Square Peg, Round Hole

Hubster has been away on a fishing trip, so I've been free of schedule for a week.  Jan and I did a day trip to Shipshewana.  I picked up a Darlene Zimmerman Mini Long Hexagon template for the Temecula Summer Circles sew-along from last year.  After a couple attempts, I realized this template won't work for a square center - it requires a hexagon.  My second square was a nice convex shape, so I made a pincushion out of it.  Buttons make everything better!  In all my years sewing (a lot) I've never used a pincushion.  Guess it's time to give it a try.

I also started a cross stitch sampler from a pamphlet I picked up at a library sale last winter.

I made a trip to House of Stitches in LaPorte, IN.  I'm always thankful to see the shop is still there - they were very busy when I arrived!  I purchased 30 count hand dyed linen in the cocoa colorway for two projects and two skeins of Weeks Dye Works cotton floss - Indian Summer and Charcoal.

Stitching on this fine fabric wouldn't be possible without clip-on magnifiers - lifesaver!

My current project is 'billed' as the first printed alphabet chart attributed to Schonsperger (no first name and father and son were both printers) in the 16th century.

I feel like a kid on summer vacation!  School is back in session soon.

Contrasting Flying Geese

I've started a project requiring small Flying Geese units with dark nose and lighter wings.  Luckily, I ran across the spark of another project with same measurements and alternate shading.  The units finish at 1" x 2".  Using the Easy Angle and Companion Angle rulers, I've found a 1 1/2" x 4" fabric strip yields the correct pieces for both units - mirror-image wings for one project and a nose for the other!

I fold the strip in half (1 1/2" x 2") with folded edge to the right.  Using the Easy Angle ruler's 1 1/2" cutting line, I cut two mirror-image wing pieces.

 Opening out the remainder of the strip, I trim up the nose piece, again using the 1 1/2" cutting line.

This yields two wings for one project and a nose for the other.

Here's the start of the small project - a one block sample quilt on display at Prairie Stitches Quilt Shop in Oswego, IL.  They graciously allowed a photo.  An internet search for credit credentials states the shop is 'permamently closed' - :(

Hope sunshine and sewing are on your agenda this week.

Pour l'Amour du Fil 2019

A beautiful Quiltmania Editions book, part of the Collections and Collectors series, was introduced at Pour l'Amour du Fil, Bliss of a Quilt digger by Charles Edouard de Broin.  Charles, a Parisian, has collected American quilts for forty years.  A sampling of log cabin, pineapple and crazy quilts was exhibited at the show.  You'll want to add this book to your reference library - excellent full and detail photography!

Following is a peek of my digs for four days.  It was a magical experience.

I managed a spare hour to walk the historical section of Nantes.  The cathedral and castle were amazing.

And now, back to reality!