Winter Blues

Let’s get this new year started out with the quilt that moved me into my “monthly quilt series”.

When I first started quilting, I really needed a REASON to make a quilt….not like now when I will make one simply because I want to!!!

Our house didn’t have lots of wall space so hanging a bunch of wall hangings just wasn’t in the plans. So, I got to thinking about having one area (in the entryway) where I could hang a different quilt every month. You see what I did there…..I could make TWELVE quilts and still have a purpose for them!!!

And, to make it even more special, I wanted a surface underneath that I could decorate to match the quilt!! A friend of ours was a woodworker and he built this pie safe to match my specifications (mainly that it be tall enough that I could hang a 30-36 inch quilt above it)…..

But back to the quilt!!

One day I was drooling in my local quilt shop and saw this wonderful fabric….

I immediately thought of the term “Winter Blues” and the quilt seed was planted!! If I remember, the pattern came from one of the Trudie Hughes books about template free quilts (my introduction to rotary cutting).

I loved the way it looked……

The quilt was 34 inches square and I made it it 1994….over TWENTY FIVE years ago.

As my kids went thru school, I often did talks to classes about the art of quilting and this quilt was the one that I used to start my presentation. I would start by showing the various shapes of fabrics…..

…..and then show how these shapes were used to form the different blocks…..

…..and then I could show them a quilt that contained a four-patch…..

….flying geese…..

…..puss in the corner…..

….and square in a square……

The quilt is proudly displayed every January…..

….and makes a great start to the new year!!!

State of the Studio – 2020

Every year on December 31st, I stop and look back over the work that has happened (or not happened) in my studio during the year.

Although 2020 was tough in many respects and we suffered disappointments with trips and other events being cancelled, it was an amazing year for the Studio!!

First of all, it gained about 75% more space. The before and after photos say it all…..

Now I find it really hard to believe that I was able to create anything at all in the space that I had previously!!

And then came the addition of Julio……

He has really spiced up my quilting!!

I have had a bunch of finishes this year…..

I made two tops for charity quilts…..

Three tops for Quilts of Valor…..

….and lots of hours practicing quilting on various charity quilts..

I moved one quilt from the UFO bin to the trash can and haven’t thought twice about doing it!!!!

I have spent a LOT of time working with Ruler Quilting and am super happy with the advancements that I have made in my skill level…..

I shared my studio with several people during the year and had fun teaching Kaitlyn to quilt…..

I have designed two new quilts and almost have a pattern ready for one of those…..

Probably the biggest change in 2020 has been the establishment of my brand…..FrancesQuilts, complete with new logo….

I have published 248 Blog Posts, including daily posts since July 21st and have produced 28 instructional videos.

When I look back over the year, part of me feels that I should have completed more projects, but I am honestly proudest of the “FrancesQuilts” portion of the year. From comments that I have heard, I believe that I have been able to provide information, inspiration, assistance and encouragement to quilters around the world, and that is about as exciting as it gets!!

…..And there are lots more exciting things in the works for 2021. Come back tomorrow for those!!

So as we HAPPILY say goodbye to 2020, here’s wishing you a wonderful New Year’s Eve…..

A quilt finish….

A quilt was finished in my studio this past week and it was NOT mine!!

Back in the summer, my friend Kaitlynn asked if I would teach her to make a quilt. We made a great start before classes started again for her and then things slowed down to a crawl.

On Monday she came over with the intent to FINISH the quilt in time to use as a Christmas gift for her Mom. She spent 4 hours bent over the machine, with the free-motion quilting FLOWING out.

The effort worked and before she left, we had a wonderful photo of her WITH her new, finished quilt…..

But the best photo arrived on Christmas Eve…..

….the smiles say it all!!

Trees of a different kind

Since Christmas is upon us, here is a small quilt that I made many years ago for some wonderful friends……

Made entirely of scraps and miscellaneous tree patterns, it was so much fun to make and I am seriously considering making another one….maybe bigger with LOTS more tree designs!!

If I did two trees a month, I could have a GREAT quilt at the end…..hmmmm….something to think about….maybe even as a quilt-a-long????

It’s a mystery…..new clue!!

When I finished the October step in the Morewood Mystery I couldn’t wait for the November clue to come out. BUT, when it did, life was simply too busy to get it done! I did find time before the end of November, but just barely!!

Fortunately the steps were fairly easy and didn’t take too long.

First was to used some of our half-square triangles and the Irish-chain units to make this tulip-looking block….

They look pretty good all laid out although I have no idea what orientation they will be in the final project……

Some of my yellows lack a bit of contrast but I am hoping that those lighter colors will be attached to darker colors to help with the contrast.

The next step was to make a series of Half-Square-Triangle units. Thankfully I remembered the instructions about ironing these units prior to cutting them …..

Finished and pressed flat!!

Here are my November batch of HST’s……

I am super happy with these, especially with the sparkle that they provide!!

On to the December clue…..