Top 5 Books

 I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

Top 5 Books...

Weeellllll,  I couldn't really narrow it down to just five books but I've tried to organize some of my favorite authors / books into a fairly brief overview. 

 This book was the first quilt book I ever bought.  It was first published by Marshall Cavendish Limited in the UK in 1970 and then in the US by Exeter Books in 1977.  This printing is from 1980.  For it's time it is a very thorough exploration of the world of quilting. 

I still visit it fairly often to look at certain pictures like this one.  I don't know if this was in the 1970 printing but I have seen it in a 1977 edition and it was there.  In any case I think it's an incredibly beautiful and innovative quilt for any time!

I would have to say this next author / teacher was probably the most influential for me in  both those rolls.  Gweny was a great writer and teacher and she was just an all round wonderful person;  Talented and innovative and funny all at the same time!   As you can see I have a whole stack of her books.

Another influence in my path to learning how to design quilts were these two books by Roberta Horton.  

An Amish Adventure was first published in 1993.    Along with books by Elenor Burns  I learned how to use strip piecing to save time and make lots more quilts!  Techniques I still use all the time!   And in a largely Dyed -to- match world  Roberta's book, "Scrap Quilts, The Art of Making Do" really help me see even Ugly fabrics have potential!

Besides books on technique and design Some of my favorite quilt books are about the history of quilting.  I am a huge fan of Barbara Brackman and I have a number of her books:

"Clues in the Calico"  is my quilt history bible.   I refer to it all the time.  I also follow all of Barbara's blogs.  I learn so much from them, not just quilt history but American History, Art History and just all the interesting side information that she writes about along the way.

I stumble upon this book by Paul Pilgrim. and Gerald Roy maybe a year or so ago.  Paul Pilgrim was the maker of the quilts in this book and Gerald Roy provided the background information.  Sadly Paul Pilgrim died shortly after he finish the last of these quilts so he never saw the book published .  But there was a Memorial exhibit of these quilts at the Museum of American Quilter's Society in April of 1997.

It was very affirming for me to see these quilts because I had been using Orphan Blocks to make quilts for a while but I always felt kind of like it was a side show not to be taken to seriously.   But here was this famous designer playing around with some of the same ideas!

This last book really blew my mind the first time I saw it in the Guild Library!  It was maybe 1998 or 1999?  It was originally published in 1987 long before Gees Bend was well known.  But here were all these amazing quilters in the Bay Area who Eli Leon recognized were so talented and he collected their work enthusiastically (over 300 quilts) and then curated a show at the San Fransisco Folk Art Museum in 1987!

I'm a visual person so looking at pictures of quilts is my idea of first class fun and I could go on and on but I'll leave it there.

Take care, cw

Favorite Tip

I'm Participating in the Blog- o' -Day Challenge here's a link back to moppin.com for the link-up;

https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

Good Morning!  I hope you all are well and safe and ready to sew!!  I think even after all these years of sewing my favorite tip is still boils down to one principle.  Cut a little bigger-sew-and trim to size.  I'm not a really fussy sewer on any level but I do pride myself on being an accurate piecer.  And you'd be surprised how much  goes into that.

For a couple of years I coordinated the Block of the Month for my local Guild and I posted instructions for most every Block.  Here's a post from a Block that I featured tips on accurate piecing.  Have fun!

https://cspoonquilt.blogspot.com/2015/06/june-bom-accurate-piecing-continuing.html

Here's a pic of the Block in the finished top:

Have a great Day, see you tomorrow!  cw

Blog a' Day Challenge

 I just discovered this Challenge today https://muppin.com/the-2021-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/  I am woefully out of step with my blogging habits but I was inspired by the idea of the Challenge and happy to find that I could still link-up.  So I'm going to give it a try and since I'm already 8 days behind I thought I do a quick 'catch up' post based on the first 8 days of prompts.  Here goes...

