It was a long day yesterday, but a fun day. I drove down to Salem to see my friend Lenelda. Lenelda was here from Texas, visiting with her mom. She is wisely visiting her aging mother every six months now. I did the same thing when my mom neared the end of her life, and I'm so glad I did. We had a good visit, a nice lunch, and a visit to a quilt shop. I left Salem around 2:30, but still needed to make a trip to the grocery store before I could go home. It was around 4:15 when I got home, and then there were groceries to unload. Fortunately, Mike was there to help because I was whipped.
It wasn't a bad drive. I take the back roads, and so there's very little mileage on the interstate. Still, I'm not used to that much time driving, and it wore me out...not to mention the long lines at the grocery store. Our grocery store seems to have done away with people to bag your groceries, and so I went through the self check-out. If I'm going to have to bag my own groceries, I might as well, right? Only, I hate those stupid machines. They're always calling the attending for goodness only knows what reason.
When I was finally able to relax at home, it seemed like a good time to finish off the final Heartland Barns piece, and so I sat for the rest of the afternoon and finished it off.
I trimmed and pressed it and then laid it out with the rest of the blocks:
It'll take its place on the "quilt tops to finish" stack, and I'll get to it in a month or two. It has to wait its turn behind three other quilts at this point. The pattern gives instructions to finish it off thus:
I don't know about you, but if I have to make those zillion half square triangles...or quarter square, whatever...I might end up murdering someone. I have in mind to finish it off differently, but it hasn't gelled in my feeble mind yet. I have a treasure trove of fabrics leftover from when I made the Appalachian Memories quilt...
including some of the fabric I used on the back.
I'll probably figure out a way to use some of those fabrics and forget about the triangle headaches. Sadie appurroves of this plan. Too much time spent piecing means less lap time for her.
But getting back to my day yesterday, Lenelda gave me a yard of this fabric called "Shark's Teeth." It's a Kaffe Fassett fabric. Cute, huh? I could have used this in my recent black and white quilts.
We had a nice lunch at a place called The Sassy Onion. Good food and breakfast was served all day. After that, we headed off to this quilt shop in Keizer, Oregon, just about 15 minutes to the north.
Coming through the front door, we were confronted with lots and lots of color. That's Lenelda in the image below.
So much color! It's what I love about quilt shops.
I was on the hunt for a background to use in my next new project, Purrfectly Pieced. The original pattern quilt was done in flannels, but I want to use my scraps. I've been on the hunt for some quilter's cotton. I have some pieces in my stash, but not enough of any one.
I've had the hardest time finding white on gray polka dots! I found some online, but then when it arrived at my house, I realized I'd ordered flannel! Doh! And I could probably use the flannel, but then I wasn't sure how that would work with regular cotton for the applique. So...a long story to tell you that I ended up with two yards of this one to use as my background. I think it will work nicely.
Okay, so this morning I'll take the first stitches on the newest panel for Pieces of the Past. After that, I'll be helping Mike get ready to leave tomorrow. Today's task is to bake two batches of cookies, make some coleslaw, and some meat marinade, and then load the food into the RV for him. So far, nothing is happening with the crew that is going to do the work in the basement. It's been frustrating. We're approaching three weeks since all this began, and the smelly mess still sits with nothing accomplished. Sigh. I just keep reminding myself that it's not as bad as Ukraine. As long as I live, Ukraine will be my yardstick for what a really bad time looks like.
All right, so a busy day ahead. Time to get started.
15 comments:
Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends. ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
You did such a lovely job on the barn blocks--they are truly lovely...;)))
I like your idea for he borders better than those ga-zillion little half sq triangles actually...
hugs, julierose
Oh how I love your Heartland Barns project and I'm looking forward to when you get a chance to finish it. Truly lovely and while it will be a wonderful piece to display on a wall this Fall, it will also be lovely anytime of the year. Your visit with your friend sounds like great fun, although a very long drive. But oh what a special day!
Love all the barn blocks,though I doubt your barn series will ever come close to your cats series! I'm with you on cutting and stitching all those little triangles! Sounds like you had a great outing yesterday.
I think the hourglass blocks (not hsts) are just too busy and take away from that lovely stitchery. Just some complimentary borders would make it more pleasing -
Loving the Heartland quilt. It is so bright and pretty now it is all stitched.
What a super catchup day you had with Linelda, and a quilt shop as well....
Hope you slept well
Your Heartland Barns are just lovely. Oh my, that is a lot of HSTs! I'd find an alternate border, too, or at least do the multiple at a time HST method. I've had my eye on that shark's teeth fabric for awhile, it's a great piece to have in your stash.
Haven't been able to keep up lately, so, safe travels to whomever is traveling, and wherever they are going. Stitching looks great. I am right there with you regarding traffic, lines, grocery and your yardstick of what troublesreally are.
Soooo glad to hear that you are not doing a gadzillion little hour glass blocks. I am sure the people around you are relived to know they will not have to duck and cover any time soon.
I love the way the " color" parts work on the Heartland Barn Quilt Embroidery... I need to remember that when looking at red work or blue work possibilities .
Why is it that getting the hubby ready for a trip is as much work if not more then getting the two of you ready to go? I have been trying to figure that one out for years.
The embroidery piece will be gorgeous no matter how you finish it, but I'm with you on NOT doing a zillion tiny HST.
Every time I see your barns embroidery, I am in awe. Such a beautiful group of blocks and the leaves really make it stand out. So happy for your finish. The quarter squares (hourglass) blocks aren't too hard to make, but you are right. There are a whole lot of them, I am sure you will marinate and find a great setting. I also love your new cat applique.
Love your version of finishing the quilt - the one suggested would have driven me postal crazy, too. That one took all the attention away from the central part of the quilt, where your version puts all the attention to the center, and the cornerstones are a nod to the past as far as quilting goes. Your blog made me very homesick - we lived in Salem for years, and I LOVED going to the Cotton Patch. If you ever get a chance, go to "Grandma's Attic" in Dallas, which is just across the river from Salem -- love that shop even more, and they play golden oldies which just adds to the ambiance. Those green hills....it's still green here, but won't be for long. The 100+ temps are coming soon....at least we are close to our kids and grandkids now.
The Heartland Barns blocks remind me a lot of the Appalachian Memories blocks. You could have "fraternal twins" quilts. I don't think I would want to make all the itty-bitty blocks for a border either, at least not for this quilt.
Oh,I've been wanting to make that cat quilt too!😍
You know I love Appalachian Memories but have to say Heartland Barns is a pretty close second. I have to say that I wouldn't much care for all those itty bitty little triangles either - and to my eye, they take away from what should be the main event. I'm sure you'll come up with something better.
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