Monday, May 17, 2021

Under the Needle: April & May

 A while ago I received a comment from a reader inquiring about this quilt top:

This is my Farmer's Market quilt top that I posted about when I listed the quilts I hoped to complete this year. Sue wrote:

Anonymous said:

I absolutely love your blog. Your life on the ranch is so interesting and I look forward to each new post. Could you answer a question for me? On your Farmer's Market quilt (see your post on 1-19-21) could you tell me the size of your blocks? I love the pattern and want to use it with bold flowered pieces. Thank you for your help. I hope your drought ends soon. I hated to see the cattle going. I grew up on a farm (Iowa) and the animals were so important to the whole operation. Sue

I don't have any contact information for you Sue, so I hope you will see my answer here. The blocks are 5". unfinished, before stitching the blocks together. I didn't use a pattern. I just picked a size. And that poor top is still hanging in the same spot. I haven't made much progress on much of anything on that list although I have matched a few backings and taken them to Jackie. 

I am binding our Zimbabwe Quilt, but progress is slow:

DH helped the neighbors on Thursday and he left the house at 4 a.m. so I took advantage of the empty morning hours and spent some time in my sewing room.

I am making another Tail Feathers quilt using a fat quarter bundle of Dad's Plaids as a jumping off point

                              

I love this pattern:

I made it a few years ago and gifted it to our mechanic's son:


I made it a second time, but it's at Jackie's and I can't put my finger on the photo. This time around, I redrafted the block, decreasing it to a 9" block. I always seem to have a need for quilts for men and I think the plaids will be fun and I've begun to pull more from my stash:


And yes, I know that there are too many quilts to make to make the same quilt twice - or more than twice! - but I also feel good knowing I'm getting my money's worth from a pattern. Makes me feel a little better about the money I've spent on all those patterns I'll never get to.  And that's my not so logic, logic for today. 😏

I cut everything out when I was in Texas last month:

                    

I'm still a 'draw a line across the square' kind of girl.

                                

And I cannot tell you how nice it was to just sit and sew for a little bit! It's been a month since I've sewn and these little HSTs made me happy:

                                 

Blocks are coming together and I'm eager to stitch them into rows.

Before I left for Texas, I wanted to sew something simple and I have these 2 flannel layer cakes:


And it wasn't long before I had a top:


And now I want to make another one. I haven't made a western quilt in a while and this might be a good way to make a dent in that bin. And that's how new quilts are born. I know I'm not alone!

13 comments:

julieQ said...

Love your plaids, and flannels too!! So much fun!! Yes...that is how new quilts are born!

Dorian said...

Good morning Karin, I'm glad to see you can sneak in some sewing lately. You really need some time with soothing fabrics. *I* don't see any problem with doing a pattern more than once, if you like it, do it! lol... like you need my permission ;) Have a great day.

Tired Teacher 2 said...

I purchased the Tail Feathers pattern after I saw the quilt you gave the mechanic’s son. I made two QOV with the pattern - it’s a keeper! I think it will be fabulous in plaids.

Ruth said...

I like to "wing it" when I make a quilt. I don't really like following patterns. I thought I was an oddball in this, but when I took Nova Montgomery's Featherweight maintenance class, the lady beside me said that she didn't follow patterns for her quilts either! I had traveled by car 8 hours to Ohio to take that Saturday class, and stay at my daughter's house, and visit my sister there as well. Now I'm pretty sure there are more people who make quilts "on the fly" like me!

Chantal said...

I'm a "draw a line on the back" kind of girl too. Why change when it still works? Tail Feathers will look nice in plaid. I love plaid and you have a great collection there. You might just tempt me enough to get mine out and play with it. Enjoy! ;^)

Janet O. said...

I am loving those plaids. That will be a wonderful "guy" quilt.
Still drawing those lines on the back here, too.
A great quilt at the end of the post, too. Did you use a pattern for that one?

Gwynette in NW Arkansas said...

Glad you are getting some machine time! I’m looking forward to sewing when my knee replacement heals!! I really like the plaids! Take care!

Shelly said...

I love your projects! I'm ready to sew something simple. We've had rain for a few days, and I've found myself wishing I could send you some of it.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the size information on the Farmers Market! Appreciate your help.

Theona said...

Wow. Just wow. I'm glad you're getting some sewing time in--it's therapy for the soul.

I have to say I love the vegetable/fruit quilt. I have a bunch of leftovers and that gives me some ideas.

Anonymous said...

My husband and I just returned home (Kansas) after an 8 day trip out west. We drove thru NM this weekend and it was raining! I hope some of that reached your ranch.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Ohhhh I am loving them both - the Dads Plaids - Oh My Stars.... Love!!!
And your last quilt - Ohh la la - do I love that one!! Glad you got some stitching time in!!

Treadleworks said...

Good afternoon! We are on our way to Wichita, Kansas.
I really enjoy your farmin' and quiltin' blog. Reminds me oc our farming years (22 of them) before my husband got into the Fire Department.
I also love plaids, especially flannel plaids! Keep on blogging! Pam

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