October Catch-up

October is already proving to be the busiest month I've had this year.

Hurricane Milton

He passed over us last night, between about 8 pm and 2:30 am with blowing rain and gusts up to 50 mph. Rain blew into the lanai and the tracks of our sliding glass doors where we'd stuffed towels, but no water got in the house. We never lost power either, so that's a big "whew." A few roof shingles flew off though, and some of them we picked up from our yard didn't belong on our house! My heart hurts for those along the Gulf coast who were ravaged by wind and tidal surges, and those hit by 19 tornadoes, spawned by Milton, that went through Florida. So much devastation.  

Otherwise, October has been about multiple medical appointments; commitments to fill-in, lead, share, and teach (twining, and domestic machine quilting); keeping up with regular activities, (exercise and three Bible study groups); and making just one more quilt for a QuiltCon entry. Overload has set in. In a weird way, it helps to "dump" by writing a blog post.

In January, Central Florida MQG announced the "Household Inspiration Challenge" where we we told to use one of several modern design characteristics to make a quilt inspired by: 1) gift wrap; 2) napkin; 3) product packaging; or 4) a logo. The finished quilt is due at our November 9 meeting. I put off making it because I couldn't find anything inspiring. 

I chose transparency for my modern characteristic because the 2025 QuiltCon American Patchwork and Quilting Challenge is transparency. I'd be making a double-purposed quilt, you see?

I attempted a design several weeks ago using screen shots of the Siri button that I thought could become a transparency design. Unusual, yes? After drawing the design on graph paper, I cut huge pieces of freezer paper into these shapes, added seam allowances, and sewed. Ugh.

I may have translated the design okay, but I struggled to see that I'd effectively created transparency. By the way, the piece I made is 60" wide.

I've shared this so you know how I struggle with trying to create original designs. That ability just isn't in my nature. And it's why I admire - and am often jealous - of those who do it well, and make it seem easy. 

Last week, determined to "get it right," I started anew. This time I used the Adidas logo, mostly for its utter simplicity.

Instead of drawing, this time I used Pages software in my MacBook to make the three angled rectangles (the angle is 60°), and began playing from there.

You might ask, why didn't you use EQ8 to design? Well, I've found that for custom-designs, and generally playing around, EQ8 software doesn't give me the easy shape options I'm looking for. 

On Saturday I completed the 53" X 74" quilt top. Here's a bit of it.

On Sunday I pieced a backing using-up nearly all the leftover from the front.

On Sunday, I also submitted two quilts into QuiltCon. 

On Monday I pin-basted.

On Tuesday, I taught twining to 15 quilters in Big Cypress Quilters. 

These are the different fabric twines everyone created. If you want a tutorial, start with this one on YouTube. I prefer to use the cut-a-slit method of joining fabric strips to one another. 

On Wednesday I began quilting the transparency quilt. Thus far I've ruler-quilted two sections. 

Book Recommendations

Of course! I started with book #4 of the Max Rupert detective series. Gosh, I wish libraries would do a better job of informing patrons about series books and numbers.

Anyway, The Deep Dark Descending by Allen Eskers is more of a guy-type book. I say that because Max Rupert is a cop who's out for revenge on the man who murdered his wife and unborn baby. The whole book follows two paths: 1) Max's investigations into his wife's murder as he circumvents his boss and partner to get information on the case; and 2) Max along the Minnesota/Canada border, catching up to the man who orchestrated his wife's death. Max determines how to make the man talk, and how he'll slowly kill him.

Linda's score: 3.9/5.0

Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester follows Verónica, an American-Peruvian teen living in Central Florida, not far from Mermaid Cove, a tourist place where young women don tails and perform underwater dances.

Verónica has been swimming for years, begun as therapy following numerous surgeries for hip dysplasia. Her domineering parents control her life, so when there's an unexpected opening for a mermaid, Verónica knows that though her parents will disapprove, she must try-out. She then follows a path of deception in her work, and a relationship with a boy, as she grows in greater self-awareness. 

Listening to the author's note at the end, I learned that this story is based on the author's personal experiences with hip dysplasia, and a real-life location: Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida, a state-owned park where mermaids regularly perform. 

 

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

A came across this little bit of "potato love" inside a bag of russets. We all need a sign of love, don't we? 

Linda

End of September

The end of September snuck up on me! Guess that's how time flies when you're away for a week and return home to a bunch of to-dos. But I'm happy to tally my September fabric use because again, I used-up more than I took in. 

7.74 yard used; 0 fabric brought in. 

Outgoing fabric included making Like Totally BOM blocks; finishing 100-days of making Quilt Your Life blocks; finishing Pot Luck, the modern potholder quilt; and retreat accomplishments.

