Finally it’s back, my quilting mojo.  While DH cleared the driveway with the tractor, I spent the day dividing and bagging fabric into 4 separate piles – 2 1/2 inch strips, smaller strips, blocks and “why in God’s name am I saving this small piece” piles.

The height of butcher block island combine  with the natural sunlight streaming through the window makes the perfect sorting spot.  Our home faces solar south. On a sunny day the kitchen heats up naturally from 10:00 until late afternoon.  It was so warm today, DH had to open the front door to cool off.   The outside temperature is minus 10 degree, but you would never know it standing in the kitchen.

My inspiration has been this pattern.

Considering I have numerous 2 1/2 inch strips  from other projects, it should be a breeze, and a great stash buster.

I knew my daughter would especially like this one.

The bags were over flowing with a hodge podge of different fabric including cotton, denim, twill…..what ever they have on hand.

After sorting through the bags and taking out the fabric suitable for quilting, I was left with a bag of twill and denim.  This bag was dropped off at the local Salvation Army thrift store, for some one else to oooh and aaah over.

For a total of $9.00 plus provinical sales tax I was the proud owner of 16 new pieces of fabric ranging in size from a fat quarter to 2 yards.   The majority of the pieces are 1 yard and larger.   Being the good mother that I am, most of the fabric went to my daughter.

This is her latest creation using the thrift store fabric.

The cost of the pattern  $15.00.

The cost to make my daughter happy………priceless.

(Do you think she might me a wallet now?)

I managed to get a bit of sewing done during my hiatus.  Using the scraps left over from the quilt I made for my grandson and his wife, to celebrate the birth of their first child, the darling Isabella.

I started a spider web quilt.   It is an easy pattern not requiring much thinking or eye strain. When the blocks are sewn together, the corners form a spider web, hence the name.   This pattern is a great stash buster.

I returned to work this past Monday so by Friday I was ready for the weekend.   Mother Nature celebrated the weekend with a nor’easter which covered the province with up to 30 cms.  of snow.   Yesterday the roads were a mess when DH and I did our shopping.  This morning we went for a walk and the roads are bare.   Spring weather is such a contradiction.

The contractor was hoping to begin excavating our property for driveway and basement this coming week.    Thanks to the last blast of winter, he may need to wait another week or so.

Blurry eyes, itchy fingers, obsessive  oohing and aaahing, the uncontrollable urge to fondle fabric.  It is known as Quilter’s Quandary.   And it goes like this.

I have an affliction
Or is it an addiction?
It really is hard to say.

I wake up each morning,
Sleepy and yawning,
Not ready to face the day.

All night I’ve thought of plans,
New patterns, designs and bands,
Until I have lost my way.

Each quilt I see
Looks good to me.
I’ll make it, come what may.

The more I learn,
The more I yearn
To make a quilt my way.

With swatches galore
I still want more!
But somebody’s got to pay!

Yes, it is an addiction,
Not an affliction,
And I know it is here to stay!  (Author unknown)

Andrea has been busy auditioning fabric, cutting and sewing these past two weeks.   This year I’m taking the easy way out, I’m spreading the germ.   Over the weekend I intend to match up my fabric and bring quite a bit of it to the lady who finishes my quilts.   She loves sewing during the winter months and has agreed to make a few quilts for me to give as Christmas gifts.     She has something to sew, and I  diminish my ever-growing stash of fabric.

Then I can go out and buy more……………….yes, it is an addiction.

If you aren’t hooked yet, check out the incredible quilts at Debbie Richards designs.  I am no where near this level of sewing, but I can dream

Still need convincing? Go to a  Quilt is Nice .   Wouldn’t this crosswalk quilt, look pretty in Christmas prints.  Or imagine it in warm, worn plaids from old shirts.

Need more eye candy? Crazy mom quilts has a list of flickr groups showing various quilts.    Bet you can’t look at just one.

When I arrived home and opened the first package I discovered not only was the pattern included so was the fabric, cut to fit the pattern.   The colour choices are not my favourite, but I can always use extra pre-cut fabric.

I knew then and there I had to get my eyes checked.   According to the ophthalmologist I have cataracts which he suspects were caused by my asthma medication.   I have been referred to an eye surgeon, as surgery is the best option at this point.

I don’t know if I am becoming a hypochondriac or just getting old.

Nanny preferred small floral prints in soft colours.   An apron was practical.  It was where you wiped your hands after making pie dough, or what you used to wipe the tears of a child who just skinned her knee.   The pocket was a great place to keep the money for the milk man or a handful of cloves, to chew on.

I found this beauty at the local thrift shop.   At first I thought the trim was plastic but a closer look revealed it was cross stitching over cotton rick rack worked on the 
gingham.  Can you imagine the amount of hours spent on making this  apron.  This technique is also called chicken scratch, depression embroidery, tenneriffe lace, snowflake embroidery or lace, gingham lace, or Amish embroidery.  With three or four types of stitches – the running stitch, the cross stitch, the double cross stitch, the threaded running stitch, talented hands could make beautiful patterns on simple gingham.

Thinking of making a chicken scratch apron, check out this site.   Need more pictures, go here.

]]> http://atypicalife.net/mam/2010/07/aprons-2/feed/ 2 http://atypicalife.net/mam/2010/04/christmas-in-april/ http://atypicalife.net/mam/2010/04/christmas-in-april/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:35:06 +0000 mam http://atypicalife.net/mam/?p=5141 Continue reading →]]> Our family can spread Christmas gift giving over months.  Sometimes we just aren’t in the same place at the same time. Or we are off visiting another branch of the family.  Such was the case when I received my Christmas gift on Saturday from Addison and Kaytlyn.  I was very happy to be given  the Quilting Pattern-a-Day Desk Calendar.

What a perfect gift for a quilter!   Each day reveals a  new block design  with the pattern on the flip side.  Some days are quilts, followed by the instructions to make each block for that particular quilt.

I’ve allowed myself to look at the blocks up to the end of March and already have plans to make a few of the quilts.   So much for my UFOs.

I really like the butterfly in the window.

This being my first block swap,  I was a bit nervous.   The talent in the group was simply amazing.   Although the block pattern for each month was the same, the colours and the member’s representation of her month was incredible.

How to join these blocks together is the next big decision.   Here a look at the blocks for the full twelve months.

The back of the quilt is a deep red sheet.  The center blocks in the denim sashing are called crumbs as they are made with tiny bits of fabric, too small to use in the main block.

Like most quilts I make, once finished, there is always something I would have done differently.  In this case I would have made the center string the same colour for all blocks.   Much like the one here.

If you are interested in sewing a string quilt, check out this tutorial.

I spent most of the day working on this project which I originally started quite a few years ago after taking a class on paper piecing. I love the secondary block pattern it makes with the border.