summer continued

soooo, I chose to do this blog in two parts,
this one is the quilty crafty one.
With photo's of what I've been doing.....

This first photo is of the book "Speed-Cut Quilts,"
by Donna Poster.
The book says there are 1200 blocks
but there are actually only 400 in 3 different sizes for the 1200.
I kind of wish it had actually said that instead
(you almost feel cheated out of 800 blocks)
It was published by Chilton in 1989.
I do not know if it is possible to find this book in print anymore.
My husband picked it up for me at a yard sale.
So, I really cannot complain about anything in the book.

Meanwhile,
My nephew was getting married and I needed ideas for a quilt
for him and his new bride.
Their favorite colors were blue and green.
So I poored over my books for ideas and I quite liked
the one I found in the book mentioned above.
In the colored photo section of the book
I found the one pictured below...
originally made by Teresa Kline in Aqua tones at 86 X 103...

The blocks were diagramed out on page 76 of the book...

as shown in the next photo...

it seemed to be a quite simple quilt,

and yet very stunning in it's layout...

And since the sample in the book was already done in the blues...

I could very easily picture it in the blue and green colors for

the nephew and his bride to be...

I went through my stash to find several blues and greens

to use for the project,

I decided to go with the 12" sized blocks,

The center squares are 4 1/2" cut (4" when sewn)

the strips around the outside are 2 1/2" cut (2" when sewn)

the next picture shows the squares in progress...

and that is actually where I'm at as I am blogging today.

I bought a box full of stuff to work on the quilt

while I am here in British Columbia...

I did not have to transport my sewing machine,

because my daughter left her's here in storage while

she's been at University and serving her mission.

So I've been using hers for the sewing.

She has a basic entry level
Viking 325 Daisy.

It's not computerized like mine back home...

but it works great.

I probably should have reversed the last image above,

and the next one below...

But oh well.

The image below is showing the fabrics I chose

for the quilt I am making...

I went with 4 different blues and greens,

pairing them together with the white,

for continuity.

The larger piece of fabric across the top of the

selection,

I am planning for the main larger border

around the outside of the quilt

to tie everything together.

My only problem is this,

I need at least one smaller border

between the blocks and the larger outer border,

and I am struggling with what to use for that one.

I have a gorgeous dark dark blue I'm thinking about,

it's darker than the one in the photo above...

I most likely would look almost black in a photo...

But I am not convinced yet.

I recently saw a quilt show on television

discussing the Amish quilts...

(I think it was a guest on "sewing with Nancy")
The Amish use plain and not printed fabrics...

with beautiful colors -just no yellows.

but then they use a color not used anywhere else in their quilts

as the first border surrounding the squares.

So I am playing with that idea in my head.

What if I did something like that,

and used maybe a purple or red.

Well,

the wedding was in July...

I am behind on the quilt already.

I am going over to California in October.

and plan to have this done so I can give it to them then.

LOL

I think I'll get the blocks done, and sewn together...

then I can audition some of the different color choices

for the borders.

I will try to remember to post them to show the thought

process I went through for the finished project
Hopefully my next blog in September will have that

as a finished project.

I also have planned to do when I get back to Idaho...

1. the neighbors quilt -she'd asked if I could finish it up for her,

that just involves puting the borders on

-it had been a mystery quilt class she'd signed up for.

2. finish the wedding project I mentioned above.

3. the autumn/fall block for my wall calendar cover.

whew, I think that's enough...

We shall go from there and see what happens.

I am still working on my travel

applique hand work quilt.

Though I haven't done anything on it this trip.

Thus no updates on the progress of that one.

I am thinking about the "Farmers Wife" quilt I want to do...

(Or was it -Farmer's Daugher?) I'll have to look it up later.

I have begun gathering fabrics for that one

as I go through my stash.

I want to use 30's & 40's reproduction fabrics for that one.

Then my goal is to begin those blocks as a block of the month kind of thing.

Doing at least one maybe two blocks per month.

I will be blogging about that when I get that going.

I think I am aiming to start it with the new year 2012...

and finish it out by the end of the year.

It will be my new years resolution for 2012.

Plus I need to finish out the seasons of my Calender cover

with a winter block...

I have fabric set aside for another quilt

with a pattern called "Pushing up plaidsies"

I have a few other tops to finish and get quilted.

I have been knitting hats...

I didn't have any photo's to publish here

which is why I'm only mentioning the knitting.

LOL

I will never run out of things to do.

Don't 'cha love the quilting crafty life.

summer stuff

What can I say?

It's been summer...

most likely for everyone and not just me.

Anyhow,

I have been up here at my house in Nelson, British Columbia for all of August.

Where we've participated in a family reunion-

(My husband's family)

and

We have spent a lot of time out doors...

(In case someone doesn't know,

Nelson is located on Kootenay lake in the Selkirk Mountains.)

Our house does not have lake access,

It would have cost 3 times as much to have bought a place on the lake,

But... we can see it through the neighbors accross the street who do have lake access.

And the neighbors accross the street are relatives,

so we can access the lake there anytime we want.

They kind of like us, LOL.

The first photo at the top is of the lake from Uncle Marv's house,

across the street from us.

The dock and boat actually belong to his neighbor.

The second photo at the top is the the River Trail near Kaslo...

which is located up near the top of the Kootenay lake.

Kootenay lake is long and narrow,
sort of north and south...
with a west arm (like a sideways T)
And Nelson is inland on the
west arm.
We live about halfway between town
and the main part of the lake.

I have also been busy with the 2 dogs I have here with me...
They've been members of our family for a long time.
Joneser is my son's dog and he's 16 years old,
Nikita (Niki) is my dog and she is 15 years old.
They came up here with me on this trip only because
there was no one to watch them back home.
They've been with our family since they were puppies.
Now they've both reached an age where they are having a lot of problems
and will probably not be with us very much longer.

Basically we are waiting for our daughter to return home
from her mission for the LDS church in September,
and let everyone have a chance to say goodbye to them.
It is a time of saying goodbye to them for myself.
And they've always loved it up here in Canada.
They've been here for summers since we bought the house in 2000.
I must say that this place will not be the same
when I come back without one of them.
They have been good companions and friends.
I will miss them both.