Baby Arizona

   
  I was recently commissioned to make a baby quilt for a special baby whose name is going to be Arizona.  Her parents lived in Casa Grande, Arizona and had recently moved to Wisconsin.
     It seems the hardest part for me is deciding on a design.  Cacti are big right now, but are they right for a baby quilt?  I was told to make it whimsical.  I spent a lot of time looking at fabrics.  I texted pictures of feminine looking cacti fabrics to the customer for her opinion.  We selected a backing fabric that was light pink with cacti in aquas and pinks and grays.

     Who wants to lay their baby on top of cacti?   I remembered being in the Arizona desert and early one morning seeing a hot air balloon flying over the cacti.  This might be an idea I can go with.  So here is my original sketch that I shared with my customer.  She liked it.

My original sketch of an idea.

     Now to make it a reality.  I went to another fabric store with my backing fabric.  The backing fabric actually caused a problem for me.  The greens were more of an blue green.  Most regular greens I looked at for the cacti clashed with the colors in the backing fabric.  I eventually decided on a triangular print that I thought blended well and would give texture to the cacti.  Then mountain fabrics and sky fabrics were selected.  Desert browns and tans did not go with the backing fabric either.  Since gray is the new neutral, I found grays that would work well as desert floor and mountain - I look for fabrics that will give a shadow and texture effect.  

     Remembering the "rule of thirds"  I began to lay out the proportions for the quilt.

     I stitched the floor of the desert to the sky as a beginning point.  I wanted to match the shape of Picacho Peak for the mountain.  I had visited this area and knew the parents to be had climbed this peak several times.   If I did it just right, they should recognize it.

     I tried freehanding it and could not make it look just right.  Finally, I downloaded the picture to a word document, kept zooming in until the peak section filled the page and printed it.  Then I could trace it onto the fabric.

     The response from the customer when she finally saw the quilt was, "You nailed Picacho Peak."  Just the response I hoped for!

     I used Misty Fuse for the applique.  Shannon Brinkley is the one who turned me on to Misty Fuse.  It leaves the fabric with a natural, not stiffer feel.  I keep all my scraps with Misty Fused backing in a separate container to use on other applique projects.  I also learned from Shannon to use a stabilizer behind the applique when I zigzag the raw edges.  It prevents "tunneling" which if you have ever seen it will know exactly what I mean.  I used a tear away stabilizer behind the edges.

     On to the foreground.  Using some of the backing fabric, I ironed a lightweight interfacing and cut out some of the cacti.  I then raw edge stitched them to the foreground.  Googling suguaro silouettes  I printed outlines changing the sizes.  Using a technique I learned from Bee in My Bonnet's Lori Holt, I stitched around the outline of the suguaro to the same lightweight interfacing bumpy side to right side.  Then I cut a slash in the interfacing, turned it, evened out the edges and pressed it onto the foreground.  I used an applique stitch to attach that gives a hand turned look.

     I decided on 3 balloons in different sizes to give them a look of differing distances.  Each would have one of the baby's names, first, middle and last.  I cut out wrapping paper in order to try out the sizes and placement I wanted.

Wrapping paper to decided on sizes and placement of the hot air balloons.

     Now to the fun part.  Decorating the balloons.  Going through my bin of Misty Fused fabrics I selected fun and bright colors to make each balloon special.  While I had problems choosing fabrics to blend with my backing fabric for the desert, cacti and mountains, I had no compulsions about making the balloons coordinate as balloons flying over the desert are multicolored and beautiful.  To add more whimsy, color and fun, I added pennant banners flying from each balloon.

     When it came time to quilt the quilt, I added desert animal outlines in quilting which represent camouflaged animals.  There are snakes, lizards, foxes, horses, tortoises and other animals.  The sky was quilted with whimsical curls to add to the fun.

     The binding was a fun black and white polka dot.  

     The customer was quite pleased with how it turned and the new parents were excited and happy with the quilt honoring their new baby.

      

Baby Arizona enjoying her quilt.

  

2019 Reading Challenge

Welcome 2019!

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to take stock of your life and what is going on, what you want to accomplish, how you want to change.  I don't necessarily do resolutions, but I will set goals.

One goal I like to keep track of is reading.  I always have a book I am reading, but often fail to keep the list of what I have read.

This year I am challenging my family to use Tim Challies Reading Challenge.  

https://www.challies.com/resources/the-2019-christian-reading-challenge/

I like Tim's list because it keeps me from reading the same type of books over and over again.  His is a list for Christians, but there are plenty of categories that do not fall into a Christian category.

I have finished already a book recommended by a friend, Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone.

