The Glorious Fourth

I want to wish a Happy Fourth of July to all. I made this wall hanging several years ago, and hang it up every year at this time. As you see, I just put it on a hanger and hang it on the door of the hall closet. I've been hunting through all of my files trying to find the pattern I used, as I would like to credit the designer of the wall hanging. But no luck there.
Cheri Sullivan wrote in and asked about the quilt I started, and the answer is yes--The crazy patches will just be the center stripe in the Roman Stripe design. Actually, crazy patches can be used instead of regular fabric as part of the design for any number of simple quilt blocks, like nine patch, windmill, shoo-fly, etc. I guess that's why I can use an empty coffee can next to my sewing machine for any scraps I'm throwing away, as they will be very tiny. I use two laundry hampers to store my scraps. No matter how many scraps I use, it seems that those hampers are always full to the brim!

Sample squares

Here's an idea I'm thinking about. It's crazy patches made into sort of a Roman Stripe pattern. That's as far as it goes right now. I don't know where I'm taking it. Luckily I still have a big piece of that solid color turquoise fabric left! I even have a quilt batt hanging around in the corner of the room. The quilt is loosely based on a pattern I saw in a magazine called "Quilt Pink, 2007." Also, I have in my mind to do a wall hanging, sort of winging it. I want to start with some reverse applique. And then, I'm doing some crocheting. I should be dusting my place, washing the kitchen floor, vacuuming the bedroom, but I do believe I'll take a nap and catch up on some reading.

What I've been up to

Yesterday morning, as I was combing my hair, I was looking at a photo on my dresser--a photo of me and my sister. And I looked at the blouse I was wearing. It was a summer blouse that I had made for myself. And I started wishing I had a blouse like that about now, as the weather has turned rather hot lately. "Well," says I to myself, "why not? After all I still have that pattern." So yesterday afternoon, I looked in the box on my shelf, the box labelled--Patterns. And I found it! I searched in my stash for a couple of yards of suitable fabric. Please don't tell the quilt police, but some of my fabric is not 100% cotton! And in one afternoon, I whipped up this blouse. I'm so proud, as it must be at least 5 years since I sewed any clothes except for my granddaughter's Barbie doll, and that really doesn't count. It took me a few minutes to even figure out where the 5/8 inch sewing line is on my machine.

Courthouse Steps Quilt

I'm so excited, I finished this quilt today. It's a very easy, traditional quilt. I spread it out on a queen-sized bed to photograph it.

I'm pleased to say that the quilt is all quilted and put together. Right now, I'm sewing on the binding. I read a hint in a magazine some time ago about the label for a quilt. So I followed the advice and took some cross stitch fabric and embroidered the label. Then I sewed it right in with the binding (in the back). I'll just tack that down.Very easy after all.

Quilting in sections

It's easier to machine quilt when the quilt is made in sections. They will be joined after the machine quilting is done. If you can make it out in the photo, there are some little red things there on the quilt. I have rubber finger covers that I use for machine quilting.

Jacaranda acutifolia

I call Jacaranda trees California's answer to lilac bushes. I sometimes miss the lilacs that grew near my house when I was a kid. But when the jacarandas bloom--well it's just lovely. There are streets lined with these purple-blooming trees. They will start out all covered with the flowers, and then gradually, the leaves grow in to take their place. Meanwhile, I'm still working on that quilt--I have it all pin basted now, both sections, and one section is nearly all quilted. I also made a hand-embroidered label to sew on the back.

Good news, I'm starting on the free-motion quilting. My sewing and knitting has been mostly on hold lately, as I'm still nursing my shoulder. However, the shoulder is much improved. Life is complicated sometimes. I feel like the old song "time is slipping away." I'm enjoying our spring weather. Some people complain because it is inclined to be cloudy in Southern California in June, but I find it delightful. It's not too hot. I have to check out the weather forecast every day though, to decide what to wear. I remember meeting a tourist one time who said, "I came here to California, and where is the famous sunshine?" Sorry, not many June mornings are sunny!

Pin basting

This is a section of the courthouse quilt (it's in 2 sections at the moment). It is undergoing pin basting. I pin baste on the dining room table. I put a cutting mat under the part I'm working on. I use that big wooden slat that appears in the photo to smooth out the quilt before I pin it. I will be free-motion quilting on the sewing machine. I have to wind up a bunch of bobbins first.