Saturday sewing

I started off my day by mopping the kitchen floor--the only cleaning that I didn't get done yesterday. DJ helped by dragging the chairs out, sweeping and vacuuming. Then we did our morning walk. The next thing I knew, it was lunch time, LOL.

Tomorrow I will be starting on the commissioned t-shirt quilt so today I just wanted a little "do in a day" project and decided to just make one of these tessellated leaf blocks. Stitched up, quilted and bound while I watched the Cardinal game (and then the nerves got to me and off to watch something on the DirecTV Showtime preview)

I first saw this pattern on Victoriana Quilt Designs as a block of the month last year. I looked for site to direct you to there but I guess something you need to be a member to access.

A Google search came up with a smaller one HERE on the old PC Piecers site. Obviously it has been around a bit but had not crossed my horizon. Like the PC Piecers site, I had foundation pieced my version for a fall insert to my calendar quilt to use before the ghostie one I showed you in this post .

UPDATE: ed note. A couple of you have wondered what size I made my block--I printed it off to foundation piece it at 8 inch finished but it looked a little big so while I had the paper still on it I trimmed of all the seam allowance since it did not affect the overall design.

Also Julie asked if this was an "Ozark Maple Leaf"---a google search found a block titled that at Quilter's Cache. Marcia designed hers with all over squares. Personally I cannot see sewing two or three squares together to make a rectangular strip but that's just me, LOL. Just makes me wonder who really came up with the pattern when I see all these variations. She called it a "traditional block" but I do not see it listed in BlockBase but perhaps like anything else, it has a different name. lchj

Below is a full sized one that I drew up in EQ. Recently though the Belles and I tried one called "Whispering Leaves" from the August 1997 issue that eliminated a lot of the pieces using cut squares and then little prairie point type things for the triangle units so it had a dimensional appearance rather than all the strips and "Exquisite" blocks. I got one block of 4 together at the meeting but have not touched it since.

So I believe that I will get the straight foot back on the sewing machine and get the backing for my cat quilt together. Pam has been anxious for me to get that quilt done, LOL, especially after I told her other things are going to intervene this month. Once that's done, who knows?

Hope you all are having a great weekend------

done, done, done

Join me in a happy dancing---my round robin obligation is completed one week before the due date. 92 foundation pieced half square rectangle units later, I'm done. As stated in my previous posts, no pictures since the owner might see it so you get to see one of Pippi instead, LOL.

Other than steadily working on the round robin for the past two days there is not much going on around my house. Other than our usual walking routine, a few errands, out for lunch with DJ today I have hardly been out of the house. That may make for a boring post today but I'll take boring about any day.

Tomorrow I believe it is time to clean up this house rather than hit the high spots. The kitchen floor is in dire need of mopping. With paper piecing, I've tracked bits all over every where. Vacuuming is definitely needed. No stitching, cutting, piecing or quilting till this is tended to.

Off to see what you all are up to-----

Tuesday--already?

Nothing I can show you today but one that I made some years back that I would like to revisit. It is called "Kris' Three Patch" and was featured in Template Free Quiltmaking by Trudie Hughes, published by That Patchwork Place in 1986. It was a fun quilt to sew and looks a whole lot more complicated to make than it was.

Today was a walking morning for DJ and I. Just before lunch I had an appointment to meet with the fellow that wants a queen/king t-shirt quilt made for his son along with two wallhanging sized SEC (football, Jan, not financial, LOL) quilts for two of his clients. In between I had four other stops to make in and around Anniston--combine those errands when you can, right?

Vaughn had a pile of t-shirts laying on his conference room table when I got there and the SEC stuff all sacked up for me. The design will change to something more like THIS and cut to accomodate an SEC logo t-shirt so I wont have to piece the lettering this time. So he and I and then Mom has a little confab about which sides of the shirts to use and what color neutral to use for the sashing bits. (like khaki pants though I don't know how good that will look with the gray shirts) Oh, and it will probably be closer to king sized. I don't have to quilt it, thank goodness. A long armer is lined up for that job. I may well be asked to make one to raffle for the school come spring--forewarned, I guess. The SEC ones, I can handle on my own home machine.

