Mystery Quilt – Third post

The last clue added the last row on the outside of the quilt.  The soloist continued a pattern to the centers and the corners.

She also suggested piecing the backing from stash and I continued in my neutral pile.  And you know …. there are still more fabrics in the bin!  Her instructions included a bit of “sashing” on the back and corner posts.  I did all of this in neutrals but many in the group did another design of colors with this piecing.

I wrote the label on one of the backing cornerstones before quilting.

Planning the quilting….  I took a photo of the complete top, printed it in black & white, and then used tracing paper over that master to draw some ideas on paper.  In this photo, some is marked and I’m looking at thread ideas.

Next up… quilting!

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Her Pencil Quilt

It is rare that I get a chance to piece a quilt.  But there are gifts for special ones that go out ‘in haste’ here & there.

This is for a friend’s first granddaughter that is due soon. A family friend found me via FB and asked if I and any of our group’s quilters would like to make a baby quilt.   Sadly, our friend died 7 yrs ago and we thought it would be sweet to bless the daughter with quilts from her quilting friends as her mother would have been doing.  I was the only one that sent a quilt. The baby’s room is painted a golden yellow with accents in navy, purple, and fuchsia.

I chose the accent colors from my stash but just could not find the right background fabric for this.  I could drive 1 – 1 1/2 hrs each way to a modern quilt shop to try to find something which adds up to “take a day trip” with 3 hrs on the road, lunch out, etc.  I could have looked online for awhile and ordered but then I wouldn’t have it in time.  Or… I could dye my own!  My SIL was here and I was asking her help with choosing dyes off my color chart. Nothing was quite right and I was also looking for yellow dyes in the storage drawers.  There NOT on the chart but in my inventory, was pencil yellow.  Yes!  That was the color we wanted and I had bought that on a special – no longer made deal.  Of course, now I love it and hope to get some more pencil yellow fabric from my amount of dye.

The next day I dyed an extra amount of fabric than my plan needed just to be sure I had enough.  I was also making my own pattern so was just using my guesstimated amount of fabric needed.  I used about a 1/2 strength of dye.  I stirred the dye about every 15 mins for an  hour to have it more of a ‘solid but not quite’ coloring.  I was so excited as I think it came out perfect to what I wanted!
I cut the half-square triangles (HSTs) with my accuquilt Go! cutter.  LOVE IT!  I line up the fabrics that will be sewn together, right sides together, and they come out of the cutter ready to zip under the sewing machine.

Once I had all the HSTs sewn and pressed, I laid out part of the center design.

Sewed the top together…

And this also shows some of the quilting marks I made before I loaded it in my machine for quilting.  I had guidelines for the circles and divisions of 8 or 4 per ring.

First the detail quilting in a variegated thread that stands out on the lighter fabrics.

The finished quilt – quilted, labeled, bound, & washed.

Close-up of a corner and you can see the circular designs.  The background fill thread was a matching yellow and a finer size thread.

The back of the quilt. Once again, without going to buy the fabrics, I pieced the back from other fabrics in my stash.  🙂

I appliquéd the baby’s first initial and a heart, then pieced in the diagonal piece of fabric for an accent.

I had help from my family & friends on the label verse but I found it fitting since the mom has never met me. It was just a gift from God, with love from one of her mom’s quilting friends.  Sent from Illinois to Mississippi.

The one who contacted me and the new mother were surprised at how well it matched the baby’s room.  Yeah!  I loved this quilt and had a hard time putting it in the box to ship away.  It was a gift of love so I knew I needed to send it.  It sounds like it was well received.

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Weekend Quilting

This is a little bit of play and creativity as well as making test quilts.  I had the thought of small doll-sized quilts to test battings.  One has Hobbs 80/20 plus a layer of wool batting and the other is just the wool batting.  I’m also going to try out some new rulers I have.  I’m using a piece of my hand-dyed fabric for the top… as mostly it is just admired and needs to be used.

Saturday I did some drawings and worked through some ideas.

 

 

 

Sunday I loaded everything and did a bit of quilting.

 

…. to be continued

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Special Gift Box

I have a friend that serves with her husband as a pastor to the local pastors in a Third World Country.  The last few years I’ve sent boxes to help them prepare Christmas gifts for the pastor families as well as area orphans.  She has a very fascinating blog and HERE is the specific post about the gift boxes.

I have really enjoyed packing boxes for the Sowers’ ministry as they don’t just drop off boxes, take photos, and leave. They continually minister to these families and children all year long.  They help with area physical needs (feeding centers and building huge cement bridges to replace wooden planks!) and providing training and encouragement to those around them.  I know some of you are super creative in your preparing special boxes per age & gender and family boxes are also needed for the Sowers.  I send a box of needed items and let them fill-in gaps or make new packages from the extras I include.

