French Bull Dog Quilt

 

French Bull Dog Quiltie

 

French Bull Dog for my sister.  She lives in Japan, so the background is Asian-inspired, reminiscent of sakura, or cherry trees in spring.   If you look closely, you'll see little cherry blossoms stitched into the background quilting.

 

I purchased these Whole Country Caboodle dog kits on sale at Keepsake Quilting.  The fabrics come as a pre-cut fusible applique kit, so all you have to do is pick your own background, and lay out the pieces, fuse and stitch them down. 

 

 

Detail - French Bull Dog

 

  

Thread choices. 

 

French Bull Dog - Detail of the back after thread painting / applique work was done.

Note: This is not the back the the finished piece.  It does get another layer of fabric and quilting to be finished.

Here are all three dog quilties together.  

See separate posts about all 3 Dog Quilties:         Golden          French Bull Dog       Newfie

Planning for The Winter Star Quilt

 Winter Star Quilt - Demo by Jenny Doan from Missouri Quilt Company.  Supplies List.

 A new project.  More Blue. ;-)  Winter again! More Stars.   Ahhhhh!

I need something to work on at Quilt Camp in October.  ;-)

Looks like this video and pattern came out in December 2020, and the layer cake she used in the video is no longer available.  Not to worry!  I found a couple of options that should do nicely:

Glacier Bay Layer Cake from Island Batiks

I know: It's kind of pricey for the amount of fabric you get (42 10-inch squares), but I'm paying for the nice variety of fabrics that work well together, because they usually come from the same fabric line.  

 

 

For added variety, I also bought a second set of blue batiks as a shorter (30 10-inc squares) Layer Cake on ebay.  There is more variety in the set than you see here.  Gorgeous, isn't it?  Most of these are darker, than medium or lights.  That's ok.  Between the 2 layer cakes, I should have more than enough!

I'll buy a couple yards of a white-on-white for the background.  I may even find that in my mom's stash!  Along with the borders ...

Starlight 2; Another Quilt Finish Ready for Winter

This one might look familiar.  I gave away a similar one in January: Winter Blues.  But I was missing it, so I made another one.   ;-)

This one uses the same Brilliant Blues jelly roll strips, with a few additional strips to balance out the lights and darks.  The photo is yellower than the quilt actually is.

 

Hobbs Tuscany Wool Batting

This batting is doing more of what I envisioned. My first choice was a fat wool batt from the woolen mill in Appleton, but when I opened it to do the sandwiching last fall, it had more debris in it than I was comfortable with.  [Grumble Grumble -- Not good for his business. This is the first one I've had a problem with.]  By contrast, this mail-ordered batt from Hobbs is much better - blissfully clean by comparison, and I can sew through it, and it's washable.  I think I'll stick with Hobbs from now on.

Quilting Thread - Even the thread is a better match this time around.  Variegated Blue cotton in a 2-inch cross-hatch pattern, done entirely with the walking foot.

Snowflake Batik Backing Fabric

Blue Snowflake Batik -- I usually get batiks on sale at Hancock's of Paducah.  I buy 5 yards that I can cut in half and piece together for a nice wide backing -- big enough for the quilts I make (which are not usually Kings).   I was not able to get the same snowflake blue wide backing the other one had, so I went with this one.  The front of it had some additional metallic, but I opted to use the not silvered side for the backing.  It works!

Here you can also see the nice puff the Hobbs Tuscany Wool Batting gives when quilted

Bring on the snow!

BIG Finish: The Morningstar Quilt is Complete!

At long last, The Morningstar Quilt is complete! 

I spent 4 hours on Saturday doing the background filler quilting on the black corner squares -- little loop-de-loops.  You can't really see it as I used black thread.  The main purpose was to push down the background so that the applique flowers and vines would POP!

 

Michele and Christian

I started this massive project in 2018 with the intention of finishing it in time for our 2oth wedding anniversary in 2019.  The appliques took much longer than anticipated, so it took twice as long to finish, but that's ok.  We're still together.  You can't rush a masterpiece!

