A Sewing Day

Good morning, my friends. It was good to get back into the sewing room yesterday. I have some fabric purchased in our travels that I need to put away, but I didn't waste time on that. I wanted to get straight to the sewing. 

There are still three Tiny Houses that need my attention, and I want to get those done as quickly as possible. I'm not sorry I started on that project, because the tiny houses all look so cute together when they're all laid out. This is the last picture I took of the whole bunch.

Since taking that picture, I've made three more, and there are still three to go. So, I think it will be a cute quilt when it's all finished. Nevertheless, I'm more than ready to be done with it. Paper-piecing... and that's all you need to know. 

Sadie feels exactly the same way I do about it. She was not happy at all when she learned our first project would be of the paper-piecing variety.

Starting with the oldest one first, this is Tiny House #34.

I set a timer and worked on it for an hour. When time was up, I had it this far:

Since Sadie wouldn't help me, Smitty stepped in. 

Sadie waited until the timer went off, and then she agreed to help with September's Homestead block. September's color was aqua.

And what an excellent helper she is. Her best help comes when she holds my ruler as I trim. You people without kitty helpers...honestly, I don't know how you get anything done.

When it was all said and done, I had this aqua Friendship Star to show for my effort.

Now, if you've forgotten what the Homestead quilt is all about, they are quilt blocks I'm making from the ones featured in the Quilt Discovery Experience booklet I was given when we explored the Homestead National Historical Park in Nebraska. This is what the booklet says about the Friendship Star:

The quilts the homesteaders brought with them were a comfort to these women who traded their home, family and friends in the East, for the uncertainty of traveling through vast prairies in the West. A quilt that held special value to the pioneer women was the Friendship Quilt.

Often it was done is secret, and then given to the woman as a going away gift. It usually was a group effort, with each block being sewn by a friend or relative with their name embroidered in the center.

Putting a Friendship quilt on the bed, gave a woman a sense of connection with her former way of life. It kept alive the memory of family and friends, providing comfort and company during the difficult days of homesteading.

One woman homesteader said, "When I get lonely, I read the names on my quilt. "It was like putting her arms around someone and giving them a hug.

As long as I'm playing catch-up, I'm going to make October's block as well. The next one I'm making is called Corn and Beans.  October's color is "light neutrals." And, honestly, I'm never sure if I'm hitting the mark when someone says "neutrals." So, these are the fabrics I selected. 

There are four different fabrics in the Corn and Beans block. It's going to be a whole lotta half square triangles, and I need some contrast to bring out the pattern. When I finished up yesterday, I had all the cutting done. When I get back to the sewing room, I'll start sewing this one together.

Earlier in the day, I took the first stitches on Block 4 for the kittens quilt. Mainly, I was just using up the bits of leftover floss on my floss bobbins. I'll finish the mouse today, and then I can move my hoop up to capture the rest of the kitten's ears. 

So, I'm only hoping to have time for sewing today. We're meeting some friends for an early lunch, and then we need to do some grocery shopping. We've been living on leftovers, but I really need to restock Mother Hubbard's cupboard. If I'm able to get back to sewing, I'm hoping to finish off the Tiny House, and then get the Corn and Beans block sewn together.

Oh yes, and as an update to my Square Foot inquiry to Handi Quilter, they got back to me right away, and I've learned the square foot is compatible with my Baby Lock machine. Yay! So the best price I found was on Amazon. And, of course, the good part about ordering from Amazon is that it will be delivered quickly. I want to use it when I start the straight-line quilting for the Strips and Stripes quilt.

So, as always, there's plenty to keep me busy. It rained yesterday, a portent of our approaching winter. I still want to get one more day to do some yard work, but the good weather is leaving us. I expect there will still be some sunny days ahead. Also, we've reached the time of year when I'm writing my blog posts while it's still dark outside. The end of daylight savings time will help a little, but not much. The days are growing shorter, and there's no denying the long winter nights their season.

On that happy note, I have some overnight oatmeal on the stovetop for a light and quick breakfast. We'll be taking off early this morning to meet up with our friends. I'm hoping I'll have some more sewing to show you in tomorrow's post. Until then, have a good day, everybody!