Improvising a block

The challenge was to improvise a block. I believe the idea was to do something modern with bright squares on white and I like some of those and eventually did one -- sort of -- but was not at all happy about it as a block. What I did first was this one which doesn't look improvised at all. But it was.

I started with four 5x5 charm squares, all batiks, two were blue with purple in them -- they were different batiks but the colors were the same intensity -- the other two were pink with purple and a pinky-apricot. I sewed them together and then I cut off half of each of two sides, switched them to the other side and sewed them together and then I did the same with the two sides I had not cut. So I then had a different block which I then cut diagonally corner to corner each way so I had four pieces. I switched them around and sewed them back together. Then I cut the four corners from middle seam to middle seam and switched them and sewed them back together. That produced the inner block. If I had done some different switching it would look a bit different.

By then the 9-1/2x9/12 inch block that resulted from sewing the original four charms together had shrunk to 7x7 and I needed a 10x10 inch block, so I added the border which is a third blue batik.

This was fun, a little bit labor intensive, but then isn't all quilting somewhere between a little and very, very labor intensive? Last spring I purchased several packages of batik charms about 120 total and all different. I have a stash of batiks collected for a few years so I could make a complete quilt as I made this block, it would be one of those multicolored creations that really fascinate me. I also like projects where I can do a block or two a sewing session over a longish period of time until I accumulate enough for a quilt. I think I have just talked myself into making a quilt constructed in this way using only those batiks. Check back in 12 of 18 months for a progress report.

Autumn quiltie

This darling little quiltie was sent to me in a swap. It has a crazy quilt background in subdued matching colors and then the pumpkin nicely satin stitched to the whole. I really appreciate when people send me tasteful pieces that are well done. This is now hanging beside my door -- my only seasonal decoration. In the apartment building where I live some people get extremely enthusiastic about buying the seasonal junk that's all to available and decorating their entry ways. I'm happy to let them do the creative work, I like something low key near by door.

Big Birds on Main Street

Walking on Main Street, which I haven't done for some weeks, maybe months, I stopped to enjoy these two birds which are on either end of a bit of a plaza in front of some stores. The pedestals are a couple of feet high. The birds themselves are about 3 feet from tip of beak to tip of tail. They are a collage of shiny metal, maybe aluminum. They have that sort of familiar, slightly scruffy feeling I see in the gulls that hang out on the beach I walk on often. So, in a very different medium from flesh and blood and feathers, these birds, nevertheleass, have an authenticity that I really enjoy.

An Autumn Quiltie

The same fabric in green and in gold seemed to ask to become a falling leaf quiltie. Unsure what else to do I simply added a wide border. Our leaves are about at that stage -- turning brown, not yet off the trees, mostly.

This is a example of something that happens to me quite a bit: The fabrics were given to me, I remember by whom and that it was a very long time ago -- at least ten years. But I never forgot I had the fabrics and always knew a time would come when I would want to use them. I have more left, I might so something similar next fall ... who knows?

Stained Glass Wndow

A quilter sees quilts everywhere.

This lovely stained glass panel was hanging in a window of one of the the Wood's Hole Oceanic Institute. I could only think what a lovely design for a small quilt!

National Seashore Quilts

On this absolutely gorgeous Indian summer afternoon, Rachel and I went to the visitor's center at he National Seashore in Eastham to the 51 quilts made by the Bayberry Quilters to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the seashore being made a national park. I had seen the quilts at our August show but Rachel had not seen them. They are an impressive demonstration of pictorial quilting. All individual, using a variety of techniques. I think it's an impressive show.

I could resist taking a photo of this woman's wonderful jacket with a huge butterfly printed on the back and lightly embellished with black beading. I'd LOVE to own and wear that jacket.


A couple of pictures of what a gorgeous walk we had are on my Big 7-0 blog.

What's in a name?

Sometimes I read one blog and it leads to another blog and it leads ... you know what I mean, I'm sure. Doesn't that happen to all of us?

I reached Sweet as Cinnamon, the blog by Dawn, an Australina quilter who asked how did you choose your blog name? Since my name is June Calender and that sounds fake enough -- but I've managed to get used to it in all my years of living with it -- I felt Calender Pages would be entirely appropriate for a blog that I intended to post on fairly regularly. So the name kind of came with the territory. Not very creative but comfortable for me.

Sometimes these surfing adventures lead to unexpected questions and unexpected delights. And often I wonder just how many quilt associated blogs are out there, seems to me it could be pushing the million mark. We quilters are all over the world and you only have to think of the popularity of show and tell at most gatherings of quilters to realize that we love to show what we're up to, tell others how we did it or why and look at see what others are doing. A chatty bunch, really. I love it.