 

Sweetie holding up the quilt.

 

On the bed.  It's a little big for our bed, but we'll make it work!

Detail of one of the appliqued flowers and vines.  

Quilting the background makes those flowers POP.

 

Quilt Label. Always important to document these quilts.

Perhaps now that I have my mom's embroidery machines, I'll start making fancier quilt lables?

 

The pattern and kit is by Jinny Beyer: The Lotus Quilt.

 

Hobbs Silk Batting

The batting is pretty light; The better quality quilting fabric is heavy.  The silk batt is supposed to be light, but warm.  We'll see how it does this winter.

 

It seems like I've been working on this for more than just 4 years!

Here are all the previous posts about The Morningstar Quilt:

• Progress on The Morningstar Quilt - Borders - July 12, 2021

• Diamonds and Pearls on The Morningstar Quilt - June 27, 2021

• Sneak Peak at the Morningstar Applique Blocks - April 28, 2019
  

• Progress on the Morningstar Quilt  - March 10, 2019

• Morningstar Quilt is Sandwiched and on to the next Stage of Quilting - Feb 25, 2019

• Finally Feels Like Progress ... Morningstar Quilt Top - Feb 10, 2019

• The first one is the hardest ... - Dec 15, 2018

• Slow Work : Turned Under Applique Flowers for the Morningstar Quilt - Sept 30, 2018
  

• The Morningstar Quilt Comes Together - Sept 26, 2018
  

• The Stars Are Out Tonight ... Or The Morning Star Quilt Comes Together - Aug 26, 2018

The leftovers:  After any quilt is complete, there will be leftovers and scraps.  I can finally put this box away, or turn the leftovers into something else.

I had to keep track of each fabric while making the giant star in the center, so each fabric was numbered.  Don't need that anymore!   

 Maybe I can get some place matts out of the leftovers?

Holly's Hollyhocks

Holly's Hollyhocks 

by Holly Matucheski

This is one of my mom's wall quilts.  Visiting my Dad this weekend to clear out more of my mom's sewing room, I found it, and hung it on the wall -- July being the season for Hollyhocks.  I am also lamenting the fact that my own crop of Hollyhocks did not grow this year.  Sigh!

 To my knowledge, my mom did not keep track of or document her quilts, so in the coming months, I'm going to start featuring some of her quilts here.

Detail Shot of Hollyhocks

I want to say that she designed this herself, but I don't know that for sure.  I have a vague recollection that she worked this up on her own ...  I have not seen a pattern for it.  There is no label on the back of this quilt. 

Donations of fabric, kits, and patterns this week will go to:

• Wisconsin Warmers
• Linus Project
• Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother
  
• Lakeside Quilt Guild Charity Quilts
• Lakeside Quilt Guild
  

 

Progress on The Morningstar Quilt - Borders

This Morningstar Quilt has been stalled out for a couple of years now. Even during the pandemic, I couldn't bring myself to work on the background fills of the applique blocks to finish them off.  So I set that aside in favor of the outer borders, hoping inspiration might strike as to a solution for those forever backgrounds.

 

This is how I worked it up in You Doodle Pro, where I can draw on a photo, to get an idea of how the stitching might look.  I never intended to use a green thread -- It just showed up better here.

Here it is stitched out.  One pass in the purple, and a second pass with the tangerine thread.   The thread colors were meant to be subtle.   You can see I was using the black "beads" in the border as landmarks for the larger loops.

 It's probably easier to see from the back, with those interlocking loops.  The second smaller set of loops was fund to do -- The larger loops were a bit too big -- I'd get lost moving from 1 black bead to one on the other side. But I made it work.

Here are the undulating waves in the black border, stitched out with red thread.

Next Steps:

I could move on to the binding, but I still need to finish the backgrounds on the corner applique blocks. 

