Pat Sloan Quilts

Pat Sloan's Farmer's Market Quilt

Tomatoes BlockJammie Jars

Calendar Quilt Top

I'm not sure if I should call this a memory quilt or a calendar quilt. The fabrics and patches are all filled with memories.

Some of the pieced blocks are extras blocks from projects that I have made or projects that are in the process of being finished....Extra swap blocks, Extra blocks from Wally's, our friend with Alzheimer's, quilt, Extra blocks from my Mom's Christmas table quilt.

I made anothr Lighthouse block for July and appliqued a pumpkin for October and a heart for Valentine's Day...

It was so much fun to organize the colors and fabric themes for the monthly groups. Ice blue for January. Lavendar for February. Green for March, flowers for June, etc...

Now it just needs to be quilted...

Friday...Finishes, Frustrations, Finality and the Future

Busy, Busy week...

I missed your Birthday Meg, I'm sorry :^(

I wish that I could do it all and do it better, but alas, it doesn't happen that way all the time does it... No question mark needed for that statement (teehee)

I did get three and a half things finished... The watercolor heart, it does look like a heart don't you think?

I regret some of the color placement but that is o.k....It is my first try at a watercolor quilt so I'll just be happy and chalk it up to lessons learned and try to think happy thoughts...

The Cape Blanco Lighthouse quilt:

I do like how this one came out. My first attempt at "double stick fusible web" applique....Yes, I had to look at the packaging because I couldn't remember what it was called :)

After I fused the pieces on to the background fabric, I put on the borders and then I went over them with monofilament thread with my free motion quilting foot. This quilt is for my boys who are currently fascinated with all things having to do with the Ocean...ie, pirates, ships, lighthouses, shells and fish and sharks...etc...

The Star, My leading August ogre thing. I made up the pattern on EQ5 and it sat in the box since I pieced it in March. I was hoping to give it as a gift to one of the couples in our small bible study group, but I'm not sure that it is good enough or not....

The stripes really bugged me and that is why it ended up in the box and not finished right away. I should have used the paisley fabric in the inside squares instead of repeating the stripes...But to end on an optimistic note, I am learning a lot with each project that I do! Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts...

The jack's chain quilt is almost done too. I think that I told you that I had moved it to the living room behind the couch but I had to move it back into the sewing room after I kicked it and broke my toe two days ago...You might have heard me yell...No, I promise not to show you any pictures of my toe! On the happy thought note: I am still stitching at least one thread a day on it and now all that is left is the very top row of nine patches!!!

I am also working on finishing the calendar quilt (Pat Sloan). I still have a few more apliques that I want to fuse on there and once that is altogether it will be quilted and the DJ siggie quilt (on my sewing room wall) and the quilting the psalms quilt are next on the quilting list too!

So, I'm glad to have a few finishes and a few things that are in line to be finished too. I love what you said, Martha, about PPD, (post project depression) I realize now that maybe I keep a few in line so that I won't have to worry that the last thing I finished will be the last thing I finish. I need to have something to look forward to and I need to believe that there IS something to look forward too...I need...many, even if they are little, happy project thoughts...

My quilt project to-do list:

Quilting: Calendar quilt, DJ siggie quilt, Psalms quilt

Setting: Spring Fling quilt, Dick and Jane swap quilt, Nine Patch Swap quilt

Piecing: NJQS blocks, SBS blocks, DJ blocks,

Have a very Happy Friday, and many HPT's (Happy Project Thoughts) to you and yours!

hugs,

Keri

August Ogres and stuff

August "Ogres" is the theme for the month. Clean up, finish it, or throw it away. So, for the last two days I have been finishing, or almost finishing, quilt projects. I have four now to finish sewing the binding on to! I finished a row of the "Pat Sloan Calendar quilt" I've been working on also so it has changed from being little strips of odd fabric to a whole row! I love how it is coming out. I'll post pics later.
Have a lovely saturday!
hugs,
Keri

August Activities

Wow, I can't believe that it has been two months since I last posted. We went to the Oregon Coast and visited my family and we went up to MT and visited Lorilylee! ( Hi Lorilylee!) and we have been enjoying summer visits with friends, swim lessons for the kids, BBQ's and Potlucks and other summery stuff...

