Two Drunkard's Path Quilts

Even though is seems slow going, I've been trying to get these UFO's finished and out of the way. I need to get them to a quilt-top stage. I feel that they are no longer UFO's when they are that close to being quilted.

I've been working on my Round the Block quilt and I remembered that I also had another Drunkard's Path design quilt stashed away.

Round the Block is machine-pieced and arranged in the traditional setting. It's made as a two color-way in red and white.

Spring Bloomers (it's preliminary name so far) is hand-pieced (applique) and set in a floral-like setting (or at least that was how I was wanting it to look like). It is made with Susan Branch's fabric named Tea Party.


To compare the two methods of construction, machine-pieced and hand-applique, I enjoy both.

Machine-piecing seems to go a lot faster but I can get bored with all the chain-stitching. I can't stand doing the same thing over and over and over again.

With hand-appliqueing, I like the idea that I have some hand work while I'm watching TV. Although I am still repeating the same step over and over again (applique, applique, applique...), I seem to tolerate it a lot better than sitting at the sewing machine.

If time permits, I'll have some more piecing done and some photos taken of them.

Jane

Problem Solved!

I feel so proud of myself today!

I had sat down on the couch, after taking the boys to school, to work on some hand-applique. I was working with my magnetic pin cushion and I really didn't have a place to keep my needle. I usually just stick the needle in the sticker/paper covering the top of the spool. But eventually, there are so many needle pricks that it either falls into the spool or the paper shreds to pieces.

I couldn't place my needle into my magnetic pin cushion because it would become lost with all the pins.

I had to make a needle cushion - something that can hold the needle I was using and keep it near the spool of thread.

Ta Da!! It was so easy to make!

One problem solved and it's so cute to look at, too!

I have seen these before and I have wanted to make one for a long time. It's made with a golf tee so it can fit in the spool.

I have another quilt that I'm having to applique two different colors of squares onto. I'm going to make two more for working on that quilt. Maybe I'll use some pretty ribbon for that petal for a different look.

Jane

Fabric Searching- Can You Help?

I was hoping you can help me find some fabric. I'm needing some fabric from Red Rooster's Canterbury line. I'm have started the quilt a little late and it is very hard to find the last fabrics. I'm wanting to make mine identical to the sample shown in the instructions, if possible.

I am needing:

1/2 yard of "Dark pink flower swirl" (#18176-RED1)

1/2 yard of "Light pink flower swirl" (#18176-PIN1)

1/2 yard of "Gold flower swirl" (#18176-YEL1)

example of "flower swirl"

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1/2 yard of "Dark pink lattice weave" (#18173-RED1)

example of "lattice weave"

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1 1/2 yards of "Pink paisley" (#18174-PIN1)

example of "paisley"

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1/2 yard of "Blue scrolls print" (#18175-BLU1)

1/2 yard of "Green scrolls print" (#18175-GRE1)

example of "scrolls print"

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If you can help, please email me at justplainjanequilts at frontier dot com. I would love to be able to buy it from you.

Jane

Heartache Generates Some Creativity

I'm feeling a lot better now about the tournament result. My son is taking it a lot better than my husband. Instead of grieving about it like a little baby, I had to steer my feelings into another direction.

All of the boys' families usually purchase shirts (basketball themed with school's name) to wear at the games. I had an idea a few months ago to make a jacket with the owl (school's mascot) on the back of it. I came up with this drawing.

I never got it on the back of a jacket and I soon just ran out of time. But I could make a wall hanging out of it! I thought it would be the perfect outlet to get my feelings out on!

I initially had drawn it on an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper, so I had to enlarge it.

And keeping the basketball theme, I thought I'd add a basketball in the background. I'm wanting to make it subtle. I'd like to make the background white with a beige or cream ball.

It kind of gives you an idea of what it will look like. I had thought of making another one to donate to the school. It could have the coaches and players names on it and perhaps they could sign their names on it. But that's two that I will make to make! And I'd have to make it before the end of the school year!

Not sure exactly when I'll actually get the fabric for it. Will I really make it? I may not, but I really enjoyed drawing it up.

Jane

Dream of Championship Shattered

I apologize for this unquilt related post. I admit that I am the furthest example of a sports fanatic, but I had to put in my opinion...
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We (specifically my son) had our school's basketball tournament. Our boys and their families and friends were walking in with the taste of victory already in our mouths.

Our team had won our first game and we were looking forward to playing the winning team from the prior game. Our boys and coaches were on confident since we have an undefeated record this year (12-0).

During this last game, which was going to determine the Champion and Second place winners, it was looking good at half time. We were up 9-19. We knew that we were playing against a pretty good team because we had never had such a low score at half time. But we were still holding on strong.

Then it was, as is, a switch was flipped in the fourth quarter. All the phenomenal baskets that were made earlier just wasn't happening anymore. I felt our defense was strong but that doesn't matter if the ball can't seem to go through the basket. With 3 minutes left, we were up 22-27. At 36 seconds, 26-27. We were finally defeated at the very end at 28-27.

This is how I feel about this:

I agree with competitiveness, teamwork, and sportsmanship when it comes to our children. Every team who plays has an opportunity to win or to lose. But the team we played against in the championship was from another school district and county. We never had played them during our season. And now they are taking the Championship trophy with them to who knows where. I would have felt better if one of our schools (district or county) had taken the trophy, but I'm having a hard time knowing this team came from ???.
We did acquire the second place trophy and I understand that my opinion is very biased. I am proud of our school and I love our boys. But perhaps I just don't understand how the teams are picked for tournament or just how the whole organization works. And it's more that just "if they weren't here, we would have won." At this competitive level, that Championship trophy should have stayed in our area and the boys who had cut down that basketball net after the win, should have been the boys who worked, practiced, and played at those same nets.

But that's how I feel about that!

I promise more quilty goodness to come!

Jane

BOM Revisited

After I had printed out the first month's instructions for Henietta Whiskers BOM quilt (from Bunny Hill Designs), I hadn't realized that I had forgotten to finish printing out the last three months of her 2010's BOM quilt, Snowbound. And it sparked my interest again.

I had to find my instructions to see where I had left off and then I started to play with the fabric.... you know where I'm going with this don't you??!! I just had to work on some piecing on the non-applique blocks. I can still call it progress, right?

Rural Jardin from Moda fabrics

drawing out the sewing and cutting lines

pinning the strips prior to sewing

layout for the block

center nine-patch block

progressing along

almost done

1,2,3..... 13 finished blocks!

I'm not sure when I'll start on the applique blocks. Perhaps I'll try machine-applique since I've very used it on a full size quilt. And perhaps it may go along quicker than hand-appliqueing it.

Jane

More Snow

We've just had another snow storm blow through yesterday. Just when the snow from the last storm had finally melted away, we were blanketed with a new coat. The schools are closed for today and tomorrow, and there is another chance of snow early next week. The last day of school has already been pushed back two days into Summer Break!

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My older son is scheduled to have his basketball tournament this weekend and there is a chance of a postponement because of the snow.

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I'm so proud of my son and his team. They have done so well this year! They are undefeated after playing the surrounding schools and this tournament will proclaim the Champion! Our boys are very proud of their own achievements and confident of our next tournament game. And we're looking forward to watching an exciting game!

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GOOD LUCK my buddy!

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Jane