A Perfect Morning Pick-me-up!

Hi all! I love a good cup of coffee in the morning. Brew it strong and serve it hot with a splash of milk and spoonful of sugar. What could possibly make it better?

How about adding a colorful patchwork mug rug? It's like a pick-me-up for your morning pick-me-up!

My friend, Mary, made this postage stamp version for me exclusively from scraps. Each vibrant square finishes at a mere half inch! Isn't it fun? 

Why not make a mug rug for yourself and see if it doesn't “perk up” your coffee or tea? All it takes is a little patchwork. There are plenty of ideas and tutorials online, most beginning with a basic quilt block. They make great gifts too!

*Originally posted June 19, 2015.

Strawberry Preserves

Hi everyone! Can you believe it's September already? I've been so focussed on this summer's project that I feel like it's still July! Some of you may remember this mid-century inspired doll quilt embellished with a vintage strawberry. I first posted about it here.

Motifs like this are typical of the 1940s-50s when they adorned household linens such as tea towels, tablecloths, and napkins. I added calicos, polka dots, and gingham checks for vintage charm and bordered the quilt with a whimsical retro-style daisy print from American Jane. 

                        

The top itself was finished years ago but got set aside when I gave up doing handwork. It's a shame to leave things like this half-done, but that was that, or so I thought. Earlier this spring, I brought it out to show my friend, Ruth, who graciously offered to finish it.

Ruth is an expert needlewoman for whom I have the utmost respect. Just look at her beautiful stitches. She suggested using perle cotton which added a lovely luster to the overall design. 

 

More than preserving a vintage berry, the quilt captured the essence of summertime too. I look forward to pulling it out again whenever I need a dose of sunshine. Thank you to Vicki Haninger for her inspiration and to Ruth, of course, for seeing the project to fruition. I couldn't be happier with the result!

Strawberry Preserves

15” x 17”

2019

Scenes of Summer

Hi everyone. How was your summer? Mine was filled with extraordinary moments shared with extraordinary friends, like Wanda Hanson of Exuberant Color, who surprised me with one of her signature batik color-wash quilts. Isn't it stunning? Read more about it here. 

Of course, visits from quilters are always welcome, especially when they bring "show and tell." Here's Sheila with her Sunflower quilt and me with Wanda's Zig-Zags.

Jenny graced us with fresh-picked basil and cherry tomatoes from her garden. Jean shared a delicious peach cobbler (made with real Georgia peaches) and the best homemade blueberry pie I've ever tasted!

Local troubadour, Bill Glaysher, serenaded me one afternoon. Swoon! I even got a copy of his CD.

Which enabling friend helped me make this online purchase? I couldn't resist getting a few new American Jane fabrics in summer hues.

Bev offering to read aloud to me was the ultimate indulgence. If you've never heard To Kill a Mockingbird read by a veteran English teacher, you don't know what you're missing... pure bliss!

Finding a new book by Gwen Marston was another special treat. The Magic Forest is a compilation of her small tree quilts, some of which I've had the good fortune of seeing in person at her Beaver Island Quilt Retreat.

 

Jim and I even attended a bridal shower hosted by friends, Mark and Linda, for their daughter and son-in-law to be. What lured us out on a 97-degree day was the promise of mango mimosas and eight different kinds of cake. Believe me, it did not disappoint!

Thank you for sharing your summer with me. We made some great memories, didn't we? You even have me believing that I deserve the occasional niceties of life! XO

Spring At Last

Earlier this spring, my friend Debbie shared photos from Flowers on Fargo, a private garden in Geneva, Illinois. Each year it attracts locals and visitors alike, first with crocuses and tulips, then with other flowering trees and perennials. E sure to check out the link above. 

I've always liked the crocuses bestof The moment they emerge, often while there's still snow on the ground, their hardy blooms seem to dance with abandon like they're grateful to be leaving winter behind... and aren't we all?

   

crocuses blanketing the landscape like a colorful patchwork quilt. 

Perhaps it's the colors that drew me to this vintage Dutchman's Puzzle quilt. Do you suppose the maker had crocuses in mind when she pieced those purple triangles or was this just a popular color scheme in the 1940s?

All those triangles

poking through a bed of white

to dance their way across a quilt

sure look like crocuses to me!

Wishing you all a happy spring & summer!

Midwinter Blues

Hello everyone! I had a birthday recently and with it came this marvelous quilt from Barb Vedder. You may recognize it as Midwinter Blues, a pattern designed by Lori DeJarnatt for her 2014 Humble Quilts sew-along. Double-click photos for more detail.

Aren't Barb's fabrics exquisite? I've never seen such deep, saturated blues or bold cheddar prints! All those patchwork points and angles could make for a "lively" quilt, especially when high contrast fabrics like these are used, but Barb managed to tame that energy with a couple clever tricks.

First, she used gentle curves of teacup quilting to draw the focus away from the angular patchwork itself.

Second, Barb minimized the impact of her machine quilting by swapping standard cotton thread with silk in a neutral gold color, Look closely and you'll see how the stitches practically melt into the background leaving just a hint of texture behind. 

There are often surprises on the back of Barb's quilts, and this one's no exception. It's a patriotic print with the phrase "E pluribus unum" or "Out of many, one."  All I can say is, out of many pieces came one fantastic quilt!

You can see by the label that Barb originally made this quilt for her dear friend, Mary Borst. After Mary passed away, Barb thought I might enjoy having it seeing as Mary and I were college classmates as well as good quilt friends. Thanks, Barb. You bet I will! XO

 

Instructions for the Midwinter Blues quilt are still available on Lori's Humble Quilts blog: 

Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3,  Finale.

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful!

If you live outside the purple zone on the weather map, you may be surprised to hear how bitterly cold it is here in the Midwest. Current temperatures are in the single-digits with wind chills of -25° to -40°. That's breathtaking cold! Bone-chilling cold! FROSTBITE COLD! Needless to say, we're hunkered down for the time being.

In weather like this, my husband keeps his expeditions to a minimum, braving the elements only to trek down the driveway for mail or to shovel us out... not that we're going anywhere. Every time he opens the storm door, it whines in icy protest as if to ask, “Are you sure you want to venture out today?”

I'm keeping warm with a cozy new quilt that my friend, Mary Conley, surprised me with. "The blocks might look familiar," she whispered as she placed it in my lap. Indeed they did. They were red and green nine patches I'd abandoned years ago! 

They look fresh and new in this jaunty on-point setting. Don't you love how the homespun plaid sets them off?

The red homespun backing makes it even more inviting!

Thanks again Mary. Whatever plans I once had for these blocks, your beautiful quilt far exceeded them!

Happy New Year everyone and best wishes to you all!

Will Strip for Fabric!

Hi everyone. I hope you're keeping cool this summer! Temperatures like these (90 degrees plus with high humidity) wreak havoc with my MS. In other words, it's not the best day for blogging, but I can certainly cobble a few photos together.

In my previous post, I described our quilt group's fabric exchange and the making of my own Spider Web quilt. This time, I thought you'd enjoy seeing other quilts resulting from the swap. It’s fun to compare each quilter's interpretation of this classic string-pieced design. Enjoy! Most photos will enlarge.

And here’s our friend Patt who came dressed as a stripper... because how else would you dress for a "strip" swap?