Saturday, November 29, 2014

AC center field is complete!

All of the blocks are done (and one redone ;0) Inner border is added to the center medallion, all of the blocks are set into the corner sections and sewn onto the medallion. Yea! That completes the center field of my Amaretto Cottage! Great to take the day off and spend a lovely rainy day finishing one of my November goals and here it is...

This is the block that I changed yesterday
It was the very first block originally made with a light background
When I put it up on the design wall last week with the first layout
I wasn't happy with that light background fabric for corner blocks
First layout...
Second layout with the remade corner blocks
 ready to add to the center after
adding a medium tan border to the medallion 
and another shot of the center field finished!!!
Borders will be added, the same dark floral print that borders the medallion. Right now the center field measures 86 x 86. The center block, Missouri Star is 15", the blocks in the medallion are 6" and the blocks in the corner settings finish at 10".

Janie has all of her blocks completed as well and dropped them off last week. After the holiday we will put her blocks up on my design wall and start assembling her Amaretto Cottage. Pix soon :0) Her colors are completely different, the original fabrics by the designer, Marianne Elizabeth ~ Classically Home for RJR.

I would be happy dancing except this head cold from &%** still has a grip on me :0( Another rainy day YEA! and on to my next goal... Frozen quilts!... for the girls to be made for the next holiday... fast approaching! Yikes! Much to do. 

Spent a lovely day with Mom, Michael and our little Thanksgiving feast. Chris came, it was a wonderful day. Mom making a funny face at me. She is just so darn cute, especially for 99!

Enjoy your weekend
Groetjes, Jo



Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving Wishes

Fall Frolic, a fabric collection by Sandy Gervais for Moda
in a quilt made in 2008
My favorite flannel quilt to bring out for Fall evenings
with plans to curl up in this Thanksgiving weekend
following a nice dinner with family


Thanksgiving wishes for fellow quilters and bloggers
here in the states as well as everyone throughout the planet
 for a wonderful day with family and friends!
Groetjes, Jo

Saturday, November 22, 2014

'Tis the season

This pretty much sums up my week! 

Feeling much better, spent the day at the longarm getting caught up. 
As for Amaretto Cottage, unsewing the corner blocks was all I accomplished :0(

Loved the rain this week, that was an upside! Looking forward to a nice week with a little break to dry up the leaves and a day off tomorrow to work on my projects. 
Enjoy your weekend!
Groetjes, Jo

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Amaretto Cottage and 99

Yipee! 
Amaretto Cottage is up on the design wall :0) this evening!
This is the first layout with most of the 10 inch blocks laid out with the medallion center. A few more to finish, then add one more border to the center medallion before the outer blocks are added to finish the center field followed with at least 2 maybe 3 outer borders. One will be wide and the same dark floral print as the last border on the center medallion. Happy dancing to have this baby laid out! 
 
I had the nicest surprise this afternoon, flowers from my friend Pam!!! So nice! This morning I sent Pam pix of her Swoon quilt in progress on my longarm frame. Looking forward to getting the binding on and back into her arms to see in real life :0) 

What a wonderful day! 
We also celebrated my Mom's 99th birthday earlier this week.
 Wow 99 ! Happy Birthday Mom
Groetjes, Jo


Sunday, November 9, 2014

November's Goal ~ Amaretto Cottage and Frozen

Janie and I are on the last block for Amaretto Cottage!
Month/Block 9 ~ Nine Patch Star Variation
Not completely pieced and there are three more for a total of four of each block.
Nov. goal is to finish the last blocks and then start setting the blocks together! Yea!!!
A recap with pix below of each block, Amaretto Cottage is a block of the month from Marianne Elizabeth. My friend and customer, Janie purchased the BOM as a kit in 2012 with the original fabrics from Marianne in the Honey colorway. Gorgeous fabrics in mostly golds and purples. Janie asked if I would help her with her quilt. We started working together on it last year and now we are getting close to finishing the top! I decided to pull from my Civil War stash plus a few Thimbleberries to make the blocks myself, making it easier to help. Janie has done a fantastic job with her blocks, "perfection" I say even tho she never agrees with me, she is an excellent quilter! 

The first four went into the center and formed the medallion. HERE is a link to the blog post for Month 7 with both of our centers finished in September with borders. First blocks were 6" finished, Block 1 ~ English Ivy (corners), Block 2 ~ Cake Stand (8), Block 3 ~ Aunt Addie's Album (a challenge!) and the center is Missouri Puzzle which finishes at 15 3/4". 
Center blocks

The first month's block were the same block made in two sizes
6" that went into the corners of the center
and then four more in a 10" finished size.
All of the blocks will be set on point
Month/block 1 ~ English Ivy, the 10 inch block

We didn't follow all the months in order. Instead we would choose a difficult block followed by an 'easier' block just to break it up a bit. It was also nice to work at our own pace! 

Block 5 ~ Log Cabin (changed the fabrics)
There were 12 of these total. 8 regular and 4 that will be corners...
Block 5 ~ Log Cabin
Block 5 ~ Log Cabin corner block

Block 6 ~ Kansas Troubles

For both blocks 1 and 6 I pulled very light background fabrics because they will create a diagonal line into the corners of the quilt once all of the blocks are set. The rest of the blocks are darker.
Block 8 ~ Pinwheel Square
(Block 9 is pictured at the top)

Block 10 ~ Temple Court

Block 11 ~ Beginner's Delight

Month 12 will be cutting the setting triangles, the layout and joining the 10 inch blocks with the log cabin blocks and adding final borders. My goal for November is to finish the last blocks, get the center field of this quilt all together and ready for the borders. I am so looking forward to seeing how all the colors work out. We know Janie's will be gorgeous in the gold and purples. HERE is a link to a google image search for this quilt.

My second goal is to start 2 quilts intended as Christmas gifts for the girls. The focus fabrics are from Frozen with the two sisters which is perfect for two little sisters. Of course, they know all the words from the movie's songs and they both were Elsa for Halloween. This is my pull along with the purchased fabrics... the large pink Frozen fabric will be the backings.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Weather is gorgeous here in Nor Cal. 
Loving it, however California needs rain! 
Groetjes, Jo