Author: louisaenright

I am passionate about whole, nutrient-dense foods, developing local markets, and strengthening communities.

Turkey Tracks: Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild Block Reveal: “Light and Dark”

Turkey Tracks:  April 26, 2019

Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Build Block Reveal:

“Light and Dark”

Last night’s meeting was so much fun.

This month we revealed our blocks for Vicki Fletcher’s prompt:  “Light and Dark.”  Vicki homesteaded in Alaska for over 20 years, and the picture she gave us as one key to her prompt showed a dark tree against a sunrise/sunset bright background.  She did not limit our colors or the size of the blocks we made.

The blocks that came in knocked our socks off, plain and simple.  And we all look forward to seeing the quilt come together.  Here are the blocks, but unfortunately they would not all fit together on the design wall.  To see all the blocks individually, and if you have Facebook, go to our site:  Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild.

Despite the fact that Vicki has made recent quilts with lots of blues and greens, she loves the red family.  It was amazing to me how many of the blocks echoed the reds/pins.  And also how many blocks had yellow/gold.  It will be fun to track both of the families around the final block placement.  What rich and compelling colors showed up for this quilt.

Here’s the block I made for her—with bare trees

from Carolyn Friedlander’s “The Grove” pattern.

We are having so much fun with this project!

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Mud Season, Cherished Walks, Happy Spring

Turkey Tracks:  April 22, 2019

Mud Season, Cherished Walks, Happy Spring

I took these pictures a week ago at the Erikson Wellness Trail.  And yesterday, Easter Sunday, AC and I returned and walked, playing along the way, the whole trail, which is about 2.5 miles with the added spur.  We had “pea soup” fog here yesterday, and on the back side of the trail, rain started.  I had on a good raincoat with a hood and my LLBean boots, so I was fine.  AC didn’t care, of course.  He got a bath of sorts.

To recap, this trail has been iced over for much of the winter.  AC and I went in once, me with spikes on my boots, but mostly I avoided going.  The one icy trip was, however, lovely, and the boot spikes and walking stick support were terrific.  Still, it was…kind of lonely back in those woods.

My LLBean boots are PERFECT for mud season and have been much used this year as AC Slater has me outside a lot these days.

Last week, there were still patches of snow/ice deep in our woods.  But the trail was clear except for two spots that I could more or less walk around.

The rock moss is such a startling, rich green.

As the snow melts out, the hillsides are full of water moving downward.  The streams are filled and rushing madly.  AC has not figured out yet that he can swim, but he’s fascinated with the rushing water.  I throw sticks in, and he tries to get them.

This creek runs along side the path and crosses under in a culvert.

This bigger creek has a bridge over it.

My older grandchildren walked this trail with their father and me at Christmas.  I’m looking forward to taking the three little granddaughters here when they come in June.  They will love this stream, which does have the most enticing pools.

 

 

Turkey Tracks: AC LOVES the Dog Park

Turkey Tracks:  April 11, 2019

AC LOVES the Dog Park

It’s mid-April, and we’ve had three snows in the past week.  Two, plowable!  There are 6 or 7 inches of snow in my woods at the moment.  But temps are going up this weekend, so this snow will melt slowly into the ground.  Some up here call this kind of spring snow “a poor man’s fertilizer.”

My dog fence is not working.  Perhaps a deer stepped on the line.  But it could be anything, including a falling rock or tree branch.  I am replacing the dog collar, as it is not working.  The transmitter works, but is 14 years old, so I am replacing it as well.  And I’m hoping that by the end of this weekend all will be in place again.  That will depend on how fast the snow melts.

AC is a year old now and full of zip, which spring has intensified.  He is now watching what goes on in the road beyond my house and wants to patrol that too.  No!  So, the dog park, especially right now, is a must as until I can sort out the dog fence issue, he is not safe outside unsupervised.

AC LOVES being with other dogs.  That makes sense as he was raised in a household with five other dogs.  He knows how to play and delights in getting the dog park dogs to play with him.  Many times he has to teach them how to chase him while he gets to hold the ball or a stick he’s found on the ground.

I never thought that I would be spending “dog park” visiting time most days.  But there are some really nice people there, so that’s kind of fun.  I feel like I have a toddler again as there are days where “play dates” are arranged with owners/dogs that work especially well for AC to get LOTS of exercise.

AC knows the dog park road, and he starts “talking” as soon as we enter it.  He is really very vocal now.  And a total character!

 

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Lone Star Block Terror

Turkey Tracks:  April 8, 2019

Lone Star Block Terror

I’ve always been terrified of trying a Lone Star block.