I am working on a few projects: I finished my quilting the Psalms top, although I am considering adding a white outside border to it. I have almost finished the Inklingo star struck swap quilt top. I'm on the last row of the Jack's Chain quilting. It seems like a long row looming ahead of me. I have been sewing weekly blocks for the Praying the Names of Jesus study, and I pieced a heart watercolor top from Carol Honderich.

The Jack's Chain has been so overwhelming at times. When I expressed my frustration to my friend, she told me "that is why they have quilting bees" Oh, I can understand much better now . We have been having craft nites at church a few times a month and it has been bringing together ladies of all ages to chat, have some tea and cake, and work on a hand craft project. The social time is what I look forward to but there are always threads that get done in my Inklingo top too and that is encouraging.

Cross and Crown Swap Block

I made the first of the Cross and Crown Block for the SBS swap. Just four more to go and I will be able to send off the blocks to Jennifer. I am feeling relieved to be finishing up early. They are not due until the end of August...but with all the summer activities coming, I was hoping to get ahead :0)

Sylvia's Bridal Swap Blocks

Anne put her blocks out all together and I was inspired to see how mine would look all spread out on the floor!
They are being swapped in sets of five. I have just one more set to make, the Cross and Crown Block.
I have made a few extra blocks, some to keep and a few to send to our hostess, Jennifer.

Spring Photos

Easter Cherry Blossoms

A Little House quilt for my neice!

New Projects

Star Wars Nine Patch Quilt

Wally's Quilt

Star Wall Hanging

Dragon Rag Quilt

Finished WOBQ and B-2 Sweet Tater Pie

I finished stitching the binding onto my WOBQ yesterday....
since the sun was shining, I put it outside to take a photo of it.

I finished B-2 Sweet Tater Pie today!

my new numbers are 52,21,3,1547

B-3 Mirror Image

B-3 Mirror Image

I'm feeling a little bit more confident about sewing curves now. I remembered to mark extra matching points this time and to sew my smallest stitches. I am going to try B-2 Sweet Tater Pie next...

Golden Jane

I'm golden today as I finished my 50th block!
My new numbers are 50,21,3,1523 for "In Leornian Tide"

WOBQ progress and a new project????

I bought my background fabric for my WOBQ and got it laid out now to pin it... I thought that I would take a quick photo so you can see it laid out. I still can't quite fit the whole thing in a photo yet...
I just received this fabric and want to do something fun with it...I am thinking maybe pinwheel and/or attic window blocks...I will experiment with EQ6 later to see what I can come up with!

My First Rag Quilt

My First Rag Quilt, snipped, washed and dried...

I just loved this Debbie Mumm Fabric and picked the other fabrics for the four patch to blend with it...

The little black and white kitty is my favorite..or maybe its the tan puppy or the polka dot kitty... LOL

Here is a little closer picture of the raggedies...

Blocks for my Baby Jane

A-2 One Two Buckle My Shoe

A-4 Courtney's Stethoscope



My new numbers are 43,21,3,1400

A-3 Hunters Moon

A-3 Hunters Moon Block
I made a Dear Jane block today. I pieced this one trying to remember my lessons from Linda Franz's DVD about curved piecing. I forgot to mark additional matching points until I cut the pattern apart and ironed on the fabric. But, I think it came out alright and I'm happy to be working on my Dear Jane quilt again! My new numbers are 41,21,3,1337!

Busy,Busy,Busy

I haven't posted in quite a while. I have been busy working on a few quilt projects...A scrap quilt, Siggies for the Dear Jane swap, My WOBQ top. my first "rag" quilt and the Sylvia's Bridal Quilt BOW...


