This and That

Posted on February 10, 2021 by katyquilts

Remember these?

I cut more pieces when I was back in Michigan. But I didn’t count very well. Ugh. Oh, well. I made a couple more and will piece one here and there until I’m out of parts.

We had a lovely weekend with family, including a birthday party for a Big L. I can’t believe he is seven already.

I also wanted to share this comment left by Wanda at Exuberant Color regarding die cutting on cross grain vs. lengthwise grain.

And if you’ve never visited Wanda’s blog, you are in for a treat. It’s the one I read with my coffee every morning.

Lastly, I wanted to share these books with you.

Historical novels in diary form? I’m in! I read these books for the first time not long after my first trip to Arizona. Since then I’ve read them at least three times, maybe four. They tell the story of a young woman who comes to Arizona Territory and settles here. I look around at the wilderness here and know that Sarah was made of sterner stuff than I am! I finally ordered my own copies.

Have a great day!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Quilt of Valor

Posted on February 9, 2021 by katyquilts

Every year on the first Saturday in February, the Quilt of Valor Foundation hosts a national sew day, complete with prizes. I always think of this happening in the winter, so I kept thinking it was a long way off. Well, it was last Saturday and I found out when I saw it on Instagram! Saturday was a busy day, but in the evening I got out this bin of red, white, and blue fabrics given to me by my neighbor and started cutting.

Someone asked about how much waste there was using an Accuquilt die cutter. I thought I’d show you here. In the bin were three half yard cuts. I layered and pressed them and rough cut them in strips, 6 layers deep.

I’m using this die.

In no time I had this pile of 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch rectangles.

And this is the waste. The bits on the left will be die cut into smaller squares, so not really waste in my book.

I’m more than happy with that little pile in exchange for speed and accuracy! And here is my whole quilt cut out and ready for piecing.

Click here to see all the current deals from Accuquilt . Have a great day!

This post contains affiliate links.

Posted in Accuquilt, Quilt of Valor, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

My Chair Redo

Posted on February 8, 2021 by katyquilts

Before we even got to Arizona, I was scrolling through the online marketplaces looking for stuff for the house. I found this chair and had daughter #2 pick it up for me. I had no idea how huge it was!

Mr. Wonderful calls it the Santa Claus chair. I refer to it as my throne. I loved it, but it wasn’t really comfortable . Also, as much as I loved the pattern, it clashed with everything.

The cushions were too big and too hard. So I decided to redo them. This is what it looks like without them. Cool, huh?

I picked up several yards of this upholstery fabric from a Good Will back home and brought it out here, not really knowing what I’d do with it.

Time to cut down these gigantic cushions!

An electric knife is just the ticket for that job.

My 301 powers through this like it was quilting cotton.

And ta daaaaa!

In person, the fabric looks more green than blue. Willy gave it his seal of approval. I don’t love this kind of sewing, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. It is much more comfortable now too.

Have a great day!

Posted in Home projects, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Leaders/Enders

Posted on February 8, 2021 by katyquilts

I showed the pieces I cut for a scrappy quilt on my bucket list. I’ve been piecing them into blocks as leaders/enders for a while. Then I had an afternoon with roofers pounding overhead and I finished the blocks.

Hmmmm…..this would be cool. But not quite what I’m working toward.

My inspiration was a vintage quilt in an old book by Roberta Horton called, Scrap Quilts: The Art of Making Do. Stay tuned.

Posted in Leader/Ender, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Slow Stitching Sunday

Posted on February 7, 2021 by katyquilts

I was planning to machine quilt this doll quilt, but the skipping stitches on the Bernina made me change my mind. So I’m hand quilting.

I will do a simple grid. The fabric in the alternate blocks makes for a nice guideline.

I start with a big grid and then add lines in between. It’s supposed to be another lovely day here so I might even sit outside to sew.

Hav a great day!

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Another Kit

Posted on February 6, 2021 by katyquilts

While I was back in Michigan, I used my Accuquilt die cutter to cut out several projects to bring back. It didn’t take long at all to cut these pieces out.

