New Year; New Projects

Several years ago I started crocheting a teddy bear. I'm not a skilled crocheter, so bear parts - head, arms, legs - languished in a closet. After a recent clean-up, I took the pattern and parts to my friend Sandy K. and asked if she'd be willing to finish and donate it. She did, and gave me this picture to let me know that the teddy has been donated. Thank you, Sandy for saving my feeble crochet attempt.

Similarly, many months ago I shared a pile of no-longer-loved fabrics with Big Cypress Quilters. It included this border print that I bought in 2002 when I visited my Swiss friend, Edith. We attended Carrefour Européen du Patchwork in St. Marie-Aux-Mines, France, and I bought a number of European-made fabrics. Joanne D. used this fabric from Amsterdam to make a table runner, and did a nice job! 

What I've been doing is making a name tag. Big Cypress Quilters asked me to teach a basic English paper piecing project - a simple name tag design. 

I made one EPPed Grandmother's Flower Garden patch entirely from a print with my name hand-embroidered in the center.

The other side is EPPed with solids-only, using my Bernina 770QE alphabet to machine-embroider my name. 

To hang the name tag around my neck, I used a 28"-length of wide grosgrain ribbon, folded in half and edge-stitched on both sides, then sandwiched between the two flowers.

I thought the solids were a perfect background for some of my quilting-related pins! I left the EPP papers in the solid hexagons, and poked each pin through the fabric and paper. Pin backs are in between the two flower garden blocks that I hand-stitched together.

I'll be teaching this to Big Cypress Quilters on Tuesday, February 8 at 1 p.m.

In my last post I shared the improv block I made after taking Sherri Lynn Wood's virtual Abstract Piecing Scrap Play workshop. I wasn't happy with the block, so after my South Florida MQG friend Maureen @maydecemberquilts suggested I add some "dark" to the block, I took it apart, inserted bits of royal blue, and... I love what it did to make the block pop!

Improv block approximately 25" X 25"

Wanting to keep up with improv "practice" as Sherri Lynn suggests, I have pulled out every bit of orange, blue, and yellow scraps (prints and solids) that I own! I thought I had a lot of scraps, but it's evident that I'm using them up. 

My intent this year is to continue improv practice, so I made this 12" X 13" block today.

I'm also continuing to use scraps to make my ninth Kawandi, the largest one so far, at 18" X 24". It's a bit of an experiment, changing colors as I hand-stitch toward the center using an aqua variegated Aurifil 12-weight thread. The next scrap color is raspberry/purple. 

My friend Patty @elmstreetquilts recently let me know that blogger Marie Bostwick wrote a post How to Make a Temperature Quilt and along with other makers, used my quilt as an example. I got a kick out of her description:

"Who doesn't love the Drunkard's Path block? This quilt from FlourishingPalms made my heart go pitter-pat!"

I'm flattered, and so excited about seeing my temperature quilt hanging at QuiltCon in Phoenix. That big event is only 38 days away! 

Book Recommendation
This is a repeat post about reading (by audiobook) - and finally finishing! - Go Tell the Bees That I'm Gone, the ninth book in the Outlander series written by Diana Gabaldon. It took me all of the 20 day check-out period to listen to 49½ hours of the story.

I wasn't disappointed in the book, but I think I expected more "happenings." It's been six years since Written in My Own Heart's Blood (book #8) was published, so in this one, Ms. Gabaldon often reviewed - through conversations between various characters - events that happened in previous books.

Character interactions were often among Jamie and Claire's descendants: Bree and Roger; Ian and Rachel; William (Lord John/Jamie's s
on) and Arabella; Jenny (Jamie's sister) and an Indian shaman, and other new characters. Time travel was talked about, especially between Bree and Roger. About half the book was spent with Jamie and Claire as they rebuilt their (previously burned) home on Fraser's Ridge, in Virginia.

Historically, a siege and battle takes place in Savannah. Having been in Savannah twice, I enjoyed that part. On Google Earth I found the house where Lord John Grey and his brother Hal lived: 16 Oglethorpe Street. Seeing this makes the fictitious history more real.

16 Oglethorpe St., Savannah, Georgia

The book concludes in 1780. Book ten is expected to be the last book in the series. 

