Inspiration

• Last Saturday I went to a quilt show here in Hartselle, AL with Ada and Donna. It was a good little show with lots of inspiration. One of the quilts that made me say I want to do that, was one made by Terri Stover. Terri took my beginning quilting class when I taught at Quilters Refuge. It really made me proud to see some of her work years later. It was a very intricate pattern that she said was made with just one block. After studying it a while we found the block.

  
  

  

  I made two blocks and then remembered that this was a Thangles pattern that I also taught at Quilters Refuge. 

  
  

  

  I think the Thangles pattern called for 2 1/2 inch finished blocks using 3 inch strips, but I had a new jelly roll of brights that I thought would look good in this pattern. This will make my blocks a little smaller than Terrie's but that's okay with me.

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  Later Saturday afternoon I was talking with Ada about another quilt in the show that had really gotten both our attentions and before we got off the phone I was in the closet pulling fabric. See this is how I get in trouble and end up with so many UFO's.  The quilt was blocks set on point with zig zag sashing between. After examining the block we discovered it was a disappearing nine patch using smaller squares. We estimated 3 1/2 inch squares. The best thing I discovered or remembered in my stash was a bunch of pink and brown squares left from a previous quilt. I had cut way too many squares. They were 4 inch squares that I made 3 inch finished half square triangles. I decided to just work with 4 inch squares and have a little larger block rather than cut them down. This quilt maker had used the same center and middle blocks. So this is what I chose. I have enough for one row 83 inches long plus part of the second row done. 

  
  Here is part of the row sewn together, 
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  I turned the blocks the opposite direction from hers. Just making it my own, 
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• Happy quilting!!!!
  

  
  

Friday Finish

I finished this little baby quilt a few weeks ago. It was a pretty complicated pattern and I was really glad that I had decided to only do a small quilt. Don't think I will do this pattern again. I am still debating adding a border. Right now it measure 41 x 49 inches. I don't know if adding a border will benefit the pattern or take away from it.

When cutting for this quilt I cut lots of different 2 1/2 inch strips for variety. I only used 4 or 5 2 1/2 inch squares from each strip, so I had a lot left over. I had wanted to do the x's and 4-patch from Missouri Star so I thought this was a good start. I did add a few more strips with the yellow solid background, and this is what I got.

This one measures 49 x 65 inches. At first I thought I would add another border but now I think I will leave it like it is.

I am working tonight but off tomorrow and plan to go to the New Beginnings quilt show in Hartselle.  Happy November to all.

Inspiration

Yesterday Gina and I went to the Huntsville Quilt show. It was just the inspiration I needed. This morning I have already completed four more blocks on this project. Only five more to go.

We saw a lot of beautiful quilts yesterday and of course there were several I now want to try. One was a lot of cheddar brown and black, very earthy.  Another  was a Bonnie Hunter pattern that I have yet to try.

It was great seeing folks that I haven't seen in quite a while. Had lunch with Ivy and Edna then we went back to the show to finish viewing and check out the vendors. Have to work tonight so have a good one all.

A right way and a wrong way

I thought I would spend a little time on this Christmas Star this morning since I didn't go in to work until 2 pm. I added two more blocks and was really liking how both the red and the green chain through the quilt. So I made three more blocks but something just didn't look right. Check out the bottom right corner.

It looks like this when it should look like this.

I had to rip it out not on just one block but all three. Not a very productive morning, guess I should have just worked on the green four patch units or the red and neutral half square triangles. Something with less thinking involved. Hope this isn't an indication of how the rest of my day is going to go.

Good luck to all and wish for me a better day.

Design Wall Monday

This is an overall look at my design wall, yes there is a lot going on there. After my clean up Friday morning I wanted some sew time. I knew I really needed to finish several things but last Saturday Faye had shared this pattern I think it was called Charming Addition from American Patchwork magazine. Everyone knows I like a challenge and a puzzle, well this one fits the bill.

