Harley-Davidson quilt

Our good friend has a birthday coming up and he loves his Harley. Wanting to make him a quilt I searched the internet and found "Official" Harley fabrics to order. There isn't much cotton fabric out there and it is expensive. I ordered 4 different types to use in the quilt.

This is the pattern I chose. It will be a large lap quilt almost twin size.

My daughter's helping me, I cut and iron while she sews. We've done this on many quilts, it goes fast and gives us special times together.

We bought lots and lots of blacks, grays and a little "Harley" orange.
She has 1/3 of the blocks pieced.

Some of our fabrics in the blocks.

For Christmas my friend Vicky gave me this unassuming  black t-shirt. Looks sort of tough "Harley like.

But when you look closer you see and antique sewing machine on front,

and on the back a wonderful picture and saying.

Thank you Vicky!

The best ways to beat the "cabin fever".

 

Last Saturday we had sunshine and temperatures in the high 30's, it was time to get out of the house. I packed a picnic lunch and off we went to the wilderness. The wonderful thing about Western Michigan is the wildness is never far away.

We found a nice little spot along a creek,

my husband lit a fire

while I sat out our lunch on the back of the sled we used to pull in our packs.
I had made homemade baked beans, and chocolate chip cookies to go with crackers and cheese and sausage.

 I love picnics, food always taste better outside, and I always feel better.

The next great way to beat cabin fever is quilt bee! Last night I met with my girlfriends and we learned a new quilt technique, called Folded Star.  We each made a sample. You start with two different size hexagons and a piece of batting the size of the small hexagon.

Baste a scant quarter of an inch on the edges of the large hexagon.

Layer them together with the batting in between. Fold over the edges of the large piece of fabric and applique the edges down or quilt the edges down over the small hexagon creating a star. We then quilted down the middle of all the star points.

  Once the stars are finished you stitch the edges together.

So many things can be made using this technique. The following pictures were taken off an computer showing Cheryl Berggren's work.

She made a purse using them,

A lap quilt.

The back of the lap quilt. And remember once a star is done the batting is already in and the edges are bound so when you stitch them together there is no finishing work on the quilt. No binding, nothing.
I'm going to try a few blocks this weekend with my dyed wool.

Cheryl also made a wall hanging with miniature hexagons.
Miniatures are always so cute.

And the full size ones made into place matts.

My friend Mary's been making pieced and quilted ornaments for her tree for next Christmas. There about 3" square. Too cute!

I don't know if I should say Mary or Mary's sewing machine made this little mug rug. She has a top off the line computerized sew machine that pieces and embroideries the piece while you just add in the fabrics when it calls you!!
The little clips are holding the binding down while she stitches it. I'm sure the machine would bind it too if she asked nicely.

New Year 2015

Like most of the country our winter is back and with a vengeance. Icy temperatures, blowing and drifting snow have produced beautiful scenery and if you can stay home, it's wonderful. (I'm not one of those people, but I will be this weekend.)

We have 10 or more inches already on the ground and just as much still coming.

I thought the weaving was finished but no Mother Nature still had one more row to go.

and what a beautiful row it is.

 

As soon as the sun comes out to charge the solar lights it will glow.

I need to lay my antique gate on top of some wool and let Mother Nature rust print it..

Every year I try to keep New Year's Day for myself, no cooking or entertaining company, just put on a pot of soup and quilt while I watch the Rose Parade. This year I marked a few rose colored lattice strips to quilt. This is my perfect way to start the year.

I also changed my piano from Christmas to winter,

 began infusing coconut oil with organic rose petals and calendula blossoms.
The combination is all about helping dry skin.

After infusing on the wood stove in a water bath a few days I strained out the petals,

and added the coconut oil with Shea butter, cocoa butter and local bees wax. After melting together I add rose and lavender essential oils for the ultimate lotion bars.

A wonderful body cream for the winter.