{Post #905} Highway Hearts

This modern technology!  So much to have to learn.  I emailed myself this picture from the parking lot of the flea marker from my phone.  Rachel and I go over nearly every Friday from 9 AM until she sells all her muffins and brownies.  Those who haven't gotten hot chocolate or coffee by then are just out of luck.


This is my Highway Hearts quilt.  Most of it has been sewn on the road or asphalt!  I will check later to see how much hand quilting remains, but I know I'm 3 motifs closer to being finished than I was before this AM.  The lighting has been perfect in our vehicle lately.  It's bright, but slightly overcast...perfect for hand quilting.


Looking back at my blog, I realized that I started cutting and piecing this about a year ago.  It has been to Ohio and Florida numerous times.  The stories this quilt could tell.  Several specific memories are piecing 18 blocks in a hotel room while my husband attended meetings in FL while I suffered with a sinus infection, quilting at Emily's kitchen table in between washing the mud-mixing tools for Nate at 2 AM, and hand quilting in my parents "Florida room" in Ohio (which is ironic because that's where most of the real work took place--in Florida).  That leads me to explain my blog.  It's a journal for me.  I am grateful for those ladies I have gotten to know through it (hi, Julie!), but it's is a journal of events, quilts, daily happenings, etc.  It's nice to be able to look back on it from time to time.

I had to make a quick trip home for Rachel for some items she forgot to pack, and THE UPS TRUCK WAS IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE when I got there.  My HQ frame is here...in 5 big boxes (pictures to come later).  I am so blessed to have the room and money for this big ma'am-moo...


Bonnie posted pictures of her Florabunda quilt blocks this AM.  Mine are the opposite of hers.  Drat!  But I have 8 blocks made and there is no turning back.  Her neutral is yellow.  Mine is light florals because I'm not a yellow fan (to each her own, eh?).  Her main color is the chain, mine is the light color.  But at least I was consistent!


Off to get some lunch and then check schoolwork, etc.  Typical day in my life.


~Joan

{Post #854} Catching Up

Susie, Rachel, and I have been in Florida since Friday.  Whew--trying to see 58 people in 4 days (slight exaggeration, but only slight!).  I will save you from the boredom of logging each day.  Since this is a mostly quilty blog, here's the news...I am only 9 quilting motifs away from finishing the hand quilting on my Hearts and Gizzards/A Mother's Heart/Highway Hearts quilt!  I must decide on a final name.  Most of this quilt was made while traveling, hence the Highway Hearts name.

Here is the shape I am hand quilting (I have quilted around and between each heart half on these parts)...

Here is an example of one quilted into my quilt--not easy to see it on a picture...

I copied the heart shape and quilted around it and between all 8 sections for a little extra quiltiness.  Love it!

Here is the whole quilt, just 9 shy of the above motifs from being finished!!

Went to a fantastic antique emporium in FL.  Saw 3 quilt racks that I wanted to get...the most expensive one was $12.50!!  Two problems...1.  no room in the vehicle  2.  no room in the house!  Have plenty of quilts to display!!

~Joan

{745} H & G Coming Along

I didn't think I'd have time to sew or post while I was here, but I was wrong on both accounts.  Here is my H & G quilt in its entirety...if I knew more about Photoshop, I'd draw an arrow on the picture to point out the quilted area.  As it is, I'll just have to use row numbers.

I have the bottom four row of blocks completely quilted.  I have removed the basting stitches where the quilting is finished because it gives me a visual for where I am in the process.

When I was in Florida a few weeks ago, I quilted all around the border.  All half blocks and 4 quarter blocks.  Here is a closer picture.

You can see in the last picture (below) that I've quilted around each appliqued block (and between each section alongside the seam) as well as where the four "empty" corners meet.

On the way home I will quilt around more of the appliqued sections...those don't have to be marked.  The marking would be difficult in the vehicle.  I have the first 6 rows of appliqued shapes quilted around.  It really IS moving along quickly!

~Joan

This Mother's Heart Hand-Quilting Started

This past few days have been some of my strangest ever.  Thursday night about supper time, I got a call from my daughter's fiance.  He had heat exhaustion...in Florida.  He was calling because Emily asked him to...she wanted to see why he was so ill and what he could do about it.

