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!