Earth and Sky

My husband and I retired six months ago and relocated to Boise, Idaho.  We have spent the last several months getting settled and getting used to colder weather after enjoying nearly 17 years in Honolulu.

In the move, I left behind my quilting machine and frame that Scott built for me.  It went to the home of one of my quilting buddies.  I am hopeful that I will replace it with a mid/long-arm machine in the near future.  With the colder weather, it was very apparent that my own bed now needed it's own quilt!  So I got busy.

In October, I was able to take a class learning to use a Gammill quilting machine.  A local quilt store, Quilt Expressions, has 5 machines available for rent, but users have to take the class first. Quilt Expressions, by the way, was featured in the Spring/Summer 2013 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler magazine.  

My Christmas present to me was purchasing rental time on one of these machines.  

Several days ago, I got this one quilted, using one of the 26-inch Gammills.  I took advantage of the store's "valet" service where their staff loaded my quilt on the machine and set up the pantograph for me.  All I had to do was turn on the machine and start quilting.  This quilt  was about 102 inches square and took me about 4 hours to complete.

 

Things I learned: 

1) Don't stand too close to the back of the machine because my jeans zipper kept getting caught in the machine's carriage! 

2) Pay attention to the batting (got a wrinkle in it and couldn't take it apart to fix it.  Thankfully, it's not too bad.), 

3) Pay attention to the right direction. On the first row, I got mixed up and doubled back on part of it. It took me about 4 hours 

to pick out that part when I got home.

4) That machine is too darned big! Standing in the back of it, I could not hear the beeper telling me the bobbin was empty (4 times!!). And 

5) My feet hurt from standing that long! I'm too old or need better shoes.

In all, though, it was a fun day.  I had a terrific time and learned a great deal about the process. — 

Cogwheels

This is my most recent quilt, Cogwheels, and was a kit I found in Kalispel, Montana, last summer.  The dark centers and the stripes are a handpainted batik.  I gave it to my son's girlfriend, Jenna.

This is the last quilt I will be making for a time.  My husband and I have recently retired and are in the process of relocating to Idaho.  I have sold my Janome 1600 and the quilt frame my husband built.  It is going to a good home.  One of my quilting buddies, Laurie, is the proud new owner.  She has been part of the same group of quilters taking classes at the Calico Cat for the past several years.

It is my hope that once we get settled into our new home, I will upgrade to an 18" ABM Innova.  Santa says I've been a good girl this year, so we'll see.

Aloha!

Hole In The Wall

Several weeks ago, Sandy Corbin was back in town.  So our regular group took her class, Hole In The Wall by Eleanor Burns.  I had a bundle of fat quarters in Asian fabrics so this is the result.  I plan to gift it to another coworker, Elaine Jow, who is originally from Taiwan.

 
I have one more quilt to finish in the next couple of weeks. Then I plan to sell my quilting machine and frame and eventually upgrade to a longarm setup.

My husband retired a couple of months ago and I have only another 6 weeks before I also retire.  Our plans are to leave the islands and return to the mainland.  And we have 16 years of "stuff" to sort through and pack, list and sell the house, and buy a different one.  There are lots of changes just around the corner.

We have made so many good friends and had so many great experiences here.  I do not look forward to leaving Hawaii.  Part of my heart will always remain in the islands.

Kinetic Energy

Today, I finally finished the Kinetic Energy kit that was a gift from my Aunt Karen.  This one was fun to do.  Because the strips are different widths and different numbers of these strips, the hardest part was trying to figure out which strips to sew together in order to get strata that were between 8.5 and 10 inches wide.

 

This one is destined for a coworker of mine.  She is part of what we call the "Lunch Bunch," a group of us who often gather for lunch and celebrate birthdays, retirements, etc.  Colleen is the last one to get her quilt and has been anxiously waiting for it.  I hope she likes it!

 

Kinetic Energy

My Aunt Karen found this kit in a quilt store in Deer Lodge, Montana.  It's called "Kinetic Energy" and is a modified log cabin.  This one is in batiks and is in my favorite color, blue.  This pattern finishes a quilt that is 60" x 68" and takes about 270 strips of varying widths.  It took me 3 days to come up with a spreadsheet listing all the widths that would sew together 29 strata no less that 8.5 inches wide.  Drove me nuts!  But I think it turned out pretty well.

