Thursday, December 30, 2021

The Last Mini Quilt for 2021

 
Hope you had a very Merry Christmas
and a happy holiday.
Now we switch gears and 
it's time to start a new year.

But until January gets too
far ahead I need to share 
my 2021 December mini.

My latest mini is reflective of the season
in the classic color combination
of reds and greens.


Christmas Poinsettias
30" x 30"
2021

This pattern was inspired by Kim Diehl 
from her book
Simple Whatnots II

Kim has also provided this as a free pattern
from Henry Glass Fabrics.


This quilt was a good combination
of pieced flowers and appliqued stems and leaves.

It was also a nice way to use
some of those reds and greens 
I've been collecting.


I few fluttering snowflakes
would be perfect to showcase 
this fun holiday quilt,
but nothing yet.


I kept the machine quilting simple by outlining the 
flowers along with a few feathers and
then a simple loopy design in the border.



I dug around for awhile
looking for a backing and finally decided
on this fabric.


Well, this is really an oldie.  I bought it in
1974 and made bedroom curtains!
Some of you may recognize it as one of
the timely calico prints from Ely and Walker.
The company printing this design and several others
for a long time even up through the 70's.
Ely and Walker Dry Goods started manufacturing fabric in
1855 in St. Louis.

Maybe, without realizing it,
I have started a  
 Red and Green Christmas series.


2021                                       2019                              2020



I'll have to keep that in mind when
December, 2022 rolls around.

Maybe you're ready to join in 
making a monthly mini coordinated by


 and her quilty mini-ettes as we march into 2022.
Time to get stitching.

Until Next Time-
Kyle

Monday, December 13, 2021

Why Not Start Something New

 With Christmas only 2 weeks away,
why not start something new!

A month ago one of my quilting groups
had a holiday silent auction.
Basically, it's bring some good stuff from your 
sewing room so, others can buy it and 
 take it their home. 
The money we collect goes to 
the local foodbank.
This is what I came home with. 
 These incredible Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks.

There are more than 80 blocks.


Each in excellent condition.

Over half of them 
have fussy cut motifs.

I'm thinking maybe they were made in the 40's
because the motifs are bigger than what
we generally consider the 30's.
Any thoughts?



The blocks are sewn both by machine and
by hand.  I can't figure out the reasoning or her approach.
But either way the stitching is perfect
with 1/8" seams.

I was so excited to get these blocks. 
I couldn't wait and had to 
started  hand stitching them together.


I've got most of them together in sets
of two and then into sets of four.
Slowly, they'll all get connected.

I keep eyeing that outer edge.
Adding a binding is going to be a real bugger!
But I won't think about it now.

*****

I've also been X stitching

Unsewing seems to be part of the process!


"Basketful of Winter"
Design by Brenda Gervais
With Thy Needle and Thread



"A Cup of Cheer"
Design by Brenda Gervais
With Thy Needle and Thread

****
Currently, we have no snow
here in Fort Collins,
but maybe we'll have a 
White Christmas.

Until Next Time-
Kyle 

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

A November Mini Quilt Challenge

A challenge was made
by the Rogue Quilter, Janet.
Take a small baggie of fabric
And make a mini quilt with it.

My baggie from Janet 
was filled with browns and with pinks.
This should be fun
said Kyle with a wink.


Pinks


 Browns

A little more fabric can be included
 if you must.
The 4 B's can be added 
Now don't make a fuss.

( Background, Borders, Binding, Backing)

The wheels began turning.
and it didn't take long.
The stars began appearing 
like a heavenly throng.


Hand piecing 8 pointed stars


3 inch finished stars

Using just the small bits
each star was unique.
I like how they looked
Oh, so chic.








Connecting them all 
with a sweet background
Was easy to do
with this fabulous brown.



Next were the borders
that took some planning to attach.
Just so the corners
could be an excellent  match.


With simple machine quilting, 
 binding and an interesting backing
The quilt came together
and wasn't too nerve wracking.



Using Janet's tiny scrap pieces
my mini was now complete.
The challenge was a challenge
but the result were oh, so sweet.


Thank you, Janet for the
challenge you made. 
Check out Wendy's blog post
for a mini parade.

Until Next Time-
Kyle (with a smile)

Monday, November 15, 2021

A Hint of Autumn

 According to the calendar and
and the view outside it is still Autumn
here in Colorado.
Yes, we've had one snow flurry and 
it won't be long before we have more, but 
for the moment,
if I show you a new fall quilt
it is still in the seasonal boundaries.


Pumpkins and Blossoms
66" x 78"

This quilt is an example of a perfect quilting storm.
My LQS was having a sale,
I bought a layer cake of Fig Tree's fabric,
Pumpkins and Blossoms,
and I had this pattern from
Fat Quarter Shop,


and FQ Shop also had yardage of 
the Fig Tree fabric.

