Red Letter Day!

Another day, another flimsy; no, actually it's a day to celebrate: here's "Red Letter Day", a completed quilt top at long last! I'd been very, very far behind on this block-of-the-month. This one took some full speed concentration and focused effort but, today, it's together and there's no looking back. 

This applique block brings me joy- I fussy cut that circle from a charm square, it appears to be a fluffy dandelion gone to seed. Isn't it cute?

I've got a LOT of reds left over that are destined to become something else, I'll run them through the die cutter and store the pieces for another quilt, another day.  

Another reason to celebrate today: baby bluebirds growing up, growing feathers and thriving; all thanks to that electrified bird house pole! I'm thrilled to check on them daily and have this first family to fledge soon, it's been over a year since that's occurred here. 

Friends gifted us with peaches last week that I transformed into a deep dish peach pie (ignore the less than picture perfect top crust; I'm calling it "rustic".) at Mr. G's request. It wasn't around for long.

Just in case you think that I'm only producing flimsies and that Snowbird is gathering dust, that's not the case! Here's another Wonder Curve pattern, this one came free with the tool. I'm trying out this background fill for the quilting, I believe it plays well off the arc shapes. This piece is a table runner, one that would be great in spring or at Eastertime. I ordered the Wonder Curve long arm rulers last week to stitch in the ditch around these specific curves and inside the curves as well. Stay tuned.

Yes, there's quilting being accomplished. These quilted pieces are all awaiting hand finishing or binding to be attached, it's an ongoing process. Hands won't grow idle any time soon. In the meantime, today's a day to celebrate: another flimsy joins the to-be-quilted-queue! 

What small victories are party-worthy

 at your house today?

Life is Good!

It's A Workout!

So, when I began this blog sixteen years ago I never seemed to have any difficulty finding things to post about. I was regularly keeping up with the goings on in and around Chez Goodneedle on an almost daily basis. Now, it's a workout. I don't know why. There are certainly no less things happening, that's for sure! And so, for today, accept this much: my current progress on the Workout Quilt from the Wonderful Curves Sampler Book. This one is nothing but fun, I'm halfway there! Thanks to all who've inquired about my whereabouts; all is well, and I'm still right here where I left off, stitching away. 

I shall return...

Life is Good!

* Thanks to Unknown (see comment below) for the eagle-eye, 

that pesky offending HST has been righted!

New Year, New Perspective

So, I've got a new perspective moving forward. Less is more, simpler is better. We'll see how it goes. Christmas is taken down and stowed away for another eleven months. It took me two full days this year, one for take down and the second for cleaning and organizing what's being put away. I suppose that's a direct reflection of getting older. That second part (cleaning and organizing) triggered additional trips to Goodwill, the Shepherd's Center and our local Recycling post. I now have a pristine closet solely devoted to Christmas items that is show-worthy! During all this cleaning, organizing and shuffling I decided that I needed a much more efficient and effective kitchen towel drawer. I love the beautiful and decorative kitchen towels that I own but I rarely use them as workhorses at clean-up time. I decided to ditch any kitchen towels that can't be washed in hot-hot water, with bleach, and pressed back into service. This is the result. I now am using only white kitchen towels for clean up with linen towels in reserve for drying wine glasses and crystal. Everything's been streamlined and simplified. My decorative towels are now delegated for show and hand drying. It's all good.

Santa's gone back  to the North Pole and Mr. Snowman is, once again, guarding the door.

One item on my Christmas list this year was Sew Kind of Wonderful's Wonder Curve Ruler. I had seen some of the patterns and their Sampler Quilt Block Book advertised and was eager to give it a try. I'm not a stranger to this basic technique, I've been using their Quick Curve and Mini Quick Curve rulers for a while now; but, I'm here to tell you, that this new Wonder Curve tool is all that! There are more registration lines on the tool itself, as well as colored indicators that make lining up, and using this ruler, a pure joy. Simpler is better! I recall cutting small pieces of masking tape and marking intersecting points and lines on my rulers in conjunction with those older generation Quick Curves to keep myself on track. This new tool takes all that work out,  the needed markings are already there and waiting. As a way of familiarizing myself with the new tool I chose to try out the pattern that came packed with the ruler: "Wonder Flutters". You can see my progress above.

