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| Mackerel clouds, Christmas Day |
My husband's gift to me was a check. He said, "I expect you to spend this all on quilting." In anticipation of that I ordered three dozen spools of Aurifil from the Fat Quarter Shop when it had a flash sale (50% off, free shipping). I haven't spent the rest of the gift....yet.
The Hallmark store is in the same shopping plaza as the Salvation Army. On Monday I went to the former to get yet another sympathy card. I stopped at the latter to see if there was anything interesting. P.E.O.s gravitate toward anything with daisies and this 1970's basket purse was just $1.99. (I posted the photo on the P.E.O. Facebook page and got more than 400 "likes." If I had a penny for each I'd have paid for the purse twice over.) I always wanted a basket purse but I never had one. Nowadays I'd consider it very inconvenient (no interior pockets, no clasp, inflexible).
On Saturday I took a box of "misc. household" (as I write on the receipt) to Goodwill. (Sometimes I give to Goodwill, sometimes to Salvation Army. It depends on where my other errands take me.) I came home with this, all in a bag for $3.00. The pillowcases were what I wanted! I'll give the patterns to a friend who does blackwork embroidery. (Will I ever finish the embroidery? Probably not.) I looked up Molter-Reinhard and found this historical information .
Last week I posted a picture of two cake stand blocks. Here is how that project turned out -- 33 x 33, 2 yards. The backing is a tropical floral print that I got on our 2008 trip to Bermuda . Time to use it!
And while I had the batiks out . . . I chose Stars and Nines in batiks for both the 2012 and 2015 Block Swappers birthday block exchange. Everyone sent wonderful, colorful blocks -- but all together on the design wall they were too varied. I took the blocks apart, resulting in 6" nine-patches and 6" Ohio Stars. I tried setting the stars as the center surrounded by nine-patches, and vice versa. I realized the two blocks were visually unbalanced. On to this design! Some of the nine-patches had light corners and some had dark corners. I made many more of both. I tried a straight setting. Nah.I tried a diagonal setting. Yes, indeed! It's 54 x 70, 4 yards, and will not have a border. Eventually I will find a way to use the Ohio Star portions.
I'm linking up with other quiltmakers for
Design Wall Monday
Oh Scrap
Monday Making
P.S. Happy 90th birthday, in memoriam, to my mother. (Photo: December 28, 1963.)
Isn't it amazing what a difference an on-point setting will make! Looking good. Best wishes for a joyous New Year.
ReplyDeleteWow, the batik nines look wonderful in your setting! I love the reds! But you knew that, teehee. Nice mackerel sky photo, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm always a sucker for on-point settings! Love those nine patches.
ReplyDeleteThe 9 patches turned out great on point. I really like those red setting triangles.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the nine patches set straight, I thought "boring". You brought them to life with the on-point setting.
ReplyDeleteI love the clouds. Over the last few months I have become more intrigued by clouds. I don't know that I have seen mackerel clouds.
Helen
Love the finished cake stand quilt. The border and setting triangles really finish it off. And, yes, the on point setting really works for the 9 patches. Of course, I think the red really goes well with the blocks too. So, is that Miss Nann with her mommy in 1963? Cute picture and so nice to remember our loved ones who are no longer with us.
ReplyDeleteThat's my sister in the birthday photo.
DeleteLove that photo! Your nine patch quilt is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThe nine patches look great on point. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!
ReplyDeleteThe batik cake stands are gorgeous, especially with that border. You made a good choice for the nines, the red background really makes it special. Congrats on your thrift shop buys also.
ReplyDeleteThose nine patch blocks look amazing on point - love the fabric you chose for the setting. The cake stand is also fabulous.
ReplyDelete