A lot has been going on...

This is a wonderful day.

I've never seen this one before.

- Maya Angelou

Ray had his left rotator cuff operated on about 18 years ago. It was an excruciating recovery and at the time, he made the comment that he would never have the right one, which was already torn, repaired. I guess we should never say never. The right one is so painful that he has to have it fixed. We have spent the last few weeks "getting ready". There have been lots of doctor appointments and physical therapy sessions (which didn't help but insurance dictates that, generally, you have to try everything before you have surgery). Ray's EKG was a little irregular so we added a few cardiologist appointments and a test this AM. The cardiologist has now cleared him for surgery.  Ray also really wants some outside things ready for winter. The days are generally crazy! Surgery is only a couple of days away.

In the middle of all of this, we both have had birthdays. They seem to come fast but we are grateful that they keep coming!

I have found minutes for quilting most days. I looked through this book by Kim Brackett a while back

and decided to make this.

Here is a close up of the simple blocks.

I made a bunch of strips and put three strips together but I goofed!

I rearranged.

The only way these were correct is if I used the wrong side and that wasn't going to work!

So I redesigned the block.

Putting four blocks together resulted in this.

The quilt is together in this photo but not well pressed. I used bonus triangles (from the ends cut off after joining pieces on the diagonal) to make the border. This is now in the "to pin/sandwich" pile.

I was going to make a courthouse steps log cabin block from various scraps. I came across this colorful fabric that was leftover from a quilt backing. There is enough to make the whole quilt so I will use scraps but it won't be scrappy! The center block will be various navy fabrics. (These photos were taken at night - sorry)

I have 6 blocks done.

I also finished putting the blocks together for this quilt and added a red border. It is now in the "to pin/sandwich" pile.

I've been playing with some scraps making log cabin blocks. Each block will finish as a 4" square. I have a ways to go.

I also finished this sweater. I think this is my first selfie in a mirror. The pattern is called Xstatic by Isabell Kraemer. I used Venezia Sport by Cascade Yarns. It is 70% merino wool and 30% silk.

I'm not crazy about the neckline; I prefer a higher neck on sweaters. I tried the sweater on as I was making it and I must not have had the shoulders where they belonged because I thought the neckline was higher. I do love the finish on the neck though. 

I'm not sure what the next few weeks will be like but we'll be looking for wonderful days.

Harry Potter Quilts and Pillows

While we were in Canmore, AB, Canada, last spring, I bought a panel with the four house crests of Hogwarts, the Harry Potter boarding school. I thought I would make pillows or wallhangings. When I showed them to our "Harry Potter" grandson, he requested a quilt. Since he has bunkbeds, that meant two quilts. I made pillows from the other two crests.

First is the Slytherin pillow. Both pillows are quilted with a walking foot and cross-hatch stitching with black 50-weight Aurifil thread.

I added some meaningful script to each item but it is rather hidden - black thread writing on black fabric. A motto for Slytherin could be "Do what is necessary" - you might be able to see it here on the top of the pillow..

A couple of Slytherin traits are resourceful and intellegent. Maybe you can read the intelligent.

This is the  Ravenclaw pillow. 

The motto could be "Do what is wise".

A couple of Ravenclaw traits are clever and creative.

The back of both pillows are the same. This is the same fabric as the backing on the quilts. The covers are easily removable for laundering.

The first quilt is the Gryffindor quilt. It's 70" by 90".

The quilts were rather labor intensive. You can read a little about the process here. I designed the quilts but I didn't think about how I was going to add the black stripes. It worked out though so I'm happy! I used a walking foot and black 28-weight Aurifil thread. It was fun using a heavier thread - you can see it - and my Juki sewed great with it.

I used black 50-weight Aurifil thread (a thinner thread) for crosshatching the crest.

I added a Gryffindor motto above the crest: "Do what is right".

Below the crest are some traits of Gryffindors: brave, loyal, smart.

The backing is the same black grunge stars as the pillows.

The Hufflepuff quilt is also 70" by 90".

I used 28-weight #2600 Dove (gray) to quilt this in the same manner as the Gryffindor quilt.

I used black 50-weight Aurifil thread (a thinner thread) for crosshatching the crest.

The backing is the same black grunge stars as the pillows and the Hufflepuff quilt.

A Hufflepuff motto might be "Do what is nice".

Some Hufflepuff traits are kind, loyal and honest.

Grandson G likes everything so it was well worth my efforts.

I Scream You Scream

Any day spent sewing, is a good day!