But first, finish up the round robin. I have one side done and on the quilt. Somehow I had to add one more square to what I thought was needed--a slightly smaller one. It is only a 1/4 inch difference so I doubt it will be noticeable. (DJ couldn't tell which one it was when I showed him.) How did I mess up the math that much?? I was pretty sure that this thing was square this time but 2 1/2 inches off? It also occured to me yesterday that the horizontal sides were NOT supposed to be mirrored. I may have overcut some of the half square rectangle pieces. I don't care so much about my own fabric wastage but I DO about hers since there was not a lot of it leftover. I really don't want to go to Birmingham this week for more fabric--now, next week may be another story if I ever get this thing finished.

I am behind in reading and commenting on your blogs right now---bear with me, I'll be back. Supper is already made--pasta salad using some of the Bernstein Cheese and Garlic Italian dressing that Pam sent me--so except for eating dinner and stretching breaks I have a good stretch of time to get back to foundation piecing. But, first I have to tape them together and cut them out--what DJ calls cutting out "paper dolls" TTYL

new month

Another month passes. New goals and new challenges lay ahead with more tops to be quilted, more blocks to be made. I got a couple of little wallhangings done that were NOT on my list and a few things completed that WERE on the list. As usual there will be carry overs and additions. Who knew I would be having to list some commissioned work for October?

I have finished cutting my way through a 15 quart container of homespuns and plaids and have about a 3 inch pile of bricks cut to finish 3 x 6. The pattern (link in a previous post) will make a nice boys quilt and knowing how I overcut, more than one!! The larger yardage went unscathed in the cutting department because it may be pressed into service for borders and binding. One quilt cut out for the Belles' 7th Annual Fall Sew-In anyway. Leftovers might be recut for a bowtie--wouldn't that look cool in what looks like a bunch of flannel shirts???

My mind flashed to some 12 Triangles squares I had made from some of these same fabrics--the reason I own this stuff in the first place, LOL. Where in the world are those things because I should stick them in the bin with the fabrics?? Off on a treasure hunt. The two likely spots failed to turn them up. AH, hiding in the closet along with a couple barely started things. The hunt led to locating some nice bright race car fabric along with some brights for sashing and some checkboard that could be used for binding. Pat had left this for the group for boys quilts but the concentration on the Girls Ranch I had put it back for now. I could use something like my kitty quilt or Norma and Judy's BQ might be just the thing. I also unearthed some schoolbus fabric that I think Finn or my Mom had sent too. Boy Treasure trove!! Bug Jar stuff and a pinwheel kit in boy colors from my Mom. Okay, I'm set for awhile for the donation quilts with things that can be shared with the group.

Okay, since I don't have anything of my own to show you-----this is Aline's Christmas block sampler. The JOY quilt group had a block swap last year and Aline has her top assembled. They are doing the same swap again this year but there are two groups of 12 or you get 24 blocks or some such thing. The girls pinned this at the meeting as I believe she hopes to enter it in the quilt show later in the month.

I spent part of the day yesterday trying to draw a mockup in EQ of what Aline's round robin looks like. This way I could audition various border options for my required "two inch border of your choice of techiques". Ah, that's a bit narrow to do much of anything........wait till I tell you what our choices are for the final round. It makes the hair of the back of my neck stand up, LOL.

One good thing: this one is square and that has not happened thus far with the ones passed to me. No slight triming or re-assembling required. That is a big relief! I finally decided on a design that I can foundation piece, have it drawn up and printed out. A little initial cutting is done so I'm heading to the machine to get started soon. While it is not the design that I liked the most, techique-wise it will be the one more easily accomplished. Since it is due on the 12th, I'll go with that. Cher and Pam got the preview versions last night---divided opinions, LOL. That always happens, doesn't it? There is a chance that Aline reads my blog so no pictures here!

Hope you all are having a wonderful day--- 

This and that

Armed with a 40% off anniversary coupon, I ran over to Hancock's and found a piece for backing fabric on my kitty challenge quilt I finished last week. Michael Miller Bling Kitty that is as bright as the front---4 yards of fabric and 1 yard of Wonder Under that I could use my guild 10% and I came out of the store under 20 bucks but just barely.