This year when I saw blankets as a need on the list and saw what a blanket costs (when did I buy a blanket last???), I figured I had fabric, I’d make quilts for part of my box.  I officially took off the week of Thanksgiving from customer work and spent my quilting time make quilts for an unknown loved one in a faraway land.  It was so fun to make from what I had and be able to do whatever I wanted.  I ended up playing quite a bit with my quilting.  Midst the work, my mind prayed for the Sower family and those that will receive my meager gifts.

Of course, that week also had time with the kiddos on Wednesday night and Thursday and extra cooking but I was pleased with all I did on the other days.

This top was started at a guild workshop many years ago.   (Pat Speth author of the Nickel Square books.)   The pieces were cut and two 16″ blocks were finished; like this as they were pulled from the project box.

I pieced the remaining 4 blocks, added sashing and a border.  It is bright and scrappy but not my style when I added in that red/rust sashing.  Is it just me?  I also think the blocks needed 1/4 turns as I went and more blocks and no sashing.  Hopefully someone likes the bright colors.  (I’m pretty sure I could do this pattern again from my nickel squares (8 times???) so I’ll try other layouts.)

Starting quilting ~

This ended being about 50 x 75 or so… a throw or small twin size.   Just right for whoever needs it, I hope!

The next quilt was a pattern I found online after searching for large block quilts.  I love this pattern!  Giant Star  It goes together quite quickly.

I used a collection of fat quarters and some background fabric from the stash.  Scrappy but sort of coordinated…. gold, brown, slight turquoise, etc.

Added a turquoise inner border and used that for the binding as well.

And then I got to quilting… lots of detail and play.  This is all free-hand, hand-guided, idea and then let it go… About 30 – 45 mins per square after I had done a few and 8 1/2 bobbins (my long-arm machine bobbins are quite large)!  I prayed these quilts would bless someone abundantly and bring joy to them.  And prayed for my friend as they raise a family there too.

This quilt is 81″ x 81″.

The rest of my box included men’s tshirts, toiletries, crayons & coloring books.  I was packing a day after the posted deadline or would have bought a few more things to fill up the box.

Currently, they’ve had some shipping issues (prayers still needed!) but have 2 shipping containers coming.  I’m thrilled and hope it is easy to sort and distribute.  Quite a job from what I’ve heard in past years.  I think it would be fun to go see her and help in whatever way I can but the last bit of me has scary thoughts of the landing… dirt strip?  or ?  or?  🙂   Over our years of friendship, we’ve even learned some unusual connections we have between us… less than 6 degrees even… and that is fun to share.

I enjoy sharing in this way.  I know they will deliver to hundreds of people.  You know what would be cool….. a photo of someone with a quilt.  🙂  Or I’ll meet them in heaven some day.  Cuz I feel sort of connected to the receiver even before they have received.  And next year’s goal, desire, would be to have several done before the deadline!  (If you want to donate a top and/or backing fabric, I’ll quilt it and finish it for free for the gift box next year.)

ETA: This post intent was to show you some quilting I’ve done lately and to see if any of my readers want to help in any way with a box or gift to this ministry.  I’m not here to toot my own horn over what I’ve donated.  It is a joy to me to give this!  I’m not seeking praise.

Blog from ministry website HERE.

Giant Star posted on The Quilt Show gallery HERE.

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Baby Quilt – Windmill

I have some great-nephews that aren’t such babies anymore still waiting on baby quilts from G-Auntie J.  One is done and delivered!

 

Accuquilt 12″ die pattern called Windmill.  Speed cutting and easy piecing.

This border fabric begged for mitered corners!

Then I played with the quilting.  A variegated yellow-ish thread was fun!

The little man on his quilt!

 

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Sarah’s Quilt

Another summer project was a quilt for a dear friend.  I saw a Disappearing Nine Patch arranged in a colorway of strong color diagonally that I liked and immediately thought that could be a good plan for her.  I know her favorite color is purple so that was my first thought.  However, I sent her an email asking about colors and style.  Her reply, “Purple, black, and white.”  Yeah!!  Just as I had orginally thought.

After much waiting and mix-up and seriously I was lost by Hancock’s of Paducah 😦  (never again!) so then waited on a reorder from Fat Quarter Shop (yeah!!) until I could begin.

Once I finally had all the fabrics, I could start on it the end of August.  I used notes from various pinterest links for ideas and layouts.  (Warning, scrolling through these photos does tricks on your eyes!)

Layout of 30 blocks

Close up showing the very dark purple used in the smaller squares & the border, another purple for binding.

Do you want the hilarious part of the label? (If you read this part, you are sworn to secrecy to not bring it up to anyone! And yes, some is in code.)   I’m strict about labels on my quilts.  Very.  I drew an arch with blue wash-out marker on the fabric as a guide for the lettering across the top that was in straight lines.  I wrote the whole label with my black pigma pen (.08).  Before heat-setting the writing, I spritzed the blue marker with water so as not to set the blue guide line.  The WHOLE label ran!!  Ha!  After a break, I made an arch on paper and put that on the bottom layer of my lightbox and then traced the lettering along the arch and the rest of the label.  Success!  

I stitch my labels in a corner with the binding often as this shows.  Many layers of stitching for security.