I was smart enough to cut it down to a baby quilt and choose to use 30's reproduction fabric. I got this far on Friday. As you can see I added a little more over the weekend. Faye had made a really nice grid for me and that has really helped. I plan to make it about 40 x 48 inches.  The pattern has you put it together in rows. Faye chose to block it off in sections or blocks of 36 squares but I decided to use the 2/4 method I use most often and make a 16 patch block. It is still a challenge keeping everything in order, what connects to what. So after a couple of hours of that I thought I needed a break.

I was reading Jo's Country Junction blog and she showed Kelli's Christmas Star again. A simple pattern but very striking. Half the pattern is green and neutral four patches, mindless sewing. So pull out the 2 1/2 inch strip drawer and start strip piecing (something I couldn't do in the above quilt). As I am sub-cutting the first strip I start thinking I have already started this quilt , I just know I have but I didn't see it in my cleaning Friday. Keep cutting more convinced I have this already started somewhere. Start digging through boxes again and I am right. I have three blocks done and parts and pieces for several others, not the whole quilt so even with the strips I have done this weekend I will still need more. I put four blocks together so that you can see the pattern.

I really like how both the red and green chain though out the quilt. Check out Jo's blog to see the whole quilt or wait for me to finish it down the road.

Looking at the wide angle view of my design wall I know there are several other confessions I could make, but not at this time.

Hope to find a little time to sew this week and I wish you all the same.

Friday Clean Up

I was off work last Friday and on Thursday night I told Johnny "if I don't change my mind, I am going to clean off my ironing station." He wasn't too optimistic about the idea, says I have said that before. Here is what it looked like.

My ironing surface measures 25 inches by 48 inches. It is one Johnny built for me a few years back. It has the wire baskets underneath. As you can see I really only had a few inches of usable ironing space. I would like to say that by the end of the day it looked like this.

But in reality it looked like this. I would like to turn the table around so that I could have the cleaner surface on the front but that was more work than I wanted to do at the time.

Granted this is a lot better but, I still have those two baskets of scraps to cut up. I got a bigger tub to put dark strings in and have light strings in a basket pictured below.

I have a couple of different projects in the works that need string blocks so I should have enough cut for those projects or at least a good start. I could only handle so much cleaning before I had to get to some sewing and I will tell you more about that later this weekend.


Have a good weekend.

Weekend Wrap Up

It is finished. YEA! It barely goes up under the edge of the pillows but otherwise fits the king size bed. Maybe I can make some pillow  shams so that it won't be noticeable. I ran out of the wine color (yes it looks very purple here) or I could have made it a little bigger. However I put a big dent in fall fabrics and the 2 inch strip drawer.

I used all of the yellow inner border I had as well. Still thinking about what I will call it, some ideas are---- Dancing though the Vineyard, Autumn Dance, Nine Grapes, Fine Wine--- nothing is just right yet, maybe after it is quilted.

Here is a little something I have also been working on. It is from the book Fresh From the Prairies. I am thinking just a table runner or small throw not a big quilt. It will take a lot of these 5 inch blocks to make anything very big.

Have a busy week ahead but with a bright light at the end of the week, a stitch day with friends. Now just to plan what I will work on for the day. Not sure if I will take my machine or do some handwork of a couple of different projects. We will see as the week goes on how much prep work I get to do.

Have a good week.

Making Progress

For the last week and a half I have been working on another Dancing Nines. I was just going to do the size of Bonnie's original pattern but really liked how it was coming along, so decided to make it bigger. Four framed nine patches make a block and I have enough made to set them 5 x 6. I think I have enough four patches just not framed to make it 6 x 7 but I am hoping I have enough of the wine (not purple) frame fabric to make it 6 x 8. We will see. Here are some other pictures of what I have put together so far. I am trying to find a better photo location.

On the porch looks good.

Over porch railing.

