Tuesday, August 6, 2019

SIL Quilt Begins

My SIL requested a “farmhouse quilt”... several years ago now so I'm only a few years overdue. I had to ask her to explain since I’d never heard the term and had no idea what it meant. Turns out it’s a casual, countrified, blue-and-white quilt.

Lacking many blues in the shades she prefers, a shopping trip was in order. What fun to spend an afternoon at a quilt shop with SIL. And boy, is she serious about blue and white! Upon returning home I went through my stash for a few more fabrics to add a bit more variety.

The stars pieces are all cut. The split Variable Star reminds me of the split Nine Patch. They both accentuate light and dark furrows when sewn. But the pressing is a pain. There is no way I’ve found to have all the seams flat. So a few will be opened. Not my favorite choice.

Here’s where the project stands today.

The first three blocks in a variety of blue and white prints laid out on the design wall
Split Ohio Star quilt blocks

We drove over Slumgullion Pass the weekend. Don't you love that name? It's been raining a bit almost every day adding so many beautiful shades of green; not as common this late in summer.

A green pasture with hills in the distance and heavy clouds.
On the road to Slumgullion Pass

Many herds grazed along the way: Deer in velvet in the middle distance;

The deer are feeding in a meadow near Slumgullion Pass in Colorado.
Deer in velvet
A moose with her calf closer to the roadway;

The female and her calf feed near the road to Slumgullion Pass in Colorado.
Moose and calf
But elk kept their distance. No good shots of those.

Last month I dusted and polished the bookshelves, then organizing a shelf of all the books I have yet to read. Do you buy books that sound interesting and then fail to ever read them? I never thought that was a habit of mine but half of a shelf is laughing at me. The plan is to read or donate them within the year - sort of like turning the hangers backwards and donating unworn clothes after a year. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World was the first finish, a very intriguing look at the Mongals who brought so many innovations to the world.

Enjoy the day, Ann

26 comments:

patty a. said...

The star blocks are very pretty! I can see how those are a pain though. Did your SIL pick the star block too? I do like blue and white quilts too. I sure hope you are putting a one piece alternating block between them or is sashing in the future?

Nann said...

What a nice variation for a traditional block! I imagine you have to check yourself every so often to be sure the orientation of light/dark is correct. I don't buy books that I don't read but I certainly acquire them in the form of ARCs (advance reader copies) from library conferences. My excuse to get so many is that I make patchwork tote bags and fill them with ARCs for community fundraisers.

LA Paylor said...

the deer and the moose mama shots are so good! I like seeing Mama teach the baby. I'd never heard the term farmhouse quilt but I quite like it in the blues and that pattern. It's sharp, and graphic, but still very interesting with the different blues. It's going to be a beautiful quilt. Rain daily for CA is a good thing, we have chance of rain daily, and often it rains. That surprised me. People say it's not "normal"
LeeAnna

Holly said...

I love the pictures of the scenery and wildlife--such a beautiful area. They made a nice start to my day.

audrey said...

Wonderful to get in some sightseeing days! We live in a beautiful country for sure. You are an awesome SIL to make a quilt special like that. I'm sure it will very much appreciated.:) So glad to see the scrappy element as I know you'll enjoy that part!

Cathy said...

Oh...I like the country quilt idea and especially like how you have mixed the blues and creams in the blocks. Now if someone asks me about a country quilt I'll know what they are talking about.

I have a pile of books like that too but usually end up reading on my old kindle. I need to follow your lead and pick up one from the pile next to my bed and start reading. Most are not light reading and along the line of Irish histories. They are interesting but put me to sleep after a few pages.

Slumgullion...my husband's family always made a leftover ham/potato/carrot stew they called Slumgullion. That's the first time I ever heard the term. I'll have to tell them about Slumgullion pass now.

Janie said...

Blue and white split Ohio Star quilt blocks, classic. They'll make up a beautiful farm house quilt.
And yes, the afternoon at the quilt shop, what fun!
Thanks for sharing your amazing photos, looks relaxing and remote.

Quiltdivajulie said...

I have a large stack of books that have been given to me or I have picked up here and there (all non-quilting) -- I have sworn off adding any more to the pile until more of these are read and passed on via our son and DIL's little free library. Instead of surfing the web, I plan to read more.

Robin said...

