Just Right for a Memorial Day Weekend

I finished the soldier quilt today. It didn't dawn on me until yesterday that this was just the right quilt project for Memorial Day weekend. Here is the front-

And here is the back-

There was nothing on the calendar this weekend so we did a lot of puttering around the house. I also finished painting and waxing this wardrobe/dresser.

I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Versailles.

Here is the before-

Not that bad, but I wanted something big to work on that I didn't feel I could mess up. I use this to store my batting and quilting accessories. Nice to have a change.

This is a little card catalog I found at a yard sale a while back. The woman told me it came out of The Pentagon when it was being renovated just before 9/11. I'm not so sure she has her facts right. Based on the tape and labels on it, it looked to me like it had been used as a workshop cabinet for quite some time. Also, the date on the keyhole hardware says "PAT'D May 7, 1901". The Pentagon was built in the early 1940's. Would a Pentagon worker have kept something in use there for sixty years? Fun to wonder. Here is the before-

A few closeups-

Perfect for storing threads.

I came across this photo of Len. Notice he is hooked up to a stake in the ground. We like to spend time on our porch. Penny and Duke are pretty good about staying close by. They also listen to me if I call them. Well, actually, Penny is so old she doesn't hear me, but she doesn't stray far anymore either. Beagles are known for being stubborn and Len is no exception. I saw this stake and chain thing in Target one day and bought it on a whim thinking I was probably wasting my money. He loves it! He goes right to it when I let him out. Good boy, Len!

It was a hot and humid weekend. I finally got all my porch plants in and my husband built a stone wall around the bed in front of the porch. Here are some photos of the porch and I'll show the front bed later in the summer when/if the flowers fill in.

I painted the porch bench in the background of the photo above with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Paris Grey.

 I got this garden shelf at the Elizabeth and Co. tag sale.

My mom gave me this very beat up little ladder and I painted it with a thin coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in Emile.

 My herbs-

 alyssum-

 impatiens-

I wish you could come sit with me on my porch. All we would need is a tall glass of iced tea and something to stitch on. The furniture rocks or glides and birds would serenade us. Nothing better!

I’ve Been Unfaithful

I’m so sorry. I’ve become obsessed with chalk paint and household updates. I haven't posted in a few weeks and I've done little commenting. Let me explain. All winter I was feeling the urge to update our décor. Nothing fancy, mind you, just some freshening up. I shared our basement update a couple months ago. Earlier this month I went to IKEA and bought new bed linens, curtains and a few other things. I dare you to walk through that store and not buy anything. I’ve been reorganizing and rearranging. Making big messes in the process. I still have a lot to do. I’ve only scratched the surface of what I have in mind. I wish my husband and I had the energy we had 20 years ago. We have big plans, get started early in the day and find ourselves exhausted by mid afternoon. : c /

You can probably understand all that. We all need to take care of our homes. The thing is, I think I’ve found another hobby – painting furniture. I’ve even been visiting blogs about it. Please forgive me. I couldn’t help myself. My household update plans include painting some of our vintage furniture to lighten things up. Most sane people would just pay someone else to do it. Not me. I’m forever saying – “I can do that” – and then getting in over my head. It hasn’t been easy. I want wonderful results right away. I remember feeling the same way when I started quilting. It takes time, practice and patience. I’ve started a few projects and signed up for a class. Oh, no! More projects! How do I get the standard 24 hours in a day changed to 48? I’m very thankful my husband is helping and in many cases telling me how to do things and in some instances, like repair, doing the work himself.

Quilting will always be my favorite. It’s like coming back to an old friend every evening.

I finished this top for a soldier quilt. We swapped nickel squares for variety and then I cut them down to 2 ½” squares. I’d really like to get this done and handed in to the gal in charge of “quilting for others” by the end of the month.

I’m also squaring up my 9-patches from the guild exchange. I counted a total of 270 9-patches and I think I have a design that will use all of them. LOVE my new rotary cutter. It's comfortable to use and releasing the handle hides the blade. So far, I’ve remembered to lock it every time I walk away from it.

Last time I shared my hexies I had 7 “flowers” done. Now I have 12. My hexies are 1 inch.

I feel better telling you. Really, I was feeling guilty!

Pumpkin Pie...Will it be ready for Thanksgiving?

