I haven’t forgotten these.
I finally got around to cutting out more solids for it.
And I have plenty of these to work from!
I really enjoy sitting down to make a block here and there, and it really adds up! This may end up as the wedding quilt that I need for a summer wedding.
Have a great day!
I promised to share more on the washing of this quilt.
This one deserved a good hand wash.
You might wonder why I washed it. The batting and backing were both new. One look at this water and you understand why. All that is from the top. All that dirt acts like sand paper on the fibers. This was the first wash.
This was the third wash. I used baby shampoo.
I followed that with four rinsings. This is the last.
I pressed on the quilt to get as much water as possible out. I followed that up with rolling in towels. Then I spread it out on a clean sheet in the backyard.
I covered it with another clean sheet and left it out until it was almost dry. Then I put it in my dryer. And here it is! So much brighter!
The back crinkled up nicely, hiding my stitches.
And my repairs blend in even better now.
Here’s a good before and after. The first photo was taken just after I purchased this as a tied quilt.
And after quilting and washing.
Have a great day!
I think that’s what I’ll call this quilt! Anyway, I pieced the 9 patches back together.
And I arranged them as closely as possible like they were originally. I did make it one row shorter so I could leave out some dodgy bits.
Now it is back together, basted, and ready for hand quilting.
I’m going to use crochet thread and big stitch quilting to do Baptist Fans. In theory, it shouldn’t take long since the top is now smaller.
Have a great day!
I never really set goals for this month, but it feels like I accomplished a lot. That happens when you have a pile of tops at the quilting stage. Here are my finishes.
This top was made by my sweet DIL.
A couple zipper pouches.
My favorite finish!
So I delayed a trip this month, but will be going in May. My biggest goal for this next month is coming up with a wedding quilt idea and getting started on it. I’d like to have it ready to deliver in mid June.
Have a great day!
You are invited to a Sprng Garden Party live online, hosted by Accuquilt !
Click here to register. These are always fun, especially the door prizes!
I hope you can join us. Have a great day!
I purchased this tied quilt on August 9, 2020.
I deconstructed it in the fall and started hand quilting it on December 3, 2020. I took the last stitch on April 17, 2021.
It was worth all the repair work and sore fingers!
That binding fabric is from my late, great aunt’s stash. I’ve used it for a number of quilts and it is nearly gone. It was perfect for this.
I used simple unbleached muslin on the back. It is my favorite backing for vintage tops.
I’ve said before that my hand quilting style is best described as quantity over quality. My stitches are not small and even, but they are good enough.
I will never tire of the texture from parallel lines of stitching.
Sigh…..
Since taking these photos, I’ve washed this quilt. But that saga deserves its own post. Look for it soon.
Have a great day!
I needed a small handwork project for in the car so I pulled out these hexies I had basted.
I roughly sorted by color and started sewing them into strips.
This won’t be very big, but it will feel good to use these up.
I hope I don’t end up having to baste more. These things tend to be a bit like sourdough starter.
Anyway, on to the deals. Today only, Accuquilt has 25% off everything, except newly released dies, if you spend over $50.
Fat Quarter Shop has some great flash sales today as well. Don’t they always? So tempting! Especially that Honey Bun.
And last, but not least, Connecting Threads has a new line out called, Main Street Mercantile.
This line has some great basic prints that will make wonderful backgrounds, bindings, etc. They also have some great stuff newly added to their clearance section.
These are affiliate links. If you purchase something from these places after clicking through one of my links, I earn a small commission off the sale. This helps offset the cost of the blog. I truly appreciate your support!
Have a great day!
In for a penny, in for a pound! As I took apart the blocks of the 9 patch top, I realized I really had to take apart the 9 patches too. See that skinny seam allowance?
Some of these blocks just made me laugh! I can just imagine her finishing a block, turning it over, and saying, too bad, that screw up is staying!
I ripped these apart while watching the littles. It didn’t take too long since the stitches were so big.
Then I pressed them and cut them down with my die cutter to 2 inch squares.
Now I’m ready to reconstruct.
So much for a quick and easy project.
Have a great day!
So I decided to hand quilt this top next.
I made a backing from appropriate vintage fabrics and loaded it up.
But I just couldn’t move ahead. Sigh…..so here I am taking the top apart. It wouldn’t lay flat. Not. At. All.
You can see why above. The blocks vary a bit in size…… I decided to take the blocks apart, square them up and sew it back together. This quilt maker has her quirks. See the patch turned outside in?
Do I take the 9 patches apart and redo those? She handpieced with huge stitches and very course thread (string?).
I picked this thinking it would be quick and easy…..I should have known.
Have a great day!
I’m so far behind on comments, I don’t think I’ll ever catch up! So I decided to do a Q and A post to hopefully catch us all up.
First off, I have been asked about the pattern for this QOV. I don’t have one! I just used four patches made from 2 1/2” squares and 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch rectangles. You can read more about the making of this top here and here. I’m more than happy for anyone to copy this quilt for personal use!
I was also asked what the affiliate program was for Urban Elementz. Being an affiliate simply means that if you click to a site through a link on my blog, and subsequently make a purchase, I make a tiny commission. Urban Elementz has discontinued this program so I no longer receive a commission from them. However, I am still an affiliate for Accuquilt , Connecting Threads, and Fat Quarter Shop . The commission I earn helps to cover the cost of the blog. Maintaining a blog requiring this much storage is far from free, so I greatly appreciate the support.
A pattern for my Blue Collar Diamonds quilt can be found in the book, A Sisterhood of Scraps.
I was also asked about the hanging loops in the photo above. They are bits of twill tape, about 7 inches long. I just use straight pins to attach them to the quilt. They are not permanently affixed.
I had questions about using sheets for backing. I personally have not had problems using sheets for backings. However, I do not use super high thread count sheets. I don’t prewash them.
I think that’s it for now. Have a great day!
KatyQuilts 