Sadface

My daughter texts "sadface" to me when things aren't going well.  That's the first thing I thought of after yesterdays quilting adventure.

I began quilting Honouring Emma by straight stitching on the yellow sashing.  Right away I'm noticing problems,  a few spots where the stitching has almost come undone, some there it has completely undone.  As if there had been no tension on the stitches, or no seam allowance!  Two spots where the sashing was clearly not straight...as if a wider seam allowance was taken at one end.  Who sewed this thing?  What did I do while I was sewing it?!

I thought I'd keep going, and marked the open seams with a pin for hand sewing later.  When I got to the yellow inner border, that's when I had to call uncle!

Do you see just how much that border corner does not line up with the border?!!!  How did I not see that before!!!

If this was a pieced quilt, it would have gone in the a dark corner for a long time.  But this was hand applique, and had to be saved and quilted.  So I ripped out the quilting.  I ripped apart the quilt itself.  And now I'm planning a new layout.  Uggh.

Deciding a quilting plan

I'm ready to quilt my version of Honouring Emma, by Lori Smith, I've had it sandwiched and sitting by my machine all week, waiting for inspiration on how to quilt it.  With pieced blocks, sashing, and appliqued blocks,  along with setting triangles and a wide border...there's a lot of space there for some interesting quilting!

Decisions finally made!  I'll start with straight stitches on the yellow sashing and inner border...then some free motion stitching on parts of the actual applique and echo stitches on the background of the applique blocks.  I'll think up some design for the pieced blocks, or find one from the Quiltmaker designs, and echo those designs on the dark sashing.  Finally, it would be nice to try some feathers on the border.

Planning to use the stash!

Like most quilters, I have a stash of fabric and patterns.  Then comes the someday wish...someday I'll make this quilt, someday I'll use that fabric.  I've been trying to cut down on my quilty spending, but still I find patterns that inspire me, and I end up buying them, or fabric that I think will work for a quilt for this reason or that.

This past week, I realized I really have more than enough pieced quilts on the go - three, plus the Just Takes 2 project,  made up into my own kits for the quilts I want to gift over the next several months.

Some serious decisions had to be made about applique and handwork...I have three full size applique quilts on the go...one just needs a border, one is close to completion, and the third will take probably another year!  (Stars and sprigs has extensive border applique).  As I need as much variety with applique as with machine pieced quilts, I went through my patterns and stash, played on EQ, and came up with a couple of quilts to make that offer some variety in design.


I made some good decisions on what quilts I can make with my stash, made up fabric bundles, and pinned pics on the bulletin board to remind myself of these decisions, so hopefully I won't be swayed by yet more designs!

A five-block version of Whitework Sampler, by the Rabbit Factory, is on the list, with a deep plum background.  Baltimore Bliss, a previous block of the month from Fat Cat Patterns, with mostly Kansas Troubles fabric leftover from A Whimscial Quilt Garden.  The small version of Jo Morton's Prairie Flowers Encore. And, some Kathy Schmitz outline embroidery, once I finish the Herb Garden.

Along with the stack of tops I have to quilt, I should be busy for a couple of years with this list, lol.

Stitch  good thoughts!

Blessings Baskets

Thank you to Temecula Quilt Co. for this great pattern!  Presented during the month of March, it was a wonderful opportunity for me to get back to sewing small quilts.  I have a space on the wall in the kitchen which had a little Christmas quilt, back during December, and now I have a new one to take its place.  Gives me the ambition to get back to sewing little quilts, which I used to so enjoy!

I got started on the quilting of this on the weekend, practicing little tiny leaves on the sashings!

planning borders, My Whimsical Quilt Garden

 I decided to finally determine the borders for Whimsical Quilt Garden.  The original quilt designed by Piece O Cake showed many different random circles all over the border...at the time that I decided to make this quilt,I thought it was a fabric print, not appliqued circles!  I thought that these random circles just wouldn't work with the fabric choices I made, so after debating many ideas, I decided to use the border on the cover quilt of Kim Diehl's book Simple Traditions. 

There will be close to 60 circles to applique!  I figure I'll keep a stack on the side table near to where I do my hand sewing,, and just sew one or two when I feel like it.  I'm in no hurry....knowing how its going to be finished was the important part right now!

