April 12, 2023: Project updates; Earthly Delights

Greetings dear readers! Thank you so very much to all of you who shared your thoughts with me on my last post regarding how to proceed with the Japanese log cabin quilt! I enjoy and appreciate each of your comments very much. As I read through them, I thought about the Tomie Nagano exhibit that was my inspiration and realized she did not add borders to any of her quilts. I agree with those of you who said the quilt doesn’t need a border; not to add one would be more in keeping with the original inspiration quilts. So, no border! The majority of you felt the current rectangular shape is fine as is. I think so too, but I am still not 100% sure I don’t want it to be square so I will mull that over for a while longer. My heartfelt thanks again!

I had a very productive week. I finished the hand quilting of the 10th block in the center of Sweet Journeys, keeping it simple with outline, echo, and straight line stitching:

Two blocks, part of the center medallion, and a bit less than half the border to go. I’ve returned to working on the border again for a while before tackling the next block. A remaining question is whether I need to add any quilting in the sashing…..?

I sewed together all the little circles and am contemplating adding a narrow gray border:

I’m currently thinking a “mini” is the way to go with this, but still considering adding some embroidery embellishment. Moving ahead on this is not a current priority 🙂.

I have hand appliqued 59 of the 69 leaves on the Quarter Log Cabin quilt border:

The past few days a main priority has been moving ahead on one of my donation quilts. At the last quilt guild meeting I was amazed at the quality of some of the quilts made for donation. Our “community quilts “ committee gave away over 300 quilts last year so donations are, proudly, a major activity for our guild. Our committee does a great job of locating organizations in the area that could use the quilts. I sewed together all the pieces for the zigzag quilt and took it outside to try to get a better representation of the colors:

It’s pretty bland as is so I decided it needs a nice border – vines and leaves of course! – and I’m challenging myself to do it all by machine – all my previous vine and leaves borders have been done by hand. I’m using Sue Nichols’ book and machine appliqué method and this fusible:

I’ll add a narrow brown border between the center and appliqued border:

The vine is machine sewn down, but the leaves are currently temporarily placed (the fusing is double sided) and will eventually be fused down and I’ll add machine blanket stitching around the edges of each one. That will be a bit time consuming, but not as much as doing it by hand!

I’m having fun with this and it’s so much faster than hand appliqué!!

The weather is warming up and every walk these days is one of discovery! “Catkins” are out on the flora around the pond:

Love the lines and shadows the light casts on this path before the leaves come out and obliterate them:

Trees in the process of decay, but having a sculptural beauty:

The lovely textures of birch bark:

Even dead and dried milk weed pods have their own beautiful pear-like forms:

And , yes, there is finally bright color appearing!:

Wishing you all happy stitching and the joy of the changing seasons!

Be kind, be grateful, and cherish each day, Gladi