Quilts at Kaela's, baby Charlotte, quarantine in Tokyo

 

This Fall Festival Quilt (Jan Patek design) was in full use during my time at Kaela and Joe's in Texas.  

Tommy visited from college in Utah and Noelle visited from North Carolina.  I always knew Tommy was visiting, but Noelle's visit was a total surprise - the best surprise!  We all missed David and had him on FaceTime for long stretches at a time. 

Uncle Tommy bonding with Charlotte: 

I brought my Hartwell Stars quilt from Tokyo, to store at Kaela's temporarily.  

Mighty Zeus: 

And I washed Kaela and Joe's wedding quilt to freshen it up.  It makes me so happy to see that my quilts are really used and enjoyed.

Winter Quilt (blocks are from another Jan Patek design) which needed a little repair, 

And I was so happy to see how nicely Charlotte's baby quilt has washed up.  I really think quilts like this get better and better over time.

Aunt Noelle getting to know Charlotte: 

Minnie the best dog ever: 

Plenty of great tacos in Austin.  All take-out.  Glad to see Kaela and Joe taking social distancing very seriously. 

Hard to say farewell to this sweet little family but, it was time to get back home to David!  

A 24 hour journey home, with quite a process at the airports with a ton of paper work, two COVID tests,  slow lines, waiting, stress.  

Now I'm five days in to my two-week mandatory quarantine. However just a few minutes ago I heard from a friend in the know, that I am allowed to take solo walks outside during quarantine.  I'm so relieved!  

(There's a mascot for everything in Japan!!)

How I feel with jet lag, ha ha: 

xo

Cynthia 

Fall Festival (aka All Hallows Night) finish -

I finished Fall Festival weeks ago but life has gotten wild and I haven't had a chance to post it.




This was the latest sewalong with Lori at Humble Quilts.  It's from a Jan Patek pattern.  The only change I made really was switching out the turkey for a cat:



He's Isaac, my daughter's fiance's sweet old cat.

Unusual, but this Japanese print made for a great binding:





My favorite block is this one:



And the pineapples, which will always remind me of my Mom (hospitality):

As you can see, I quilted it pretty minimally, and free form, mostly free motion - so fun!  I mean really freeing and fun, since I am not a perfectionist;).

The best part of photographing this quilt was a nice visit from our neighbor with her new LAB puppy - I mean, could there be anything cuter!  My helpers were David, and a young friend of a friend staying with us for the weekend.  

And... after 11 years in this house, we move out next month to downsize.  More on that later!






Here's a little treasure I found while packing.  It's a letter my Mom wrote to my Grandma, in 1976 (bicentennial) - it's a thank you note for a red white and blue quilt my Grandma made for my little brother.  Precious!




I almost forgot to mention - I quilted the words of a poem into the border of the quilt.  It's a great Halloween poem.

All Hallows Night

Lizette Woodworth Reese

Two things I did on Hallows Night:— 
Made my house April-clear; 
Left open wide my door 
To the ghosts of the year.

Then one came in. Across the room 
It stood up long and fair— 
The ghost that was myself— 
And gave me stare for stare.

x
Cynthia

Fall Festival, and pies

Today is the day we are linking up our finishes - or whatever we have - for the Fall Festival QAL with Lori at Humble Quilts.  Click here to see everyone's progress.

I neglected to get a photo of the top!  I am already machine quilting it, and snapped this quick pic before work this morning.  I really hope to have it finished in the next week or two!



I secured things by quilting in the ditch (along all the sashing and therefore more or less around each block/section) and now I'm just taking it section by section and free motion quilting - my very basic imperfect free motion but it gets the job done and it's just so relaxing!  I am absolutely in love with my machine - the Bernina 740.



I love the pineapples in the quilt.  Pineapples always remind me of my Mom (she loved that they symbolized hospitality)

.... and skillet pies always remind me of my Grandma Mary Lou.  My Mom passed away back in 1999, at just 55 years old (which seems younger and younger the older I get) and I still miss her so much.  I was so fortunate to have Grandma much longer.  She lived into her 90's.

I love using Grandma's cast iron skillets.  Nothing better.   And I smile remembering how my Mom would make a fresh apple pie, and we would devour it in one sitting "like a pack of wolves" as she liked to say!

Memorial Day called for a cherry pie:



Grandma's cherry pie recipe (although I admit to often using Comstock canned filling, with a little almond extract added):

Always homemade crust!  I've tried several through the years and this is my current go-to: 

In a couple of weeks I'm sure I will be making David's favorite blueberry pie for Father's Day.  This recipe is THE best, from the old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  I wish I still had Mom's old copy of that cookbook.




I know we all have our versions of the best;).

x
Cynthia

Fall Festival month 5

All caught up on Fall Festival.  Not sure about this guy's mouth, but I'm leaving it.  Football style I guess.  I love using wool for projects like this - the eyes, nose, mouth, berries, star.




I put most of my sewing room back together.... which has made things easier.



No design wall, but pushing the twin beds together works just fine.  I know when we downsize I'm unlikely to have such a great sewing space, so I'm enjoying every minute of it!



Thanks Lori for keeping us on track with yet another Jan Patek pattern quilt along!  See the link ups here!

Such a nice Mother's Day yesterday with a visit from Noelle and Keenan for dinner.

Noelle indulging me with a photo:

I

My Mom's china - Wild Strawberry.  Lots of good food and good memories associated with this china.




Today... it's chilly, rainy, cozy.  House is pretty clean.  Day off work.  This all adds up to... a day of (mostly) quilting.  Well maybe some laundry too!



x
Cynthia

Fall Festival months 3 and 4

Catching up.... my only Easter basket this year....

I'm doing "invisible" machine applique, with monofilament thread in the needle.

Using some wool here and there - for example, to cover up an "oops" where my handle didn't meet the basket:

These pineapples were a pain (reverse applique) but I do love them!

Still need to make the flying geese.  Lori is keeping us going at a good clip - check out her post here for more versions.  I do really love these folky quilts.  Pattern by Jan Patek. 

Fall Festival Month 2

Catching up with Fall Festival (Jan Patek pattern).

Yesterday was a snowy day - perfect quilting day.   Click here to see lots of other versions - thanks for the sew-along, Lori!  The deadlines are so helpful in keeping me keepin' on.




I appliqued the stars (freezer paper on the back - invisible machine applique - messy but fun - and soaking the blocks to loosen the paper/glue did show me that the purple is not colorfast - good to know now) - then...

A little string piecing for the large star:




Reverse applique would have been a good idea.  Next time.




This is my "new" sewing space - pared way way down!



We transformed my sewing room back into a kids' bedroom, for the purposes of showing our house:



We brought down all the kids books from our attic "book nook" -



But back to the point.... Fall Festival!  Finally late last night as I was FaceTiming with dear daughter Kaela (a sure cure for the blues), I finished up this kitty cat (substituting for the turkey):




AND speaking of dear daughters, Noelle got engaged this week to her partner Keenan - they are so happy, and we are so happy for them!




x
Cynthia