Tuesday, November 12, 2013

November Winds

My unofficially adopted son, Matthew's  windshield got replaced today, right in our lower driveway.


He was so very happy! Safelite did a great job.
Then, later in the day, his new headlight assembly arrived from San Jose, California, that he had been very anxiously awaiting.


Please note that those lower fenders are a nice newly painted black instead of all rough and chipped like before!

Our weather has been capricious with a seesaw thermometer. The kittens saw their first snow!


They really don't trust it yet, LOL! They were afraid to walk on it, and when they did, they shook off their little white paws. The dogs, on the other hand, loved it!!!


On the quilty side of things, it has been busy, too.

Whenever I am the least bit unhappy with a quilt's progress, I tend to run away and start something completely new. This is a very undisciplined approach, I realize, but as it is a hobby, I usually get away with it. It may take me two or three years to get back on track with the cast aside project, but I do.

This time, after all my struggles with assembling Milky Way into a center, I was bemoaning how poorly the contrast between my lights and darks looked. The design hardly shows! Whaughhhhhh!


So, Sunday, I set it aside rather than putting borders on it and I played nicely with some Paintbox Moda charm packs instead.



I sewed them randomly. I sewed them furiously. I had a ball! There are 42 five inch squares to one charm pack, and I had two of them. The day was cold and snowy. I hid inside and sewed!


Above you can see that the charms were randomly joined into big four-patches which I laid out on my bed. Then I joined them into rows and added borders. Here I was auditioning the very dark tealish green that was planned for my final binding.
The border fabrics were a Warmth Collections For A Cause by Moda. The first is the inner border of a light grayish blue.


The outer border is Cocheco Mills from Marcus Brothers. Here is a closer look:


I was so very happy with myself for getting something to a stage of completion that it really energized me!
The top was 48"x58" after the borders, so I found some pretty light creamy nondescript floral background fabric and cobbled up a backing. Next I grabbed my big roll of batting and measured out a 54" piece of the 90"+ Pellon "Nature's Touch".


Hey! I was ready to quilt!!!! And it was Monday, Veteran's Day, so Ellen Peters' said to com'on over!
I forgot to bring the camera, but as it was a small quilt, I was done in about 45 minutes.



Yahoo!!!! I brought it home and slammed a binding on it, and started hand hemming it.
I finished it this morning around 9am. Wow. Never did a quilt so fast!


When I quilted it on the longarm, I used a heart and loop design that some say looks like ivy leaves. I learned this from my dear friend Linda Monasky over at The Bear Paw Gallery in Alton, New Hampshire, link is here.


 It was challenging to make both sides of the leaves or hearts look evenly matched side to side.


This is the first time that I have quilted this design, so mine all go in one direction, but I love how it came out!
Inspite of it being so cold and very windy today, I got photos of it in the orchard Rose Nectarine tree.


What a great feeling to have a quick finish!


Happy sewing!




5 comments:

Feathers in my Nest said...

Wow, I guess you did have a quick finish! very pretty Vic. Can't go wrong with Moda. .......The kitties are so precious. I see one stayed back while the other one tested the snow, how funny. Very gloomy, chilly day here today. I'm debating whether to make a pot of soup or go take a nap!!Ha.

Janet O. said...

And a lovely finish at that, Vic!
I can just imagine those kitties testing the snow and shaking it off their paws. What fun to see them experience it for the first time.

cityquilter grace said...

i AM impressed with your adorable finish! and snow? eeeeeks...say it ain't so!

Helen in the UK said...

Congrats on the super-fast finish! I like your Milky Way ... it has contrast, but also has some areas that blend more and make you think when you view. I would say very "Bonniesque" in it's use of 'neutrals' :)

Lori said...

That is a great pattern to use some pretty fabrics! Way to go on getting it finished so quickly.

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