Finished to flimsy/kitties!

I just finish up the top about an hour ago.  Woohoo there though I still need to seam the binding, that may wait till tomorrow.    I will wait to get the "beauty shot" minus the painters tape once I have it quilted.  It finished 37 inches square with the change in the inner border size.

Today's tip is how to make an even narrow border.  Varying thoughts attribute this to Joen Wolfrom and it did appear in Ricky Tims' Convergence book as well.  I have posted these two links before but no harm in repeating them.

passage in Google Books from Convergence

from the quilting boards  http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/narrow-borders-t170116.html    it has good step by step graphics.  Scroll down to the #6 post to the poster  going by the screen name of "ghostrider".  It works!!  She states it is better to get it even than worry about seam allowance.  My little bit of red finishes at 3/8 inch (cut it one inch)  Just enough of a bit of color without overwhelming the borders.

 I am beat!!  Not from sewing but dealing with the weeds and kudzu out on the bank.   Such a hot dirty job, whacking some of it back and spraying other parts.  I have already used up one gallon of Roundup but I do have another bottle for tomorrow's onslaught.   I'm afraid that Oscar got short shrift in the walking department today---just going out twice instead of 3 or 4 trips.  He is back in the house now and I'm heading in to keep him company soon.

Glynda called me over last evening as they had the babies out of the box and playing over by the beauty shop area.    These two were taking turns getting in and out of the planter.  Then one of them started climbing up the fire place screen right behind it.

Chasing each other.   These two are my favorites

We decided that the white one was a female after all.  Check its little bobbed tail and the hint of cream color there.   There is also a bit on the tips of her ears.   The calico is probably the feistiest of all of kitties.

The black male is the only one without extra toes.  He seems to be the most timid too.

Mama was calling the kids to come eat.

The black one was missing dinner, the calico was too busy playing.  The white one should have no fur left from all the grooming it was getting!    What fun watching them.  It will not be long and they will be jumping out of that box they are in so we talked about maybe containing them in one of the large dog kennels.  Glynda was washing it out tonight as I walked Oscar/

some progress

The stacks are getting smaller. I am making some progress (see photo below) but not quite there yet.    For one thing there is a lot of layers where the points of the Square in a Square and/or the little Economy Patches meet at the diamond tips.  Good thing I am not trying to sew this on the Brother as it balks at 4 layers in a seam allowance.  I'm using the trusty old Singer.  It may not be fancy or electronic, needle down, knee lift and all that jazz but it is heavy duty and sews well.

I have also found if I flop the little Economy patches over so I have the way the seam crosses over going the opposite direction and mash it down a bit with my stiletto it is sewing a bit easier.  I know that I am not explaining myself very well but my "theory" seems to be working.  In addition, I started out sewing with the foundation paper still in with the plan to sew right on the line printed on the paper.  That proved to be counterproductive as I can line it up far better at the point, and sew on the diamond side without slippery paper on the feed dogs.

Okay, maybe this shows what I mean a little better.  The red seam' s ridge is going to the right while the gray is pointing to the left.  That means that in spite of the difference in the angle the red seam will not be overlapping the gray seam, rather while they are still the same thickness the ridge is not right on top of the other one.   Make any more sense?? LOL

 This just shows the stab method for placing the pieces in alignment.  The angles are different for the diamond than the square in a square---like what?  45 degree angle for one and 30/150 for the other?

Line it all up and then pull the center pin to actually sew it----mash down the bulk at the center with the edge of the stiletto.

Finished seam---not too bad.  Even if I were a thread or two off and believe me, I am in a few spots I don't think it will be easy to spot.  I often say if you have your nose in there inspecting things that close,  you had better be the owner of the quilt or the person making it!

 I DO like the newsprint paper I am using and can recommend Blick's All Purpose Newsprint reams.  I used to use stuff from School Specialty but then they seemed to discontinue the 8 1/2 x 11 sheets.  Trimming down 9 x 12's made feeding through the printer a nightmare so I was happy to discover this source.   This removes fairly easily for the larger pieces but like any foundation piecing the tight spots usually require some fingernail scraping to get the smallest bits out.  My tip for the day, LOL.

