The Summer Quilting Project featuring GRUNGE

It is just too darn hot to sit evening with a quilt on my lap and stitch.  But stitch I must.  So…. I love grunge fabrics a lot. And I have a handful of colors, thanks to the terrific stock of grunge at Sew Modern in Arlington Heights.  I’m cutting width of fabrics ranging from 8” to 12” wide.  Using scraps of leftover wool batting and whatever low volume fabrics for backing, I’ve pin-basted and cane easily hold this small amount on my lap.  Once all the fringe pieces are quilted, I’ll connect them using a common quilt-as-you-go technique.  That design will take shape once all bits are quilties.  What will it be?  How big will it be?  Great questions.  And I don’t know! 

For Carol

 Carol and I met in grad school at Chicago State in 1974.  We were both graduates of religious colleges and landed jobs with the Chicago Board of Education as high school English teachers.  While I was at Farragut and Englewood, she was at Morgan Park.  By a stroke of luck and some racial integration, we both were at Hyde Park High during the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s.  When I left for Kennedy HS, she returned to Morgan Park, and these are the school we retired from in 2005.

My friend Carol is sick. She has acute myeloid leukemia. Chemotherapy hasn’t been successful.  So she now lives with a low white count and blood transfusions almost weekly.  She started treatment at the University of Chicago, but now uses Little Company of Mary for her blood testing and transfusions.  And Carol, above all, is a people person.  Predictably, she is a favorite of the nurses there. Little Company recognizes outstanding employees with monthly Daisy Awards. Carol asked if I would make a Daisy wall hanging.  This is about 21” x 31”. 

Of course there must be a label.  But it is hard to imagine anyone walking by this piece and looking at the label.  So I put the label, with Carol’s words, on the front. 

I was with Carol at Little Company when she gathered the nurses and presented it to them.  It was a joy to see how pleased they were with this gift and how happy Carol was to present it to them.  One nurse even got all teary.  And that’s every quilter’s goal, right?  Tears! 

Carol is a woman of strong faith.  Her friends are deep and many.  Her family is precious to her.  She is facing what’s ahead with grace and mental strength. She has spent a lifetime giving to others.  And now she’s on the receiving end.   No matter how she receives from her cadre of carers, it will never be as much as she’s given over the years. She’s a remarkable woman whom I love. 

For Ali

   

This quilt is good, isn’t it?  It’s now in my sister’s  guest room in Ann Arbor.  I loved making this quilt mostly because I love these fabrics from designer e bond.  Since I still had more of these fabulous prints, I continued to sew.  And I came up with this.

This top has been complete for over a year.   I thought I would have it longarmed, but longarming is too expensive, especially for a quilt with no destination.   So I hit my bolt of Warm and Natural for batting and searched through my stash for backing.  Once all was pin basted, I started hand quilting it.  My niece Ali was in town a few weeks ago and saw this.  She loves it!  It’s hers!  So happy that this quilt has found its owner.  Ali is moving from Indiana to California.  And this quilt loves taking road trips. Happy trails, Ali! 

Long Distance Quilt Delivery

We’ve been incredibly lucky to have our grandchildren grow up close to us.  But things do change.  Grandson Brandon now lives in Atlanta with his mom.  I’m glad he’s there, but we obviously miss him.  He painted his bedroom some lovely shades of green with burgundy accents.  I’ve made him quilts before, and of course had to make one celebrating this move.  

I went to the fabric store with his paint chips and put together a bundle of fabrics.  As I was checking out, the woman asked if I was working on Christmas projects.  And did that ever throw me off.  Christmas?  No!! Wise quilt buddy Sarah S suggested adding navy into the mix.  And was she ever right! As I worked on the quilt, I had to switch from the design wall to the design floor.  Although. It exactly an improv project, I had to see and keep track of what I was doing as I segued from one color to another.  Once the top was finished, I used the dining room floor to lay out the backing and batting.  And then I began to hand quilt like crazy, trying to finish it for an ore-Easter drive to Atlanta.  You’ve heard of day drinking?  For me I was day hand quilting, an activity normally for evenings. And since I now know how to make pillow cases, Brandon got two pillowcases as well! 

It was gratifying to see how nicely this quilt looks in Brandon’s room, and even more gratifying that he announced he well he slept and how nice it feels.  His mom is going to wash it and get it even more puckery and textured.  This quilt was an immensely fun and satisfying project! 

Generations and Talents

 I have always loved books that span generations.  And here I am, part of the oldest generation and able to see three generations after me.  I was so lucky to have a mother who sewed and encouraged me to use her machine, which I still have - a 1948 Singer Featherweight.  So I have always sewn.  I took that machine to college with me.  My sister knows how to sew, but it’s just not her thing.  When my brothers and sister had children, I then had 5 nieces who were all pretty close in age.  When the girls were in junior high and high school, I invited them for summer quilt camps.  With the help of the good quilting fairies (my mom and my two sisters-in-law), the girls made quilts with me for four summers.  Well, almost all the girls.  Niece Jennifer politely declined to be a part of these quilt camps.  

Ali was so little her foot almost didn’t reach the pedal. Ah, the look on their faces.

Candace, who is now a Lt. Col in the Marines took her sewing very seriously.  So did Laura, who now has five children, and Leslie (with her braids), a wedding and makeup artist. 

