Baskets, Berries and Leaves

 

Finally, after more than three years, Baskets, Berries and Leaves is finished.

 

 

Needle turn applique and hand quilted.

 

I used Valdani pearl cotton #8 for the hand quilting.

 

This was a 1998 BOM from Jan Patek and Alma Allen. 

I think Jan still sells it on her website.

Baskets, Berries and Leaves

 

Baskets, Berries & Leaves by Jan Patek and Alma Allen.

I finished the top back in 2014 and I am finally ready to quilt it.

Needle turn applique.

 

It's big....very big, king size so I had to push all the furniture out

of the way to make room to lay it out to baste.

 

I'm hand quilting it using a variegated Valdani thread in golds and browns.

May take me awhile.



Baskets, Berries and Leaves

 

I posted the finished top last year inside, but because of the huge size of the quilt that photo didn't do it justice.  The blocks are 20 inches square.  A picture of it outside gives you a better perspective of  the bold primitive folk art design of this older pattern from Jan Patek and Alma Allen.  Plus, just like getting a pic of my quilts on the old corral.

 

All hand appliqued using the needle turn applique method and now I can't wait to start hand quilting it.  I'll use the big stitch to quilt it so the quilting will go faster and hope for a finish before this year is over.  I could have used it this Winter.  If you think that's a wonderful picture of Spring here in Montana, it is, except it's about 20 degrees.

 

Thanks ladies...

 

 

Baskets, Berries and Leaves

 Who would have thought I would be back working on Baskets, Berries & Leaves. 

Too great of a quilt to think bad karma, but I did think to find a safe way to line up the borders and applique.  The top border has been added, needs the corner swags and I'm appliqueing the bottom border now.

Won't tell you how long it took me to drag the quilt outside and pin it to the clothes line.  I'm getting around better every day with my cane, but am very, very careful, especially outside not to lose my balance or trip.  Can't over do either or my leg reminds me.

 

Funny as in odd, the picture with no snow, even bits of green grass, not even terribly cold.

 

Remembering our Veterans on this special day.

 

This is the Quilt

This was the quilt that knocked me off the ladder, Baskets, Berries & Leaves.  I have the top and bottom border to go and all I wanted to do was estimate the applique placing on those borders.  I'm  glad to get it off the wall.  I had someone else take it down. Yikes, can't even look at the ladder much less get on one right now.

The front of the Mourning Quilt that I'm making for my friend.  The tiny crosses are needle turn applique as is the larger cross and then I machine appliqued the background around the crosses.  It will be a two sided wall hanging and I hope to start the applique on the back today. 

A mule deer, sweet smile with a far away look in her eyes, aren't her eyelids unusual.  She climbed the steps to the deck to eat the last of the flowers.

 

I drove off the property today, I was yelling, can anyone see me, this is a big deal.  And then I drove back.

 

Thanks for the comments on my anonymous friend's gift, I was as blown away as you guys sounded.

 

 

The First Border

I have the swags appliqued to the first border.  Lots of time going up and down the step ladder to get the placement correct.  There is a stop border that I need to sew to the main quilt which is why the border is longer than it needs to be for now.  I'll finish the applique on the birds and such in the border in the next few days and then I'll make myself take the quilt down from the wall and sew those borders.

Yay!

I still need to sew those three blocks to the rest of the quilt, but dang if I didn't get it done.  I changed the applique on the last block after going back and forth about adding my initials and the date.  I'm pondering my plan on where to lay out the borders for measuring and placement before I get started on the first one.

A female Pronghorn behind the house.  She was with a small herd, about four fawns, but one of the fawns was limping so I didn't want to scare them with the click of my camera.

Wool Vines and Another Block

Yep, only one more block to go. 

I received the vine roll from Cathi, very pleased with the soft wool and colors.  I will cut the width of the strips down just a best for some bold vines that I want to put in a quilt. 

Another Block....

Another block from the BOM, Baskets, Berries and Leaves finished and a view of the quilt hanging over the closet doors.  You can tell how big the quilt is getting in reference to the rest of the room.  I'm going to go back and add more applique to the basket.

Baskets and you know the rest

Another block completed on the BOM, three more to go and then on to the borders. 