Next I have started a book I picked up at a thrift store over a year ago, a biography by Dan Kurzman, Ben-Gurion, Prophet of Fire.  I have always been interested in the history of modern Israel.  This is a physical book.  I normally read a digital book and love audio books while sewing or walking.  I found this article interesting in promoting physical books. 

https://www.epm.org/blog/2019/Jan/4/make-reading-priority?fbclid=IwAR2EErRHWBD6_6bQLySM40V-yzsfsME1V-3F8BZUJTozZ6LaehXEOG17ZxE

So begins my year long reading goals.  Of course, I also have sewing goals, fitness goals, relational goals.

What are your goals for the new year?

So Blessed

Just before bed tonight Google sent me a "one year ago" in photos reminder.  It was pictures of my dear sweet man and I celebrating our anniversary in Key West and snorkeling at Dry Tortugas National Park, a truly spectacular place.  Then I crawled into my plastic mattress cot that is a little too short and a little too narrow to spend the night with my mom on day 14 of her hospital stay.  I felt a little sorry for myself.  Then I decided to consider what all had transpired since those Dry Tortugas photos were made.

We lived in Palm City, Florida.  We had a condo I really liked with a pool I loved.  One of my favorite nieces spent 2 or 3 weeks with us before we left.
  
In August we were able to visit my parents in Alabama and our daughter in Arizona. That trip included hiking in Sedona and Kartchner Caverns.

In September we moved to North Augusta, South Carolina.  While there we were able to get to know Augusta, Georgia a bit; spend 3 days in Savannah, Georgia; 2 days in Charleston, South Carolina; and tour the Biltmore House decorated for Christmas.

In October took a road trip with my youngest son from Alabama to upper Michigan for a special wedding. Then a trip to Indianapolis for granddaughter's first birthday.

In November we went to the SEC Championship football game in Atlanta.

We left North Augusta at the end of January for a 3 month sabbatical for my husband.  In those 3 months we spent quality time with my 88 and 84 year old parents;  spent 3 weeks helping our pregnant daughter get her house in Arizona ready to sale while her husband had to be out of town on business, go to Rocky Point, Mexico with her and her husband, help them move to Colorado and set up their new home.  We were able to go to Indianapolis for a week and visit son, daughter in law, and precious grandbaby.  Spent many good evenings playing Rook and Sequence with my brother and sister in law.

In May my husband started his new year long job just outside of Atlanta.  As our apartment was not available till June 1st, I stayed with my parents AND took a 10 day trip to Spain with my daughter and friend.

Since last year, I have been able to design and finish some of the most complicated quilts I have done, moving from just pieced quilts to learning how to applique.

I moved on June 1 but also helped plan, coordinate, hostess and complete an awesome weekend with a surprise baby shower for my daughter last weekend.  Friends from several states flew in and she was completely shocked and overwhelmed.  All this while my mom was in the hospital with serious issues. 

So as I lay on my cot and looked over what has transpired over the past year, how can I feel low?  My mom is the one sick, not me.  She seemed to turn the corner this afternoon and I see some improvement.  

So I lay on my cot and feel deeply and profoundly blessed.   When I consider these things, my discouragement turns to joy.  I can hardly believe all I have been allowed to do this past year.

This was a stretch for me but cheered on by sister in law.

Quilt for Granddaughter #2

Beary Special Quilt

The famous bull fighting ring in Sevilla

View of the Alhambra from Granada

Theater in Sevilla

 

Special order quilt for former Georgia football player baby

Most ambitious applique project yet.

Visit to Charleston

Lovely Savannah, Georgia in September

Packing for Spain

     How exciting that I am traveling to Spain with my daughter and a friend of hers.  How exciting that I have grown children who still like to hang out with me!
     Days ago I decided on what clothes to take, shoes, and did my final shopping.  I had a whole pharmacy of any medicines that could possibly be needed.  As my hair can get dry and frizzy, I am particular about shampoo.  As my skin is dry, I am particular about body wash and lotion.  As I find it difficult sleeping on different pillows each night, I planned to take my own pillow.  When I did my final shopping trip, I discovered I had turned into my husband and bought snacks to avoid food emergencies. THEN, I discovered "the girls" are only taking a carry on for 10 days in Spain.  Actually, daughter is joining her husband in Paris when we leave Spain and will be traveling Europe for 35 days with only a carry on.
     We will be taking one Ryanair flight while in Spain.  Checking their website to see the price for a check in, I decided I could buy a lot of shampoo and lotion for 40 Euros.  I had already paid for a checked bag on my flights to and from Spain, but American will give a refund for baggage fees.
     Time for a major reshuffle of my packing.
     As for clothes, I had the black ensembles, navy ensembles and khaki ensembles.  Black got thrown out as that saves packing another pair of shoes.  Medications - each woman for herself, only melatonin and aspirin.  One quart size bag will be filled with as much shampoo and conditioner as I can get into it.  Ditch extra underwear and socks.  I will certainly miss my own pillow at night.  
     Still trying to decide how to make sure my Nutter Butters make the flight.

