It's July!

Sam says 'hi"! I hope and trust that you all had a wonderful fourth. It was really just another day here as we didn't attend any fireworks or barbecues this year. Work continues on the kitchen re-do; hopefully all of the perimeter counter tops will be fully installed tomorrow. We did observe the holiday with extra flags and patriotic displays, Uncle Sam is currently on sentinel duty at the sewing room door. Sam is a Country Threads pattern. 

I began this sampler yesterday, even though it won't be finished in a timely manner it will be ready for next year and it will be a fun little project to work on in the evenings this month.

Another sampler, this one a block-of-the-month quilt variety from last year, a Bits 'n Pieces pattern, Lady's Scrap Basket, is finally under the needle for quilting. Panto: "Daisy Swirl" from Willow Leaf Studios. Mine is entitled "Red Letter Day".

And now, the most exciting news of the day! Take a look at this positively scrumptious strawberry quilt! You just know that I had to have this! Amanda over at Westwood Acres Fabrics has kitted up the fabric along with her original quilt pattern for purchase, right now, on her website. I'm always the one saying "I don't buy kits" but, the truth of the matter is that's not always the case; this one is a delightful exception! (The paper pattern-only is available too if you have more restraint than I do and can resist this beautiful hand selected collection of lovelies.) I honestly can't wait to get started on my own Strawberry Jam quilt! Hurry on over (click on the hyperlink above) before these kits and patterns are gone, I promise they're going fast! 

🍓

Life is Good!

Applique Inspiration

Infused with inspiration by applique quilts on display at the National Quilt Museum I came home and planned a little wallhanging of my own. More on that after the back story. 

This quilt, by Pat Holly and Sue Nickels is entitled "Two of Us". They're quilting sisters,  both from Michigan, and draw their inspiration from folk art applique quilts of the 1800's. They celebrate the spontaneity of our quilting ancestors who weren't as structured as we are today. I love this quilt of theirs and have long been a fan of their work. 

These three applique quilts from the Southern Quilts exhibit went on to further bolster my enthusiasm. A week after we returned from our quickie road trip these quilts were still in the front of my mind. I have taken several workshops from Sue Nickels over the years and remembered a UFO from one of those that was lingering somewhere in a box. I found it in short order. "Why haven't I finished this?", I asked myself.

Two of the blocks are done and I had already selected the patterns for two more for this four-block wallhanging. All of my fabrics were folded away with this, even the books and the threads too! Guess what just moved to the front of the line, project-wise? I know that if I tackle this now, while the inspiration is burning brightly, that I'll be happier in the long run and be proud to look back on the effort.  So, isn't it funny, how a tidy and well managed "to do" list of UFO's can easily be interrupted by a brash late-comer who pushes right to the front of the line without any shame is welcomed warmly? Yeah, it is. 

Life is Good!

How Do You Quilt A Rabbit?

There's a rabbit in the studio this morning; a great big, white rabbit.  The pattern is an old one from Country Threads. I have wanted to make "Harvey" for years, well-- 2019 became THE year! You know how sometimes you just decide to drop everything, or push it to the back of the cutting table to make room for that ONE THING that you decide has to happen here and now? Well, Harvey became that one thing. It was now or never, Harvey pushed himself to the front of the line for Easter, you know how pushy rabbits can be.  This is the pattern, dated 1997. I collected all of the Country Threads patterns back in the day. If you go to the link above, reprints are still available, for a limited time only. He went to together quickly and easily, the pieces are big! He measures, as shown,  21" X 53".

Somewhere along the line I checked out the notions requirements for buttons, etc. I found these, at the same time, when cleaning out a drawer. They belonged to my MIL, they had been stashed in the old 301 cabinet that I inherited a few years back. They're the perfect size and were destined to become his eyes and shirt buttons. The cards were marked at 15 cents. That might give a clue to their age. I set them aside.

Then it was time to load "Harvey" onto Snowbird for quilting. But, I ask, how do you  quilt a rabbit? The pattern included those dreaded three words: "quilt as desired". Okay, no help there. 

I chose straight-line quilting with a ruler. It seemed to work well for this door banner. 

After quilting he received his features: eyes, whiskers and button embellishments. I just so happened to find one more thing while cleaning out yet another drawer(!); the perfect finishing touch!

Bunny buttons for his fancy French cuffs, ooooh, la-la! They're pewter and were found in my own mother's button box! His name has now changed. He is no longer "Harvey" but now his name is "Buttons"; Buttons the Bunny, it was a natural choice, with assistance from both of my Moms. 💗

Buttons is keeping guard of the studio door now as I come and go, he makes me smile. The following has been declared by both of our granddaughters: "he is my favorite quilt ever!"

