Busy, busy, busy

 

Happy Blockheads Wednesday

(I'll always call Wednesday "Blockheads Wednesday)

This, however, is the maple tree out front.

Those little things in clusters on the branches are what

we call "Helicopter babies" because they're shaped 

like the rotor blades on helicopters.

Here they are on the front porch.

They are also all over the sidewalks and back decks.

I usually sweep in front of the doors to keep 

the dogs and people from tracking them in. 

That usually starts off my day. and sometimes the

middle and end of my day.

Here are some of my latest babies - 

25 Straight Run chickens (that means both

sexes) and 3 turkeys.

The turkeys are pets.  One for Zoie, one for

me and one for Max.

Pep keeps trying to name them Thanksgiving

and Christmas but no dice.  I'm sure Zoie will

name hers Turkey Surkey II.  She loved Turkey Surkey

and it would come running when it saw her.

The card she made it one Thanksgiving 

still hangs on the playroom door. 

I'm working away on my Sampler blocks 

and really enjoying it.  I'm using Susan's

general layout but taking much longer to do 

the quilt.  I'm adapting it for people who work

(or live on a farm) and don't have time to

sew 10 to 12 blocks a day.

I'm also including some 6" appliqué blocks

for me and my appliqué ladies.

Carrie Nelson of Moda is working with me so 

you can download the appliqué blocks and we're 

sharing them with the Facebook group too.

So .............

I'd better stop chatting and get to work.

And the last of the staples is out of my head, 

I never was in pain and hopefully I'm through 

driving to doctor's appointments for awhile.  :)

Spring quilts celebrated

Starting the Day with 

Spring Applique

I know I said that I would show

you the back of the table stand quilt

this week but I decided to change the

front instead.  I know most baskets are

brown but this one isn't now.

And while I was changing the fabric on

the basket, Mill Creek Hearts and Stars

came back from the quilters.

I am truly blessed.

For years Lori Kukuk worked her

magic on my quilts.  Unfortunately she

cannot do custom quilting at the

moment.  Instead she needs to take 

care of herself and her hands.

Thank you so much Lori for all of the 

beauty you added to my quilts and be 

sure to take care.

And we have found a stupendous quilter

named Jan Yamamoto who lives close

and does equally awesome work.

Here's a couple of close ups of her work

on Mill Creek.

Our vintage book this month is

Festival of Life and

this is the quilt of the same name.

The Garden Basket pillow from

the book is on my couch as we speak.

Be sure to grab one of the these books

at half price if you don't already have it.

You can get one by clicking here.

This is Beeskep and Violets and we're finally

getting it out as our Easter present to you -

at 40% off.  Just click at the same place here 

to get yours.

And this is Patchwork Garden by Janice Black.

If I remember correctly she made it for her

daughter.  Lovely work.  Thanks you.

I've been playing with the blocks for 

the Sew Along that we'll start in June 

and having lots of purple fun. 

 As I said earlier, I've been

wanting to do a purple and cream quilt

and this seems to fit the bill.

Thanks Susan for this great book.

Meanwhile, however, I have to take

a small break.  A CAT scan last week

showed a subdural hematoma.  Tomorrow 

morning my excellent neurosurgeon will remove

the hematoma and drain some fluid that's

pressing on my brain.

Sooooo.....I won't be blogging for probably

the next couple of weeks.

I did, however, get the four 6" blocks for

the back of my Tablestand ready to take

with me to give me something to

stitch.  :)

Be sure and send me pictures,

See you in a couple of weeks ladies

and

Keep Quilting.

 

Spring into Spring

Starting the day with appliqué 

I'm working on the front of the 

May Basket Tablestand.

Done - now on to the back.  

Tablestands are some of my favorite little quilts,

especially the backs as they are usually

four 6" squares.  I started doing them just 

because of the 6" squares on the back.  

I should be able to show them to you next week.

I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend.

We decided to leave the coconut off of the

bunny cake this year for a change.

The weather was warm enough that 

he didn't need it to keep warm. :).

Gardening on the deck has begun in Ernest.

This year I cheated a little and got some lettuce 

plants at the greenhouse.  I planted a row of 

zinnias (small ones) behind then and they've already 

started sprouting.

And besides my herbs and succulents

I planted a few more zinnia seeds 

in the teapot for a splash of color.

This is Hovering Hawks and Peonies by

Denise French and the design of this

quilt has a little story.

I originally saw a picture of a full size quilt with

this border and these blocks.  It was in a book about

quilts of the Mormon migration.

I decided to make a wallhanging using the designs from

the picture so I drafted the blocks and drew out the borders.

And let me tell you those Hovering Hawks blocks 

weren't easy to draft - at least not for me.

Somewhere in this process a quilt magazine asked me

for quilt designs and I submitted this one, telling them

that it was an adaptation of an antique quilt.

They published the quilt but somehow forgot

to say it was an adaptation of an antique quilt.

Luckily after an outcry a different magazine author

wrote an article defending people who went to the

trouble to work out patterns from antiques so we all

could enjoy them.

But I made double sure after that when I sent patterns

from antique quilts that the publisher would verify

that it originally came from an antique.

I still really like this little wallhanging and thank you 

Denise for doing such a beautiful job on it.

   And if you're not on our email list,

get in touch with /Tammie to see how to join.

We're having a really special Easter sale kit this week.

See you next week ladies.

 

And It's Officially Spring!!!!!!

 

Starting the Day with Appliqué 

Still working on the center block 

of the Blockheads 3 Quilt

And doing a little multitasking --

for July, no less --

"Eagles and Stars."

