A February Furtle

Joining up again with Archie, the Wonder Dog, for a February Furtle (I like the sound of that).

Thankfully the month of February is short because, weather-wise, it tends to bring on the doldrums. However much we need the snow pack for summer watering, this year has been a record breaker and we've had enough already! 

The Oquirrh Mountains from our backporch - day after snowstorm.

Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake - day after snowstorm.

The weather it seems, is an easy subject to go on about . . . but this post is focused on what came about in the furtling department for me. Truth be told, not much really!

I finished up the Quilty Hearts quilt (Emily Dennis from Quilty Love); just in time for Valentine's Day. I like how the front and binding turned out but am not a fan of the fabric on the back as it is just a tich off in color which really bugs me. I'm not sure yet if this quilt will be gifted anytime soon, so it's hanging on the quilt rack in the hallway where we can enjoy it every day.

Quilting is Curls and Hearts done by Michelle Jensen.

I showed it off at our Tooele County Quilters meeting on the 19th along with one of the blocks from the 2019 Block-of-the-Month pick, A Vintage Christmas Quilt book by Lori Holt. 

This was a fun little (6 inch) block to make and really tested my 1/4" seaming - and that is another story.

Back in July 2018, my granddaughter (in-law; my grandson's wife) asked if I might be able to salvage/restore a loved quilt that my grandson would not part with despite that fact that it was falling to pieces. Well, I tentatively agreed to take a look and in October she sent me photos of the poor, sad thing . . . 

Faded, holey, backing torn away - sad indeed.

In December she stuffed it in a box and sent it on to me for possible repair. I thought perhaps I could restore it and give it to my grandson for Christmas but that was not to be. My husband (bless his heart) helped me cut away the raggedy backing and binding and pick out the ties at each block's intersection and then I ironed it out as best I could.

The printed fabric is very faded and there are numerous holes.

Turns out, the quilt was made about 15 years ago by my grandson's aunt and given to her brother (my grandson's father) on the occasion of his second marriage. I'm not sure how my grandson came to have it but there is no doubt that it has been lovingly, or not, used. I worried over what to do with it and finally, in February, decided to try and take it apart and try and use the best pieces as a pieced backing on a new quilt. I managed to unpick one long side of blocks off and gave up after my hands started cramping! I had settled on a pattern that I'd purchased from GE Designs via Craftsy/Bluprint for the new top, picked a precut roll of 2-1/2" strips and required background, sashing, and cornerstone fabric. Once I had cut everything out and carefully labeled it I began to stitch the blocks together and this is where the struggle in getting an accurate 1/4" seam began. I made two sample blocks just to see if it would work out and discovered that even using the 1/4" setting on my sewing machine and going slowly, the what-was-supposed-to-be 12-1/2" block came out 11-1/2" instead! Ack! This did not make me happy, especially since I'd cut everything out to make the 20 blocks needed for the throw size top. 

The very cool pattern.

Fourteen usable blocks on the design wall - doesn't look too bad from this vantage point.

Long story short, I put the project aside and started organizing my craft/sewing area. All the while I was stressing over finding a solution to the 1/4" seam dilemma, reading tips from a variety of quilting geniuses, measuring and re-measuring, putting a tape guideline on my machine (which didn't work because it interfered with the bobbin case), ordering a 1/4" foot with guide, and even ordering a special straight sewing guide created by Christen at I See Stars Quilting. That, and a line drawn with a purple fine-line Sharpie on the bobbin case cover (in front of the foot and needle on my machine) seems to make a difference. The foot I got is plastic and the guide is a bit floppy which doesn't help at all. I've since ordered a metal foot with guide in the hopes it will be more sturdy. 

My grandson's birthday is this coming Sunday, and I wanted to have the new quilt with old quilt pieced backing done and posted to him in Arizona . . . umm . . . probably not going to happen. 

In late January I signed up for Amy Ellis's Seven Day Improv Quilting Challenge but didn't do anything with it until February. I spent two or three of my sewing sessions just playing around with the prompts that she'd sent in connection with the challenge. It was fun to play a bit and though I don't have any plans to pursue more improvisational work anytime soon, I do see some more play in the future. I have been doubly inspired by Jo with her lovely improv goodies from the January

 furtle.

My wonky improv attempts.

While making my almost daily cruise of Pinterest, I came across a quilt along that started February 15th over at the Fat Quarter Shop. Of course, I had to join in and by February 28th I'd made Block #1, the Ohio Star. This quilt along, Threadology, finishes up in June. I'm making use of the fat quarter bundle from Moda, Sunday Supper, that I've had in my stash for some time. I found some Kona cotton for the block backgrounds in a color that is so very close to the porcelain color in the collection. 

As of today, I've finished Blocks 2 (Nine-Patch) and 3 (Shooting Squares). So much fun and the 1/4" thing is getting better! Haha!

Referring back to a couple of my furtles from January, here are photos sent by grateful granddaughters:

Sweet great grandson reading in his super hero bean bag chair. 

Tiny dancer in her cushioned rocking chair.

Speaking of grandchildren, I have to brag a little on our grandson, Ty, who qualified for the RFD-TV The American rodeo semi-finals. His run was televised from Dallas, Texas, and I snapped these photos of the television. His parents flew to Dallas and had the thrill of watching him live.

I've been very busy reorganizing my craft/sewing space and will be posting about that this month as well as many other things, like a quilt for another great grandson who's having his 8th birthday in April. 

Looking forward to visiting with other February "furtlers."  Thanks again Helen and Mini Archie for this push back into the blogosphere!