One of the many things I enjoy about making quilts is the opportunity to give them away and hopefully make life a little better for someone else.  That's why, for the fourth straight year, I am once again participating in the Hands2Help charity quilt challenge hosted by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

This year there are three charities to choose from where you can donate a quilt:  Quilts of Compassion, Hurricane Sandy Survivors, and Happy Chemo.  You can read about the details and sign up HERE.

Sarah always makes it fun for participants, with linky parties, guest bloggers, and great prizes!  And there is plenty of time to make a quilt; you just need to mail it your charity of choice by June 13.

I hope you check it out!

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I heard about another charity quilt effort last week.  "Soy Amado," headed up by Alison of Little Island Quilting, is making quilts for street children in Mexico City.  You don't have to make a whole quilt (unless you want to), just a 12.5-inch quilt-as-you-go (QAYG) block.

Orphan blocks are great for this.  I got started on my first batch by raiding my cache of orphan blocks and pieces.  I had quite a few kaleidoscope triangles left over, which conveniently made the right sized block, so I started with those.

Then I pulled out some sample blocks I made last year with "made fabric."

It's a great way to practice free-motion quilting.  Somehow, working with a 12.5-inch quilt sandwich and "doodling" with a quilting foot is a lot less intimidating to me than the idea of quilting a whole quilt.

With the pressure off, it's just 100% fun!  No marking, no advance planning, just lower the presser foot, step on the foot control, and see what happens.

Helping with the Soy Amado block drive is Leila, who is accepting QAYG blocks here in the U.S., plus $1 or $2 to help with postage, and will send them in batches to Alison, to be made into quilts for Mexico City street children.

They expect to be collecting blocks and making quilts for quite a while, so there is no immediate deadline. That means there's still time to join in, if you're so inclined.

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Also, a reminder that Kevin is in the midst of his Quilt of Valor block drive.  I have about a dozen blocks ready to send to him so far.  It's already looking like it's going to be a big success!