And so, the answer to the riddle: "how do you quilt a rabbit?"

"Very gently!"

Life is Good!

Ami's Amazing Puzzle Ball

I was contacted a while back and asked if I would be willing to test out a brand-new pattern for Ami Simms. I agreed, quickly; as many of you know I love everything that Ami comes up with and her patterns are, hands-down, my most used! There were a number of affirmative responses to Ami's query, from all over the country, and a test-panel was composed. We each received a package including everything we needed to make a "puzzle ball" and an early-draft test pattern. The sewing began! E-mails flew back and forth, there was a constant flurry of activity among the panel! There were corrections, additions, deletions and, ultimately, there were puzzle balls! Lots of them!!  Ami is smart. She thinks and rethinks, she pushes and delves into each stitcher's brain. Her patterns don't go public until she is satisfied that each step is defined, explicit and well-illustrated... tried and true! You know how it feels when you purchase a pattern that is vague and short on directions, one that leaves you hanging; it's not any fun at all, you feel frustrated and cheated. I guarantee that won't be the case with this pattern; the Amazing Puzzle Ball was fun to make, each step is made abundantly clear, and it goes together very well.

Here's my completed "test" version. Isn't it amazing? It's every bit as much fun to hold as it was to make!

This is the amazing ball taken apart... that's the "puzzle" part! Isn't this genius? Fun for everyone!

You can watch Ami disassemble and reassemble one here; it's easy peasy!

You can pre-order the pattern here.

Roll with me on this; you know someone who would love one. 

But, I'm betting, you won't can't stop at just one!

Make one for a friend, a cat, a child you love; 

make one (in each size) to keep for yourself,

you can't let them have all the fun!

Life is Good! 

Betcha Can't Stop At One!

I've been following the newest quilt-a-long (QAL) at Crafty Fox; I was intrigued by her choice of  pattern: "Star Flower". As far as I am concerned this one might as well be called "Potato Chip Stars" because once I started I simply couldn't stop! I chose the scrappy option using these soft, low volume, prints; they will be set alternately with pale solid hexagons giving the whole thing a washed, faded look. I figured I had time to stitch up of few of these while quilting this, and while cutting out and and binding other projects; after all... who can stop at just ONE? Not me.

Life is Good!

C'mon In...

 ... let me show you a few things that I've been working on, and thinking about, lately. There's never any shortage of projects in various stages of construction in and around the sewing space!  "Scaredy Cat" has come off the rails after machine quilting, Sundance did a great job with the woodgrain on the fence and the swirling, starry night sky. The pumpkins are wool; I will hand finish them with big-stitch quilting. I will hand-couch the thread to add toothy-grins for the cat, moon and pumpkins; plus I plan to add flat, black button overlays to those white, zombie-eye circles, giving them a less possesed appearance and one small round button eye to Mr. Moon! I'm pleased to get this one done up and ready for fall, it's only been two years in the works! This pattern is from Kim Diehl's book: Simple Seasons. This project, however, is a newbie compared to what's on Sundance today. I pieced the quilt below from a McCall's Quilting magazine (mid 1990's) pattern named "American Melting Pot". I added the folk-art border after taking a Sue Nickels' machine applique workshop back in 2005!  I layered it and pin-basted the sandwich, eight years ago, and quilted most of it on my domestic machine. For some reason I stopped working on it, I don't have any idea why; just lost interest I guess.

All Are Precious In His Sight   56" X 68" circa 2005

On Tuesday this week I stopped by to see a friend who just bought a new longarm machine, an APQS George, the sit down variety. I stitched on it for a few minutes and realized, immediately, how very long it's been since I sat and machine quilted! I tried to recall the last quilt I had quilted that way, before Sundance came into my life; this one (I have renamed it, see above) jumped to mind. I came home, dug it out, and loaded it onto Sundance by wrapping it onto the rails, I couldn't load it by the conventional method; 80% of the quilting was already done, all that remains to be quilted is border work! In 2005 I had been quilting a small stipple in the border; yesterday I found just enough of the matching thread to give it a go and see if I could make this work, and look seamless. Lo, and behold, I can! I need more thread and will be moving this one, soon, from the recesses of the stash closet (where all self-respecting UFO's hang out together) to the bedroom hallway; in a special spot I had chosen for it to hang many years ago!

Star Flower block pieces arranged per  QAL at  A Crafty Fox.

