Strings...and other things!

 Lori of Humble quilts has been hosting a string quilt along all year.  Strings are my go-to fun piecing, so I work on them very often!!  I really love strings!!!  Above it a row of six inch wide strings...I think I will make a Chinese Coin quilt from this particular piece of patchwork.  I am linking to her blog HERE.

 I just got back from a trip to see my sister in Colorado.  She was one of my teachers, being a lot older than I was, showing me how to sew and quilt when I was little.   She is now in a nursing home, with fairly advanced Parkinsonian dementia.  She recognized me, but now has forgotten I was there.  It is a devastating disease, for sure.   Above are her tools, including an old crochet hook on the right.

Her husband is trying to get some of her things given away to the people who should have them.  Skip this if you want to...but I photographed some of the boxes of things, just so I would kind of have a record, you know?

 Miscellaneous scissor, etc...

 Thread!!!

 And more thread!!  and buttons in tins...did your mom or grand mom have a button box?

 Old, old cigar boxes full of threads...some from the old TG &Y store.

 More...

and more!!  scissors, thread, buttons, hook and eyes, snaps, zippers, chalk hem markers, seam guages, rulers, cutting mats, needles, pins, marking pencils, a zillion shoulder pads (think 1980's)  just on and on and on.




I am glad these all did not go to the good will...I found some of my momma's patterns (cut from corn flake boxes)  and scissors, too, so they are around 70 years old and very precious to me.



Thanks for listening!



Hugs from Julie

Mary Brown/Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler quilt beginnings!

 Good morning to everyone!!  I have started another quilt along...but with a twist.  Almost all of the group is doing the "Mary Brown" quilt...a lovely complex applique beauty!!!  I still wanted to quilt along with this inspiring group,  but felt like I should use a pattern I already had, so I would not have to purchase a fairly costly pattern,  and one that was not quite so difficult.  So!!  I started this quilt!!!  Mrs. Lincoln's Sampler Quilt! Here are my first two blocks.  A mixture of applique and piecing.  I enlarged the blocks from 5 inches to 10 inches, so I would have a larger, bed sized quilt when I was done.  

Here is the pattern; it is by Lori Smith.  Well written and great diagrams are included.




Please see the following bloggers to see their progress on "Mary Brown!"

Karen -   Log Cabin Quilter

Cathy - Big Lake Quilter

Nanette - Doitrightquilter.com

Julie -    

Jennie -  Overthehillandrunning.blogspot.com

Jan -  No blog

Robin -  I Like to Create Blog 

Julie

Dear Jane UPdate 09-22-2019

This is my most current blog for my Dear Jane quilt...pink is my favorite!!

Julie

Ufo's that are not mine!

These blocks were made by a very famous quilter, Tricia Cribbs of Turning Twenty quilts.  She was SELLING them!  And I just loved them, so I bought them.  They are all batiks, and will be such a pretty quilt when they are all quilted together.  

I am working on Dear Jane blocks today.

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Julie

Dearest Boy, edging closer!

 Karen, Cathy, Carole and I have been working on this quilt, "Dearest Boy" for a couple years now.  We are all at different stages of completion, and here is where I am.  I sewed the blocks into nine sections, and will finish the remaining applique, and the missing block, LOL, as I go along, then sew all the sections together.  There is a fun applique border to the pattern too, and I am considering what to do for that.   Karen did her border a little different, and I love hers!  I think Cathy is working on her border and I know I will love hers too!  Click on their names to see their quilts.

I will add something else to the Baby block square, as I feel the applique is too sparse.  I trimmed one block too small and had to add a bitty border.  I pieced one block incorrectly (too small) and it got a border on it, too. I have learned a lot, and my applique skills are getting better!!

Altogether, I have enjoyed sewing with my friends immensely, and the uniqueness of the blocks was great fun to work with.

I just like this block for some reason!!  Scrappy and fun!

I love that goose...she has attitude, baby!!  LOL!!  and the wreath with the heart in the middle.

I just really like this vase and flowers too.



So I am just delighted to have gotten to sew along on this project!  I have more work to do, but am edging closer to a finish.


I will be sewing along with this group again...but doing a little different project than most are doing.  But I love the process and learning that goes along with a sew-along, so here I go again...stay tuned!!





Hugs to all!!


Julie

Progress on precious days off

 This is a little baby quilt, made from the same fabrics and style as the baby's dad's quilt.  So guess what?  The original quilt was made for my son....and his wife is pregnant.  I am going to be a Gramma for the first time!!!  So"Little Man" will have an identical quilt, just smaller, as his daddy.  They are big UT fans, so I have used UT fabrics, left over from my son's quilt.  (University of Texas)

 The hospital gift shop has a wonderful director, who comes up with the cutest window scenes!  She was selling some of her props, and among these was this little child's rocking chair.  Twenty bucks later, it is mine.  It is so tiny and cute!

 I have made some progress on this quilt, slowly.  I would do this quilt differently if I had designed it....but I am well on the way and it is rolling right along!  It is kind of hard to find a rhythm to sew!

Bright yellow twinkling stars!






I hope you have had some sewing time, just for you, today!!





Julie

Dear Jane update

I finished a row!  I thought I had 6 rows together already, but I had five...but now I have six!!   On our Dear Jane project!  I can sort of see the "trip around the world" look that shines in the original Dear Jane quilt.  The pinks show up...yahoo!

These are my two latest blocks.  I finished the hand applique of the top block, and pieced the little bottom block today.  On we go!  And speaking of that....

Annie sent me these pictures to show!!  Wow...how pretty, don't you think?  Here are Annie's words:

Hi Julie,
Boy, two of these were challenging!  The blue one was prone to stretching so points didn’t match easily.  Think I handled it too much.  The red one was a case of pure brain block.  For some reason I just could not get the design right.  Last night, when I was having trouble sleeping, it suddenly dawned on me to sew strips in opposite colorways, cut them into right angle triangles and sew them together.  No problem!  Embarrassed to admit I made this block twice before I had the 0300 “ah-ha” moment!  Wonder if Jane had occasions of brain freeze, or if her mathematical mind instantly resolved challenges.  Very satisfying to get these done!  Hope everyone else is having a pleasant time with their blocks.  Haven’t even looked at the next blocks.  Take care,  Annie



I think Annie's blocks are just perfect!



Thank you everyone for encouraging us all on our journey!!



Binsa:  https://cobblestonebridgequiltsnthings.blogspot.com/
Lcrrkhs:  http://lcrrkhs.blogspot.com/   Kathleen
Carole:  http://wheelsonthewarrandytebus.blogspot.com/


And Annie, who does not have a blog at this time.




And see this blog...it has lots of information about how to make the blocks!
https://thatquilt.blogspot.com/




Julie