2021 is Gone--Part II

The second half of the year was a little different than the first mainly because the Deacon blocks were ALL done! In their place I finished a couple small quilts and continued making minis. Scraps seemed to be the norm :)

July 2021

July mini was made from leftover (what else??) strips from a large-print top that I was working on. Don't know that I ever would have intentionally planned this layout but that's the fun of making minis!

August 2021

This was made using a thrift shop brown and border print--I had a lot of both.

 September 2021

I finished Marbles--my much smaller version of the ever-popular Quilty 365 :) Should have replaced that light block on the right. Just sayin'!

This mini was made from leftover tumblers from a UFO that I hope to finish soon--yes, soon!. Why didn't I notice that pink before in the lower right? It just seems to blend in with the border and looks really washed out. In hindsight I should have moved it to another position!

October 2021

More thrift shop finds made their way into October's mini. I'll never forget Wendy's description of the green/yellow/black stripe as a "moose with sunglasses." That really made my day!

November 2021 

Get It Done was finally finished! I'm not crazy about this quilt but after many iterations this was the end result. 

What fun it was to work with someone else's scraps! When Janet O. announced her Baggie Challenge I chose one of her baggies and made this November mini. 

 December 2021

The last mini of 2021 included some French General fabrics mixed in with pieces from the scrap quilt I'd been working on. That center strip was from Barbara B's Ladies' Legacy line and fit right in. The border was a thrift shop goodie :) 

Oops! I almost forgot this one even though I made it a while ago. Love those Best of Morris fabrics by Barbara B :)

 __________

The day before Christmas we went to watch the Olympic Team Trials in Lake Placid. A gift from my daughter and her husband.

 The event was the Nordic Combined . . . 

. . . which started at the Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex . . . 

. . . and ended at Mt. Van Hoevenberg with a grueling 10K cross-country ski. The winner, Taylor Fletcher, was nominated to the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team. He is one of the fastest cross-country skiers on the world circuit. NBC was there filming but it was also fascinating to watch a drone flying overhead!  

Well, that wraps up 2021!

It's time to move on to 2022 . . . 😊😊😊

 

 

Copyright 2022, Barbara Schaffer 

2021 is Gone!

So it's the beginning of a new year but before I jump in it's time to review what I made in 2021. I like doing this as it gives some perspective as to how I spent my quilting time :) And it looked something like this: Deacon blocks, mini, Deacon blocks, mini, maybe a quilt . . .

January 2021

I had been making Ella Maria Deacon quilt blocks since October 2019. These are #61-64.

This mini marked the beginning of the 4th year of mini-making with Wendy, The Constant Quilter and other bloggers who joined in on this fun activity!

 February 2021

I finished Barb's Baskets, a quilt I started in 2017 when I sewed along with Barb V. 

February Mini was put together using leftovers from a mini I made in 2020.

March 2021

I was working on Deacon blocks #69-72 counting up to #85.

Choosing orphan blocks from my pile this mini came together in no time at all.

April 2021

Deacon Blocks #73-76 included one broderie perse. 

Another mini using 4 leftover 9-patch blocks. 

May 2021 

Deacon Blocks #77-80. It was the second time making the one on the lower left. See the first above in January. 

A Pinterest-inspired mini.

June 2021

Finally! The last of the Deacon Blocks #81-85! For twenty-one months I really enjoyed the challenges that were presented when making these blocks :)

This month's mini was made from pre-cut flannel squares I purchased at the thrift shop. When it was done I donated it to the TS :)

More to come next week.

Last month, my daughter wrote in my birthday card, "For your 78th trip around the sun, we're giving you a monthly stop for fresh flowers." 

The first weekend of every month we'll go to Little Farmhouse Flowers to pick up a fresh bouquet where all flowers are grown on-site.

December's was dried flowers which I put in a bark container that I made in the 70s!

And last weekend we picked up these beautiful double red tulips . . .

. . . which have all opened to display these glorious blooms!

Well, that's it for now.

See you next week!

Copyright 2022, Barbara Schaffer

December Mini + Asterisk

As I was working on the most recent round of my scrap quilt I trimmed the blocks . . . 

. . . and used the little pieces for this month's mini. It was fun and easy! That's TS fabric in the border and binding. It's 11" x 12-3/4".

I put this cute little floral grid on the back :) I'm sure Wendy will be posting her mini tomorrow along with a list of everyone who participated this month. Make sure you visit her blog here.

On another note I wanted to squeeze this in before the end of the year . . . 