The 4th block in The Color Collective online class (Tara Faughnan, and hosted by Amy Newbold at Sewtopia) is…a Lone Star block.

And, whoo hoo!!!  I did it.  Tara’s instructions and videos were excellent.  This class uses all Kona solids, and each month Tara chooses a selection of 12 colors to send us for the block of that month.

She suggested this 4-block arm version for the first try, and I’m glad I did that, even though I loved the bigger 9-block arm much better as it allows 5 colors and a background color.

But one makes trial blocks for a reason.  Here, the light grey makes the block look too “neon.”  And the acid-green star points lose the drama they would have had with a dark background.  The dark background would also have knocked back the neon nature of these colors.

I turned this block into a pillow—which is why I used the light grey in the first place.  It was as simple as I had a light grey invisible zipper.  The pillow construction comes from Anna Graham’s HANDMADE STYLE.  Graham’s patterns are also on the Noodlehead web site.  Both sides of the pillows are lined with muslin and quilted.  And an invisible zipper closes the pillow case.

There is something about these two blocks together that I like a lot.  The Radiating Log Cabin finishes at, I think, 20 inches.  The bigger Lone Star at 30+ inches.   Hmmmm…

I quilted both with size 8 perle cotton with big stitches:

These pillows could likely land up on the bed in the downstairs bedroom just behind this chair.

I have one more pillow insert.  Perhaps I will try block FIVE in a pillow size in days to come…

Then, NO MORE PILLOWS!

But, these new ones have perked up my whole house.

It’s been a nice winter project, and I’m loving learning so many new techniques with The Color Collective class.

PS:  Look where Tara Faughnan took the Lone Star method (TaraFaughnan.com).  Talk about inspiration!

That’s a 36-block arm.  Look at the center, and you’ll see the block comes together in quadrants.  Each quadrant has two arms.

Holy Moly!

 

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Lap of Luxury

Turkey Tracks:  April 5, 2019

Lap of Luxury

While I sew and watch tv at night, I have company.

The company is asleep right now, after a busy day at the dog park and after running lots of errands.

The quilt I’m working on right now is made from blocks designed by Tara Faughnan in the online class I’m taking, The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia, which also ships the solid Kona fabrics Tara Faughnan chooses each month for the monthly project.

I’m hand quilting this quilt, which I made from the first two blocks, with size 8 perle cotton and big stitches.  And I’m really intrigued by this quilt and loving it.

Before the company went to sleep, there were cuddles enjoyed by all who participated.

We got snow on Wednesday.  I got about three inches.  The weather cleared my day in a hurry, so there was some nice sewing time.

I got about 3 inches, so AC and I went outside to shovel off walks and the generator.  By late afternoon, the snow had melted, which is the nature of a spring snow.  AC wants to play with both the snow shovel and the vacuum cleaner.  They move, you see…

But, spring is here, and to celebrate that, I could not resist getting some flowers.

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Pillows, Pillows, Pillows!

Turkey Tracks:  March 30, 2019

Pillows, Pillows, Pillows!

Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild has TWO challenges going this year that rotate every other month:  our “Bee Inspired,” where we make blocks for a member that illustrate her creative prompt (mine is “shapes” and asks for bright, solid colors) and making something using Anna Graham’s HANDMADE STYLE book for inspiration.  Anna Graham (Noodlehead patterns and web site) has all kinds of projects in her book, like quilts, clothing, bags and clutches of all sorts, and, yes, pillows.

I needed some pillows for my living room as my couch and chairs are deep.  I started with twolong narrow pillow with the flying teal geese and followed with an EXPLOSION of pillows that perked up both the living room and the downstairs room that gets heavy use as that is where the tv lives.

There are 2 of the flying geese pillows (see earlier blog post), 3 of the pillow on the left (Sarah Watt’s canvas Tokyo Train Ride Cotton+Steel fabric, which I fell in love with at first sight and have hoarded for a few years now), 1 of the Radiating Log Cabin (3rd block from Tara Faughnan in The Color Collective class I’m taking from Sewtopia), and 1 each of the two pillows on the right from a fun Japanese fabric (Tréfle, KOKKA CO, Ltd).  I will make two more, one will be my trail of the 4th Color Collective block, a Lone Star block.  (I’ve always been terrified of Lone Stars.)  And one from the insert of an existing pillow that is worn out that will likely go into the downstairs bedroom.

The big pillows are 20 inches, the smaller Japanese one is about 18 inches.  All are lined with muslin and batting and quilted on both sides (except for the flying geese pillows, which are lined, but not quilted).  All have invisible zipper closures on the bottom.

