16 patches and other stuff

What a good meeting we Bama Belles had yesterday!  We had two guests:  Bev's neighbor who has sewn in the past but does not quilt came along with her and we had a little almost one year old grand come w/ her Mim.  Let me tell you, Lily Grace was charming everyone in her path,  including the pastor.

We also a couple of sharing/learning opportunities.  Bev showed us how she does her dimensional flowers.  I had a planned demo on how to mark bias lines for cross hatching as well as how to cut bias and use bias press bars---two things that had come in conversation since our last meeting.   Another opportunity came up because Lois had brought in some orphan blocks and some foundation piecing printouts to share.  I had the machine set up for my demo so I sat Bev and Rita down to show her how to get started with that.

Teresa got her special quilt for her recently married DS and DIL pinned and she is on the right track now about piecing a huge back for another special quilt for her husband.  I had helped her trim and square that up a few meetings back.  It's the Desert Mirage shown HERE.   My pinned  donation stack atop the armoire increased by 2 (now 11 but one is not mine)  and I think Lois had two tops as well.  One of them a "Chiclet/Whatever You Want to Call It".

Seeing her quilt got me thinking, especially since we are having the sew-in day in two weeks time.  We plan on focusing on 2 1/2 inch strips, 2 1/2 inch squares and charm squares.  So what ideas can we use to use up those scraps.

I had seen a pieced heart block on FB that a friend's quilt shop was using for a cancer fund raiser.  They called it "Fight Like a Quilter"  I'll find the link and update this.  Anyway, it is a block that I have seen before but drew up in EQ.  Lots of 2 inch squares for a finished 10 inch block---bigger if you frame it all around with background fabric.

Then I was drawing again this morning---  "Road to St. Louis" that is shown in Trudie Hughes book Even More.   I could have sworn that I actually have the blue I show cut out for this but I cannot lay my hands on it anywhere.  I know there is a pile of 2 1/2 inch cut squares around here as well so it is possible that it is all in the same location, bagged up.   This will work if you keep the background and flying geese/hour glass blocks a constant.

Another one that intrigues me is Sunny Lanes.  This one looks a little more planned with the way I have it colored.  I re-drew it to eliminate some lines where the blocks would join meaning that it is assembled more by the row, instead of piles of individual blocks.

Then we have the "Chiclets/whatever you want to call it" .  I arranged this one like a strippie with a half step drop.  I have another version drawn like a zig zag and have actually made that version, some time block.  Why do I call it "whatever you want to call it" , you might ask??  See that post from back in April 06.  I know of at least 4 ways to piece it and they all end up looking the same.  So who do you give credit for it???

And here is the last one I was fiddling with though it will not use 2 inch squares.   The block is called Bridle Path  Brackman #1150 but I modified the center section, put it on point and added a snowball block alternating.

Actually I have piece a limited pallete donation quilt using a sashed and cornerstoned version-----kind of a Valentine's Day look, as I recall.  The center is slightly different but it has a few more lines eliminated at center.

I have some quilting to do---2 button ups, Bloom and that a little basket block I whipped up for my May multi-seasonal banner.  I don't know how much I'll get done since DJ is on the list for a haircut and I'll have to cut supper at some point.   Tomorrow I would like to get ready for the Saturday purse/backpack class and bake some cookies to share so I best get busy with today's plans.   I won't have to haul my machine on Friday if I have binding to do.

Happy Valentine's Day/meeting wrap

Happy Valentine's Day!

The EQ sketch is similiar to a quilt that was made by one of the Belles several years ago combining a 9 patch heart block we had found online along with a Mary Ellen Hopkins style heart from the Connecting Up #4 book. Well, some of them showed up in that strippie quilt I showed you in the two previous posts. I had a little pencil sketch of her quilt but had not drawn it up till this morning. Anything to get out of binding, LOL, but I thought it might make a nice Valentine's greeting as well.

My husband and I don't make a big deal out of Valentine's Day. After all, our anniversary was about 2 weeks ago and that is far more important and personal to me than a holiday, more or less, exploited for commercial gain. What holiday isn't these days, come to think of it? No special meal and so forth. He got me a sweet card and then took my car in to get the oil changed and a new wiper blade. I appreciate his taking care of these things and consider that a present of sorts because it shows he is looking out for me. We still have Fannie May's that his son sent for Christmas and it is always a contest to see if the anniversary flowers will make it till Valentine's. My mums look pretty droopy but I guess you could say they did.