I was happy to see her and deliver in person.   🙂  Besides quilt delivery, we shared hugs and much conversation over a long lunch!

Thank you, MM9!!

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Signature Quilt

Back in 2004, I secretly made Miss K a signature quilt for her high school graduation.  So long ago that none of the graduation photos are on the computer.  LOL!!  I had everything kept in a dark plastic container, on a far away shelf in my sewing room, and would only get it out when she was gone.  The work times were short and hurried.  In the box this summer… a lunch sack that I used for all the fabric scraps for fear she would see the scraps in the trash and ask what I was making.  Ha!

I collected signatures from family and friends and transferred the signatures to the fabric with a fabric pen (pigma pen) and heat set them with the iron.  Then I assembled the quilt top.  The top was finished for her party but papers were out for others to sign and I added those names this summer.   I quilted this in August but kept it a secret until we could visit with K and I could show it to her.

The pattern is called, The House That Jack Built, and I got it from my LQS back in 2003.  I don’t know if it is still available.  It was shown on the pattern and done at the quilt shop in dark, masculine colors but I switched it up a lot by using pastel batiks.

I had in my mind 10 years ago that I’d quilt it once I got better at quilting.  I had NO idea that a long-arm machine would be in my future back then.  Meanwhile, I kept doing other projects.  But since this year is strong on me finishing my UFOs, this is one I have finished.

It is all custom quilted; ditch work, rulers, and freehand / hand-guided quilting in the blocks, borders, and setting triangles.

Lots of photos.  I’ll just let you browse.  I will reply to any questions you post in the comment section.

 

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Sept Visit

This semester JP is living in a town that is about halfway between our house & K’s.  So we drove 1 hour, K drove 1.5 hours, JP drove about 10 mins and we met up for lunch together.  It was wonderful!!  Easy commutes for all of us and fun to be together.  We LOVE our adult kids!!

Phil had an electrical question for JP before lunch so the back of the car became the work zone.

After lunch together, we shopped, visited the parking lot where JP is doing his co-op (1st of 3 sessions), got to see his condo, and I had a gift for K (more on this in another post).

 

 

The soybeans were just getting golden and it was a bright blue fall sky so a great day to be out touring the countryside.  I’ve always wanted to get a photo of our house from the corner but it is too dangerous to stop when I’m driving to do that.  I took this through the windshield which isn’t the greatest… but a bit of the view.

Once home, this shows our soybeans outside the house in mid-September.

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BOM from the Past

The next partial quilt project that I dug out were the blocks from a Block of the Month in 2000.  (I’m not even sure that is the right year.  It could be 1997 or ’98 for that matter.)   The patterns were posted on the World Wide Web… quite a big deal back then.  The World Wide Quilting Page.  Were you on it?  We were on dial-up, the forum was all of black & white and one color.  It was archaic!  So very slow.   But I had contact with other quilters and we had all kinds of chat about quilts, patterns, and Featherweights.

I had bought some extra fabric (all the store had) near the end of the year so that I’d have enough for borders and binding.  All of the blocks and the fabrics were in a storage box together.   I think the patterns have long been thrown away.  I thought I needed to make another block yet to have my 12 but there were 12 finished blocks in the pile.  Yeah!  There are 2 patterns repeated and I assume that I didn’t like my first fabric choices so made them again.  However, at this point, I was fine with having 12 blocks done so I used them all.

The blocks are 18″ finished.  I made a sizing template on scrap fabric and stretched or shrunk them to make the all the right size.  Tons of spray starch!  LOL!!  Where there’s a will there’s a way.  (Love doing this actually as then there is no fudging or puckers or tight spots when adding in sashing and borders.  Sharon SchamberNet has youtube videos on it.)

Here are a few blocks draped on my long arm frame —

Blocks —

Center —

 

With all borders and ready for quilting —

 

 

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Very Berry Christmas Tree Skirt

I found this pattern and embroidery CD at the Des Moines, Iowa AQS show in October and really wanted to make this!  So much so, that I found fabric at the show for it AND pulled it out to make in December.  A new record?  The fabric and pattern were only in house for 2 months!  *snicker*

It is 12 sections that are sort of cone shaped and each are embroidered/appliqued separately in the mega hoop for my machine.

I had the top of the tree skirt done for Christmas.

I quilted it in early January.

In February, I added the binding.

Pattern notes:

This is the large tree skirt.  Whereas, at this point, I vow to never make this pattern again, there is a tiny inclining in me to make the small tree skirt.  *sigh*  The pattern calls for 1/2 yard fabric for binding.  That is not enough for bias strips for 12 scallops and the back opening and circle.  I thankfully found the fabric online and could make longer strips.  I do continuous bias so used an extra large square and have miles of binding left!  🙂  But not a seam for every scallop as the 1/2 yd would have made.    The fabric for the background is *just* enough for the cones.  Premark before cutting, make sure you slide the cones up & down as you cut, and hold your breath you have enough at the end.  It was a tight squeeze for me.

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