DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Here I am, posting late again, but better late than never!  First a picture of my guild's BOM project for 2015-16.  I finished mine a while back, but finally got around to taking some pictures!
The final border is from Judy's book, "60 Pieced Quilt Borders"
Here are some close-ups of some of the quilting in blocks...

 

Several of the quilting fills were inspired by the free tutorials at The Inbox Jaunt.

At my last get-together with our community quilts group, the coordinator asked people to take a box of quilt blocks, and make them into a quilt.

The first box I picked up had 60 small 9-patch blocks, made from gold, rust, tan and brown fabrics.

I began by adding triangles in tans and rust to make the blocks larger.  Then sashing and cornerstones.  The centre used 48 of the 60 blocks, so I used the remaining blocks as corners in one border and corners and centres in the final border.  I have the binding made, and it will head to the next community quilts get-together to find a backing and get pin-basted, ready for quilting.

Check out all the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

As usual, I bring more projects south each fall, than I can finish, but I pulled one out yesterday, determined to take at least a finished top home.

Somewhere in my web browsing, I had seen instructions for this block: 

It began by layering 2 x 4 inch squares and stitching all four sides.
Then a line was drawn from corner to corner to form an X, and one layer was cut on the drawn line.  The triangles were pressed away from the centre square.
Next a 5 inch square was layered with the first step, sewn all around and cut on the drawn X again.
Since I had two different fabrics, I made 2 different blocks.  The only drawback to this block is all the BIAS edges, so care had to be taken when pressing.  The points are supposed to disappear too!

 I think the borders work well with the Mary Engelbreit panel that was in my stash.  I had collected several fabrics with cherries, bowls and chairs, and finally managed to use them in a quilt top.  I have more borders to add to this project to call it a completed top, but I should be able to get it finished before serious packing begins.


Check out all the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I finally managed to get all the borders on the split 9-patch quilt I've been making.  I dug through two baskets of left-over blocks and found lots of pinwheel and half-square triangle units.  They are all organized and labelled with the finished size, so will be easier to use next time. 

I decided to use pinwheels for the pieced border, but first added a narrow white one.  Some of the blocks were too small, so I added borders either all around or only on two sides, to make the border fit.  After another narrow white border, I returned to the red print that I had used for the centre of each block, and I'll use the same fabric for the binding.

 As usual, I wasn't able to get a picture of the whole quilt top, but the appliqued heart block is centred in the top border, and I have a fan block for the bottom centre.

It feels good to use so many leftover blocks.  I'm always surprised at how many I find, stashed in numerous baskets and bags.  Now I plan to sort through more of them to find them suitable homes.

Check out all the creativity shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times. 

DH has made a mess in the basement and my sewing room over the past few days.  He decided to dismantle his N-scale model railway.  Our Godson showed a serious interest, and after talking to his parents, decided it was time to share his hobby.  Fortunately he made it in several pieces, so after taking apart some of the wiring, and cutting a couple of pieces of track, he removed the screws that attached it together, and into the wall, and we carried it out to the garage in sections.

He went through all the articles and books that he had collected, and after some serious downsizing, packed some folders with articles, books and ideas to share.  He also packed up extra track, various bits and pieces, and several bags of landscaping materials.  I helped him load it all into the van this morning, and he is off to deliver it today.  He asked me to come, but I wanted to get some sewing done, as well as press all my new, washed fabric.  Good thing, too, as he had to use the passenger seat in the van to fit in the final boxes!  I'm sure they will be overwhelmed with all the stuff!  It is almost as bad as quilting!

JUDY'S QUILTATHON DAY 3

I spent the morning piecing the final border for the black and white quilt.  I had enough block quarter-sections to add 3/4 of a block on each corner.  Then I cut the extra pieces that were originally cut to make the blocks into 6 1/2 inch lengths and started sewing them together, adding some of the narrow coloured strips randomly.  I worked on all four sections, and when the strip became too long to handle, I  stopped sewing and  pressed the seams and measured the length.  Amazingly, when I measured the strip, it was the exact size for the top and bottom borders, so I continued to add more to the remaining two for the side borders!

 I managed to piece the fabric for the back as well, before my sewing room became too hot to work!  I'll have to press the backing in the morning, then hope to get this quilt as well as my version of Pick a Pinwheel basted.  

DH will be enjoying a full day of golf on Monday, so I hope to get a bit of machine quilting done!

Thanks to Judy for encouraging all the quilting this weekend!

TRIANGLE TWIST TOP COMPLETE

I decided to add a border to the top and bottom to turn the rectangle into a square.  I like having some quilting space around the stars.  

After playing with many different options, using Electric Quilt, I finally decided on this border.....

 It has lots of curved seams, but forms a zig-zag design around the stars, and uses the gradated fabrics again.
Now I have to decide how I want to quilt this!  No matter how I pressed the seam allowances, the centres of the stars are very bulky.  There are 6 points meeting there, and multiple layers of fabric in the seams!

