Another square-in-square finished!

So today.... just in the nick of time (we travel to North Carolina tomorrow to see lots of family - yay!), I finally finished tacking back the binding on my niece's graduation quilt - yet another raw-edge applique, square-in-square quilt (by request!).  Washed and dried it, and with a little daylight left, enlisted my girls to help with a quick snapshot:

Pictures taken before I trimmed all the bits of loose thread from the raw-edge applique:

I used lots of fabrics purchased at the City Quilter in NYC in colors requested by my niece... plus scraps of Japanese linen, silk, and whatever else I had on hand.  I finished the whole thing in Japan, save tacking back the binding.  (Did I ever even live in Japan?  In many ways it seems like a faraway dream, after only one short month away.)

I think I could use this Japanese brown linen polka dot in every quilt I ever make:

And speaking of using brown... I really enjoyed a recent guest post over at Elven Garden on color theory -  here  - by Alison of Little Island Quilting -  Her colorful scrappy quilts are just wonderful and her theory really resonates with me.  Hurray for brown... for not necessarily using a whole designer line of fabric at once... for considering VALUE... in a nutshell, hurray for scrappy!

And now... it is after midnight!  How did that happen?  With an early flight tomorrow... I... must... pack (not exactly my specialty!).

Yet another raw edged square-in-square

This quilt, which I began back in October, has been finished for awhile but really needed a good solid washing and drying, to "tatter" the edges of the raw-edge applique.  I finally got a chance to borrow use of a friend's American-sized washer and dryer, which made the task possible!

David wasn't around so I just had one helper to take a photo outside - what a goofball!

Come on, Tommy, hold still so I can snap a few close-ups!

And because this was raw edge appliqued I then spent an episode or two of White Collar,   trimming and picking out stray threads.

It is now finally ready to send to David and Janette.  Yay!

M's college quilt, and Hakone

I'm making a college quilt for my niece and sure enough she wants the same design that my daughters wanted.  Oh my goodness!  Here we go again!

Miss M sent me an email with some color choices and inspiration images:

8", 5", 3 1/2", and 1 3/4" squares - all raw-edge machine appliqued for an eventually frayed and tattered look.

I am drawing from my stash of Japanese scraps, some neutral linen and muslin, shot cottons, and lots of "modern" fabrics purchased at the City Quilter in NYC and Quilter's Way in MA.

 These colors aren't true but I'm so busy these days I have little chance for daytime photos.

This afternoon I finished piecing the first half.  Most apartments here in Japan are wallpapered with white textured vinyl... ours is no exception - so with a little washi tape, voila! Design wall.

If I were making this quilt for a wee toddler or preschooler, I would quilt and bind it as is - I like the proportions.  But for a college student it needs to double in size!  I have the rows all set to piece.

On Friday, David, Tommy and I took a daytrip to Hakone - by the end of the day, we had enjoyed various views of Mt. Fuji and had taken subway, bullet train, train, cable car, ropeway, ship (!), and taxi.  Lots and lots of walking too.  It was a sunny brisk day - just a great outing and if you are a local, I highly recommend it!

Open Air Museum:

Hey!  by Shin Yamamoto, 1992

Park in Rome, by Toshio Yodoi, 1976

We hiked (walked really, up a long series of steps) up to the summit of this inactive volcano crater, which had erupted 3000 years ago and still emits sulfur steam - ya, it smelled terrible!

Once at the summit, with any luck you have a great view of Fuji-san.  Ours was somewhat obscured by clouds; we saw it but you'll have to take my word for it that it's somewhere in the background of this photo!

And for 500 yen you can purchase a steaming packet of eggs which have been hard boiled in the sulfured water.  The shells turn a beautiful matte black - reminded me of soapstone.

Legend has it that eating one of these eggs will add seven years to your life.

To me, that's time to make at least seven additional quilts:).

Another Millie quilt

Believe it or not, I'm making another Millie quilt, this time for my brother D (well, let's face it,  mostly for my sister in law J)....

At first I thought this would be a good color scheme.....

But quickly felt it really needed some pops of red....

