SCRAPPY TRIPPY KIMMY

I have a great kwilty friend who loves scraps.

One of the first projects she encouraged me to do is...

Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks.

I have a project bin, with all the blocks

ready to sew.  Clover clips keep each block separate.

I used a light green print down the center of each block.

Looking at it now...there's not a lot of variance in color value.

I used the Bonnie Hunter's tutorial

and you can find that one here!

These (now) ugly blocks will come charity quilts.

Proves once more...I never have been a fan of BH.

 

My scrappy queen friend is Kim Hensley.

She recently came to sew with me and her

scrappy quilt blocks are amazing!

Kim is using a Christmas Jelly Roll.

and she added white as an alternating row.

She found the more MODERN tutorial,

that uses a jelly roll for the blocks,

over at Woodberry Way Blog.

For the sewalong / tutorial click here.

I want THESE blocks...not mine!

Have you made a Scrappy Trip quilt?

IF I make another it will be

 with a jelly rolls from my stash!

MODERN CHRISTMAS TREE BLOCKS

I have FINALLY finished a Christmas quilt top

 using the Modern Tree Blocks by Amy Smart.

 I made most of the blocks, 2 years ago.

I used Amy's free Tutorial over on her blog, 

Diary of a Quilter and 

you can see it here.

The tutorial offers directions for two sizes

of the blocks.  I made the bigger size.

Its sew easy and I love the wonky look of the

trees, cut them all the same, or different.

Stack two fabrics and slice, following her instructions.

I love wonky and different!

Then I put the blocks on the design wall about 5 times.

I just couldn't decide how I wanted them to look.

Did I want my layout to mimic the original design?

Did I want to stagger the vertiacal rows?

 Did I want to add shashing?

To help me decide the final layout I like to take a 

black and white photo to see the color value balance.

This time I decided the blocks were NOT coming down

until they were sewed into a top.

And finally a top was made.

I went with the original design.

I was worried that I had to many colors?

I found out...I did not.

I love the almost scrappy look

of all my Christmas prints.

I made the top 7 rows across and 8 rows down.

A great lapsize quilt.

No borders for me!

That being said...

My first Christmas in July top/project is complete.

Of course, it needs quilted.

Perhaps that will happen before Christmas.

Are you sewing any Christmas in July projects?

After all, its only 5 month til Christmas!

FLAG QUILT

Before July has slipped by...I wanted to share 

my finished Stars and Stripes quilt,

 pattern by Thimbleblossoms.

I started this in 2019, making the blocks at a quilt retreat.

It is quick and easy but it sat in a pile of  "to quilt" projects.

My friend, Coleen Rains, offered to quilt this one

'on the house' as she learned about how to use

 her new longarm machine.

We played with a wave design

and decided a long soft wave was perfect.

Like a flag, gently waving in the wind.

Binding was blue/white and perfect to frame this beauty.

I love the yellow gingham I selected for the background.

The backing was a fabric I had in my stash for over 10 years.

A "Pez" print by American Jane!

And then, there is the obligatory and traditional photo 

of my husband Phil, under the quilt I just finished.

He served in the US Navy in the 60s

and loves all things patriotic!

He also loves my quilts and 'gets' my obsession.

He is a good sport to pose for me!

WHY I HAVE ONLY ONE BFF!

BFF...Best Friend Forever...

I have many friends but I only have ONE... BFF!

Meet, Shirley (Bolton) Haller.
We became friends in 1960, thats 60 Years ago!
That's forever ago!
I was 3rd grade, she was 4th grade.
I was 9, She was 10. 

We were also neighbors, growing up in the country.

We were inseparable.
Now I live in Ohio, Shirley lives in Indiana.

I write this post with worry in my heart.

My BFF has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

She lives 300 miles away.

She has cancer and I can't get to her.

I can't hug her...even if I was standing near her.
There a virus to worry about and with chemo treatments
her system is compromised.

I would drive 6 hours in a heart beat,
 in a snow storm, at night with a broken leg...
IF I could go and not jeopardize her health.

When she called with the news, I knew
 by the sound of her voice,
 something was terribly wrong.

Once I hung up, I cried, screamed, and prayed and
finally pulled myself together.

I got a quilt from The Stitching Sisters.

A charity group, here in Columbus, who make and give

lapquilts to cancer patients going thru treatments.

I have volunteered with this group for many years.

I sent it to her immediately...

 

But lets look at some fun things that are Shirley Haller.

This is Shirley and Dave Haller
as they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary
Dec 6, 2019
I was her bridesmaid...50 years ago.
She was mine...20 years ago!

Shirley was a hairdresser for 48 years.
She had her own shop and retired just a couple years ago.
This was a photo I took of her in an antique mall,
Under and old hair curling system.



We both love Christmas!
There was always a fight over who would get to buy a
vintage tree topper we would both find at an antique store.



Shirley loves to bake and has a huge assortment
of rolling pins.  Lots of great baked items have come from these and 
her husband is the most well behaved man I know!



Last Fall on a visit to Ohio...
she wore her Indiana Hooiser attire.
I still let her party with the Scarlet and Gray fans.

THIS may be my favorite picture of us having the time
of our lives at Country Living Fair, 2019
I was so very happy I could make this happen for her.
It was the highlight of the year!

I sent this little gift to her several years ago.
I know she reads it everyday when she
wakes and sits in a special chair,
 saying her special prayers.

We both love to quilt

In 2011 I made this quilt and sent it to her.

I labeled it.

"A Friend is a Present You Give Yourself"

And now that you know a bit about our very long friendship...

maybe you can say a little prayer for her (and for me)

as she kicks cancer to the curb.

Shirley is strong!

Shirley is a warrior!
Shirley IS my BFF!

QUARANTINE KNITTING

2020 has been a real downer!

COVID19 aka RONA has reared her very ugly head

resulting in a pandemic and quarantines all over the world.

I am thankful I know how to knit!

I began this lovely shawl while wintering in 

Fort Myers Florida.

The pattern is Dawn to Dusk shawl.

500 yards of a beautiful gradient yarn 

moves from a light blue

to a charcoal gray.

When I returned home in April, I finished it and
 began a new scarf

Letters From Russia.

It is based on a pattern by 4 generations of knitters who each
have a section of the pattern dedicated to them.
Grandmother, Mother, Daughter 1 and Daughter 2,
who lived in Russia.  I used a DK knit from my yarn stash.

Cascade, Ulta Pima Cotton in a periwinkle blue color.

Now it's July, 2020 and RONA is still a bitch.

IMHO States reopened businesses, way to soon.

Opening bars and restaurants a HUGE mistake!

People refuse to wear masks! WTH?

The numbers are rising again.

I will be safe as I can, wear my mask,

 be considerate and continue to be part of the solution,

 rather than part of the problem.

I have started a new shawl with 520 yards of

a beautiful yarn called Cherry Garcia.

It's a fingering weight and is gonna be perfect

with Ohio State scarlet and gray color.

Let's hope college football happens this year.

I can and have given up a lot because of RONA...

but NO Buckeye Football will probably break me.

What have you been doing to get thru 

 this "hunkering down" time?