Merry Christmas everyone

Merry Christmas everyone
with the love of my life, George

What am I doing writing a blog?

Quilting is one of the few places in my life where all the corners meet and stay put. On this blog I plan to ruminate about quilting and life, the quilted life, cat and quilts, and any old thing that falls in and out of my brain. I'd be pleased to hear from you on all of this or any topic of interest!

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Monday, April 4, 2011

The first block is made - there will be seven of these



and I can feel the excitement building! As soon as I returned home from work this evening at five, and after I fed the hungry cat guys, I set up my sewing area in the dining room and started on the first quilt block of quilt #113 - Road to California. Here is a picture of the work area:



Bear in mind, gentle readers, I have an entire semi-finished attic as my designated sewing spot but it is up at the top of the house (most attics are!) where NO ONE else ever goes and not too well lighted. It is also a bit cold in the winter (and early spring) so here I am, trashing the dining room so I can be where the action is!






So the first block of ocean waves is done. This block is also know as Snail's Trail. It has 84 pieces and measures 12 x 12 inches. I tried very hard to be true to the physical attributes of an ocean wave in my construction. You will notice the bottom of the wave is very dark where the water is deepest and dense. As the wave crests, it's blueness is diluted by air so I used lighter blues to represent the crests of the foamy waves.

People always ask me how long it takes to make a quilt. And every quilt, I resolve to keep track. So I can tell you tonight that in block construction alone, the quilt has taken 2 hours so far. Two hours to make this one block. Am I crazy or what????

That, of course, does not include all the time thinking about it, cutting the strips, cutting the blocks from the strips, drawing the design, calculating the necessary amount of fabric and actually purchasing the fabric. I am probably over 40 so far on this quilt if you include all those activities.

Oh! and one last note...remember last night I laid out the three possible versions of this block with different arrangements of color? Well, forget variation 2 and 3. I am totally besotted with this arrangement and George likes it to. It's a keeper! Of course, when I work it into the body of the quilt, I may change my mind or the quilt may change it for me!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

This is the ocean




Talking to my cousin, Vicky tonight, we agreed that like a journey that starts with a single step, a quilt starts with a singe cut. So tonight I did the first cut of the quilt material that will become Jamie and Jeff's quilt.

If you remember the design from my last post (and if you don't you can go look at it again), on the far left of the quilt, or west coast, if you will, in this Road to California, there are ocean waves. So I decided to start there and work backwards, so to speak. I am having some difficulty, however, deciding if the quilt block should be 1)the various colors of teal with the cream background, 2) the dark teals with the cream background, or 3) the dark teals with the light teals as the background. If you remember the block, it is kind of a ying and yang thing, equal amount of wave and background pulling each other into balance.

Oh hell, I will just copy the pattern for you again here so we can all contemplate the various alternatives!




I think I will make one of each and see which one speaks to me. That puts the decision making off of me and onto the quilt. Works for now.

Time for bed with visions of ocean waves in my head...

Good night, little Wyatt...

Reconnecting via quilting or "Hello again, cousin!"

I received a very nice phone call last month from my cousin, Vicky Taylor Sierra who now lives in Oklahoma. I knew she was a quilter as we had talked about quilts in the past but over the last few weeks, we have been talking more and I helped her plan a wall hanging for her son, Tim, featuring the Iowa Hawkeyes. I found a quilt pattern called "hovering hawks" which seemed appropriate.

Talking to Vicky reminded me again of my Gramma Taylor and her quilting and I wonder what Gramma would make of her two granddaughters who are now quilters! If you are watching, Gramma, I hope you are pleased.

At the same time this reconnection with family is occurring, my family is growing and I am now a gramma too! I wonder what the years ahead will hold and will I also have a quilting grandchild? May wonders never cease!

Time for a Girl Scout cookie and then some quilting on Jamie and Jeff's quilt.

Life is good!

It's a boy, Mrs. Walker, it's a boy.....






I..have...a grandson! I AM SOMEBODY'S GRANMA! The world is a truly amazing place. Wyatt Zachary Osborn was born Wednesday, March 23 to his proud momma and daddy, Jamie and Jeff Osborn. All family members are doing splendidly. George and I were able to visit for a long weekend and hold him to our heart's content!

Here are some pictures. Welcome, little Wyatt! We love you with all our hearts!

Gramma and Granddad