Design Wall Monday ~ Bow Ties

Last fall, I participated in a block swap hosted by Barb at Fun with Barb. I received this lovely pile of blocks back.

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I have been thinking about using them to surround a center panel. I bought both of these last September when I visited Homestead Hearth in Mexico, MO.


 I hate that panels are so often printed crooked! Anyway, I tried out each panel to see how they would look surrounded by the bow tie blocks.

 I decided I liked General Grant best since these blocks are all made with Civil War repro prints.

This is still up on the design wall and so it is all subject to change. But I think I like where this is headed.

Linking up with Patchwork Times, Cooking Up Quilts, Love, Laugh, Quilt and Em’s Scrap Bag

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Design Wall Monday, Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Slow Stitching Sunday

We took a quick trip home last weekend to visit my parents. All that time in the car was just the jumpstart I needed to get back to working on my Brinton Hall quilt. This is where it is at right now.


Two corners done! And a third is started!


Looks like I need to prepare a few more hexies today. I have another hand sewing project that needs to get done today, the binding on the double 4patch quilt is just waiting for me.that needs to be done this week so I can gift it.


The weather here is rather frightful, so it will be nice to spend the day sewing after church.

Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts, Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Posted in Brinton Hall, Hand piecing | 16 Comments

Vintage Quilts

I love old quilts. The stories they could tell! Here are a few I spotted recently at a local antique mall. 

 
  
  
  
This last one is my favorite. Do you think that “H” block was intentional? 

Happy Saturday!

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Finish It Up Friday ~ Morning Star

This turned out to be my last finish for 2015. And it is one of, if not my oldest, UFOs so that makes it a great finish! The first series of pictures were taken before washing. I used Glide thread for the quilting and two layers of batting, one 100% cotton (off brand from JoAnn’s) and one layer of Pellon low loft poly. Here is a look at the back. I used an ancient piece of pink calico from the late 80s-early 90s.

 I made a template out of paper for the feather spines and the feathers themselves were quilted freehand.
The rest of these pictures show the quilt after washing. You can really see the difference from the picture above to the one just below.

I am not happy with the feather wreathes in the centers, but they don’t show up much anyway.
I also seem to have a really hard time quilting a piano key border and keeping it even! Again, it doesn’t show enough to bother me too badly here.

I am not sure where this one will end up. I may just hang it over my bed.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Richard and Tanya Quilts, A Quilted Passion

Posted in Finishes, Free Motion Quilting | 14 Comments

2015 Baby/Toddler Quilts

During January, I am showing groups of quilts that I finished last year. This is mainly for my own benefit as it is a record of the quilts I have made without having to wade through a year’s worth of blog posts.

I love making baby quilts! They are the perfect size for trying out a new technique with out committing to a huge project that could take just short of forever.  Looks like I made 13 baby and toddler quilts this year.  IMG_9710 IMG_1700IMG_3725IMG_3119IMG_4039 IMG_4021IMG_3499IMG_1130IMG_1616 IMG_1268img_0671 img_0667

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Most of these have been gifted. A few of these are here just waiting  for a new baby to come along.

Have a great day!

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation

 

 

Posted in Baby Quilts, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

UFO Parade 2016

I spent some time on Monday looking through my UFOs to make a new list for this year. I actually didn’t find quite as many as I expected to! Some of these will be familiar :).

  1. I cut these triangles ages ago when cleaning out a bin of bright fabrics. These 6 inch HSTs will be made into Quilts Beyond Borders. I did make one quilt from them and it turned out so cute! Time to finish the rest of these.

2. These  blocks were from a guild exchange last year. There are 15 of these 15 inch blocks. I want to make one more so I can set them 4 x 4. With sashing, this could be a bed sized quilt.

3. These 4 orphan Noteworthy blocks will be made into a baby quilt with lots of negative space for quilting.
4. More guild exchange blocks. These are 12 inch blocks and again, I have 15 so I might make another.
5. More guild exchange blocks. These are destined to become a Quilt of Valor.
6. This isn’t quite a UFO. I bought this ruler and intended to try it out on the two layer cakes shown below. They are both Heather Baily lines and they look great together. I have been intending to do this for so long that it feels like a UFO!

7. I cut these tumblers in November. They are so pretty stacked up that I haven’t been motivated to put them together! How silly is that?
8. As if I don’t have enough UFOs of my own, I collect vintage UFOs! I love this background green fabric but the seam allowances are so very skimpy that I wouldn’t spend the time putting them together as is. My plan is to use these to make smaller shoo fly blocks.

9. Now we are looking at carryover projects from last year. I still haven’t quilted this Metropolitan Fair top but it does have borders added since this pic was taken.IMG_1706

10. I’m still working on this hexie top. I recently cut a few more pieces. I do know how I want to quilt this so that is motivating me to get this done.IMG_1801

11. This is moving up to the top of the list. I need a full day to get a good start on it. It isn’t a project I want to do a little at a time.IMG_1718

12. I  think I know where I want to go with these stars and have setting fabric set aside. So there is that teeny bit of progress since last year! LOL!IMG_1723

13. I love these blocks! I have had a hard time figuring out how to deal with their vastly varying sizes. Instead of doing something I will regret, I have been letting this simmer.IMG_1722

14. Sigh….I have so fallen out of love with these blocks. My design wall is not near big enough for this project. But I don’t need the whole wall to start playing so I need to get to it.IMG_1711

15. Yeah, these are still here too. One of these days!IMG_1720

16. I nearly forgot my Brinton Hall quilt! It has progressed a lot since this picture. I will show an updated one soon.

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So that makes 9 new UFOs and 7 old ones.  If I could get myself to finish one a month, I could really whittle this down!

Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts, Freshly Pieced

Posted in UFOs, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Progress

I got the blocks for the double 4 patch together.


Wouldn’t you know it, I got one 4 patch turned the wrong way and it is right smack dab in the middle! Ugh! I did not notice until I looked at the picture.

I wanted to get it in the frame but I am a bit stumped on the borders.




Of course, I’ll have to fix that one block first.

Linking up with Free Motion by the River, Quilt Story, Blossom Heart Quilts, The Quilting Room with Mel

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Design Wall Monday ~ Double 4 Patch

I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to make  a throw quilt for a friend I met through my job. In bits and pieces of time over the holidays, I got my blocks done. I decided to make a Double 4 Patch so I got up Christmas  morning and  cut up some fat quarters into these.

The strips were for 4 patches. After sewing and pressing each strip set, I placed them back on my strip cutter die in this fashion.

That way they were already placed in position to sew. This saves so much time when I remember to do it!

Half of the blocks will have red backgrounds and green chains and half will be the opposite.

These blocks are fairly large at 12 inches each. I made 24 blocks to set 4 by 6.

This will end up being 48 inches by 72 inches. That seems a bit narrow for a throw quilt so I am thinking about adding borders to just the two sides. Time to dig through my stash to find something that will work!

Linking up with Patchwork Times , Cooking Up Quilts,  Em’s Scrapbag

Posted in Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Slow Stitching Sunday

Mr. Wonderful and I decided to take an impromptu trip to visit my parents. You know what that means, slow stitching in the car! I just might get my January goal for Brinton Hall done sooner rather than later! The first corner is done and I might get the second one done before the end of the day.  

 
Hexies are such a great project for the car. We stopped at a fun little shop and I picked up these FQs. I’ve already prepared some hexies with them!

 
I especially like this one with presidents on it. 

 
We are also enjoying some lovely views through the Upper Peninsula. 

  
 God sure paints a magnificent sky!
 

Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts

Posted in Brinton Hall, Hand piecing, Hexagons | 12 Comments

2015 UFO Review

Last January, I posted a list of UFOs that I found in my sewing room. It was not all inclusive, I found  a few more throughout the year. But it was a list of UFOs that I wanted to eventually finish. I did want to take time to look at this list and see how I did before creating a new list for this year.

1. My envelope blocks.

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Done! And sold in the local Habitat for Humanity Quilt Auction.

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2. My Metropolitan Fair churn dash. /home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1706.jpg

Still not done! I did add the borders but the quilting has me stumped. I need to give myself a deadline for this!

3. Log Cabin blocks./home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1705.jpg

Done!

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4. My Shenandoah sawtooth stars./home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1711.jpg

The blocks are now all done. Finally! But sadly, it is still a UFO.

5. This has been a UFO for longer than I can remember. I put it on one of my lists to finish last year and it didn’t happen. Sigh./home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1712.jpg

Done! I will share finish pics soon.

 6. This isn’t really my UFO. These are blocks that were signed at Daughter #2’s wedding in 2013. /home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1713.jpg

Done!  I finished this and gave it to Daughter #1 for her birthday this year.IMG_3309

7. The more I worked on these album blocks, the less I liked them. I need to make something and get them out of my life. Done! Or perhaps I should say GONE! I passed these off on a bloggy friend, Kathy. So they are off my list!/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1714.jpg

8. This is another very long standing UFO. The prints were purchased in Amsterdam in 1998! I started piecing this not long after. I have a very limited supply of these fabrics and have never been able to figure out where to go from here. It is too long and narrow. I am loathe to take this apart but it might be the only answer. Not done. I haven’t even touched this./home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1716.jpg

9. Another hexie hand pieced project. I have worked on this in fits and spurts over the last year or so. I have been stopped by the fact that I feel it needs an infusion of new scraps. Not done, although I have made some progress on this. Now it looks like this:IMG_2839

10. A little black and white project that I set aside because it was so darn tedious! Maybe I will get back to this. Not done. Although, I have a reason for not finishing this. I hope to get back to it this year and when I do, you will understand why I was hesitant to move ahead with it. How’s that for cryptic?/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1718.jpg

11. Hmmmm….a wee little challenge that I initiated with an online friend. Back in October….or maybe September…. Done!/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1717.jpg

And here it is:IMG_2484

12. Calendar blocks from 2010. This too was on a UFO list to finish last year. Done!/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1719.jpg

Here is the finish:IMG_4935

13. Pumpkin seed blocks that I appliqued while traveling last summer. The idea was that I would eventually use these in a medallion quilt. Not done. Still marinating in the cupboard./home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1720.jpg

14. Dear, dear Jane….I started these blocks in 2009 I believe……/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1721.jpg

…..turned into Calamity Jane…. But she is done! 

  

15. These gorgeous blocks were gifted to me by a bloggy friend last year. I haven’t forgotten them, Jan! They will become a quilt for ME this year. They are not all the same size, not even close. So that is likely why the original maker never finished the quilt. I want to take a weeks vacation and do nothing but work on these. Sigh. Not done. /home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1722.jpg

16. I hand pieced these blocks sometime after we moved back from France, which was 15 years ago. They would make a lovely baby quilt for a little girl. Not done./home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/003/5689332/files/2015/01/img_1723.jpg

So out of 16 items on this list, I was able to cross off 8. Without this list, some of those would not have gotten done. So I would say, not bad. But I hope to do better next  year. Time to create a new list. Undoubtedly, some items will look familiar! But that is another blog post.

Thanks for sharing the journey with me. I enjoy blogging and it is gratifying to know that so many of you enjoy following my quilty adventures.

Posted in Finishes, UFOs, Uncategorized | 7 Comments