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Well, it is finally done! If I get truly inspired, I may add some more ruched roses in the border but don't hold your breath!! It is 90 inches x 90 inches but may never find its way to a bed! It was hard to find a place to even take a picture!! My fingers are still chewed up from all the hand quilting. However, that whole cloth quilt top that has been sitting in my closet for years might be the project of the year for next year's trip south as I do like having a quilt to hand quilt. All my early quilts were hand quilted but the past few years that has changed -- mostly because the type of quilts I do has changed a lot!!
This is a closeup of one corner where you can see the ruched flowers and the hand quilting. Note to self: don't add applique after your whole quilt is finished including the hand quilting!
When I started quilting almost 40 years ago now, I thought I would be doing hand and machine applique and took my first quilting class just because I thought I couldn't call myself a quilter unless I knew the basics of piecing!!! I always tell people to try anything as they never ever know what they will like. It was advice I gave my kids when they went off to college as well encouraging them to try a bit of everything. My first dyeing class was taken just because I had to choose three classes to enable me to get into an Elly Sienkievicz class taught at a local venue 30 years ago!!
Here are the remaining four quilts that will be in the Genesee Valley Quilt Show next weekend. You can see how eclectic my quilting is. This uses fused applique and machine quilting techniques and contains my hand dyed fabrics. Called Colin Deconstructed.
This is one of my many Serendipity quilts called Snowflakes. It is machine pieced and machine quilted.
This of course is my Serengeti Lions drafted from a picture my daughter took in Africa her last trip. It is totally machine pieced and machine quilted and contains my hand dyed fabrics. Pictoral quilts are really my favorites so maybe I am not as far from my origins as you might think!
Another of the Serendipity quilts from Sara Nephew's books. This one is called Calypso because of the colors.
The snowy winter was wonderful for our azaleas which were more colorful than I have ever seen them!
Dear Husband planted this fragrant lilac in our yard this spring!
He has also been purchasing more and more hibiscus which we cart down to NC each winter. I think the van will only have space for plants this next trip.... I do like this white one though!
Our neighbors have planted these beautiful tree peonies and I got some pictures just as they unfurled!
Another of the new hibiscus plants.
The final "serendipity" is completed and finally the cats left it long enough for me to take a picture. This is the last of these quilts to be machine quilted. They were all pieced in late 2011 and throughout 2012, mostly down here at the beach as I always need projects.
This is the fabric that was used to create the kalaidoscopic blocks in the above quilt and on which the other coordinating fabrics were based. I am a big purple and yellow fan!
This was the one that I pieced out of previously done blocks shown below.
Believe it or not, this was actually the second iteration as I had made two separate tops and then decided to combine them. In tearing things apart, I did manage to lose a couple of blocks. I didn't have enough blocks to do the kalaidoscopic blocks around the middle hexagons so did two-colored stars instead which made it different from my other approaches. Part of the fun for me in making these is making all the blocks for the most part different but not so different that they do go together cohesively. I like surprises in my quilts and trying to make you look closer.
This was the one with the most different blocks in it. It is a fairly good sized quilt as I had a LOT of the main fabric which was ugly as sin!! It is pictured below. Wish I had pictures of all the beginning fabrics but unfortunately wasn't able to find them when looking through my pictures.
It did have a large repeat and I had plenty of it -- had originally planned on using it as a quilt back I am sure -- it was on one of those remnant piles back when lots of dime stores had a fabric section.
This was the largest of the quilts and made especially for the king sized bed down here. It is again made from a really ugly but soft cotton sateen whose colors perfectly matched this bedroom. I did the color matching from memory and did pretty well!! It has a very differnt setting from the rest as I didn't offset the blocks so that instead of being surrounded by the inset blocks, they have pairs between them. I wanted the extra length so at the top and bottom you will see the groups of four like lace work. Instead of making the blocks based on star kalaidoscopic blocks, I used hexagon blocks in the centers instead for this one. I also added a wide white border (with backing and batting) after the quilt was all basted as it needed a finish. I did a wide rambling feather in blue thread and th en added the blue binding. The back is a nice blue batik that also matches the walls.
This was made from fish fabrics. I had originally planned to combine this fabric with the one below as they had many of the same colors but amazingly they didn't look good together so they ended up as separate quilts. This was the third one that I did. I used the same background fabric thorughout except for the small triangles around the middle blocks and the orange leading out from the blocks so you have the illusion of bigger blocks. They are all the same simple hexagons which are so easy to piece with Sara Nephew's easy instructions.
This was the second of the quilts I did and used different background fabrics for the middle than I did for the outside. I also added the star points so it definitely looks like a medallion quilt. My settings are very different from the ones in the books from which I took the b locks. I also started experimenting with the blocks in this quilt, making them different and also adding additional pieces to many of the stars so you won't find all the blocks in the books from this quilt on through the rest of the quilts (all but the one below).
This was the very first one that I did. I used all the same blocks and just followed the book except when it came to the setting. I used a 3/4/3 block setting and changed the background colors. The fabric for this was a different colorway of one of my favorite fabrics. It was very difficult to match the blue greens here as this fabric was probably 15 years old!
