September 4, 2018
The Illusion Star (from 13spools.com) has been in my block pattern collection for a long time. I like to pick a pattern for Regan and Thekla that is the same, but different in some way. The block is paper-pieced so it was easier to get the points. I can imagine an entire quilt (a small one) made with these blocks using a variety of colours for the points – in another life perhaps!
August 30, 2018
There are challenges with making cards. Leave them too late and you don’t get them posted in time to arrive for the recipient’s special day. But make them too early and you forget where you are in the process.
Such is the case with Ron’s card this year. I had it finished in plenty of time to get it in the mail; in fact it was on my design wall for at least a week before it was mailed out. But as I was driving home one day I realized that I didn’t remember taking a photo of the card. I couldn’t even remember what the card looked like.
When I got home I checked my files but there was no photo. I reviewed my “Recently Opened” files but there was nothing there that looked familiar. My other source of cards has been my Quilter’s Block-A-Day calendar and as I flipped through that I found the pattern I’d used – Double Pinwheel.
So there are no photos, but I wish Ron the best of days just the same!
UPDATE: Thanks to Ron for sending along a photo of his card!
July 24, 2018
When looking for a block for Deloise’s birthday card I went to my Bonnie Hunter books. Bonnie Hunter (and Deloise) introduced me to Leaders and Enders, as well as scrap quilts. But the patterns and blocks I found were very complicated simply because you had to make quite a few to get the effect of the pattern.
Next I turned to a book we purchased in Houston, written by two sisters. I’ve changed my thinking to “if you can’t make the quilt perhaps you can make use of the single blocks”.
So Deloise (and Stacia) – when do we publish “our” book?
July 17, 2018
I won’t be there to share cake with Stacia on her special day so I found one to send as a card.
I’m trying to do my appliqué by hand rather than using sticky backing fabrics but, in this case, I perhaps should have fallen back to my “old” method. I did a stitch-and-flip method for the candle; I tried using the same method for the flame but it was too small. Since I’ve been English paper piecing for the past couple of weeks I used that method for the flame. In hindsight the flame would have worked with the Steam-A-Seam with a raw-edge appliqué – I’ll try to remember that next time.
While we were at Quilt Canada we saw a demonstration using yarn and a couching technique. I wanted to try it and the pattern actually called for a bit of a splash on the cake. My machine has the proper foot, but I didn’t have the proper yarn so made do with what I had. I’m not thrilled with the technique but I may try it again if I can find some chenille yarn at Walmart.