He’s called Chillingsworth

I’ve had a tiny scrap of Chillingsworth on my small design board since finishing my last Halloween quilt last year.  Suddenly while sewing I felt I needed a handy tiny pin cushion.

His severed head was perfect for that!

The next waiting project I pulled from the stash drawers were two Chillingsworth panels.  They’ve been languishing for a couple of years while I collected more Halloween fabrics in anticipation of a clear idea of how to use this panel.

I knew I did not want a throw quilt.  But all plans kept leading to a quite large wall hanging also.  I spent 4 days looking through Pinterest for inspiration.  I finally came across 1” Scrappy Strips by Leila Gardunia.  They are paper piecing strips.  Now, I could have sat and drawn them myself, but for $10 I could just photocopy what I needed and get started sewing right now.

Anyone familiar with these Chillingsworth panels might notice that I cut down the sides of the panel.  I worried about doing that not being sure those top and bottom corner designs would look too odd.  It just had too much blank space around him for me.  So I cut anyway.  The corners don’t look odd to me.  OR if they do, they just add to the already oddity of Chillingsworth wearing only a top hat.

I started with this strip design but it looked too ... something.  I didn’t like it for a border for him.  So I chose the straight piecing design strip.

Here is where that awesome little plastic steam(less) roller became my best ever buddy.  It made pressing those hundreds of strips quick and easy.

The paper is so quick to pull off of these simple strips.

The trash is proof of the fun I had making these strips.

While I was making the borders I wondered how to quilt him without having to freemotion quilt around him and without having straight rows of quilting going through him.  So I drew my quilting lines.  (Forgot to take a photo).

I finish the back of my hanging quilts with strips to run a flat stick through.

Each of my kids will get one of these Chillingsworth guys.  I think the cream color one can be left out all year for creep-loving people...like my kids.

Stash busting!  It’s so awesome to get some of these older purchases made into “things”. 

An early-ish Happy Halloween!

The Purple Quilt

A purple quilt for a daughter-in-law that loves the color purple.

I don’t know if there is an official name for this quilt.  It begins as a disappearing 9 patch.

Then sashing is added between all the blocks.

So I call it a “floating” disappearing 9 patch.  It turns out the fabric I chose for the sashing/background is variegated or ombre, so not the best choice for a “floating” look.  

I had most of this quilt’s pieces cut 2 years ago, waiting to get sewn.

A couple of tools that I cannot live without in my sewing space.  The first one is old...the chalk liner.

This plastic steam roller (as I call it) is new for me.  But we became bestest friends right from the start.  It flattens seams better than an iron!  However have I sewn for so many years without this simple tool?!

What a great feeling to get purchases out of the drawers and under the needle and to completion.  All that is left is to pack it up and send it to a new home.

Finished size is 77.5”x62”

I continue to work on more of those projects that are sitting in the drawers waiting their turn to come out and be something.

A Whimsical Small Quilt

My fabric stash is bulging.  I need to stop buying fabrics just because I like them.

But this little quilt came about from a gift of three Candy Bar (I think is what they are called) precut packs from Rachel...(years ago!)

They just haven’t spoken to me no matter how many times I handle them.  There were four packs, I made a pillow cover with one of them a long time ago.  I pulled them out and challenged myself to use them.

I decided I wanted a whimsical look.  I divided the pieces for rows of 42 or so inches in length, arranged them and stitched them end to end.

Next came my favorite fabric that turns anything into whimsical.  The stripe is cut into 1” wide strips the length of the fabric and stitched between the rows.  I didn’t want to have to piece the stripe which is why I chose the length of 42” for piecing.

Next came the quilting...

...and then the binding.  It is so fun to look at.

The quilt is a little small for a baby quilt (and I don’t know any babies anyway).  It measures 41”x33”.

So, a yoga mat maybe?  I don’t yoga.  

A child’s play mat maybe?  No small children around.

I do know that I would have liked to have it when my daughter was in high school on the track team and I had to sit on the ground to watch and to wait.  She didn’t like running...they had bleachers over there to sit on.  No, she liked to throw heavy things like the Discus and the Shot Puts.

I’ll find a use.  Until then it’s so stinkin’ cute that it makes me smile and I’ll just enjoying seeing it everyday.

Almost 25-Year Old Quilt Top

Don’t fall out of your chair, I’ve been sewing!

I finally talked myself into getting this close to 25 year old quilt top quilted and bound!  

My daughter pieced this large quilt top when she was about 10 or 11 years old.  An age of fearlessness.  Which is why it probably got so large.

