Saturday, June 22, 2013

Flooding and Waiting...

I live in Calgary and parts of our city are in a state of emergency: major flooding has affected the downtown (business) core and thousands of people have been displaced from their homes.

We are safe and dry, but my husband will be off work for a while, how long we do not yet know.  He works in the downtown core, and since there is 1) flooding, 2) power has been cut to that area, and 3) no transportation is allowed of available to the downtown core, he just might be on a bit of a vacation.  Unfortunately, he probably has to use up some of his vacation or discretionary time, but it is better than nothing.  

Worse case scenario: I work full-time and he stays home.  

At home, I have not been able to do much sewing: my sewing machine is in for repairs!!  :(
One of the ?gears? was starting to go and last weekend it started making a horrible screeching noise, so I packed it up quickly before I caused more damage to my electronic baby.  

So... what's a gal to do??

Cut fabric for  my "Plenty of Fish" mystery quilt... it's all ready, just needs sewing/ironing.
The lights are whites/creams.
Mediums are yellow/orange/pink.
Darks are blue/green/purple.
And best of all... most of the fabrics are from my stash - gotta love stash-bustin'!


I also pinned 2 quilts that I wanted to quilt on my machine.  These 2 quilts are for my nieces (special request) and the pic below is the backing for the 2 quilts.  
I was half-way quilting the bottom quilt when I had to pack up my machine.
(I sure hope my machine is salvageable!!)


I managed to get a book read, and I am ready to get another book started.  
I also have binding to finish on a small lap-size quilt, but I really have been procrastinating on that one, even though I love that quilt!

Once I pick up my machine in a few weeks, I have the 2 purple quilts to complete (& bind), 3 more quilts to finish up, do up a quilt block, fix up a few more "old" blocks, and start on my "POF - Plenty of Fish" quilt top.  

Thursday, June 6, 2013

A Quilt Block & A Quilt

First of all, here is the May 2013 "Freebie 15" block from Traditional Pastimes here in Calgary.

Now, here's the issue... these blocks are supposed to be a "vintage plate" series, but how in the world is this possibly a plate of any sort??  
This "plate" stumps me.
I simply cut the provided fabric and follow the directions.
It was an easy pattern, but I will admit the fabrics & colours are not my favourite.
Perhaps it will look good when all the blocks are put together.  :/
Com si, com sa!

May 2013 Vintage Plate Block

The Laughlin China Company
Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin, two brothers from east Liverpool Ohio, started a pottery ware factory in 1871.  At this time white ware pottery was gaining popularity from the local yellow ware.  The East Liverpool City Council offered 5000 dollars in seed money to anyone who would build and operate a plant for white ware.  Sometime in 1873 the Laughlin brothers had built a 2-kiln plant on the Ohio river and by 1876 their white granite ware won an award at the United States centennial exposition in Philadelphia.  In June of 2002 Joe Well the 3rd, was elected president and CEO of the china company.  Since the reorganization the company has experienced growth and is moving forward with the Well family pledge to continue providing quality American made china thereby providing jobs for potters of the Ohio valley.
16" x 16"
*****

I finished off the binding on the New Year's Day Quilt Along, which was run by Heather Spence.  I deviated from the final piecing instruations, so I have called my version of this quilt along:
"X Marks the Spot".
(The 2.5" x 2.5" square in the centre has the numbers "1 2 3" printed on it.)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this quilt!!
My friend Dalene did a fabulous job on the pantograph quilting.
Quilt measures 74" x 80".
Jelly roll for this quilt: "Odds and Ends" by Moda Fabrics.

Close up of one of the fun jelly roll strips.

The Backing & the pantograph quilting pattern.