Sister's Choice Quilts

Americana Circus Tent

I am calling this my Americana Sew Along Sampler Quilt. I made it as a block of the month saga during COVID. It was a sew-along sponsored by Debbie at Piecing the Past Quilts. I forget the name of the sew-along, Comfort and Joy, Peace and Happiness? I forget. It is my Americana Circus Tent. It measures 96 by 80 and was fun to make. My blocks are all about 10 inches square as I recall.

It's been a while since the top was sewn together. As usual, I have been procrastinating adding the final borders and sending it off to the quilter.

I am super happy with how it turned out and look forward to having it on my bed next summer. Isn't that Tree of Life block cool? The blocks were all thoughtfully chosen and compliment one another well in the quilt top. Complicated enough to be a challenge, and very interesting when combined in a sampler quilt. The fabrics were all from my stash, but I do think a lot of them are prints from various Pam Buda collections for Marcus Brothers. 

It literally took me all day long to attach the containment and outer borders. The final measurement is about 95 x 80. What a struggle to wrestle with that big quilt! I know it is going to look great on my bed next June, July, and August!

Thanks for all your thoughtful responses to my query about if it is appropriate to take a 12-year-old to a family memorial service. It will be sad, but there will be many tributes to what a remarkable and wonderful man her grandfather was. I think it will be a good experience for her to hear how respected and loved her grandfather was. 

I Had One Block In Me

This is the third block in the Halloween Figs sew along, hosted by The Quilt Spot. I tell you, this block took a minute. The half-square triangles measured 2 5/8", so using triangle papers wasn't an option. I made them a bit bigger and trimmed them down to size, and everything came together beautifully. As a matter of fact, I am completely amazed at how great this block worked out. All the points are right on the mark, and everything lines up perfectly.

This quilt has some blocks with applique coming up, so wish me luck. Every time I do machine applique it is like reinventing the wheel. I guess I just need to do it more often.

I don't have any pictures to share, but Eva had a swim meet last night and man oh man, can that girl swim! She came in first or second in every heat she was in. In other heats for the same event, some other kid may have beat her time, but goodness, she did great. What a good swimmer she is. Freestyle and breaststroke are her events for sure.

Tomorrow is Eva's twelfth birthday, can you believe it? She has turned into such a lovely young lady. Her other grandma gave her a gift certificate for her birthday and she used it to get a new backpack for middle school, which starts on August 16. This is going to be a sad weekend for us. Her other grandpa passed away a few weeks ago and the family is attending a memorial service for him. I can imagine it could be upsetting for her to see the grownups in her family sad and upset at the event. 

Do any of you have experience with taking kids to memorial services or funerals? In the old days, when I was a kid, it was customary to have the deceased in a coffin at the funeral home prior to the burial, and people would come over a couple of days and pay their respects with an open coffin situation. I recall being 10, and attending the funeral/wake of my grandmother and being quite traumatized by it. By that I mean, I spent many sleepless nights afterward recalling the event and endlessly reexamining the images in my mind of my lifeless beloved grandma. This weekend will be quite different in that it is a celebration of life where the accomplishments of the deceased will be lauded, and he will already have been cremated, but I still wonder about having a 12-year-old attend. Is that an appropriate age to go through this experience? She is a pretty pragmatic kid, so I think she will be fine. What do you think? Her attendance is not my decision, but you all always have such wise observations, I'd love to know your thoughts and experiences in similar circumstances. 

Why Can't I Get Anything Done?

Why can't I get anything done? Ahem. This naughty boy would be the reason. He actually is fairly mellow, compared to other dogs I have owned, but he is a puppy, and therefore, a handful. He demands a lot of attention, that is for sure. He is a total sweetheart, and we love him, but he has a lot to learn!

I have a Halloween block of the month I joined and I need to make up this month's blocks, so wish me luck. Love these fabrics, but have kind of lost focus on what the final project is.

Here are the backings for several quilts I need to send out to the quilters. I need to focus on that task too. I think I have four quilts that need quilting and it isn't serving me well to let them sit.

At any rate, my life right now seems to be in a loop of puppy care, grandchild care, and trying to get through each day with a dinner at the end of it.

Please forgive me if my content isn't as scintillating as I would like it to be!

I do seem to keep coming up with good dinners, in spite of everything else going on, and this quiche recipe was one we enjoyed a lot last night. Southwestern Bacon Quiche, with bacon, chiles, and pepper jack cheese. It looked just like the picture and tasted delicious. 