I finished the top for my "WOBQ" yesterday and am going to quilt it myself with a flowery vine pattern that I drew. I will have to practice first and post a bigger picture of it later!

The scrap quilt I am working on is from a "scrap mystery quilt swap" with an online group. I have finished sewing blocks and now I'm deciding on how to position the blocks. This was a wonderful quilt to work on as it pushed me seriously out of my comfort zone. I received fabric in this swap that I never would have purchased and never would have considered putting in a quilt with the other fabrics that I received. LOL! I bought a light polka dot backing fabric and jumped in...The only rule that I made for myself as I was sewing was not to use any of the same fabrics in a single block... I think that I am going to truly love this quilt when it is finished.

I am still clipping the seams for my "Rag quilt" and will post another picture after it is washed and dried and achieved the proper raggidiness!
Have a lovely Day!
hugs,
keri

Lorilylee made this beautiful quilt for me for Christmas!

Thank you so much Lorilylee!!!

I was just reflecting on what would have happened if I had not said to her years ago "I have this cute snowman fabric...you make such pretty quilts, will you help me make a quilt with it????"

LOL, I am so grateful for her friendship!

Thank you Lord, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
The Christmas Advent project is finished as of yesterday and I am waiting for the kids to wake up for our Christmas celebration this morning. I hope that you enjoy a wonderful and blessed celebration of the birth of our saviour!

Christmas Advent Quilt progress

Here is a photo of the finished blocks.
It is still a mystery how they will be placed in the finished quilt.
I like how it is coming along and I think that I might make a larger quilt with this pattern someday!

First week of Advent

Here is a photo of what I have sewn so far for the first week of the Advent mystery quilt at the Quilters Neighborhood.I moved the blocks around to try to find some semblance of a pattern.
I still have black triangles and purple rectangles to sew into it somehow.
hmmm... What will it look like when it is finished? I wonder!

Thinking about Service

We are studying Martha this week in the Women of the Bible online study and Mary, her sister, next week.

I have been thinking a lot about service and the bad state that the Martha in the book of Luke and John in the Bible worked herself into. I made a basket pinwheel block for her (pictured above) to put in my quilt. I can imagine her spinning around the baskets in the kitchen trying to get them filled. I can imagine her spinning around trying to get everything done and done well.

I can imagine the whole thing because I know what it is like when I have been the one spinning around the kitchen trying to get things done. I have so been there :trying to serve my family or my friends and I know how it feels when I hae started to get tired and I have felt the bitterness in my spirit and the wonder at why no one is helping me the way that I have thought that I ought to be helped…

I will honestly tell you though that the following thoughts have never entered my head:

” ugh…I have to sew again…I can’t believe that no one else is helping me…Doesn’t anyone realize that this is like the hundredth time that I’ve had to do this alone because no one else is stepping up.”

The fact is that I truly love to sew and I look forward to new projects. I love looking at quilts and for a pattern that might help that special someone feel better, a pattern for a quilt to give to my friend so she will know she is loved, a pattern for blocks that would make a cute baby gift, sewing blocks that will be used in a quilt for a wounded soldier, etc… What a blessing it is to me. What a creative outlet and I could go on and on…Pieces, pieces, pieces, seams, seams, seams, blocks, blocks, blocks, quilts, quilts, quilts, …you get the idea! There is not enough time to sew sometimes…

I truly love and totally get in to this kind of service!

However, I have had these thoughts or very nearly these thoughts at times about other church related service before. Replace the word “sew” with words like work, sweep, cook, clean, wash, host, scrub, etc… and well…you know…

Last Sunday morning, upon entering the church building a little early for the worship service, I saw a woman standing behind a table near the front door. I have seen her at church before, but I do not know her well. I approached her, eager to perhaps help her with what she was doing, get to know her, learn her name and to wish her a “Happy Sunday” so to speak.