Because the Outlander series is my all-time favorite book (series) ever - one step above Gone With the Wind - I'm giving this my highest score.

Linda's score: 5/5

Some Best Buy shopping has me owning this 58" tall tripod for my Canon point-and-shoot camera. I'm looking forward to taking pictures with it, especially photos of groups like Central Florida MQG, and quilts on my design wall, photos I previously took using a tabletop tripod.

I shared the conversation below on Instagram, so forgive me if you've already seen it.

On Saturday evening, Dan was making dinner for us - grilled salmon with a Bérnaise sauce - when we had this exchange.

 

His response had me laughing out loud, and somewhat in astonishment of his knowledge! Who would have guessed he's picked up on my thread preference?! What other things does he know about quilting? 

Well, my Dad has told me several times that from reading my blog, he knows more about quilting than most men. If these fellas have been paying attention, Dad's absolutely right! Linda

From 2021 to 2022

I haven't posted for a while because between December 26 and January 1, seven extra, very special people were at our house. Unaccustomed as we are to spending holidays with family, it was a bit of happy chaos to have them here from Kansas City, New York City, and Austin (TX). 

We rented a second golf cart, a four-seater, so everyone had a chance to enjoy our most popular form of transportation. 

Golf-carting was the only way to go when it came to geo-caching, which we did on several occasions. 

Our four grandsons love geo-caching!

With temps in the 80's every day, pool time was another good outdoor activity, along with shuffleboard and boccé ball.

Indoors, finding treasures in our bin of toys is a fun activity.

In particular, 58 empty yogurt containers, saved since 2012-2013 (yes, I ate every single one of them, and do so daily) are age-resistant entertainment. 

There were also games of UNO, Bingo (for dollar bills!), Rummikub, and puzzles. This is a 1000-piece one that I received in our Central Florida MQG Chinese gift swap.

"50 States Quilt Blocks" by Cobble Hill

In anticipation of the family's visit, my sewing room, which has been known to look like this... 

...had to be "torn down" to reconfigure into a bedroom with air mattresses. It's fun to choose quilts for each bed. On my design wall I pinned up a Christmas quilt embroidered and made by Jenny Renolds of Queensland Australia. I was the high bidder on it in 2011, in a fundraiser for Bush Fire Relief. It's a special quilt to me.

Even the guest room was reconfigured for another air mattress and quilt. 

The only social media thing I did while family was here was manually tally my most-like Instagram posts from 2021. Oddly, the #1 most-liked post, with more than 1100 likes, was an unfinished Kawand! I sure don't understand how that happens, especially when the same finished Kawandi received less than half as many likes, and placed third in the most-popular order. 

Otherwise, all three of my quilts that have been accepted into QuiltCon 2022, appear in my "Top Nine," with my QuiltCon reject (#4) and my Zing quilt (#9) also making appearances. This is always an interesting review. 

As much as I'd like to join the crowd of quiltmakers who have posted their 2022 quilt-y goals, I'm not participating. When it comes to quiltmaking, I've never been a goal-setter because I don't like the pressure I put on myself to achieve those stated goals. Failure isn't an option so I stress-out myself, trying to accomplish them. 

Rather, I enjoy the freedom of choosing to work on whatever I want.

Possible projects include basting and quilting the Finger Paints quilt top (left) I finished in November;

continuing this improv play (right) using solids and African waxed prints;

 

"Sea Glass" by Exhausted Octopus

making a Sea Glass quilt on the order of what Allie of ExhaustedOctopus makes;

starting a lap-sized Kawandi;

and braiding a rag rug for a Texas friend who, early last fall, sent me a large box of fabrics with which to braid a rug. 

I have several teaching and speaking gigs in the upcoming months (listed on the "Programs and Workshops" tab on my blog home page) that are always enjoyable for me, as well as QuiltCon 2022 in Phoenix coming up February 16!

So, to start in good order, once family left on New Year's Day, I've set my house to rights. Re-building my sewing room was a high priority. That's because on Sunday afternoon, for a couple hours, I attended Sherri Lynn Wood's free virtual workshop: Abstract Piecing Scrap Play

I pulled out the same fabrics I had used in an October 2015 in-person workshop with Sherri Lynn, when she taught in The Villages. I'm not any happier now with my results than I was then. This 15" X 18" piece isn't to my liking, but I plan to try again.