"Beary" Special Quilt

    

      Bear - the nickname for a friend.  With his birthday coming up, it was time for me to put him on my list of quilt recipients.  I have been looking at Shannon Brinkley's awesome scrappy applique mosaic designs for a while. https://shannon-brinkley.com/ I took her online class, ordered the Scrappy Wild Animals pattern and was off!  Or so I thought.  This friend had just moved to the Denver area and faces the Flat Iron Mountains with the snow covered Rockies peaking out from behind.  I wanted to add mountains to the quilt with the bear - how perfect to represent my friend.  Doing what I always do, I spent a lot of time looking at pinterest for mountain  quilt ideas.   So many awesome ideas.  In the end, I decided to use my 60 degree equilateral triangle ruler to make the mountains and sky.  
     Since the Rockies sit behind the Flat Irons, I wanted the design to represent snow covered mountains sitting behind the closer mountains.  I selected fabrics in shades of grays so that the closer mountains were a darker color and the background mountains were a lighter color.  (When you can see mountain tops in layers, notice how the closer ones are darker and the further ones appear to be a lighter color.)  Then I wanted a layer of evergreens forming the tree line in transition down the mountain to the hilly terrain.   I cut trianges in 3.5 inches, 6.5 inches and 9.5 inches and began playing around with them.  I also had to cut some of the sky blue in smaller sections so the mountains would not form a row all of same height.  I would cut and move around and sew and ask my hubby and sister's opinion and keep rearranging.  Fortunately, the large dining room table was available.

This represents 3 and a half days of work!    










     The fabrics were all from Connecting Thread and were fat quarter collections that I already had in my stash.  The sky blue came from a local fabric store.

   
      Once I had the most tedious part completed,  I was excited to move on.  I sewed strips of 6.5 inches and 4.5 inches together to make the lowlands.  I was ready to sew the bottom and top together, but laid them out on the floor and called hubby to come do a quilt consult.  He took one look and said that will not do at all!  He began changing the proportions and he was exactly correct!  Because I had not drawn it out on paper first and was designing on the fly, I had totally missed the "rule of thirds".

 He got on the floor and began to shorten the brown "prairie" part and increase the sky part.  All his suggestions were spot on.  Then while I took out seams, he drove to 3 stores to find more of the blue fabric since I did not have enough to finish.  What a great quilt husband!


  The bear was surprisingly easy to make following Shannon's directions and using her recommended supplies. I rewatched her videos for her tips on zigzagging to connect the bear to the  quilt top.  As I watched her video lessons, I realized that even though I knew everything she was saying, her experience led to tips that I would have figured out, but maybe only after I had made simple mistakes.  The tips gave me a good product on the first try.

Once I had it together and was very pleased, there is the question of how to quilt it!

 The quilt husband really is a fan of stitch in the ditch only, but thought he might have some ideas.  Naw, he didn't, but I do frequently talk out a plan with him and enjoy his feedback.

I did free motion up and down the mountains to mimic the craggy look.  The trees got a simple back and forth motion.  Because the triangles leave a straight line, I added some applique trees in different sizes to break up the line between the trees and prairie.  Those I left unquilted for a little change of texture.  On the prairie, I did gently curves representing the hills at the base of the mountains.  Then added some free motion grass tufts.  For the sky I used some curves and swirls. 

  The plan for this quilt was to have a brown super soft and comfy Minky backing.  I personally do not like to intensely quilt Minky.  So I added a broadcloth backing for the quilting.   On another quilt someone else had done the same way, I noticed that when the quilt shrunk after washing (which they all do) the Minky backing did not shrink.  So the Minky was no longer smooth and a little larger than the front.  So, I decided to put a quick, one layer binding on the quilt and wash it BEFORE adding the Minky.

     After and overnight drying, we were ready for the backing.  I use spray adhesive for making my "quilt sandwich" but have discovered that it does not stick very well to the Minky which is polyester and has a knit like back.  So very carefully I laid out the Minky to make sure no wrinkles, then layered the top on and pinned to prevent shifting.  I took one stitch across the middle of the quilt.  Then took a few other straight across seams in the brown section.  I ran a stitch along the mountain range and one straight through the sky.  After completing those, the edges of the Minky were trimmed to 2 inches, then pulled to the front and used to self bind.
     This took one week of intense work, but the recipient was thrilled with it!

