Avaland / Lois's 2024 thread. Welcome!

The only current project is to finish more of the children's lap quilts. Hoping I'll perk up in 2024.

Nothing on the docket yet. Looking forward to reading all your plans for the new year.....:-)

Wishing you luck with all of your many quilts, Lois!

>2 MickyFine: Thanks. I need to make a curtain for one of the bathrooms first (but first I must get a coordinating fabric....)

Happy New Year and happy quilting!

Hi Lois.

Hope it goes well with the children’s lap quilts and that you figure out what you want to do after that.

Curtain, huh? What are you coordinating with?

>4 lesmel: Thanks; and Happy New Year to you!

>5 PawsforThought: Nothing happening with the kid quilt.

re: bathroom curtain. I instead I bought a small white curtain and a smallish rod to do cafe-type curtain....

Hope the children's lap quilt stitching is off to a great start!

Hi Lois! Nice to be back in touch with you again. Looking forward to seeing your needlework!

Madeline! Hello! I'm cleaning out the studio currently. It's going to take a long time.
Whether I produce anything is questionable, but I'll be watching the rest of you!

>9 avaland: ...and I'll be watching you! :D

The cleaning continues. Found some unfinished projects that I will finish.

This is one: I do love those Kona prints!



Another is a round pillow I was making for my son out of salvaged fabric from the Hawaiian shirts he wore in high school.

>11 avaland: Those are absolutely gorgeous fabrics! Wonderful rich colours. I love how you are going to block/frame them.

I have some Japanese style fabrics somewhere. I should look for them.

Hawaiian shirts would make a great pillow.

I have some Japanese style fabrics somewhere too. I love the way these are framed in color and then black sashing. I need to remember that. How big are the print squares, Lois?

I have a square acrylic template that is 8.5 inches. Will send you a note...

Am working on a round pillow for my son made out of material from some of his old Hawaiian shirts (he is 39, he wore during high school). It's a bug bear...as I chose to make a round pillow but I will persevere.

The top for Asian quilt top (as seen above) is ready for quilting. Not sure what that will be. I will have to find a new quilter, all my previous gals are retired.

I also have a few charity lap quilts to finish. Then I will retire doing those (I think I have down around 100 over the last 10 yrs

>11 avaland: Spectacular!!!

>16 PlatinumWarlock: Thanks! I'll try to post a pic of the finished top.





(there are two "pink" flower squares that I misplaced so that they sit next to two other pink blocks...I didn't see it immediately...and, well, since the quilt is going to stay with me, I'm going to leave it that way as a reminder of my imperfection :-) Next thing to ponder: do I quilt it simply quilt it OR send it out?

Well I'm staring at the photo and can't really see the imperfections, so... Also, it's always a good idea to have at least one little mistake in any fiber art project, so Athene doesn't get jealous. At least that's what I like to tell myself...

nice work.

>19 al.vick: Thank you!

>18 scaifea: Thanks ;). I am now a former admin....

Now I'm trying to find a quilter to do that Asian quilt. I can do straight lines and 'waves' but that's it.

If I have to do it myself, I'll do wavy gold lines in the black....

>21 avaland: I still haven't figured out how to do more than straight lines myself. It seems like such a daunting thing to me.

>21 avaland: - >22 scaifea: - Me too!

It's lovely regardless of the adjacent pink squares.

Thanks, all. I saw some gold braid on line that could be useful. I could do some framing straight lines on the black and put the braid near the inside border ....still thinking.

What a great way to showcase those beautiful fabrics!

>25 avaland: An alternate idea, going back to the pinks and incorporating the idea of braid - is it possible to find a very very deep rose braid to use for the framing straight lines, thus making a virtue of the pink squares you think are misplaced?!
Gold would be lovely too, given its cousins I see in your colours.

>26 mabith: Thanks!

>27 SassyLassy: Do you mean using the braid on the black lattice between floral squares? Hmmm. I'm not sure the rose would work for the other-colored flowers. I've gotten used to them, and when the quilt is being used I think it will be ok.

Dragging getting the braid, maybe second thoughts

>28 avaland: I was thinking of using it where you were going to use the gold. However, the gold as you initially thought, will work really well with the other colours. I'm seeing lots of golden friends in there!

Meant to say your Hawaiian cushion is really fun.

All sewing has stopped as hubby has had a stroke. He is home but needs some help. Still hoping to finish a few projects when he recovers.

>30 avaland: Oh, no! I’m so sorry to hear that.
Good that he’s back home already and I’m hoping for a speedy recovery. Take care of yourselves!

>30 avaland: Repeating >31 PawsforThought:'s sentiments! I'm glad he's home and on the way to recovering.

>30 avaland: Ooof. Keeping you both in my thoughts, Lois.

>30 avaland: Take respite for yourself in your sewing space when you can, even if you aren't doing any sewing.

As before, good to hear about Michael being home so soon.

Sending good thoughts for you and your husband, Lois.

Sending good thoughts.

I hope your husband continues to improve and that you are able to take some time for yourself soon.

Holding you both in the light, as the Quakers say.

Thank you all for the best wishes. He is recovering well. Has to use a walker still. We took a walk down the driveway yesterday while waiting we waited for my son-in-law to pick him up for a doctor visit.

I was going to do some sewing yesterday but I had problems threading the machine. I actually thought about quilting it by hand (my first few quilts back in the early '80s were quilted by hand) but talked myself out of it.

Hubby is doing ok and is walking with a cane as of today. Little sewing has been done as family and various others (nurse, LT, occupational…eta) are coming a d going. It’s nice that spring is here.

That's good to hear, Lois. Otr temperatures are gradually getting better. M purple crocuses are in bloom - they're always first. So nice to see.

>39 avaland: My sister-in-law only quilts by hand. She doesn't even own a sewing machine! She makes gorgeous quilts and has won many prizes over the years.

>40 avaland: Glad to hear this good news!

>40 avaland: Good to hear that hubby is doing okay. Holding my thumbs (because that’s what we do) that his recovery keeps going well.