If you think improv is easy, I'm pretty certain you haven't tried it yourself. There's more than a knack required, and practice definitely plays a big part in being successful. In spite of taking workshops with a half-dozen (or more) improv instructors, I haven't mastered it. Perhaps I never will. But it's good to be challenged. 

By the way, I don't have a book review yet because I've got three days to finish listening to 156 chapters of Go Tell The Bees That I'm Gone by Diana Gabaldon. I'm on chapter 124. 

I hope, wherever you are, that you're having a lovely transition into 2022 with sewing and quiltmaking that's satisfying and fun. Linda

Days Before Christmas

Still in pre-Christmas prep mode, beside cleaning house, I'm also making handwork ready, in case I have quiet sit-down time. With four young grandsons in our house, who am I kidding? Right? 

This past week's free time was spent cutting fabrics - enough to prepare 40 more glitter blocks to add to the 152 blocks I'll need to put together a Glitter Quilt. The pattern is by Jen Kingwell. 

Here's a picture of my New Zealand friend, Wendy's, award-winning Glitter Quilt.

Several options are available for putting together blocks - EPP, hand-piecing, and machine-piecing. I'm going with a combination of techniques.

You can see, left to right, that I'm machine-piecing the center section, and hand-piecing to add four outside corners. For accuracy, hand-stitched Y-seams are best for me.

I just can't seem to keep from making Kawandi! I've begun my ninth small one, though larger than others at 18" X 24". My plan is to graduate fabric colors as I place scraps and stitch toward the center. 

Instagram giveaway wins arrived promptly! This pattern and bundle of FPP papers came from Erica Arndt. I can see myself using the papers and scrap fabrics to make a scrappy quilt. 

Bethanne Nemesh sent the quilting rulers I selected from her website. Her quilting designs are rather elaborate. 

I'm looking forward to trying these rulers, particularly the ultra-curvy one called "Lotus Lines" (bottom center). It's meant to be used to "steer" a quilt around particular shapes (appliqué for Bethanne), and do something with the concave part of the ruler that she calls "needle entrapment." It's new to me. 

After watching her video, I could appreciate the ruler's application to quilting around modern shapes too.

Last Saturday afternoon was my final 2021 virtual meeting as a member of South Florida MQG (SFMQG). I'm not renewing my membership because of time commitments with two other guilds, not because I didn't enjoy being part of the group. I did! I made many new friends in SFMQG, and thoroughly enjoyed chatting and making friends during monthly Sip-and-Sews. It wasn't an easy decision to not renew.

The meeting was also the culmination of SFMQG's year-long "Curve Around Challenge" of which I was chair. In November, members got to see 19 finished entries in the challenge, and cast their votes. These are the award-winners.

First place received a $50 gift certificate to The Quilted Peacock. In the spirt of paying it forward, I've donated it to the SFMQG charity committee.

The "Cassandra Beaver Award" (chosen by Cassandra herself!) is a $50 gift certificate to Feel Good Fibers. Two awards! I'm completely humbled, and honored. Thank you SFMQGers! 

Go here to look at all the Curve Around Challenge entries. 

Book Recommendation

Sadie by Courtney Summers is an audiobook that's presented as though it's a podcast. The male narrator is the person who's a podcaster, looking to uncover information about the death, in a small town in Colorado, of 13 year-old Maggie, and help in the search for Maggie's missing 19 year-old sister, Sadie. 

Story narration passes between the male podcaster and Sadie. But mostly, the story is told in recorded, live interviews, with dozens of characters telling their stories. It's an unusual way to present an audiobook, but very engaging.

It's only sad that the main thrust of the book is about real and unsettling situations for vulnerable young girls. There's no happy ending, but it's well-written.  

Linda's score: 3.8/5.0

I'm glad I could share this book review because after I posted on December 15 that I was third on the waitlist for book nine of the Outlander series: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, and that my turn would be coming soon, the next day I received my "it's your turn" notice from the library! I immediately stopped listening to a Vera book by Ann Cleeves, and started 49½ hours/156 chapters of Go Tell... I have 20 days to listen.