I had to take down my quilt frame to make room for the Christmas tree.  But as soon as the holidays were over, that frame went back up and I was happily quilting away when this happened:

I must have tried to sew through a really thick intersection that bent the needle.  It popped the little plastic stabilizer out of the presser foot and I quilted it into the quilt, not once, but twice!!!  So off to Ed, the repair guy.  He laughed and told me that was probably why this particular foot is no longer available.  There is another one that has a metal stabilizer. 

Now I need to hurry up and finish this quilt.  My friend, Colleen, is waiting for it!

Pineapple and Puzzle Box

I have been busy the last several months, but very lazy in posting to this blog.  This past week, I gifted both the Pineapple and Puzzle Box quilts to two very special friends of mine, Debbie Oyadomori and Val Takata.  Judging from the smiles on their faces, I think they liked them!

Hexagons

Several months ago, I attended a monthly meeting of the Hawaii Quilt Guild and they had a tutorial on these little hexagons.  Instead of working on my Hawaiian Applique', I've taken a short detour and have been playing with these.  The finished "flowers" are only 4 inches across.  A quilt would take a kabillion of these hex's.  Dunno if I'll get that far, but it's something to do to keep my hands busy.

Pineapple Paper Piecing

My second paper piecing project is the pineapple.  I got it on the frame and nearly halfway quilted when my machine starting giving me fits with the top thread breaking every few inches.  I tried everything -- changed the needle, tried different threads,  futzed with the tension, cleaned, oiled the machine.  After several weeks, I gave up and took it in to the shop.  Seems I've been so hard on the machine, it just needed a tune up.  Works like a charm now!  Next time, I won't wait so long or get so frustrated.

Cogwheels

I have not been quilting very much over the summer.  On a trip to the mainland in August, my aunt, uncle, and I took a day trip into Glacier National Park.  It was beautiful weather and we had a wonderful time.  On the way back, we stopped in at The Quilt Gallery in Kalispell, Montana.  I found a fun quilt kit, Cogwheels.  It's a fun, easy one to do and will make a nice Christmas gift.

Blue Hawaiian Quilt

I've added this one to my wish list.  I'm not sure I can create a bed-size Hawaiian quilt using the traditional methods.  But I saw this one and it looks more manageable.  Will have to think on this some more....

Now to find the time....

Catching Up

It's been awhile since I've posted and my quilting has taken a back seat.  I did finish the Dresden Fan below.  It was the first paper piecing project I've done and I had a good time doing it.

My second paper piecing project is the pineapple.  I got it on the frame and nearly halfway quilted when my machine starting giving me fits with the top thread breaking every few inches.  I tried everything -- changed the needle, tried different threads,  futzed with the tension, cleaned, oiled the machine.  After several weeks, I gave up and took it in to the shop.  Seems I've been so hard on the machine, it just needed a tune up.  Works like a charm now!  Next time, I won't wait so long or get so frustrated.

Our eldest son, Bryan (the one on the left), has quit the only job he's ever had (since he was 14) and decided to return to school.  Yay!  However, he decided to go to the mainland and we have spent the last couple of months getting him ready to go, shipping his truck and his belongings.  He left last week and I am missing him something fierce!

The day he left, however, was a little unusual.  He went down to Waikiki where one of his best friends is a tattoo artist and he had to get one before he left.  BUT he talked me into going with him.  And I came home with a little one, too.  I think he expected me to wimp out.  Hah!  I'm a mom to two boys.  Can't be wimpy!

In the middle of getting Bryan ready to go, I lost my mom.  She had been in a care facility on the mainland for the past 5 years.  She had suffered a stroke and, thanks to my sister calling me in time, I was able to fly home to see her and tell her I loved her.  I would like to think she knew I was there as well as 3 of my 4 sisters.  She peacefully passed away the day after I returned to the islands.  The little honu in my tattoo is in memory of her.

Several months ago, I attended a monthly meeting of the Hawaii Quilt Guild and they had a tutorial on these little hexagons.  Instead of working on my Hawaiian Applique', I've taken a short detour and have been playing with these.  The finished "flowers" are only 4 inches across.  A quilt would take a kabillion of these hex's.  Dunno if I'll get that far, but it's something to do to keep my hands busy.

AND for the second time in probably 8 years, my one and only orchid plant blossomed!!!  I guess benign neglect really works.

