sewing and sewing some more

Getting some production done this weekend. I ran out of sashing fabric for the last vertical row of the t-shirt quilt so am waiting for my order to come in early next week. Yesterday I added one long side border the half that is done, joined rows 4 and 5 and squeezed on one more sashing strip from the border cut away fabric.

What to do, what to do? Since yesterday afternoon I have prepped the backings for three quilts and added the borders to the bricks quilt. With the larger quilts we are shooting for that means two length of backing and splitting it to get the proper width. I went through the muslin bolt we had at the church and polished off most of my own bolt as well--good thing that Hobby Lobby just opened!!

This is not the best picture in the world shooting across the room and passed the desk but there it is. The one piece of plaid on the right edge looks nothing like this check that I am seeing on the photograph. The top finished right at the target range of 50 x 70 and I believe it will be a good one for the boys since it looks like a bunch of flannel shirts and men's oxford cloth shirts. Some pieces remind me of an old favorite pair of my flannel pj's, LOL.

Just finished cutting out the binding for this top and one other top so that's where I am headed next. Then I think I will get started on the nine patch top I had hoped to assemble at the sew in. Norma will probably tell me that I am wearing her out again but I happen to know that she had been busy quilting all week, LOL and fitting that in around a full time work schedule.

Nothing much else to say--just wrapping up the loose ends of things from last week that I had hoped to get done. Not much help on my goals list but things that needed to be done so we can pin at the next meeting.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend in whatever you chose to do......... 

Cards and tees

Go Cards!! A nail biter to the end but World Series Bound!

Okay, I am not getting anything remotely quilty done today but was up too late because of the ball game and then could not get to sleep once I go to bed--reading for a bit didn't help.

I have half of the t-shirt quilt done--vertical rows are even joined. I sewed later in the evening than I normally do just because of the nervous energy of the ball game. I wanted to know what was happening but not necessarily "watch it", mute the sound and look when I wanted to or follow the progress on MLB gameday like I often do. (By now the talking head announcers have drove me around the bend, one in particular.) So I kept cutting and stitching and it got closer and closer to 11 p.m.

What you are viewing is Finn's "Strip Twist" quilt that she sent us for the WTIL. This is one of two of hers that I hurried up and quilted last weekend. Jane got busy with the binding on this at the sew-in so it was ready for its closeup, LOL. Her mom Sarah was not quite done binding the 2nd one. Love those scrappy quilts as it is so fun to see the bits and pieces here and there. She has nice pile at work on her blog today.

As I was looking through the latest Fons and Porter magazine last night there was a flannel bricks quilts! Great minds must be thinking alike here. First Norma had directed me to a pattern for one online a few weeks back as a possible thought for the kids. Then our own Mama Koch showed her wonderful bricks and cornerstones made with plaids in her Sept. 28 post. Around the time I cut the fabric for my version. I was interested in two things--what size had they cut theirs and how did they quilt it. Answer: 3 1/2 by 6 1/2 or the same as I did and they used an elongated x so it made a diamond pattern---that will work!

Then in the hints columns--most of the time I think like "who didn't know that?" but one of the hints would have been beneficial. They suggested using spray starch or sizing to the back of flannel (that part I knew as Cher swears by it for her flannel quilts) or the homespuns to stabilize the weave before you cut it. Well, too late--mine will just be casually off grain though there is still time to do that on the borders when I get "round tuit" Cher will definitely get her t-shirt quilt done before I do---Eileen tells me she has one to do as well, a commisioned piece. That time of year with Christmas around the corner, would be my guess.

The temperature has dropped about 25 degrees from what it was yesterday. Cold and damp but let's face it 75 and humid as all get out is not fun in the middle of October. Mid 50's is far more seasonable and you can see the starts of the leaves beginning to change--more than a tree here or there. The stew that I put in the oven for supper is starting to waft its aroma out in the house and neither of us will mind the oven being on for hours today.

Well, Pippi decided to let me have the cutting table back so I can at least cut some sashing strips and get a little sewing done anyway. Hope you all have a good weekend ahead.............

