I was busy working on my scrap quilt over the weekend.  I put it on the quilting frame early Saturday morning.  It is Huge!  Or so it seems on the frame laying there all stretched out.  I am liking the colors in this quilt more and more.  I wasn't sure about the yellows and golds, but I had that fabric on hand that was gifted to me from a friend.  It was the only color that I had enough random colors to do this quilt, and since this was going to be a scrap quilt, I wanted to use other fabrics that I had on hand.

The quilt pattern is from More Adventures with Leaders and Enders book by Bonnie Hunter.  (I think that is the right book), Nanganset Blues?  Only I did this one with 2-1/2" squares, 4-1/2" x 8-1/2" bricks and so forth.  So my quilt seems much larger than Bonnie's, just because of the larger squares. 

I have done the 2" 4-patches and the borders so far.  A simple x through the blocks and a pretty flowery border, then a pumpkin seed in the last small border.  I'm almost to the bottom of the quilt as of last night.  I am still not sure what I am going to quilt in the gold bricks or the very center of the quilt.  So far I am thinking some sort of feathers in the bricks.  It looks reproduction, so I want to keep it simple to stay with the period it reflects.  Any ideas?

It is going to be a beautiful addition to my personal quilt collection, I think.  I don't really think I can bring myself to selling this one.  :)

And in the middle of the weekend, guess what I found in the garden?

Jeff swears it is a garden snake.  He was pretty fat, but no longer than about 12-15" as far as I could tell in the dark.  Yes, I said dark.  I spotted him/her with my phone flashlight while I was out with my dog, Lucy, just before bedtime last night.

It is all I can do to let this creature live.  I don't like snakes......AT ALL!  There was another one that was a little different color that slithered across my foot on Friday night that I chased into the neighbors yard.  I know, not nice of me.  But I nearly hurt myself when it went across my foot!  Jeff says they are good for the garden and yard, that they eat pests and creatures in the garden.  Really?  From the looks of our garden, I don't think the snake(s) are keeping up their end of the bargain.  Geesh!  Makes me shiver to just think about it.  And, yes, I had shoes on both encounters with the snakes in the yard.

What pests make you scream or react in ways you don't normally come across?

Leave the creatures to take care of the other pests in your yard.  They are all God's creatures.


Have a wonderful quilting day/week ahead!

Glenda

And what do we discover while quilting?

A little bit of progress on this quilt top today.  After ripping out several blocks and putting different colored blocks where they were.  I am a lot happier with this layout of colors than before.

What did I discover?  Well, this quilt top would have been beautiful the way it was before I took those blocks out and put different colored blocks in their place.  Would anyone have noticed that it didn't quite balance?  Probably not.  Does it make me happier with the results?  Definitely.

Will it make a difference in how it turns out?  No.  If you like the yellows and golds, I think you would love it anyway.

Know what else I have discovered?  My design wall is not big enough!  Unfortunately, short of taking it to the stairway, I don't have any other place to do this.  So, I will work with the space that I have and be very happy that I at least have this much room.  It only makes it sometimes challenging in the layout process of putting blocks together to make a large quilt top.

I have 2 more columns put together for each side of this top.  Once I get them on, I will hang it to see what size it is and visually look at it to see if I need to add any more rows or columns.  I want it to be at least queen sized, but need to be careful not to make it giant sized.

Have you ever been designing a quilt top and just gone with it until you get the size you want?  I do that all the time.

While this design is somewhat copied from one of Bonnie Hunter's books, I still put my design and spin on it.  I rarely follow a pattern.  While her quilt was made in blues and with 1-1/2" finished blocks, mine is using some 2" finished blocks because I had more 2-1/2" scrap blocks than 2".  She got more of the squares on point in the design than I will.

I just noticed that I have a 4-patch in each corner.  This would be a good place to finish, but I want this quilt to be a little bit wider, so I will continue on.

What are your projects for the weekend?  It's going to be too hot to be outside much, so I will be in my studio working (playing).

Have a great weekend!

Happy quilting!
Glenda

Pictures of work in progress

Do you ever take pictures of your quilts in progress?  I do.  Wanna know why?

Two reasons......one is to show you that read my blog what I'm working on for the current week.  Second reason.......to see what others will see when they look at my quilt.  This is something that is difficult to see from a distance when you are piecing blocks together.

After I take a picture of a work in progress on my design wall, I can take the picture to my computer to see it in a broader view than if I'm standing there looking at it.

What did I discover on this one?  Well, there are a couple of yellow blocks that I would rather they be the  darker gold color.  I didn't even see this until I got some of the columns sewn together.

I also see a couple of blocks that I would rather finish up with a different block than what I put there.  Yes, I am using scraps and fabrics from my stash.  No, they are not colors I would choose.  Yes, they are fabrics that someone gifted to me some time ago that I thought would work with this scrappy 4-patch design.

BTW....this is a design I chose to work from that is from one of Bonnie Hunter's books.  She did this in a much smaller block and in blues (which is one of my favorite colors).  I do love the scrappy look, but it has some anchoring to it with the yellows and golds in there.

Tonight when I get home from my paying job, I will take this apart where I want the other colors to be.  You see, I'm a symmetrical person.  It has to be balanced.  This will make me much happier once I get this top finished.  You may think it's ok just as it is.  That is the artist difference in us.  Don't you just love the defining differences between you and someone else?  It makes for wonderful choices in color, balance and style.

What would you different to make this design yours?  I would love to hear from you or see your quilt choices.

Have a Happy Quilting Day!
Glenda

Scrappy

Scrappy quilt

I didn't get a last picture after I quit last night, but this scrappy quilt has grown and is coming together.  I have all the columns sewn together and have added one more row of 4-patches going around.  Not sure of its size now, but I'm hoping by adding one more row of 4-patches along with another slightly darker gold brick row that it will be big enough for a queen sized bed.  I do have those rows on already, (didn't get that finished picture when I quit last night) so it is dragging on the carpet.

I think I will finish it off with 2 rows of 2" finished blocks all the way around instead of my traditional border and let the binding be the picture frame for the quilt.  Not sure yet.  I will wait until I get the columns sewn together and see what I think.

If you haven't noticed yet, I may follow a pattern somewhat, but I mostly make my own quilt patterns by the time I have finished them.  I go with what I like and what makes sense to me.  I think that is what art is all about, and don't you think quilting is art?  Absolutely!

This quilt is totally out of my stash of scraps and fabrics that I have acquired over the years.  I wasn't crazy about the golds, but it will make for a unique looking quilt.  I had several golds in my stash for some reason or another.  Not my typical color choice, but I think it works.  You will see from later pics that it makes the patchwork stand out more.

Will post more pics later in the week as I progress further.

Hope you have a happy week!

Glenda 

Threaded Hearts Studio

Happy 4th! Thank you to our Armed Forcesx

Just loving having this Friday off to reflect what Independence Day is all about.  Our freedom that we owe to those before, currently and after, that continue to fight for our freedom that I may be able to do the things that I choose to do.  Thank you!

I also wanted to share a little if what I'm working on today.  Just a little sneak peak, anyway.

We will spend some time with friends tomorrow, visiting, eating, swimming and just enjoying the freedom we have.

I hope everyone is also able to do the same.  Happy Independence Day!  Be safe!