I realized my mistake almost immediately.

Within moments of standing near the table, I became aware that she was doing a job that had totally and thoroughly exhausted her. I was told in her first breath that she had been doing this particular job for years. In the next breathe; I heard a list of all the people who benefited from the job she did. Then I heard about how those very people who benefited from her work had not ever helped her with it. When I asked her why she had done the job alone and why no one ever helped her with it she replied coldly that in previous years there had been a few people who had tried to help her but the most that she had ever received from their help was a bad headache.

“I prefer to work alone,” she said finally, looking over her spectacles with a cold, hard stare.

At that, I took the hint, turned tail swiftly and breaking into a near run, I moved quickly to a different part of the church building.

Reflecting back on all this today, I just wonder at how this might have happened to her.

Had she started doing this job those many years ago with a joyful heart, anticipating the good that she would do?

When did things go so terribly wrong for her and why?

Could this be a picture of me down the road?

Will I act like this sometime in the future?

Being a woman who does not like to make people unhappy, I have trouble saying “NO!”

“Sure, Sure, O.k.,sure, I can do that, sure…” is generally the given answer. Out of obligation sometimes, I say “Yes!” but I do like to help at other times.

This could explain my aversion to answering the telephone!

I just have not ever really considered that my inability to say “NO, that’s enough.” could be a sin.

That there is such a thing as the sin of doing a job that I should not be doing.

To think that I could potentially hurt people if that bitterness came out of me as it came out of that lady at church last Sunday. That would be a sin!

I am looking for some answers, I did a search for the word “works” and these are some of the verses that came up:

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. “

Titus 3:5 “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

And of course what Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10 is important to consider also:

Verse 41-42 “And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

He said there is only one thing is needed. What is it? Maybe just “look and listen” or “listen and look” are faith at work and are enough to “do” sometimes.

The verses that we studied at a bible study recently came to mind:

Numbers 21:8 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”
Jesus said in John 3:14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,”

In this case Moses was given some specific jobs to do. God told him to “Make”, “Set”, and “Lift”…

The rest of the Israelites (who had been "bitterly complaining" by the way) were told to “Look” at the snake on the pole just as we are told to “Look” to Jesus and be healed. That's all they were told to do...That's all that we are told to do...

Maybe if God tells us to do something we had better get busy with it! Maybe if God has not told us to do something then we better high tail away from there saying “No!” as we go…

I don’t have a complete answer for the dilemma of church service or for the unhappy church lady either. It is God’s church after all. He will "work" it all out and finish the work too, right?

What I do know is that I want to do what the Lord wants me to do and I do not want to do what the Lord does not want me to do. I think that means that for now, I am going to keep sewing for gifts and charitable causes that interest me and I’m going to do the jobs at church that I am excited about. I think that if God gives me a desire to do something then He is “Making it a good work as I continue to be His workmanship.” I also know that if I ever start to act like that lady at church and start getting a headache because someone is or isn’t helping me with the job I chose to do, than I hope that someone will stop at my table, or sink or wherever I'm working and I’ll remember the events of last Sunday before they run away.

Lord, I never, ever want to be anything other than your workmanship and I don’t ever want to stop working on something that you are giving me to do until its done! It is so comforting to think that you will finish the work that you start and that I am your work after all…I’m glad that you aren’t finished with me yet! Thank you Lord, You are so good!…and please help me forgive “you know who” and not run away the next time I see her…Amen!

I am working on an online Christmas Mystery quilt at Kim Graham's Quilters' Neighborhood (http://members.shaw.ca/kigraham/mystery/Greetframe.htm.)
I chose the fabric for it and started sewing yesterday. I am using a Debbie Mumm black background and a few of the "Susanna" fabrics from Brenda Papadakis. I'll post more pictures as the month goes on.

Top Ten Finalist!

I'm just so excited! I made it to the top ten as a finalist in the ElmCreek.net quilt block contest!
I just can't believe it that my design was chosen as one of the ten best designs.
Yippee! just had to post the news.