Turkeys and T's

A little of this and that and then I have to get back to work on the t-shirt quilt. First let me thank you all for your comments about the Bama Belles sew-in. I know just how much I am blessed to have them to sew with. We have fun and get a lot done. I know I hear them say "I get more done at home" and heck, I've even said that myself a time or two but the point really is, I sew by myself all the rest of the time without eating someone else's cooking and the fellowship involved with working with a group.

Here is the cute little turkey center quilt that Veronica sent me for the quilt base of my calendar themed wallhanging. Isn't it adorable? I guess she has made 4 of these now??? Going like hotcakes for her clients! Thanks again, Veronica!


Here is what I am really working on--not sure how well the whole thing will show up but I have the first column done. I switched things around a little bit on the first one due to the colorations of the shirts. I already sewed the "wrong" one on twice leading me to think that it was going to be a long day at the machine. Fortunately things straightened out a bit.

I have wondered when I was joining sections of shirt to shirt if I should go buy some heavier machine needles or even a ball point needle since some of it is knit but that doesn't seem as problematic right now either. I can already tell that I am going to have to go over to the church to put the borders on as there is absolutely no place in this house to spread this out to measure it once the other rows are added. You really have to watch out that the iron doesn't get too close to the rubbery printed on stuff on the shirts. Mostly I have been finger pressing-- a lot but I do that anyway.

At right is the EQ sketch that I worked out for the placement and sashing bits. I am probably going to pre-sash the block though before I join it with its mate. I drew it up that way because it was easier for me on custom set. It was also the reason why I didn't want to re-set the center square of the quilt---don't want to re-size each and every blessed strip and square. I just cropped it for the snapshot and the heck with the illusion of binding on the right side--probably won't be black anyway. The color blocks will just help me with "what goes where" as I cannot replicate the t-shirt motifs.

The khaki color sashing was NOT my idea but I supposed it does work on everything but the gray. Black was my first choice but Mom suggested something that looked like the son's pants--khaki that would go with any future decorating scheme. Then later, some black shirts were tossed into the mix so it probably was the better choice after all. My husband is being oh, so supportive about the quilt---NOT! He took one look and went "ugh" or "yuck"--not his cup of tea but then he never wears t-shirts other than the plain ole white ones under his shirts. Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. Only been working on it some aspect of it for over a week now minus the sew in days and one day to recupe--what a huge waste of time seeking your approval. SHEESH

Oops almost forgot--someone asked me about the table that Lois had around her machine in my previous post. (Sorry I don't know who off the top of my head and I am sooooo behind on reading blogs and emailing). Her talented husband made that for her. He is also the guy I need to see about getting the wooden handle replaced on my favorite "grandma" pan (nice big heavy saucepan) as he does wood turning too, LOL. Thing is, I can't be without my pan long enough or it is in the dishwasher when I think about it.

Back to work............

day two sew in report

Theramae had set her sailboats aside as she needed some fabric from home. She is in the process of making a "Road to Ireland" top from M'liss Rae Hawley's book Fat Quarter Quilts . To the right in the picture is a Snuggle Up that I cut for her (actually I cut two--Sarah said she would sew the other and I cut hers a bit wider). We had been looking at a bunch of fabric that had been donated by Cher, Antoinette and Finn with boy motifs---when 5 of them seemed to go together and there was plenty of it, this pattern seemed to be a natural, LOL.

Here is Lois at work on her butterfly challenge quilts. I told her that I tried to upload a shot on Monday but "lost" the pic. She got one of her 24 blocks done just so I could show you what her log cabin blocks will look like. I think she had 8 rounds of the 10 done on the other 23 so good progress was being made. Gotta love those pinks, purples and teals!

Carolyn and Ada teamed up to make 24 nine patch blocks that I will probably sash and cornerstone to finish up. I drug along my 3 1/2 inch cut squares box and suggested they pick out the non-girly ones. Carolyn manned the machine while Ada cut if needed and pressed for her.

Jane took this one of me finishing up the last few rows of the bricks quilt. I left the border fabric at home so it is not quite done. Nor did I get to the other top that I hoped to assemble--a stack of nine patches in an on point setting --but it will be there when I am ready all kitted up. I had also planned to get the backings ready for my mom's John Deere tractor tops but that didn't happen either. The muslin bolt came home with me so I'll get to it.