So far, even after a long interval since book eight, Written in My Own Heart's Blood, I was able to get right back into the story. Hearing narrator Davina Porter, who has acted all the Outlander books, is like visiting a dear friend. And author Diana Gabaldon has sprinkled-in enough conversational refreshers about past experiences that it's been easy to recall significant events in previous books. 

I know I'm being premature in giving this my "Linda score," but... 

Linda's Score: 5.0/5.0 

This is my 70th book-listen for 2021. 

Christmas blessings my friends! Linda

Holy Family made in 2011 from a design by Dilys Fronks
in the 2006 issue of Quilt It: For Christmas magazine

Fun Stuff and IG Wins

Right after Christmas our kids and grandies are coming to visit! This will be their first time here over the holidays, since we moved in 9½ years ago. We're pretty excited about them coming - four boys between the ages of 7 and 12 for six days? How chaotic could it be?! 

This also means that, for the first time since moving to Florida, we're putting up Christmas decorations! Recalling exactly where everything went in our Iowa home, I've had some challenges finding places to put things. The focal point - the tree - is this six foot-tall artificial bamboo tree in our chat corner.

We've never owned an artificial Christmas tree, and decided not to invest in one this year. For one thing, they're expensive, and for another, it goes against traditional to have anything but a real evergreen tree.

So maybe this bamboo tree looks a little hokey, but it works because it holds many special ornaments, and is alongside a favorite counted cross-stitch nutcracker, and a 24"-tall kneeling Santa. 

Our kids fondly refer to him as "touchdown Santa." 

Sewing-wise, I finished making a total of seven Inside Outside Pouches and Boxy Clear Pouches. They're wrapped and ready for gifting. 

Last weekend I also made a ukulele pillow for my "Peace, Love, and Ukulele Club" leader. I posed it with my own ukulele. Did you know ukuleles come in four sizes? Mine is a concert; the pillow is a soprano. 

I used a dotted fabric to make the bridge (at the bottom of the strings). Strings are a strand of cotton string that's been satin-stitched with light gray-colored thread.

The top tuning pegs are buttons. 

I intentionally positioned this colorful peace symbol in the center back, and you can see where I added my label (with my name and FlourishingPalms).

The big difference between the pillow I made and the free pattern from Sew4Home is that I made my version with box edges, rather than a knife edge. Mary, after unwrapping it.

In other fun news... If you're an Instagrammer, you've surely noticed that a number of companies and small businesses have been hosting giveaways - "12 Days of Christmas" sort of things. I enter most of them, as do many of my Instagram friends. 

What a surprise to learn this week that I won two of them! 

 One prize is a set of square-in-a-square paper packs and the Geneva quilt pattern from Erica Arndt

The second prize is even bigger - $100 worth of products, of my choice, from Bethanne Nemesh of White Arbor Quilting, who is also a quilting instructor (!). Her quilting style is very decorative, and feathery. Bethanne told me she had more than 900 entries in her contest.

I'm choosing four of Bethanne's quilting rulers. Because my Illinois friend Michelle @bacontheneggs and I tagged each other for the giveaway, Michelle also wins a set of Bethanne's quilting rulers. Some prizes, huh?!

Audiobook listening hasn't gone smoothly. I listened to at least a third of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue before returning it. Too sci-fi, and unbelievable with part I flat-out didn't like. But I'm into a good one now. 

Also, I'm third in line to listen to the newest Outlander book by Diana Gabaldon - Go Tell the Bees that I'm Gone - the ninth title in the Outlander series. If you haven't yet read Outlander, you're missing out on reading the best book of the century! Diana's latest book, read by the fabulous Davina Porter, is 49½ hours of listening! Wowsa! I'm fearful my library turn will come up while family is visiting. Even if I am able to listen, can I do 49½ hours of listening during the 20-day checkout period?! 

Outdoors, our weather has been looking less than December-ish. In fact, it's been gorgeous - perfect temps and low humidity. When I was power-walking Sunday afternoon, absorbed in an audiobook and looking down, I nearly stepped on this guy! He's a pretty ugly Florida soft-shell turtle. Only a mother could love it. 

But, our scenery is beautiful! The flowers have been especially showy in the round-abouts.

I love December in Florida!

Linda