Stewardship Banner

 A tradition is an accident that is allowed to happen more than once, and in the last 14 years it has just been assumed that I would produce a quilted banner to hang for the stewardship season. Being on the stewardship committee for many years, and even at one time the elder in charge, I have watched this effort shift from place to place ... the communications committee ... then taken over by finance. Each year the focus shifts and I am expected to come up with a hanging in support. Last year, after turning in the hanging in a timely fashion, it was never hung anywhere where I could see it. Looking around, I found one former banner hanging in the 4th floor bathroom

This year, a new church member took on the task, and his being a fellow choir member and long-time friend, I could not say no to the request to continue the tradition. He helped with the design and I have struggled to get it all together. Finally this week I could add the binding and the hanging sleeves.

The main part is from a sketch he passed to me. I later found out he did not intend the two upper strips but it would have been difficult to unsew them, so I quilted in gold around the main cross. I gave up the idea of appliquing all those little letters so just outlined them with a marker and filled in the centers with a purple marking pen. I goofed up on the word "integrated" leaving out the R so had to applique a strip over the area making the word go into the planned space. The quilting had to be done with stab stitching, which to me is very frustrating and hard on the fingers. Last Sunday we had a discussion on the background quilting and came up with a more simple plan than I had originally thought of..

Monday was a national holiday and no school for me, so I went out to buy some bias tape at a small local shop. Then Tuesday I added the hanging sleeves. I took a photo on the park fence. Then I worked on some scraps of wooden dowels. What I had were too short, so I cut several inches of the ends half-way and whittled  them flat so they could be glued together to make a sturdy bar. That wood was quite hard and not easy to whittle, even with the grain, but the results saved me a day into town looking for some to buy, and though it didn't save much time, it did save the cost of train fare and buying new rods.

You can imagine the relief to have this done! small scraps cut and divided into squares and wood chips picked off the carpet with larger pieces of fabric put away. This is banner number 15. I am tempted next year to tell whomever is in charge to get out the other 14 and fine one that fits the theme, I'm wondering id traditions have an "off button"!

Unity quilt

 A few years ago I was "gifted" a large amount of fabric from a friend who was clearing out her sewing room. Among those fabrics was a large collection of USA patriotic prints. They sat in a pile for a long time and I thought I would never want to use them, and probably no one would want to take them off my hands, especially here in Japan.

As the election year began to loom heavily  in the news, I became more and more frustrated with what was being covered on TV and in the news. Then I got the idea to dig out that collection and stitch those red and blue fabrics into a quilt, each white stitch joining together with a prayer that by November 5th election day, those parties would be joined in unity for something better, much like the quilt.

 This week I finished the binding and added a hanging sleeve. Thinking of what to do next, I thought of the Tokyo American Club that is the sponsor of my scout unit. It might be a nice way to thank them and perhaps they could raffle it off for some payment from our unit. I have begun asking around. The American embassy might be another way if that doesn't work.

I hardly made a dent in those fabrics. I can't imagine buying so much and then only using a very small corner from some of the pieces. I have an eagle slide to carve for a scout making eagle rank and a stewardship banner to be made for this year's stewardship promotion coming up soon. Maybe if this quilt is successful, I can figure out how to use a bit more from the stash. Prayers for unity will continue.

A quickie quilt

Here is an alphabet quilt I made for a church friend's second child coming soon. The first one got an "I-Spy" quilt and I often hear from the parents how much she enjoys playing with it. I thought an alphabet quilt might be just as much fun. The blue and white letters were printed on the fabric and asking to be used. I thought it might be fun to search for pictures that match a letter, like how many B words can you find?

I rotated the alphabet with at least one picture and filled the center with extra prints. The picture blocks are just quilted with hearts and the quilting outlines the letters. I have been trying to get a better picture. Today there was sun but way too much wind. I took off the side clips and took a shot at an angle while the quilt was dancing in the breeze.

I still need to add a label. then I just have to wait for the special day.

Finally a finish

 Saturday morning I put the final stitches in the border. I had already added the binding, so was able to quilt the border without using the hoop. A little less stab-stitching made the work go faster.

I was hoping for a good picture to add to my files and tried one on the park fence after my English class, but the day was quite cloudy and not  much contrast. Sunday was sunny but I had to rush out early for choir practice before church, then stay afterwards for more practice. Luckily there was still some sun when I returned home, and with the help of a small ladder, I was able to catch a picture in a sunny spot.

Sunday evening it was able to go home to my granddaughter with her parents, who came to help move my big old doll house to the next apartment where I might be able to fix it up for future generations.

I was able to grab a picture of the backing laid out on the apartment floor.

These are all Japanese tenugui representing the twelve animals of the oriental zodiac.

I thought Leia might be able to collect signatures of her friends on their animals, as I have done on a few quilts before.

That night, Leia got to give the quilt a test drive and took this picture Monday morning.

I'm so glad she is happy with it! Now, on to the next challenge.

I will be working on an alphabet quilt for a friend's baby due in June.

Wasting time hunting for a "Z" picture of the size I need. both the zebra and the zori were too small to fill my need.

"Golden Week" will give me a bit of time for more hunting.

Next step

Well, all the blocks are finally quilted and today added the four-leaf clovers ... all the while the song, "I'm looking over a four leaf clover that I've overlooked before", going through my head. 

Now, it's on to the borders!