So here we are across the hall on the "design wall".  I'm still considering how I want to use this wall----hang a rod up high and make like a flannel curtain or something I can roll up?  Build a frame?   I don't want to make any more holes in the wall or damage them in such a manner that I'll have to spackle and paint.   I want to get the curtain replaced that will match the new dust ruffle first though.  Thoughts for another day there.

Anyway, I got sidetracked a bit.  The top row is completed.  You can see the center star taking shape and determine just where this is going anyway.  It resembles the EQ sketch in one of my recent posts if you page back.  The gray batik is subtle but it does show up.

I plan on a narrow bit of the red as the first border, maybe a flap of it rather than an actual border.  Or if I can remember what I did for sewing a narrow border from a previous project I'll try that.   What I cannot decide to this point is which of the colors for the outer border.  I am leaning toward the medium aqua/teal shade that you see in the half square triangles of the Economy Patches and then use the darkest print for the binding.  Initially I thought the lighter shade in the diamonds but I think that might be TOO light though I believe I have enough of that batik piece to do it having bought a yard of it.

Got an opinion you want to share??  I do hope to get this completed tomorrow as I need to get it quilted and sent on to my niece within the next week.  You know how pokey I am with binding!! A baby shower is planned for Kristine in early June and I would hope that this would be there in time for that.  I don't have time to dawdle either as the Picnic Hop looms.

I've got a date with the Kudzu tomorrow with Roundup at the ready though I need to get the pumper ready.  That stuff can grow so fast and we have some hot, hot 90's on the way by Wednesday or Thursday though dry.  I might cut some of the green shoots for a wreath idea I have but the rest is getting dealt with.... and soon.  I already cut a bit out of the holly bush at the end of the lane and I sure don't want it scurrying across the yard and messing with the lawn mower. 

Okay, break over and Oscar will be howling if I don't get the food bowl out to him soon!  Skyler could care less as he is conked out in the perch in the master bedroom.   I have not seen the kitties today but Saturday Miss Kathryn called me over as she had had the babies out of the tall sided box they were in and on the porch of her mobile home.  One of them, the little orange tabby, wandered off and he moved so fast she could not catch him.  Down he went under the ramp and back where she could not reach him.   She had to leave and no one else was at home on the compound to watch out for the baby.  Between Mamacita and myself I finally nabbed the little booger.  Sharp, sharp claws and squirmy!!!!  Still, they are all so darned cute. 

busy week

So far this week has seemed like I have been gone more than home. 6 month check ups for both the medical doctor and the ophthalmologist and there goes the morning.  Tuesday was Bama Belles day. May is always a busy time for folks with Mother's Day weekend and graduations. One gal was even off to an out of state wedding, another off on a trip to the Caribbean.   4 of us showed up.

Lois got 3 more tops pinned, two were from the recent Lickety Split Log Cabin class at JOY group taught by Jean Ann Wright and using her specialty ruler.  She ended up with two donation tops but I don't know if that was her original plan.  She had wanted a medallion type set and that requires an even number of blocks.  She may have had 35 made up and just did 13 more to make 2-24 block sets in the end.  I was busy sewing so Bev and Jane were helping with the pinning.  No pic taken.  We went out for a light lunch and then went on our way. 

 Of course, the next time we meet is right after Memorial Day weekend.  I asked if we should even bother but they said they were available and would be coming.  Like any other meeting,  whoever wants to be there, will.  The door is open. 

Here is the re-colored version of the Storm at Seas wall hanging, sort of what I am shooting for with the fabrics I have purchased to make it based on the paint colors that I know were used in the nursery.  For a closeup view of some of those fabrics, see THIS POST.   My mom was describing the space for me the other day as they had been invited to my niece's home for a Mother's Day cookout this past Saturday.   The red tones will be fine as Grandpa R has incorporated a lighthouse with red in it.  The lighter aquas, greens and grays I am using need a bit of pop and I like how this star at center will be accentuated.