Pick up Sticks, finished

The pattern is from Fons & Porter, September 2011.  Quilted wifth my  favourite batting, Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 cotton-poly, 40 wt poly embroidery thread.  Machine sewn binding with 40 wt cotton variegated thread.

Just Takes 2, first quarter complete!

Wow!  These blocks can be challenging, but well worth the effort, I think!  This piece measures 45" square, and includes machine piecing, foundation piecing, hand piecing, applique, and redwork. Looking forward to the next quarter!

Take a look at others' work on their quilts at justakes2.com

Very nearly finished this and that

This, the Pick Up Sticks quilt.  I got the border quilted, just diagonal lines which seemed actually more difficult in some ways than free motion quilting (!); the binding is cut, ironed and rolled.

That, is Just Takes 2 first quarter.  I discovered a couple of blocks that I forgot to sew, and have been working away at the applique block.  It seems to un-sew itself during the night, lol, that's how long it seems to be taking me!  I've decided to add some redwork to one of the blocks, so that too might make this not a finish before the next installment.

Stitch good thoughts!

Layer Cake Swirl

I don't know what the name of this quilt will be yet, but I had to name it something for now!

I had bought a layer cake of Sweet Grass Prairie from Connecting Threads, because I thought I'd like the grouping and wanted to make something from it, perhaps some applique I was thinking at the time.

Then I decided I wanted to use it for my niece's quilt.  I ended up drawing, well, let's say 100 quilts! on EQ, using variations of so many blocks that I lost track of where I got what idea.  I didn't start with any particular published pattern, but I will say that as there are only so many ways to cut up a layer cake, so any similarity to any other published pattern is coincidental.

Here it is!  I'll give some directions, but I haven't had much practice in writing directions, so hopefully they will still be helpful.

Start by with one dark and one light 10" square..

 The light will make two blocks...cut two 5" squares, each cut in half on the diagonal; cut 2 - 2/12" strips.  From the 2 1/2" strips, cut 12 half square triangles using the easy angle ruler.  If you don't have one of these...get one!, ha ha, they are so useful.  Two of the triangles from the 5" square and 6 of the 2 1/2" triangles will make one block. (If you can't use an easy angle ruler, or one similar, you will have tocut a strip 2 7/8" wide, instead of the two - 2 1/2" strips; then cut three - 2 7/8" squares, cut in half diagonally; for each block, so you will only be able to make one block from one  layer cake square)

From the dark, cut two 5" squares, each cut in half on the diagonal.  Cut 2 - 2 1/2" strips.  From one strip, cut 2 triangles using the easy angle ruler.  The remainder of the 2 1/2" strips are for the border.

Sew 2 small  half square triangles using the light and dark.  Press to the dark.  Sew a light triangle to either side of this square so it looks like this, pressing to the small light triangle..

Sew 2 large half square triangles, press to the dark.  Sew a dark triangle to each pieced triangle, to form a square.  Square up each unit to 4 1/2".  There will be very little trimming.  Use the diagonal line on your ruler to make sure the diagonal seam on the square runs from corner to corner.  Additionally, when squaring up the pieced half square triangle, make sure the 2 1/4" point is at the corner of small hst, as shown below.

Place the units in a four-patch formation, as shown .  By pressing all the seams to the dark, you'll find that the units will sew together easily.

Arrange the blocks like this, or play with different layouts!

Back in the saddle!

We had such wonderful spring sunshine this weekend to help us celebrate Easter.  Lots of family came for Easter dinner, on Saturday, our first big family gathering in our new home.  Some couldn't be with us, and they were missed, and the rest of us had a great time catching up and just enjoying being all together in one place!

Sunday I recovered from the dinner, then in the late afternoon I got up and sewed!  and played!  I made these quick placemats.....

and prepped the an applique block for Just Takes 2, using the back basting method....

and played on EQ,  making quilt designs from a layer cake!

Just nothing!

This week I did nothing, and for no particular reason.  I didn't turn on a sewing machine, I didn't pick up any applique or hand sewing, I didn't cut fabrics, no organizing or planning or nothing.  It was as if I was willfully deciding not to go into my sewing room!  I felt a pull towards it, and wandered in several times.  I did pick up my hand sewing basket,  just to put it down again.   I was in a weird, calm, happy state of "vacation" from quilt-making.

I expect that after the Easter weekend visiting, I'll be ready to return to my sewing...already I feel ready to pick up my hand sewing...