Dresden Plate quilt

I'm making this wonky Dresden plate quilt. I got the instructions from the book "Free & Eazy Circles" by Jan Mullen. I used muslin for the foundations for the circles. I have to quilt it now. I plan to free motion quilt. This quilt is smaller than what I usually make. I don't know why, but I decided that 12 blocks were enough. I really enjoyed hand-appliqueing the blocks to the foundations. I used any light solids I could find for the foundation squares. I have quite a large piece of the brown that I used for the sashes.
Next, I hope to make a donation quilt following the ideas in the beginning chapters of Gwen Marston's book "Liberated Quiltmaking." And I still have that table runner that I put aside several weeks ago. I'm doing some knitting lately, but I don't want to show pictures because they are a present, and the recipients have been know to glance at the blog from time to time.
A little bit of quilting-type excitement for me. After all these years of quilt making I discovered something called "utility quilting." I do vaguely recall seeing a quilt in an old book that was quilted with cross stitch, but the idea never registered. I got my hands on a book published in 1991 called--I'm not kidding--"Rotary Riot" by Judy Hopkins and Nancy J. Martin. And in the very back pages, it describes quilting by hand using cross stitch, fly stitch (the authors call it "crow footing") buttonhole stitch, Mennonite Tack, and Methodist Knot. These stitches are used instead of tying the quilt. And I do believe that the method looks neater and quicker that tying. The process involves taking one of these stitches on the quilt using a long needle, and then sliding the needle through the batt, to the next spot. The fly stitch is the one that appeals to me. It's a stitch any one who embroiders would know.

Heart wall hanging, or mat

Here's a little wall hanging or mat that I made for my good friend Quilting Cindy. I hope to get to the PO sometime this week to send it to her.

Now on to the further adventures of Roz: In the last episode, Roz's nine year old Stereo bit the dust. The little thingy where you insert the CD's got stuck. It's a good thing in a way that the thingy got stuck in the outy position, and didn't eat my CD's. Also, I will admit that it only played one radio station, and only one of the two doors for playing tapes still opened. So I looked on the Internet to see how much it would cost to replace. The answer is nothing. It seems that the stereo is completely obsolete. My stereo could play CD's, radio, cassette tapes and old-fashioned records. I have the forty year old records to prove it. However, it is possible to buy something called a Shelf Stereo. It will play CD's and has a radio. My daughter went with me to the store and helped me to pick out a new stereo. And my grandson told me that he would come over, remove my old stereo, and install the new one in my entertainment center. However, before that could occur, she went to see friends in another county with the stereo still in the trunk. So my new stereo went on a sight-seeing trip for about 100 miles. But my grandson did phone me today and say that he has possession of the thing and will be over later to take care of it. OK, you say, but what will happen to my 125 cassette tapes and my phonograph records? Well I do have an ancient radio with good sound in my sewing room that plays tapes. And I will donate the records to the library for the Friend of the Library Book Sale. Actually, if I give away the records, I'll have the space for more books and a basket of fabric!

Wow, Wow

Today didn't start out too well. I had a dentist appointment. Then my stereo died. But guess what? It turns out that today is my lucky, lucky day! Quilting Cindy sent me this adorable bag! The mail doesn't arrive here until the late afternoon. I'm so happy. Now not only does this bag look cute, but it's reversible. And it makes a super Halloween decoration (of which I had none); and it will be good for holding those socks I'm knitting or toting the mail. So a big thank you to Cindy.

Tree Wall Hanging

Here's my tree wall hanging, I finished it. I designed this myself, so all the blame is on me. It's hand appliqued and embroidered. I included the Bible verse on the bottom. That's where my idea came from. I like to make a double line of quilting on wall hangings. My arthritis is too bad to be quilting a whole quilt, but I can get away with a small piece. I thought that I should take two photos, one showing a close-up. Of course, I put the photos on the blog in the wrong order. I do that often. I did make a hanging tunnel on the back, but I generally hang my wall quilts on a pants hanger on a door. Then I can switch them around, for different holidays or seasons.

Orphan train

Well, I'm really honored. Finn has put my fungly quilt on her Orphan Train web site. Just take a peek over there.
http://orphantrainsfromfinn.blogspot.com/2008/09/introducing-roz.html

A new direction

I'd like to thank The Liberated Quilter's Web ring for inviting me to be a member. Such wonderful quilters. And while I was at it, I rearranged my blog a bit. I have moved my reading list to a link. I'm trying to list some of my books on the librarything web site now.

Now, on to the adventures of my fungly quilt. I had sewn on most of the binding on Saturday night, and completed it on Sunday morning. I had the luck to notice one of my neighbors outside and she was kind enough to hold the quilt up for a photo. In the afternoon, my daughter came over and I showed her the quilt. "Perfect for my new Hammock!" she said. They have a hammock under a canopy in their yard. So that quilt was finished and found a home on the same day.

Now on to my quilting. Above is a photo of a Dresden plate pattern pillow that I made quite a few years ago. The little cross stitch house has snow on the roof (no snow where I live)--but never mind. Dresden plate is one of my favorite patterns. Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I made a Dresden plate quilt. It was hand stitched and quilted one block at a time, and then I joined the blocks together. We used it to tatters. Anyhow, I thought that I might like to make another Dresden plate quilt, but not that kind, even though I have the plastic template and everything. So I purchased Jan Mullen's book, "Free & Eazy Circles." I wanted a liberated version. Then I tried to make a sample block. Jan Mullen calls for a cotton batting as a foundation for the ring. Well, I don't have cotton batting, and even if I did, it would make so much lint in the bobbin. I don't know why, but she never thought of a muslin foundation. I tried that and it worked fine. You then hand applique the wonky result to a block. I like it. I will probably make a quilt of these circle things. About muslin, I used to sew with it a lot, and my old Dresden plate quilt was made with it as the background. I still have a bunch of it laying around here and there. But lately I've gotten fancy and I generally use "quilter's cotton" in a neutral color instead. I remember the days when the old Montgomery Ward store used to advertise white cotton sheets for $2.50 during white sale days (they were loosely woven, not tight like the sheets they sell now). I would phone the linen department at opening time and ask the lady if she had any of those sheets in the ad. If she did have any, she would only have a few, they were a loss leader. I would say, "This is Rosalyn, and I'm coming right down, hold one for me." I would take that sheet, wash it, and cut it up for my quilts.

Completed Fungly Sampler Quilt

Well, here it is, the fungly quilt is finished. It came out to be a good size, about 50 by 90 inches, more or less. And totally ridiculous. But you know, I got to like it, and it's going to make a nice nap quilt. And thanks to Tonya (Lazy Gal blog) for encouraging me to make it. I don't think I'll ever make a "normal" quilt again. And I used up a lot of fabrics and bits and pieces that have been in my boxes for years and years. Some of those blocks used in the border were cut with a scissors on pencil marks--before I even used a rotary cutter. Meanwhile, I'm on overload with projects. I ordered yarn, books, and so forth. And everything has arrived. I'm making a bunch of stuff. Socks, vests, a sweater, and of course I'm hand quilting that tree wall hanging. So I just have to try to keep completing things as soon I can.

Here's one thing I'm planning on doing this afternoon, I'm going for a dip in the pool. This pool is part of the condominium complex where I live. As far as my many projects are going, the fungly is half tied. (That sounds funny--fungly) I wonder how anyone else is progressing on finishing a fungly project? And I've finished the embroidery on the tree wall hanging, and have found a scrap of batting for it. It's ready for hand quilting. And I started knitting a sock.