These three pillows just  “sparkle up” the downstairs, which was looking quite shabby.

The Radiating Log Cabin wants to live here.

But the choice of the center color makes more sense next to this pillow:

Oh well, that’s why one does trial blocks.

Very sparkly pillows upstairs in the living room.

Fun!

I’m working hard on the “parts department” blocks that are on my design wall.  That is coming slowly, slowly, but it is coming.  Meanwhile there are other smaller projects as well, like trying the Lone Star block.  It’s all creative, fun, and life-giving.

Turkey Tracks: Changing Fabric Tastes

Turkey Tracks:  March 22, 2019

Changing Fabric Tastes

Back in the day when I first started quilting, I used dark, intense colors.  That’s what was in the market in the 1990s.  And they were beautiful.

I also used traditional patterns, where blocks, when put together, formed internal, secondary patterns—like strings of little colored squares all lined up in diagonal rows.  Traditional patterns, I think, are much like the intersecting interactions of a community—where the whole is made from the intersections.

Here’s a favorite from some years back—a Bonnie Hunter pattern, “Narragansett Blues,” which can be found in MORE ADVENTURES IN LEADERS AND ENDERS.

Here’s another, showing the use of dark, rich colors.

But something happened to my fabric “tastes” over the last five or so years.  I found brights, low-volume neutrals, and whimsical fabrics.  I also found all the greys—down to deep charcoal colors.  And English Paper Piecing with its intricate blocks.

Many of my quilts still have internal secondary patterns—I do love that effect—but many now also have stand-alone blocks, each an individual feature in a matrix of surrounding cloth and other individual blocks.  So, now, in some forms of modern quilting, the individual blocks form a community in the quilt, but one made up of separate individuals.

Look at this pile of quilts, all made in recent years.  They are VERY different from my older quilts.  (The dog is different too.)

Here are two completed EPP projects.

Here’s the charcoal I love, but the stars are low-volume Cotton+Steel.  The internal patterns (see the dark fans) are just…different than a traditional quilt.  (This one is my design, made from a workshop with Amy Friend of the blog During Quiet Time.)

I still love Bonnie Hunter’s patterns, but now I use brights and low-volume to construct them.

And grey:

And, oh my goodness!!!  Look what’s happening now.  Solids!!  Drenched intense color, yes, but very different patterns.

And the journey continues…

Turkey Tracks: Yep, They’re Still Pretty

Turkey Tracks:  March 10, 2019

Yep, They’re Still Pretty!

All winter I’ve roasted local organic beets about once a week.

You can see earlier posts on tricks to oven roast and peel while warm.

I still get so much pleasure out of seeing the jewel-like mixture in a bowl.

Beets are a powerhouse veggie and are definitely all about “eating the rainbow.”

How’s this for a rainbow lunch?

Turkey Tracks: Sunday Morning Quilt

Turkey Tracks:  March 10, 2019

Sunday Morning Quilt

I love this yummy quilt.

The pattern came from SUNDAY MORNING QUILTS (Amanda Jean Nyberg, Cheryl Arkison) and was designed by Cheryl Arkison.  I used all Cotton+Steel fabrics, except for the solid binding.  And I made it as a “cool” companion to the “warm” quilt (see below) using the herringbone pattern Victoria Findlay Wolfe designed (MODERN QUILT MAGIC).

I quilted with the “Simple Feathers” pantograph designed by Anne Bright.  And I used a soft smoky seafoam green thread that disappeared into the backing, from Signature threads.

 

Here’s the “warm” quilt, to remind:  “Bee Warm.”

 

Both of these quilts have lived in my mind for some years now.  It’s so good to have them be really here.

The Cotton+Steel designers have left their original home and are now “Ruby Star Society.”  Their first collection from their new home arrives this summer.  I just signed up for the Pink Castle “Ruby Star Society” fat quarter club which will start in July.  Yeah!!!

Turkey Tracks: How Many Ongoing Project Are There?

Turkey Tracks:  March 4, 2019

How Many Ongoing Projects Are There?

Some of stopped sewing long enough to count up ongoing projects we’ve started.

1.

I was in pretty good shape until I got involved in Sewtopia’s Color Collective project with blocks and solids designed by Tara Faughnan.  (Amy Newbold owns and runs Sewtopia.)  For heaven’s sake, google “Tara Faughnan quilts” and you will be blown away, as I was.  She works in saturated color and solids.  (Tarafaughnan.com)

The first month’s block was the circle; the second, the cross.  I combined them as clearly I got obsessed and couldn’t stop making them.  Note the two projects at the top of the design wall.