Johnny holding it in back  yard, there was enough light that the flash didn't go off and the frame color is closer to the wine color.

This close up is the best for actual color on the wine, but the others look too bright. Just can't win with this camera.

Last weekend was my cousin Kelly's birthday, so I made her this wreath.

sewing this week

I have gotten all 12 of the blocks for Chain of Faith made. I still have to piece the connecting sash. Let me just say it looks a lot better in person than in this picture. The green accent doesn't have as high a contrast as I would like but I think when finished it will be a nice blended color combination. I hope to sash it tomorrow. It won't be a real big quilt even with 18 inch blocks.

Meanwhile tonight I played in my scraps again. I really liked the Dancing Nines that I did with the 30's reproduction but after looking at Bonnie Hunter's again, I liked her borders. I have a bunch of fall 2 inch strips left after making those place mats so I pulled a bunch of them out and started sewing strip sets. The framing strips is actually a dark wine color not this bright purple. This goes really fast. I made 24 nine patches just after supper. Got other plans for my off day tomorrow so may not get back to this for a while but I have a good start.

MCM finished

I started Mad City Mama on the 15th of August and finished it on Sat. Aug. 24th.. That's pretty good with working too. It stops with the yellow sashing on the outside no outer border. I may go back and add an outer border even though the pattern doesn't call for one. Because I used 3 inch sashing instead of 3 1/2, mine is about 72 inches square.

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I did use up a lot of 1 1/2 inch strips from that overstuffed drawer but in no way did I empty it.

I got started on Chain of Faith. This is the small block. It is a Moda Bakeshop pattern done by Jo at Jo's Country Junction.

Put four of the small blocks together with sashing and a corner square to make the large block. Her pattern calls for two jelly rolls and makes 16 of these larger blocks. Again it is a square quilt. I only had one jelly roll and two charm packs from the same line. On of the cuttings you made from the jelly roll was 128 pieces 4.5 inches long. I cut these from the charm packs. Even doing this I will probably only have enough to make 12 large blocks. That will be fine since the large blocks measure 18.5 inches plus sashing between the blocks. I think that will make a nice size quilt. I may try to search the internet for some of that fabric for a border. Or it may call for a trip to Stitcher's Garden, can't remember if she carries much Moda.

Have a good week all,

Saturday morning update

Friday was probably the most stressful day I have had in a long time. Between the very weird customer (notice that is singular, how can just one make such a difference) and visits from upper management who have no clue about the real day to day workings of retail, I was mentally exhausted (but not nearly as stressed as others who work there). Thankfully we had planned just go get something for supper, but guess what there the drama continues. Just as I go in to the restaurant, they are trying to get a young girl out to a car and she is totally out, just limp as a dishrag. Others voiced what I am thinking, should have called an ambulance. Thankfully Johnny is a good listener and I was able to share all of my day with him and relieve some of that built up stress . Of course I had to get it all out before time for the race to start. LOL Time for therapy, to the sewing room I retreat. It was a good night of sewing. I finished all the blocks for Mad City Mama and actually got one row of blocks and sashing put together.  Johnny came to check on me about 9 o'clock because I was awfully quiet, he is disgusted, Kyle Bush won again.

I have a few things to do today, getting hair cut, thank you Donna. Probably have to buy groceries but plan to grill tonight so Johnny will be in charge of supper tonight. While reading Jo's Country Junction blog this morning I found the perfect pattern for a Jelly Roll and 2 charm packs that I bought when Ada and I went to Houston market with Gina. When was that 2007 or 2008 maybe 2009, I have been looking for a pattern for those fabrics since. I have bought at least 3 different light backgrounds trying to find something to work them, then I saw Jo's Chain of Faith that she did for Moda Bakeshop and loved the  pattern. Quick, easy and I think it will work with the one jelly roll and 2 charm packs. I went to my green stash first and the first piece I looked at was a perfect match or blend and I have about 3 yards so I think that will work. 