. . . because in March Barbara B. sent me some cutaways of her new Best of Morris fabric line to play with. I combined the narrowest strips with black to make 6" asterisk blocks.

 

 

I didn't want to stitch in the ditch so experimented with triple line quilting and variegated thread.

 

 

There are two different blue prints in the border and the finished piece is 18" x 18". Loved working with these fabrics. Thank you, Barbara! 

 

I also made some Flying Geese blocks using a foundation-pieced pattern from the Deacon quilt but I'll tell you more about this project in the near future . . . 

 

Thank you all so much for your visits and comments. Let's make 2022 a great year! 

 

 

Copyright 2021 Barbara Schaffer

This 'n That - Short

I should be focused on Christmas . . . 

. . . but guess what? Would you believe these came from the TS? Yep! That lovely large blue stripe is nagging at me. I think I need to do a blue and white quilt!

On a whim I decided to figure out the next round on this scrap quilt I started in August. Spread it out on the floor . . . 

. . . and decided to add 5" x 4.5" blocks all around. 

 

When I finally put it up I realized how many small pieces it takes to gain any ground. It's now 48" x 48" and I'm shooting for a twin-size finale. Here is some  helpful information I found on Hancock's blog regarding quilt sizes. 

I also wanted to see what these blocks looked like side by side. They are not in any particular order. Not sure I like them this way so I may sew them together with sashing and corner stones instead. I have several striped fabrics as possibilities. 

Don't you just love this concept?? Normally you'd see gondolas at the mountain but these are on the deck at the Cottage Cafe in Lake Placid. They are heated to 72 deg and can accommodate up to eight people for outdoor winter dining. Now that's creativity!

Enjoy your week! 

 

Copyright 2021 Barbara Schaffer

In Memory of Dawn Hayes

Nearly 2 weeks ago I lost my quilting friend, Dawn. I was shocked and saddened to learn of her untimely death. Dawn was an incredible quilter, an animal lover, gardener, knitter, and a dear friend. Through the years I took photos of some of her prize-winning quilts and wanted to share them with you today.

Dawn, Rita and Rachel all lived in the same town and we became friends at Garden State Quilters monthly meetings. Every year the four of us would go on a road trip to the Quilters Heritage Celebration in Lancaster, PA (above in 2008). Our routine was always the same: I would drive, Rachel was navigator, and Dawn and Rita sat in the back. We'd arrive in Lititz and have lunch at Glassmeyers then to buy fabric at Weavers. On to Bird-in-Hand to the Quilt Shack, Zooks, and The Country Store. Family-style dinner was at Good & Plenty, where else?? Often we'd stay at Smoketown Motor Lodge and on the way home stopped at Blue Mountain Family Restaurant in Shartlesville, PA where we'd order burgers and fries. No pickles for Dawn :)

Dawn's The Cutting Garden won Best in Show at GSQ's show in 2013 in addition to First Place in the Hand Pieced, Hand Quilted category. It is made of silk.

At the same show, Sandy won Best Hand Quilting and 1st Place in the show's theme "Sounds Like New Jersey." Sandy, of course, being the horrific storm that decimated NJ in 2013. 

Tropical Fruit, won 1st Place in the Appliqued, Hand Quilted category . . .  Doesn't it remind you of a theorem painting?  

In 2018, Dawn, Rachel and I were part of an Invitational Historical Perspectives exhibit at the GSQ show. The stars in Dawn's Millennium Celebration are from Carol Doak's book, 50 Fabulous Paper Pieced Stars and are made of silk decorator fabrics. It is hand quilted and the edges are embellished with embroidery. 

Dawn's other quilt, Christmas at Kelmscott Manor is William Morris-inspired and beautifully hand-appliqued. The pattern is by Michele Hill in Down Under Quilts magazine. 

Dawn's Bandana Challenge was made to celebrate GSQ's 25th Anniversary in 2006. 

Baby Bella won 2nd place in Best Workmanship, Hand Quilting at the Warwick Valley Quilters Guild Show in Warwick, NY in 2016. 

Every month, Dawn and I exchanged emails chatting about our challenges making the Ella Maria Deacon quilt blocks offered by Gay Bomers at Sentimental Stitches. Dawn re-drafted this group to look just like the originals and they remain my favorites.

I will not only miss Dawn's beautiful quilts but also the stories she shared about her pets and her constant battle to keep critters out of her vegetable garden.

But more than anything, I will cherish the times we spent together :)

Please take a moment to read Dawn's obituary here. 

 

Copyright 2021 Barbara Schaffer