The Latest Issue!

I subscribe to McCall's Quilting and the latest issue (January/February 2017) came today.

First of all, the quilt on the cover grabbed my interest ( you all know how I love piecing and stars!).

But when I was going through the pages and came to page 18, I almost fell out of my chair.

A FREE e-book called "Tales of Ireland" totally has me fascinated.  

Now I am not Irish by a long shot, but the techniques for the blocks have got me hooked.  

Crumb pieced hearts, Celtic knots, clover Applique, clamshells, hexagons, and several pieced blocks will give a quilter, who loves sampler quilts, plenty to do.  

So I make a green quilt while I refresh my skills.  There must be green in my ancestral lands and maybe a bit of Irish in me somewhere!

I urge you to go to McCallsquilting.com and check out this free e-book. Whether you are a seasoned quilter or one who is new to the craft, I know you will enjoy the challenge of this sampler quilt's various techniques.

And no, I did not get a stipend for this plug! I truly was enamored of the various techniques, although I may have to do something different with the final layout of the quilt.

Louise, on the island planning her next (sampler) quilt

Ah, November, and of All Things Binding and Fall

The title covers a lot of things, doesn't it?

Ah, November, it is finally here. Almost the end of the year, the start of the Holiday season with Thanksgiving, Christmas and lots of birthdays in my family.

The temperatures dip. And while the skies may be sunny and blue, there is a nip in the air.

My favorite tree has turned on its glorious color.

It is often the last to leaf out in the spring and now one of the last to lose its leaves.  It is beautiful this year. I guess it must be the lack of rain.

Binding continues on "Fireworks". I shòuld be finished this afternoon, if I pay attention and don't get sidetracked.

The angle of the sun makes it dip below the house next door for a brief while now, but with an increasing length of time going forward. I guess this would be like living on the eastern slope of a mountain. While it is still light, you don't experience the direct rays of the sun until the angle changes as we get closer to spring.

The sun does pop back out fairly quickly from behind the neighbor's roofline in November. But it is still a reminder, however, that we are heading towards the days with shorter amounts of daylight.

Not meaning to be depressing on this sunny afternoon!  Just observing nature's ways as I listen for the dryer to signal it has finished its cycle.

Louise, on the island, binding, while waiting for the dryer to finish!

Taking it Slow

After feeling like a truck ran me over, ( not that I really know how that feels since I have never been run over by a truck ) I have been taking it relatively slow the past few days.

An hour of sewing here, and hour of cutting there and binding in between.

It is all happening, but at a relatively much slower pace than at what I usually operate.

Can't say I don't like it. But it still doesn't feel right.

But anyway, here are the projects currently taking up my time in this slower paced lifestyle.

Six out of twenty "Sister's Choice" blocks finished for a 62" x 82" "Hoppin' Stars" quilt purchased from Cobblestone Quilts in Townsend Massachusetts during the Schoolhouse Shop Hop last year.

Five out of twenty blocks for the 59" x 72" "Autumn Stars" quilt. I purchased this kit awhile ago from the Missouri Star Quilt Company.

Purple and yellow four patches for a purple and pink "Bricks and Stepping Stones" quilt, a Bonnie Hunter pattern found on her blog under the free patterns tab.

Finally, more chevrons for the king sized "Celtic Solstice" quilt that just seems to go on and on.

I have many more sewing projects in my head that could be added to the mix, but I think these four are enough for now.

Oh yes, I forgot. "Garlic Knots" blocks that get made in between the chevrons when I am at Open Sew at the shop. That would make five if I did them at home, but so far I have resisted.

Going slow, one block at a time, sewing no more than 45 minutes to an hour at a time.

It is tough, but still doable, this going slow business.

But I am thankful that going slow is still an option.

Louise, on the island practicing her turtle moves.

Newly Completed!

An update on some newly completed quilts!

You may have seen them partially completed in earlier posts as I often cannot wait to share them with you in their incomplete status.

But here are the completed ones!

Rain Stick - still can't figure out why the name, but here it is.

Next up is "Fireworks", another pattern from a Fons and Porter publication.

And on we go with sewing and quilting.  

Louise from the island, recapping newly completed projects!

Monday at the Classroom

Just a short post to show student projects from Monday night's Open Sew.

Roxanne has worked on her "Starburst" quilt, a pattern she saw on a Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial.

It will be a nice size to gift a lucky family member!

Marie participated in a table runner making workshop I held this past Saturday at the classroom.  

She finished her border on Monday and then sandwiched her Tablerunner.  

Her plan is to quilt this during one of our next Open Sew sessions.

Today was a lovely day (sorry, no pictures) with clear skies and temperatures hovering around seventy.

Tomorrow is forecasted to be slightly warmer.  We hold on to these pleasant days of October and tuck their memories away to be re-examined and remembered next year in January. Can you believe that in three months from today it will be January and I will be packing for the Post Holiday Quilter's Retreat?!

Puts a slightly different perspective on things doesn't it?!!!

Louise, from the island waxing "nostalgic" and enjoying the weather!