Weekend Update May 31-June 3
Wow. May really came and went quickly … and when the weekend officially arrives on Saturday, it will be June.
My weekend plan is to do some spring cleaning and re-arranging in the studio. How about you? Please share a link using the linky tool below.
I’m hoping that I don’t encounter any more of the cats’ new friends. I think this little New Mexico whiptail lizard followed me into the house Wednesday. Johnny discovered him in the studio and proceeded to carry him around and play with him throughout the house. (I’m grateful that they didn’t go upstairs).
Without Johnny “playing” with him and wearing him out, I don’t think I’d ever have captured him and been able to put him back outside. You can read more about our adventure on my blog, here:
Reminders
While I have your attention … remember the deadline to post your flying geese blocks is noon (US East coast time) today and that June’s block will be posted on Saturday, June 1.
Flying Geese as … Trees
Seriously … I keep seeing our blocks everywhere. This one was at a quilt shop (and Bernina dealer) in Albuquerque.
It’s called Alpine Forest.
I took my Bernina back to the shop after talking with someone in their booth at the Fiber Arts Fiesta over the weekend. It took me more than two hours to drive there and back. The mechanic identified and fixed the problem at the counter in less than a minute. Let’s hope this fix lasts longer than 2 weeks.
I just couldn’t hop back on the highway again … so I decided to have lunch at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar BQ. It’s a Texas-based BBQ chain that has a couple locations in Albuquerque. I noticed this one just as I was getting on the highway to head home after the Fiber Arts Show over the weekend … and have been craving some ever since.
It’s a completely no frills place, where your choice of BBQ is served with sliced of Wonderbread on a piece of butcher paper.
I’m glad that my little purple Bernina is working again … and that I got my Texas BBQ fix, today, too 🙂
Another Flying Geese Design Idea
Angie shared a link to these blocks in a comment and I thought it was worth sharing in a post of it’s own. It came from Gail Bong Quilts Too
If you added a 3 1/2 inch by 9 1/2 inch rectangle to the left side of our May block to create a 9-inch (finished size) square, then put four of them together to form blocks like these, you’d make an 18 inch version of this block, which would have all the dark geese in the center and the light geese around the edges–which I think would be an interesting effect.
If you won (or made) 48 geese blocks, they could be made into 12 of these blocks and in a 3 by 4 arrangement like this (no sashing) would measure 54 by 72 inches. If you like this idea and are curious how these blocks might look with sashing be sure to click over to Gail Bong’s blog and work your way back through her posts about this project.
I keep seeing Flying Geese
Maybe it’s because it’s this month block. I keep noticing Flying Geese in quilts and quilt blocks everywhere. Here’s a couple more.
This is one of the Random Quilt-a-Long blocks that I found on the Blooming Workshop blog.
These blocks at 6 inches, square, but If you started with two of this month’s lotto blocks to make a block like the one on the right, you’d end up with a big 18 inch heart. I think one of those would make a great pillow and if you made more, you’d quickly have enough for a big bed quilt.
Yesterday, at the Fiber Arts Fiesta in Albuquerque, I saw this precious, miniature, quilt which used flying geese units in a light-to-dark arrangement. The quilt is Mariner’s Sunrise, made by Judith Kreiger of San Lorenzo, NM. My guess is that each geese unit is 1/3 inch tall and 2/3 inch wide. In the detail photo at the bottom, look close and you can see just how small they are by looking at the in-the-ditch machine stitches.
Weekend Update – May 24-27
Although it’s officially a month away in the northern hemisphere, in some part of the US, Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of Summer. Around here, it’s only just begun to feel like Spring outside.
I grew up in Michigan being told that nothing gets planted outside until after Memorial day … and then heard the same thing in Santa Fe last year. I won’t be planting much–drought conditions here (and a broken gray water system) make that un wise–but I do plan to grow a few flowers and a few herbs and I’m anticipating a push-pull this weekend between the urge to garden and the desire to work on a couple quilt projects … and if all goes well, I plan to drive to Albuquerque for Fiber Fiesta.
There is no designated topic for this Weekend Update. Please use the Linky Tool below to add a link–quilt-related or not–to a recent article on your blog … and have a great weekend! Now that I’ve made my blocks for June and put together the directions and guidelines, whatever I end up doing, I won’t be thinking about getting things done for the Block Lotto 😉
Another Flying Geese Quilt Idea
Using 6 of our blocks, you could make an 18-inch square quilt like this one:
Directions for this quilt which is slightly smaller, can be found on the Creative Bug blog, here: Charming Geese Mini Quilt
Another Flying Geese idea
Just wanted to show a picture i found on my pc, but don’t know where i found it. Somewhere in the internet … It’s just another idea
Weekend Update – May 17 – 20
Painters are returning to my house today to repaint the ceiling (after repairing some damage from a leak). My week so far has included a lot of furniture moving–most of my living room/dining room furniture is now in the kitchen and studio. I expect to spend a good chunk of my weekend cleaning up the mess that contractors/repair people always seem to leave behind no matter how neat they are and moving everything back.
I’d much rather be quilting. I’m dangerously close to finishing a couple of projects–in part because I sat in the corner and put together some hexagons and diamonds yesterday during the repair phase of the ceiling project.
How about you? How’s life and quilting? Please share a link from a recent post on your blog using the Linky Tool.
Are you sharing a quilt or two as part of the Bloggers Quilt Festival? Be sure to link the article(s) here, so we’ll be sure to check out your quilt(s).
Weekend Update – Share Your Process
The theme this weekend is Sharing Your Process. Please link to a blog article that shows us some part of your quilt-making process.
FYI, I don’t necessarily mean sharing a tutorial you’ve written or some terrific tip on how to do something. Sometimes, by transparently sharing how you do what you do, maybe sharing your frustrations, dislikes or questions about why we are taught to do something a certain way, or asking if there’s a better way . . . you might be surprised by the discussion that follows.
Clamping the Quilt Sandwich to the Work Table
Earlier this week, I blogged about a project-stopping process in my quilting journey that I really do not enjoy at all–layering and pin basting a quilt. (Add any marking of quilt design and I like it even less and the top is doomed to be a UFO for a long, long, time).
How do you do what you do? It doesn’t have to be a process you hate don’t particularly enjoy–like me and basting.
You can share your favorite part of quilting, or a clever way you do work in a small space, improvise a design wall, choose fabrics, find time to quilt, stay focused when surrounded by vendors at a quilt show …. and if you do have a great tutorial or tip to share, that’s great, too.
Bird Blocks on their Way
I sent my bird blocks to Gail and Kate on Monday … hope they arrive at their new homes soon! Looking forward to seeing what the winners create.
I needed a couple of extra blocks to go with some orphan heart blocks and bird blocks were perfect. This comfort quilt will be going to kids at camp this month.