Emily (who was at work at the time) asked if we (she and I) could drive down to see him and "help him get better".  He had Friday off because he worked Memorial Day.  So, I had the bright idea of leaving when she got home from work, at 9 PM.  We drove all night and got there around 5 AM.  All in all, we figured we slept about 12 hours from Thursday night until we arrived home at midnight on Monday.  Total.  That explains a few things about how I've felt the past couple of days!

Just about every moment was filled.  I managed to quilt most of the outermost edge blocks on my This Mother's Heart quilt.  I did a few of the inside blocks, too.  Every second I had free was spent hand quilting.  I guess that was a lot of seconds, although it seemed like we worked non-stop on other things.

Above are a few pictures of how I'm quilting this.  I am quilting the "vein" between each heart section.  This will be lightly quilted compared to some, but I think it will make a nice summer quilt.  I am outline quilting the appliqued parts and echoing the design where the 4 empty block corners meet.

~Joan

No Pic, But Progress

I didn't photograph it, but I got my quilt top hand basted tonight.  One of the girls we are keeping is ill, so I had to stay home from church with her. 

The upside?  Used the time to piece a back (purple crumb fabric) and got the top basted and ready for hand quilting.  Let the texture begin!!

~Joan

Top Finished!

My quilt top is finished!  Now on to the hand quilting.  This will be quilted lightly.  Just inside and outside the circle of hearts and one or two of the same shape where the 4 block corners meet to echo the design.  That means making and cutting a template for marking, which will be the hardest part.  Maybe I can get it hand-basted today. 

It measures about 64" x 80" now, but the quilting will draw it in a little bit.  I'm eager to bring this top to life with quilting.

I have had several ask (Debbie!) where to get this pattern.  I got mine online here http://thegoldenthimble.com/heartsandgizzards.pdf.  I set mine 6 x 8 then made half blocks for around the sides (blocks completely empty of applique for the corners) to finish out the ring of hearts.

~Joan

Two Borders on Hearts and Gizzards

Just finished sewing on my second side's border.  Obviously, these blocks only take half as long as the ones with two corners appliqued.

I have caused some confusion (seems to be my specialty).  Someone asked if there was an online pattern for This Mother's Heart.  That's MY name for the block.  Historically it's called Hearts and Gizzards (although I can't find any explanation behind the name).  I found my pattern online at the Golden Thimble. 

This is one of the very few quilts that I have not made from scraps, 2" squares, or 1-1/2" strips.  I cut yardage right off of bolts.  That may not seem so unusual to some, but I can't remember the last time I cut fabric off bolts to make a quilt myself.  Shocking--I know!

I'm having a horrible time with seasonal allergies.  Was up until 4 AM coughing and then spent much of the day sleeping.  Not good for a routine.

~Joan

Top Border on TMH

I'd rather sew than eat.  There--got that off my chest.

Here is the This Mother's Heart with the top border in place.  This is going to be a busy weekend, so I probably won't be doing any more hand sewing, but I can always hope!!

I didn't smooth out all the "wrinkles" against the design wall, but I was losing daylight to take a picture.

Off to play with the puppy...

~Joan

This Mother's Heart Border Blocks Started

This has been a  fun quilt to make.  I had 49 finished blocks and decided to lay them out for color placement.  I set them 6 x 8 (so I have one to use for a signature block on the back).  That made the dimensions 48" by 64". 

I decided to make half blocks to put around the side so the ring of four hearts will be complete.  I am selecting colors one at a time and working my way around.  That will make the finished size 64" x 80" without any borders.

In the above pic, you can see that I nearly have the top row completed.  The block halves have not yet been sewn together.  I have been giving our yearly achievement tests, so I have done some hand sewing this AM.  Basically I am setting timers for each of the kids and monitoring to make sure they are honest. 

We are "keeping" two extra girls now (14 and 10).  They've been here for a week and will be with us at least another week.  Long story, but their parents cannot/will not care for them at this time.  It is not hard, just different.  My own girls have helped out a lot with them and will be even more in the next couple of days.  Elisabeth has graciously given up her room.  She is working about an hour from home this coming week, and a church family has offered to let her stay with them so she will be closer to work.  Thank God for helpful friends!  My husband is so big-hearted.  He made sure I was getting the girls any clothing, toiletries, etc., that they need and to do what I can to make them feel at home.  He is a blessing to me!!

