Quilt Island: 2016

Sunday, July 17, 2016

New Hill and Hollow plus a surprise

Here is the new Hill and Hollow block I made using a tan fabric so that the block looks less jarring with the other blocks. There are so many seams in this block that it came out a bit less than 12 1/2 inches. I hope I can stretch it just enough to fit when the time comes. I really don't want to do this again!

Our story thus far. Now I am caught up with the previous months. Can't wait to see the July BOM!

We had a very happy surprise this weekend. Alex came home from Virginia. He moved just over one year ago. We did a selfie.

We went to the Salt Cod Cafe on Orr's Island for lunch. Lots of kayaks in the water as there is a kayak rental business right next door. It was a hot, hot day but we just had to eat out on the deck.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Hill and Hollow

I made a strawberry rhubarb pie yesterday. So delicious!

Here is the June block from Barbara Brackman's Westering Women BOM. This one is called Hill and Hollow. I made twelve 2 1/2 inch (2 inch finished) half square triangle units, the brown and pink units. Then I cut 16 triangles to go with them. Cut squares of fabric 2 7/8 inches and cut diagonally for these filler triangles. (I have my pieces on my block board which is just a piece of foam core with quilt batting glued onto it.)

Here is one quarter of the whole 12 inch block.

This is how the units go together. First join the filler triangles to the half square units. Then join the three rows. Then add the large triangles to either corner. Repeat the same layout for each quarter block, then join the two bottom sections, then the two top sections, then join the bottom half to the top half. Each quarter measures 6 1/2 inches. The block will measure 12 1/2 inches for a finished block of 12 inches.

Check out Barbara's Civil War blog, linked above, and click on her flickr page for many color variations for this block. I had a hard time choosing and even now I think a different color for the pinwheel at the center of the block would be really interesting. Oh, well, next quilt?

UPDATE

Here is the finished block: June - Hill and Hollow

After I posted this Hill and Hollow page, I realized that I had not shown the May block which is Platte River.

Here's the whole group together:

Independence Square

Indian Territory

Sweet Gum Leaf

Lone Elm

The Platte River

Hill and Hollow

Seeing them altogether, I wonder if I need to make Hill and Hollow again. It sticks out like a sore thumb with that white fabric. I did overdye this blue and white fabric with tan, but it still looks too white. Something to ponder. Maybe I will make another block with different fabrics and then choose. I am not too happy with the first block because of some crooked seams. Maybe if I made it and use the blue and white fabric it would help sprinkle this color throughout the quilt in a more balanced way...except I like the softer colors without the white. I think it may be time to shop for another tan fabric.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Bill and I went on a camping trip over the July 4 weekend. We stayed at a campsite on the Katahdin Iron Works Road on the Pleasant River.

We hiked part of the Appalachian Trail in the Gulf Hagas area. We hiked to Screw Auger Falls, which is a series of waterfalls. Lots of happy hikers on the trail. We met two young women who are Southbounders...hiking the AT from Katahdin to Georgia. I just finished reading Grandma Gatewood's Walk which is about Emma Gatewood, the first woman to hike the AT. She hiked the trail in 1955. Remarkable woman and an inspiring story.

Our campsite on the Pleasant River.

On the way home we traveled west on the KI road to Greenville. Plenty of clearcutting done by Plum Creek. Stopped at the Hedgehog Checkpoint to hand in our camping slip and spoke with a friendly ranger who had a lovely soft Scottish brogue.

The sign above is in Monson at the head of the 100 mile Wilderness trail.

Here's the start of the trail.

Taking a lunch break on the way home. Corinna boatlaunch

So pretty and very peaceful.

Water gushed through this dam.

Working on socks for dear daughter. Bought yarn on my trip to see her last March.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Barbara Brackman

I've started Barbara Brackman's block of the month called Westering Women. Barbara Brackman has written many books on quilt history. This year she started a series of blogposts on her Civil War Quilts blog that is all about the western migration from Independence, Missouri that started in the 1840s. Each month she posts some of the history along with photos of the era. She's chosen quilt blocks to represent different aspects of the journey west.

The first block, on the left, is called Independence Square. The middle block is called Indian Territory. The third block is called Sweet Gum Leaf. I've got some more work to do on that one. I cut the bottom rectangle too narrow so I will have to remove my applique stem and sew on a new bottom band.

Most of the fabric I'm using for this quilt is from a bundle I bought at our Back Road's auction this past spring. I have lots of blue fabrics and I added a few of my own reds. The red triangles in the center block I overdyed to be more orangey red rather than pinkey red. I don't really want to make a pink and blue quilt. This one will be blue, red, and tan or those nice Kansas Trouble buttery tans. I bought four of those at the Busy Thimble recently. Love them! The center of the Indian Territory block is one example.

I've got two more two more blocks, April and May to make so I can be caught up for the June block that will be posted this week. I don't think I'll make it but will try to get them all done before the end of July so I can sew the July block before the end of August. Sounds like a plan!

Meanwhile, I've been neglecting my hexie quilt...but just a little. I'll have to think of posting about that one, too. So completely different from the Westering Women quilt!