In the Meantime

While I wait: waiting for the grout to dry (7 days if you please) we have been out and about in the vegetable garden. I have been cleaning up the raspberries and Mike has been rototilling. Today we strung new fencing around the garden. Last week we put in new poles. This is to keep our beautiful garden safe from the marauding deer. The water has been turned on out back and the green houses are ready to go. Mike's tomato seedlings have come up and look very healthy.

Also, the quilting group that I belong to - "Tenfold" has started on a new project - fractured quilts. Each of us has to come up with a design and then cuts it into 8 pieces. We each get a piece. We are to replicate this in whatever fabric we choose. If you have a colour scheme in mind or any fabrics that you must have for your design you can pass them over with your package.

First up is Colleen and being the thoughtful person that she is, she decided to "keep it simple".  She has a wonderful metal screen hanging from an arbour on her patio. She traced this and put together our "kits" gave us, included the picture below, a piece of blue for the sky and a piece of black for the border and a few words of encouragement.

My piece is part of the left side.

As I am loving doing the English paper pieced hexagons from Katja's Quilt Shop, I decided to use this technique to replicate my pattern. I know that others are using steam a seam on muslin.

Here is my template for the oak leaf.

The oak leaf finished - so excited when a plan comes together. The second leaf did not have a name so I decided to do it in non leaf colours - I do know that a few of the others are doing autumn colours - I am a rebel. I really like autumn colours but this is good. I have laid in the blue sky piece but it is not sewn in yet.

We meet again in May and I am so looking forward to seeing all the pieces together. Colleen will take it and put it together. Lois is passing out her design next. This is a great group of ladies - who have all been quilting for years but have wanted a challenge that was not threatening. Our last series of projects were 12 x 12 inch blocks - not exactly that size - as long as they fit into a  48 inch circumference and loosely that. We got a new theme every time we met and the only rule was to try a new technique. Please visit Tenfold's Blog to see some of our creations.  This idea was by no means original in theory - I saw this on a website called Twelve by Twelve - these ladies are accomplished quilters. They have shown their quilts at various shows and have published a book. I do not think this will be the way of Tenfold BUT we are going to have a show in June for our family and friends.