A few of us Belles met yesterday--the ones that I had spoken to on the phone or in person basically. I didn't expect many on that short of notice. Ginny brought the Toadie BQ that she had quilted on her short arm set up and the football quilt she had made for the Donoho school raffle for us to see. I cannot share a picture of it yet but will when she gives me the heads up. I had the t-shirt one for the same raffle to show her because I was going to put the binding on it at the meeting place.

Rosa needed some help laying out a king sized star quilt blocks she had made along with the scrappy cornerstones. A BOM on steriods and all in gorgeous batiks--yummy! It really helped to push three of the tables together and get an overall view of what colors to put where. She and Theramae put their heads together on that.

Lois had a top to pin and one to drop off. Even better, her husband had repaired/replaced the handle on my grandma sauce pan that I use to mash potatoes, cook pasta, you name it. How many times my husband had threatened to toss that pan or offered to buy me a whole new set!? He kept wrapping electrical tape on it to keep the crumbling wood on and have something to grab onto. Nope, you will NOT get that pan away from me! I would have used it even if the handle was a stub. My SIL had offered my brother's help with this as he does woodworking too. Lois' husband Les was closer or Steve might have been asked to help out especially since he has his shop set up now. But I digress....... LOL, I often do but that is what you get when you just write in stream of consciousness mode (it shows, doesn't it?)

Back to the quilt top she had finished---a Whatever/Chiclet type top with the 16 patches she has been making at home. I had printouts of a couple other arrangements she might consider--Road to St Louis and this one that Joy had made that looks like 16 patches and pinwheels alternating . I think she said she had 12 blocks leftover. Lois, if you are reading this check out this archived post for the zigzag layout I mentioned. It would take 13 and you cut two of them in half more or less plus seam allowance. I can tell you what size to cut the setting triangles is you need help there OR refer you to the table found on Bethany Reynolds site for on point sets HERE though a printout where you could see the vertical lines might help. (That would be in the April 06 archives near the Whatever post)

Theramae brought two she had finished binding and picked up four that I had quilted to do the honors. She also brought in a block she had found in an old quilt book or magazine. She could not remember the name of the pattern but thought it was "Loop the Loop" or something similiar. She thought it might be one for us to try--possibly for the sew-in. I had to draw it up in EQ to see what happens with the loops when the blocks are joined. Not crazy about the colors though it is a nice paisley print in EQ6 but the snapshot will give you the idea.

Rosa also brought in Bonnie's Hidden Spools or King's X to share. She had done this with one of her quilt groups in Florida and thought we might be interested in giving it a whirl. She had sections of the hers in progress so it was easy to see how it went together. String like, scrappy effect without the foundations.

Actually, both blocks or techniques intrigue me. I wonder how the loop one would look done scrappy! I can see alternate methods of construction as I look at this that might eliminate some lines where the blocks join. More fodder to keep me awake at night thinking of quilts.

Back to the meeting wrap up--I am all over the map today, LOL.
We pinned three tops then and it was approaching noon. I needed to come back and put the binding on that queen sized t-shirt quilt--my primary goal for the day. Off we went to Quizno's for a sandwich and a sit down break and chat. They went home after lunch but I stayed on. The church has nice wide tables that they use for serving at potlucks and dinners so I was able to put that out in front of the machine and seat myself on the far right corner. I pulled over one of the smaller tables to my left to hold the bulk of the quilt to put on the binding. Those sure helped when it came time to trim off the batting too.

SO I am not getting any binding done pecking at the keys. This week's goal is to bind the butterfly challenge, my Toadie BQ and the t-shirt quilt. Antoinette will be taking the quilts that we have set aside for the Talledega Presbyterian Home for Children down later in the week and that butterfly goes along with that bunch. Then I am piecing all week, next week--my reward!! That might make more to pin on the 27th but hey, it is all cyclical. I think we are about half way to our goal for the boys' quilts but I need to do my part towards getting there.

I have been trying to get caught up at least reading my blog list--if I don't stop to comment, I have probably been by but had my hands busy binding. I was up to the Q's last night, LOL. See you online............