You can see how the actual Square in a Square blocks of the quilt turned out.  Subtly colored really.    The rest is just pieced diamond sashing and Economy Patch cornerstones.  That's what is piled up in the tray there.  I've got those all trimmed since I am foundation piecing.  The next sections are pinned in place and ready to feed through the machine.  The diamond parts will be completed once they are given a final trim.  The smaller cornerstones will need one more round.

I cannot quite decide which print I need but I am leaning towards the lighter aqua print rather than the same fabric as what I used in the diamonds.  Look at the lower right hand corner of the tray.  The half square triangles flank what I used for the center square of the Economy Patch.  It is also the fabric that I used as the dark around the soft green batik in the Square in the Square.   The darker print, the one used in the diamond area MIGHT be the outer border.  I wanted to see the center laid out before I made the decision.  All in all, I hope to have the top together by Saturday evening.  That is my goal.

But first I have a bit of housework to do.  Two days of rain and tracking bits of grass in again does not do the floors any favors.  I've already swept up the debris catching area near the carport door.  The dishes are put away, dishwasher reloaded.  Today's meals are covered.  Should start the laundry.  Should do a lot of things---wash and vacuum out the car.  Cut down whatever that is growing under the crepe myrtle bush.  And while I am at it, what is that mess under the Rose of Sharon bush anyway???  When we finally get some days without rain in the forecast, I really need to spray Roundup on the kudzu as it is rearing its troublesome head.  I am getting just like DJ and cannot go outside without seeing something that needs done.  UGH!    It is days like these that I am reminded what a good helpmate he was.  All the things he did that were seen and unseen, done like magic.  Now to summon the desire and energy to get out of this chair and grab a broom.

I AM sewing but it may not start till after lunch at this rate.  Maybe one of these days I can actually post a finished to flimsy. 

goofing around?

Or am I planning my next quilt(s)?  I prefer the latter but it sure feels like I'm playing too.  This is supposed to be fun after all or why do it?

As this year's guild newsletter editor I was sent a copy of the meeting minutes for inclusion in the next issue.  Of course, I read it because I missed that last meeting and let me tell you, those girls were busy with it being the first official meeting for 2014.  Not only is the quilt show just month's away  (early March), but it is time to start new challenge quilts and the annual block of the month projects.  I'm not clear on what all the Block of the Month will entail but I should have signed up if I'm interested.  Irene said they were doing it like a mystery quilt. I don't know about that part! After all, I am all about the process from point A to point B and want to know what it might look like to pick fabrics.

The other thing that sounded interesting is a challenge quilt that one of the members had done with the now defunct quilt shop in Trussville.  It involves using the first letter of your first name and inserting 3 elements that use that letter.  For example, her name begins with J so she picked Jewel Box for the block, jet black fabric and hers had a bit of a jungle theme.  The resultant quilt is to be donated to Project Linus, at the May meeting, and will help meet the membership requirement for a minimum of 1 pro bono quilt for the program year.  Kill two birds with one stone, right?

So what begins with L???  All I could come up with for blocks off the top of my head was Log Cabin and Lemoyne Star.  I don't really want to do an 8 pointed star and surely someone else with the L name will do a log cabin.  HMMMM   I went through BlockBase search box to look.  I love BlockBase for the historical applications but they have this cool quick quilt button where you see a 4 x 4 block set of what it would look like block to block, unsashed etc.  Sometimes it looks pretty cool and other times you can see that on point, alternating blocks or sashing would be the way to go.

Here's what I came up with today while playing---some I kind of like and could see doing.

