Wednesday, March 31, 2021

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


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.






Wednesday, March 24, 2021

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






Wednesday, March 17, 2021

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.


Wednesday, March 10, 2021

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.

 

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Saying Goodbye to Winter - we hope

People have asked if I 
decorate with my quilts.
The answer is always 
a definite YES.

Since it's 63 outside it about time
for the house quilts to change from winter to
spring so I thought I would
show you what things look
like at the end of winter.


My couch has 
"Trip Around the Cabin"full of
warm, soft homespuns and lots of 
stars around a center block with a cabin.
And of course you need a couple of 
angel pillows - one homespun, one print.


My chair - where I appliqué each
morning and evening, not only
sports a winter quilt but sits in
front of the desk sporting the Winter
Tablestand Quilt.


Snowmen abound on the mantel
from after Thanksgiving until March.
The rifle is my husbands and is a replica of
a Baker Rifle - a muzzleloader and the first 
rifle adopted by the British, used to defeat Napoleon.
No quilts here but

around the corner in the foyer I always 
hang a large quilt.
This is one of my winter favorites
"Winter Solstice".  It is 73" x 80"  
and was a Mystery Quilt one year.


The Mystery Quilts are some of my
favorite quilts because one block or
set of blocks goes out each month.  
That means I get to appliqué most of
the quilt myself.


At the end of the hall going to the back
bedroom there a space for a small
quilt to hang over my mother's bell
cabinet.  It holds small quilts now and
a few of mom's bells.


This is my sister Nancy's room.
She mainly takes care of the chickens
now since my arthritis is so bad.  She loves 
"Homestead" a Mill Creek Garden
quilt with a chicken house and 3 
Lavender Orpington chickens. 
Orpingtons are an English breed, are
great egg layers and you really can get lavender ones.


So these are "Little Lavender Chicken Birds"
:)


On my bed is "Jan and Pep's Marvelous 
Adventure" - our 50th Wedding Aniversary quilt.



And this is "Little Lavender Chicken Bird" mini
quilt that will hang in the hall starting next weekend.

It will be a busy weekend and a fun one.

Have a good one, ladies.