Introduction

I like all kinds of quilts and I make all kinds of quilts but I am easily distracted so sometimes there are long stretches of no activity!   A quick tour of my blog History shows ample evidence of that!  LOL   But seriously,  Quilting in all it's forms gives me great pleasure. creative satisfaction and comfort!   

My Sewing Space...

IS A MESS !!!!   But I am so grateful to have a whole big room all my own!!!!   When I got my first Longarm I'm pretty sure the main reason my Husband had the back shed renovated was to get my sewing stuff out of the Dining room which I had completely taken over!  

My Machine

When I really got serious about quilting in the mid '90's I bought this lovely machine and it's still my favorite for most sewing chores.  It does all kinds of fancy things but I mostly just piece on it and sew bindings etc.  But I do like and use some of the fancy stitches like the button hole for machine embroidery and applique.

But I would like to pay homage to this beauty,  which is the sewing machine I learned how to sew on.  When My great Grandma came to live with my mother's family my Grandpa bought this machine for her in the early 1930's.  I am very grateful that I inherited it!  I have had it refinished and the machine serviced so it is in good working order.  I figure when the power grid dies I can always use this machine!

       

        

My Favorite Tool                                                                                                                         

I guess that would have to be my Longarm!  It enables me to finish lots of bed size quilts with ease.  This is actually a picture of my first Longarm machine, Nellybell!    The quilt I was working on here was 104" square!   No way would I ever have finished it on my short arm machine!

My First Project                                                                                                                                     

I can't believe I actually had the presence of mind to take a picture of this little quilt!  I guess I was pretty proud of myself!  LOL  That was 1979!  I  actually did not make the blocks.  A friend bought them from this little old lady who use to sell quilts by displaying them draped over the bushes in front of her house.

My friend stop to admire her work.  She could not afford to buy a quilt but she bought these blocks 'cause the lady was so sweet and she felt bad for taking up her time'. The problem was my friend didn't sew!  So she gave them to me as a Birthday present.  I thought that was pretty funny 'cause I didn't know what to do with them.   Several years later when my first friend to have a baby was expecting  they came in quite Handy!

After that I made baby quilts for all my friends with new babies!

My oldest UFO                                                                                                                                    

So when I had my first child I had a Block party and my friends made blocks for me and I sewed them into a quilt which my son still has (he's now 36).  Then when I had my daughter I was really into Silk painting so I had my friends make Silk painted blocks.  Trouble is I'm still not sure how to finish it.  My daughter is 32!

My Dream Project                                                                                                     

I think my dream project is which ever one I am currently working on and most motivated to finish!  That would currently be this mess!  It is what I call a 'Composite quilt'.  The center and next border are all Orphan blocks.  The outer border is all scrappy units made using what I call Scrap Strategies.  I'm really motivated to finish it so I can put it in my  local Guild's Quilt Show in Feb. 2022.  We hope to be an In person show this year ... We shall see.

Skills I Wish I Had                                                                                                                                

I wish my hand work skills were better and I were more patient.  I love the look of embroidery and hand applique but I'm not very good at it and that is frustrating.  So I tend to avoid it and keep machine sewing away.  But a skill doesn't get much better if you don't practice it, right?

Well I think that brings me up-to-date.  I hope you are all enjoying the Winter Holiday Season and not going to Nuts!  See you tomorrow!  take care, CW

Some Finishes...

I managed to get some tops quilted in the past couple of weeks.  The two baby quilt tops I made in October were quilted and one is now bound and sent to the new baby!  Here it tis'

The prints are sooooo cute and they are all lovely soft flannels!

I found a nice soft flannel in my stash for the backing,  It was a great match for the colors and textures of the front!

The second baby quilt is quilted and prepped for binding.  Another flannel project with really cute prints.

I quilted both quilts with lots of simple fun doodles appropriate to the projects.

                                       And this flannel plaid was a perfect match for the backing!

Prior to this flurry of quilting there was a quilt top that had been sitting pinned on the frame for a Very long time!  The baby quilts needed quilting and that motivated me to get this top quilted to make way for the baby quilts.  Whatever it takes, right?!