 

Slow progress

Saturday, the 23rd was Leia's birthday, and we had a nice visit but the quilt is still not ready to be gifted. As of now, 32 of the 58 blocks have been quilted, and there will still be borders to do. The stitching is mostly slow stabbing and not very even. My daughter, Norie, (her mom) came by the following week and finished off another block ... her stitches looking a lot better than mine!

I have another baby quilt on my "to do list" and am hoping I can get to it before the baby comes in June.
 

The quilting has begun

 

Last week I finished the banner for this year's Stewardship campaign. 

I only purchased the thread and the binding. All the rest came from stash that was "gifted" from friends.

The batting was a piece that also came as a "gift" and just happened to be the right size. I have no idea what kind it is, and it seems to be a bit puffier than what I usually use. I decided not to quit around the lettering, as that might make the hanging even puffier.

The committee seemed to be happy with the results, so I was happy to turn it over, and get back to work on the next quilt.

While I was in Boston, visiting my #2 daughter, I picked up some twin bed size batting. It was all packaged in plastic so I had no idea how it would work other than size. 

When I laid it out on the quilt, I was surprised to see it seemed more like felt than what I am used to using. Now that I have pin-basted it a number of times, I finally began to quilt it today.

Well, this is not going to be easy. I can hardly get five stitches to the inch, and have to do some stab-stitching at the corner points. 

I don't think I will be able to do much fancy quilting in the blocks or border.

The batting is Warm & Natural and somewhat heavy on my lap ... though it should make a warm enough quilt.

I'm glad to be back at work on this, but I have a feeling it will take lots of effort. Wish me luck!

 

 

Back to the usual

 Well, I arrived home to a dead AC and lots of dead plants. Luckily the first week back was filled with Vacation Bible School. The church was plenty cool and I actually had to take something warm to keep from freezing in the AC. Then ... return home in the packed sardine can they call a subway, and find the coolest spot to recover from excessive jet-lag.

I had a broken tooth to deal with and also trying to recover as many of the plants as possible. That effort is still going on daily. The jet lag took several weeks to recover and a new AC has been installed, The potted maple tree with brown leaves, has just begun to put out new green leaves at the tips of most branches. I poured water at it's base every morning since returning.

Friday, school began. It's nice to be back with the kids, though the long walk to and from the stations is rather miserable in this heat.

I have finished a pile of blocks that are waiting for a cool space large enough to arrange them around the center block. I'm thinking of adding four flowers to the corner area once that the layout is decided. The blocks are all floral prints and I want to coordinate those flowers with the block arrangement. I may be able to use the church fellowship hall floor if I can some good timing. My cub pack has our first meeting this Friday. I might be able to use some space there, as I will not have time to go home between school and the meeting. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a bit of progress. I bought batting while in Boston.

Flapping my wings

 At the end of June, I took off on an adventure to visit my kiddos in the states.

First stop was in Oregon, though I took a short trip up to Washington, to visit Vashon Island, where I had worked one summer as a college student.

The rest of the time was divided between Portland and Grant's Pass with Oregon kids and grandkids. All the Oregon crew posed for a photo before leaving. 

Next stop was in Colorado, where we took in lots of mountain scenery and a quilt show that included a talk by the featured artist.

There was also an exhibit of log cabin quilts, arranged in a wide variety of styles.

The frosting on the cake was a family dinner at a Japanese restaurant with yummy eels in a bento box.

The next morning, was out early to catch a plane to Boston. 

Now I am enjoying being pampered on the last leg of the trip.

This trip has been full of adventure ... with a few still to go ... and friends along the way.

In the end, my granddaughter will get her "big girl" quilt created on a trip around the world. The take-along work could be done on the plane and in trips by car.

More than 40 of the 52 blocks are together, and I am trying to save a few for the plane ride home. 

Meanwhile, there adventures still lined up for the week ahead.

(How can anything be more fun than I have already had!) I'll have to wait and see what in to follow.....

Zoom finish

Monday morning, after onigiri delivery, and during the morning zoom meeting,  I finished turning the binding on this quilt. I had thought on Saturday to walk into town and buy some bias binding, but then, this being a scrappy project, why not use leftover bits of binding saved for smaller projects. I was not too sure how it would come out, but in the end, with the variety of squares, it is hardly noticeable.

The day was clear and sunny so I took it to the park fence for a photo. It was my first chance to see how the diagonal quilting turned out. I think it looks OK and a bit less boring than if I had gone all in one direction. With the 80 loft, this will be more of a winter quilt.

Because of the "Golden week" holiday, I have had a few days off school, and not as much time for planning my next project, as I had been expecting a visitor ... well, not a person staying over, but a bit of dog sitting for my daughter's friend.  I was a bit worried, as I had not met the dog before, but as it turned out, Ricola, an elderly Jack Russell Terrier, has been a fine guest. She loves walks so we have put in some nice long strolls and the rest of the day she is content to zone out in her kennel or on the sofa. 

 

This evening she chose my comfy chair seat, placed on the sofa.

Attention is also shifted to a dozen young silkworms. There might have been thousands, but I was late finding the bag of eggs, many not having survived without being fed.

It is just as well, because almost all the mulberry trees in the area have been cut down, and leaves will be hard to find.

Tomorrow I will have a buddy for onigiri delivery, and her owner will pick her up in the late morning, Heavy rain is predicted so I'm thinking of giving her breakfast in the parking area under the train line and thus roofed over and big enough for a long walk.

That's about it for now. Thanks for all the nice comments. I really have to get my blogging mojo back and see what the rest of my friends are up to.