Summer Vibes

Paul: Let's go get ice cream.
Me: Sugar is not my friend.
Paul: Of course not. It is your side piece.
Me: Side piece?
Paul: The guy who texts "you up?"
Me: Like booty call?
Paul: Yes, booty call.
Me: It does go to my booty. 
Paul: So you are coming?
Me: I won't say no to a booty call.

Ice cream with Paul - Sweet!

Summer time equates with vacation time for many of us.  Although I cannot take a vacation at this time, I can squeeze in small getaways and get-together with friends.  last week, I got together with Bonnie.

Had we coordinated better, I would have worn Barbie colors too :-D

We ate Mexican food and chatted about thread, quilting patterns and English vocabulary, since Bonnie is a retired teacher and I am fascinated with the English language. 

When I think of summer, I think yellow and orange - the colors of sherbet, lemonade and popsicles. 

But in America, it is certainly the combination of red, white and blue that is quintessentially summer. 

So here is a very summery finish - Captain Hotpants.  The quilt has a rather long and winding story. 

Picnic Quilt?

I have a dear friend, Joyce. She is a mentor, a mother figure, and a confidante.

I met her in 2007, and we became fast friends shortly thereafter. I made her this quilt, which is proudly displayed in her guest bedroom. In 2016, I messed up, and we had a falling out. 

I apologized, Joyce forgave me, and we renewed our friendship in 2022. 

But in the six years that we were apart, many things happened. Nathan, Ryan and Andy (Joyce's nephews) got married. Between the three of them, they added five babies (four boys and one girl) to the family.

So when Joyce visited me last month (after 6+ years), I sent her home with five quilts, one each for the five kids.

Men in Black

One with Everything

Nihal

Cinderella (for the girl)

Jade (for Eli)

 

Two days later, I got a message from Joyce, saying she loves Jade and would want to keep it for herself, offering to pay for it.  

Her exact words are "The more I look at it, the greedier I become and don't want to part with it."

It warmed the cockles of my heart. I suggested that she keep it as an early birthday present from me.

But I also chided her (laughingly) for stealing Eli's quilt.

Eli needed a quilt. It would be extremely unfair if he was the only cousin without a quilt.

Although I do have "quilts on tap" (according to Paul), I was ready to make one.  I was sitting on a pile of improv blocks made for last year's Rainbow Scrap challenge and this was a perfect opportunity to play with some of those improv pieced blocks. 

Turquoise Blocks

Red Blocks

Blue Blocks

I gathered some of the red, blue and turquoise blocks and started playing.

Thank goodness for the Design Wall

Some additions, subtractions and adjustments later, we had a flimsy!!!

Flimsy!!!

And that is how we got Captain Hotpants. Here are some finished pictures.

Finished!!!

Captain Hotpants finished at about 43" by 45". The backing is cute dinosaurs and the binding is red/white check. 

Red and White Binding :-)

Named after the astronaut!

Here are a few close-ups

Scrappy

I love improv!

Yummy

Labelled

I delivered the quilt to Joyce last week and she will deliver it to Eli later this month.

Happy Joyce

Joyce, the model

The colors of summer!

And here is Eli with his quilt. I am told that he and Captain Hotpants have become good friends!

Happy Recipient :-)

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties including Angela's. See full list on the side bar.

Oh, there is one more thing. While I was face-timing with Connie, a fellow IB ambassador, she expressed pleasant surprise at the blooming crape myrtle trees here in Northern Virginia. So I took some more pictures for her. But in doing so I discovered some interesting things myself!

Such intense color!!!

Red color blooms in a white tree

Three shades of pink in a single tree!!!

Such a gorgeous pink!

Love Lavender 

I counted five different colors in one yard

August is Island Batik Ambassador's Choice month. So we get to make whatever we want. 

I may have made a quilt or two, with a new pattern release! That blogpost is next.  

As always I am eager to hear from you. Your comments add color to all my seasons :-)

My Checkered Past

If I could be doing anything quilty, it would be improv piecing.  It is like taking a journey. "Come hither ye fabric scraps; together we will travel and see where we end up." 

Here is the Island Batik Challenge for March. It reads 

"March brings a free month for you to determine your own project of any size, using any theme and any technique!! This is an opportunity for you to express your creativity without guidelines. Have fun!"

And I did have fun. See how the bits and pieces grew.

Starting Point

And then there were two

Growing

Coming Together

Getting Closer - Are we there yet?

May be we'll go just a bit farther

It is fun to juggle the varied sizes and watch the quilt top come together.  Usually we end up bigger than we envisioned - unexpected twists and turns and scenic routes, you know. A few tweaks, some trimming and some inserts later, we were done. 

Two more seams to a Completed Top

I used Aurifil Thread for piecing (50 wt)  and quilting (40 wt.) I used 80/12 Microtex Schmetz Needle for both piecing and quilting. All the Island Batik fabric scraps work beautifully with the Island Batik Solid White background. A black border was added and I chose black binding. I chose Hobbs Cotton Wool Blend batting. Quilted using my walking foot. 

Hobbs Batting

I completed the quilt shortly before my trip to Atlanta for Quiltcon. Naturally I packed the quilt with me. Remember we journey together - my fabric and I.  Here is my quilt - My Checkered Past enjoying the beautiful city of Atlanta.

Poolside at the Hotel in downtown Atlanta

Just Peachy :-)

Making Ends Meet

Of Course, I remembered the label!

Pieced Backing (using discarded blocks from another quilt)

The Geometrics!

Enough of the hotel. Let's go sightseeing. 

At the Martin Luther King Center

At the Yolanda King Center for Performing Arts

Just love this picture - looking ahead together

Meditating at the Oakland Cemetery. We come and go but life goes on forever

So tired after a long day!

Tomorrow is another day!

I spent one day at Quiltcon and although I took many quilt pictures, the best part is meeting and reconnecting with people.  You can find all the quilt pictures on Instagram at #Quiltcon2023.  Here are the hugs I exchanged :-)

With Nann (With Strings Attached), Anna and Mell

On our way to Quiltcon

With Anja (Anja Quilts)

It was a high point of my visit when a reader of mine recognized me.  Here I am beaming with happiness with Barbara from Philadelphia. Hope you will read/see this.

With Barbara

Quilters of Indian origin - Sujata Shah and Vasudha Govindan

I didn't plan this picture. I was meeting Vasudha and then we saw Sujata and we had to take a picture.  I think I need a jacket before I go to Quiltcon next time. It was the uniform, apparently.

With Stephanie from Hobbs

It was so nice to meet with Stephanie. Stephanie also manages the Hobbs IG account and we already know each other from Island Batik ambassador program, where Hobbs Batting is the industry partner.

Atlanta is beautiful - art and inspiration are everywhere. We were also lucky - absolutely gorgeous weather.  Here are a few more picture s from my trip.

Near the King Street MARTA Station

Such a great image!!!

Rock Paper Scissors - Street Art near Midtown MARTA Station

In full bloom :-)

Piedmont Park Lake

The Dogwood Sculpture in Piedmont Park

Wall Art

Cats Rule, I think.

Don't miss the reflection in the puddle

I am not sure what the artist is trying to say but I am sure it is a struggle between love and money. 

So long Atlanta. Home sweet home!

Angela has announced the color for March. It is certainly a nod to the St. Patricks Day :-)

Here is my fabric pull. 

Island Batik Greens for RSC

I will be sharing with Angela's and all my other favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.  As usual, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I will close my eyes and pretend that we met at a Quilt Show and you said sweet (or savory) things about My Checkered Past :-)