With the basic exercises behind me, can any of these ↑ be too far away? I think not!

With respect to time and the learning curve (sorry, too easy!), this tool is a winner, hands down!

So, what's new for you in '22?

Life is Good!

Quirky Circles

The pattern is Metro Rings by Sew Kind of Wonderful. I've taken two of three classes, I've got plenty of remaining homework before tomorrow's final class... we'll be learning how to add the setting triangles that will should bring the rings together in circular perfection! I'm not sure that mine will line up... hence, the nickname I have assigned to this one: "Quirky Circles". I love this ruler, I find sewing curves to be both relaxing and challenging at the same time, an oddly satisfying combination; the resulting quirkiness just adds to the fun!

Life is Good!

Adding Curves

 I'm on a roll... with curves! I've been putting together quite a few of these double "football" units, they measure 12" X 6" and are border pieces for the quilt I'm currently setting together. Unlike the Winding Ways blocks that I posted about yesterday, these aren't cut out using a die cutter; but, rather, by the old-fashioned method of drawing around templates and cutting the shapes with shears! I can be very patient to get the desired results.

Templates, marking pen, pins and shears: cutting the pieces by going back to my quiltmaking roots.

Why all he trouble? For this: "Adding Curves" (74" X 74"). The Orange Peel blocks and borders were all hand traced from templates and hand cut; then machine pieced to set these blocks-of-the-month from last years' $5 quilt workshops at Sew Original together. I wanted a unique setting. I haven't attached the border units to the center yet, but have only pinned them in place to the design wall to give you an idea of how it will look; it will be bordered on all sides, I'm halfway there.

These are the very same blocks, made up in a different colorway. This quilt is called "The Last Straw" and measures 56" X 70". It was put together late last summer; I believe that it has an entirely different visual appeal from it's sister quilt. I'm looking forward to quilting both of these in the near future; but, for now, I have a few more curves to navigate; I'm taking my time and enjoying the process.

Life is Good!

Slow Down, Curves Ahead!

I had leftovers cut out from the challenge wallhanging of last year; I found them when it was time to purge that bin of its contents and reassign it to something new. So, what to do with the leftovers? Pitch them? Nah, I decided to put them together and add them to the burgeoning Orphan Block bin. I had never been too excited about the piecing order on the Winding Ways block and tried something new this time. I put together the top and bottom sections and decided to join the block along the gentle "S" curve center seam.

Pin, pin, pin... never too many pins on curves; and slower stitching, let up a bit on that foot pedal!

Voilà!

Voilà  times four! These have now joined the other orphan blocks for a someday quilt.

So, I'm on a roll... plenty of pins and a deep breath; there are more curves just ahead... stay tuned!

Life is Good!

Curves!

"Adding Curves" ~  to finish up at 74" square.

I've begun the border sections on his quilt and find the piecing process of slowly stitching around the gentle curves oddly relaxing! I've already admitted in my previous post that I love to challenge myself; that's the truth. The alternate Orange Peel setting blocks weren't too bad, as long as I took my time and was careful to watch out for any slack that might result in any volunteer pleats in fabric! But, in all honesty, I was dreading these double-petaled border sections that I had designed for myself, especially adding the "V" section to the unit. Much to my delight, I found that it wasn't too difficult after all! One thing that I have learned, though, (after doing the first two) is to overcut the outer edge of that "V" (in width) so that it can then be cleanly trimmed up at 1/4" beyond the petal points. The templates I've created are exact and, even though I paid close attention to cutting those outer edges on the straight grain so that there would be no "pull" lengthwise, there is still a bit of stress to that edge pulling up from the center as this piece is set in against the curves on either side. I have remedied that occurrence by cutting these pieces a wee bit more generously (in width only, and marking on the back side where the 1/4" would fall) along that edge to allow for clean up when the block unit is complete.  

I still haven't settled on the final placement of the pieced blocks, there has been much shuffling. I can use some help here if anyone would like to weigh in and suggest a possible block shift or rotation; I believe I'm at the point where I have gone block-blind on this one!

Life is Good!