~Joan

Retreat Progress

I went along with my husband on a business meeting to Tampa, FL last week, Tuesday thru Friday.  I took along some Hearts & Gizzards (This Mother's Heart) blocks to hand applique while I wiled away the hours not doing laundry, not cooking, and not doing math lessons.  I didn't realize I'd be spending my time sniffing, sneezing, coughing, and feeling like a cheese grater had been passed over my throat repeatedly. 

But I digress...I finished 18 more of these blocks, bringing me over halfway to my goal of 81 blocks.  I need to add some more colors, and that's why I laid out the blocks although they are not all finished.  I can see what I have an overload of and what is yet needed.  I have several that did not make it to the wall...46 finished in all.

In other breaking news, Pepper had a vet appointment today.  Her weight has increased 50% in 3 weeks...at least I didn't just THINK she was getting bigger.  Susie forgot to ask the vet if that meant she was nearly finished growing or just on a roll.  As with all else, time will tell.

Sorry...no new pics of pup.

~Joan

This Mother's Heart 25 Blocks Strong

Went for a little trip this past weekend.  I made a few blocks (I think six) in the Pilot on the way there and back.  It was very crowded and not very comfy (for me at least). 

Here is a view of my lap on the way there...

Non-quilters can stop reading now.  You will have no interest in the following information.  In the above picture I was hand appliqueing the colored piece onto the cream background.  That is how I have made all the blocks except for two today. 

The two made today were machine zigzagged instead of hand stitched.  You know what?  They look OK.  I now have an "even" 25 blocks (even as in they make a square on my design wall).  So I'm not going to work on those for a while.  See my secret blog for projects I'm going to be working on.  If you don't have the address for that, send me an email, and I will send it to you (unless you're in my family).

I gave my FIL the Zigzag Stars quilt Saturday.  He seemed to like it.  I also gave my SIL the Cotton Seeds wall hanging.  She sent me a phone pic today of it already hanging in her foyer.  She says she likes it a lot. 

~Joan



This Mother's Heart Update

I added a few more blocks last night with different colors and "backgrounds". 

Here's a funny story for you.  If you read my blog because you're a quilter, you will chuckle with me.  If you don't quilt, you probably are thinking like my young friend.

There is a young lady (I think she is 20) that our family picks up for nearly every church service (two on Sunday and one on Wednesday night).  She and I are good friends.  In fact, she said the other day that if she was getting married, I would be her maid of honor.  Slightly strange to most people's thinking, but we are buds.

I was hand piecing some of the blocks for this quilt last night as I sat in our vehicle and waited for all the kids to arrive from their various locations at church for the ride home.  My friend was the first to arrive, and we were enjoying some chit chat as we caught up with each other from the past few days.  She asked me what I was doing (in all our times together, and there have been many, I don't think she's ever seen me sew, which seems strange now that I think about it).  I explained that I was hand appliqueing the end sections on the triangles.  I pulled out my iPod and showed her a picture of how the blocks looked set together (like in the above picture).  She said with all seriousness..."I have no idea how doing that could bring pleasure to a person.  I mean, what is the POINT?"  I actually sat there speechless for several minutes.  Then I felt sorry for her.  She lives with her brothers and father and has never had the example of a woman making something with her hands.  She has never experienced the pride of a hand-sewn garment or other object that brought beauty and joy to her life.  Poor girl.  Do you agree or disagree? 

~Joan

Susie's Quilt Top Update and More Hearts & Gizzards

To the left is Susanna's quilt top before borders (she hasn't added those yet.  She did a fantastic job of arranging the colors.  There are many fabrics in this, and some stand out more than others, but see how pleasing this is to the eye? 

To the right is a close-up of the center of the top.  She trimmed all the blocks to a uniform size before sewing them to each other.  That took about 90 minutes, but see how well it all went together!  Nice, flat quilt top. 

I added a couple more blocks to my Hearts and Gizzards top.  I like the way it's turning out.  I am not big into "naming" my quilts, but I did name this one.  Hearts & Gizzards just doesn't do anything for me.  I still wonder how it came to be called that?

See where the 8 half hearts join into what looks like 4 hearts where the 4 blocks intersect?  That reminds me of myself.  I have 8 children, and it seems like my heart is in 8 different places at once.  So I'm going to call the quilt, "This Mother's Heart".  Obviously, this one is going to live right here at my house!

~Joan