Quilt Sandwiches and 1000 Safety Pins

 Remember this one from last summer?

Day at the Lake - pin-basted and ready for quilting.

First task is to outline all the appliqued characters so that they pop out.

Next, it will be time for quilting the backgrounds. 

I can't wait to see this one done and hanging on the wall.

I used Quilters Dream Wool Batting this time.

 

This one should look familiar: The Starlight / Winter Blues Quilt #2

Pin-basted and ready for quilting.  

I plan to do another diamond grid on this one.

 

Spend the holiday weekend enjoying the new air conditioning, and sandwiching 4 quilts for pin basting.

I have quite a stack ready to be quilted now! 

 Here's a detail shot of the lovely blues 

and the snowflake batik backing.

 

 

 

The Heart of Winter Quilt

with a Hobbs 80/20 cotton batt. 

 

Here it is from the back --  blue spring cherry trees.

 

Holly's Christmas Quilt -- all pin-basted and ready for quilting.

I am looking for the right Holly motif to do the freemotion quilting.

A wool batt -- because this quilt will be out and in use around Christmas time. 

I think it's the Maywood Christmas series.

In case you were interested in my method for pin-basting quilt sandwiches:

From the Deli : Board Basting a Quilt Sandwch Revisited

My helper, Sophie-the-Newfie, fresh from the groomer.

Actually she stayed out of the way, and slept most of the day to escape the heat.

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What Becomes of a Quilter's Stash?

 Blue Jay Block by Holly

Not quite finished.  Ths was part of a larger project with multiple blocks.  Most of them still need the applique stitched down.    This one is more the way I remember her quilting ...

I know I saw this pattern somewhere in her sewing room.

I know I was waiting for her to finish this one a few years ago, wanting to see the finished product.

 

Here's another one that still needs the stitching.

What happens to a quilter's stash after they die?    

Slow but steady progress sorting and clearing out things in my mom's sewing room.  She's been gone over a year now ...  Because of the pandemic, I haven't been back to see my dad much, but now that we're both fully vaccinated, I don't have that worry.

Holly Fabrics

Of the fabric, there is far more there than I can use in my own lifetime, so I have to be selective about what I take back home with me.  The Holly fabrics.  She often bought fabric with holly in the design-- Her name was Holly, and she was born on Christmas Day, so I'm keeping those ...  And the batiks: I will keep the batiks because I am more likely to use them. 

So far, I put labels on the drawers to remind me of what's in it: Scissors, rulers, thread ...

I brought back a stack of bins with fabric to give away--It's only the beginning.  I'd like to invite her quilting buddies in to take what they want, but I have to figure out the logistics of that, as Dad doesn't want anyone in the house.   

There are some unfinished projects ---  embroidery blocks mostly, though not as many projects as I would have expected.  I think she may have been better about starting and finishing projects than me.   Even when she was working, she had dedicated time every week in classes to quilt.   I know she gave away many quilts, though I'm not sure she photographed her quilts?  So I may showcase some of her stuff in coming months ...

I did find this quilt top.  I remember her working on it, and getting tired of it, so she abandoned it -- Smokey River (?) with Stonehenge Fabrics.  I will finish this one, but I am not feeling obligated to finish all her WIPs.  I am perfectly ok leaving them to someone else who will finish them.

There's a stack of the finished wall hangings.  Some things, I want Dad to keep, as I expect to see them at certain times of the year when I visit.  Things NOT to give away.

A few reference books for quilting and sewing, we'll keep.  The Quiltmaker's Gift storybook stays.  Embroidery in 6 easy lessons ... 

Certain things are notably missing, though.  Like her Brother Dream embroidery machine.  Did she take it in for repairs before her health went downhill, and never got back to pick it up?  (No record of that.)  Did she loan it to someone?  The foot pedal is still there -- along with the manual and the hoops, feet and other accessories.  If she sold it off, that stuff would have gone with it, right?  

Does anyone know what happened to this sewing machine?

