Cutting Up

Cutting continues to be my latest quiltmaking craze. Besides the scrappy quilt top I just finished, I've been aggressively cutting out pieces - from my scrap bins (when possible) and stash - for two other quilts.

In May I'm going on a three-day quilt retreat with members of Central Florida MQG, so preparing piecing projects is my objective. Things to work on during a retreat don't include free motion quilting, nor my Dancing With the Wall improv quilt - both would be impossible to do without the perfect design wall and table set-up.

I've cut up enough bits to make 340 - 3½" X 3½" (finished) blocks for a scrappy Unallocated quilt. The free guide for making these blocks - see my three blocks on the right - is on Instagram from @mckillopmichele

I've spent many hours cutting out pieces for a Posh Penelope quilt, a pattern from Sew Kind of Wonderful.  

It's been good to revisit my stash to select fabrics, and even better, to use my print stash. I haven't finished cutting yet.

Seeing the off-cuts pile grow though, has been quite satisfying, and great for stuffing that pet bed bag!

On April 18, Big Cypress Quilters had a "Spring Fling" party - an occasion for members to "wear pearls, carry a pocketbook," and attend an afternoon tea. When I arrived, I was greeted by several friends who had been at a Big Cypress Mini-Retreat, and thought of me... handing me a sandwich-sized Ziplock bag of tiny triangle scraps they'd cut while trimming quilt blocks. While I normally would have tossed them into a pet bed bag, I decided to show them what could be made.

This 7" X 9" mug rug is pieced with 80 half-square triangle blocks. 

I randomly arranged and joined them together. Each little finished block is ¾" square! After sharing this at Tuesday's Big Cypress Quilters Show and Tell - explaining to my friends that I'd be happy to teach them how to use their scraps! - I gave the mug rug to Flo, the quilter whose quilt blocks generated these cast-offs. It was a fun make, but something I don't want to repeat any time soon!

Mug Rug, 7" X 9"

April 15-16 was the Broward Quilt Expo in Pembroke Pines, Florida. I entered my Tilted Tiles quilt in the Modern, Large Quilt category. Three friends, all in the South Florida MQG, sent me pictures of my quilt! Thank you, Marie @marie4nier, Sherry @otterbeequilting, and Maureen @maydecemberquilts. Tilted Tiles hung to the right of a quilt made by the South Florida MQG president, Cathy Wilson @cwi1s0ncot

Lighting was such that my quilting shows up here much better than any pictures I've taken. I domestic machine quilted, and then added big stitch hand quilting. 

No award for me (prizes are cash!), but a judge's review is always interesting. I guess Judge Beverly Fine didn't care too much for my fabric color choices, giving them, as well scale/proportion (?), and quilting motifs only "Good." Happily, quilting and finishing received "Outstandings."  

Over my many decades of quiltmaking, and entering hundreds of quilts in shows, I've learned not to take a judge's comments too seriously. Even though I know they're trained to judge quilts, I think subjectivity comes into play more than they like to admit. As well, more recently, I'm observing that judges can have a less-than-complete understanding of "modern."

Hopefully, the new, updated definition of modern, that was just released by the MQG on Monday will help everyone understand it better. Link here. I was on the MQG committee that, last fall, provided input for the update and changes. I'm pleased with this new definition. 

Book Recommendations

The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain was one of those page-turner books - if I had read the print version! I listened practically non-stop.

Cee Cee is only 15, and still misses her mother who died at age 29. Cee Cee lives in Raleigh, is honest and hard-working, and waitressing to save money, hoping to attend college. She meets a handsome grad student Tim, who wants to be a social worker involved in prison reform. When he tells her his sister is on death row, and he wants to get her out, Cee Cee reluctantly gets involved in his plan - one that doesn't go as planned and changes the course of her life. 

Now on the run with a baby that isn't her own, Cee Cee must adopt a new identity and new life. As time goes on, she follows her dream of attending college. She falls in love and is part of a family. Her past is in the past and she's grateful for her life. However, decades later, when the news begins to uncover what really happened long ago, she's forced again to face the mistakes of her 15 year-old self. She must tell the truth to save a life. But at what cost? Will she receive forgiveness that she knows she doesn't deserve? 

Linda's score: 4.0/5.0

This is my favorite aqua chair - a swivel rocker-glider - that I use daily. It was bought and delivered in February 2020, just in time for using during months of stay-at-home days.

I'm sharing this "after" photo since washing the seat, back, and chair coverings in the washing machine! Yep. That's the reason I bought this Four Seasons brand of furniture... because all their furniture pieces are designed with coverings that can either be washed or dry cleaned, or easily replaced. What a good concept, especially for Florida homeowners who rent-out their homes and want different furniture coverings for themselves, and their renters. Before washing, the arms and cushion front looked discolored, so I couldn't be more pleased with how clean it all looks - nearly like new.

This is my favorite place for the occasional phone call, devotion time, and Zoom Bible studyZoom with women from Lutheran Church of Hope (West Des Moines, Iowa). We're using a study guide to watch (for free) and discuss season 2 of The Chosen. I'm learning more about Jesus - how real and special He is. I highly recommend watching The Chosen, if you haven't already.  Linda