Pat ended up with a stack of 24- 16 patches by the time we quit. Betsy was probably half done with all her sale boats shooting for at least 20 or 24. Jane had the binding done on Finn's Strip Twist (I'll post a pic of that in my next post along with that darling turkey from Veronica), Sarah was almost done with the Rails with Alternate blocks one she had been binding. Pat was binding Betsy's Pioneer Braid. I think we pinned two tops??--one for sure. I would have done a third (second?) one before we left but the backing appeared to be a couple inches too short--always next time.

We closed up shop about 3:30 or 4'ish. I know I walked in the door at home about 5 or close to it. We had to put all tables I had drug out away in the storage closet and rearrange the chairs. Small rant: the church has bought new, shorter, lighter molded tables for the fellowship hall but we are not supposed to sew on them per request of the donor. Pinning, I could see having to use the old ones but sewing?? Come on, we are adults and can take care of someone else's property! Just makes things harder on us and then no one wants to bring their machines to the regular meetings.

Carolyn, bless her, vacuumed the strings up. Normally on a meeting day we don't have to bother with this but with two days worth of sewing, it is better that we hit the high spots. Also the kitchen needed to be straightened up, dishwasher run and trash out. etc, etc, etc.

By the time, we left the sun was blazing and it felt like an absolute sauna outside (rain and high winds overnight) so that made for a sticky job loading and unloading the cars. All my muscles ached and I needed some Motrin. Once it kicked in, I felt more like myself. DJ even commented that I must be feeling better--when I came home I seemed like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders but by 8, 2nd wind kicked in. I got all my stuff put away and was working on my entries for the quilt show. Then was too revved up by bed time to get to sleep--doesn't it figure??

Well, errands await--once that's done, it will be back to the t-shirt quilt which I would like to have done by end of the week, if possible. Everything but the sashing bits are ready to roll.

 

Day 1 Fall Sew In

Just got home from day 1 of the 7th Annual Bama Belles Fall Sew-in. We had 9 of us there today including our friend Pat is who back in Alabama. Another friend who is still working came for a bit after dinner so good to see her as well.

Jane, Pat and Sarah helped on binding and label detail and Jane pinned up a top that Cher had sent us and that I put a top/bottom border on. Aline was working on 9 patch blocks today--sorry that I didn't get a picture taken of them before she left as the fabrics were wonderful--all from her stash.

The picture at left shows the plaids and homespun bricks quilt that I have started. I'm going to keep piecing at least four more rows--six if I have enough rectangles cut. The pile is diminishing fairly quickly. After supper, the four of us who remained pinned by Kitty quilt. I think I have enough of the pink kitty bling from the cutaways on the back and the little bit of yardage I had left that I used on the back to make a "girlie" quilt for WTIL.



The two Pat's were busy sewing 2 1/2 inch squares together so I can make a Road to St. Louis top. Getting a pretty good stack of blocks there! Not sure how many cut squares are left in the bag to work with so I may have to bring one of my scrap boxes tomorrow and turn them loose on those.

Betsy was off trimming when I took the picture but both she and Theramae were working from a sail boat pattern that we had used from a past issue of Fons and Porter's "Love of Quilting" I didn't get a picture of Theramae's version before she left for the day. Betsy has a few blocks that you can see a little better in the picture below. She plans to use this neat lighthouse fabric for the borders and will fill the center with sailboats.

Lois got started on her butterfly challenge quilt and decided to use the b.f. for the centers and go with pinks, teals and purples for a log cabin set. She said she had just enough fabric for the 4 inch finished centers. Dang, I just lost the picture I took. I'll get another tomorrow when she has more done, I promise.

So we had a productive day--good food and good company. Our newly opened Hobby Lobby is a few miles down the road from our meeting place so right after lunch 6 of us piled into Pat's van and went on a short shopping jaunt. Aline had already made the trip first thing this morning so we left a few behind and basically went to check out the fabric department, etc. Place was packed!!