I had not bought a group of fabric
for a very long time.
I'm not sure what possessed me to do it 
this time, but the soft oranges and green vines,
charcoal greys and black and frolicking deer
 just spoke to me.
It is one of Joanna's classic vintage Autumn lines.


The pattern is simple and easy
to whip together some fun blocks
using a layer cake and charm pack.


I added some borders to make the quilt a bit larger


and had my fabulous machine quilter
stitch an overall pumpkin and vine design.


It was a fun quilt to stitch from start to finish
using a single collection.
I just put the sewing on cruise control and
let it all happen.


(a little help with the wind from one of my little friends)

Until Next Time-
Kyle

Thursday, October 28, 2021

An October Mini Quilt and Some History

First a story: 

In the spring of 1623,  90 some passengers
embarked on two small English ships,
the Anne and a smaller ship, the Little James.
After 3 months at sea, The Anne arrived at
Plymouth on July 10, 1663.

On board was my 9th great grandmother,
Hester Mahieu Cooke and her children
Jacob, Jane, and Hester.

She had stayed behind in Leiden in the Netherlands in 1620
while her husband, Francis and her oldest son,
John, sailed on the Mayflower heading for America. 

She must have been a very brave and very confident woman
to remain behind.   Her faith must have given her the strength 
she needed to stay positive and hopeful that
everything would work out according to their plan
 and that her family would be reunited someday.

There couldn't have been much communication
between November, 1620 and July, 1623,
but Hester left Leiden with others
from her Separatist group and
set sail for the New World.
What would life be like?
Would Francis and John be waiting for them?

Fortunately,  it was a happy reunion
on the shores of North America after 3 years apart.
Later they had one more child, Mary, who is my
8th great grandmother.  I'm glad everything
worked out!

They remained in Plymouth until their deaths
in 1663 (Francis) and Hester (1666).


This month I decided to work with my
Dutch fabric and use the book, Promenade in a Dutch Garden
to make a quilt honoring Hester and
her story.

It didn't take long to decide to stitch a small
mini quilt  made up of hourglass blocks with
a small appliqued star in the center. 
Maybe Hester focused on a star each evening and hoped that her 
husband and son were looking at the same star,
bringing them closer in her mind and heart.

Leaving Home, Leiden, 1623
17" x 21"

Pattern from Petra Prins and An Moonen's book,
 Promenade in a Dutch Garden

It gave me a chance to play with all the
beautiful Dutch fabrics that I have been collecting
along with some Jo Morton favorites.


An hourglass was a way for people to keep track of time.
I'm sure Hester kept close track of the days, months, and years
while she remained in Leiden.

The quilting is simple in the ditch
machine quilting,
nothing fancy, similar to her probable life style.


I finished the edges in a traditional
Dutch way with a separate facing.


This method makes the edges sharp and clean without 
an added frame created with traditional binding.




With Thanksgiving approaching it
will be nice to have this small quilt included in 
the holiday as a way 
to remember this brave woman
and her Dutch connection.


Until Next Time-
Kyle

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

What is Red and White and So Much fun to Make?

Since February, I believe,
I have been getting weekly patterns
It's been her Heartfelt
Block of the Week.


My plan had been to use only
my red and white French General fabrics
that had been accumulating in this picnic basket.



I can't say that I did one block per week.
I found it easier to do several blocks
at a time in order for the blocks to coordinate better.
A sampler can be challenging 
to make the blocks work well together.

I didn't follow the pattern exactly.
I eliminated a few blocks
and doubled up on others.

I had this beautiful French General border fabric
and used it as the finale.



Can you have too many red and white quilts?
No, I don't think so.


Couette Rouge et Blanche
73" x 96"

Question:  Did I use up all my red and white
French General fabric?

No, that would be the wrong thing to do!
But, let's say, I did make a sizable dent.

Question:  Did I buy any red and white 
French General Fabrics?

That information will remain a secret behind 
closed sewing room doors.



Until Next Time-
Kyle

    

 


 


Monday, September 27, 2021

A September Mini Quilt to share

 What?
September is over?!
I really didn't have the chance to
stitch up a new September mini
so, if you will forgive me,
 I'll share a mini from the past,
2004 to be exact. 

A friend of mine had recently had the opportunity
 visited the Netherlands 
and went to 
Den Haan & Wagenmakers in Amsterdam
and brought back fabric to share.

I used my pieces by appliqueing this pattern by
Lori Smith,


American Folk Art Sampler
2004
38" x 38"

The colors are soft and pastel


with  subtle texturing,
tone on tones.


The colors popped on the black background


At this time I was
still making prim folk art designs
and I remember thinking how fun it was
to work with these cheerful colors in the 
prim style.


The sawtooth border was appliqued as 
one long rectangular piece and clipped and folded as you went.


The quilt was hand quilted.

Despite being made 17 years ago, it is 
still a favorite of mine.


Each quilt has a story and memories.
Please jump over to Wendy's 
to see what the 
other mini creators have
been up to.
Until Next Time-
Kyle