I go it back! Here is the beginning of my Jo Morton quilt. It’s her Rhubarb Crisp pattern. I think I’ll call mine Pumpkin Pie because of the cornerstones. Pumpkin pie was my first thought when I auditioned that fabric. When I shared it at the guild meeting last week I mentioned that I didn’t think I had enough of the cornerstone fabric for a lap size quilt. Jill said it looked just like the fabric Judy bought on the Lancaster trip and sure enough, it was! Judy said she already used what she needed and yesterday she gave me almost a ½ yard of it. Isn’t that nice of her! I’ll use what I need and give the rest back to her  - maybe with a little thank you fabric. ; c )

I’m sure the reason I left this little flimsy behind was because I was busy acquiring this from a fellow guild member.

It’s from Michigan c. 1880. I love the use of the striped fabric in the setting triangles and as a border around the setting squares. Some detail-

Here are my 18- 6 1/2" basket blocks ready to exchange with other members of the quilt show committee. 

We were each given this Jinny Beyer red palette fabric and each of us picked a different block pattern. Can’t wait to do the exchange later this month. Our goal is to have completed quilts for the 2013 show. It is a celebration of the 40^th anniversary of Quilters Unlimited.

May is always a busy month and this one looks like no exception. The calendar is too full!

A Middle of the Week Outing

Yesterday I had a date with my sister up in Westminster Maryland. As I was traveling on Rt. 27 I saw a sign for Historic Main Street in Mount Airy. I had plenty of time before meeting her. I already intended to hit the Westminster Antique Mall so I took the turn onto Main Street and found a nice little town. I’d forgotten they had a quilt store, Patches, and luckily it was right there on Main Street. I stopped in and found a very well stocked, full service quilt shop. I didn’t make any purchases, but I expect to go back some day. The Westminster Antique Mall was full of all kinds of things. These were the only quilts I found.

The stitching on the pink rose quilt was very nice. 

This was my favorite booth. It took me back to a 1950's kitchen and ladies bedroom. I considered buying the wooden drying rack (right center with the vintage dogwood fabric hanging on it). I thought it would be nice to hang little quilts on. Is hanging quilts on a wooden dowel really a problem? Would you do it?

At 4:00 I met my sister at the hospital where she works. Our first destination was Elizabeth and Co.’s tag sale. We got there about 15 minutes after they opened and there was already a crowd. They said people had been waiting since 2:30 for the doors to open. These gals sell painted vintage furniture and other decorative items. Here are some photos. Click on the link to their blog for better ones.

These items came home with me – a red quilt rack, a distressed light green shelf, a pale yellow desk organizer, a cornflower blue vase and a little off white divided tray. Their prices made it hard to resist. My sister also made some purchases and luckily we got everything in her minivan. She took me on a little tour of Westminster and we stopped at Eclecticity (Art*Books*Music..and more) where I bought this previously owned book.

After checking out all the good reviews on Amazon, I'm looking forward to reading it. Apparently it won an award when it was published in 1977. I think this might be the first paperback edition. It is mostly text. This is my favorite quilt photo in the book.

After our tour we had dinner at Rafael’s. We both had yummy Portobello pannini’s and homemade potato chips.

We went back to the hospital, moved my treasures to my car and I followed her to her house in Eldersburg. I wanted to see her new kitchen. It’s lovely and her new vintage coffee table looks good in the adjoining family room. I wish I’d taken a photo.

It was a fun day and now I feel the urge to paint. After some quilting, of course!

All About Jo

Last Thursday I attended Jo Morton’s lecture and trunk show about decorating with quilts at Fairfax QU. What beauties!

Saturday, I attended her Rhubarb Crisp workshop. It amazes me how little I get done at these things. I only made 4 sawtooth star blocks in 6 hours. I realize we took time to gather around the table, chat and eat lunch. Yes, it was fun and I learned a new way of making flying geese and Jo’s method of clipping seams for neater pressing. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend you take one of her classes.

some of her class sample blocks 

my little 4" blocks 

Being the obsessive person I am, I took every opportunity I could on Sunday and Monday to work on this project. I wanted something to show at her next lecture (Making Something New Look Olde) which was today at McLean QU. But guess what! I left the little flimsy I made – four star blocks with the flying geese sashing – at the meeting. I’m trying not to be too made at myself. A message has been sent out to the group and I hope I hear from someone soon. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of it. I’m sure you won’t mind a few photos from Jo’s trunk show instead.

Thanks to my friend, Suzie, for taking the trunk show photos. I was a lucky holder.