Testing!

I've had a terrible time getting anything to post so this is a little test post with a picture that I like to have on my desktop!

Dear Jane Update

I wanted to update my photo of the Dear Jane Chart. It is so much fun to make some progress on this wonderful quilt!

Quilting the Psalms

The pieced block photo is a scan of my "Prosperity" Block that I made for my Psalm's quilt designed by Carol Honderich.
The Psalms Quilts are going well. I'm making two. I will hand piece the quilt that Carol Honderich is designing and I am designing an embroidery quilt on my own.
The embroidery block that I made for the Psalm Eight challenge is also pictured.
I have almost finished my embroidery block that was due today for Psalm One and I have almost finished designing the block for Psalm Nineteen, which is this weeks assignment. More later...

Women of the Bible Quilt so far...

Yesterday I put all the blocks out for the Women of the Bible quilt that I have made so far.
The blocks are not in the placement they will go in the finished quilt. I just spread them out to see them together...
The yahoo group is officially past the halfway mark now. I am all caught up as I made the three blocks that I was behind on. As I finish them, I have been tucking them into their folder and hadn't ever seen them all together.
I put away the block that I made for Rebekah, I want to make another one for her. Although the one that I made for Miriam is in the photo. the red "follow my leader" block towards the center, I think I will maker her a new one too, too much contrast or something just isn't right with hers..Dinah's "Broken Path" block may be the same way...the white one with the gold and green stripes. It might be o.k. if I use more white in some of the upcoming blocks...

I have made a few extra so far and I want to make a few more for:

1. The Egyptian princess who adopted Moses
2. The Hebrew midwives in Exodus.
3. Noah's Daughter in laws
4. The Woman who killed Abimelech by dropping a stone from a tower in Judges 9.
5. Jeptha's daughter who died because of his vow in Judges 11.
6. Samson's mother in Judges 13
7. The concubine that was killed by the Benjaminites in Judges 19.

I will probably find some more that I want to include as I keep reading. The devotional study has inspired me to try to read through the Bible this year. I haven't ever been able to do it before but I am trying.
It is something to watch what is going on in the Middle East and read the scriptures about what happened there so long ago. The only thing that has changed is the weaponry.
My old pastor says that we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem... So that is what I have been trying to do while I work on this study and my blocks.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
(Psalm 122:6-7)

Mo's Flower Garden

I just had to add this photo of some of the beautiful flowers outside of Mo's Restaurant in Cannon Beach, Oregon. (They serve really, really great Clam Chowder) :^)

Summer Activities and Projects

We had a really wonderful time visiting with my family at the Oregon Coast. The shady trees photo was taken while visiting Ft. Clatsop. The National park was very beautiful and I think one of my favorite stopping places during our week out there. The Park Rangers were dressed up in Lewis and Clark period costumes and we had fun talking to them as they whittled. One of the Rangers did a shooting demonstration and shot a musket for us. The hike was lovely down to the Lewis and Clark River.

The blanket photo is a throw size quilt for my son who loves WWII airplanes. I finished it yesterday...

I am behind on my Dear Jane BOW's and TOW's and trying not to feel too badly about it. I think once we start on our school schedule again I'll get back in the habit of prepping and sewing my blocks during writing/penmanship lessons or otherwise quiet school moments.
I'm three blocks behind on my Women of the Bible quilt now.... I have picked out substitute blocks to sew for Jezebel, the Queen of Sheba and Rizpah. Maybe this weekend I'll get those caught up.

I am also trying to finish up the Sylvia's Bridal Swap blocks that are due at the end of August...Oh... and the mini Spring Fling blocks are done...They just need to be labeled and mailed... Lots of projects to do... I really like being busy though. I have been working on my embroidery quilt while the kids do their swimming lessons. So that project is almost done too. I'll take a picture when it is finished.

Hope you are having a lovely summer!