Adventurers' Return

Kirsten and I have been off camping with C and P (and Ebony, the kitty) in their amazing RV.  We went up to Lafferty Campground for a couple of days of relaxation.  Then we left there and drove over to Brownlee Reservoir, where we stayed at Woodhead Park.  We had so much fun hiking and picking sun flowers.

We enjoyed climbing on the rocks at the reservoir's edge; they were exposed when the water level went down.  The beach there is very rocky.  We had grilled hot dogs and chili and other yummy camp stuff.

In this photo you can see the RV on the hill behind us.

It is major alright to have a nice RV to collapse in after a busy day outside at the reservoir.

Sewing While Kirsten and Jane are Off Camping Somewhere

Greetings!  Astrid here.  Jane and Kirsten have gone camping with friends C & P.  While they are gone, I am making a pair of overalls for Jane.  I already made a pair for Kirsten, and she said they were perfect for camping.  I have altered my overalls pattern a little bit, so the Jane overalls will look a little different from Kirsten's.  I am using the same mauve denim on both pairs, just different linings and accents.  

This is how Jane's overalls look so far.  I hand-sewed the heart on the front.  To make a heart, you just cut two identical heart shapes, then sew them together with right sides facing.  Then pull the front and back apart with your fingers and snip, with your scissors, a little slit, on the side you do not want facing out.  Then, you pull the heart right-side-out, through the slit and press.  Oh yeah, clip those curves before you turn the shape right-side-out.  You have a heart.  I decided not to machine sew it on, as it would look tacky, so I hand sewed it.  This pair is fully lined, so I cut two sets of every piece, one set from the mauve, and another set from the plaid lining.   I don't know if I will have them done, by the time Jane and Kirsten return.  I think they will be cute!  

Once they are complete, I will post instructions.  I have to muddle my way through and get the lining part correct, before I go posting instructions.  Smile!

Astrid Completes Her Hachi Quilt

Astrid worked very hard on her Hachi quilt.  She used mostly Japanese fabrics and her favorite fabric from South Korea (the big flower print with green background).  

She included unexpected visitors, and she did not back-stitch on her stitch-in-the-ditch, but left long threads at the beginnings and ends, so she could tie knots in each thread and pull it inside the quilt.  She said, "it took forever!"  She really wants it to be perfect.  

She also read about the tailor's clapper, and how to make the Japanese binding, which is called "end-cap facings."  That is why it appears to have no binding.  The joining of the front and back is on the exact edge of the quilt.  She did not have a clapper, so she used the handle of one of our hardwood cooking spatulas.  Astrid thinks that did the job, but when she gets her clapper, in the mail, she is going to press the edges again.

Kirsten Enjoys "The Fair"

Greetings!  We just got back from The Fair.  It was so exciting!  I won a first-place ribbon on my "Escape to the Country" quilt.

I posed, while C took my photograph.  Then we looked at all the other quilts and sat and talked with a lady that was spinning wool into yarn.  

This quilt by Ms. Griffin, is one of my favorites.

This is another of my favorites. It is by Ms. Mosley and has hand-quilting and a beaver-rabbit!

Just chillin' in the Home Arts Department, on a Thursday night.

Kuna Days Parade 2023

This is the third time we have been in the Kuna Days Parade.  We get invited by the Piecemakers of Idaho to join them, when they do the parade.  It is so much fun waving at everyone.  We were between Idaho Central Credit Union and the Challenger Chicks, this year.  

The theme, this year, is "Out of This World", so there were lots of space aliens about today.  We just had out-of-this-world quilts!

It was so much fun to see all the people involved in the parade and how they decorated, and to see all the people who came to watch the parade.  Everybody had a fun time.  What a great way to spend a Saturday morning in August.

Using My Japanese Fabrics

Hi! Astrid here.  Jane invited me over to see her amazing Hachi quilt.  I love it!  So, I have borrowed her book, and I am in the process of making my own.  I dragged out all my Japanese fabrics and picked the pink sushi-panda fabric, a large floral, and the Mt Fuji with polar bears fabric.  C gave me some fabric to use as the unexpected visitor.  I am still messing about with the layout, on my design wall.  It needs tweaking, before I sew my blocks to one another.

The final version will have 30 blocks in it.  At this point, I am not liking how the pink is put up here.  Too much pink?  Not spread around enough?  I will play with it some more, then move on to making the backing and the quilt sandwich.  I love sandwiches!

Hachi Quilting Is a Japanese Form of Design and Creativity

Astrid and I have been reading about Hachi quilts.  We are each making one.  Of course, Astrid has this big collection of Japanese and Korean fabrics.  I shopped in her stash, and I picked out a Japanese fabric with parasols in maroon, green, and gold.  Astrid also contributed my background fabric, which is not a solid, but is white with light green paisley, which acts like a solid in my composition.

I really enjoyed making this quilt.  I quilted it myself, using the stitch-in-the-ditch method.  The book we used for guidance is called East-Meets-West Quilts, by Patricia Belyea.  I have decided my next Jane's January Tutorial is going to be about Hachi quilts.  Of course, you do not have to use Japanese fabrics.  You can use any large print fabric and pair it with a solid.  Our friend, C, has bold garish fabrics that look amazing in Hachi quilts.  I think pairing them up with solids, is what really makes these quilts pop.