We spent a week in September choosing fabrics and cutting kits for the remaining 6″ blocks, then worked on #30 Pieced Basket #3. The pattern calls for red and black and we actually followed the pattern exactly on this block. And aren’t those Scottie dogs in the main part of the basket cute? We were getting a little worn with pieced baskets so glad this is the last one. [Read more…] about Ode to the 1930’s Blocks #30-31
Ode to the 1930’s Blocks #28-29
The last of August brought blocks #28 and #29. These are both 6″ blocks because the pattern works from 12″ to 9″ to 6″ to 3″. So we have been busy on a series of 6″ blocks and there are more to come. #28 is called Pieced Basket #2 and the color scheme called for black, red and yellow. We opted to use yellow and green because we like to go rogue and we are comparing surrounding blocks now and trying to get varying colors in neighboring blocks. This was also one of those sewing days when everything seems to go wrong. We were all feeling it and both of these blocks just had issues and problems. We have a rule: 3 strikes and you’re out. So we will unpick twice and re-sew but the third time we just live with the results. And that’s where we are with these blocks. [Read more…] about Ode to the 1930’s Blocks #28-29
A Tale of Two Quilts
I have two quilts finished for donation to the annual Festival of Trees which benefits Primary Children’s Medical Center. Our family has been decorating trees since 2000 in honor of my husband’s brother Paul, who was killed in the line of duty in the Air Force in 1995. I have been on a volunteer committee for the Festival for almost that long which requires donations of sale items for the Gift Boutique, committee projects for Elf Emporium, as well as volunteering during the Festival week. As we are getting older and our various life circumstances have changed, we have decided to alter the way our family does Festival so we are decorating three small trees to use up all the leftover items from past years and then plan to be done. My sister-in-law Michelle, who is Paul’s widow, and I are pursuing some other ways to donate and have tried something different this year. [Read more…] about A Tale of Two Quilts
Ode to the 1930’s Blocks #26-27
I haven’t updated the 1930’s progress since June! Yikes! We did one more 6″ block during that month and then spent the next several weeks finishing the tops of “America the Beautiful”, our other group project . #26 is called Pieced Basket #1 and is just a diagonal basket with flowers in it and very appropriate for June. It features a blue and red basket with light blue flowers and we followed the pattern color scheme. [Read more…] about Ode to the 1930’s Blocks #26-27
2016 World Reading Challenge wrap-up
2016 World Reading Challenge
Hosted by Dorothee at life is a journey, the idea of this reading challenge is to explore the world by books from different continents and countries. To join the challenge, select and read seven books, one book from each continent. I have finished up this challenge, and although all the authors weren’t native to the continents, the books gave good introductions to each continent.
–Africa: Lion in the Valley (Amelia Peabody #4), Elizabeth Peters (this is a historical mystery series about archaeologists, but the author spent considerable time digging in Africa and gives a lot of historical and geographical information in each novel)
– Asia: The Piano Teacher, Janice Y.K Lee (set in Hong Kong by a Hong Kong author)
– Australia/Ozeania: Jellicoe Road, Melina Marchetta (set in Australia by an Australian author)
– Europe: The Revolving Door of Life (44 Scotland Street #10), Alexander McCall Smith (set in Scotland by a Scottish author)
– North America: Anne’s House of Dreams (Anne #5), L.M. Montgomery (set in Canada by a Canadian author)
– South America: The Mapmaker’s Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon, Robert Whitaker (nonfiction book by an author who lived in Ecuador)
– Antarctica (or a book with a journey from one continent to another): Shackleton’s Stowaway, Victoria McKernan (YA historical novel based on fact and well-researched)