Friday Finish: Urban Cabins

It's shaping up to be an exciting day in Colorado! First, My Little Sailor pulled into Hong Kong for a quick liberty stop with the USS George Washington. (Yes, they're dodging Super Typhoon Yolanda).


Second, I'm taking a quilt class with Sonya at Ruth's Stitchery to start on Metro Hoops:

I'm particularly pleased to start this quilt because in 2012, I test-sewed one of Jenny's first patterns, "Deco Curves."

Third, tonight Jacquie Gering is speaking at Front Range Modern Quilt Guild! And she has agreed to autograph copies of her book:

Not to mention I have a quilt finish! It's a Strip Club quilt from last month at High Country Quilts. I bought the kit for Urban Cabins at Quilt Beginnings in Columbus, Ohio a couple of years ago. So I was excited when Shelley chose this pattern for the October Strip Club.

Terry Atkinson's design is a versatile one -- it can be made with either 2 1/2" strips or fat quarters. I used fat quarters from Jenean Morrison's "Wild World" collections.  Please believe me when I tell you this quilt is a lot more colorful than it looks in the photo! Between the wind and the cold, I haven't been able to take it outside for a photo in daylight!

Quilt #46 for 2013. 

Linking up to:

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Quokka Quilts

and Richard and Tanya Quilts.

If I finish all the quilts on the November Quilt To-Do List, I'll have only one more to reach 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks for the forth year in a row!

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What's on the Needles Wednesday

In anticipation of Season 4 of "Downton Abbey," I've been watching seasons 1-3 on DVD.Since I've seen all the episodes multiple times, this allows for lots of knitting time!

I started this sweater ages ago and had all the parts knitted and blocked for about two years. When I spent the weekend at Mary's cabin, I started sewing it together. Because it has a hem on the bottom and the sleeves that has to be turned up and stitched down, a button band and and a neckband -- it too longer to do the finishing than to knit the sweaters. And the buttons have gone missing. But the Shetland wool in Sunglo coral is lovely!

I've knit three cowls and have another started. This one is "Downtown," a variation of the Downton Cowl by Shannon Cook. It's knit with the Madelinetosh DK "Cousteau" that Elder Son gave me for my birthday last year. I made mine longer than the pattern because I like to wrap my cowls twice and still have them not be too tight around the neck.

This is Stephen West's  "Purl Ridge Scarf" knit with Cascade 220 Paint. It's not quite the raspberry color it shows in this photo, but it is a gorgeous purple variegated.

This is another cowl knit with Madelinetosk DK, this time the colorway is "Filigree." It is a variation on "Waves of Grain" from the new Scarf Style 2 book by Ann Budd.

I had two skeins of Mini Mochi worsted and made this neckwarmer -- of course, I tossed the pattern as soon as I finished it and can't remember the name of the pattern!

But if you belong to Ravelry, there are lots of similar neckwarmers there!

I also started a purple sweater for my "Japan Wardrobe." This is "Uma," pattern by Bonnie Marie Burns for Chic Knits. The yarn is Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino Aran, Merino, Microfibre and Cashmere. Yummy to knit with and once I figured out the unusual  top-down construction, a fast knit!

Linking up to Tami's Amis Work in Progress Wednesday.

With the length of my Quilty To-Do list this month, I need to turn off the TV and get back to the sewing machine!

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BOM-day

It's the first Monday of the month, and that means it's Block of the Month Day!

After just about killing myself last month getting caught up on BOMs, I am determined not to get that far behind again! So this weekend, I made all the BOMs for which I already have the fabric.

First, the easiest one. It's the 2013 Patchwork Party block. This year, the blocks are laser-cut and ready to sew when they come in the mail. What a great idea!

This month's block is from Fabric Essentials:

Yes, the edges of the pieces look a little "singed." That's a result of the laser used to cut the fabric, but not to worry, it's all hidden in the seam.

Next up, the other two Patchwork Party blocks. The one on the left is from 2010 and the one on the right is from 2012. Both blocks are the same design, "Waring Square."

Both the 2010 and 2012 Patchwork Parties use Marti Michell's templates. One of the block parties at Ruth's Stitchery next year will also use Marti Michell's templates -- I can't wait to see what it is!

I have only one more block to make for my Amish With a Twist quilt. Here is "Hole in the Barn Door."

I decided I don't want to use black for the background -- too predictable! I saw a customer buy some lovely aubergine Northcott solid fabric at the shop the other day, maybe my background should be purple!

I'm plugging away at my 3D Patchwork Sampler blocks. I really should place my hand in the photo to show how small these blocks are! Each pinwheel finishes at 4"!

It takes the better part of a day to make one month's worth of these tiny blocks, but they are so worth it!

Last but not least, four more Farmer's Wife blocks:

Clockwise, from upper left, Block #95, Temperance Tree; Block #63, Ozark Maple Leaf; Block #53, Jackknife; and Block #24, Country Path.  Only four more blocks in this quilt, woo hoo!

Linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

I have quite a list of "Quilt To-Dos" for November. What's on your list this month?

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Scrap Basket Sunday

It's been awhile since I've dug through the scrap boxes on a Sunday.

Thanks to Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville, I spent an enjoyable afternoon digging through my scraps today looking for fabrics for Bonnie's next mystery quilt! Each autumn, Bonnie hosts a Mystery QAL  on her blog. I swore to myself I wouldn't start this year's scrappy mystery, as I have yet to complete last year's "Easy Street."

That was fine, until I saw the colors Bonnie has selected for this year!  All my favorites! Orange, yellow, green and blue. She's calling the quilt "Celtic Solstice."  Here are my fabrics for this project:

I think I was the first person at my local Lowe's picking through the Olympic paint chips. Here is Bonnie's photo of the paint chips:

Not surprisingly, I had enough of the blues and greens that I didn't need to buy any extra.

But I was short on orange, and I'm still not sure these are the best match to the color cards:

Bonnie recommends "shirtings" for the background. Hooray, I will have to shop for more of those!

Linking up to Kim's Big Quilting Adventure Scrap Basket Sunday.

The first clue for Celtic Solstice goes "live" on Friday, November 29. Good thing I don't shop that day, because I'll be busy cutting and sewing my "Celtic Solstice!"

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