Pink Poodles in a Barn Raising Quilt, Wild Cyclamen, a Walk in the Park.

Pink poodles HSTs in 'Barn Raising' formation.

First border added in Kona cotton solid pink punch.

Family birthday.

Wild cyclamen at Lake Wilderness Park, Maple Valley, WA.

View of Lake Wilderness.

We went walking on the trails around Lake Wilderness today.

Hello from the Pacific NW!

We have clear skies today and cool temperatures. Perfect for hiking which is what we did this afternoon. We hiked around Lake Wilderness on trails, enjoying the sun and breathing in the fresh air. 

Invigorating!

This weekend was busy with a family happening, like a birthday, always a good excuse to eat chocolate cake and ice cream.

I made progress on my Pink Poodles in a Barn Raising. And I had time to sew on the borders, in Kona cotton solid Pink Punch. More borders to be added. This quilt will be done when it looks done.

That's my favorite way to put quilts together, ad hoc.

It looks as though we'll be doing a road trip to California soon. I'll post photos and include news of  local quilt shops of course.

So stay tuned for more update on the coming adventure.

And I'm remembering to pray for my blog friends, Pamela and Queenie. They both live in Japan and as you may know Japan has had a lot of earthquakes lately and a big storm. I'm sure it's not easy to hear of the difficulties people around them have been going through. I hope they continue to be safe.

That's the news from the shire, where adventure is in the air.

Remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

Walking on the Traditional Quilt Side, Piecing, Borders and Berries and Cauliflower

Pieced strips for a border.

First border sewn on in Kona cotton solid ice peach.

Another border sewn on in Kona cotton solid snow.

More piecing HSTs together.

On my walk, blackberries after a rain.

Oregon Grape leaves, gorgeous red and green.

Happy Tuesday!

from the Pacific NW where we're having thundershowers and rain off and on today.

It's blackberry season and the local farmer markets are loaded with produce.

I brought home a huge head of cauliflower and that lasted us several days. I lightly steam the cauliflower and then we dip it in blue cheese dressing or babaganoush.

This week I've been sewing on borders and piecing HSTs. I'm in the mood to get some quilt tops done. Slow but sure progress.

Stop in and visit Barbara Brackman's Material Culture blog. I enjoy the quilt history and stories she 

researches and writes about and the photos.  I think the traditional side of quilting is culturally fascinating.

And that's the news from the shire where it's rainy and misty and progress is being made.

Have a great week and remember to celebrate and visit local farmer markets.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt Adventures, Hand Quilting, Shopping Undercover Quilt Shop in Seattle, Market Fun

Undercover Quilt Shop's street sign, down the hill is Pike Place Farmer's Market.

Window displays, Undercover Quilt Shop, Seattle Washington.

Talk about a fun design!

Mt. Rainier quilt and pattern inside shop.

Beautiful sample quilts, fabric and patterns.

Street performers in Pike Place Market, folk music, they were good.

We ate at 'Honest Biscuits', in Pike Place Market.

I ordered biscuits with their specialty cheese mixed in and sausage gravy over the top.

Piecing HSTs, I can see one row needs to be rearranged, oh well.

Back view of hand quilting on my 'City Sidewalks' with log cabin blocks quilt.

Happy September!

From the Renton highlands where we are having temperatures in the 70's and sunny days.

Last week we (husband and I) made a trip into Seattle for an adventure into the Pike Place Farmer's Market. There's always flowers, food and everything from souvenirs to clothes. 

This time we stopped into the Undercover Quilts, a block up hill from the Farmer's Market.

I talked with the friendly owner, she said they'd had their shop in the area for 23 yr.s. They carry a great selection of batiks, fabric and patterns. I do enjoy visiting quilt shops, the business aspect of it is  fascinating to me and the fabric and pattern selection is also a draw. I did bring home some Robert Kaufman hand dyed batik.

I'm piecing HSTs and getting the right order is a little fiddly.

Even having a photo of the arrangement I want on my camera I still managed to get it goofed up. But that's okay I know how to fix it. I'm getting really good at taking out seams.

And the hand quilting on my 'City Sidewalks' log cabin block quilt is progressing!

I got some hand quilting done at the 'sew in' last Saturday held at Maker's Mercantile, Kent Washington, hosted by Seattle Modern Quilt Guild.

As I said before I'm quilting it in a grid. I think that fits for city sidewalks and city blocks.

That's the news from the shire where we're enjoying the weather, going on adventures and finding time to work on projects.

Have a great day!

I'll be by to visit.

Setting Corners and Side Triangles, Maker's Mercantile, Shibori Dragon Quilt Shop Class

Half square triangles arranged for a small baby size quilt.

I've started hand quilting my 'City Sidewalks' log cabin block quilt.

Setting corners and side triangles are being sewn onto my traditional sampler blocks.


Happy Monday!

From the Pacific NW where we've had rain and today there's sun and clouds.
This is a good thing, cooler temperatures and rain will put out the wildfires.

I've managed to get time to get a little done here and there. I sewed together half square triangles with pink poodle fabric, yes, this is for a girl. I arranged them and they look great.