Hope to sign in later this week with some quilty content, but my life is 24/7 puppy training right now. Thank goodness, it seems like we got a good one!

 

 

 

 

Sunny Patches Rows 1-5

If you would like to make a quick, colorful, fun, free, and easy quilt this summer, I highly recommend you check out the Sunny Patches sew-along hosted by Corey Yoder of Coriander Quilts. Beginners and more experienced qulters:  this quilt will be right up your alley. Corey publishes detailed instructions on her website Coriander Quilts, but also does YouTube video tutorials where she coaches you step by step of the way. Also, she gives a beginner-friendly option for each of the pieced blocks, so don't let them scare you.
Did I mention the patterns are completely free? 

This sew-along started in March with the 29 Jelly Roll blocks. Each month (April through September) a pieced block pattern is released (for a total of six), with the sew-along slated to complete in September. All patterns are free and on Corey's website. She also gives you optional quilt settings for each monthly quilt block should you choose to make a quilt using just one block pattern.

All you need is a jelly roll of a colorful, summery fabric collection and some yardage. You will find perfect fabrics in recent collections by Fig Tree, Coriander Quilts, Camille Rosskelley, and Sherri and Chelsi. The quilt finishes at 69" square, but you could sure add a border and make it larger. 

More experienced quilters could easily complete what you see above in a weekend. First, you make the 29 jelly roll blocks, which are super simple. Just make sure your fabric strips are oriented horizontally before you make your large half-square triangle units. Pay attention to the cutting instructions. Anyway, make the jelly roll blocks on Saturday and get started on the pieced blocks on Sunday. There will be six rows, with one pieced block in each row. I think I am going to sew my four completed rows together as I complete them and then it will be a snap to add on the remaining two rows when the last two pieced block patterns are released in August and September.

As you know if you follow my blog, I have had a busy summer, with our son visiting, getting a new puppy, working part-time, and the usual running around transporting Eva to swim team, basketball camp, and volleyball camp. I still have had time to work on this Sunny Patches sew-along and have enjoyed every minute. Don't hesitate to jump in! At the end of the summer, you will have a cheerful summery quilt to put out next summer!

Life with Archie So Far

Cuteness overload here. Archie is adjusting very well to living with us. His breeder is from Nevada and lives in an area where Parvo is a terrible problem, so he had been kept inside for the four months of his life until we got him. He had been trained to use a cat litter box, if you can believe it, and had never experienced so many things we take for granted. He is amazed by birds, cars going by, airplanes, plants, and open spaces.

His absolute favorite thing (outside of his new family) is experiencing grass, which was unknown to him until he came to us. He pitches himself into it with a running start, rolls around in it repeatedly, and acts like it is the best discovery ever. He also figured out that it is an excellent place to pee and poop (in the first 24 hours he was with us), which means the cat litter box and 50 pounds of cat litter we bought were a complete waste of money. My friend Sue has a cat and I am hoping she will take both off my hands. Honestly, what self-respecting puppy wants to use a litter box when he can go outside in his own backyard?

We bought a boatload of toys for him, and you know what his favorites are? Ice cubes we give him and sticks he finds on the grassy lawn.

He follows my husband and me everywhere, so we aren't too worried he will try to escape. He doesn't seem to want us out of his sight, which is fine. He is affectionate and knows "sit" and "stay" and "come" and his name. His first appointment with our veterinarian is this afternoon, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks of him.

We did purchase something called a "snuffle mat" for him. It consists of a mat with various textured objects attached to it, where you can hide dog treats or tiny bits of kibble for your pet to "snuffle" out. It is supposed to be a dog "puzzle toy" that keeps your pet mentally stimulated. He did seem to enjoy that when Eva and I put it out for him. Naturally, he found all the hidden treats in short order.

Now to teach him "leave it", "no biting", and "no". Omg, you should see my hands and arms. I look like I fell into a bramble bush from all the accidental bites, bruises, and scratches. Old skin is thin and bruises easily apparently.

We are having a blast with him although he is definitely a time commitment. Eva comes over every day and helps us by playing with him and trying to train him to have some basic manners. She has been just great to have around. He is so darn cute and their mutual attraction is apparent.

Wish me luck. During his naptime today I hope to get upstairs and work a bit on the Sunny Patches project Coriander Quilts is hosting.

