Quilting and Other Stuff

Thank you - very much! - to nine of you who took time to comment on my last post about the Turn-Sharp rotary blade sharpener. That post has been viewed 590 times (so far), and it's your comments that mean so much and make me want to continue writing posts.

Through the past week I've been quilting and quilting, creating customized designs on my "Zing," patterned improv quilt. Quilting is with a walking foot and free motion foot, with top thread colors changed dozens of times. No doubt that's another reason quilting seemed to take so long.

It was satisfying to square the quilt top in preparation for sewing facing to the edges. (When I sew binding to a quilt, I don't square-up the quilt until the binding has been sewn on.) 

Do you ever face your quilts, rather than bind them? Some quilts seem more suited to facing than others. 

My favorite facing method is Easy Quilt Facing found on Bernina's WeAllSew blog. I like it because there's no need to fuss with mitered corners. Instead, each corner has a 5" fabric square that's been folded into a triangle, and sewn with the facing strips hidden under the triangle. 

I'm hand sewing it down now. 

Why is it that evenings seem more suited to hand stitching? For me, it snuggly-comfortable because I have my cushy swivel-glider, and LED light from a Slimline floor lamp. Handwork is so relaxing. 

A couple evenings ago I finished kawandi #5; it's the third kawandi I've made using my grandma's vintage fabric scraps and is 15" X 15". 

I don't have vintage pieces large enough for backing, so I look to my stash for something suitable. Isn't the "you can't buy this" label perfect for this piece?

Last week, after attending the South Florida MQG Zoom meeting - where we watched a great program by Ohioan Cassandra Beaver (TheNotSoDramaticLife) - I followed up on two SFMQG requests for charity quilt blocks. 

Here are five 13" X 13" Tossed Nine Patch blocks made according an Eleanor Burns video. We could use any fabrics to make a nine-patch block, but were asked to put a 5" white solid square in the center. After piecing, the nine patch is cross-cut twice, rearranged, and reassembled.

The second charity block request was for two Organic Diamond blocks. Free instructions on the MQG website. Blocks are a combination of foundation paper-piecing (on the right side) and piecing (a single Flying Geese block on the left side), and finish at 10". A whole quilt of these blocks made with solids would be beautiful wouldn't it? I see a search light in the design. Do you remember those? Back in the 'ole days?

Since I'm about three hours north of SFMQG chapter members, and won't see any members in person, both sets of blocks have been mailed to their respective coordinators. 

Since last fall, I've been a long-distance member of SFMQG, and it's been a very positive experience. During the past few days I worked with two other SFMQG officers to develop a SFMQG challenge called "Curve Around." I designed a logo and set the challenge parameters that will be introduced March 20 and due as a finished quilt in November. Can't wait! 

Locally, this month finds me wrapping up my Central Florida MQG executive committee position as Media Coordinator. I've held the position since starting the chapter in the fall of 2012. After 8½ years of taking pictures; maintaining the CFMQG website including posting to the blog and Instagram; handling publicity for guest and member speakers and programs; arranging Zoom meetings; and the like, I'm ready for someone else do the job. New executive committee members will step into position April 1. 

Book Recommendations  

I've been on a roll, listening to some great books over the past month. These two are worth adding to your list.

The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell ticked all the boxes for me - the setting, and the accents. In the English countryside is the magnificent estate: Cloudesley. The owner is charming and overbearing: Charles Oberon. Young Lillian is trying to the wife he expects. When a handsome artist is commissioned to paint a room at Cloudesley, using the walls as a canvas, Lillian finds herself weighing the value of people in her life. Parallel to Lillian's story, 60 years later, Maggie Oberon returns to Cloudesley to find it. and Lillian, in decline. While attempting to figure out how to save Cloudesley, Maggie learns about herself, and secrets Lillian has hidden for decades.  

 Linda's score: 4.7/5.0

My Australian friends alerted me to the much-anticipated release of The Survivors by Jane Harper. Having previously read books by Ms. Harper, I put it high on my must-read list, and enjoyed it as much as I anticipated.

The story takes place in Evelyn Bay, Tasmania - the first book I've ever read that takes place in Tas! The rough ocean, and rocky, cave-strewn coastline comes to life as the reader follows Kiernan (a man), his partner Mia, and their infant Audrey on a weeklong stay at Kiernan's parent's beachside home. They're visiting to help his parents pack for a move, and it's a chance for Kiernan to reconnect with friends - the people he shared a tragic experience with more than ten years ago. Life abruptly changes when a body is found on the beach. Past memories are resurrected... an afternoon spent in the caves, with the tide coming in, and a big storm brewing. The story sucked me in and didn't spew me back out until it was completely finished. 

Linda's score: 4.9/5.0

On February 22, a reporter and a photographer from the local newspaper The Daily Sun, interviewed me for an article about my quiltmaking. It appears in today's, March 4 issue. A few statements aren't accurate, but I was flattered to have been contacted.  

The piece is about my pandemic quilting activities - my 2019 temperature quilt; taking virtual workshops; presenting a webinar; learning kawandi and making them with vintage fabrics; and creating improv quilts. 

There! If you've been reading my blog, there's nothing new to learn from the article. 😀 Linda