There!  Now I think we're all caught up.

Puzzle Box

A group of coworkers and I call ourselves "the lunch bunch" for obvious reasons.  I've lived in the islands for 15 years this month and soon after my arrival was included in this group.  These ladies, as well as many others,  went out of their way to make me feel welcome and for that alone, I owe them and can never adequately repay.  It's this feeling of aloha that is so pervasive in this culture.  It's hard to describe it exactly but it just...is.

As a way to try to repay their kindness, I started making quilts and giving them as gifts along with my love and aloha.  Now it's become a guessing game to see who gets the next one.  Yesterday was another one of those days.  A surprise birthday party was held for one of the "lunch bunch."  And she got her quilt.

This is a Puzzle Box and the floral print was an Asian fabric so it had gold in it.

Happy Birthday, Julie!  I hope you enjoy your quilt!

Olive

My son's best friend, Adam, became a first-time father the other day.  We have been anxiously waiting for this beautiful little girl to arrive.  My son, Bryan, asked that I make a "girlie" quilt that had to be all pink and this is the result.

Adam has always called me "Mama Dos" (Mom #2) so now I am an honorary grandma and Bryan is an honorary uncle.  Olive (actually Olivia) was born in the Year of the Dragon.

Here she is less than 24 hours old.  I think Bryan was a little scared of her at first, but it looks like she just fits.

Hand Quilting

Several weeks ago, I took a hand quilting class focusing on consistent stitches.  I think this pillow cover turned out pretty well.

The pattern was drawn on muslin using a Pilot Frixion ballpoint pen.  On the pen, it says "remove by friction" and is being advertised as an erasable gel pen.  However, on fabric, ironing the finished piece will remove traces of the ink.  Worked great!

Now, back to work on the turtles......

Turtles

I know I'm supposed to be getting ready for the holidays and I have a kabillion things to do.  But I've gotten sidetracked on a new project (of course!)  

It's another Hawaiian Applique', but it's a little different from what I've done in the past.  It uses two fabrics where the applique' fabric is laid on top of the background and the unneeded parts are cut away as I appliqué' thus exposing the background.  The pattern says it is designed for machine, raw-edge, or hand appliqué.

It's called "Herd of Turtles" and is created by Nancy Lee Chong of Pacific Rim Quilt Company.  At the same time, I got several spools of their Aurefil 50 wt cotton thread that is an absolute dream to appliqué with.  

And this one is my first using batik fabrics which made me a little nervous, but seems to be working out ok.

The rest of my Christmas shopping can wait until tomorrow.

Orchids Finally Finished!

I've been working on this Hawaiian Applique' off and on since May.  It's a wallhanging and  finished at 42" square.

I gifted it to a senior officer I work with.  He's been greatly supportive of my quilting, but, in a good natured way, always commented that I should be making him a Hawaiian quilt never once thinking I would actually do it!  At any rate, he was stunned when I gave it to him but he loved it.  Sometimes giving them away is the best part of making projects like these.

 I'm slowly getting better at consistent stitches and the points on the appliqué'.  But I have LOTS of work to do to improve the "valleys".

Now I have to find another project to do!

Pineapple

Of course, I had to take Sandy's other foundation piecing class, Pinapple blocks.  I think I like this method of piecing!  Here's some of our results today:

It was a long day and I'm tired!  (Actually, I think we all look tired.)

Dresden Fans

Sandy Corbin was vacationing on Oahu as she and her husband do twice a year.  She always takes time out from waterskiing to teach several quilting classes.  She is great fun and we thoroughly enjoy her.  Last weekend, I attended her Dresden Fan foundation piecing class and had a great time.  Here's one block:

One of the other students, Donna, took three of us (Sandy, Carol, and me) to the monthly Hawaii Quilt Guild meeting.

Orchids

I've been working hard on this Hawaiian Applique'.  I have the echo quilting around the border left to do and the binding.  This one is a wallhanging approximately 42 inches square.  I love doing this type of handquilting.  I just wish my stitches were more consistent!

When I get this one finished, there's about 3 other Hawaiian Applique' projects waiting to be stitched.  My aunt and I had a great time choosing batik fabrics for appliqué' when we visited Kapaia Stitchery in Lihue, Kauai, this summer.  Wonderful store!!