Nutmeg Stars

I've shared some glimpses of my Nutmeg Stars quilt and it's finally quilted! I need to add a binding before it gets it's big reveal. But today I thought I'd share a long overdue post about how I changed the pattern for this one.

I made the quilt many years ago - probably when the pattern was first released - exactly like the one on the cover, fabric and all. Last year my friend Jamie was involved with a quilt auction to provide funding for ovarian cancer research at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. I lost my sister 3 years ago to ovarian cancer and I wanted to donate a quilt that I truly loved and would hopefully bring a good price. I donated my Nutmeg Stars, pictured here. Then I got a beautiful note from the woman who bought the quilt. She definitely loved it as much as I did. That's when I decided I needed to make another one - a special one for me.

And because I can't make the same quilt twice, I decided to change the setting a bit to a straight set. I thought the straight set could use a bigger block, and was able to draft it to a larger size. With full permission of the pattern designer, Joanna Figueroa, here's how you can make one too!

First you'll need the pattern, Nutmeg Stars from Fig Tree Quilts.

My block finished at 13 1/4" {unfinished 13 3/4"}

Refer to the cutting instructions in the pattern. For one block, add the following to the measurements to those indicated in the pattern:

Print for center: (A) add 1 1/4"

Print for star points: (B) 2 squares add 1/2"; (C) 8 squares add 3/8"

Background: (B) 2 squares add 1/2"; (C) 4 squares add 3/8"; (D) 4 squares add 1/2"; (E) 8 rectangles add 3/8" to the short side and 1/2" to the long side

Refer to the piecing direction in the pattern {note - the pattern makes 2 blocks at a time}. When you look at the block, you may think it looks pretty complicated. But it's actually super simple {love that!} For one block:

Follow the first step and make 4 units using the print and background triangles. It's just a simple hourglass unit...

The remaining units are made using the folded triangle method. I know you know how to do those!!

In the second step, make 1 unit using your background (C) pieces...

In the third step, make 8 units as pictured in the pattern with the (C) print squares.

Follow the block diagram to complete the block!

My quilt uses 1" finished sashing to set the quilt.

It's really a simple way to make what looks like a complicated block. Let me know if you try it!!

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Castle Cluck.

Last year, I made a promise to my granddaughters, who are now 8 and 9 years old.
I felt like I had missed so much time with them, because of my head injury/surgeries, etcetera, and I wanted to make it up to them.
I committed to raising chickens with them.


Can I just say that I will have to raise chickens for eggs, and maybe sell them door to door, for about ten years,  before this venture even begins to break even.
I could have bought a tractor trailer full of eggs.

But that's not what it's about, is it??

They arrived Monday.   26 little balls of fluff.  Half of them are going to my bff's house, when they are bigger, and half are residing here, at Castle Cluck.

 There are 5 barred rocks, 5 buff rocks, 5 buff orpingtons, 5 rhode island reds, and 6 araucanas.

But don't try to count them.  It's impossible.

Isn't it awesome to see green grass, and green leaves?
I am loving it.

Roy and I walk almost every day.  His favorite walk, and mine, is down by the river.

It is blissfully quiet there this time of year.
Summer, not so much. 

It is the best place to walk.  

I have been wicked busy this week, with the weaving weekend, then the chicks, babysitting the grandbaby, and it's not over yet.  I have two little girls that are "itching" to get to the studio to bond with their chicks.

Only problem is, they're not going to want to leave.

Spring and grandchildren and chicks.
My, my.

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A B C D E F G

I've finished my ABC quilt! And every time I worked on it, the Alphabet song played in my head. It really is such a catchy tune :-)

I love letters, so making this quilt was a really fun project for me. And {call me weird} I love punctuation too - so I had to add some of my favorite marks. Including my overused ellipsis...

My color scheme came from this adorable print from the Enchant line, which I included on the back...

The patterns for the letters are available from the Moda Spell It With Fabric blog hop. To get them, you'll need to go to each of the fabric designers' page to find the link to their letter pattern.

I'm hoping the Grandkids like this one!

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Starting again.

My first weaving weekend/bootcamp this year.   I was a little nervous, since the last one I did last year was made extremely difficult with a slamming headache.

But the stars were lined up, or something.  My head cooperated the whole weekend, and it was such a huge relief.

 I hosted two ladies from Massachusetts.

 

 It is always amazing to watch a student working through  the warping process, threading then sleying, beaming  on the warp.   Working hard, and concentrating, to get it just right.

And suddenly, it is done.  The loom is ready.  Time to weave.
I always love the looks of disbelief and amazement.

They both did a marvelous job.
Time flew by, as it always does on these weekends.

But of course, there was good food.
Weaving can make you hungry.