I wasn't super jazzed by this top when I finished it back in May 2020.  So it sat for awhile.   It's twin size so it will make a decent donation to the new Women's Shelter in Watsonville.  They are requesting Twin size.

I quilted it with an All over doodle that's fun and easy...

I've got the bindings already to go so I think I can get these all wrapped up by the end of the month!

I'm still having trouble getting motivated but I'm working on it!

I hope you all have wonderful Holidays!

take care, CW

Saved by three washings...

 The top of this quilt was donated to the CZU Fire victims quilt-giveaway.  It was badly in need of a washing.  Musty and stained from many years of poor storage.  But my Brave friend Kristie washed it three times and then hung it out in the sun for several days and remarkably it was still intact!  It was so big it would not fit on her quilt frame so she gave it to the guild flea market.   But since Kristie had gone to so much trouble to clean it up  and the CZU project was really desperate for Large bed quilts and I could fit it on my Long Arm frame I decided to finish it up.

Of course with that much washing it had some structural problems so I basically just stippled through all the blocks and did some doodles and straight lines in all the borders.  Some puckering was unavoidable but to a non-quilters eye I think the finish was acceptable?!

And look at all that piecing!  

I'm thinking it's maybe early '90's vintage?

I think it may be the longest quilt I have ever quilted at 107"!  The width was 97".

All in all I think it was worth the effort!

And since I probably won't be posting again this month...

A few seasonal pix to get you in the mood for Sunday!

I hope you get lots of Treats and no Tricks!

take care, cw

 

Back at the cabin, sewing with Rainbows!

 My stash here at the cabin is pretty limited but I did leave a bundle of Kim Diehl fabrics here last Summer that peaked my interest and got me sewing. The line of prints is at least 3 or 4 years old.  When I got it I made a few- 6" blocks.  The colors are so pretty I decide to work on more of those. for.   I've managed to make 9 more blocks in the last couple of days.

Here they are on my 'improvised design wall'.   Actually once I covered the entire pillow, it looked pretty cool as a pillow cover.  But I think I'm going to make enough blocks for at least a lap quilt.

The colors look so vibrant together and they play well with a lot of other vintage scraps I have hanging around.  It's been fun to just mix and match and make random blocks!

The weather is cool and we've had a little rain which has been very welcome to us drought ridden Californians.  We've gotten out for a few walks.  Our favorite is 'Spooky Hollow' the path that leads around the end of the cove through a very pretty woodland area.  One of our neighbors always decorates it for the Holidays.  Here are a few pix to get you in the mood for Halloween!

If your wondering about the 'Rainbow', here 'tis!

Our visit has been rewarded with Rain and Rainbows!

Have a Great weekend!

Take care, cw

Sewing Drought Over!

 I've been going through a Dry spell with my sewing.  I've tried to attribute it to being busy with lots of other stuff.   But I think it really stemmed from all that sewing for the CZU project earlier in the year.   I was just burnt out!   I didn't worry about it toooooo much.  I figured inspiration would come.  But,  I didn't think the dry spell would last all Summer!  Oh well...

In comes my daughter last week with a request for a baby quilt for a friend who's having a baby in November.   Baby quilts are so much fun to make!  That jump started my sewing mojo!  

My approach to baby quilts is generally to make them simple.  No fussy piecing or quilting.  I want them to be used and loved not put in a drawer like an heirloom.   I use lots of cute kid prints and I generally like to use flannel so there nice and soft and cuddly.

You can guess the gender of this child?!

I try not to be gender biased so I try to stick to animal prints etc. but the blue fabrics just kinda come out when I'm thinking about baby boy quilts...

One of my best friend's daughter just had a baby 2 weeks ago.  I'd been meaning to make her baby a quilt all Summer but just could not get it together...

Now it's almost finished!   I'm on a roll...

Happy October!

take care, cw