KatyQuilts

Finish It Up Friday!

Posted on July 17, 2015 by katyquilts

The sister quilt is done! I really love how this one came together.

It all started with these 2 1/2 inch strips cut from my collection of Denyse Schmidt prints.
I wanted to choose a pattern that was reminiscent of an Irish Chain. I used Anne Dease’s book, Bits and Pieces and only changed the pattern slightly! Here are some pictures before washing:

And some after washing:

You might remember that I cut my backing too short and had to add a piece while it was on the frame. Here is a peek at the seam that I made.

I can live with that! This quilt ended up 64 x 82 inches. It shrunk up quite a lot, about 4 inches in width and 6 inches in length. But I expected that since I didn’t prewash anything.

My sister received the quilt on Wednesday. I think she liked it. 😊

I’ll be leaving in the morning for Phoenix. I can’t wait! I have posts scheduled for nearly every day that I am away, including a fun guest post for Quilting is More Fun Than Housework! I will likely check in with a few baby pictures as well :).

I will surely keep up with reading every comment. But I may be too busy with my kids and those two cute grandsons to respond much.

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Richard and Tanya Quilts, Crazy Mom Quilts, Quilt Matters, A Quilting Reader’s Garden, Sew Can She, She Can Quilt

Posted in Bed Quilts, Finishes | 24 Comments

More EPP Prep

Posted on July 16, 2015 by katyquilts

On Tuesday I showed you the EPP project I was looking at from Quiltmania. I decided to see how it would work if I made smaller hexie frames like this.

I didn’t want to sew these together and then find out I didn’t like it so I taped them with painters tape.

Then I tried it out.

Nope. Not working. I didn’t have enough red hexies prepared so I just taped the templates together for m next try.

And tried again.

Yep, that’s better. The pattern called for 10 inch squares of the background to be cut and then these frames would be appliqued on top and the excess cut away. I trimmed mine a bit closer to the actual size needed. I don’t have any of this fabric to waste. I will never be able to get more since I bought it 16 years ago in France. Check out the selvedge.

Here are my background bits.

I only need 7 and I may use only 6 and use something else for the 7th.

I really need to get packing! Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation.

Posted in Hand piecing | 8 Comments

WIP Wednesday ~ Borders

Posted on July 15, 2015 by katyquilts

Progress continues on the 16 Patch. The borders for this were not easy! Wanda suggested that I have the birds going in the same directional the way around the quilt. This idea allowed me to keep this little strip of color as which made me very happy.

it took for ever to decide how to center the borders on each side. Once that job was done, it was time to choose a quilting design.

I ended up choosing another complex one but a bit more forgiving than the last.

Each row of quilting takes approximately 35 minutes to stitch. This is time the machine is actually running. It does not include the time it takes to change bobbins, advance the quilt, align the pattern etc. This will be ready to bind before I leave this week but I may save that job until I get my Bernina back from the shop. I really like that machine for bindings.

Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts, Freshly Pieced, Cooking Up Quilts, She Can Quilt

Posted in HQ Avante, Pantographs, Uncategorized | 17 Comments

English Paper Piecing

Posted on July 14, 2015 by katyquilts

I’ve been pondering a handwork project to take on my trip this week. I still have my scrappy hexie quilt but it is getting a bit unwieldy to take on a plane. I could piece sections and add them when I get back home but the last time I tried that, I ended up with two identical pieces next to each other. Ugh! Anyway I came across the loveliest project over at Cecile’s blog, Patchwork Inspirations. You can see it here. She told me it came from this wonderful French quilting magazine.

I was so excited to hear that as Mr. Wonderful had recently ordered a subscription for me! I first learned of this magazine when we were living in Chatou, France in the late 90’s. It was quite a treat to walk down the street to the local newspaper shop and purchase a copy, in French, of course! Here is the quilt that Cecile is working on.

This center is my favorite part of this quilt. I love how the hexies frame those lovely large prints. I have only made one tiny quilt with EPP and didn’t love the process but I can see how it would be necessary here. I have been intrigued by Kathy’s EPP bow ties as well. It might be time to try this again.

I have a few pieces of Toile de Jouy that I purchased in France and have been saving. Perhaps this is a perfect place to use some of them.

So I bought this paper punch at JoAnns yesterday.

And while watching a movie with hubby last night, I prepared these.

I’m really not sure where I will end up with this. I highly doubt I will make a quilt just like the one in the magazine. But I love the possibilities this presents. We shall see if I actually enjoy this process. My piece may end up very small!

Linking up with Free Motion by the River, Quilt Story

Posted in Hand piecing | 9 Comments

My Sewing Table

Posted on July 13, 2015 by katyquilts

I posted this picture of my vintage Singer 301 in my sewing desk and I had questions about the desk itself. So this post is to show it a bit more clearly. Here is a picture of the whole thing.

I purchased this steel case desk from Good Will a few years ago for $25. At the time, I didn’t yet have my long arm but I did a lot of machine quilting. I wanted a table with more room in front of the machine to support the weight of a large quilt. You can read the details of hubby’s modification of the desk here. And a modification to that here.
The opening that he cut in the desk was sized to fit my Bernina 1030 with the extension table on it. But it works so that I can use this for most of my machines. I sometimes place something under the machine to bring it up to the correct height. Like this.

When we redid the sewing room last year, the desk got a coat of spray paint. If you get a steel case like I did, beware that it is called steel case for a reason! Sparks flew when hubby cut the hole in the top with his skill saw!

Hope these pictures and the link help.

Posted in Sewing Machines, Sewing Room Pics | 4 Comments

Design Wall Monday

Posted on July 13, 2015 by katyquilts

We leave the end of this week to go to Arizona. I can’t wait to finally meet our newest grandson! I already have his quilt done, but I came across these left overs from a quilt I had made for his momma and daddy. I decided this would make a nice little quilt for him to use as well since he will be staying in their room for a little while.

I plan to use some minky or something like that on the back to make it nice and soft. He doesn’t need the warmth in Arizona but it will be a good pad for diaper changes and the like. I had some scraps from the pieced backing and decided to cut it up for a scrappy binding.

This should be a fun, quick project. After that I should think about packing!

Linking up with Patchwork Times.

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Slow Stitching Sunday

Posted on July 12, 2015 by katyquilts

Today I plan to finish the hand sewing of the binding on the sister quilt. I would like to get it shipped out this week before I leave.

I have my hand sewing supplies at the ready!

Now I just need a good movie.

Linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

This and That

Posted on July 11, 2015 by katyquilts

Thanks for all the feedback regarding the borders of my 16 patch top. I decided I needed to ponder it a bit more and I sorted out the backing in the mean time. I realized I didn’t have anything big enough but I had a good JoAnn’s coupon so I went shopping. I picked up this wide solid.

I think it looks pretty good with the border fabric. And with my coupon, it was only $5 a yard. Not bad for 108 inch wide backing. And I won’t be running short this time! I even got it loaded onto the frame.

I ordered some new pantographs and they arrived on Thursday. Or I should say, some of them arrived! This is what the package looked like when I took it out of the mailbox.

There was a whole in the other end as well! Surprisingly, only one was missing. I contacted the company and they will be replacing it.

I was working on a project on my Bernina 1030 and managed to throw the timing out. Ugh! I ended up pulling one of my vintage Singer 301s out. I had nearly forgotten how great this model is.

But I do prefer my 1030 with the walking foot for bindings. I hope to take it in before I leave for AZ and then maybe it will be done by the time I get home.

I am off to work this morning. Have a wonderful day!

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Finish It Up Friday

Posted on July 10, 2015 by katyquilts

My little leader/ender quilt is done! This matches my finish from last week that you can see here. I ended up quilting it on my Bernina 1030 since I had the sister quilt on the frame. Here it is before washing:

And the backing:

And here it is after washing:

I am not real happy with the quilting. I should have waited and done it on the long arm. You can see in this next picture how even the waking foot pushed the top along. Quilting in opposite directions with each line, emphasized that creating some really wavy looking seams that were not like that in the pieced top!

I could have prevented this by quilting all my vertical lines in one direction. I am just too impatient sometimes! Oh well. Sometimes it takes me a long time to learn lessons! Here is where I am using this little quilt.

It’s doing its job, wonky seams and all.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts, Richard and Tanya Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Quilt Matters, and Sew Can She

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Doll Quilts, Finishes, Uncategorized | 16 Comments

Back to the 16 Patch

Posted on July 9, 2015 by katyquilts

Now that the sister quilt is in the binding stage, I’m back to working on my 16 patch. I am following the advice of Wanda, from Exuberant Color, and adding a 3 inch white border and a wide, wild outer border. I got the white border added before work yesterday and I am hoping to get the outer border added today.

I am debating how to cut this. The logical thing would be to cut it lengthwise at those narrow bands. But then on the bed, all the birds are facing the floor or ceiling. If I cut crosswise, I will have to piece the borders but they could be right side up when the quilt is on the bed. Decisions, decisions.

On another note, I appreciate the feedback on the quilting on the sister quilt. Not everything turns out exactly how we plan in our minds. But that isn’t all bad. I like to share successes but also the things that are not so successful. Perhaps others can learn from my mistakes as well.