Then I've been able to get more hand quilting done. I'm quilting a grid on my 'liberated' log cabin block quilt, inspired by Tonye Phillips'  pattern, Welsh Fold Log Cabin Quilt. I roughly followed the pattern but added my own interpretation in color and block arrangement. I didn't hand piece as the pattern called for. I did use flannel to piece the blocks onto. I used Warm and Natural batting, so the quilt has a nice stuffed feel.

Today I'm sewing setting corners and triangles onto my traditional sampler blocks based on the free pattern, 'Times of Refreshing' by Piecing the Past Quilts. The blocks will be set on point.
It's going well. Sometimes I have to 'unsew' a seam but I've had lots of practice so I'm quick at that.

This Saturday at the Maker's Mercantile  in Kent Washington, just down the hill, there will be a Sew-In hosted by the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild. So I plan on going and bringing a little hand quilting in. It's a fun shop with knitting and sewing supplies and lots of classes and a cafe.

Then next Saturday I'm signed up for a class at the Shibori Dragon; 'Boro Stitching on Silk.'
The Shibori Dragon Quilt Shop is located in University, Washington, a small city, south of where I'm at and west of Tacoma. They have a big selection of batiks and Japanese fabrics and yes, good classes.

It's almost September! Last month of summer. Do you enjoy September like I do?
I feel like it's the start of my year.

That's the news from the shire, where plans are being made.
I'll be by to visit.

Adventures in Quilting! My Butterfly Quilt is Finished and Hand Quilted.

My butterfly quilt, 20" x 25", finished with final binding.

Butterfly quilt back view, fun white and black print.

This is the binding I had decided on but it didn't look right.

Happy Tuesday!

From the Pacific NW where wild fire smoke is in the air. Soon the rains will come.

This week I finished my butterfly small quilt, 20" x 25". I roughly followed Fig Tree and Company's  pattern, Mini Painted Ladies. I added my own border treatment, 3 borders in fact, and made the butterfly bodies the length of the block.

I had planned to use black and white striped seer sucker for the binding but once I got it sewed on and started hand stitching the other side down, I didn't like it, too dark. So I unpicked it and took it off. The binding in Kona cotton solid 'snow' looks much better. And it's finished!

I also like the hand quilted look on this small quilt much better than the machine quilting I first quilted it with. And yes, as I explained in an earlier post, I unpicked the machine quilting on this little quilt. A lot of work has gone into this but the results are worth it.

And that's the news from the shire, where company keeps us busy and projects are getting done.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt Flimsy Done, Exciting New Fabric, Butterfly Hand Quilting, Color Theory Fun

Watermelon summer flimsy, 15" x 30".

Two new fun prints, orange floral and white and black postal prints.

Hand quilting almost done on my butterflies, one more round to go.

Happy Monday!

From the Pacific NW with cooler temperatures and some clouds.

And some smoke from the wildfires in eastern Washington. Yes, wildfires are common around here.

The wildfires in California are excessive this year, I pray for the firefighters and people who've lost their homes, very difficult time for them.

This last week has been a busy time with relatives visiting and leaving and more coming in. 

I did get more hand quilting done and my watermelon four patch on point flimsy, pieced of scraps, is now the size I wanted to get it. I might add a small border, I'm thinking that over.

Missouri Star Quilt Comp. had a sale on shipping last week, so with that and using my MSQC points on this order, I got a good deal on the orange floral and the white/black postal print.

They'll fit in nice with the colors I like to use. 

My favorite recipe for choosing fabric to piece quilt blocks is a good mix of solids, batiks and prints. There has to be contrast and some black and white is always good.

I like the shock value of orange, and I use other colors to hold down the fort, as it were.

Fun times, it might as well be an adventure. 

And that is the quilt news around here, where we are busy with summer activities with a little time tucked in here and there for projects.

I hope you have a good week, I'll stop by to visit.

Watermelon Colors, DMC Pearl Cotton #12 and Bird of Prey.

'City Streets" will be hand quilted with DMC pearl cotton in pearl grey #12.

I'm hand quilting my butterflies with DMC pearl cotton in ecru #12.

The back of my butterfly small quilt, don't you love the quilting making that crinkly effect?

Here are my four patch, on point blocks in watermelon colors. I'm playing with arrangement.

More possibilities in arrangement.

Neighborhood osprey, enjoying the evening.



Happy Weekend!
 From the Pacific NW where we have sunny skies and warm temperatures.

This week I've been hand quilting my small butterfly quilt with DMC #12. I like hand quilting with size 12 rather than size 8. Size eight is too thick and not as easy to thread or stitch with, in my opinion.
I ordered DMC pearl cotton #12 in pearl grey to quilt 'City Streets' with and it came in the mail last week. I'll start that soon.

And I pieced together more of my watermelon colors, four patch on point blocks. I'm using left over fabric from one of my other projects.
Use those scraps up!

We had an evening visit from Mr. Osprey who lives not too far from here. His/her nest is on high ground near the baseball field ( who would think of that?), probably to keep a good look out over the ponds and forest for potential meals.
He/she decided to spend some evening time in an old snag, just in back of the house. He announced his presence and then cleaned and arranged his feathers while keeping an eye out for rabbits. We enjoyed the visit, the rabbits were probably nervous and laid low. Then another announcement and off he flew.

That's the news from the shire, where progress is being made.
Hope you had a good week!
I'll be by to visit.