These are the dies I used.

I also need 2 1/2 inch squares, but I already have a bunch ready to go.

I love scrappy quilts and I sure do love my Accuquilt die cutter! I’ve started piecing blocks for this which I will share soon.

Have a great day!

This post contains affiliate links.

Posted in Accuquilt, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Such a Great Day!

Posted on February 5, 2021 by katyquilts

Things can turn around so quickly! We met our neighbors this week and found out a quilter lives just across the street! How cool is that? She is cleaning out her sewing room and gave me bags of fabric to go through. Oh, I had so much fun!

I also cleaned my sewing room. See Kelly, it isn’t always a mess!

I picked up an office chair at Good Will. I threw the chair away and I’m using the base for my roll of batting.

Now my batting is not sitting on the floor collecting dust bunnies. I also picked up this Horn cabinet for my Bernina for a whopping $12! I’m not sure it will stay in this spot.

Little by little, things are coming together. Have a great day!

Posted in Sewing Room Pics, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Finish It Up Friday ~ Flying Geese

Posted on February 5, 2021 by katyquilts

Some quilts are just a struggle…..sigh…..

This should have been quick and easy. I finished the top and while I wasn’t head over heels with it, it wasn’t bad. I guess I forgot to take a photo.

Then I started quilting it. I decided to try it on my old Bernina 1030. I haven’t used this machine in a long time. Now I remember why.

It used to be my go to machine for straight quilting and binding. Then I used it on a quilt with minky and I t ended up getting knocked out of time and I had to take it in. A year later, I tried it again with minky. Ugh. Same thing. I took it in again. I didn’t try the machine out for a few months and by then, the place that had done the work was out of business. And guess what? It still skipped stitches.

I fiddled with it enough to get this quilted, but if I went too fast, my thread broke.

Over and over and over.

When I finally finished, my fingers were blue. What in the world? I washed my hands and made my binding out of the same stuff that I put on the back of the quilt. I had to use steam to get a good crease. My fingers turned more blue.

Then I remembered that I picked this up at my favorite place that sells flat folds. It was in with the cottons and it looked and felt like cotton. It said digitally printed on the edge. I decided this was getting a good dunk.

Yikes! It is still soaking. I did take a few photos before this so you can see what it was supposed to look like.

And the offending fabric on the back.

I guess this won’t be my swap quilt either.

Sigh. Momma said there’d be days like this…

Hold the presses! After soaking many times, for many hours, here is my finished quilt.

Not at all what I was going for. And here is a photo of the fabric before using, and how it looked in the back of the quilt after soaking and washing.

I hope your day is going well.

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Finishes 2021, Small Quilts | 9 Comments

This and That

Posted on February 4, 2021 by katyquilts

Last weekend, Mr. Wonderful and I went hiking. It was the most beautiful day!

I love seeing flowers this tine of year.

We’ve loved spending time with with our boys.

Big L turns 7 this week! He looks so 🙌🏻 in his new glasses.

The mister and I found a lovely park to walk in at night.

A little friend I found in my backyard.

Sweet grand dog Bambi! Those eyes are something else.

I was asked about which way to run fabric through a die cutter. This is Accuquilt’s recommendation. I run scraps any which way through my studio cutter. I’ve yet to see if it makes a difference with the GO!

I’ve also been asked about my header photo. It is a page from Mister’s grandmother’s journal. I got to read it when I visited my sweet MIL one summer. I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of this page!

We’ve been living in a noisy house this past week as our roof was redone. Next big project here will be solar panels.

Have a great day!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Itty Bitty Bow Ties Part 2

Posted on February 4, 2021 by katyquilts

I’ve been looking at and thinking about these blocks on the design wall for the last several days.

If I put them together just like this, it will be too big for the doll quilt swap. I thought I might use alternate plain blocks and use fewer bow ties, but I don’t have much on hand here. Then I found a chunk in my bin of neutrals.

I like this! It might still be a bit too large, but maybe it will shrink enough in the wash.

Besides, I can make one to send and one to keep.

Yes, this is now the plan! Have a great day!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments