Just Takes 2 Compass Block(variation)

Have you ever known that you were not in tip top shape for quilting or piecing, yet you go ahead anyway?  And, you decide on a difficult block that does require a lot of thinking?  Well, next time I'll just say no!

While on couch rest I eventually got strong enough to start hand piecing the compass block for  Just Takes 2.  I got so far, then decided I could use the sewing machine to attach the longer red point.  So I gather up my pieces and do that, and quite pleased with how it looks.  Then I think to myself, well I can sew drunkard's path blocks by machine, so surely I can add the outer border to the compass by machine.  Well, this is looking good, I say to myself...but a little skewed.  Oh Oh!  Oh my!  Look what's happened!

I cannot for the life of me figure out what has gone wrong...why I do not have enough circle left to add the fourth border, the block is no longer laying flat, and it just awful.  Its nearing dinner, and I'm so very tired.  Completely fed up.  I start looking through my books, and EQ, and the web, for another compass block I could use.  I start thinking about all the fabric I've used to mess this up, and all the fabric I would use to make another one.  Can I buy more of this red fabric?  Google search "Bonnie Blue basics red".  Then flop on the couch.  When I go to turn out the lights for the night, out of the corner of my eye I see something in my sewing basket.  I spy.....a sixth of the circle!!  One that I had all hand sewn!!  I didn't bring it into the sewing room, I managed to make a circle with 5 segments in stead of 6, oh geez.

In the morning, I rip out what I have to, add in the 6th segment, press it well, and baste the red square(that will be part of the inner circle) to the back.  Now, I start to plan and sew the little white ovals that form a circle in the centre.  I sew on a couple and realize there is no way these are going to cover the seam allowances, and really, this block is toast.

Back to the hand sewing, and part machine sewing.  Finally have the block looking good, fairly square, and the right size.  For the centre, I decided to do something different.  I've appliqued a white circle over the hole, and embroidered (stem stitch) the shape that would form the ovals.  Then I made my own little design that I thought of as a sand dollar.  There`s a really good feeling of accomplishment when one works through a problem block such as this.

Stitch good thoughts!

March Free Motion Quilting Challenge

Stippling, doodling, meandering...these are my favourite and go-to free motion quilting "designs", so this month was an easy one.  I did choose to do stars and hearts on my sampler quilt, as stars are for me hard to remember the order in which to draw!  and hearts, well, they're kinda like leaves and I'm prone to making them a bit sloppy or lopsided.

Bam!! Feathers!!

Look at these!  The feather drawing fairy has visited me!

The quilting on the red fabric is on my sampler quilt for this project.  The upper feather was the first one I did...I was bit thrown off at first by the white on red and watching the stitches form!  Then I got back into focussing on what I should be doing.   I have to thank Diane Gaudynski for presenting her method so well...this has been the key to me for making feathers, after years of trying various ways.

I've had a long week, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, but still a long week!  I struggled through the feathered star for the Just Takes 2 quilt.  Honestly, I have made much more difficult blocks but never made such a mess with re-cuts and ripping out as I did with this.  It turned out to look reasonably ok, at the size it should be, but I want to re-do it as I know just how much pressing and pushing and shoving this block took.  I want it to be a happy block!

I did get one pair of pants made.  The first pair was a disaster in fitting, my body has changed from pear to apple in the past few years and I didn't realize just what changes were needed.

By Wednesday, I was needing some serious couch time...or porch time.  I did nothing really.  Just read and watched TV, no handwork or looking at quilt books or nothing!!

Then this morning I thought well the least I could do was practice some free motion.  Got my Horizon set up, grabbed a practice square that had feathers on it, and next thing you know I'm sewing my best feather yet!  And another one!  And yet another!  Well, I guess the past couple of days while I was sitting recuperating, my brain was quietly hatching some creative quilting, lol.

More ideas for Laura's quilt

I'm having second thoughts about Laura's quilt...while I love the colours, and the design, it somehow seems to formal for Laura, and I keep thinking scrappy would be better.  I have a drawer full of solids; I also have a stack of about 100 5"-6" squares that I cut from fat quarters; no idea now why I did that, but the colours would   make a great scrappy quilt.

This quilt was made from the quilt block "Country Mile" from Quiltmakers 100 blocks vol.1.  I drew almost all of those blocks into EQ last spring!

This one is also from a block in Quiltmaker 100 blocks vol. 1., Ahoy.

This quilt is a varation of one called Crossings, in McCalls Quilting, January 2011

And I think this is my favourite so far...birds in the air blocks set in a zig zag setting.

Ugghh..unstitching free motion quilting

The day started out great...I finished several chain blocks to set with my Fundamentals 30s sampler.  I had bought some of solid fabric in "persimmon" colour to possible use for the Just Takes 2 quilt.  As it turned out, I decided to use a red and I thought that this length of fabric would sit in my cupboard forever!  Where or how would I make use of an orange solid?  Well, it made a great setting block!










Then I went to start on the border triangles on Pick Up Sticks.  I knew exactly what I was going to do.  A curve up and down the triangle shape, and a curve across the bottom.  Somehow though I ended up making a hook/swirl in the middle of that bottom curve, thought it was good, kept going for two border sides and then realized that was not such a good idea.  If I had made the swirls bigger, maybe.  But it really does look better without them. So I have a fair amount of unstitching to do, not fun at all.

A quilt for Laura

I've been making quilts for nieces (and soon, nephews) for when they go away to college or leave the nest.  I saw a line of fabrics, Urban Odyssey, at Connecting Threads and I knew immediately that those colours and design were for Laura.  Its now on sale, which means its last chance time to get the yardage and prints I want.  Time to get a pattern chosen!

I made up a few quilts on EQ, finally deciding on this one.  It uses two blocks from the 2011 EQ sampler series, set on point.  68" square.  My order is in, and I think I'll easily have to it done by August!

Now that I've written., "have it done by August"...that's when the new grandbaby is arriving.  I gotta get working on some quilty items for him or her, too!  And a quilt for a wedding in July that is still waiting for inspiration.

Stitch good thoughts!

EQ 2011 Block of the Month Design -surprise!

In 2011, Electric Quilt hosted a block of the month.  At the end of the year, we were invited to design a quilt with our blocks and submit the quilt for a grand prize.

The winner was announced yesterday on the EQ Blog- what an original quilt design!

My quilt was as traditional as Marlene's was modern.   It turns out that my quilt received quite a few votes and I received a prize as well (Quiltmaker quilting design cds...more fun with EQ!)  Its a good feeling to know that my design skills are recognized; I had fun making the blocks and even more fun making up the quilt.

I wish my photo taking skills were better; I'm looking forward to quilting this quilt, using some designs from my quiliting design library.

Stitch good thoughts!

Family News...and Meander Quilting

First, the big news!  My first grandbaby will be arriving at the end of  August!  Congrats to my son and daughter-in-law!!

Meander quilting is my favourite type of free motion quilting.  I've been staring at Pick Up Sticks for days, and trying out all kinds of quilting designs, many I tried were ones that would fit into each block.  I finally decided on this meander with a little hook.  I'm using a 40 wt poly thread, ,it has a little bit of sheen which is nice with the batiks.

The quilt is made up of very blocks, but very busy fabrics.  I'm happy with how its looking so far.  I'll have to keep thinking though, about what I want to put on the borders.

Stitch good thoughts!