I did finally find her thumb drives that had all her embroidery designs, so I might be able to finish that Feathered Star quilt-- if I can locate the Brother Dream Machine. ????  Perhaps I'll have to put together the blocks she did get done.  It would be fitting to leave the not-done blocks as blank squares.

Donations to

• The Oshkosh Quilt Guild - Lynn Mozingo heads that department.  She found her calling in retirement.  She and her helpers will use the fabric to make charity quilts for people in ICUs, nursing homes, Project Linus (quilts for kids), receiving blankets for new babies, hats for cancer patients ...    It makes me feel good that the fabric will get used.  I'm happy some of them will go to hospital patients, since she was a nurse. 
  

• Sr Francis of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother 
• Marla's charity quilt group
  

Diamonds and Pearls on The Morningstar Quilt

                                                        The Morningstar Quilt, pin-basted

This quilt has been on hold for the past 2 years.  Sometimes on a colossal project like this, you need to set it aside and take a break until the joy comes back.  Today was blessedly cool enough that I could be upstairs in my sewing studio doing the free-motion quilting on it again ...  Also I'm between projects, so it's a good time to pick this one back up again.

Today I stitched the red ribbons in the background of all the applique blocks.  The side triangles were already about half done, so I finished those today with a little more stitching -- mostly black pearls in the background -- very stealth.     The object was to make the applique POP!  The background stitching is subtle, and very hard to photograph.  It looks much better in person.  Here the threads look washed out when in reality, the thread is red, purple and blue to match the applique.    You can't really see it, but I used black thread to stitch pearls / bubbles around the red ribbon--again I wanted the black to stand down so that the red ribbon would stand out more.

I'm still not quite sure what to do with the corner blocks.  Perhaps some echo stitching around the flowers?  I don't think it needs to be as dense as the side triangles.  I am not fond of sleeping under a quilt that is so densely quilted that it might be mistaken for a carpet.

Large corner applique block, with ribbons. The space needed something to showcase the applique, without taking away from it.

While I think about how to finish those corner applique blocks, I worked on the first "row" of the border.  I used the diamond motif in the fabric.  The small square in the middle pops out once it's all said and done.    You can't really see it in the photograph, so here it is from the back:

Memory Butterflies

 

I made another batch of fabric butterflies -- this time for memories and grief.

 

 

I'll be sending them out to friends who suffered losses this past year. 

 

Over the weekend, I was sorting through things in my mom's sewing room.  I picked out some fabric scraps for the combinations to make these butterflies. 

Strawberry Butterfly

We can't be strong all the time, but we can carry friends when they need some help. 
 

 Some of them will carry us when we need it too.  

 

Did you know that a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope or a flutter?

[Sorry-- I tried to embed the Goodbye Butterfly video, but Blogger kept showing The Wayfarer Sling Backpack video instead.  That must have been the last video I embedded on the blog a few weeks ago.   I don't know what' going on with that ... So you 'll just have to use the link below.]

Goodbye Butterfly by Cris Plata.

I heard Plata sing this song live at The Blackhawk Music Festival not long after  my friend Vicki lost her husband to cancer.  I swear: We had not seen butterflies at all that weekend, until he started singing this song!  And we were all attuned to butterfly sightings!  It made us think that this was a sign from Lee -- that the dead send messages through butterflies ... 

Farmer's Wife Quilt Top Assembled

I am amazed and pleasantly surprised at how well all these disparate blocks came together!

I may still add some borders ... We'll see!

The next step is to layer it into a quilt sandwich and prepare it for quilting, binding and finishing.  That may take a few more years ...  Sigh!

Thanks to HandMade Karma for the tutorials and lesson plans of the last 10 months.  It was their use of batiks and an other-than- depression brown color scheme that made me want to embark on this pandemic project.

Handmade Karma - Farmer's Wife Quilt Assemble; Blocks On Point with Sashing 

Handmade Karma Quilt Along Block Index