Monday, June 26, 2023

not much for two weeks

I'm not sure if anyone missed me last Monday, but I was at work.  Inventory was Tuesday, so Monday was frantic cleaning and tidying and prepping for that, so the boss had a lot of extra people in the store working.  I considered blogging after, or the next day, but I didn't have much to show, so I waited for this week.

I still don't have much to show.  I'm not sure what all I've been doing aside from cat hammocks and reading, but I'm sure it was something.

There was some quilty work, though!

The Positivity quilt got some attention - finally - again...


Since my jelly roll was "skinny" (20 strips instead of 40), I had less to work with.  I did some math and figured it out.  But then the strips were generous and I got five per strip instead of the four designated in the pattern.  So math again and finally a layout.  (I have two extra leaves, but it's all good.)

These are also a bit smaller than the pattern, as something went wonky along the way and the size I was supposed to trim these to was NOT happening.  It's all good.  I made it work.  (Because at this point, I'm not not going to make it work!)

Back to the stash for some stem fabric.

I opted to sew columns of leaves (and spacers) and then sew long strips with the stems.  The pattern has you make two-leaf blocks.  Either way would be good, I'm just being lazy.  Or smart.  Who knows?

After a few hours of sewing, I had a top.


It's a bit on the small side for the charity that is taking it, so I may add a border all the way around.  Maybe not.  For now, this is it.

Pretty good for a jelly roll that came in with cat hammock fabric and I went "well that's too skinny" and set aside!

If you want to see others working on this quilt along, Bernie has a linkup happening right now over at her blog, Needle and Foot.  (She's co-hosting with Preeti.)

If you want to join the charity quilt along and make this quilt, the pattern is at the Positivity link above.  It's super easy and fast!

I've sewn down the binding for the retirement quilt, but today I need to get a label on it.  It will go to the new owner on Wednesday, so I can blog about it next week.

The gnome and mushroom quilt is still sitting here, along with the one going to Rick, but this recipient may somehow have found my blog, so I'm sitting on that for a bit yet.  (I need to get off my behind and get these given, but life just seems to be too much sometimes...)

In other random news, I was reading a book ("Last Bus to Wisdom" by Ivan Doig - a good book) and mentions of quilting happened every so often.  He managed to somewhat describe a few quilt blocks earlier in the book, but since it is written from the perspective of an 11-year-old boy in 1951, I considered them good enough.  But then I got to this:


The author is no longer living, but I hope he turns over in his grave a bit when I say he acts books.  I know he tried, and this is maybe a common misconception, but if he went to enough trouble to describe a log cabin block, really?

Anyways.  I've seen worse.  Like folks knitting with crochet hooks.

Off to make that quilt label and more cat hammocks.  I'm down to the fat quarters from the ginormous bin, so that is substantial progress.  But there's always more!

Happy quilting,
Katie

PS Speaking of cat hammocks, a few days ago Saved By Zade, the group I make the hammocks for, posted about the kitties using their hammocks!  You can see the post here, though the hammock isn't terribly visible.  (That lack is made up for by the adorable floofy kittens!)

5 comments:

Carol R. said...

Barb and I missed you at lunch last Monday and I missed your Monday blog but understood that work outside the home came first. Let's just not make a habit of it, ok? I saw the fb post with the kittens in the hammock - yeah, lots of floofy! :).
I'm wondering if that author was talking about afghans instead of quilts. I've heard people confuse them before... as bad as calling quilts blankets... like fingernails on a chalkboard to my ears.

A Left-Handed Quilter said...

Congratulations on finishing your LEAFY quilt top - it looks GREAT! Haha @ knitting quilts and floofy kittens - ;))

Bernie Kringel said...

I think your method of sewing columns of leaves and spacers is brilliant! Seems much simpler to me. Wish I had thought of that.
How big is the quilt. I am guessing 50x60 approx? Maybe just add a small border around the perimeter and it will be wonderful. We actually like to have all sizes of lap quilts because people come in all sizes.

Thank you so much!!

Nancy said...

It's a good thing you're good at math to be able to figure out the changes when the fabric isn't the size it's supposed to be. Your blocks look great!
About the "knitting quilts" quote: maybe Doig was trying to maintain the perspective of an an 11-year-old boy?
I tried to look at the kitties in their hammocks but couldn't because it's a Facebook site. I'm sure they're adorable and know they love your hammocks!

Ruth said...

I started 2 comments, but then left that page to check something out and when I came back they were gone. Did they possibly get published?