The Last Mini Quilt for 2021

 

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas

and a happy holiday.

Now we switch gears and 

it's time to start a new year.

But until January gets too

far ahead I need to share 

my 2021 December mini.

My latest mini is reflective of the season

in the classic color combination

of reds and greens.

Christmas Poinsettias

30" x 30"

2021

This pattern was inspired by Kim Diehl 

from her book

Simple Whatnots II

Kim has also provided this as a free pattern

from Henry Glass Fabrics.

This quilt was a good combination

of pieced flowers and appliqued stems and leaves.

It was also a nice way to use

some of those reds and greens 

I've been collecting.

I few fluttering snowflakes

would be perfect to showcase 

this fun holiday quilt,

but nothing yet.

I kept the machine quilting simple by outlining the 

flowers along with a few feathers and

then a simple loopy design in the border.

I dug around for awhile

looking for a backing and finally decided

on this fabric.

Well, this is really an oldie.  I bought it in

1974 and made bedroom curtains!

Some of you may recognize it as one of

the timely calico prints from Ely and Walker.

The company printing this design and several others

for a long time even up through the 70's.

Ely and Walker Dry Goods started manufacturing fabric in

1855 in St. Louis.

Maybe, without realizing it,

I have started a  

 Red and Green Christmas series.

2021                                       2019                              2020

I'll have to keep that in mind when

December, 2022 rolls around.

Maybe you're ready to join in 

making a monthly mini coordinated by

Wendy, the Constant Quilter,

 and her quilty mini-ettes as we march into 2022.

Time to get stitching.

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Why Not Start Something New

 With Christmas only 2 weeks away,

why not start something new!

A month ago one of my quilting groups

had a holiday silent auction.

Basically, it's bring some good stuff from your 

sewing room so, others can buy it and 

 take it their home. 

The money we collect goes to 

the local foodbank.

This is what I came home with. 

 These incredible Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks.

There are more than 80 blocks.

Each in excellent condition.

Over half of them 

have fussy cut motifs.

I'm thinking maybe they were made in the 40's

because the motifs are bigger than what

we generally consider the 30's.

Any thoughts?

The blocks are sewn both by machine and

by hand.  I can't figure out the reasoning or her approach.

But either way the stitching is perfect

with 1/8" seams.

I was so excited to get these blocks. 

I couldn't wait and had to 

started  hand stitching them together.

I've got most of them together in sets

of two and then into sets of four.

Slowly, they'll all get connected.

I keep eyeing that outer edge.

Adding a binding is going to be a real bugger!

But I won't think about it now.

*****

I've also been X stitching

Unsewing seems to be part of the process!

"Basketful of Winter"

Design by Brenda Gervais

With Thy Needle and Thread

"A Cup of Cheer"

Design by Brenda Gervais

With Thy Needle and Thread

****

Currently, we have no snow

here in Fort Collins,

but maybe we'll have a 

White Christmas.

Until Next Time-

Kyle 

A November Mini Quilt Challenge

A challenge was made

by the Rogue Quilter, Janet.

Take a small baggie of fabric

And make a mini quilt with it.

My baggie from Janet 

was filled with browns and with pinks.

This should be fun

said Kyle with a wink.

Pinks

 Browns

A little more fabric can be included

 if you must.

The 4 B's can be added 

Now don't make a fuss.

( Background, Borders, Binding, Backing)

The wheels began turning.

and it didn't take long.

The stars began appearing 

like a heavenly throng.

Hand piecing 8 pointed stars

3 inch finished stars

Using just the small bits

each star was unique.

I like how they looked

Oh, so chic.

Connecting them all 

with a sweet background

Was easy to do

with this fabulous brown.

Next were the borders

that took some planning to attach.

Just so the corners

could be an excellent  match.

With simple machine quilting, 

 binding and an interesting backing

The quilt came together

and wasn't too nerve wracking.

Using Janet's tiny scrap pieces

my mini was now complete.

The challenge was a challenge

but the result were oh, so sweet.

Thank you, Janet for the

challenge you made. 

Check out Wendy's blog post

for a mini parade.

Until Next Time-

Kyle (with a smile)

A Hint of Autumn

 According to the calendar and

and the view outside it is still Autumn

here in Colorado.

Yes, we've had one snow flurry and 

it won't be long before we have more, but 

for the moment,

if I show you a new fall quilt

it is still in the seasonal boundaries.

Pumpkins and Blossoms

66" x 78"

This quilt is an example of a perfect quilting storm.

My LQS was having a sale,

I bought a layer cake of Fig Tree's fabric,

Pumpkins and Blossoms,

and I had this pattern from

Fat Quarter Shop,

and FQ Shop also had yardage of 

the Fig Tree fabric.

I had not bought a group of fabric

for a very long time.

I'm not sure what possessed me to do it 

this time, but the soft oranges and green vines,

charcoal greys and black and frolicking deer

 just spoke to me.

