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.

meeting day production

The quilt group met today as planned. We were still missing a few of our folks---one out of town, another in the hospital, another is moving to Georgia soon. Some have other home and family obligations. The 8 of us that were there had a couple machines set up as well as the pinning table. Aline had sent a couple tops with me so those got pinned after I prepped a back for one of them. Pat F. had a tractor quilt to pin for her baby grandson while Linda C. had a zigzag strippie top that I will quilt up and a personal project for a family member gift. Fun quilts that I will share with you in the future, I am sure. I came home with more stuff than I took--typical, LOL.

Pictured at left is Beverly's completed challenge quilt. I think that this is "Strip Twist"? Something like that anyway. She had used Kairle's strip quilt tutorial after I spotted it and sent the link to our private yahoo group. Always fun to see the girls try something I think that they may want to try. Thanks, Kairle for the inspiration and "how-to's"
To the right, is my output for the meeting. I was showing Nancy some of the fundamentals of paper piecing today. What a sweetie! She not only shared the fabrics for the blocks and background fabric for the quilt but even brought some sandwich makings for our lunch! Yummy turkey breast. The color is not right as these are more a hot pink. Nancy took over and added the frame on the simple block and tried out my little Janome Jem as she has the opportunity to buy one used from another group member. I did the other block called "Candy Box Heart" from Piece By Number.

I had printed a bunch of the heart patterns off from various sources, EQ and online, when I made the heart block row seen HERE . I just took the whole notebook I just reorganized with me as I had all the heart blocks were right on the top. Appropriate blocks since it is almost Valentine's Day, right? Nancy as a cat owner particularly liked the Kitty Love heart block also on Piece By Number. So do I, along with this one of a cat with a heart on its belly http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1667.asp Guess you know what I'll be doing tomorrow? We are making these blocks in memory of our Sarah; she did love her kitties so the inclusion of them in the quilt would be appropriate.

Another prefers to applique and will probably try "Emily's Heart" found HERE. Others liked the scrappy heart on the Delaware Quilts and others, our old standby, vertical heart block from the World Wide Quilting Page. Beverly was making a nine patch hearts-- Billie Lauder among others on that one. I will do a few more as I told the girls to make any sized heart block, any technique as long as it was a shade of pink for the heart and white/WOW backgrounds. With smaller blocks such as these we will need more than they finished up today by month's end. Another had some raggy hearts on hand---it will all work.

Before I left for the meeting, I was able to finish up the 2nd bargello strata and add it to the first one. I completed the 3rd strata and sub-cut it after I posted yesterday. I'll take an updated picture after I get the next section added. Definitely looking more like a quilt. Heart blocks first though. Bargello on the weekend again. Next week I think I better try to do a bit of quilting. Some of the girls came prepared to help with some binding and I didn't have any for them to work on! When you have willing helpers, it would be good to have something for them to work on! T-shirt quilt? Yeah, I know---fit that in there too. Never enough hours in the day, are there, when you are a creative person with more ideas than time. And, it looks like I am up later than usual as it is...........time to tell Pippi to move on over.