Tuesday 1 November 2022

Star Quilt Start, Men's Shirts Quilting, Kindest Autumn Ever

Most of the leaves are down.  It's very crunchy now on our walks. The sun is still shining each day making this one of the kindest Autumns I can remember. Btw, we are on 10 acres here and the leaves I show you are on the trails and left as are. The only leaves we rake are the few around the front step area. Oh yes, and Hubby has a leaf blower he's very fond of using though usually for cleaning the garage floors. 

Below, Tony and Ned glimpsed through the trees on one of the trails.  The leaves are ankle deep in spots.

On the go this week....Ned is going to the vet to get his check up. Fingers crossed that goes well but he seems quite healthy.  We are getting our booster shots. And we have a big family get together for Robbie's 9th birthday party. I've bought him a Lego set which he is quite into right now and a plug in drawing board. I'll let you know how the latter works out..like everything these days, it plugs into a USB port. 
There's been heavy frost a couple of nights so the outside pots are now inside. I would sure love if the Geraniums can keep this blossoming going.
 I'm still quilting Plaid Tilda of course. But with it nearing a finish, my thoughts are on what bigger project to stitch next. 

I purchased quite a bundle of this fabric below many years ago while at the farm...perhaps even my very first fabric purchase... Lakeside Gatherings from  Primitive Gatherings. I've got yards and yards of it...what was I thinking! It's browner ecru than showing with very tiny black stars.  I've decided to use it for a quilt for Robbie.

 I'd made one star and I'm going to be continuing with that idea, very bright colours for star blocks with the single fabric backgrounds. No whites. I would like to try to dot the stars here and there randomly instead of in a row.  This will be a good in the sewing room project for now. A great project to get off the ground this week and I will link with Linda's To Do Linky Party.

I think I'll set this as my November OMG and join the  Elm Street Quilts Linky Party as well- at least to get it to the flimsy stage. Perhaps even a finish by Christmas. 

I did get to go through the men's shirts section the last time I was in a thrift store. Here Ned is checking out the three I found that had the necessary 100% cotton. 

The middle one has this very tiny interesting pattern that I liked and will suit many blocks.
The brightly coloured plaid was a Brooks Brothers and is beautiful fabric with much bolder colours than showing. 
I cut them all apart one night in front of the t.v. These were all extra large and produced a goodly amount of fabric for the price.  And better yet, it's saving cloth from the landfill too.  

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be this able with the knitting needles at that age!! 100 year old Etta Jamieson of Truro, Nova Scotia knit 100 caps for babies to celebrate her milestone birthday. You can read her story here. Remarkable Etta has already started on knitting 101 for her next birthday.

🔆Be sure to check back for my Thursday's free patterns post...I found several links that have me very excited to share. 

 




25 comments :

Bonnie said...

Oh my Etta is an inspiration...and she seems to have used different patterns. I like your star background with the fun alligator (crocodile?) print. The stars should make a great quilt.

MissPat said...

I want to use my late husband's shirts to make quilts for his two daughters. It's been a year already and I haven't deboned a single shirt yet. I need to go read Bonnie Hunter's tutorial on cutting up shirts. It would be a good task to do while watching TV. Are you enjoying some warm (for Oct-Nov) weather as well. I had the most trick or treaters in years last night (91).
Pat

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

more and more seem to live to 100+ now - if I am not in too much pain and can still care for myself it will be ok - that is great on the 100 hats for her.
I never find good shirts here at the used stores and finally stopped looking - they are never 100 cotton here which is what I would like or so thread bare you don't want them.
I have some fabric still that I bought so much of years past that I wonder what possessed me one was a hideous orange print I think I used it all up now but there might be some still lurking in the bins

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Walking through fallen leaves is such fun - I don't think we ever outgrow that joy! I love the alligator fabric in the star block for Robbie - I bet he'll love that. Great shirt finds, too. That's something I've never worked with, men's shirts. Edna does sound very remarkable!

loulee said...

Mens cotton shirts are a great resource at very little cost if thrifted. I made a huge quilt with them a good few years ago.

Jenny said...

How wonderful is Etta! A remarkable lady indeed, still knitting donation hats to celebrate her birthday. I was donated a man's shirt from a friend to use the fabric, and I'm giving it back to them, as the background of a cushion made for a significant birthday, not to be gifted till the actual day. You certainly can get plenty of fabric to use from these shirts.