What a beautiful drive. We need to get away and see some of nature's wonders like you did. I'm feeling house bound. You should have had a shout-out for blue and white fabric. I would have gladly shared some of mine. The books I've bought and haven't read are all on my kindle. They aren't taking up physical space but they need to be read.

KaHolly said...

Loving that classic blue and white quilt. It’ll be a beauty when completed. So, you just whipped up a shirt dress......in my dreams! I’m envious of your capabilities. That’s some gorgeous country you’ve been experiencing. Nature is won-won-wonderful!

Mystic Quilter said...

Beautiful scenery on your drive Ann, love the animal photos. Liking your split Variable Stars, are they 12" or larger?
Oh boy am I with you on the subject of unread books!!! My eyes always seem to go straight away to these waiting books but I think I may have more than your half a shelf!!

cspoonquilt said...

How nice you are to make your SIL a quilt! The blocks look great. I like the dark and light separation it will add a lot of interest to the quilt. Great travel pix! How did you get so close to the mama moose, zoom lens?!

Ann said...

Thanks, Patty. Yes, SIL chose stars although not these exact ones. And I'm adding an alternate block later.

Ann said...

I lay each block out before sewing and must still check along the way. I hope to have all these read within the year and then will stop buying more until the previous one is read. I pass these along to family and friends. Perhaps I'd read faster if I had a time limit like your fundraisers.

Ann said...

We were lucky to see them munching by the road. The rain was in Colorado... which is not normal as all those people are saying.
I like these blue and white fabrics, too.

Ann said...

I'm glad you liked them, Holly.

Ann said...

We are fortunate to have the time and health to sightsee. It's always a treat to notice herds grazing.
I'm glad she wants a scrappy quilt and I'm having fun, albeit slowly, with it.

Ann said...

Isn't it interesting to hear how non-quilters name quilts?
There are several unread ebooks here, too, but they get finished while flying. Many of these hardbacks are non-fiction. As with yours, not light reading and they can put me to sleep quickly at night. I'm trying to carve some time out in the morning over coffee.
I've heard of slumgullion as a stew but never tasted it. I suppose the Colorado miners named it for their favorite meal.

Ann said...

Blue and white makes a beautiful quilt. I think it will look good and be very useful.
I certainly relaxed during this vacation. Everyone else did the hard stuff. Ha.

Ann said...

A little free library makes a clever way to move the books you've finished. That's a storage cabinet in the front yard, right? And yes, I'm substituting reading for the news. It helps me to read in the morning while drinking coffee.

Ann said...

DH and my family have been pushing me to get out again. And they are doing most of the heavy work. It seems like I'm just along for the ride... not that I'm complaining. My stamina is increasing from their efforts.
I get more of my ebooks read because they work so well for flights. But now I'm working through these hard covers. They are quite good; I've just been lazy.

Ann said...

Blue and white is classic. I'm not sure why I haven't made more of them.
I've been planning /threatening to sew again for several years so I wouldn't say this just got whipped up. But it is certainly easier and faster than making a quilt. Now that I have the pattern set I hope to make another... hopefully before the end of the year.

Ann said...

I'd love to see New Zealand's scenery. It's always gorgeous in the photos I see. But we have some wide open spaces in the US and we love to see it, too.
The unread books are all top notch; I've just been too slothful and now there is quite a pile. It helps to see the shelf empty... slowly.

Ann said...

I am fortunate to have the kindest SIL. And she really likes quilts. Yay. A place to gift some. You know we quilters make more than we can use ourselves.
The moose were right by the two-lane highway but I also zoomed in a bit. We did NOT leave the vehicle.

Mary Marcotte said...

You are enjoying California, and so am I. We definitely want to go eventually, and I'll keep that train museum in mind. We've wanted to ride an old steam engine train for some time now, and Richard is a huge fan of "The Virginian." It would be a wonderful surprise.
The blue and white quilt is beautiful. It's going to be perfect for your SIL. Really, "farmhouse" does seem to be a fitting term for the pattern and the colors.

Ann said...

There are many railroad trains similar to this in CA including a huge museum in Sacramento. But this one also has a "be an engineer for a day" program if you sign up early. Many of them have a "cab ride" that is extra from the passenger ride. Just something Richard might enjoy. See their website for more information.