It is one of Joanna's classic vintage Autumn lines.

The pattern is simple and easy

to whip together some fun blocks

using a layer cake and charm pack.

I added some borders to make the quilt a bit larger

and had my fabulous machine quilter

stitch an overall pumpkin and vine design.

It was a fun quilt to stitch from start to finish

using a single collection.

I just put the sewing on cruise control and

let it all happen.

(a little help with the wind from one of my little friends)

Until Next Time-

Kyle

An October Mini Quilt and Some History

First a story: 

In the spring of 1623,  90 some passengers

embarked on two small English ships,

the Anne and a smaller ship, the Little James.

After 3 months at sea, The Anne arrived at

Plymouth on July 10, 1663.

On board was my 9th great grandmother,

Hester Mahieu Cooke and her children

Jacob, Jane, and Hester.

She had stayed behind in Leiden in the Netherlands in 1620

while her husband, Francis and her oldest son,

John, sailed on the Mayflower heading for America. 

She must have been a very brave and very confident woman

to remain behind.   Her faith must have given her the strength 

she needed to stay positive and hopeful that

everything would work out according to their plan

 and that her family would be reunited someday.

There couldn't have been much communication

between November, 1620 and July, 1623,

but Hester left Leiden with others

from her Separatist group and

set sail for the New World.

What would life be like?

Would Francis and John be waiting for them?

Fortunately,  it was a happy reunion

on the shores of North America after 3 years apart.

Later they had one more child, Mary, who is my

8th great grandmother.  I'm glad everything

worked out!

They remained in Plymouth until their deaths

in 1663 (Francis) and Hester (1666).

This month I decided to work with my

Dutch fabric and use the book, Promenade in a Dutch Garden

to make a quilt honoring Hester and

her story.

It didn't take long to decide to stitch a small

mini quilt  made up of hourglass blocks with

a small appliqued star in the center. 

Maybe Hester focused on a star each evening and hoped that her 

husband and son were looking at the same star,

bringing them closer in her mind and heart.

Leaving Home, Leiden, 1623

17" x 21"

Pattern from Petra Prins and An Moonen's book,

 Promenade in a Dutch Garden

It gave me a chance to play with all the

beautiful Dutch fabrics that I have been collecting

along with some Jo Morton favorites.

An hourglass was a way for people to keep track of time.

I'm sure Hester kept close track of the days, months, and years

while she remained in Leiden.

The quilting is simple in the ditch

machine quilting,

nothing fancy, similar to her probable life style.

I finished the edges in a traditional

Dutch way with a separate facing.

This method makes the edges sharp and clean without 

an added frame created with traditional binding.

With Thanksgiving approaching it

will be nice to have this small quilt included in 

the holiday as a way 

to remember this brave woman

and her Dutch connection.

Until Next Time-

Kyle

What is Red and White and So Much fun to Make?

Since February, I believe,

I have been getting weekly patterns

from Gay at Sentimental Stitches .

It's been her Heartfelt

Block of the Week.

My plan had been to use only

my red and white French General fabrics

that had been accumulating in this picnic basket.

I can't say that I did one block per week.

I found it easier to do several blocks

at a time in order for the blocks to coordinate better.

A sampler can be challenging 

to make the blocks work well together.

I didn't follow the pattern exactly.

I eliminated a few blocks

and doubled up on others.

I had this beautiful French General border fabric

and used it as the finale.

Can you have too many red and white quilts?

No, I don't think so.

Couette Rouge et Blanche

73" x 96"

Question:  Did I use up all my red and white

French General fabric?

No, that would be the wrong thing to do!

But, let's say, I did make a sizable dent.

Question:  Did I buy any red and white 

French General Fabrics?

That information will remain a secret behind 

closed sewing room doors.

Until Next Time-

Kyle

    

 

 

A September Mini Quilt to share

 What?

September is over?!

I really didn't have the chance to

stitch up a new September mini

so, if you will forgive me,

 I'll share a mini from the past,

2004 to be exact. 

A friend of mine had recently had the opportunity

 visited the Netherlands 

and went to 

Den Haan & Wagenmakers in Amsterdam

and brought back fabric to share.

I used my pieces by appliqueing this pattern by

Lori Smith,

From My Heart to Your Hands.

American Folk Art Sampler

2004

38" x 38"

The colors are soft and pastel

with  subtle texturing,

tone on tones.

The colors popped on the black background

At this time I was

still making prim folk art designs

and I remember thinking how fun it was

to work with these cheerful colors in the 

prim style.

The sawtooth border was appliqued as 

one long rectangular piece and clipped and folded as you went.

The quilt was hand quilted.

Despite being made 17 years ago, it is 

still a favorite of mine.

Each quilt has a story and memories.

Please jump over to Wendy's 

blog, The Constant Quilter,

to see what the 

other mini creators have

been up to.

Until Next Time-

Kyle