You may recall, earlier in the summer that I began collecting low-volume fabrics to make "Chicken Soup" quilts to give to my children for their respective families, a quilt to put away and use on those inevitable stay-home-from-school sick days. As a sick day quilt, I felt, the fabrics chosen would need to be soft and quiet; and so, the fabric hunt began and the collection grew... and grew, and grew! It's time; time to stop collecting and start cutting! Now that I have the fabrics, and they're all so gorgeous, what pattern could I use to incorporate them all, scrappy style? I cut out a few diamonds and placed them on a background.

Sunday Morning strip block from the book: Sunday Morning Quilts.

Tumbler block pieces, randomly arranged as a small test piece.

And, so... my decision? All three! I told you I had collected a LOT of low volume fabrics this summer! I plan to make a Tumbler and a Sunday Morning and let my children draw straws for those. I'll do a Star Flower to keep for myself. These soft, quiet fabrics hold great appeal for yours truly; I believe each one of these is a classic quilt just waiting to be born! Looks like I have my work CUT OUT (or about to be!) for me. Thanks for stopping by today to see what's being finished... and what's being started... life in the sewing space at Chez Goodneedle is all about balance!

Life is Good!

I Need This...

... like a hole in the head! That used to be an expression that I heard growing up; it most certainly applies in this case. I do not need to add another project to the LONG LIST in any way, shape, or form! And yet,  I bought this pattern because it spoke to me (with a loud voice too)! I'll spend time this summer shopping around and collecting fabrics, (always one of the most fun parts of planning) for that next quilt. I am thinking about using wool for the appliques and mixed neutral cottons (as shown) for the backgrounds; I love the acorns but likely will add  a vertical applique border of strawberries too.
I have continued to add to my "soup pot" of low volume fabrics for the Chicken Soup quilts I am planning to give to my children for each of  their family's recuperating reserve. It may well be high time to quit collecting and simply commence with cutting for these stash quilts. It's hard to say "when"! How do I know when enough is enough?

Life is Good!

Appli-Keeper

I wanted to keep those recently completed machine applique blocks flat; it was time to make a portfolio! Using the pattern straight out of Kristin Steiner's Southern Album book along with some upholstery fabric, foam core (inside the cover, front and back) and batting scraps (for the "pages") I whipped up this appli-keeper on Thursday morning before breakfast (it's that easy; no more than an hour start-to-finish)! This portfolio measures 18" square, I added the ribbon ties as opposed to the button loop closure that the pattern calls for. If I were going to make another one I would add handles for easier transport and a hook and loop tab for securing it closed. But, for now, this is just about perfect!

Lightweight, sturdy, and very cute... 

my new class companion is ready to go~

Life is Good!

Tic-Tac-Toe

Clothes weren't the only things being sewn over the weekend at Chez Goodneedle. Nana managed to whip up a Tic Tac Toe game for Mason, too. This little game board was designed by my daughter as a Math game when she was a junior in college. An Early Childhood major, she created quite a few teaching games while she was home on Spring break in 1997. I helped her execute the finished product for this one and had recently found the handwritten pattern in my files. (If anyone is interested in the specifics let me know and I will e-mail the directions to you.)

Mason loved it!

He sat down on the floor and challenged his Daddy to a game right away.

 Guess who won?  

Daddy was a gracious loser.

 I hope he'll have half as much fun playing as I had stitching it up for him.

It brought back so many happy memories for me, from one generation to another.

...and sew it goes...

Life is Good!

What Was I Thinking?

The closet that keeps on giving has released a few (hundred) relics! I am loading boxes with donations that are heading in different directions: Goodwill, our church's Quilt Ministry, our local Quilt Guild and, last but not least, the trash can! I found lots and lots of quilt-related clothing patterns, that are not being kept! I never made any vests from this pattern (my daughter can go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief now!) but how I remember the excitement attached to purchasing this and thinking that I might! Oh, yes, there's some age on this pattern as well as this blog's author, I am continually reminded.

On Sunday afternoon Mr. Goodneedle and I were out shopping when I saw a young woman run across the parking lot wearing shoes that look a lot like the one pictured below. I actually heard myself say, out loud, "she's going to twist her ankle in shoes like that"!  My husband and I laughed out loud as we both realized how old I suddenly sounded. That's OK. One day that woman will clean out her closet and have a moment of reckoning when she sees those shoes, she'll feel exactly the same way I did last week when I ran across this pattern... I can almost hear her thinking out loud: "what was I thinking?"!

Life is Good!