One summer Laura had an Irish exchange student at the house, and Lauren joined in!  

But let me get back to generations.  Niece Jen, the nonquilter, is a dancer and instructs all the things - dance, Pilates, choreography.  Her talent is movement and not fiber.  Which is okay, right?  But her daughter Eloise has discovered her talent at creating. Look what she just completed!

And best of all, she liked finger knitting.  I asked Elo and her grandmother, my sister, for a demo of how finger knitting is done…

I feel so connected to my grandmother Eloise Sheehan White, and I love that four generations later great niece Eloise is carrying on a tradition in fiber that may have skipped her mom! I am so impressed with Elo’s finger knitting that I’ve decided I want to try it, too.  My mom was a great knitter, and she led me through some projects at which I failed - perhaps it’s a left-handed thing. But if great niece Eloise can do this, perhaps I can too!  

A Tote Bag for a Giantess

QuiltCon 2025 has come and gone.  Many of my quilty buddies went to Phoenix. And before you feel sorry for me that I didn’t go, I made a conscious decision to not go.  My current life’s rhythm has changed.   The ones I attended were heaven on earth.  And this year I am watching several of the lectures on line.  Best of all, quilty Holly - with assistance from Sarah S and Eileen - shopped for me.  There’s a terrific piece of fabric from Sarah Bond.  And some very pretty zippers and strapping for handles.

These are the best purse zippers - look at the double zipper pulls.  And the colors!  AND they are 30”.  Think about the top of a bag you carry that has a zipper.  I bet it is 14” long, maybe 16”.  It’s really a challenge to use a 30” zipper!  

And you know I buy zipper tape by the yard, right?  Look below. So many colors.  So many zipper pulls.  The last bag I made was Sara Lawson’s Dot Dash Dot bag - it had SIX zippers.  But this current challenge was how to use a beautiful 30” zipper.

I took a pile of my favorite current scraps and made a panel that is 32” x 22.” And of course I had to make a back panel.

This bag is perfect for carrying a quilt.  Or a pillow.  Or maybe both.  The bottom of the bag has boxed corners.  And the top corners are slightly boxed.  Look at the zipper! And the finished product.  Such a fun way to play! 

Brandon’s Quilt

It’s a definite work in process. Grandson Brandon moved to Atlanta with his mom.  They painted his bedroom green and burgundy and sent me the paint chips,  so I found these great fabrics, a lot of grunge.  As I was checking out, the woman said, “Christmas?” Oy.  Wise friend Sarah Shulman suggested incorporating some navy.  Perfect! I’m hand quilting this, and it’s a big one.  When it’s finished, like maybe in 3 weeks, we’ll head to Atlanta.  There are a couple of exhibit at the quilt museum in Paducah. As Chaucer wisely observed, spring makes people want to go on pilgrimages! 

A Dozen Sew Powerful Purses for March

 I am trying to be more consistent with my Sew Powerful purses efforts.  One dozen a month seems a doable goal.  And although it’s early days in 2025, so far so good.  The March purses will be shipped along with 13 purses from February.  And my new project is Brandon’s quilt.  I have finally figured out what I want to do! So tomorrow I will pack up these purses and go to UPS.  And then?  I’m putting all purse makings away and getting busy! (And yes! three of these purses are from Cecilia’s drapes.)

More from Cecilia’s drapes…

 Former Hyde Park High School student Bridgette, she who conducts monthly physical challenges and keeps me honest with my workouts, said she is ready for a new travel bag and even knew exactly she wants. Here are two I made her almost 10 years ago.  And she wants the exact style, the Dot Dash Dot  Bag from Sara Lawson Sew Sweetness. So I dug out the pattern and sent Bridgette fabric possibilities.  Out of all the fabrics, she chose the curtain fabric.   

Despite the thickness of this brocade (not sure if that’s what it really is), it is sewing up nicely.  My one modification is that I can’t make the strap adjustable - fabric is just too thick. But I did ask Bridgette to measure the length of her preferred strap.  And presto!  here’s the bag,,,

The one side has three zippered compartments with two additional little corner pockets.  Thee is also a zippered closure at the top.  The bag is about 14” wide, 18” tall, and 6”.  This is a fun pattern, and even though I have no need for a travel bag, I might just have to make another.  But not before I do Brandon’s quilt! 

Purses and Plans

In January I made a commitment to make 12 Sew Powerful purses a month.  And here are mine for February.   Notice the top row, 2nd one. I’m used the curtain material for the flap and strap,  I think I’ll do more next month.  And just as I was finishing these, a flap of friendship arrived from Shannon Greene in Oklahoma.  A perfect baker’s dozen! 

Meanwhile, my guild has started three new bees.  I loved participating in the last one when I made The Piano Tuner’s Daughter quilt.  I am using this new bee to repeat this project.  Here is the first quilt, and here are the forks for this project.   I can’t wait to see what my guild mates create.  

Former student Bridgette, the retired Marine who keeps me and several others working out daily, says she’s ready for a new bag.  And she wants a Dot Dash Dot bag.  I made several almost 10 years ago, so it will be fun revisiting this pattern.  And she has chosen the drapery material.  I think this will work.  Despite my vow to not start another project until I do grandson Brandon’s quilt, I just gotta make this bag first!