Life Quilt Block #6

Life Quilt Block #6
Originally uploaded by lasassone

This is a seaplane very similar to the one that my Dad took me on for my very first airplane flight. It was 1950 or 1951 and we were traveling with my Dad on a business trip to far Northern Minnesota. I was 8 or 9 that summer. We had been to Lake Bemidji before to see the Paul Bunyon and Baby the Blue Ox statues and I loved that park. As I recall it was directly across the street from one of my Mum's favorite places to eat called Maid-Rite Hamburgers. I think that is the proper spelling. I've been told the place is still there today. They made very unusual hamburgers we had to eat with a spoon!

I don't know why, but this trip Dad decided I should have my first plane ride. Maybe we were a bit more flush economically or he had made a big sale that day. Mum stayed on the ground as she wasn't much for heights. What I remember about that short flight was how it seemed you could see forever and I was amazed at this new perspective I had been treated to. Before I knew it the flight was over and I remember begging to go again! It would be many years before I would ride in any airplane again and I have never been in such a small plane again.

After we moved to California one of my Dad's favorite things to do on Sundays was to take me to the airport where we would watch the planes take off and land for what seemed like hours. When I was in high school I was all prepared to start learning to fly and was about to start ground school when my Dad lost his job and my dream of learning to fly became a luxury my parents couldn't afford.

I am not very pleased with this embroidery and wonder if the ache of the osteoarthritis in my hands is affecting my stitching more these days. In person the block looks okay, but in the photo I think it looks very messy. I think I am going to go back and fill in the design streak on the pontoon in the foreground and also make the foreground strut solid as well. I may even fill in the design streak on the side of the plane.

I traced this from a drawing of a seaplane I found on the internet. I think it actually came from the Bemidji, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce site, which I thought was very appropriate. And I also was rather pleased to think that kids apparently can still get their first plane ride down at the lake by Paul & Babe!

I may be taking a bit of a break from the Life Quilt blocks for awhile. I have several crazyquilting obligations I need to concentrate, not to mention a couple sewing projects I must finish too. Our local stitching group's (Delta Crazy Stitchers) August meeting is coming up this Saturday and on Sunday G and I are leaving for Reno, Nevada where he is playing in a golf tournament. I'm not sure what kind of stitching I will take with me, but there's lots to choose from and I never travel without needle and threads. Everything except crocheting or knitting is up for grabs. Boy, I'll be glad when the coolness of Fall arrives so I can get back to working with yarn!

Stitch On!

Delta Crazy Stitchers 2008 Round Robin

Delta Crazy Stitchers 2008 Round Robin
Originally uploaded by lasassone

Our local group decided some time ago that we'd like to do another round robin together. With the summer upon us, we could only get 5 stitchers interested though, so this will be a quick one!

I decided what I really NEED now is a cover for my sewing machine, which is just inside my new workroom AND one of the first things a visitor will see. I know, I know - I haven't posted pictures of the 2nd room in my 2 room studio-suite here. The problem is mostly that I can't seem to find a time when the room looks neat enough to take pictures. It's embarrassing, but I'm constantly working on the work table and now I"m in the midst of a total bead re-organization project that is gonna take me quite some time. I use those screw-together little towers for my beads and have used them for years, ever since made beaded skating dresses for my 2 girls and a couple others. Back then you could buy these towers in the drugstore where they were touted as pill containers.

Now, however, there appears to be at least 3 companies in China making them and, let me tell you folks, the little jars that screw together cannot be interchanged! So, as I've bought beads it's been a mess and now I have towers that are not just one color of beads nor even one type of bead. When I want yellow beads, for instance, I must go thru the whole cupboard of towers and most likely will find 6 or 7 towers with some yellow beads in them.

The idea of this project is to unscrew each little jar, store the beads in ziplock baggies and then re-store them in the towers by color. This was all brought about by my purchasing a couple expandable 3 tier things for inside my bead cupboard. Right away I found that some of my towers were too tall fpr the back shelf because I'd combined too many little jars. So....do I return the tier thingees or do I re-organize my beads. G thinks I should do the reorganization and even volunteered to help me. Hmmmm, wonder how many beads will end up on the floor instead of in ziplock bags when he does this while watching television...............

So, back to the picture of my block.....I pieced this block to join in the round robin but I did it in a way completely different than I've ever done before. I actually determined the size I needed, drew the dimensions with a ruler on artist's newsprint paper. I then started drawing a crazyquilt block using a 5 sided piece in the middle. I did this because I knew what fabric I wanted to use as the theme. The faux cq print I have used in the center and all corners is the fabric that I will use for the front, top & sides of the new machine cover.

After I had drawn (and REdrawn) the block to my satisfaction, I laid a sheet of tissue over my drawing and traced it. I then cut up the tissue into patterns to be used on the fabrics that I had pulled to coordinate with the faux cq print. When I cut the fabrics out I added some seam allowance - usually about 1/2 inch in case I needed some ease one way or the other.

For construction I pieced everything but the corners and center first, then I fussy-cut the faux cq to fit. I love some of the curves I managed to get on this block and it will be interesting to see how the other stitches handle them. I may just have to apply this method of block construction again in the future!

Stitch on!