 It was a lovely weekend, and I was glad to be back at it.  It felt good.

Two happy weavers.  Lots accomplished.  Being hopeful is huge.

Thanks Barb and Pat, I had a wonderful time, and I hope you did, too.

Next weaving bootcamp June 21-23.  Email me at crazyasaloom@aol.com  or go to my website, www.crazyasaloom.com and click on Weaving Weekends.

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Layer Cake Sampler QAL

I've had so much fun quilting along with Amanda at Material Girl Quilts! I used Daydream by Kate Spain, a bright and colorful line, a bit of a departure from my usual colors.

Amazing that so many block designs can be created from half-square triangles...

I cut my layer cake squares down to 8" and made my half-sqaure triangle units 3 1/2", which resulted in a 12" finished block. With the leftover strips from the layer cakes, I made 4-patch sashing cornerstones for setting the blocks together.

Just need to get a backing and quilt it!

All the block patterns are available here at Material Girl Quilts. Thank you Amanda for a great QAL!!!

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WIP Wednesday

I feel like I've lost my blogging mojo lately! {actually I think Instagram has stolen it} I'm here today to reclaim it! And it's Wednesday so why not a WIP?

Hope you all had a nice Mother's Day. I filled mine with some of my favorite things! I added another block to my Gathering Flowers Quilt. Even better I got all the pieces cut out, which is a big accomplishment!

I love the pinwheel effect they create when the blocks are set together...

This time of year is prime garden time, and I love playing around in the dirt...

I even washed my bike this weekend - ready for Summer! Gotta love a bike sporting Liberty of London!

I started a Farmer's Wife...ish quilt last Fall and finally had some fun adding new 6" blocks. I'm not using the official book, but pulling blocks from several of my block design sources.

And here are two books I want to share with you. When I shared the Ira Glass video, one of you mentioned the book "Steal Like An Artist". I've enjoyed reading it and found it very applicable to quilters. It's a wonderful guide to creativity wrapped around this theme quoted from the inside flap: "Nothing is original, so embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, remix and reimagine to discover your own path".

My awesome daughter sent me "365 A Daily Creativity Journal" for Mother's Day. {She always finds the best stuff!} Every day there's a prompt for a creative activity. The book suggest you choose a theme and after thinking about it for a couple of days, I'm going with pattern. Not necessarily quilt patterns ~ we'll see what happens!

And here's my day one. Make something that fits in the palm of your hand using only materials in your immediate environment... {you may have noticed I had these little clothespins out for the block photo above}

Linking up to Lee today at Freshly Pieced.

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Full steam ahead.

Thanks Karen over at This Old House
 for telling us all about the phone app called Waterlogue.
It is my go to for treating boredom, you know the kind, waiting in a doctor's office, or whatever.  I try to take shots that I leave on my camera, just to have them to play with later.

This is an old dead flower out in the garden.

And this is the Waterlogue I made from it.

 After getting a lot of stuff done this past weekend, Lois and I finally got to tie up the Cranbrook.
For any of you who have struggled with a countermarche loom, do not despair. 
We hate that part of it.  H.A.T.E.
But we love weaving on the Cranbrook, once we finally get it operational.
So under the loom we go.  
Not an easy feat, like I told L, we aren't spring chickens anymore.
She just grumbled.

Anyway, we had the paper with the draft on it.  We tied the treadles to the botton lamms  where all the x's were, and we tied the treadles to all the upper lamms where the blank spaces were.

And glory be to the HEAVENS, with only one mistake, which we quickly fixed, it was UP and RUNNING.


L is playing with the first rug.....which is hard to see the pattern in  when you are sitting at the loom, but from just a little distance, you can see the rosepath design working.
I can't wait to try it.
And we put 30 yards on the loom, enough for a couple of our fave weaving friends to try it out, too.

 I am getting ready for a weaving weekend/bootcamp, so it's time to get the house in order.  We have a brand new Miele vacuum, which we have sorely needed.

And outside, it truly is spring.  Today I rototilled the garden at the studio, and it is just intoxicating to see fresh earth, and no snow in sight.

 I love the feeling of things getting done.  And while I can't do all the things I want in my "new normal",  as long as I can figure out ways to get them done,  I'm ok.
 I have given up trying to maintain the acre or so of lawn at the studio.  I hired my neighbor to take care of it, and what a freaking relief.   I resisted that for way too long.
I hired someone on Craigslist, someone who has actually worked for me before, to help me move all the construction debris off the porch.  A wise decision.

I still do what I can, and sometimes, I do too much.  But I learn, and I adjust, and then I can  spend more time doing what I am able to do.
And isn't that all we can do, anyway?

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