I Scream You Scream is finished. I began this quilt in February by making the ice cream cones. and I finished piecing the top at a spring retreat in March. Now I finally have it quilted and the binding is on.

This 62" square quilt has Dream Cotton Batting. I used Aurifil 50-weight thread. The cones are appliquéd with #2325 beige; the ice cream is appliquéd and the front is quilted with #2600 Dove (a light gray); the back is quilted with #2265 red. I'm learning more about thread weights so I'll be trying some different threads in the near future.

I echo stitched the ice cream and cone and then I stippled around them. I free-motion quilted a large swirl in each pinwheel square.

I free-motioned quilted a back and forth squiggle in the inside white border and the outside orange border. I think you can see it more in the white border. In the middle border, I free-motioned ice cream cones - you can see them more in the white triangles. I did a squiggle in the orange dot near the corners.

The backing is a bright red and orange and the binding is an orange waterspot fabric.

This donation quilt is the first one in the pile for our next trip to the Children's Hospital.

I'm making progress on the Hufflepuff quilt. This is half of the strips I have done with the gray strip added. 

I'm hoping to have the quilt together by Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I can begin cutting it apart to add the gray strips in the opposite direction.

A fun day!

For it is in giving that we receive
― St. Francis of Assisi

Yesterday we had an errand in Madison, Wisconsin, so we decided to also drop by American Family Children's Hospital (aka UW Children's Hospital).

I had 21 quilts to drop off.

As we came in the door, the one valet parking guy asked if we needed a wagon - we'll have to do that next time.

The lady at the desk where we donated the quilts was excited to see us. Another lady passed by and had to admire and touch a few.

I always enjoy stopping by and leaving quilts off at the hospital - it high on my list of fun things to do!

The Harry Potter quilts are coming along. The Gryffindor one is pinned!

And I decided to try drying honey. It's been in the dehydrator for 3 1/2 days and is drying but very slowly. Patience!

Our youngest son is a beekeeper and has LOTS of honey this year. A little bit of it had a high moisture content so it won't keep like regular honey. I took a couple of pounds and am attempting to dry it and make it into honey powder.

At least dehydrating things don't require much of my attention so I still have time to quilt!

Wisconsin Quilt Expo 2019

On Thursday, my friend Sandy and I went to the Wisconsin Quilt Expo 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. Oh, the people! We arrived 17 minutes after the doors opened and felt lucky to get a parking space. The place was mobbed with thousands of quilters! I was so happy and grateful that Sandy had bought our tickets ahead of time - one less line.

We worked our way through the crowds all morning and also through lunch. At 1:00, we attended Lori Kennedy's lecture. Although I'd never met Lori, I've followed her blog for years. I was greeted as a long lost friend. She is so warm and friendly.

Sandy and I both enjoyed Lori's class and learned some new things about free motion quilting. There is always more to learn! We attempted more shopping in the afternoon and both left with minimal purchases. I did get the ruler foot for my Juki but it was next to impossible to get photos of anything. Overall it was a fun day!

Making Harry Potter Quilts

I am making two Harry Potter themed quilts. The twin-size quilts are for a bunkbed. The first one is a Gryffindor quilt with scarlet and gold. I designed the quilts to have a crest in the middle surrounded by squares of color. I found the crests at Sugar Pine Company in Canmore, AB, CAN, in May. 

I decided the squares should be set on a diagonal. Here is one of the 26 strips for the first quilt.

Each square will have a small strip of black in both directions. I decided to do the addition of the black when I could add the black to an entire scarlet/gold strip at a time. So I cut each strip down the middle

and added a 1" piece of black that will finish at 1/2".

After adding the strip, I pressed the seam open.

Then I needed to match the pieces (there is LOTS of pinning),

pressed to set the seam (there is LOTS of pressing),

and pressed to open the seams (there really is LOTS of pressing).

This is the last strip for the first quilt!

Some strips are sewn together.

Just a few have the black going in the second direction - I have a long ways to go. When the black strips are all added, I will add the crest to the center of the quilt. I'm hoping this all goes as planned.

Using the same design, I've started the second quilt, the Hufflepuff one, with black and yellow fabric. The yellow can be anywhere from light yellow to gold. I'm using the same gold in both quilts. Instead of black strips, this one will have 1/2" gray strips. 

Every so often, I just want to do some free-motion quilting so I'm keeping this quilt under the needle of the Juki. I try to spend a little time each day working on it.

We are getting thunderstorms this morning - a perfect day to be quilting!