As soon as I get the eagle appliquéd 

in place, I'll do the arrows and

olive branch.  This eagle is a 

star print from my stash - 

the second eagle is a dark

blue grunge fabric.  

The two large Circle/Star blocks

have the same background with

multiple squares of stash fabrics 

and Holly Taylor fabrics 

from her Violet Hill line.

The Little Lavender Chicken Bird is finished 

and both the pattern and kit are 

available in the store.

You can get to the store by clicking

here.

And I was sent this awesome little

chick quilt but I've lost the piece of paper

that I wrote the quilters name on.

She saw my little quilt on Instagram 

and made her own.

If you see this dear, would you please

send another picture and your name and I'll

try to remember to post it next week.

Speaking of next week - it will be April.

In fact tomorrow will be April.

Our vintage book for April is going to be

Festival of Life.

Meanwhile you might want to 

find a copy of

Tiny Treasures by my friend

Kathy Schmitz for Martingale..  It is awesome 

and just chock full of pictures, drawings and

embroidery information.

You need a copy.  You can get

one by clicking here.

One last thing and then I have to 

get back to sewing.

I decided to do a summer sew along with 

Moda and Martingale using Susan Ache's 

book Sampler Spree..  It starts in June, 2021.

I've wanted to make a purple and cream quilt

for a long time and I think this will be it.

Come join me as I fulfill a bucket list. 

I suppose I should warn everyone 

that I may sneak in an appliqué block or 2

if there aren't any in the book.

:)

 

Keep Quilting.  

If you'd like me to show your quilts on the blog, 

send jpgs to janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.

Thank you and

see you next week ladies.

And another Blockheads Wednesday.

 Starting the day with Appliqué 

- quite a few of them before the

center block is done.

It takes me about a day and a half to 

applique a set of stems and leaves

and the flower of course.

The stem with the "yellow rose of Texas" 

only has a couple of leaves but the flower takes

quite a bit longer than the lavender one so

it even out.

On a side note, Pep and I (and my sister Nancy)

got our 2nd Covid shots last Saturday.

Yay!!!!! - Soon we get to see our son Max 

and Cullen and Quinn.

BUT somehow I lost a day.

I usually write my blog posts on Tuesday and

schedule them to go up early Wednesday 

morning. I just realized it was Tuesday so this

is going to be really short.  

I've been thinking it was Monday. 

If I didn't goof it up, our kit on sale this week is 

Grandma's House.

Its 20% off, I hope,

If I did goof it up and you want it to help me celebrate 

getting to see my kids again, 

just email Tammy at janpatekquilts@gmail.com

and she'll take your order.

Max slept for 36 hours after he got his shot and I only slept  

most of Sunday afternoon so I guess I was pretty lucky.

Here are a couple of quilts of mine that

people have sent me jpgs of.

Sophie & the Rose Trees by Suzanne Steil

Spring Break by Lizzie Dillingham

Thanks Ladies, they're great!  :)

See you next week and

Keep Quilting

Happy Blockheasds Wednesday

 This is the center of my Blockheads 3 Quilt.  I designed it for my ladies that 

love appliqué.  My Blockhead blocks are mainly 8" blocks so the 

center is  cut 27 1/2' x 27 1 /2 (finished size 27" x 27").  Three 8" finished blocks 

with 1" finished sashing on each side and the top and bottom. It will grow with 

8" blocks and sashing  out from there until we have used all of our blocks.  There were a few blocks that were only done in 12" and 4 of those will be the corners with a 1" stop border and 12" borders. ( I think -I'll let you know more next week after quite a bit of sewing. )

Meanwhile it is Spring even if Colorado sent us some of their leftover winter weather.

The kit on sale this week is the Tablestand Bunny Hop for

20% off and

the Vintage books for March are the patterns

Sunshine on my Shoulder and 

Patchwork Garden, both for the price of $14.95 (2 for the price of one)

You can go to our store to purchase any or all by

clicking here

This is my Front Porch BOM done by

Lizzy Dillingham .  Great work Lizzy, I love it.

If you want to see your quilt made from one of my patterns on my blog, 

just send it to janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com and one by one, I'll post them 

on the blog.

And they don't have to be big.  

I just love this little birdhouse block made

by Your Quilt.  Doesn't it just say "Spring"?

Well, I'd better stop chatting and get to work - that center block is going

to take a minute or two.  :). See you next week.

Spring brings all sorts of goodies

My little chicks have all

grown up and the hens are laying profusely.

Its a rule around here that if 

you come to visit you have to 

take a dozen eggs with you

when you leave.     

Very shortly some of the hens will 

go broody and there will be more chicks.

That means that the Lavender Orpington

and Silver Laced Orpingtons needed to be 

moved to houses with covered yards due to an

abundance of Red tailed hawks in the area.

They don't bother the adults but babies disappear

rather quickly if the yard isn't covered.

Moving chickens is easier said than done.  

They don't herd well at all and resist 

being caught and carried. 

Usually, you can only have one rooster per yard

but the Orpingtons all get along quite well.

Back inside I'm working on the center

for my large Blockheads 3 quilt

 for my appliqué followers.

The center is a 27" x 27" block.  

Besides a background it still needs

lots of leaves and 3 lavender blooms.

This week I'm showing you 2

                                                            Birdsong quilts by Nancy Craze 

                                                                and her sister Laura Denson. 

Awesome quilts ladies, thank you.

If you'd like me to show your quilts on the blog, 

send jpgs to janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.

Thank you and

see you next week ladies.