April Mini

I wasn't sure if I'd make a mini this month but after I saw a little quilt in one of my favorite books it all came together quickly. 

This is my go-to book when I need some little quilt inspiration.

And this is the quilt that caught my eye. 

I still had some Churn Dash blocks from Barb V's swap and pink fabric that I had picked up at our guild a couple of years ago. That's all I needed. It's 18" x 24".

I thought those zig-zags added a little interest :)  

Even found a piece for the back that was just the right size.

The label :)

 

And here's how it looks on our table with a lovely Hyacinth from my good friend in NJ. Thank you, Renee!

Wendy will be posting her monthly mini soon so take a look and be inspired. You can always join in on the fun!  




__________
Copyright 2020, Barbara Schaffer

This 'n That

This morning we woke up to frigid temps, howling winds and 2" of snow!  

But just the other day I spotted this beautiful pink cluster of blooms along the driveway.   

What a pleasant surprise!   

I've been doing a little Adirondack decorating. The Bohemian Waxwing watercolor was painted by my granddaughter when she was in high school. She's now an art major at U Delaware and like everyone else is taking online classes from home.

I collect bird nests when they've fallen to the ground. The one on the left was actually found under our canoe.  

I'm making good progress quilting Dear Daughter :)

Sunday morning our daughter and her husband took us on a trail with a beautiful view of a meadow and Whiteface Mountain.

Another view.

A BIG black bear with an important message :)

Take care!




__________
Copyright 2020, Barbara Schaffer


 

Deacon Blocks 25-28 and River

I started this set of Deacon blocks in NJ and finished them in NY :)

It was really important to me to continue making these blocks during our move as I didn't want to fall behind. So far so good!

25. Attributed to Sarah Kemble

I spend a lot of time prepping! Each one of those red rays was appliqued separately unlike the yellow ones in the center which were cut from one piece of fabric. Interesting!

26. Attributeed to Anna W Coles / N Jersey

Last fall I bought a yard of this red fabric for a $1 at the local thrift shop. It looked like a "good" red to me at the time and it worked out just fine. 

27. Attributed to Sarah Ann Kemble

Talk about a challenge! I did both machine and hand piecing and the center is as good as it's going to get. When I finished the block it didn't lay flat so I re-did the corner squares and edge triangles by cutting them a little larger. 

I used motifs from these two oldies for the broderie perse block. The blue is Moda's Material Pleasures "Coral Garden" Tulip Vine by Terry Clothier Thompson and Barbara Brackman and the one on the right is a repro from the Oakland Museum. 

 28. Attributed to Mary S Haines

I fused all the pieces . . .

. . . and finished them with a small zig-zag stitch.  

Now that we are in the north country everything in our little town is within walking distance. The view on my way to the post office :)

Please stay safe!

__________
Copyright 2020, Barbara Schaffer

Three M's: March Mini and Moving

If you've been wondering about my lack of weekly postings it's because we're in the process of moving. But just before the craziness began I made a super simple mini for March.

Last fall our guild had provided the light-colored fabric and asked members to make a 9" block of their choosing to be included in a charity quilt. I made the block but never got to a meeting so in no time at all it became my March mini.  

The back with the last of the polka dots from my 1965 blouse :)

 

Normally I hem the binding by hand on the back but this time I machine-stitched it from the front and here's what it looked like. Not bad at all.      

And instead of making a label I wrote right on the fabric. I think this was the fastest mini ever! Maybe a couple of hours at most. 

I know Wendy will be posting hers soon with links to more so check them all out.

We sold our house in December with a June closing and are moving to our cabin. My daughter and her husband came down last weekend to load up a truck with a few small pieces of furniture plus boxes of clothes, books, quilts, genealogy files, etc., etc. 

The day after we arrived it snowed but it was gone in no time at all!

I've spent this week unpacking and finding places for all the things I brought with me. My new sewing space is in the loft where I can look out over the river and day dream :)

I've not only fully utilized this space but expanded to other rooms as well. 
Nearly all of my quilts are stored in archival boxes under beds and my fabric is in a closet. Quilt and genealogy files are in the basement in file cabinets. So far so good!

I hope to have some time today to work on my Deacon blocks :)

Thinking of you all during these uncertain times. Please take care.




__________
Copyright 2020, Barbara Schaffer
 

Deacon Blocks 21-24

I've now completed 1/4 of the 85 blocks needed for this quilt and am enjoying every minute but there's still a long way to go!

Block 21 is attributed to Eliza C. Rogers, Mount Holly 1842 and was a fairly easy block to make except for those center points. I ripped out and tried 5 times, yes 5! to get it right but it just wasn't meant to be. That ever happen to you?

Block 22 attributed to Charles Kemble, Philadelphia. There was a lot of prep work for this one. My method of applique was to do two yellow petals and then add a red in between. Do you recognize that old chrome yellow? 

Block 23 was another broderie perse. I fused and cut the u-shaped floral from a pillar print that I had then appliqued it by machine using a small zig-zag stitch. It was fairly quick and easy.

Block 24 is my favorite in this group. Those buds were a challenge because of their size and the narrow points where they meet the pink flower. The clever treatment along the edges was created by appliqueing triangles on all four sides and in each corner. The original block is dated in the Quaker style: 4 mo 14th 1842 or the 4th month 14th day 1842 and signed by Albert(a?) Haines. 

That's it for now. Looking forward to the next set on Sunday :)




__________
Copyright 2020, Barbara Schaffer

Feb Mini and Aconite

It's that time of the month again. The days just fly by, don't they?

I had a head start on this month's mini by using one of the first Deacon blocks I made that ended up being too small.

I'm trying to keep all Deacon block cutaways and trims under control (we'll see how long that lasts!) and had already made some 2" hsts which I then added to the corners. The border is 2-1/2" and the piece is hand quilted--nothing fancy. 

I found this toile in Natalie's stash that was just the right size for the back. Don't forget to check Wendy's website with links to more minis :)

On another note . . . 

Winter Aconite is in full bloom in my garden :) I just love seeing these early spring flowers.

Can you guess what's going on in our house??

More to come . . . 




__________
Copyright 2020, Barbara Schaffer

 

Deacon Blocks 17-20

Here they are . . . 

Four more blocks in opposite corners of the quilt.

17. Reel block from Mount Holly, 1842. One fabric used throughout. I appliqued each piece by keeping the freezer paper template on top.

I was pleased with the way it turned out.

18. The easiest of the four, this block was foundation paper pieced. It's attributed to Sarapta (?) Wills, Mount Holly 1842.

19. Orange Peel signed Samuel J. Deacon 1842. This was some serious applique work, lol!

 
20. The center was appliqued after the block was pieced. The original was attributed to Ann R. Coles. 

Here's what my design wall looks like at the moment. I'm filling in the blanks :) 

On another note I've been cleaning out my sewing room which is no easy task, lol! More to come.

So many birds! Hundreds, maybe thousands, appear every February in our backyard. They certainly make a racket when they're in the trees. 

That's it for now!

Enjoy your week!

__________

Copyright 2020, Barbara Schaffer