 

Turkey - Land of History

     This week pictures from our trip to Turkey keep popping up on my Facebook feed showing 2 years ago.  That was such a great trip.  While living in Holland, Michigan we were able to travel to Turkey with GTI Tours and Brad Gray leading.
     Turkey is such an ancient land.  So much history has happened there.  You could spend years studying just one era of time and history in Turkey.  The ancient Hittites were located in modern day Turkey. The Assyrian Empire was headquartered in Turkey.  They were defeated by the Babylonians who spread their influence throughout the region.  Alexander the Great conquered the peoples of the Turkey peninsula  and  that region became the center of Hellenism/Greek culture, language and philosophy.     Under the Romans, Turkey became the center of Caesar worship. Christianity spread through Turkey.    Islam spread from Turkey. Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, is the only city in the world located on 2 continents.
     For the purpose of our trip, we were following the Apostle Paul's travels in that region and visiting the locations of the 7 churches that receive letters in the book of Revelation. 
We were told to be prepared to hike 5-7 miles per day.  Many days we were definitely off the beaten paths.

Our first morning in Turkey on the southern coast.

The harbor that Paul first sailed into as an apostle and evangelist.

Turkey is a mountainous region with many valleys between mountain ranges.

No Hellenistic town was complete without a gymnasium.

The town of Perga. It is amazing what ancient people could build.

The library at Ephesus

Ephesus

Gotta have something for the tourists!

The massive temple to Artemis (Diane) at Sardis.

Hagia Sophia, then center of Christianity for 1000 years before becoming a mosque.

The inside of Hagia Sophia.

     Turkey does border Syria.  With the crisis happening in Syria and the general terrorist threat in the Middle East, many were concerned about our safety while traveling.  We were far from the eastern side which borders Syria.  There had been a bombing at the Blue Mosque (next door to Hagia Sophia) a few weeks before which killed 8 German tourists.  Just a couple of weeks before there was a bombing in Ankara, the capital.  Many people were choosing not to travel to Turkey during this time.  The opportunity was just too good to pass up.  When I checked on statistics of possibility for harm, I discovered the most dangerous part of our trip was from Holland, Michigan to O'Hare Airport in Chicago.  Sure bad things can happen in the Middle East, but also just before we left a crazed gunman shot and killed random people sitting on the porch at Cracker Barrel within an hour of us.  The travel company takes trips to Turkey several times a year.  They have connections and take precautions to keep their travelers safe.  After all, they wouldn't send their people into danger thoughtlessly.  So, our decision was to take our chances!  
     We are so glad we did.  I felt like my understanding of the life and time of the Apostle Paul expanded exponentially.  I gained a grasp of the first century culture into which Christianity was birthed that forever changes the way I look at the New Testament.

University of Georgia baby quilt for a girl!

     I was asked to make a baby quilt for a baby who's daddy had played football at the University of Georgia.  Sounds great!  I made the mistaken assumption the baby was a boy.  When I discovered it was a girl, my mind almost blew up!  Black and red and bulldogs....how do you make a girl quilt from that?
     The customer wanted the U of G symbol on the quilt and the baby daddy's jersey # on the quilt.  Otherwise, I had total discretion.  Now, I know this customer very well and her tastes.  She likes quilts VERY simple, VERY simple indeed!  I made a pinterest board for us to share ideas.  She was scared of the novelty fabrics with U of G designs, but felt they were necessary.  The one that scared her least was the white background.  Once I knew it was a girl, my mind went to pinwheels in red and black with polka dots and gingham.  Fortunately, I was flying into Atlanta and driving to Alabama from there, so I knew I could find Georgia fabrics in stock while driving through Georgia.
     I bought the selection of fabrics I wanted, but knew better than to let her see them.  I knew she would freak just seeing them together.  After I had my blocks made, I called her for a preview before stitching together.  She was amazed.  The abundance of white settled her down.  She did see the fabrics laying together and told me those make her crazy, but she loved them in the pinwheels.  She also said she would have only had one pattern of fabric - either polka dots or gingham, not both and would never have thrown in the bandana fabric.  I saved the white U of G fabric for the back.  Got baby's name and daddy's jersey number both on the front.
     When it was finished, my customer was pleased with it and excited to give a one of a kind gift to the new parents.

A quilted pillow case to hold the quilt.

Tiny polka dots and larger ones together.

 I used simple quilting in a grid patter for this quilt.  For the first time I used Heat and Bond Ultrahold for the name.  I always wash my quilts before giving them.  I detected small places where the hold was not tight, so I did straight stitch in free motion around the name.
     The patter was inspired by Pinwheel Party, a Twiddletails pattern.  I saw several on pinterest and was surprised to discover several pins I had that were from that pattern, but based on the fabrics used had very different looks.