FINISHED!

As Halloween approaches, I celebrate the finish of the Halloween panel quilt I've been making for the last three years. What's that you say? You think it's four years? Quite possibly.

I'm blessed in that not many fabric lines speak to me as this one does. It's "Halloween Masquerade" by Amy Barickman for Red Rooster Fabrics. I love it so much that when I saw another quilt pattern using these same fabrics, I couldn't resist buying more of it for my stash. I'm unapologetic about that, too. I'll enjoy working with these designs again.

I outlined the girls and some of the other center figures by hand. It was harder than I thought it would be. (Don't look at the back of the quilt.) And that center design could probably use more quilting / embellishment. I may (or may not) do that some day.

It's a nice seasonal touch for the house and it does make me happy. I'm glad to call it finished this year. KW

QUILT REPORT

I could not believe it when the pieced border actually stitched onto my "Vintage Holiday" quilt, outer edges even, the stitching relatively straight. In all reverence, I could have climbed onto the housetop and shouted, "There is a God!" Frankly, I don't know how it happened. I think the bias element of the triangular shapes must have allowed the alignment.

Since taking this picture, I have attached the upper and lower borders as well.

The next step is another narrow border strip. Then what? Well, I'm thinking about some embroidery embellishment before beginning the quilting process. That one block on top seems to stand out for its blankness. KW

SHARING THE SCRAPS

Someone asked me if Ina ever mentioned sharing scraps for quilts. Yes, she makes such a reference in this letter to her sister, Mabel, in October 1935:

I’m planning on sending you some scraps, Mabel, and you can divide with Mona. I promised Edna some scraps of the dark and tan print dress I wore when there but don’t think I have any left big enough to do her any good. As I recall it we sent the last batch of scraps to Idy Jane and Edny, but now I can’t remember if that particular quilt is done or not. Wasn’t it a star made up of crazy work diamonds, or was it just the diamonds? Anyway, you used very small scraps and these will not be sorted as to size for we don’t know what you’ll use them for. This is to be passed on to Idy and Edny. And did you get the snowball quilt done?

I didn’t know what a “snowball quilt” (a certain traditional quilt pattern) was until last week – couldn’t even read the word in Ina’s scrawl. It’s wonderful how answers pop up the more we learn.

I can just hear the conversation over Ina’s dress while she visited her sisters, Ida and Mabel, in Drain, Oregon. Niece Edna says, “Aunt Ina, let me show you the quilt I’m making. I just need a certain dark piece in each diamond pattern to set off this green. Why, just look at it against your dress, Aunt Ina! That fabric is just perfect. Oh! I surely wish I had a piece this color.”

“Well, Edny,” Ina starts slowly, “I am tired of this dress – sick of wearing it, in fact. I’m going to make it down for Ruth when I get home, so I’ll send you the scraps for your quilt when I’m finished.”

“Oh, Aunt Ina, would you?!” comes Edna’s reply.

So, Ina evidently re-made the dress and is forwarding the scraps, but in the end, there were no sizeable pieces. Perhaps the quilt went back on a shelf to wait again for a good scrap of cloth to come along.

[The photo above was take on the farm in November 1942. Left to right: Ida Jane Patchen (Ina's sister); Edna Patchen (Ida's daughter); my grandmother Ina Dobson; Ina's daughter Pearl Sanders; Pearl's son Stanley Sanders; and my grandfather Julian Dobson.] KW

A BUFFALO LURKS

Over at the Last Resort, Chris speaks of being "one-dimensional." At this time, her interest in sewing room projects apparently precludes other interests. My mother called it having a "one-tracked mind." When she was absorbed in sewing, for instance, she resented any activity that took her away from her sewing and admitted as much. I also suffer from this syndrome – perhaps it's a human failing. And I know that if I do become distracted, I might not take up this project again – and that's a lurking buffalo. Wherever I get stopped then becomes a stopping point and I don't easily get back to the project.

Anything can be a buffalo for me. Maybe I need to learn a new technique. Maybe I need to correct a mistake. Maybe the project just isn't coming together the way I imagined. Even fear of finishing a project I'm enjoying will get me stopped. Mother called it a hurdle. When I was young and working under her watchful eye, she would say, "I'll get you over the hurdle." Then she would correct the mistake or work through the hard part and set me up to continue, but I didn't like that. It seemed dishonest to say I had done the work when Mother had helped. She didn't see it that way. She felt that my ability to cope with difficulties would come with age and experience and it was important that I should know the fulfillment of completing a project and moving on to the next.

So far I have completed the center section of my "vintage holiday" quilt, but now I must leave it for a day or two to pursue some other interests, and I do hope I'll be able to get back to it and take it on to completion. I have enjoyed the work. KW

MOVING FORWARD

We had a great Christmas, and it helps to pass the winter. People can do things like this if they want to. No use to let everything go because of hard times. Ina, Christmas 1932

The "things like this" Ina mentions are simple gifts and the sharing of food with friends and family. I love Ina's concept that Christmas should be a celebration that helps us pass the dark winter months. As the days grow shorter we prepare for the holidays. After the event passes and we wait while short days become longer and warmer, we should have inspiration to carry us through to spring -- the memory of a happy celebration, kindnesses shared, gifts that keep on giving -- like books, games, projects, and planning for spring planting, travel, etc.

Move forward we must, and to help me do that, I always make resolutions for the new year. I suppose these aren't resolutions (goals) as much as a plan of action for my year. I enjoy the exercise of writing it out and the focus it provides, especially during the "dark" months. I believe that I'm better for this organizational effort. 

New Year's Day I rummaged around in the guest room where I keep my fabrics, yarns, and supplies. In the course of re-organizing my Christmas fabrics, I came up with a Christmas quilt panel, a 1930's style reproduction handkerchief print, that I had ordered on a whim a couple of years ago. It was on sale and I'm always curious about reproduction prints. That it was part of something larger didn't occur to me at the time.

"How do you use this thing," I wondered to myself. The panel was designed for Exclusively Quilters, and by searching their website I discovered it had been part of a line of ten or twelve coordinating fabrics called "Vintage Holiday." A pattern for a quilt using the panel and fabrics was offered free, so I downloaded it. I am such a novice when it comes to quilting, but I was getting the picture. This fabric line was produced in 2007 or so and was now likely discontinued and if I really wanted to make this quilt, I should begin at once to search for the fabrics as they will only become more scarce. In the end I might have to make substitutions. I gave myself permission to continue.

The first place I searched was my own stash. As luck would have it, I discovered I already had some of the coordinating fabrics received by chance with a fat quarter medley of 1930's reproduction fabrics. Of course, this discovery only served to feed my obsession. Finding remaining fabrics became an online quest.

And I was moderately successful. First I found a remnant, "Red Snowflake," and some yardage, "Green Candy Cane," which I ordered. But a rep from that shop called to say they couldn't find the Green Candy Cane even though it showed in inventory. She gave me the option to search the website and substitute another print, which I did. And through an eBay store I ordered four yards of "Cream Ornament" which will be sufficient for the backing. Searching even deeper online, I found and ordered half a yard of "Red Ornament." 

Meanwhile, I studied the instructions and made notes. I cleaned the kitchen counter for a cutting surface, located my rulers, and shopped locally for a fabric to substitute for the missing background. I washed and pressed all fabric on hand. I copied the templates onto card stock and carefully cut them out. I'm ready to begin. Will this be easy? Absolutely not. 

It's a little like the new year -- move forward, one step at a time -- but move. KW