Jenn Jilks said...

I love that material for the star!
I'm happy to settle in for winter. I'm done.

Jackie said...

I can just imagine the lovely sound that those leaves make as you walk through them.

Gorgeous star block. I love the bright colours.

A girl after my own heart, I cut apart old shirts and such as well for fabric.

God bless.

grammajudyb said...

Like the peek at Ned and Tony, walking in the woods! That will make a fun quilt for Robbie! Nine year olds are hard! Not babies, not toddlers, but not quite. grown up either! I think the floating, brightly colored stars is a great choice! I’m not a Thrift Store shopper, but you found some great fabric !

I had an Auntie named Etta! I always loved that name! Way to go Etta, keep those baby hats coming!

Lin said...

How lovely to have all that land to walk in. We do miss our large garden (though not the work) and the leaf mould made from the collected leaves which enriched our veg plot. Many years ago my Grandparents lived by a forest and in the spring my Grandad would brings bags of leaf mould for my Mother to put on her flower beds.
I do love a spotty dot fabric as a background and your tiny stars will be perfect with those big colourful stars. xx

Susie H said...

I have got to start thinking about stopping at the thrift stores for shirts. I always forget to do that. That's a great background fabric you discovered in the stash. I'll bet you got a good deal for finishing the bolt and that's why you have yards & yards & yards ... I'm a good one for that! Miss Etta is my current idol. Bless her heart!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

A lot of my fabric stash (particularly when I was doing so much crazy quilting) came from thrifted clothing. It's so much cheaper to buy fabric that way, rather than yardage at a fabric shop. Often there were great buttons to add to my collection as well. Win/win in my books. Alas there hasn't been much thrifting happening here - there's only one semi-decent thrift shop in town and our favourite ones are on the outskirts of Toronto - not someplace we've felt comfortable being during covid times, to say nothing about the fact that Resident Chef isn't comfortable driving that far any longer. I flatly refuse to drive in the city so no hope of me getting there.

Kyle said...

Autumn is a beautiful time of year. There are times when I wonder why I purchased a certain fabric, but eventually it gets used. Your stars are a great start.

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

Nine is a great age. I'm sure Robbie is going to love his star quilt. Love the idea of setting them randomly! Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.

Jill at emeraldcottage said...

wow Etta is amazing!
The middle shirt pattern is lovely. Thrift store finds are such a great idea for fabrics!
Jillxo

Jeanna said...

Your property is so lovely in the fall. Hope the vet appointment goes well for Ned. Robbie is going to love his quilt with those fun fabrics. Way to go Etta, bless her.

PaintedThread said...

I love crunchy walks. Go Etta!

CathieJ said...

I want to be like Etta when I turn 100! I like your new quilt project. The star fabric is fantastic.

Andree said...

If we could all be like Etta, healthy and helping others so much. What a blessing she is. I'm loving this warm autumn weather, too.

Linda said...

Those thrift shirts are great - especially love the purply one. Lakeside Gatherings is such a good background. Although I'm sure you are tired of it, it is very attractive. I am envying your 10 acres on which to walk! I realize I can walk on the street in front of our house, but the 10 acres would afford nice privacy. :) Thank you for linking with To Do Tuesday!

Carolyn said...

Ella may just be my new hero! Great story.

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

I am so thrilled with you blocks with the Star. Really pops! Gives me an idea on what to do with some Kaffe Fabric. Using a background like you did tones down the loudness of the fabric. Going to be a beauty.

I am so very happy!!!! I figured out why I was not receiving my follow.it and feedly! I had to make sure they were in my safe emails, etc.

This week has been non-stop brain work. I am taking a break from posting until I get some quilts quilted, and other hand work to a good point where it looks good.

But I am so happy to get your notifications! Yeah - please send some cold weather to South Texas - looking like continued drought and a warm winter! Darn, I love cold and snow. Thinking I am living in the wrong place! LOL, Hugs!

Sharon Kwilter said...

Nice plan for your bright-colored quilt. Good luck!

Sandy Panagos said...

Oh dear, my husband uses the leaf blower to clear out the garage, too. (And we don't really have any leaves, so I don't know why we even have a leaf blower. lol) Love the start for Robbie's quilt. And good for you saving our landfills!

Helen said...

We also have a thick covering of leaves. Shade in the summer... leaves in the fall... There's something so wonderful about crunching around through them while walking outside.