Home, Joy, and Refuge

The words are Home, Joy, and Refuge.  There will probably be more words...   Some of the wonky houses will be swapped with a group from the on-line Liberated Quilters.  The trees, words, and stars will be part of the quilt top when I get my swap houses back.  I will connect them together with more stars and maybe some low lying bushes...  I think this quilt has the potential to get huge...

None of these blocks were made with a ruler or rotary cutter.  All of the fabric used is from the scrap bag.   It truly is wonky sewing.  I did square them with scissors before I put them on the wall.  It is kinda addicting.    

Long Term, Short Term

 The Civil War Brides Quilt is in progress, but will take a while yet.  Only the top two left hand blocks are done (and have been done for more than a year).  I have been working on the rest for a few weeks now.  The bottom center needs embroidered stems and the others still have appliquéd pieces to complete.  The ostriches were only started this afternoon.  (Don't their feet look ridiculous?  They will have claws in time.)  Also the light colored flower with the pink print has to go...  I just wanted to see how they looked together.

The short term project is this quilt top.  Though the top has been done a year or more, it has finally been quilted and has the binding on.    These are the left-over fabrics from Don's Apple quilt.  The colors are much more golden than they look in this photo.  The binding still has to be hand sewn on the back, but it will be on the couch before the snow flies this fall.  It should be cozy, I put flannel on the back.  The small coasters were made with the left-overs from the string quilt.  I used the Bernina to write Eat Michigan Apples on each as quilting and I use them on the tables in the family room.  Each of these has to have the binding attached yet, but 6 or 8 of them are already done and on the tables.  

AAQI for Aunt Irene

My AAQI contribution...about 7.5" x 11", pieced HST background with an oak leaf appliquéd on it.  The veins are reverse appliqué and I embroidered a stem stitch on the inside and the outside of the leaf.  Bound and finished with Fast Finish triangles.  It doesn't have a label yet.  I have to look up what they need on the back before I attach a label.  This is my 4th quilt for AAQI.  I am dedicating this one to Aunt Irene.  I think that would make gram proud.

Back to the Civil War Bride's Quilt

Thanks to the folks on the Yahoo Appliqué Addicts group (yes, I really do belong to this group and read it almost every day), I have found the box of CWBQ fabrics and started another block.  I am doing the Australian pattern (thanks EB) and not the book pattern, but no matter, there are some folks thinking about it, choosing colors, appliquéing - actually doing it now and it's always more fun to do these big projects together.  It's still a long term project, but I'm off and running (again).

And I completed my AAQI contribution, so I have at least a small finish for September.  I'll get a photo tomorrow.  

AAQI

The guild is having a challenge to make a small arty quilt for AAQI by the 3rd week of September.  Yes, I've known for a couple months, but I'm having a dry spell in the inspiration department (or maybe I've just been to busy), but anyway, they are started.  I'm using backgrounds of red, pieced HSTs and appliqued leaves....  I have to start somewhere.  

Panamanian Treasures

 C has returned from her two weeks in Panama.  She brought me the mola with the wonderful angels.  I'm going to frame it in black fabric and hang them in our room.  The other molas are gifts for family.  The basket was made by the women in the Wounaan indigenous community of Maje Chiman.  Their community hosted her group.  The women harvest the palm, dry and split it, and then use natural dyes from the rainforest for the colors, which are very vibrant.    They weave the baskets using a coiling technique.  This one has orchids, a hummingbird, and a red flower on the base.  It was very finely woven by someone with real skill.