Logs for Linda

Our Central Florida MQG meeting was Monday, on Veteran's Day. We were finally able to share our completed challenge quilts. Though only 10 of our 62 members participated in the challenge, the quilts were great! Here's the link in case you'd like to see them. (As media coordinator for the chapter, I write all these blog posts. We also had 28 show and tells at the meeting, so my position kept me busy!)

For this challenge, members were asked to chose one of their initials, select a traditional quilt block beginning with the same letter, and make a modern quilt from the block. I chose the Log Cabin block for my first name initial "L." It was a fun experience for me because I dislike log cabin blocks. I've never, in 40 years of quiltmaking, made a log cabin block. But I'm really happy with how my quilt turned out. It's 43" X 48".

I started with two bins of solid scraps, making a couple test blocks - yellow and red. Then, for whatever reason, I started grabbing red and pink scraps. Most of the strips and pieces were improv cut.

After I'd made the red-pink blocks, I decided to make the quilt larger and added purples. I could have kept going with more colors, but really didn't have the time to spend on it. Since the quilt's minimum size requirement was only 20" X 20", I was already there. This is the quilt top.

I kept quilting minimal to keep the modern style, using a walking foot to quilt an on-point square in the quilt center. 

Then, on each of the four corners I used a walking foot to quilt a half circle, traveling over the straight line quilting to get to the next half circle. 

I used four different colors of 50-weight Aurifil thread, and Moda Grunge as backing fabric. I think the quilting shows up nicely because batting is Quilter's Dream Puff. I like it!

For the third time I followed my favorite "Easy Quilt Facing" tutorial found here on the Bernina WeAll Sew website to finish the quilt edges.

I've discovered that the Bismarck palm in our front yard is a great place to hang and photograph a quilt!

Do you know that those palm stems are cupped? They are trough-shaped, and very tough. It was easy to clip the quilt to the stem edge with a binder clip. I've found my new, favorite, outdoor, quilt-photo-taking spot!

"Logs for Linda," 43" X 48"

This week has been crazy-busy. Besides the CFQMG meeting that generated lots of media postings for me (blog and Instagram), I had a check-up ultrasound of both legs, testing for P.A.D. blockages. Apparently none were found because the doc didn't call back. That's great! Keeping those peripheral (leg) arteries pumping with blood are why I keep exercising regularly.

On Monday we traded-in our 2014 Honda Accord, with 90,000-plus miles on it, for a 2020 Honda Accord Touring sedan. The car was delivered to our house on Tuesday, and we spent several hours learning about the technology, including many great safety features - like a lane-minder that keeps you centered in your lane if you take your hands off the wheel or start to drift, when traveling over 45 mph. It's fun to get a new car, but very time-consuming to learn how to use!

I finished an audiobook last week, and have another recommendation. It's "The Child Finder" by Rene Denfeld.

Naomi Cottle is an almost 30 year-old detective who has an innate ability to locate lost and missing children. In this story she handles two different cases, both of which occur in Oregon, in/near the Skookum National Forest - a cold, snowy place in the winter. The author provides perspective from eight year-old Madison who was taken when she was only five years old, and Naomi's own shadowy experiences of being held captive as a child. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Linda's score: 4.6/5.0

By the way, I'm scheduling teaching and speaking engagements, so if you're interested, please check out the "Schedule: Programs and Workshops" tab at the top of this blog page. Linda