What do you think, I think it looks pretty good. I am going to finish Mad City Mama before I start this one, but since there are only 16 blocks that shouldn't take too long. Hopefully today!

Have a good weekend, check back for finished photo of Mad City Mama,

plugging away

Got a little sewing time in this morning. One more block made so I am half way there. Worked on pieced snowballs over weekend so this morning worked on 25 patch blocks. Got 5 more finished only 15 more to go. Making a few strips sets at a time to see how far they will go. Got to get ready to go to work now, have late hours today, but then early hours tomorrow and Friday. When I get of Friday I should have 66 hours before I have to go back to work. YEA!

This morning my financial guy came by to talk with us about the status of my retirement accounts. The main thing Johnny and I got out of it was that if we live long enough everything will be alright. The really big thing is that in one year I will be 59 1/2 years old and can do more with my money or what little is left of it without penalties. So for sure I have to do my best to stick out another year at Hobby Lobby then we may reevaluate things. So HI HO HI HO it's off to work I go, I just need those 7 little guys to help here at the house.

Have a good day all!

Latest Project

These blocks are "Mad City Mama" from Leaders and Enders by Bonnie Hunter. This is probably my favorite of her books even though I don't practice the leader/ender method. I have either completed or have as works in progress 9 of the 12 patterns in this book. I have completed variations of Hopscotch and Butterscotch 3 times. If you have read recent blogs then you know I started Mad City Mama to relieve some of the excess in my 1 1/2 inch strip drawer.

I now have 7 of the 16 blocks complete and have barely put a dent in that drawer. I am still making strip sets for the 25 patch so hopefully I will be able to see some relief by the time this project is finished. There won't be much sewing time today but maybe a little the next two morning as I don't go in to work until the afternoon. Speaking of work, we are all celebrating the little ones going back to school today. The last 2 or 3 weeks have been wild at the store, I guess everyone was getting keyed up about the new school year. Hope things will be a little quieter today and maybe I can get all my freight out on time. Wish me luck. Have a good week all.

Saturday Morning Update

Last night I finished  putting together the little Dancing Nines. It measures 33 x 43 1/2 inches. I quilted it and got the binding sewn on, now to get it whipped down. I know it is much smaller than I usually make but I am thinking about trying to sell it and I knew I couldn't pay to have it quilted and even get my money back. I took my time quilting this one and think I did a pretty good job on the quilting. I am just not sure what to ask for it. I may take it to a shop downtown Hartselle and see if they will take it on consignment.

 

I did get a little house work done and part of that was stripping the bed. While I was doing that I decided to change quilts and put Easy Street on for a change. Of course that meant the pillow cases I had made would not match so I made these.

I think it looks pretty good but just as I finished Johnny said "It's different" which translates to he doesn't really like it. Then he said "I thought you would do a brown quilt to match the curtains". Well first of all I just got the dark brown curtains no time to have made a quilt and second, brown curtains, brown walls, brown quilt, no I don't think so. Maybe something with more earth tones, I will think about it and see what I can come up with down the road.

I have got three Mad City Mama blocks (no new picture) made and 38 stripped units for the snowball block and nine 25 patch blocks. So far I have not cut a single 1 1/2 inch strip, they have all come from the strip drawer. I have a pile of scrap fabric on the end of my ironing table that I may cut to add more variety, but I really haven't put much of a dent in the strip drawer.

I have another hour or so to sew before I have to get ready for work. I wish you all happy sewing today. Enjoy the weekend.

scrap strip overload

Yesterday I got off work at 3:30 and I don't go back until 2:30 Saturday, so I am thinking 47 hours off, what will I do? Yea right, it is more like what all can I get done. Stated time off making supper since hubby is still so sick with this cold that I GAVE him. Remember now I have continued to work.  Well after super dishes were done I came to the sewing room with no intention of starting anything new, ha ha. My drawer of one and half inch strips is packed and they started screaming Do Something please we can't breath in here. I picked up Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders book and it just fell open to Mad City Mama. Guess what, is uses one and half inch strips, so off I went on another project. Who among my quilting buddies is surprised (right Cathy)?

