38 years

St Patrick's Day is a fine day for a wedding.

with my sisters Janna and Beth

our officiant was my uncle, the Rev John Vander Lugt

farewell, dear friend

My dear friend Sharon Sikes died a year ago.
When her husband was taking apart the house he asked if I wanted anything. 
I asked for this little ruby dish he quickly located next to her sewing machine.

A decade ago I wrote about her encouraging me to have a small bowl next to my sewing machine to hold feet when they are changed, and a package of needles.
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2012/03/tip-18-keep-little-glass-bowl-by-your.html
Her little ruby bowl now sits next to my bowl.

Sharon and I used to go to estate sales and tidy up the sewing sections. She had a passion for buying what she called "Dead Women's Notions".

Missing her today and lovingly using her ruby bowl.

circled squares, quilt completed

Circled Squares

2022
96 by 84 inches
Block finishes 12 inches

I like how this block resembles a Viewmaster reel.
This block is usually made in a nine-patch fashion.
I changed the cutting and piecing so there was a larger uncut center section so it was a less interrupted visual.

Directions for the block are here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/03/circled-squares.html

Directions for the assembly are here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/04/circled-squares-top-completed.html

The block variation and the setting directions are mine, use at your pleasure.

thousand triangles, quilt completed

Thousand Triangles
2022
90 by 72 inches
Block finishes 9 inches

Quilted by Sue Divarco

Quilt block construction here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/04/thousand-triangles.html

Quilt assembly directions here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/05/thousand-triangles-top-completed.html

I love how a simple block results in a great quilt.

My directions of a traditional design, use at your pleasure.

a new year, a new alphabet

I've been working on this for a couple weeks. It will be a longer term project as spring semester course planning is taking precedence. 
I am using shirtings for the backgrounds and indigo, cadet, and royal blues for the letters; reds and madders for the sashings. I am using up some precious small pieces of Japanese fabrics from a trip there in 1989. It will be a medallion quilt so I will design it as I go.

I jokingly told a friend that instead of numbering my alphabet quilts, I should letter them as getting to 26 might be happening. This is number 6, or F.

The letters are adapted from the Primitive Gatherings Mini Alphabet by Lisa Bongean. I again used Doug Leko's folded corners tool (the small one) and Bonnie K Hunter's Essential Triangle tool to make my construction adaptations work. 

Happy New Year! Another year of uncertainty, but another year of hope.
One of my mother's expressions of wisdom, in times of uncertainty of her health, was telling my sisters and me, "Keep making plans". She did not want us to hold off on anything in anticipation of her condition changing. 
In 2022 I'll be over here in Chicago, making plans.

alphabet (Missouri Star), top completed

 

Alphabet
81.5 by 59.5 inches

Made using the Missouri Star Easy Alphabet. I changed construction to use larger pieces for the backgrounds rather than their method of all squares. (I also altered their V.) Using Doug Leko's Simple Folded Corners tool (the small size) and Bonnie K. Hunter's Essential Triangles tool made this work. 
A straightforward alphabet! I like it, and because the letters came from my solids scrap squares bin, it was a quick sew.
Kona Cyan was used for the constant. I have just one border, cut 7 inches. I will bind it in the same.

A fitting end of piecing to a year that started with an alphabet.
This is my 5th. More are in the planning stage!

Merry Christmas 2021

Our tree was foraged from the fence line with my sisters when we were together on the farm earlier this month.
Janna got the big tree. Beth is holding the one I have at our house.
No ornaments this year as it is propped against the window in the pot.

another alphabet

I am winding down the year working on another alphabet quilt. This time using 
Missouri Star's Easy Alphabet.
I am revising the construction using larger pieces for the background rather than their method of using squares.
I use Bonnie K Hunter's Essential Triangle Tool and Doug Leko's Folded Corners tool in making this change.
The background is Kona Cyan. The scraps are from my solid squares bin, so this was an easy project to jump into.

all the parts

in progress

alphabet blocks, quilt completed

 

Alphabet Blocks
93 by 70 inches
2021

Quilted by Sue Divarco.

Made loosely using the Moda Spell it with Fabric directions found here:
https://www.fatquartershop.com/moda-spell-it-with-fabric-quilt-free-pdf-pattern

My setting direction are here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/07/30s-repro-alphabet-top-completed.html

I didn't have to cut any squares for the corner blocks, the sashings, or for the border. All were in my 30s reproduction bins of 2 1/2, 2, and 1 1/2 inch squares.
It was one of two alphabet quilts I started this year on New Years Day. It is the fourth alphabet quilt I have made. I am pretty sure more are in my future.

Setting is my design. Use at your pleasure.

62 to 63, a calendar quilt in the time of Covid, quilt completed

62 to 63, a calendar quilt in the time of Covid
88 by 76 inches
2020-2021

Quilted by Sue Divarco.

I started this quilt on my 62nd birthday and finished the piecing for my 63rd. There is a pieced block for each day of that year (366, including both birthdays) and a plain spacer block between each Saturday and Sunday.
The squares were chosen to commemorate a person or event or a feeling of each day. Or, just because I liked the fabric! Many scraps of my mother in here, a few from my grandmothers, and some from my small-group round robin 2 1/2 inch square exchange during the year we were not able to meet.
I did not work on it every day, but made sure I was caught up each weekend.

You can read about my construction here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2020/08/calendar-quilt-year-in-life-62-to-63.html
and about the final setting here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/07/62-to-63-calendar-quilt-in-time-of.html

My design. Use at your pleasure.

maple leaf, made about 2000

Maple leaf
Made about 2000

It has no label and I cannot find any date written on the back.
I blogged about this in 2006, but it was made several years before that.
Read more about it here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2006/10/another-maple-leaf.html
It is one of my all time favorite quilts and I am glad to share it here again to celebrate November.
The back is a fabulous Alexander Henry fairy fabric.

37 times around the sun, quilt completed

37 times around the sun
2021
82 by 59.5 inches
Made in celebration of Andy and my 37th anniversary.
Beautifully quilted by Sue Divarco.

If you search "alphabet" on the blog you will see process posts.
I used the Moda Spell it with Fabric letters--greatly adapted. Setting is mine.
Made with scraps of batiks.
Use the setting and my adapted letters at your pleasure.

Fading charms from Wedding Dress Blue, quilt completed

Fading Charms
88 inches square

This lovely pattern is from Deanna's Wedding Dress Blue quilt blog. Her tutorial is here:
https://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/tutorial-fading-charms-quilt/

You can read about how I made it, with my variations here:
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/03/fading-charms-from-wedding-dress-blue.html

I like how the fading is not just from Deanna's pattern of spacing the squares. It also is from my using grey/taupe leaning patches scattered in the patchwork that melt a bit into the solid.
It is a difficult quilt to photograph from a distance. Below in close-ups you can see more of the contrast.

Many of the 2 1/2 inch cut squares are from my quilting small group. We shared squares in a Covid round robin by mail during the year we could not meet because of the quarantine. We have been meeting outdoors for the past few months and plan to go back to zoom when the weather no longer permits that.
Beautifully quilted by Sue Divarco. I used a wool batt.

Note a Dr Fauci square near the top