Thirty more Sunny blocks, a foundation paper-pieced design by Tara Faughnan, brings my total to 50 blocks made; I needed 90 blocks.

One more Dayna Pack (a cross-body bag pattern I'm mentioning with a warning about poorly written instructions) is finished. Due to having forgotten to cut tabs for D-rings, I was unable to complete making two more Dayna Packs.

Curvelets. I made 170 curvelets (1½" X 1½") in August, and I'm well on my way to making as many more. The two containers on the right are full of cut, seam allowance-marked, and glued curvelets, ready to be hand-pieced.

Keeping curvelet supplies in this case makes them very transportable.

Weaving another selvedge rug (my third) has been high on my list of something fun. For many months I've been saving the UNprinted selvedge side of yardage, cutting them off ¾" wide. Using a very short machine stitch length, I joined them by overlapping ends, and then rolling them into this 8" diameter ball. 

After recently watching a YouTube video about how to create a warp that's thicker than just a single cord (see the single hole in the peg), accordingly I strung and knotted a narrow ribbon through each small peg hole. Then I measured multiple lengths of cotton cord for a thick warp. Using a half-hitch I lashed the cords through the ribbon. All was going well until I ran out of cotton cord after preparing only 13 pegs. Since I want a rug as wide as my 24-peg loom,  I need to order cotton cord so I can proceed. 

One big retreat accomplishment was to join 152 Glitter blocks I'd finished in March. Over a couple years, I pieced each block with a combination of machine-piecing (center section), and hand-piecing (four outside corners). This quilt is in the book Quilt Lovely, by Jen Kingwell.

Assembling blocks was tedious! It took lots of pinning to match all the points, and even after joining and checking every seam, I ended up unstitching and restitching about 30 of them. It took a whole day to piece the top, unstitch and restitch, and finally press.

The top measures 67" X 75". I'm happy to say I anticipated this finish and already have a wideback for sandwiching. 

September turned out to be a slow, six-book reading month. Here are reviews for two of them. 

Book Recommendations

Recently, earthing and reading the book Earthing, has captured my interest, prompting me for several weeks now to spend 80 to 90 minutes daily with my bare feet on the ground. Knowing of my interest in how our bodies interact with earth, two friends suggested I read Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

It's a non-fiction book about our relationship to the land as told from the author's perspective as a Potawatamie Indian. Ms. Kimmerer, who also narrates the book, relates how Native Americans have historically respected the land, even as they've repeatedly been relocated. She combines her heritage with a doctorate in biology to give a unique and sensitive perspective about ecology and our relationship to nature. Specifically she talks about wild strawberries, cedars, sweet grass, leeks, algae, and marshland, among other topics. In particular it was disturbing to learn about the 1930s desecration of the Onandaga River (New York) by Allied Chemical Company's dumping of chemical waste into the once-beautiful and revered river. After reading the book, I Googled the river and found photos that confirm what happened there.

This book is interesting, informative, well-written, and sweetly narrated.  

Linda's score: 3.9/5.0

After being delighted by Charles Martin's "Keeper" book series - The Water Keeper; The Letter Keeper; The Record Keeper - I was happy to learn he had written another book!

The Last Exchange was published in 2023 and is the story of Jo, a Hollywood waitress waiting to be discovered. When her big acting break comes, it turns out she's a natural. Not only does she excel in every role she plays, but she's genuine. Honest. Fans love her. But Jo needs protection. That's when Pockets comes into her life. He's a Scot who's former military (he can't talk about it) and tough. He's the professional bodyguard who will keep Jo safe. But Jo's enemies and demons are near. There's her famous movie-star husband; her feelings of hopelessness about having a baby; the hair and make-up artist she befriends: and her addiction to drugs. Pockets is the person who can keep her together... until she's kidnapped. 

Linda's score: 4.3/5.0

Here are all six September books read, in score order out of a possible 5.0:

Earthing, Clint Ober, Steven Sinatra, Martin Zucker - 4.5

The Existential Worries of Mags Munroe (Book 1), Jean Grainger - 4.3

Growing Wild in the Shade (Book 2), Jean Grainger - 4.3

Each to Their Own, (Book 3), Jean Grainger - 4.3

The Last Exchange, Charles Martin - 4.3

Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer - 3.9

Linda

QuiltFest JAX (Jacksonville)

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 19-21, 436 quilts were on display at the Prime Osborne Convention Center. I had the privilege of attending on Thursday, and spent all my time viewing 77 quilts in the Modern Category (a new category this year), spending time with a few friends, and shopping from my list among vendors. 

The first place modern winner was made by Janel Bendis of Jacksonville.

In the modern category, second place, third place, and honorable mention were awarded to my friend Candi Lennox @candipursuits, a member of the JAX MQG.

