Arcturus

Arcturus, a red-giant star, is the 4th brightness star in the Northern sky. It is easy to find for amateur stargazers (like me!) by following the curve of the Big Dipper's handle - extend the curve beyond the handle and you’ll find Arcturus. The star can be found right overhead in the summer night sky. 

Arcturus is also the name of the quilt I created for QuiltCon challenge using Ruby & Bee solids. The quilt design was loosely based on the concept of a medallion quilt and was a fun challenge to assemble. My favorite part was adding bits of hand quilting to complement the machine quilting.

I actually had enough leftover fabric that I created a second quilt for the challenge which also was entered into my guild's challenge - Stepping Stones. 

QuiltCon notifications come out in mid-December. Fingers crossed!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Over 80 Granny Squares!

Using the beautiful 32 color pack of Cotton Chirps from Purl Soho (pictured below), I am making great progress on my granny squares. Each 25 gram ball makes 5- 6 small granny squares. My original plan was to join all the color directly together but I then decided to wrap some white around them.

At this moment, I've got over 80 squares,  51 of these have the white border. There are 14 balls of color that I've not started on - yellows, pinks and purples. 

These are such a fun portable project. I last crocheted way back in my teens so returning to the craft has been quite enjoyable. My tension isn't consistent although it is getting better.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Scrappy HSTs

Another finish to share today!

This is my HST scrap quilt made from a random assortment of leftover 5" charm squares. I started making the HSTs a year ago in my guild's 2023 retreat. It has sat as a quilt top for months and the mindless spiral quilting was a calming mental health break after last week.

I donated it to my quilts Community Giving project. We focus on children in the foster care system. This is my second donation for the year - Lily was the first - and I've got another quilt top in process with a stretch goal of finishing it this year.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Currents

My latest finish, called Currents, is a wall hanging which is roughly 18" (tall) x 20" (wide). I made the quilt in a class - The Art of Bending Fabric -taught by Michelle Wilke. Michelle has made several quilts using this technique. Her quilt Rails is one of my favorites.

Al the fabric came out of my scrap bin and I really like the mix of solids and a few low volume fabrics. Assembling the quilt was like putting together a puzzle. The quilting is a mix of walking foot, in thread color to match the fabric, and hand quilting.

This kind of quilting is my favorite for smaller pieces. Dense machine quilting and a bit of hand quilting for texture.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Oxbow Tote - Overnight Size

I love patterns from Anna from Noodle-head and was excited to make another Oxbow Tote, this time the overnight size. Last January, I deconstructed an old canvas bag to make the smaller sized Mickey Mouse version of the OxBow Tote.

I modified the pattern slightly by putting a pocket on both sides of the bag instead of just one. I also added an inset pocket into the lining.

The outer bag is a Cotton & Steel canvas called Botanical Floral while the lining and pockets are a gold solid.

This pattern is a very fun make. The only issue I had was my own misread of the pattern which resulted in my cutting the handles and the zipper for the regular size instead of overnight. I've put them aside for a future bag!

I hope to take this bag on a trip later this month!

Have a wonderful day! Patty