Then I came home and got started on this little insert for my calendar quilt. I haven't worked out how to do the turkey I mentioned yesterday yet but it is not November yet. Halloween is closer. I ended up hand appliquing it but had a little goof-up. Here the tombstone and pumpkin were flat on the bottom because they were supposed to sit on the horizon on the ground with the ghostie in the foreground. That was not how I basted them down so first thing this morning---un-do, adjust and re-baste, finish the applique. Just finished the binding. If you resize it don't look too close at the stitching--those deep dips things are not easy! Some leftover binding from the Santa Magic wall hanging I just finished recently came in quite handy. I may piece a little 8 inch leaf block this afternoon. Tomorrow I will be starting on that round robin----do not let me make any excuses. Nag me if you have to---------

I got a phone call today from a local lawyer for whom I made 3 commissioned SEC quilts two or three years ago. The link will take you to a picture I posted a few months ago of one of them--all three were identical. At the time we had talked about making a 4th for his son and possibly a tee shirt quilt for him as well. I thought he had decided not to do this after all and I returned the leftover logo fabric to him. He may have contacted another quilter to do the work which was fine with me. SOOO it looks like I will have at least one t-shirt quilt to make for Christmas and possibly another SEC quilt for a client. I meet with him next week to talk things over. I am not going to even try to quilt a queen sized t-shirt one---not when there are long armers around here that will do a good job for him. I'd rather piece any day!!

I told you I would be sharing a couple quilt from the Bama Belles meeting earlier this week. Because these two are similiar in their assembly I chose them. Aline had a nice Christmas sampler that I can sahre in another post.

You will recognize the block that is called by so many names that I finally threw up my hand and called it Whatever. In an post I could think of three different designers that had the same resultant pattern. Looking at the pattern I saw a 4th way of construction and I would be doubtful that variation had not occured to someone else along the line. Some of the girls worked on blocks so I had enough to assemble a quilt with them.

On a couple of occasions Finn has kindly sent us some cut 2.5 inch squares. Theramae used the Caffrey method to make her top, meaning Exquisite (or Signature) blocks alternating with 4-4 patch sections. I bet Finn can spot some old favorites in this one. It will be donated probably to the girls at the Talledega Presbyterian Home because it is backed with a pink print.

She made this one as well but arranged it medallion style using the same Exquisite block but alternating in some cases with four patches. The top is not quite completed however--we were debating about the color to use for a 2 inch finished border. She had a light blue which I thought didn't provide much contrast with the muslin background. I suggested a nice dark green with a gold dusting on top which I had with me. I sent some of home with her to left her decide. Of course, we all were weighing in on which one we liked best, LOL--about half one and half the other, BTW. She will add another row of blocks all the way around the border.
Plans are to hand quilt it and then it will be raffled to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

By the time I actually hit publish it will be 4:30 and about time to think about fixing supper. What, I haven't quite decided. Jeanne's suggestion of beef pizzola and pesto potatoes sure sounded good and I have the stuff on hand to make it. We have already had our larger meal at lunch with last night's leftovers. I'll decide once I actually get in there.

Till next time-----------

 

Off on another tangent

I know I have so many UFOs because I am always going off another tangent, LOL and I tend to procrastinate doing things I don't want to do, namely that awful round robin today. I started cutting out some bricks out of homespuns and plaids last night for a boy's quilt for the sew in (Norma suggested this) Good idea and a stash buster to boot as well as easy sewing 9 scrappy rectangles in a row and stagger them.

So what led me astray this morning. Well it is all my friend Veronica's fault. Well, not really--we all know who is really to blame. She has the cutest turkey table runner with the turkey's tail feathers made dresden plate style. This morning she is not happy with how she quilted it but hey, feathers were a natural jump since birds were involved. Take a peek and come on back.

Her design scaled down may be the turkey I was envisioning for the little removable quilt I showed you in my archived post HERE. I am not fond of the one that the pattern calls for. See what an anemic looking bird that turkey is? Kinda cute but not what I had in mind. I have gone my own way on several of these--made the rabbit and the house (backwards, BTW--LOL) but did my own foundation pieced flag and added other seasonal things: hearts and shamrocks. I do like the Halloween and the Santa though. Since this is on my UFO list, I think I will start on that ghostie today if I have some fusible on hand. BUT I still have that turkey in mind, LOL. I'll fool around with that idea some more AFTER I cut those bricks.

Can you see what I was patterning my SBS ostrich round robin from a couple posts ago after looking at the pattern insert? I really like this arrangement so why not?

