The weekend is just about here. Julia is going to her first high school football game tonight and we are not a football family. It is rare that you’ll hear any talk of sports in our house. But I am fairly certain that 14 year olds don’t go to football games for the sport – it’s all about the friends. She will have a great time and I will wonder how she got to be this age so quickly.
It was a busy week here in Grass Valley, CA (doesn’t that sound just like Garrison Keillor? I love him.) I decided I was tired of looking through filthy windows so I hired a couple of window cleaners to come and clean them. We have lots of windows (40 to be exact, I paid per window so I now know this number.) Turns out that having windows cleaned involves lots of prep on the part of the window owner. They asked me to clear any items near the windows so they could have access. Yikes. My sewing table, ironing station and cutting station are under a window. I am sure you can imagine. But after I got the house put back together, it was well worth it. Shiny clean windows. Just in time for fall colors… the maple trees near these windows turn a great shade of yellow-gold and now we will enjoy the changes that much more. (Well, that’s if fall ever comes, it is a balmy 98 degrees outside today.
Time in the sewing room was not plentiful this week. I did finish up one quick project though. Remember the block-hop that I posted about last week? When I was playing with the design for that block, I did a mock up first. I used some holiday fabric that I had (mainly because it was right next to the cutting area and saved me the long walk to the closet across the room where my stash is stored.) The block was pretty though and I wanted to use it for something.
I added two borders, one 2″ wide and the other is 3″ wide. With these borders I ended up with a pillow cover that is about 21″ square.
I used an envelope backing and stitched a seam 1″ in from the perimeter to make a flange. Straight line quilting with a fairly narrow gauge was done on an angle, dividing the pillow into four quadrants.
I used a Mettler variegated thread with shades of gold, silver and cream which I love with these fabrics.
When I quilt a pillow, I sandwich the quilted portion with plain muslin and pieced batting scraps. The quilting looks kinda cool on the muslin side.
It makes me want to try some sort of whole cloth project to really emphasize the quilting. Another addition to the list….
It will be fun to pull this out in a few months when the time comes to decorate for the holidays. Hoping everyone has a great weekend. Seems like it is hot across the country right now. Maybe this is the last blast of heat before wonderful autumn starts.
Linking to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict as well as Freemotion Mavericks (even tho this is quilted with a walking foot, not my darning foot.) All links to these link parties are available at the top of the page, under Link Ups.
Well, Bernie, I think that pillow is pretty enough to put out all year. It matches the beautiful trees outside your windows. I’m with you. A whole cloth quilt is somewhere on my list of somedays. I want to make one for my bed and then make a runner for the end of the bed to change whenever. But there are always other projects that take priority.
Hmmm…. a your goal is a bit more lofty than mine! I was thinking small mini to hang on the wall. I don’t think a bed size quilt that emphasizes the quilting is something I am ready for. You, however, are more than ready for that and I look forward to seeing it come to be. 🙂
I love this pillow!! So pretty!!
The pillow and quilting look great! I definitely agree that whole cloth quilting calls me more every week…
Yvonne, you should do a whole cloth piece. Your quilting is stunning. C’mon!!
It’s beautiful! I love that fabric – I agree with JanineMarie – it could stay out all year. I’m jealous of your clean windows. 🙂
I bet Julia enjoyed the game.
Your weather is actually hotter than here in south Texas. We are due to have high 80s-low 90s, but the best part is 61 degrees forecast for tonight. Can’t wait for fall!
Well the football game was cancelled. :-(. The opponents team is from a town about eig miles away and they have a huge, huge fire going on with lots of power outages and many areas evacuated. It is so sad. There are two massive burns going on in Northern CA currently. Not a threat to my home for sure but the air is hazy and smokey. So instead of going to the game, she volunteered with my parents at a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for our food ministry. She plated salads. Crazy how she is growing up.
The temps are supposed to be break tomorrow which will help the fires and will certainly feel better. I always love hearing from you Linda!
B.
I love the pillow! I’m with Janine–you could leave it out all year, especially with those beautiful trees right outside the wimdow.
Hope Julia enjoyed her game, and that you enjoy a very relaxing weekend!
Oh well, it wasn’t to be. The football game was cancelled due to fire. The opposing team is from an area that is dealing with a huge fire (60,000+ acres and only 20% contained.) It is really awful. Our air is filled with smoke so we have stayed inside this weekend. Very unhealthy outside. Hoping they make some good progress today toward the containment. Please let it rain.
That’s a very pretty pillow!
I had to laugh about football. I have never been “into” football unless the Steelers were going to the Superbowl. But I had to sit through inumerable football games when my boys were young and just did it again at a grandchild’s…once again looking at the board thing thinking to myself “ONLY 2nd quarter?” 🙂
Ah, we would get along well. The superbowl usually plays at my house for the social aspect and the commercials. That is about as far as we go for sports. Except for the Olympics. We do watch quite a bit of that when it comes around. 🙂
I am fascinated with the quilting on your pillow…very striking. And I would use it now and not wait for Christmas. What a great view out of your windows!
Thanks Caryl! I have to admit that the pillow is still on the couch. It looks so pretty and I haven’t put it away like I thought I might! So nice that you stopped by!
Bernie