The quilting for all of these was basically sewing in the ditch between the blocks lengthwise and then across on the long seams which resulted in each of the hexagons being sewn around. I then tried to find motifs in each of the kalaidoscopic blocks to free hand stitch around and then filled in stitching in the ditch for the most part on different parts of the hexagons. In the border I used a meandering pattern for the most part. These quilts are so busy, the quilting doesn't show anyway! I did a bit more on the first two I quilted but decided not to on the later ones. Because of how I did the king sized quilts (no stars in that one), I was able to just do row upon row of straight stitching in the ditch outlining each triangle basically. My Juki mid-arm LOVES to do this straight stitching in a ditch and just whizzes along full speed ahead!
I should note that as a starting place I used Sara Nephew's Serendipity and Doubledipity Quilts books. I had brought them down with me last year as I loved the look of the quilts but they looked like I needed to really concentrate to do them as you have to do some of your own thinking (like with Dear Jane blocks). Making the first quilt just whetted my apetite and I have had a wonderful time expanding upon the block creation and the settings. I will probably do more before I get bored.
Surprisingly, with all the Ruddy Ducks I have seen over the years down here, I had never seen a male until this last week when several males showed up at Carolina Beach Lake. For some reason I hadn 't even realized it and was puzzling over what this duck was when I first saw it. They do dive very frequently and move away quickly when they see you but I managed to get this decent picture anyway! They have a bill almost like the Shovelers.
I also spotted this lone gull out on the lake and knew it looked a little different even at a distance. It wasn't hanging out with the other gulls at all. It is a Bonapartes Gull which I have seen before but not at the lake.
The Coots have been acting quite strangely lately. They are not hanging out together and large groups are up on the land and very close to human traffic. Don't know whether this has anything to do with the fact that they have put some chemicals in the lake lately (after they filled it up again). One day the water in the fountains was bright blue!
On the nice warm days, the Yellow Bellied Sliders pile up on the side of one of the side swampy areas. You can see from where they get their names!
Last but not least a Song Sparrow sitting on one of the reeds in the lake. I didn't realize they liked to be near water.
Another of the Serendipity quilts is finished! I will have a blog of the whole series for the next blog as I am finishing up the binding on the last one I have machine quilted down here. Of course I have fabric to make more!! This one is the one I made from taking apart a top I had finished. I had liked the fabric but didn't like the top as it was just too boring.
The weather is again gorgeous down here so little work gets done except for sitting on the porch reading and watching the pelicans fly by! I continue to quilt on the Baltimore Album and finally feel like I am making some progress. It is a quilt that will be best viewed from a horse riding by though! I did the applique close to 30 years ago and I can't take out any mistakes in the quilting because the stitches are too small so there are quite a few very wonky areas!
As I don't have a decent design wall down here, had to photograph the latest "serendipity" quilt on the floor so it is a little askew. I have even finished another except for the binding as the weather has been a little chilly for sitting outside and reading which is how I spend many days when the weather is nice! The temps have actually been in the 30s a couple of mornings -- I am getting to be a whiny southerner about weather these days and would prefer not to have to break out my coat at all!
We have had some beautiful sunny days though which did allow me to get pictures of some birds that I hadn't gotten good pictures of before as well as seeing some of my old favorites again. A lot of those pictures will be in my next blog with hopefully the next finished quilt!
This is one of the frequently seen sparrows down here -- the Savannah Sparrow which I have seen each winter. He seems to be building a nest somewhere.
Can't believe I saw another Kingfisher, this one down at Ft. Fisher where I see my Oystercatchers! It is another male. They are turning into what my BIL calls "flivers" or frequently seen birds not worth taking pictures of!!
The other day I spotted this juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron on a perfectly beautiful day sitting up in a tree. A treat to see one awake while it is still light out.
I even got a good enough photo so you can see a closeup of his beak and eye here.
Even the Boat Tailed Grackles are pretty on a nice day. Here are Heckel and Jeckel down at Ft. Fisher.
This is a collage of pictures I took of the live oaks and the path down at Ft. Fisher. I love the curves and color of this canopy of trees.
Well, I have made a lot of these Market Bags in the past following the pattern. However, my oldest daughter says they are just too small so I decided to measure the bags she had and make some more to her liking. Of course the original bag nicely fits on a yard of fabric without any messing around. Needless to say, adding two inches to each dimension takes a bit more fabric! Of course, all I had were assorted half yard pieces that I had grabbed to bring down to the beach with me so I did my best and did by a little fabric for the lining of two of the four bags I cut out. These don't stand up quite as well as the original bags. I had to use two different fabrics as they really take about 1 1/4 yards with the new measurements for each bag. These two are flying as I write out to Seattle for my younger daughter (no, my kids don't ever read my blog so it is safe!) I do like the new size (14 inches x 16 inches x 8 inches). The only measurement that stayed the same was the 8 inches! I also changed the handles to come out of the top between the lining and bag rather than attached to the sides as they are in the original. Really, the only thing left of the original pattern is the reverse French seams, a treatment I really like!