Finished measurement is 93”x72”

It was made when I knew nothing about quilting a quilt.  I had only made quilted wall hangings.  I thought a quilt had to be free motion quilted and I hated free motion quilting.  Having it sent out for quilting was not an option at the time.  So this quilt top and my first pieced quilt top had been hiding for close to 25 years.  I thought they were long gone until I decluttered and purged.  Suddenly there they were!  

My quilt got finished in August 2019

The blog post is here if you’d like to read more details on finding these quilt tops.

But this monster frightened me.  I worried it would be wonky.  I worried it would be bubbly here and there and everywhere...neither happened.

I worried it would be too large for me to quilt on my machine...it wasn’t.

I spent a lot of time worrying about things that did not happen.

I also worried we wouldn’t like the backing.  Just another wasted worry.

We decided the backing turned out pretty fun looking.  She even likes the back of the quilt better than the front.  Ha!

Just more proof that we shouldn’t worry about things until we actually have something to worry about.  I like to head off problems or at least be prepared.  So I will continue to worry before I need to worry.

She did a great job sewing.  Even a lot of the intersections meet nicely.  It’s a great memory quilt even though neither of us can remember a lot about her making it!  Ha!  I’m pretty sure I cut her squares, but she did all the sewing.  I quilted and bound it.  Both of us being somewhat senile about it makes it a brand new quilt again!

Here now is my June 2020 calendar for you to catch up on my doings.

I’m still in the sewing mode so there is more to come soon.

An Owl’s Nest

June weather is finally here!  June is when we finally get nice weather for the outdoor activities...like cycling!

But today I’m talking about May.

I made an art postcard for an artist friend’s birthday.  Similar to one I’ve made before but in different color inks.

My May calendar journal.  Sorry, lots of personal stuff I don’t care to share.

On May 1st we took a walk to see the owls that are again nesting in a old building inside a boarded up vent that leaves an outside cubby at the upper portion of the building.

Mama Owl and her two babies.  Bunch of sleepy heads!

The next visit we made to observe the owls, the babies were out exploring the world while Mama was napping...again.  I was surprised at how large the “baby” was.

Sadly, the babies were found dead a couple of weeks later.  It is believed they were electrocuted.  Must have been a power surge through the lines.  I hope Mama will return again next year.

May 31st was my first bicycle ride of 2020.  I’m so excited!

Be safe and stay healthy.

Calendar Journal and Stuff

This is my buddy, Bolt.

He hangs out at the end of a branch pencil and watches me do stuff at my desk.  He’s the quiet type.  Just watches.  Even though I talk to him all the time.

I have a new “stimulus” camera to play with.

Do you play the piano?.....no?

Apparently no one at this house does either.  It looks like it’s almost on its last leg.  

A postcard I made for Postcrossing.  Just to show I’m not sitting here doing completely nothing...sometimes I do a thing.

April has come and gone.  Since it was my first full month of Sundays, I should have labeled everyday “Sunday”.  Ha!

April is my birthday month so I documented that it was “my COVID-19 Birthday”. You know, not everyone gets a COVID-19 Birthday...at least I hope not anyway.

So now I’m going about my May days and wondering if it will be another month of Sundays.  Fine by mine me, I love it.

Calendar Journal

This is quite an interesting and terrifying historic time to be documenting my daily existence.  It’s mind-boggling that the entire world is experiencing a pandemic of COVID-19.

I’m still loving my inks and pens that use them.  I am now a new fountain pen addict.  I found these TWSBI ECO fountain pens.  I am a fountain pen dummy and I’m sure they made these TWSBIs just for me.  How kind of them.  Especially love that I can get them with an extra fine nib.

I’ve used my glass dip pen and my fountain pen for journaling during March.

I’m not one of many who are going stir crazy at home.  I LOVE staying at home.  Right now it’s a trial run for retirement.  I may not return to work I’m loving it so much.

I’ve plenty of time for getting some months ahead ready for journaling.  I thought June turned out especially bright and happy looking.

I love that postage stamp of those happy ladies.  Thank you Sheila for sending that with so many others...so long ago.  I love pawing through those stamps.

It feels a little strange for a perfectionist to embrace some sloppiness.  Hey wait!...that’s not sloppy, it’s artistic!  Oh, so that’s how I’m okay with it.  Yay!

Not all the months turn out so pleasing to me.  Once they are written all over they always seem to look a little better.  In any case, I love this simple calendar journaling within a 1-1/8 inch or so space.

I wish the world safety.