Can't tell

I have done not much lacing or sewing lately. I did work on Cotton Robin things but can't show yet. The big reveal is usually in July. I had mailed my center, received somebody else's center and put the first border around and mailed it. Two days ago I received another center with the first border and now should put a second border around. It's on the design wall and I try to decide what to do. It's fun.

I also have worked on the bed runner quilt I promised to make for Kate and David in England. I am quite pleased with it. James likes it too and encouraged me to let the quilting done by a longarmer. That's were it is now. Again, can't spoil the surprise.

I did go to the Hospitality Chapter monthly meeting April 3 (every first Wednesday) of the Richmond Quilt Guild though. It was very informative even though quilts which are so repetitive are not my thing any more. I like now quilts were something is going on ... most of the time. Still, I liked seeing them.

The quilter/speaker was Laura Blanchard. When I realized you can see her designs on her BLOG and from there on her website, I only posting here a few of the photos I took. 

I did like the combination of simple piecing with the appliquéd leaves. She showed a quilt and a table runner in different colors.

 I liked how she showed how one block can be arranged to a lot of different patterns just by the way you arrange them.

She passed cards around for us to get more ideas.

I start liking green and purple. You see why in a future blog.

She also mentioned that she likes to use this invisible thread for quilting, top and/or bottom thread.

She also likes to use double-sided fusible batting for table runners and mats. 

On the following Monday the Colonial Lacemakers met at my house. Unfortunately we were only three. Two more could not come at the last minute because they got sick. Most of the time we meet in Williamsburg (hence "Colonial") which is an hour drive ... for me to them ... or for them to me.

I felt encouraged to work on one of my long-term projects. When did I start this? How long should the scarf be? Keep going until the thread runs out on one bobbin.

The CR quilters met Tuesday. These are friends in my community. As always a lot of show+tell. I only took a few photos. Janet and Becky took a class how to make these with a flatlock seam on a serger. I want to research whether I can do that on my serger (which I have not used in at least 10 years). The fabric is fleece and so cuddly.

I hope I feel more energetic soon ... when this cold/cough is out of my system. I have so many UFOs and so many ideas and designs in my head. Sigh!

Some sewing

Block Lotto's pattern for January is "Fireball". I can't link to the pattern because next month the link will show a different pattern. But you can navigate yourself to it this month from HERE.
It was more fun to make then I thought because it is actually very scrappy friendly.

I have a similar pattern in the "tutorial" section (see tab above) but you make 4 blocks in one go. It's a German technique.

At the Richmond Quilt Guild's Hospitality group monthly meeting we were given a pattern for each member to make one block for the outgoing president as it is custom. It was supposed to be pastel colors. I am not sure whether I met those requirements but I did the best with what I could find. I don't think I am given away any secret since she is not reading my blog.

When you drop it off at the next meeting they will have a pen for you to sign it in the middle. I personally think it is a bit of a shame to do it so obvious to the blocks.

Monthly meetings

The cancelled December meeting of the Colonial Lacemakers was rescheduled to Monday January 7. Since I wasn't sure at that time when we would drive to Nashville we had changed the regular meeting time to a week earlier.
Those who could come and I had a great time. Mary, Christina and Gail were working on their lace.

Natalie showed me a trick when knitting a pair of socks. She is an accomplished weaver and knitter besides making lace. Her lace jewelry is super.

I didn't take many photos when the CrossRidge Quilters met. Luckily I got these. Janet is making a "quilt as you go" and the strips are made in a very interesting technique.

Marsha finished piecing her BOM we all did all year. Unfortunately I am still far behind. I have a New Year's resolution for UFOs though .....

Most of the above blocks are made with the HST with squares. Betty also is trying to catch up with the project but has a problem with them. I prepared one for my blocks and called her so she could come over and see. That's what this group is about. Help each other.

To draw the lines to sew on, line the ruler edge up with the top left corner. Line the half-inch line up with the bottom right corner. You are doing it right if you can draw across of the corner of the square. Turn it around and do it again. Easy!

 Actually, that's what every group is about. To learn from each other.

Christmas stockings

December 9th - by 10 pm the amount of snow we had received since 11 am was unbelievable. 

