I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Tuesday, September 27, 2016

September Quilt Blocks



Hi! The days are getting shorter, as September draws to a close. I'm not fond of winter's darkness, I don't find it cozy---just, well, dark. Mo and I continue to enjoy our afternoons of sewing on the deck. I just have to get out there earlier!



And despite the shorter days, the deck is hot, sunny, and beautiful every afternoon.


Mo is not going to pleased when his afternoon sunbath on the deck ends in a couple of months!


Here are the Houses from When the Wild Geese Fly.


 I love the Mill building, just like the old mills still standing in New Bedford and Providence.


This is the Saltbox house, a typical Connecticut and Massachusetts style.


And a Schoolhouse:



I know the style is ''primitive'' here, but the classic Schoolhouse's shape is less than wonderful. Maybe try again? Draft my own pattern?


I didn't help things by insisting on using an orange gingham shirt back that had princess seams! It doesn't lay as flat as I'd hoped. [I know~ I always say I'll redo as needed at the end of the project, then by that time I'm so finished and tired of the project I just say Make it work, and move on. So, I guess we'll see!]
I have quite a bit of the string-pieced blue plaid fabric left over. I'm thinking Baskets with cheddar handles, maybe?



I completed this Ohio Sampler block.


The Oak leaves were challenging! Those tight inner curves are tough.


I've also been pushing myself to catch up/ continue with ongoing projects that need machine sewing. These are the undone Westering Women Blocks. Again I'm not too thrilled with my work.
This is called Chimney Rock. The plaid pointy squares are supposed to represent the large rock formation. Apparently on the flat prairie there were a few outstanding landmarks, high rocks at the travellers could see for miles.


I again drafted my own pattern and instructions. My points are pretty good but as I squeezed out the squares from my antique Prussian blue and madder brown wool challis scrap, I was not able to keep the pieces exactly on grain, and oh boy does it ever show!


And I used this special to me but anachronistic Union print for the center. My story/ excuse was that in 1853 as the rumblings of discord and discontent began, maybe my pioneer family was headed west, hoping for a free and peaceful life .
And this block is Courthouse Rock, another landmark on the prairie that the wagon trains aimed for as they headed west. It must have looked so strange to these people. The flat endless rolling grass of the prairie, and then far far away a hundreds of feet high natural monument or outcropping, looming in the distance. [For all I know it looks odd still today, I've never been to Nebraska!]


These set-in seams, below, are called Y seams and Brackman actually showed one of my blocks, another with Y seams, on her blog! I was thrilled. Y seams don't really bother me, maybe because my sewing background is in clothing? It's the 1/4" seams and exact 90* corners that are hard for me.


edit: Oh much better! Patience is important in sewing! Though as Mel points out in her comment, he values aren't well chosen, so the rocks don't stand out. Oh well..



I m feeling somewhat hassled by quilt-y To Dos as I begin machine sewing again. I usually only machine sew in the winter and spring, but I am so behind!  That, to me, means I have too many projects going. I'm a stickler for keeping up and especially for finishing my work.
Those issues did not stop me from recently buying these two new to me Jan Patek patterns! The goal with these, tho I won't begin them soon, is to improve my accuracy in piecing. Look at all those pointy points! And both look like quilts I might actually be able to use in my house.


.....
We had one cool weekend, then the other night these black clouds rolled in. They have brought not rain but warmer muggier weather. But the clouds were all dark drama, no thunder wind or rain!









Have a good week! Quilty 365 Dotties here on Friday!



love 

lizzy

gone to the beach...



PS look close, below/// click to enlarge. Many migrating brds fill my sky each morning. These are maybe small hawks of some sort; they migrate early






To read more about the Westering Women blocks, and the rock formations represented here:

Courthouse Rock

Chimney Rock






12 comments:

  1. I know what you mean about feeling behind - I'm feeling that pressure too and I don't like it. All of your projects are so pretty but I just adore the houses/buildings! I have a similar project in mind (who knows when it will become a concrete reality) and yours are just fabulous - homespun with all those gorgeous blues.

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  2. Wow, it looks to me like you're getting a LOT done! I love the mill block, and the Ohio one came out really good - OMG, the leaves! They look really hard! The courthouse rock and chimney rock blocks are really interesting, although I don't really 'see' the rock formations when I look at the blocks. The chimney one looks too hard for me anyway!

    Mo is so funny, standing on your blocks when you're trying to take pictures. My cats do that, too. Helpful pets, lol.

    So many beautiful sky pictures! I hope you get to enjoy your deck sewing time during a long NICE fall season! And I'll say again - I love the peppers in the bean pot!

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    1. Thanks Mel. I redid the two WW bad blocks already, look again to see them fixed a bit. Tho as yuou mantioned, the values aren't well chosen, I find that very hard when working on someone else's pattern/ design!

      Mo and I are looking forward to a warm fall & even a sunny winter! Until fingers are too cold to sew?

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  3. I think the Ohio block looks really good. Pretty colors everywhere.

    Mo looks like he's giving you the side eye in the pic of him on the deck, lol.

    That pot is perfect for the chili peppers. So cute.

    Heat wave here the last few days! I'm sitting on my front porch with a glass of wine at 7:30, and it's 84 degrees. Jeeze, even I'm surprised by that! Gotta head in though, mosquitoes LOVE me.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Kel

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    Replies
    1. Hi! It sounds like endless summer in California, lucky you! Excpt the mosquitoes, too bad. Too windy here usually for them.
      Yes Mo is giving me the Look, 'don't touch my chewy!--and quit taking my picture, jeez!"
      Thank for kind words about the quilt blocks.

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  4. Love the fabric choices for your blocks. Who cares if the 'rocks' don't stand out.

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  5. Love those scrappy houses! And oooh, gorgeous fabrics in the next project.:)

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  6. Salt Box houses are my favorite! The orange fabric looks to me like golden light shining from a warm fireplace or the sun shining into the doorway. Love from the Strawberry

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  7. LOve your string pieced buildings!! They have such character! Nice job on the Ohio sampler block. Your pieced blocks are perfect to me! Lovely fabric choices!!

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