Squaring The Circle

"Squaring The Circle" ~ 74" X 74"

I was pretty excited when I designed this setting for a group of blocks-of-the-month in EQ7 last summer; I wasn't sure, though, that I could do it. Today I am thrilled to bits to have the top all pieced and the borders in place. I cannot wait to get this one loaded on Snowbird and commence with the quilting! My two year old granddaughter can often be heard saying "I did it"; I can appreciate and relate to that feeling of accomplishment this morning.

 I I decided to name this one "Squaring The Circle" based on a phrase; defined as follows: Try to do the impossible, as in Getting that bill through the legislature is the same as trying to square the circle. 

This idiom alludes to the impossibility of turning a circle into a square. John Donne may have been the first to use it ( Sermons, 1624): "Go not thou about to square either circle (God or thyself)."

It seemed to fit... like a square peg into a round hole.

Life is Good!

Mountain Day!

I've been grabbing bits of time here and there to piece these split nine-patches; as I complete one I pin it to the wall. Row upon row, the quilt top is taking shape... like peaks on so many mountains this layout reminds me of the term "long-range layered views", which often appears in realtor's write-ups for the classifieds on mountain properties. Earlier this week a joy-filled memory came to mind from my college days, forty years ago! I went to a small Junior (2 yr.) College in Montpelier, VT. Back in those days, as the fall foliage came into peak color, we were surprisingly treated to an impromptu holiday! As students we didn't learn that classes had been canceled for the day until we descended the stairs to the dining hall for breakfast and were greeted by a large sign that read: "Today is Mountain Day"! We boarded buses and were transported to Stowe for hiking and nature in all its glory. Lunch was provided and we were bused back to campus by dinnertime. It was a great day, enjoyed by all and still happily recalled, all these years later! This happy, scrappy quilt has been named Mountain Day and will serve as a permanent reminder of those happy times!

Alongside my sewing machines I've used small, plastic, stackable boxes to catch my threads and dog-ears. The other day I was down in my husband's workshop and I found these two, turned, wooden bowls which he had just sitting on the work bench. I took them (wooden you?) and replaced my plastic boxes with his handiwork. I like these so much better than what I had before! I'm glad that I took them, they make me smile.I believe he must be happy that I'm enjoying them too... he didn't ask for them back!

Life is Good!

I'm Listening

I asked for name suggestions here last week and you came through, all of your ideas were fantastic and I do thank you. Nancy, who blogs near Philadelphia, thought she was being a smarty-pants with 'Stars and Scraps'. I called her on that and raised her idea: 'Stars and Scraps Forever' was born. This is the prototype block. Designing in Electric Quilt is one thing; but seriously, if it's not sew-able what good is it? I couldn't be happier with EQ6, every design that I have come up with has been precise and easy to stitch. I was a little worried about the star points on this one, however. When I printed out the pattern the angles were marked as 63 degrees... huh? Angles scare me and if it it isn't 45 or 90 degrees I break out in a cold sweat. I was committed to this design though and I figured there had to be an easy way to figure this one out without resorting to templates. There was: Tri-Recs Tools to the rescue. I dug around in my ruler drawer and these came floating up to the surface; still wrapped in their original cellophane (how long have I had these?) with the price tag attached. I recall Quiltkeemosabe telling me that we needed those rulers one day when we were out shopping together. I was ever-so-thankful yesterday morning, in those wee pre-dawn hours, that I had taken her advice way-back-when. The points were quickly cut from strip sets and went together easy and (even better) accurately! I told her how thankful I was and she just smiled, knowingly. For the record, I would like for Quiltkeemosabe to know that she only thinks I don't listen to her! If the truth were known, I'm all ears... I've got a drawer full of tools to prove it!

Life is Good!

Scraps and Stars?

I've been accumulating little four-patches, made up as leaders/enders, at an alarming rate; all the result of piecing other projects. They were piling up at such a fast pace that I began stitching those little units together as nine-patch blocks, in an effort to control the volume, until I had a whole stack of 36-patch scrappy blocks similar to those pictured here. I have come up with this layout as a way to use them up and show them off, but just can't come up with a clever working name. I just know that you can help me out! What do you think? Surely you can help me with a more original title than "Scraps and Stars!!?

Life is Good!

...and, another color option, black/gold...

Les Échantillons

The French language makes even the most mundane sound fancy and exotic. "Les Échantillons", the title given to this one-patch quilt, simply means "samples" in English! Yep, that's what this quilt is made from entirely, collected fabric samples! I belonged for years to the Cotton Club's fabric samples by mail plan. Every few months I received a fat envelope of four inch squares of the newest fabrics along with a newsletter; this was heaven when I lived overseas. I had both fabric to touch and felt current and abreast of the quiltmaking trends that were happening stateside. These squares accumulated! At one point I began sewing them together, no rhyme or reason; random rows. After spending the appropriate amount of time "curing" as a top-only (years!) I began quilting it this past weekend. (This may have been what prompted the long-arm query)! It's big, 76" X 86". I settled on a simple idea, very simple-- straight lines 1/4" from the seams that required no marking. I chose a 30 wt. Sulky Blendable in variegated parchment tones and an Aurifil (50 wt.) in the bobbin. I used a walking foot; it was a perfect set-up, the stitching looks great and even. I found the stiletto valuable, too. I used it as almost an extension of my finger for holding and sometimes encouraging the fabric to proceed when it didn't want to or when there was a pucker that needed smoothing before it went under the foot. Ideal!The quilting is done and I'm very pleased, binding is on the docket for today. I'll post a finished quilt 'portrait' this weekend. I heard Marianne Fons say "you can't ever finish the quilts you're not working on", or something to that effect. How true! I'm going to go and quilt up something else now...

I'm on a roll.
Life is Good!

No Purchase Necessary

Yes, that's right-- you don't have to buy a thing to enter Mrs. Goodneedle's "Name That Quilt" contest and be eligible to win. (See yesterday's post, below) I will list the suggestions so far, only a few came in through the comment section here... I received some through e-mail, had a few ideas of my own, and one was a call-in! The voting will actually begin on Monday and you, my loyal readers, will be called upon to do your citizen's duty; to come to this polling place and VOTE! A prize will be awarded for the one who submits the winning name and all prizes will be awarded. Let the fun begin! The nominees are:

1. “A Quilter’s Kaleidoscopic Reflections”

2. “Wacky Cats”

3. “Les chats de farfelu” (Wacky Cats in French)

4. “Hexed!”

5. “Spinning Out Of Control In A Quilt Shop”

6. “Turn, Turn, Turn”

7. “Through The Eye Of A Fly On The Wall”

8. “Windmills From New Hampshire”

9. “Kaleidoscope”

Please leave your suggestions anytime all weekend in the comment section (or anywhere else that you know you can reach me!). Time is running out and I KNOW there are lots more great suggestions out there. Remember, you can't win if you don't enter.

Life is Good!