Introducing.....Archie

We have a new puppy! This is Archie, a Wire Hair Terrier. He is four months old and is the sweetest little guy ever. I hope I don't jinx things by saying he seems to have a rather mellow personality! He has yet to bark or make a sound of any kind. We are taking things slowly, introducing him to things gradually. He has never been on grass until today, and the joy he exhibited when he stepped on it brought a smile to all our faces. He literally pitched himself onto the grass and rolled in it. Then he got the zoomies and careened all over the backyard grass.

He doesn't mind being in a crate.

But prefers it when Eva joins him. 

We are so happy getting to know him! You will be seeing a lot more of him here, that is for sure. 

Family Vacation at Lake Tahoe

Ahren arrived safe and sound, with all his luggage (a miracle as far as I am concerned). We have been cooking up a storm, making his favorite meals. We are staying up at Lake Tahoe as I write this, and we made homemade pasta to take with us in the morning before we left. Ahren is measuring the egg/water mixture into the machine. Eva is creating some technological wonder on her iPad in the background.

Eva and I are having a great time in the backseat. Every now and then we have to stop the car and get out while Ahren takes a picture of the scenery. 

The place we are staying is very high up overlooking the lake. Great views, but heavens, this place does have a lot of steps. 

Last night we made Linguini and Clams with our homemade pasta. We tried to play a version of Gin Rummy that I bought, but the rules seemed to baffle everyone. Today we plan to venture out to Sand Harbor, a lovely beach on the Nevada side of the lake, and then maybe play a bit of miniature golf. It is so nice to be together!

 

 

Company's Coming and That's Not All

Company is coming! Our son Ahren is coming out for a rare summer visit, and his plane has landed in San Francisco. He and my husband have a three-hour drive to get home in the evening commute traffic, but they are on their way. I've got chile verde in the crock pot and a cold beer in the fridge for my son.

We have some family vacation things planned over the next week or so, which means my blog posting will be spotty at best. We are going up to Lake Tahoe, which is always a treat. There will be lots of cooking going on and I will be sure to let you know what recipes worked out best for us.

I do have some fun news for you, which may or may not be surprising. There just might be a new addition to the family coming home from our vacation with us....

Summer Memories, Finished!

I am so proud of this quilt! Summer Memories, a pattern by Susan Ache, is finished. The sew-along was sponsored by Fat Quartershop, based on a quilt pattern from the book by Susan Ache called Summer Memories.  The quilt pattern itself is called Picnic, I believe. 

Honestly, I found it rather tedious to make. All those half-square triangles and basket blocks got old after a while. But the finished results are spectacular and I could not be more pleased with the look of the quilt top. It is also one of the flattest tops I have ever made. It really came out so well.

I have a couple of quilt tops that are near the finishing stage that I hope to pull together in the time that is left of this summer. Also, I got three tops back from my quilter that need bindings. I look forward to sharing those with you.

Do any of you have a go-to source for 108-inch quilt backings? I really hate piecing quilt backs and love to get the 108 wide pieces when I can. Fat Quarter Shop really doesn't have that great a selection right now, so I am open to any and all suggestions. 

Hope that those of you in the US had a great 4th of July! We live in a golf course community and each year our neighbors go all out and decorate their golf carts and have a parade. It was so much fun to sit curbside and wait for the parade to pass by. Some folks went all out, dressing up as Uncle Sam or an eagle, with golf carts decorated with banners and balloons, and inflatable decorations. It was folksy and fun. My son-in-law invited us over for a shrimp boil for dinner and it was so good. We got home before dark and settled in before the craziness of the fireworks began. 

Haunted Halloween, a Finish!

Wooooooooo, it's a great feeling to get this spooky little wall hanging done! The project was sponsored by Fat Quarter Company, and the block patterns are completely free. It was an easy and fun project to work on. I hope I can get it out to be quilted (and back!) in time to use it this Halloween. I usually don't do wall hangings, but I think I will make an exception with this one. Click on the links for the fabric requirements and the first free block pattern.

Some significant sewing has been happening, and I look forward to sharing more with you on Wednesday.

Do you have plans for the 4th of July? We are in the midst of a dreadful heat wave, so nobody wants to be outside. (Which is why I have been sewing). So, no barbecues are on the horizon. My husband and I will just stay home and read our books.