Snapshots of the Adirondacks

We spent the July 4th holiday at the cabin and enjoyed sitting out on the deck. The weather was perfect even if it was a little hot but I finally finished reading Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Here are a few of the places we visited . . . 

I saw this lovely Purple Flowering Raspberry on my way to the Community Garden . . .

. . . where there is lots of creativity to be found including Buddha's garden. 

 
There are hand-painted plant stakes . . . 

. . .  and painted rocks that make me smile :)

 

My daughter and I hiked the trails at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid which is where she now works :)

The main building was once the home of Henry and Mildred Uihlein of the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. It is now a conference center with beautiful gardens and adjacent community hiking trails.  

Love this view! 

My husband and I spent some time at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake NY and went on the Wild Walk for an amazing birds-eye view of the Adirondacks.  

We were definitely in the tree tops!

Back at the cabin this sunset was the end to a perfect day :)

I have lots of photos posted to my Love the Adirondacks! board on Pinterest. Many of them you've already seen but I like having them all in one place.

Have a great week!





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Copyright 2018, Barbara Schaffer

 

4 Quilts 4 the 4th

Patriotic quilts for the 4th :)

 Bicentennial 

1976

Patriotic Pieces 

2002

Patriots Path

2016 

Independence!

aka

Flags of the American Revolution

2017

 

Let's have some fun today and celebrate!

 

 

Copyright 2018, Barbara Schaffer

 

June Little Quilt, More Leaves, and Quilting

My June Little Quilt was actually a dual project--it was once a UFO and now it's this month's little quilt. Here's the story. 

I started cutting large tumblers a few years ago with the intention of making a bed-size quilt but never got beyond this point.

Then I saw this quilt on Pinterest and thought the tumblers would be great for the center. Besides, I had plenty of strips . . .well, that didn't work either!

So when it came time to make June's little quilt I decided to finish this UFO once and for all. I removed two rows of tumblers and added selvages for the borders.

I had plenty to choose from but pulled the most interesting ones.

Hmmm. . . I see a pattern here. Marcus and Windham appear to be favorites!

I machine quilted about 1" from each long edge of the tumblers and in the ditch along the selvage edges.

The back and label :) #3 is now crossed off my 2018 list--yay!

I've started a new little project--yep, more leaves for edge and corner triangles. More to come :)

And I finally basted Scrappy Squares so I have a quilting project to work on in the evenings :)

Have a wonderful week! I can't believe it's almost July.




__________
Copyright 2018, Barbara Schaffer



 
 

Stars & Leaves Done!

Stars & Leaves was #19 on my 2018 list and it is now done :)

I like to have a quilting project to work on after dinner and this was my most recent one. It's 24" x 24".

I found a lot of inspiration in Ann Hermes' book Pennsylvania Patchwork Pillowcases and Other Small Treasures (Schiffer Publishing, 2014). 

I liked the shape of this leaf (from an unfinished project) and used it again in the blocks that I started appliqueing last year.

It's a simple design. The blocks are 6" and the hsts are 2".

I like quilting stars diagonally in each direction followed by two sets of chevrons 3/4" apart in each segment.

I quilted around each leaf and again 1/4" inside followed by diagonal straight lines in the background. I like the texture. The 1/2" binding is a solid red.  

The back and a detail :)

Hope you're having a wonderful week!




__________
Copyright 2018, Barbara Schaffer 



 

Antebellum #5 and Applique

After two tries at inking the center of Cross and Crown I changed my mind and went for a totally different design.

I found this sweet drawing on Pinterest and added my 2nd gr-grandmother's name.

Phebe Marsland was christened on March 8, 1829 at St. Michael's Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England. According to the 1841 census she was a 'cotton tester' at the age of 14. She married Robert Bower on December 26, 1847 and in 1851 was the mother of one and employed as a 'steam loom weaver.' At the age of 29 she immigrated to the U.S. with four of their children and had seven more between 1858 and 1871.

Phebe was 49 years old when she died on September 27, 1878 in Lawrence, MA. She is buried in Bellevue Cemetery with her husband, Robert, and their two children: James age 10 drowned on the Merrimack River in 1861 and James R. age 3 died in 1869. The Marsland name has been passed down through three generations: my gr-grandfather Samuel Marsland Bower, my grandfather Stanton Marsland Bower--and me. Yes, that's my middle name :)  

I've been doing a little applique lately and finally finished sewing the hexies around this Dutch panel. I only had enough background fabric for the first border so am contemplating a floral stripe next.  

 

It's been a while since I appliqued anything 'curvy' so I'm a little out of practice but I got hooked on these cute appliques that are being offered by Gay at Sentimental Stitches. She is making patterns from an antique quilt and some of the blocks were made in NJ. So that's what got me started--NJ names and places. I hardly ever work in greens but I'm liking the way they look. Thanks, Lori, for posting the info about this BOM on your blog :) And, thank you, Mark for that green print in the first block and all the other fabrics you shared with me :)

  

 

I finally brought my houseplants outdoors :)

Have a great week!




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Copyright 2018, Barbara Schaffer

It's a Finish!

#4 on this year's list is done! 

The Playmates quilt that was started by Natalie in 1996 was finished by me over Memorial Day weekend. That's nearly a 20-year journey but there were years with no progress at all. 

 

It is hand quilted--nothing too fancy. The center is a diamond grid . . .  

 

 

. . . diagonal rows in the one-patches . . .

 

. . . chevrons in the edge triangles, a simple cable in the floral strip . . .

. . . and four lines following the border stripe.

 

The front :) 

The back :)  

 

The label :)


GSQ tidbits . . . 

GSQ's BOM for June--Down By The Sea is a Double Disappearing Nine Patch pattern. I missed winning the blocks by one digit on my raffle ticket!

Twice a year the guild sets up a 'Drop and Shop' table where all sorts of goodies are for sale at bargain prices. This bird fabric caught my eye right away. It was in a packet called Nature's Neutrals from Keepsake Quilting. 

And I couldn't resist Americana :) 

Dawn was awarded a Viewers Choice ribbon for her Millennium Celebration at the show two weeks ago. Congratulations, Dawn!

Rachel surprised me with this beautiful eagle center medallion. Isn't it gorgeous?? Thank you, Rachel! I love it! 

Is summer ever going to arrive--I mean warm, sunny days?

Have a great week!




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Copyright 2018, Barbara Schaffer