Norma posted the definition of "flimsy" along with her completed Stack and Whack top for those of you who wondered just what that meant. ( top ready to be sandwiched) Some commenters were intrigued with pledging to get one top a month to that point from the unfinished pile. Julie was one that said she had plenty of tops but needed to get them quilted.

So if we were to issue a challenge like that to anyone, I guess YOU would get to define where that challenge should be best applied in 2007. It may vary from month to month. There's no real penalty if you don't get something done-- just the feeling of things hanging over your head and the sense of guilt about not using that fabric as you intended. But is that enough impetus? Bloggerland is good to help spur each other on if only to have another picture to post.

As I said, I have no shortage of items to pick from in either completing a top or getting around to quilting them. I DO get things done for the kids but even some of those are on the list--little bits stuck here and there with just a few blocks made. The New Year is not here yet so mull it over.

A couple of errands to run---Hancock has a 40% coupon on regular priced fabric purchase so I may find something for my cat quilt back and grab some fusible if I need it. Then get to work!! 

too many ideas!

Patti in her 1st post from 9-26 showed her Country Threads wallhanging. I mentioned to here in my comments that I had made one as well, years ago. A glance at the book shows that it was published in 1992 so this would have to be around that era.

I had to make some modifications in mine. I remember working on the appliqued pumpkins on a bus trip to Indianapolis to a Great America Quilt show. Unfortunately I placed them on the fabric the wrong direction---the background piece was cut correctly but they wanted it set with the longer side placed horizontally, not vertically. I had all the applique done and wasn't about to take it all off!! Oh, oh, Redesign ahead.

Also Patti shows up a row of Ohio Star blocks--those blocks are 3 inch finished!! No glutton for punishment, I made a row of flying geese which I felt was appropriate for the season---more so than those goofy houses were. Since applique could be trimmed to fit, I moved the houses up and filled in the empty space with the orange and black checkerboard--a Halloween touch. That meant one less apple block--those didn't finish the size they were supposed to be anyway, LOL. I think it was because the red should have been on the top. Or its the "rotten" apple in the bunch??? One last error--only one turkey's base goes the correct direction. Oh well!! I was in a hurry to get it done for the quilt show that year--the theme was holidays. So I drag this out in the fall and it is the first thing I see when I come out of the bathroom.

I have a summer version one that was my pass around row robin one year online---that is a UFO that could be worked on rather easily--maybe hand quilt it? It was fun having a project to work on in between other things.

Norma and I were chatting last night about challenging each other after the first of the year to at least get one UFO (correction: one a month) off our list up to the "flimsy" stage. Both of us apparently have a list about as long as our arms. If saying that in bloggerland makes me more accountable and it goes in my goal list, then I am apt to stick with it. Anybody else feel compelled to join in come 2007?

Here is the "Peanut Gallery" supposedly napping in the recliner. He saw the flash go off when I took the picture of the wallhanging in the hallway. No matter how old they get, they are still "little boys". He suggested this would like nice as my screen saver but he didn't say anything about my blog, LOL.

So far today I have not gotten anything remotely quilty done unless you count putting things away that I had drug to the meeting with me. I had pulled some red fabric from the closet---three bins down with a pile of stuff atop it. Greens from another bin off the shelf--that was easier to get at. Yellows from the big bin under the pressing table--stuff piled on it that had to be moved first. Some cleaning and straightening but no tossing except for the printouts from that nursing home course I did recently. Got the license in hand so goodbye! Downloaded some patterns from a site suggested on the stashbuster list---oh oh, more ideas of things I could do. Poetry Collection might go with a primary colored stripe I have-----hmmmm. Found another quilt kit that might work for the sew in too--all blues and white picket fence or maybe called 2nd Time Around by some designers. HMMMM again. More digging in the under table bins on the horizon, I can tell. Pippi was sacked out on his desk chair at the same time.

Weather is gorgeous today again--sunshine, clear skies, nice breeze, cooler nights--can open the windows and let some fresh air in. Our across the street neighbors are doing some painting and some friends or relations are over helping. One of them keeps bursting into song and has a great voice. I almost want to go over and tell him to keep it up. Good rendition of a Luther VanDross song awhile ago.

I've got a couple of quilt tops to show you from the meeting yesterday but will post those tomorrow. LOL, I sure am not getting anything of my own done today............