Easy piecing (messy, thready):  

8" base squares in mediums and darks.  

Raw edge machine applique - first 5" squares, then 3 1/2" squares, then 1 3/4" black flannel squares.  

The blue ticking is old - it was my Mom's.... and the dragonflies are Japanese.  

Lots of texture - linen polkadots and vintage kimono silk: 

Rows are all pieced, pressed and numbered: 

And I'm getting there: 

J asked for a quilt like this a few years ago.  She is one of those rare non-quilters who really loves and "gets" quilts.  My brother is a fine carpenter and appreciates hand made items.  At that time I was just about to start teaching fourth grade full time, and there was just no way (do you ever get asked to make a quilt, and you think, you guys have no idea how much time and expense goes into making a quilt!)... but now I finally do have the breathing space to make her one and I'm glad to.  I'm less good at making quilts on demand.  

Here in Japan I work just two mornings a week, and do some volunteer work, but I really am enjoying lots of time for creativity!  It helps that we live in a very small apartment with none of the home-maintenance chores we deal with back home in Massachusetts!  As quilting goes, I am living by "make hay while the sun shines" because when we return to the U.S., it's back to real life... and surely less time for quilting!

Miss K's graduation quilt - finished!

So I think we're calling this simply K--'s quilt.  The working title was "lipstick" but really, it's her "NYC Dreams" quilt I think and that's what I put on the label.  It is another iteration of Millie's Quilt and Miss N's quilt.  I do think it's cute that she wanted a quilt so similar to the one that's been in our family room for ages.  It's exactly the same as her big sis's college quilt - but in her pinks and reds.

I labeled it today and when she got home from school, I wrapped her in a big hug and tried not to cry!  We do have a summer with her yet!

The grey is antique kimono silk

All Japanese linen - love the polka dots!

Lots of older fabric brought from my stash in MA 

The star print is a Liberty.

The pink is a chirimen print.  The grey is a textured fabric bought at the Tokyo Quilt Festival.

I used monofilament thread in the needle for the quilting.  It disappears nicely, but did show on this dark batik. 

Border and binding: Fairfield by Lisa DeBee Schiller for Windham Fabrics, purchased in Denver at Harriet's 

Stripy backing. 

Linking to Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story - see my sidebar for the link - always lots of lovely projects to see there!

Miss K's quilt well underway

I am really in the final stretch with Miss K's high school graduation quilt.  In the fall she'll be off to NYC to pursue her dreams... I will miss her so.

Wouldn't you know, Miss K wanted the same quilt I made for her big sis... only in pinks and the kinds of reds that go with pink... and plenty of Japanese taupy neutrals (and polkadots for fun!) mixed in.  This quilt also has a touch of Liberty, some scraps from Millie's quilt, some Japanese chirimen fabric, antique kimono silk, lots of linen.  This particular one will really, really be "tattered" looking I think, which is what Miss K wants.  It's that same quilt I've already made several times and blogged about here - the one I can't seem to stop making!  I'm sort of tired of it at this point, but Miss K is thrilled with it, so... onward ho!

Getting there with the piecing.... about 2/3 of the way there.... 

Fussing cutting a border.... 

Random strips for the backing... and the project is really taking over the apartment...  

I know that starching the heck out of each strip will help when it comes to machine quilting... and one benefit to piecing a backing is that I can do this ironing in small bites as I go. 

What will we name this quilt?  "Strawberry"? (Ah, Japanese strawberries, a daily staple!)

Or...."Lipstick" ? 

I'll decide later.  Right now I've GOT to commit to piecing the backing, sandwiching, and basting before Miss N arrives from Boston Tuesday night!  At some point, I just can't take over the whole apartment with quilting.  

And... it's Mother's Day.  The shrub across from our apartment gets bloomier every day.  

Today I dearly miss my Mom.  She passed away way way too young, over ten years ago.  If you are with your Mom this Mother's Day, take a picture with her!  I wish I had more pictures of me with my Mom.  Tommy snapped this one yesterday morning of me with Miss K. 

Happy Mother's Day, happy quilting!