A Sister's Thank-You

Recently I fell in love with (and purchased) this 33 x 41 fabric panel by Grace Popp for Studio Fabrics, titled Beneath the Stars.

The scene depicts what my sister Karen and I have done several times since 2019.

Her camper is modern, not retro, and her boats are kayaks, but everything else--stars, moon, fire, chairs, trees and lake--are right on. Except, replace the guitar (I wish one of us could play that!) with a nice bottle of shiraz, merlot or cab.

I don't want to surprise her with a wall quilt that she might feel obligated to hang. Instead, I want to make a quilt she can snuggle up under while watching tv; a quilt that will remind her of her lake retreat and of all the laughs we have when we're there.

My favorite quilt blocks are log cabin blocks, so I decided to at least surround the panel with a row of those, and then see what it needs from there.

And then it hit me...of course log cabin...we grew up vacationing at the same lake, in our Aunt's and Uncle's log cabin!

Me left, Karen right, swinging on a rope. Cabin at rear.

Our brother John with Karen,
between cabins. 1971.

So....apparently the muse had joined this project, and now I was pumped!

I figured 8-inch blocks were going to fit best around the panel, 4 each at the top and bottom, 5 down the sides, plus corner blocks. There might be some adjustments necessary in seam width and maybe a need to add sashing somewhere, to correct any spacing problems. But I've decided to plow ahead and trust the muse.

So, we'll see where this goes. I'm thinking I'll probably have to give up that narrow green outside border to make the blocks fit, but am hoping to save it. Not a big deal, though. Crossing fingers--no, trusting the muse--this will all work out!

Linda

Odds & Ends

Not much landscape quilting going on of late, but a few odds and ends were started and in some cases, finished. First, a normal-size stocking for my sweet granddaughter, Lucy...

...whose old stocking was a giant one made in a Minnie Mouse print flannel. Lucy is nearly eight now, has outgrown Minnie, and wanted a normal-size stocking like her parents' (which I made years ago from my same hand-drawn pattern).

Next I made Lucy's other grandmother (Grammy) a stocking, too. She is a dragonfly person, so out came the dragonfly fabric...

...and the music scale Christmas fabric in honor of her talent as a pianist...

            ...to make this stocking from the same pattern.

Also have been working on a scrappy QAYG project.

But this week I've been photographing all my fabric and categorizing it in a photo program. Now I can view my fabric on-screen, which saves me from having to haul out heavy storage bins and unfold and refold yardage, just to remind myself what a particular piece looks like. Fabric that you can't "read" well when it's folded, like these two pieces, for instance:

But I'll probably end up photo-cataloging everything, regardless! I love an organizational task.

Looking forward to designing a new landscape quilt. Got a couple of things stewing on the back burners in my mind.

Be well, and remember, spring is on the way (or fall, if you're below the equator--my favorite season)!

Linda

A Visit to the Creek

 A Visit to the Creek features a doe and her fawn making tracks toward their favorite water source. Designing and working on this scene helped keep me cool during some very hot weather this summer--and has me looking forward to winter.

28" wide x 33" high

I'm thinking the black forest fabric was among the Halloween offerings in Annie's Crafts (https://www.anniescatalog.com/) catalog last fall. If not, then I probably bought it at The Quilter's Trunk in Liberty, KY (www.quilterstrunk.com). The snow and water fabrics definitely came from the shop in Liberty. There are just eight different fabrics in this scene.

The largest tree began as a strip of gray hand-dyed (from the same fabric as the snow--a gradient that ran from white to dark gray). Free motion quilting gave it a tree-bark texture, while white fabric and white paint added bits of snow. Shading and the hollow were done with a black paint marker, while highlights were added with a silver Sharpie. Here's the before and after:

And a couple of closeups:

I started the quilt in mid-June, and have worked on it fairly regularly. It should be "sleeved," labeled and listed in my Etsy shop soon.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy autumn!

Linda

Quilting with Parkinson's

April is Parkinson's Awareness Month, so I'm thinking, what better time to address the "elephant in the room" at Linda's Landscape Quilts?

Over the years in my blog, I've occasionally mentioned shoulder and neck issues, but in 2018 a tremor began in my left hand. For a while I suspected it was a condition known as "essential tremor", but as it eventually worsened, it was time to see a neurologist. Four weeks before the Covid lockdowns in 2020, I was diagnosed with PD.

This is a gradual "degenerative" condition, but aside from tremor medication, proper nutrition and rest, it particularly responds well to exercise. Quilting is fairly sedentary, other than moving from the sewing machine to the cutting table to the ironing board. Consequently a fair chunk of of my usual designing/quilting time has been spent walking and gardening (hence the less frequent blog posts) for the last couple of springs, summers and autumns. I'm working on getting the nerve up for winter walking--cold is not a friend to the muscle stiffness and tremor inherent with PD, so an indoor yoga regimen or a gym membership may be in the offing.

What has this to do with quilting, other than loss of time? Everything.

Designing and working with fabric and quilting, especially landscape quilts, is my passion and my sanity saver. Along with knitting, it is how I would choose to spend nearly all of my time if I could. I refuse to give it up. However, I have had to make some adjustments, and might have to make more as time goes by.

Here are some of the changes.

1. Working smaller....size does matter. 😀 No more 40 or 50-inch landscapes; I try to keep them

    under 36 in. long or wide. Bed quilts are now batted and quilted in thirds or fourths to cut down

    on weight at the machine, adding and fusing the batting sections as I work from the center out.

    AND I recently discovered a local guild that will accept quilt tops that they then quilt and give

    to charities.

2.  Using more machine-guided stitching and less free motion...I could insert a "sad" face here. I love

     the variety and grace of free motion. But it's also fun to incorporate decorative machine stitches.

3.  Exceptional care using the rotary cutter...my left hand can suddenly spaz while holding the ruler

     down.

4.  Thinner batting, also for less weight at the machine. To my relief, the quilt texture is still

     surprisingly good.

5.  Somewhat slower and more deliberate movement around the studio, due to balance issues and

     slower reflexes. This one has been a challenge--I'm used to moving fast and gracefully

     for 60+ years. A couple of minor falls have nipped that in the bud.

6.  Shorter blocks of time spent in any one place or position (leg stiffness can make switching

     places and tasks necessary anyway).

7.  Fewer blog posts, due both to slower quilt production and slower typing.

8.  More patience with myself, especially with fine motor movements such as threading a needle.

I am fortunate so far that the tremor is almost entirely on the left side of my body, while I'm right-handed. But for quilting we depend on both hands for nearly any associated task. So tremor medication is necessary, but there's a fine line, for me at least, between calming the tremor and becoming too sleepy to focus. So, some tremor and some stiffness as well have to be endured and worked around.

And yes, my neurologist keeps me updated on all the latest medical info and PD exercise/therapy groups. But I love my walks with Susie, my son's "Mamalaw" (we usually get in about 3 miles a week in decent weather), and quilting IS my therapy. And knitting and gardening--especially weeding and trimming.

Any of you fellow quilters deal with PD? I'd love to hear any tips you might have for continued comfort, efficiency and quality in quilting. Feel free to comment below. We're all in this together!

All the best,

Linda