Kansas City has been hit with snow, ice, and lo-o-ow temperatures! Great day for playing in the snow (not!) or sewing! I was able to finally sew my last two blocks for the Birds of a Feather quilt. Of course, birdie still needs some embroidered legs. I am eager to put all twelve blocks back up on the design wall but it is currently occupied by the teal strippy snowball blocks. I was able to get a total of 64 of the teal blocks done--yay! Now I can start on the black strippy blocks. Don't want to take them off the wall because of the placement of the teeny corner squares--has to be just so for the pattern to work. So in the meantime, BOAF will hang on a wire hanger with clothespins. All the BOAF blocks are different sizes so it will be a conundrum (love that word) to get them all to fit in properly!!! I have not decided for sure which border treatment I will use. I am leaning towards Alma Allen's which is a bold floral fabric with a prairie points inner border. Love Barb Adams choice too which has lots of applique, but I am just a bit burnt out on the applique!!!! In fact, that last applique block up there is minus a lot of the leaves shown in the original pattern!! It was a bit too busy for my taste and, did I mention, I am burnt out on the applique??? I did use Barb's color scheme of red, green, and white. I guess I'll be on the lookout for the perfect border print! I wanted to thank all of you who gave me suggestions for how to store my KC Star newspaper patterns from the 20s and 30s! For now I am going to put them in acid-free plastic sleeves, then decide a more permanent solution. Y'all are the best!
Okay, here we go again! I have tried to post several times today but Blogger was having none of that!!! We recently moved my husband's 94 YO mother into assisted living. Same retirement complex--different apartment with a little more help. Her new apartment is considerably smaller so she had to do some more downsizing. She gave me a box of some of her old patterns she had made years ago when she was making dolls and stuffed animals to sell at charity bazaars. I was tickled to get them. When I got home and started really looking at what I had, I found these old quilt patterns from the Kansas City Star--dated from 1929 to mid-30s. Wow, what a treasure awaited at the bottom of that box! The flower bouquets are Evaline Foley applique patterns. I love their art deco look. The others are miscellaneous patterns, just so wonderful. My dilemma will be how to keep them from further deteriorating. They are pretty yellowed and a bit crackly.
As a "new kid on the block" of the Quilt Studio ring, this is my first WIP Wednesday! I am not sure if it is intended to be only quilting projects-in-progress but here are two current works I am hammering away at. The snowball blocks have been shown before. These are the first 36. But I have been feverishly cutting strips and squares to get back to this SOON! The other photo is of 64 granny squares that I have been crocheting the last couple of weeks. I know, I know---granny squares? What's next--go-go boots? Bra burning? Love beads? But, nevertheless, these are the two WIPs! I will put some kind of a funky border all around the grannies after I get them all attached to make an afghan. It may be a donation item!!!
Well, most of the vestiges of Christmas have been packed away, the last of the company has departed, the leftovers are kaput, the vacuum has been run. When it's over, it's over. Now onto a bright new year. I wish good health for all in blogland. I am having a hard time getting it in gear in the sewing room. Don't know what's up with that!!! My "on" button has been connected to the crochet hook lately! For some unbeknownst reason, I just want to sit and crochet. I think it might be because it is so rhythmic and soothing--and repetitive! Maybe I just need that after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I used to crochet a lot when my sons were young--it was cheap and very portable! Then I lost interest for many, many years. Well, a couple of years ago I got hooked on making those darn fun fur scarves! The patterns and yarns for crochet nowadays are just so yummy. Lately I have wanted to crochet granny squares, of all things! I'll post a photo of the afghan when it's finished. I'm thinking of calling it, "The Sixties Called"!!! I also love crocheting those cute little flowers to pin on a purse or jacket. And I want to get involved with a group here in KC that knits and crochets caps and blankies for preemies at a children's hospital. Then there is that Q-hook afghan I started last winter... I fear that my yarn stash will soon rival my fabric stash. Oh, brother.
One of my favorite gifts for Christmas was an iPod Nano from my younger son! Love, love, love it. I have already listened to several quilty podcasts on it. I headed to the library Tuesday to look for a novel to upload to it also. Well, after selecting one, I just automatically headed to the quilting and needlework section of the library. Vanna White's book on crocheted afghans caught my eye. Brought it home and was just struck by how many of her patterns looked like quilts!!! Square in a square, checks, wedding ring, bear's paw, sunflowers....who knew? I sure hope to get back in the sewing room this week. Waiting for me there are: Birds of a Feather (last two blocks to applique), Jo's Scrappy Stars (3 December blocks to sew), the 2006 Calendar quilt (December's strips to stitch together) plus other myriad UFOs to unearth. Need I even make any 2007 resolutions???