L Stripe #Y011---not so much

Now this one I do like and I have made a Strip Twist shown in that post on the bed this fall----all that is different is maybe the center is smaller and they add a pieced bi-rangle type piece where the Strip Twist is a plain square.  Heck, I even have a bi-rangle ruler so I am guessing you can strip piece the two colors together and then cut the units with the ruler.   Oh the block name is Lacy Lattice Work #2583

This one is called Ladies' Aid Album #1719.  I do like it but if I were to actually make it I would not piece these like actual blocks but rather than components to eliminate a bunch of lines were the blocks would join.

Now this one is Ladies' Aid Block #1221.  It is kind of cool but I cannot help tilting my head to the left and seeing this as blocks on point with some pieced filler for the setting triangles and corner triangles.  All I see is big 4 X blocks and another block that is quite similar to a block called "Practical Orchard"  I have one to do in my Farmer's Wife Sampler so that is why it sprang to mind.  (That and one I have sewn already called Storm Signal.)  See what you think below--change the colors a bit and I think it is the same block!

This one is called Lattice #1181.  I like this coloration but the one I had initially looked at had the diagonal piece done in all the same color in which case it COULD be done on point, with sashing, not those pointy things to match up.  and make more 4 X blocks for the centers.  You would again, have to make pieced setting triangles to complete the look.

I know this next one as Double Attic Windows and have actually made a few in my time as pro bono quilts but I sure didn't miter the corners,  not when you can do flippy cornered triangles and get the same look in the end, LOL.  Technically it is called Lattice Square #1407b

Letter L quilt for this one #2409.  Yep, you got it---I see it on point, LOL.  4 patches on point and eliminate the extra pieced line in the triangles around it.  Not crazy about it though.

This one is sort of a version of Thousand Pyramids but actually it is called Lace Edge Quilt or Lightning Strips #112b.  A bit too fussy on something I would be giving away but you never know.

Then how easy would this one be?  Often called "Endless Stair(s)" it is also called London Stairs #1110

Then you have all the ones like what is normally called Churn Dash but it has 3 L names---Lincoln's Platform, Love Knot and Ludlow's Favorite #1646a

But guess what this one that I know as Dutch Windmill or Hearts and Gizzards is called??  You got it, Lover's Knot #1500.  I have some foundation stuff to do this one on hand, should I want to.  Eleanor Burns had a book from 1995 that I got with some bday money when the quilt shop in in Pell City was still open, years ago still waiting.  Maybe??

I am still thinking that the Lacy Lattice Work might be my favorite but only if I can come up with the color of fabric that starts with L----so any ideas there???  Lavender, lilac, lime green, what else?.  LOL.  How does lavender even look with lime green.  Do I even have any lime green?  Will they not take the quilt if I can only come up with 2 elements?  I think not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other thing that had my attention this morning was shopping online at Connecting Threads.  My lefthanded quilter friend and I had worked out a swap for the contents of my scrap basket and whatever else I wanted to put in there.  Like the contents of two of those little bins on my shelving units for example.   She asks what I may want in return and I say in effect "what do you have to offer?"  This time she made it easy and got me a gift card at CT.  I used it to get some of that yummy rhapsody in blue fabric that I hope will work for the great niece or nephew that will be arriving in July sometime.  I have heard the nursery is a NE nautical theme and I already told my mom that I want to make a Storm at Seas for them.

I made a version of Storm at Seas some time back as a Noah's ark fabric challenge between my mom, Joy and I.  Then I later took the leftover ark fabric that the three of us had not used and made another nine patch and snowball.  It is in the same post from July 20, 2006.    Should be fun----and thanks again, my friend!

But just today as the emails were flying back and forth, she said she had some fpp sailboat blocks that I might want.  I said yes and in exchange she is getting some of the stuff from my plaid/homespun stash.  I dug around in the box in the closet and came up with a small pile fairly easily, LOL. . I think we are even now, or soon will be!

And just like that, it is time to think about fixing supper.  I fixed tuna melts for lunch but dang it, another meal as rolled around.  Best get out to the kitchen!  Tomorrow, I'm cutting and sewing!  Didn't happen today but tomorrow is another day to get back into it.