The advantage of a week with snow: you can take care of your Christmas mail and I finally made the overdue stockings. I had made Helen and Sarah's when they were still living in our household. I had taken a class were I learned to do special stitches with my Pfaff. How many years ago was that? Several years later I made another "batch": Ben, William and Wade. Sarah's children were not yet on the horizon. Well, they are now. Caleb is 5 years old.

I found that they are not that difficult to make. By the third one it went fast. I started with the template I had made years ago on a grocery store paper bag. It would be easy though to draw a shape you like yourself. It's just good to keep it to make future family members exactly the same.

Cut out the shape from quilt batting. The inside of the stocking I cut a little larger. Make sure that you cut a second one with the fabric reversed. The outside of the back can be one piece too. The three layers of the back I just quilted criss-cross.

Then I covered the shape of the stocking just like you would make a crazy quilt. There are many tutorials on the internet but here is one youtube you might like.

When front and back are layered and quilted, all you have to do is put right sides together and sew around, turn.

Now the cuff!

Of course I had to ask my daughter what the children's favorite colors are. There dinner plates and cups are color coded! They know who's is who's. 

Cut the piece double wide to go all around the stocking. Of course thinking of the seam allowance. Write the name how you would like it on a piece of paper, folded in half so that you also have support on the back. Position it. 

The positioning was the hardest part so I would not end up with the name upside down. Nothing like making it visual for me.

Ready to do the "writing" with the free motion foot and the feed dogs down. I tried on a piece of scrap how wide the zig zack stitch should be. Go slow! Sometimes I even go forth and back when I was too fast and a line was too skimpy. You don't want the fabric to show through.

Sew the side seam of the cuff, iron and pin to attach. 

Again, I have to be visual. I put it round the outside first with the raw edge up to position it just perfect. Then I turn it inside and pin it. It's easy to forget to insert the hanger. I spread the ends of the hanger a little apart and around the corner a little to the back. That way the stocking hangs better.

There was a problem. Years earlier I had made Wade's stocking the other way. 

It took some doing but here is the row now.

Unfortunately the Virginia Tech fabric is now a bit upside down but I don't think my son-in-law minds.

That was fun. My husband said I should make some for us. May be during the next snow storm?

Finished

I wrote about the USA and German collaboration HERE! And now the quilt is finished. Just got a new knee and when you can't do anything else, you do hand-sewing. I had sewn on the binding and hanging sleeve with the machine before the operation. It's all about thinking forward.

And here it is hanging up on the wall. James was very eager to get it up there. He really likes this one.

Size: probably about 59 x 86 (forgot to measure before we hang it)

I also managed to finish the angels for the church bazaar. Only gluing was left to do. And make-up. Yeah!

The quilt Adventcalendar with Lace Ornaments

I can't believe it but I never posted my whole Adventcalendar here. I had to take these photos in May because somebody in Germany needed them.

The quilt itself is very easy. Different squares of green and beige fabric 5 x 5 inches, some HST. That's all. Oh yes, the stem and the border. After sewing the squares are 4.5 x 4.5 inches which made the quilt about 53.5 x 59 inches. If one wants a different size quilt, just calculate the size of the squares.

The dots in the photos are 24 round faceted glass beads sewn on to tie the ornaments to. I left them there for the rest of the year because they look a little like dew.

Circles have the numbers 1 to 24 ironed on.

Starting on December 1 the circle with the number of the day is turned around. My advent calendar gives me great joy every year.

These 24 ornaments are all Chrismons, Christian Symbols. The majority of the designs are from my friend Brigitte Bellon. Her name is known by all lacemakers world-wide. This project took me several years... while I also was working on the beaded ornaments. Brigitte supplied me with another design every so often.

Christmas is going to be here quicker than we think. So I thought I share this with you. Just in case ....

With great happiness did I learn that the patterns are going to be published by the
Deutscher Klöppelverband e. V.That's why my photo was needed for the front page. I can't wait to see it when it is finished.

In the meantime, Brigitte had given me permission to publish. And of course, some of the designs are my own. You can find them all HERE!

If you have any questions or you are going to use any of the designs, I would be very happy to hear from you.

Second Flowers in a Row quilt

The top is done. Another flower quilt. I have reported about the first one HERE!

Both are charity quilts sewn at the weekly Thursday Stitchers (as I have reported in the above link). The project started out with nothing but flowers which was just too much. I like this second version better. James calls it a green brick wall but I think it is nice.

And ... the piecing is finished! Yeah!
Now somebody else will do the quilting and binding.