The judge was impressed with Candi's domestic machine walking foot quilting. Candi said it's a design in Jacqui Gering's book Walk 2.0.

On the right is one (of two) quilts for which she didn't receive a ribbon.

Candi was also awarded a ribbon in the Small Quilts category. 

It was special seeing again friends from a relatively new MQG chapter - Palm Beach MQG. Sherry made this quilt during a Modern Quilt Studio (Single and Kerr) quilt along. 

Susan Skatoff is the founder and president of the Palm Beach MQG, and this is the first quilt she's ever entered in a show! She won a "Judges Recognition" ribbon. 

Along with three other members of Central Florida MQG, we entered a total of six quilts in the show. Two of them were mine. Neither won a ribbon.

This is Alternate Route made in a "Dancing With the Wall" workshop with Irene Roderick. It was a 2024 QuiltCon "reject." 

Feelin' Groovy is my maximalist quilt that did appear at QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh. 

I really appreciated receiving the judge's (Mary Garda) thoughtful comments. I learned that both of my quilts made the "first round" and were among 30 quilts designated "hold" for reconsideration. And my Feelin' Groovy maximalist quilt went through a second "hold" for "stationary quilting." 

If you'd like to see more show pictures, including a link to all QuiltFest winners, go HERE.

From show vendors I picked up a few needed items: Aurifil thread, glue stick refills, and two packages of purse zippers with tabs. Only one piece of fabric, a black and white stripe, came home with me. 

What I found fascinating was a new (to me) product: Carolina Moore Glow Ruler. This 6½ square ruler actually has an LED light that lights up lines and numbers. And it's rechargeable! With a $58 price tag, I'll pass. What will quilt makers think of next?!

A quilt retreat is in my near future. I've made a list, and six projects will accompany me. Three of them are no-sewing-machine projects. Let's see how much I accomplish! Linda

Pot Luck Finish

I've been tinkering in the sewing room all week, not accomplishing a whole lot. Though happily, I did finish Pot Luck. I don't have any pretty, styled photos of the quilt, but this is what it looks like pinned to the design wall - pinned because it's pretty heavy! Guess all bound blocks added extra weight to this 56½" X 56½" modern improv potholder quilt. 

As you can probably see, instead of binding the outside edges, I faced them (Thank you Patty @elmstreetquilts for your suggestion!)

Here's the back of the quilt, which is almost as interesting as the front. I like those spots where a bit of Pewter solid appears in the binding. On the front, those connect to other Pewter insets. 

I have 15 quilt makers to thank for participating in this group project!

Local makers: 

• Karen E
• Jane G
• JoElla M
• Betty S
• Rosemary V

Out-of-town makers:

• Cassandra B
• Kathy C
• Maureen D
• Patty D
• Debbie J
• Candi L
• Charlotte N
• Sherry P
• Elizabeth R
• Clara S

I'll be taking some "good" photos soon, to submit this to QuiltCon, Phoenix. We're all hoping to see Pot Luck hanging there next February. 

As for my 100-Day Challenge to "Quilt Your Life".... these 151 blocks are being put aside for now.

That's so I can focus on the two quilt challenges I want to accomplish in the next two months! I'm actually trying to combine the challenges into one quilt. As usual, I've been struggling with my design ideas. I've drawn several designs using graph paper and colored pencils. Then I tried working-up one design in Pages, followed by trying to import and trace a design into EQ8. All attempts have ended in failure, so I may just resort to cutting out fabric to see what happens!

Anyway, I have more pressing interests at the moment. 

On Tuesday I'm doing this, virtually. I'll be speaking to the Beyond Borders chapter of the MQG about quilts I've had juried into QuiltCon. 

And then I'm going on a quilt retreat. As quilters know, there's much to prep. Supplies and projects head the list, followed by less important things such as clothing and food.

Book Recommendations

Continuing on my newfound interest in the life of Mags Munroe of Ballycarrick, Ireland, I recently finished book three in the series by Jean Grainger: Each to Their Own.

In this segment of her life, Mags is dealing with her distraught in-laws, who have reluctantly shared a revelation about their past. The ramifications impact the whole family. At the same time, Mag's and Kieran's oldest daughter is pushing her 15 year-old teenage boundaries and getting into trouble not only with her mother, but with the local garda. She has some punishment to accept and lessons to learn.

Since I've already read book #4 - Closer Than You Think - I'll next move to book #5 - Chancing Your Arm - which is the last book in the series.

Linda's score: 4.3/5.0

I don't often read non-fiction books, but after watching The Earthing Movie I wanted to know more about it. The Earthing book, written by Clinton Ober, Stephen Sinatra, and Martin Zucker, explains the science of earthing, and its health benefits, which is primarily inflammation. The book documents health improvements experience by people who are earthing (or grounded), provides the results of numerous tests, and offers testimonies from people who have successfully grounded themselves to better health. 

