An overcast day allowed me to capture a delightful reflection inside my apple picking bowl!
Our small tree is an enthusiastic producer. Earlier today, it's thin branches hung to the ground, heavy with fruit.
Beautiful fruit.
I think the tree sighed audibly as its branches were relieved of their burden.
Some will be eaten fresh, and the rest have been earmarked for baking.
We made some headway on the baking today, tucking a few cobblers and pies into the freezer.
My husband used his drill to spin the apples, and a sharp peeler blade to take off the skin. Pretty slick!
An "eat fresh" pile.
I'm so happy to have this little tree! It's one of the things I will replant on our new property as soon as I have the chance.
Fresh off the Frame
The "Flirtatious" pantograph on this adorable monkey quilt reminds me of the hands on the plastic monkeys in the old game, Barrel of Monkeys. (Remember that?)
"Flirtatious" also makes an appearance on this Christmas runner, but here it brings to mind wind and swirling snow. Because it is so flexible, it's one of my favourite pantos!
Time for a little "Before and After" . . . one of my favourite games!
I'd decided to use a panto on this gorgeous bargello to create an overlay of stitch that wouldn't detract from the fabric or the scene. Pantos have a way of adding structure while visually disappearing.
The vertical center of the quilt was quite tight, so it took a bit of convincing to square things up. This often happens with bargellos, I've noticed - things tighten up where the piecing is the tiniest.
It was a bit of a gamble to use a triangular motif instead of something swirly.
Well, too late now!
I think it's kinda cool - and I like how the shape created by the piecing is repeated in the quilting.
My client is a creative maverick, too, so I'm betting she'll be just fine with this experiment!
(Plus, when the quilt is hung on the wall, the quilting will be less obvious. I deliberately show texture in my photos because I'm writing about the quilting.)
Building Update
Basement plumbing has been roughed in, wall forms are up, and both machines were busy moving gravel when we checked in today. We are hoping for a concrete pour this week, if the weather holds.
.
Thanks to Total Cleaning Neglect, I've spent time making art this weekend, too! Yay!
I'm working on a piece for our November quilt show. It's so exciting to be back in my sewing room!
Does anyone else neglect chores in favour of fun? It seems I can no longer "do it all" the way I could when my kids were little. Now I see my daughter in that phase of life - doing more in a day than many do in a week. Whew. Makes me tired just thinking of it!
At any rate, I must allow TCN more often! It's fantastic for motivating creativity when one must choose between making art or cleaning toilets. ;-)
Try, Learn, & Grow!
Carole
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
Our small tree is an enthusiastic producer. Earlier today, it's thin branches hung to the ground, heavy with fruit.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
Beautiful fruit.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
I think the tree sighed audibly as its branches were relieved of their burden.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
Some will be eaten fresh, and the rest have been earmarked for baking.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
We made some headway on the baking today, tucking a few cobblers and pies into the freezer.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
My husband used his drill to spin the apples, and a sharp peeler blade to take off the skin. Pretty slick!
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
An "eat fresh" pile.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
I'm so happy to have this little tree! It's one of the things I will replant on our new property as soon as I have the chance.
Fresh off the Frame
The "Flirtatious" pantograph on this adorable monkey quilt reminds me of the hands on the plastic monkeys in the old game, Barrel of Monkeys. (Remember that?)
 |
| Client quilt, FreshofftheFrame.com |
"Flirtatious" also makes an appearance on this Christmas runner, but here it brings to mind wind and swirling snow. Because it is so flexible, it's one of my favourite pantos!
 |
| Client quilt, FreshofftheFrame.com |
Time for a little "Before and After" . . . one of my favourite games!
I'd decided to use a panto on this gorgeous bargello to create an overlay of stitch that wouldn't detract from the fabric or the scene. Pantos have a way of adding structure while visually disappearing.
 |
| Client quilt, BEFORE FreshofftheFrame.com |
The vertical center of the quilt was quite tight, so it took a bit of convincing to square things up. This often happens with bargellos, I've noticed - things tighten up where the piecing is the tiniest.
 |
| Client quilt in progress FreshofftheFrame.com |
 |
| Client quilt, AFTER FreshofftheFrame.com |
I think it's kinda cool - and I like how the shape created by the piecing is repeated in the quilting.
My client is a creative maverick, too, so I'm betting she'll be just fine with this experiment!
(Plus, when the quilt is hung on the wall, the quilting will be less obvious. I deliberately show texture in my photos because I'm writing about the quilting.)
Building Update
Basement plumbing has been roughed in, wall forms are up, and both machines were busy moving gravel when we checked in today. We are hoping for a concrete pour this week, if the weather holds.
.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
Thanks to Total Cleaning Neglect, I've spent time making art this weekend, too! Yay!
I'm working on a piece for our November quilt show. It's so exciting to be back in my sewing room!
Does anyone else neglect chores in favour of fun? It seems I can no longer "do it all" the way I could when my kids were little. Now I see my daughter in that phase of life - doing more in a day than many do in a week. Whew. Makes me tired just thinking of it!
At any rate, I must allow TCN more often! It's fantastic for motivating creativity when one must choose between making art or cleaning toilets. ;-)
Try, Learn, & Grow!
Carole
Great haul of apples. I lost my apple tree last year and haven't got around to replacing it yet. I love the quilting on the Bargello. A great choice
ReplyDeleteYour apples look wonderful, what kind are they? And do you spray your trees for bugs etc.?
ReplyDeleteOh yes I often do TCN-with just the two of us it's easier to do!
I think the quilting on the Bargello looks great! Congrats on the house progress and what an awesome tree.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Yvonne on the quilting, house and tree! What variety of apple is it? It looks delicious. And TCN happens all the time round here! There has to be someone coming to visit to pull me out of it! I don't think anyone really manages to do it all, it's just a matter of making choices about what you prioritise, for me children/beach/river/garden/sewing machine/cooking are so much more of a priority than cleaning.
ReplyDeleteWhere to start?? The apples - yum. Yum. YUM! We've planted several fruit trees, but have yet to eat any fruit from them. Someday....
ReplyDeleteThat pantograph is perfect for the monkeys! And the snow!!
I love the applique added to the bargello, and your quilting topped it off perfectly.
SQUEEL!! Your house is coming along so nicely!! Happy dance :-) I'm confused, though. I thought I had figured out that a crawl space and the basement were the same thing, but now I'm thinking not. Guess I will just have to wait for the next installment.
Yay for TCN!!! Sometimes, that's the very best plan!!
Great quilting, love the triangles. I agree, it is nice to echo the piecing. Beautiful apples. I am looking forward to the Apple Festival here to get some fresh ones.
ReplyDeleteThe triangular motif on the bargello quilt is so perfect - it really echoes the diagonal movement of the design perfectly Carole. I also love the Barrel full of Monkeys quilting on the monkey quilt. You are so gifted at capturing the feeling of a quilt and then enhancing it with your quilting!
ReplyDeleteOh wow did you get a great apple crop from that little tree. Yum!
The nice thing about using TCN to create art is that you still have something to show for your efforts a week later. :) I recommend it highly.
Good luck with the concrete pour.
I always enjoy seeing the world through your eyes.
ReplyDeleteyummo apple picking and baking. Fun to see your building progress and am always inspired to by your quilting. :)
ReplyDelete