Just Takes 2 November 1 blocks

These were I think the most challenging blocks in this series (but I think I might have said that before!).  Making these two blocks was irritating, frustrating, and just not enjoyable.  I struggled through every stitch.  Mostly because I really dislike paper piecing and I really dislike repetitive sewing....and these two blocks had both problems.  Knowing that we`re so close to finishing this quilt, I struggled through.  This weekend I stitched the wonderful redwork  that Gayle offered and givess me something to focus on rather than my rather shabby piecing.

Don`t look too close!  I`m the only person in the world who can lose points on a block with paper piecing method!!

 



 

Quilting with confidence!

My Janome came back from the repair tech and of course he found nothing wrong!  He did give it a cleaning and a check up, and so far its behaving better.  At least I know that any problems I'm having are my "fault", meaning time to check the needle, threading, tension, etc.

A while back I enrolled in Cindy Needham's class at Craftsy...Design It Quilt It!.  I think I came away with a lot of good ideas, and lots more confidence in my quilting skills.

I finished this wallhanging, a variation of Pat Sloan's Meadow Breeze, using wool applique.  I used many  ideas from Anne's class, not so much as designs as much as how to fill the quilt with quilting!   Previous to Cindy's class, my go to sources for free motion quilting were my videos from Patsy Thompson and the book Quilt Savvy, Machine Quilting Guidebook by Diane Gaudynski.  I sort of combined ideas and confidence from Anne, with what I had learned previously.



I quilted what I think Diane Gaudynski called `headbands`in the centre, echo quilted in the applique border, free motion lines in the first and last pieced borders, feathers in the border following the applique border, and leaves in the wide border.  Whee!  I had fun!

Then I started on `Twelve of Eleven``.  Stitched in the ditch around the blocks and border triangles. then stared at that open space between the block column.  I`ve always been scared of quilting open spaces, and scared of feathers in those open spaces, even though its something I`ve very much wanted to do.  I took a deep breath, and lookee what I did!  Am I ever happy with this!!  I don`t think I could have done it without the confidence I took from Cindy`s class.



If you look closely, you`ll see some not so nice spots and a few not so nicely formed feathers.  But I`m still so very happy that I got over this hurdle!  I`ve ordered some stencils to use on the pieced blocks, and maybe the plain squares....and I`m not sure  yet what I`m doing with the outer area of the quilt, so I`m putting this on hold for now while I tackle my son`s T shirt quilt.

Just Takes 2, third section

Here's the completed 3rd section...

 

[caption id="attachment_1237" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Just Takes 2, third section[/caption]

 

This is going to be one great quilt!  I took a pic of the three sections (not knowing really how they are suppoesd to fit together!)..at this point they don`t all fit on the double bed.

 

[caption id="attachment_1238" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Just Takes 2, October 22 2012[/caption]

 

Basket blocks

I've been sewing scrappy basket blocks for an idea that may end up looking something like this....or not!

Grandmother's Choice, colour change!

About a year ago I bought a 20 fat quarter pack of green batiks...these were on sale for a good price, and I thought I'd use them in a future applique project.  Well, I disocvered I really didn't much like batiks for applique, and more importantly, I didn't much want to cut into this fat quarter bundle because it was beautiful!  and my favourite colour, green!  Every few weeks, I'd take out the bundle and look at it, spread it out, and consider it for a quilt, but didn't want to use it, lol.

Well, I finally decided its time.  I'm using those greens in the Grandmother's Choice series quilt by Barbara Brackman.  I'm going to love this, way more than the purple.  With that bundle of greens, I had put aside some background possibilities that are white with a very light green pattern....just in case!  I think the new blocks are bright and cheery and full of hope.



 

Looking again at the purple blocks I had done originally, I think it was that darn background fabric that dragged them down.  There was no spark!  This background fabric is going somewhere far away, where it might only be used for backing.

Stitch good thoughts!

 

Works in Progress

In the last week or so, I've been quilting my version of Pat Sloan's Meadow Breeze.



Unfortunately, I really do need to take my Janome in for service.  It seems to be really happy for a while, then that darn top thread breaking starts happening again.  I need to make sure there's really nothing wrong with it  before I continue pulling my hair out trying to find what I'm doing wrong!

I've completed the last block in the Piecing the Past Series.Included in this Craftsy course is setting instructions, using various small setting blocks to create an interesting layout.



And, I've been keeping up with Summer Reigns by Kathy Schmitz.



Yesterday I took a good look at my Grandmother's Choice blocks that I've sewn to date...and I think I've decided that I don't like the purple colour theme.  I'm cutting up fabric to re-make these blocks a different way!  Pics soon!

Stitch good thoughts!

 

 

 

 

T Shirt Quilt

Early in the summer my oldest son dropped off a bag of T shirts and asked if would make him T shirt quilt.   As I was preparing the shirts (ripping off the back and sleeves) I was thinking of how these could be set.  The answer was pretty easy!  All the bright cartoon like colours...the shirts are a collection of "Grimm" punn-y scenes...made me think of the solid bright jelly roll strips I had bought months ago on clearance.

Almost all the drawings on the shirts fit nicely in a 12" block, except for 2 which I joined together in to one block.  And, Fraser had given me a total of 14 shirts...which mean 12 for the quilt and a faded one for the back. A bit of doodling on EQ and here's the centre...the quilt can be done as a Christmas gift.

[caption id="attachment_1209" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Fraser's T Shirt quilt, centre[/caption]

 

I still have to design and make a border.  Pressing the seams was difficult because of the interfacing on the back of the shirts, and the t shirt "paint" c an't be touched at all with the iron (but a pressing cloth helps).

I think the quilting will be the challenge for this quilt.  Anyone know of a batting that can be quilted 12" apart?!!