When I got home, I had two parcels waiting for me. Veronica knew that I was admiring the turkey table runner she had made recently and took note of my comment that I should figure out how to incorporate a turkey made from a dresden plate like hers into my little calendar quilt. She made me one!! I'll post it in a day or two on the calendar base. Too cute! AND my mom sent two John Deere tractor quilt tops that we can get pinned tomorrow--one is in a double attic window set and the other is in a churn dash variation (N029 Brackman number) that reminds me a bit of Windblown Square or something. Thank you both!

Guess that's it for now---I'll report in tomorrow or Wednesday.

Sunday

Today I am sharing pictures of two special quilts that were sent to the Bama Belles by Libby who wanted these to go to the Boys Big Oak Ranch. They are even better in person and already quilted, bound and everything--we will just attach the WTIL labels. I asked Libby if she was going to post pictures on her blog and she replied that she had not planned to and they had already found a new home. We thank her again for her generosity and direct any compliments her way. Aren't these wonderful!?














Because I was waiting for my Hancocks order to be delivered, my t-shirt quilt was put on hold. That's okay though--Friday afternoon I decided to put my time to good use and pulled out one of the pinned quilts in my stack. Finn had sent two tops a month or so back but I knew they were going to the boys and there was no rush when round robins and other quilting intervened. I got an email from one of the Belles who said to save her some handwork for the sew-in. She can have the binding detail and sew the labels on Libby's two quilts.

I finished up the quilting on the Strip Twist last evening (I think that is the right name) with enough time leftover to do zoom lines on the polka dot rail fence with alternating blocks. I'll see if I cannot get these linked up to the pictures she may have shown on her blog before she sent them off to us. Otherwise I'll post the pics once the binding is done.

I need to cut binding for one of the quilts yet and get it attached this afternoon. Only other thing on the sewing schedule would be to add the missing fabric to my cat quilt back so we can possibly pin it at the sew-in. Then it is off to the kitchen as I need to make some food items to cart to the sew-in.

I plan on concentrating on getting the homespun bricks top pieced. We will be working both Monday and Tuesday from about 9-5. If I should manage to get the top finished in one day, I can possibly do 3-D bowties or put some nine patch blocks into some sort of setting for another top. As always there is never any shortage of things to do!

Hope you all are having a good weekend---

 

No Name Nine Patch Duo tutorial

Google Documents and Spreadsheets may have made it possible to post this handout I had once shared with my quilt group. This is an experiment on posting a document on hand to my blog. (It may have messed up my sidebar temporarily, from what I could tell before editing). This might open up another way of sharing information on my blog!!

NO NAME NINE PATCH DUO

One of the Bama Belles saw a picture of a quilt that I had made several years ago from some donation fabric and wondered how to make this. It is technically called “No-Name Four Patch Duo” and the original pattern was found in Marti Michell’s book Quilting for People Who Still Don’t Have Time to Quilt. Publisher: American School of Needlework ISBN 0-88195-863-8 .

I did not follow the directions, however as it makes more sense to me to do this as an uneven nine patch. I renamed it. There are two separate blocks that comprise this graphically interesting quilt.

BLOCK 1		BLOCK 2

I made my blocks 7 inch finished but really you could make them any size you wish. You may want the smaller strips a bit wider and it is your quilt so feel free to do size. If you want to do yours as shown cut 5 ½ inch strips x width of fabric (WOF) in three colors, light, dark and a contrasting colored fabric. Also cut 1 ½ inch strips of each one. If my calculations are correct, four strips of each color and in each size should do it. You will probably need at least a yard of each color to make the body of the quilt as shown EXCLUDING borders and binding.

My quilt as pictured featured 5 blocks by 7 with a 2 inch inner border and folded inset border and a 3.5 inch wide outer border and finished about 50 x 63—right in range for our donation quilts or a lap quilt.

Basically you need to make four different strip sets and then cut into 5 ½ and 1 ½ inch sub-sections. Join the sections as shown to make the blocks shown on page 1. 18 of one (light-dark-light) and 17 of the alternating block (dark-light-dark)

Do the same thing with the dark-light-dark combination to form the alternating block. There you have it!!