It’s important to have good neighbours

Journal

Saturday, June 17, 2017

I’ve been quilting all day and Pink is finished. Well finished except for the binding. I worked on the straight-line quilting for close to three days, so I planned on two days for quilting the rest of it. I had a good start to the day, a couple of interruptions, but I finished just now a full day ahead of schedule.

After lunch I had a few errands to run – a prescription to pick up, some supplies for my lemon pie (that I’m making for Pat tomorrow), a couple of games to take to Calgary, some pain killers (for when I get back to the yard) and some vitamins.

Late this afternoon, with about an eighth of a border left to quilt, I ran out of thread. When I stopped to fill my last bobbin I noticed that the thread was getting low but hoped I would have enough to finish. I had another thread that probably would have worked but when the fabric shop is just up the street why make do?

I thought the store closed at five so I wasn’t rushing too much (I had at least half an hour) but when I got over the hill I noticed her sandwich board wasn’t on the curb and worried that maybe she had started summer hours and was closing early. When I got there the shop was closed but I went around to the door of the house and asked if I could buy some thread. Deb was fine with that and I was in an out in no time at all. And yes, summer hours are now in effect in spite of what the sign on her door says.

If I had to, I know I could borrow a cup of sugar from Deb anytime I needed it. It’s nice to know I can also get emergency sewing supplies if necessary.

The Sound of Silence

Quilting

The Guild Challenge (2016-2017)

From a list of 35 specific song titles we were to make a quilted wall-hanging based on one of them. The musical note fabric was included and had to be easily recognized on the front of the quilt.

 

Click to enlarge

“The Sound Of Silence”

Hello darkness, my old friend (Black Border)

I’ve come to talk with you again (Words)

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

‘Neath the halo of a streetlamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light (Whirls)

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share (Challenge fabric)

No one dare

Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools” said I, “You do not know

Silence like a cancer grows (Pink Ribbon)

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you”

But my words like silent raindrops fell (Raindrops)

And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning (Warning Sign)

In the words that it was forming

And the sign said “The words of the prophets

Are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls

And whispered in the sounds of silence”

Challenges

Journal

Friday, June 16, 2017

The Guild party last night was a lot of fun. The library sold three boxes of books and our members were very generous. There were lots of games and prizes too and I guess, to some, I was a “winner”.

Every year the Guild has a Challenge project that is initiated by a member chosen (by a draw) from the previous year’s challenge participants. This year, being a quilt show year, the entries were all displayed at the show. We should have drawn a name for the next year’s challenger at the show but it was forgotten. So they made the draw last night.

I’ve entered a challenge piece every year except one, but I never EVER add my name to the draw pile. Last night, when I realized someone was adding the names to the draw basket, I snuck over to the table to remove my name. Sadly, I got caught but that was okay because I never EVER win at draws. I was not please when my name was announced as the “winner”. Apparently there are many members who would love to be in charge of the challenge and I’ve made a deal with Deb (at the fabric store up the street) that she will pick and organize the challenge and I will “sell it” as my own!

Click to enlarge

So what was the challenge this past year? We were given a fat quarter of some lovely musical note fabric and asked to make something that would relate to one of the songs on this list.

 

 

This was my interpretation. Can you guess the name of the song?

I’m a straight-line quilter

Journal

Thursday, June 15, 2017

I found an interesting quilting design in my “Quilting with Rulers” book so that’s what I’ve been doing on my Pink quilt. I’ve been calling it my Sashiko quilt for so long but since the Sashiko didn’t work out I needed a new name. Once you see the quilt you will know I didn’t use much imagination to come up with that name!

I enjoy quilting with straight lines. It takes time to mark the sewing lines but at least I know that the quilting will be more or less even. I’m getting better at free-motion but I still feel tense when I know that is what I’m facing. Even though I’m using straight lines I’m trying a new technique. When I drew the pattern I was going to have 12 ends to tie in on each block. That was just crazy so I’m stitching over previous quilting lines so on each block there are only four. Some of the blocks still need a design but I’m hoping “something” will come to me before I finish this set of blocks.

In spite of the nasty weather today I went out and ran some errands. I took the Cranberry Hall books into the accountant, dropped off a couple of Cranberry Hall payments, and did some Cranberry Hall banking. After that I headed to the grocery store to find something for the pot luck tonight. I came home with a pasta salad that fits nicely into one of my crystal bowls and, unless someone asks, I won’t tell them I didn’t make it from scratch.

Back now to the quilting.