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

Linda

100 Days, Finished

Quilt Your Life

Quilt Your Life is what I began June 1 as my 100 day challenge. Sunday, September 8 was the 100th day.

I started making 5½" X 5½" (unfinished) blocks, representing 10 different activities in which I regularly engage. They involve Faith, Friendship, Fitness, and Fun. This blog post gives the details, including the significance of each block. 

On Sunday I spent a couple hours making the last blocks, and clearing off my design wall (I took a virtual workshop on Saturday, and used the design wall for improv blocks) so I could fill it with the 151 blocks I made in 100 days. 

151 blocks made during 100-day challenge

Line dancing was the activity I engaged in most (31 times) followed by listening to audiobooks (26) and four-mile power walks (18 times). 

Now what?!

I don't know where to begin to put these together. 

As I sit here writing this post, I keep turning in my chair to look at the design wall. I'm totally stumped. 

It will take time and thoughtful intention to turn these into a cohesive design. And honestly, I thought I'd finish with at least 200 blocks. Several things transpired to change that:

1. we went on four away-from-home trips, totaling 16 days away from routine activities
2. weekly ukulele club didn't meet in July, and
3. weekly Bible study didn't meet in August

Still, I think I can add into this design some shapes and colors that represent those 16 days away - whether that's a block or insert that represents each day, or one representation for each trip.

It all depends on how in the world I figure out putting these all together! 

By the way, these are the three improv blocks I made Saturday during a four-hour Zoom workshop with Cindy Grisdella - "Fabulous Freehand Curves." I wanted to learn how to make those Confetti Dots (upper right). I sure did! And learned they're the most labor-intensive of all the improv techniques she taught. Still... I have a mental picture of a quilt made with lots of arcs of confetti dots. 

The "Fabulous Freehand Curves" workshop was offered through Central Florida MQG, and was the follow-up/next steps to the in-person "Fearless Curved Piecing" workshop I took with Cindy in December 2023. My plan is to make more blocks similar to those above, and somehow combine blocks from both workshops.

Because you know... I like the headache of figuring out how to make blocks look like they belong together. 

Linda

Pot Luck Progress

I had been putting off working on Pot Luck - the modern potholder quilt I began assembling in late April after receiving blocks from 15 other quilt makers. This has been the week to get it wrapped up.  

Putting together the center section took time because I sewed binding to each block and hand-stitched it to the back, and then hand-stitched together all the blocks. But when the center was done it didn't feel finished to me. That's where I stalled until I decided to add hand-quilted wedges to each side, so as to set the center at an angle. I think it gives the whole quilt more interest.

Pot Luck, 57" X 57" awaiting last binding

But making those sides wasn't as straightforward as I thought. Though the top and bottom wedges were easy enough to make and attach, it was the sides that gave me more problems. On both of them, I had to add more fabric and more hand-stitching to make them long enough. 

However, now that the wedges are finished, I need only square it up and add binding. But now I'm wondering, which fabric for binding? Initially I thought the stripe would look best, but maybe Aruba (light aqua) is better because it allows the center to shine. Or maybe Bright Aqua?

Book Recommendations

After listening to Jean Grainger's book Closer Than You Think that was (unbeknownst to me) book #4 in the Mags Munroe series, I've gone back to listen to the first two books - The Existential Worries of Mags Munroe, and Growing Wild in the Shade.

All these stories take place in Ballycarick, a small town not far from Galway, Ireland. Mags is captain of the local garda with a force of four people who spend most of their time patrolling, selling dog licenses, and doing paperwork. 

As with such "village" type books, we meet: Mag's mother who owns the local dress shop; Mag's best friend Sharon who is trying to get over a break-up with her cheating husband, Danny; and Kieren, Mag's husband who has a roofing business; and Mag's and Kieren's two girls.

Grainger writes with thoughtfulness about the sometimes-challenging relationship between local "settlers" (Ballycarick residents) and "travelers" (gypies) who live on the nearby halting. And she writes with great humor about Mags dealing with  her "monster-in-law" Nona; Ducky a schmoozy, blustering detective; and gossipy, plotting women on the local council. 

I often smile while listening. The books are just charming!

Linda's score for both: 4.3/5.0

Lately, I've been captivated by something a friend shared with me. It's called "earthing" - the practice of intentionally spending time with bare feet on the ground to allow earth's negative ions to balance free radicals in our bodies and thereby reduce inflammation. It's a fascinating science.

If you haven't heard of earthing, I recommend watching the YouTube documentary "The Earthing Movie." It's is how I was introduced to it.  Linda