Now I have to think of which project on a long list will move to the top!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

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I spent some time, in between loads of laundry, preparing all the borders for my half-log cabin quilt.  Since I had designed the project using Electric Quilt, I was able to cut all the pieces, and mark the centre of each strip, ready to sew onto the quilt. 

 I used the formula in Judy Laquidara's book, "60 Pieced Borders ", to figure out the size of the first two borders, so that my pieced border would fit correctly.  It worked wonderfully!

For inspiration, check out the links at Judy's blog here!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

While helping my friend make sun hats last week, she showed me a pattern and ruler that she had on loan.  Thought I'd give it a quick try.

 This was made from instructions for the X-block ruler.  I made 9-patch blocks, then cut them to form the angled block.  I made 10 blocks from the first set of strips, then decided to make another set of 10 and cut them in a mirrored fashion.  As you can see, I haven't sewn them together  yet!  The triangle units on the right were made by sewing the cut-off portions together.  I still haven't figured out the border yet.....

This fabric was the one disappointment in internet shopping - the colours were not true on the site.  I've been hanging onto it for several years, but finally decided to use it or lose it, and I hate to throw anything away.  I'm trying to decide if I want to add another colour into the mix - either green or medium blue.  Time will tell!

Check out what other creative quilters are working on at Judy's blog.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I had to prove that I'm working hard even though I'm not counting any fabric as "used".

My oriental kaleidoscope top is finally finished!
Here is one section of the top pieced.  The narrow stripe fabric had to be added to each segment, pressed and trimmed before piecing the blocks.
There is a half block of green as the first border.

 I added another stripe border the same width as in the quilt center.  Then followed it with another plain green border.
I decided to make asymmetrical borders, so the right border has a wide strip of the original fabric.  I try to include a piece of the original so viewers can enjoy the kaleidoscope puzzles in each block.

For the three remaining borders, I made blocks with an on-point kaleidoscope 4-patch in the center, alternating between a dark and a light blue background.  I spaced these squares with more pieces of the original fabric.
Added another strip border.

Then continuing with the asymmetrical theme, I added a dark blue border on the top and left side, and a light blue to the bottom and right side.  I mitered all the corners.


After quilting,  I'll add more stripe fabric as the binding.


Another quilt that is ready to baste is my Christmas hexagon project.

I found the bright green Christmas print in a shop in Virginia, on the way south in the fall.  I machine appliqued the top to the borders, using invisible (monofilament) thread and a tiny zig-zag stitch.
Since I still had leftover squares,  I sat watching TV and pressed them into prairie points.  These have been machine basted to each edge and will be turned to face the outside after quilting.  The center of the quilt has 2343 hexagons and 264 squares to form the prairie points.

Check out what others are creating at Judy's blog.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Our company headed north this morning, and DH left for the golf course at 7:30, so I headed right to my sewing room.
I managed to get the borders sorted out and attached to plaid quilt number 3.  I had to get creative, because none of my left-over yardage was long enough for the final border.  The pattern for the centre was "Smokey Mountain Stars" from Quiltville.  

I "double stitched" the corner squares and had lots of half-square triangle units left, so I sewed most of them into pinwheel blocks, then used some of the leftover strips from plaid quilt #2 to make them the right size to fill the gap in the final border.  

Since the two borders had corner squares, I used leftover strips from plaid quilt #1 to make strippy corner squares.

Now I have to get busy and make up the backs for each of these quilts.  Then I'll plan a pin-basting binge with DH - he is an awesome help!  I am determined to have NO LEFTOVER PLAID to take home in the spring!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

 

 I took a quick snap of the quilt centre with the first border added just before heading out of town!  I decided to continue the stars formed at the intersections of the blocks into the border to continue the design.  I have chosen two more fabrics to add more borders, but have to do some measuring to make sure I have enough before cutting!  Still trying to use my stash.  I hope to get this one finished when I return home so I can add all the fabric to my stash report! 

See what everyone is working on by linking to Judy's blog.

More unpacking on Sunday.  DH helped DS2 assemble a microwave stand that has a lovely glass-door upper cabinet with beadboard lower cabinet.  They have a fairly large kitchen for an apartment, but the building is 40 years old, so is not built for modern kitchen equipment.  I helped unpack the boxed pantry items and found a few necessary items so we could continue.  Thanks to DS2, who made a database of all his belongings as they were packed, listed with box name, so finding particular items is easy!

After lunch we went shopping - first to find an extra towel bar for the bathroom, and a chrome shelving unit for their storage area. Then we headed to the grocery store and stocked them up with 2 shopping carts of basics!  Back to the apartment and while the "girls" unpacked the groceries, the "boys" began to install the vertical blinds for the patio door.  We had to quit before they were completely finished as we were meeting a family friend for dinner.  We've know her since she was 2, and she recently graduated from the University of Guelph.  She plans to begin work on her Masters' degree in September.  She has turned into a wonderful young lady!