paraments ready for totenfest

In honor of a retiring pastor at St Pauls, I was asked to make paraments for the white seasons of the church.
Top is the lectern piece, then the pulpit piece. Below, the altar cloth.
I finished them yesterday and today installed them for this coming Sunday, the last day of the liturgical year when we celebrate Totenfest, a day of memorial for members who died in the past year.
They then will be tucked away for the four weeks of Advent, and will come back out for Christmas.

I love being in the sanctuary all by myself. Such a quiet and lovely space.

an extravagant welcome

Andy caught this scene at St Pauls today.

soon!

Oh beautiful machines. I will have you out to play soon.
Bernina 1530
Elna Lotus SP

patriotic sewing

On the left is my grandmother, Cynthia Meerdink, with the Girls Society of the First Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa sewing a banner with stars for church members serving in the First World War.
About 1917.
Her brother Henry was a soldier in France at Verdun. Her boyfriend Jurrien Dykstra, who became her husband and my grandfather, (pictured below) was on the troop ship in New York Harbor when the armistice was signed.

farewell LeClaire

Farewell LeClaire. You shaped who we are as individuals and as a family. May you bless all who enter in.

birthday fabric

Fabric gifts from my small group.
My request was for man-made objects.
Love them!

tile

The block is Portuguese tile. Several commercial patterns are out there and lots of actual Portuguese tile floors and walls also. It is another example of robbing-peter-to-pay-paul fabric placement.

I drafted mine to a finished block size of 5 by 14 inches.
All cut from 3 inch strips.
Solid: two 3 by 7 1/2 inch rectangles, two 3 inch squares
Print: two 3 by 7 1/2 inch rectangles, two 3 inch squares

I was using my EZ angle to cut the corners, then read Bonnie Hunter's review of Doug Leko's Simple Folded Corner Ruler. I picked one up and like how the size adds stability and the markings add accuracy to this task.

It is time to pack up my what remains in my sewing room.
I have kitted lots of projects to keep me going over the next months of being between places and to have ready when we get settled this fall.
Each has sample blocks ready to remind me what I was doing.

flicker

An idea from Pinterest. I saw several quilts with this block and don't know who to attribute it to. If you know, please tell me.

I was using my EZ angle to cut the corners, then read Bonnie Hunter's review of Doug Leko's Simple Folded Corner Ruler. I picked one up and like how the size adds stability and the markings add accuracy to this task.

It is drafted to a 9 inch finished block.
Print: four 5 inch squares
Solid: two 3 inch squares, added with the sew and flip method.

Very simple.

paraments

I was asked to make white paraments (used at Christmas and Easter) in honor of our retiring associate pastor, Avena Ward.

I used Michael Miller's Fairy Frost as I like the sheen it gives.

On the Sunday of her retirement I sat in the balcony with several friends who helped make major binding progress during the service.

At the reception members of the congregation were welcomed to add stitches.
I planned to remove what wasn't to my standard, but decided to leave them in. It was so much fun to see people delight to participate.

There is still some finishing work to be done. I'll get more photographs when they are installed.

visiting my quilts, Fourth of July

Quilt was made in 2015 with Deanna's fabulous sew-a-long at Wedding Dress Blue.

https://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/calico-rose-quiltalong/

We had an enjoyable visit with my mother at my sister's house. Good to see my quilt. Great to see mom. 

tip # 39, photograph tops to find block errors

I occasionally find a block error only when looking at a photograph of the top.
The recent double four-patch quilt is an example of this. I made the top, admired it laid out on the floor, photographed it and posted it. Then after several days, I looked at the posted photograph again and noticed one four-patch was not in line. It amazes me that in the construction of the block and pressing it, in placing it in the layout, and in the time of looking at the top, I never caught it.
This isn't the first time this has happened. Errors are more noticeable, popping out, in photographs.
When we see the "humility blocks" in old quilts, I do believe most were unintentional.
I did fix this one--it was detracting from what this quilt was about. In another I might have left it alone. Sometimes the error elevates the quilt!

what goes around...

On the left is a scrap of fabric from a dress my mother made for my sister in the late 1950s.
On the right some fabric I purchased this week at the fabulous Oak Fabrics on Lincoln Avenue.

Balloons in Peach by Melody Miller for Cotton + Steel.

double four-patch, top completed

I wanted to finish this top here at the house as it is on-point, making it hard to put together without lots of room to spread out.
I do like how the chains of solids stand out and melt in with the various contrasts.

Block finishes 8 inches
Print: two 4 1/2 inch squares, four 2 1/2 inch squares
Solid: four 2 1/2 inch squares

98 blocks set 7 by 8, measures about 65 by 75 inches

12 half blocks (I cut the triangles with grain to edge of quilt)
4 corners
14 setting triangles

Gerald's quilts

Our cousin Gerald spoke for our family at my father's funeral five years ago.
After the funeral, my mother and sisters and I decided we wanted to give him this pair of quilts that I had made in the late 1990s for my father and my father-in-law. They were made using a Judy Martin design called Fathers' Day.
One quilt was at my house and one went with mom for several moves over the five years. We kept referring to them as "Gerald's quilts" and it was time they got to him.
This spring it finally happened. They look great in their new home!

tipping the scales?

When does a series of quilts tip into a "crazy cat lady" obsession?
The solids and prints quilts have been a wonderful way for me to revisit deep stash as we have prepared for our move.
I like them as they give me a focus. I figure out what block to work with, and, with repetitive cutting and sewing, a new quilt results.
I do look forward to something else taking my interest soon. Until then, this continues.

Completed so far: (not all photographed and posted yet as some have been packed up already)
ships
churn dash
shoo-fly
pinwheel
geese in flight
framed nine-patch
zip

Tops awaiting quilting:
times
woven
positive

Cut and kitted for sewing while on the move:
double four-patch
party line
unit blocks peter/paul

Sample blocks made:
keyhole peter/paul
window

Contemplating:
Portuguese tile

window

Window.
Looks like the ones being installed at our new place!

Block finishes 7 inches

Solid: one 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch rectangle
Print: one 7 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch rectangle, one 7 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch rectangle, one 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch rectangle, one 2 1/2 inch square

A simple block and goes together fast.
My design. Use at your pleasure.

keyhole

My friend Donna made a lovely quilt with Cherrywoood solids using a larger version of this block. I shamelessly ran with the idea, drafting down the block a bit, and am adding it to the solids on prints quilt ideas pile.
I love any block with the robbing-peter-to-pay-paul fabric placement and like how it is similar to the unit blocks one, but with a rectangle finish.

Block finishes 6 by 12 inches

Solid: one 6 1/2 by 2 1/2 rectangle, three 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 rectangles
Print: one 6 1/2 by 2 1/2 rectangle, three 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 rectangles
Sew the sets of three 4 1/2 inch rectangles and press to the solids, then sew together
Sew on the end 6 1/2 inch rectangles
Press whole block to the side with the solid rectangle

We are a few weeks away from moving and I have been kitting up projects for the transition time between homes.

monday mini--Temecula Quilt Co. sew-a-long

There is a 12-week sew-a-long on Temecula Quilt Company's blog.
I'm working in solids.
The bordered blocks now measure 4 inches, will finish to 3 1/2 inches. The tiny center blocks finish 1 1/2 inches.
This is way too much work.
And way too much fun.

visiting my quilts: party like it's 1999...

I had a quick visit with mom this week. She asked we hang this quilt.
I made it in 1999 using scraps from mom's and from her mother's sewing.
The pattern was in an early Fons and Porter magazine.
Beth uses waste triangles to make a legend of the origin of each fabric.