I also made a "Potato Chip Bag" (Pattern name) making the straps much, much shorter for my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter -- I thought it looked about the right size for her. Hopefully she will like it.
I finally finished all the quilting and the binding on the fourth of the "serendipity" quilts I have made. This is one of my favorites and has been claimed by my oldest daughter but first I think I will enter it into our quilt show next spring. I am very happy with how it turned out even though you really can't see the quilting (and there is a lot of it). It is about 76 inches by 56 inches.
Hopefully you can see some of the quilting in this closeup of one of the center blocks.
I have started the long process of hand quilting the background of the Baltimore Album style quilt. I am doing the classic mattress padding in 1" grid. Hopefully, I will get this done. It is fairly easy quilting and sateen is very nice to quilt through so maybe....
There haven't been any new birds at Carolina Beach Lake (well, the weather has been a bit nasty until today) but this is a female Scaup and there seem to be quite a few of both males and females, Greater and Lesser there each day.
This is the male scaup and you can see a little of the irridescence on his head here. The Ruddy Ducks, Long Tailed Duck, Grebes, Buffleheads, Cormorants and Coots are all there as well as the mallards. I am missing seeing the Northern Shovelers though!
I am looking forward to my new camera for Christmas though -- just a slight upgrade with a few more megapixels to crop down! These pictures have all been taken with my little Canon point and shoot with the 35x optical zoom recommended by Lillian Stokes! It's ability to get some of the longer range pictures does compensate for being so much slower than the SLR!
We were fortunate to be able to treat our guests last week to wonderful North Carolina weather -- 70s each day and lots and lots of sunshine. Since our guests were from Rochester, this was a bit of a treat! We were pretty busy but I didn't remember to bring my camera for the one day that I could take pictures!
However, I am back to my daily routine which of course includes my daily walk although it was a bit chilly and cloudy today. I was very surprised to see this Long Tailed Duck sitting on the little island on Carolina Beach Lake -- I haven't seen one out of the water before and he posed nicely for me before dropping his head to sleep some more.
This was a Kildeer which is a first for me down at the Lake although I have certainly seen them before.
The population of Lesser Scaups has certainly risen. Here are a male in front and two females. The Grebes are still there as well as the Buffleheads. Still none of the Northern Shovelers, Redheads or Wood Ducks have arrived.
I finally finished all the machine work on one of my favorite of the Serendipity quilts. I think it is quilted well enough to be in our quilt show next June (GVQC 2013 Quilt Festival at Rochester Institute of Technology). You can click on the link in the parentheses to see all the events -- it is easily as big as some of the regional shows with about 60 vendors.
Our sun is finally back after the several days of clouds and rain and it was starting to set as LJ and I finished our walk down at the lake today. I didn't expect to see anything new today but as always was surprised. I got to show off some of my regular ducks to LJ and spotted one I hadn't seen down here before -- although I have seen lots of them in Rochester.
This is a male Long Tailed Duck (formerly known as an Oldsquaw). They are a really pretty duck in their winter plumage which is much nicer than their summer togs. I had to lighten up the photo to finally identify the duck as I was looking right into the sun. I see a lot of these up on Lake Ontario in the winter even though the bird book describes them as a sea duck.
The White-Winged Scoter was again there today looking a little more awake than yesterday.
This is a better picture of the quilt I just finished. I finally laid it out on the bed.
I finally finished quilting around all the individual motifs in the Baltimore Album quilt and am now tackling the leaves in the border which should go fairly quickly. I may just get this done. If you double-click, you might be able to see the quilting which is done right next to appliqued bits!
All lined up, there is a Lesser Scaup, a Greater Scaup, a Ruddy Duck and a male Bufflehead! Little did I think that there would be additional birds on my trip to Carolina Beach Lake yesterday but I was pleasantly surprised! I had seen Ruddy Ducks down there a couple of years ago but not last year. It was another dull gray day.
This was a duck I hadn't seen down here before -- a White Winged Scoter. He was off by himself. I have seen them up on Rochester in the wintertime.
This is a closeup of the Ruddy Duck.
This is a closeup of one of the Pied Billed Grebes before he spotted me and swam far away.
I have certainly seen a ton of these Willets but thought this was an unusual background for one. Usually they are scampering down the beach and don't allow you to even get this close. He was hanging out with the Mallards.
I finished all the machine quilting and put the binding on the very first of the "serendipity" quilts that I made last year. It was a breeze compared to the last one (the brown one) that I did. All the blocks were the same in this one although I varied the background a bit. It is a good size for a double bed bu t here it is draped over a chair in my living room. I LOVE the final hand stitching you do putting the binding on!!
This is a little of the detail on the quilt. If you click on it, you can see the quilting in the pink and the meander stitching around the border. That blue green used in the background (two different fabrics) was a horror to find -- I think it is about a ten year old color but it was the only one that would do!
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