And just to show you it was meant for me to do this, that purple center is part of a 5 1/2 inch border that I just put on one of the last baby quilts. I have enough left for all the centers to be the same. The dilemma came with the sashing. The pattern calls for two yards cut into 3 1/2 inch by 15 inch strips.
I really want to use the gold on the right rather than the one on the left,  the one on the left is just too muddy. I only had 50 inches of the brighter gold,  solution cut a 15 1/2 in strip then sub-cut into 3 inch sections. This way I will have enough for the 16 blocks. It will be just a little smaller but that is okay.

 

I wondered how it would look if I turned the two side stripped snowball blocks horizontal but it just doesn't work as well.

 

Couldn't figure out how to turn this picture up right, but anyway here are two blocks done.

This may be all the sewing I get done today, the house is in serious need of cleaning. Maybe I can squeeze a little more time in for this project or maybe to finish the Dancing Nines.

Happy Friday all.

Dancing Nines

I gave up my Facebook  games so I would have more time to finish some of my quilting projects. But what has happened is I spend more time on Pinterest and reading different blogs. Last week I saw the cutest little bibs made from scraps and I thought I would make one for DeAndra's new baby. So I started pulling out my 30's reproduction fabric. I think I need a pattern to get the bib size right so while I am waiting on that I read other blogs. On Quiltville.com I see Dancing Nines and since those 30's fabrics are pulled out, off I go. These worked up very fast, but I think I will make a few more blocks to make it larger. Yes I am in to these baby quilts lately, but then they are  so finishable. (not a word except to quilters)

I have had some other creative inspirations that have not worked as well. This Bargain Basement pattern by Bonnie Hunter is done in recycles shirts in the book and I have had it tagged to try in Batiks for a long time. Just got around to making a few blocks and I am not sure it is going to work. These may end up in the orphan box. This is another reason I don't cut out the whole quilt before sewing. In this case my vision is not quite making it.

A Starting Addiction/not finish

I have given up my Facebook games for a while. They are an addiction and very time consuming. That being said I now have more time to sew, read other blogs and view pinterest. This is not necessarily a good thing, because I see too many things I want to try. Notice I didn't say finish. That is another issue on which I am working.

I was on Bonnie Hunters blog and saw Dancing Nines and I thought I needed to try it in 30's reproduction.

 

 

It is a scrappy nine patch framed on two sides. My dilemma now is the border. Everything I have seems to take away from the overall soft feel of the top. Should I just make more blocks to make it larger or keep looking for a border?

 

Here are a few border auditions. Nothing feels right.

If no border should I use a scrappy binding or what?

Stitch Group

I got to go to the Tuesday stitch group a little while this morning. It was really great to see everyone again, only Dianna was missing, so maybe she will come by Hobby Lobby so I can see her sometime soon. I thought I would share some of the projects the others have been working on in my absence.

 

 

Here is Ada's red work project, it turned out beautifully. This picture does not do it justice. Donna A. checked to make sure Ada had left it to her in her will, but others claimed dibs as well.

 

Barbara has been working on some wool block of the month projects. Very nice work. I think both Cathy and Linda are doing them as well but Barb's the over achiever here. Way to "getter  done" Barb.

 

I think this may have been what has kept Cathy from doing much on the wool projects. Beautiful applique work as usual Cathy.

 

Cathy also had Stephan's Soccer T-shirt quilt done except for the binding and Ada was working on that today. Remember the all day paper pieced soccer ball if not go back to the April Retreat postings.
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I think she said she found this in Paducah and added it to the back of the quilt.  
I had to leave before lunch in order to get ready for work, but since Johnny had everything ready when I got home I had time to post  this (just barely) .