This top is done now, and I absolutely love it.  I’ve found, in my stash, a backing I like a lot, and I will buy a binding.  I’m thinking of doing some hand qulting with size 8 pearl cotton.  Here is the top all together.  It glows.

2.

Above the big project on the right is a row of 14-inch blocks, made using scraps from the solid projects and from my solid stash. I saw this block used in a quilt made by Then Came June called “Checkered Garden Quilt” and using Alison Glass bright fabrics in the Road Trip line.  I fell in love with it.  (Here is a picture: https://thencamejune.com/products/road-trip-checkered-garden-quilt.)  This block has been called “part Trip Around the World,” part “Granny” block.

Here’s the next block cut out and ready to go and waiting in the adjacent bedroom—sitting atop my Traveling Quilt.

3.

Above left is the start of the “Slopes” quilt by Amanda Jean Nybery of Crazy Mom Quilts.  The book is NO SCRAP LEFT BEHIND.  I am cutting the dark Cotton+Steel fabrics—a few a day—for this quilt.  I’m using leftover 1 1/2-inch blocks combined with leftover solid pieces for the row of “little” pieces near the top of the quilt.  I might do more than one of these rows.  Who knows?  Not me.

4.

I have a bird quilt project going and have made three of the big blocks and one of Jen Kingwell’s “The Avenue” of trees blocks.  I’ve been saving bird fabric for several years, but I’m choosing only the artist-types for this quilt.   I want to use in an improv style.

The 9-inch tree block is bigger visually than I thought for some reason.  Inspired by Tori Manzi’s recent tree blocks on our Mt Battie “Bee Inspired” project, I’ll probably group these in lines and make them in seasonal colors.  This one would be “spring.”

The I’m thinking this will look like a MUCH BIGGER version of this little quilt I made in a Timna Tarr workshop.

5.

My Sunday Morning Quilt is done and getting its binding.  Cheryl Arkison is the designer, and it’s in the book she did with Amanda Jean Nyberg called SUNDAY MORNING QUILTS.  The thread color I ordered arrived.  My go-to grey just didn’t work well on the backing.  This quilt is the “cool” to the “warm” herringbone quilt I finished not long ago, designed by Victoria Findlay Wolf and in her delicious book MODERN QUILT MAGIC.  See previous blog posts for that quilt.  Both of these quilts are LUCIOUS!  And both are totally Cotton+Steel low volume fabrics.

 

6.  My “Wild and Goosey” quilt is once again on the back burner.  Bonnie Hunter designed the block.  I have all the sashing cut, and the design I want to do for it all planned.  I’m sure I’ll need more of the little blocks though.

7.

Right now I am working on the “parts department” improv quilt.  See the earlier post on this quilt project.

8.

There is the EPP “36-Ring Circus” project.  This one is slow as there is a big learning curve.  That’s ok.

9.  There are more pillows from a method shown by Anna Graham of Noodlehead projects (HANDMADE STYLE) in the works.  This project is one of two from Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild.

10 and 11.

There are TWO blocks to make as part of the Color Collective class.  The fabric for the first one is all washed and ready to go.

12.

Here are the FIRST blocks for the Mt Battie Modern Quilt Guild’s challenge “Bee Inspired.”  These blocks were made for Donna Strawser, whose prompt was “Mid-Coast Maine.”  You can see the individual blocks better on the Mt. Battie Facebook page or on Instagram.  Thirteen quilters each made one of these blocks for Donna, and she made one for herself, so 14 blocks.  Mine is the white winter birch trees at dawn.  Tori Manzi made the four trees at the bottom, by season.  They really need to be seen lined up together, a you can on FB or IG.  Donna will now set these blocks into a quilt and will bring it back to show us at some point.  I will need to make a block for our next Bee Inspired event in April:  “Dark and Light” for Vicki Fletcher.

I really, really loved this block I made and might do another version for one of the pillows:

13.  I am gathering bits for a Rice Bowl bag or two.  See earlier post, but the designer is kzstevens and the pattern is in her Etsy store.

14.  I want to make a little sewing folder like friend Megan Bruns showed me the other day.

So…

That list is not actually too bad.  In any case, I’m having so much fun, even though I’m not getting as much time as usual, due to the needs of my boyfriend, AC Slater, who will be 1 year next month.  He’s a crazy man and has me visiting the dog park daily, as the snow and ice are pretty risky on the wood paths.