I'm handquilting the Collector Series when it cools off at night.  I don't have air conditioning, but have had some severe storms the last few days, lots of hail, enough to cover the ground and look like snow so it has made the evenings very cool and worth sitting under a quilt.

Baskets, Berries and Leaves, Another Block

Another block finished. 

The blocks are easy to applique and since I just cut out the motifs without any lines I am able to prep the blocks pretty fast.  I've never been one to focus on the perfection of the applique since it's prim.

In case you haven't seen what the entire quilt will look like.

Baskets, Berries and Leaves

A beautiful day to show off my progress on the Baskets, Berries and Leaves BOM.  I think I've already said how much I love working with such large applique, the blocks are 20" square, such a bold look and definately one of my favorite older Jan Patek designs.

I guess you've seen that Jan will be offering a kit for the Eagles & Roses quilt that I like so much, pondering that purchase. 

Glad you all enjoyed the pics of my little squirrel.  He's very unusual in his antics, rolling in the dirt when he sees me.  I guess he's excited that the nuts and seeds are coming and now lettuce. 

Baskets, Berries and Leaves Progress and The Neighborhood

I'm working on block six of the BOM.  Too windy to hang it on the line for a pic.

Horses.  Running and enjoying the sun.

Cows.  Don't know what they're enjoying, maybe not having gone to market yet.

The Yellowstone River.

Baskets, Berries and Leaves, Blk 4

I finished the fourth block from the BOM.  This block is called Berries and Leaves.  Simple block but makes a big statement, quick and easy even with the small berries.

I was watching the ewe as she kept slapping the water in the pail with her hoof.  I have no idea why they do that, in the winter I thought it was to break the ice away, but now, I don't know.  Over the years they have broken all the nice cement bird baths so this is the best they get now.  She's a mess, still shedding her winter coat. 

Baskets, Berries and Leaves, Block 2

Block two from this BOM completed and hanging to give me a visual for the next block.  The backgrounds of these two blocks are from an older line from Moda Basic Wovens in various shades of orange with lines or checks. 

I hope to complete the entire quilt, even the border, in a year since the needle turn applique method takes more time, but needle turn seems to suit this quilt and the design. 

My heart goes out to those affected by the Boston tragedy. 

Baskets, Berries and Leaves BOM

After several attempts to start this BOM from Jan Patek and Alma Allen, the first block is done.  I decided I needed an applique project for my hands while I bounce back and forth from the sewing machine to hand quilting. I'm using the needle turn applique method.

The blocks are large, as in 20" square large.  I'm using Brannock and Patek fabrics that I have been collecting over the years just for this quilt.

A closeup of the first two blocks.

Ladybird Winner

Thanks to all who participated.  Francine of Primitive Stars is the winner, send me your mailing address Francine.

I'll do this again next week since I have more prim books to share.

Ladybird, Ladybird

A classic primitive folk art quilting book from 1999 by Jan Patek and Alma Allen.

I love this quilt and there are more gorgeous prim quilts inside.  I love this book, but I happen to have two since I was gifted some books from a generous follower.  So leave me a comment if you would like to have the book, please be a follower and I will let you know midweek on who gets the book.  Oh, you can live anywhere on the planet.

Baskets, Berries and Leaves, by Jan Patek and Alma Allen

 Last night I was looking for an orange plaid homespun for an internet friend, have had this drawer full of all things orange or orange/red for Baskets, Berries & Leaves, a BOM from 1998. 

 I intend to make it someday.  I have been collecting those fabrics since 1998. 

I must have got side tracked, thinking you won't make the whole quilt and made one block into a wall hanging.  The design is one that has to be made, so I hold on to those fabrics.  I will make it.

So I had one more place to look for fabrics, some boxes in a closet. Didn't find the fabric.  Instead I found of box of cards and letters from long ago.  Of course some were from Jim or the cats, he would write for the cats.

I dream a lot. And I often dream about Jim as I did last night. I woke myself up this morning singing the song from Dirty Dancing, "I've Had the Time of My Life."  The cats were looking at me with a strange look that cats can have as I belted out that song, probably because I can't really sing, but it felt good.