Little Blocks

I'm a fairly new quilter.  I started my first quilt in 1983 and it's still a work-in-progress.  So, I don't have the years of experience that some of my guild members do. 

I went to a Bonnie Hunter class last year and she makes a lot of scrappy quilts.  She cuts all her quilt pieces out of 3", 2.5", 2" and 1.5" strips.  Anything less than 1.5" she calls strings, and uses them for string quilting.  I started a quilt in her class and it has some little bitty pieces. 

So, that's the background.  My cousin sent me some t-shirts to make a quilt for his daughter.  Most t-shirt quilts are cut 12.5" squares from the shirts and have a border around each square.  I wanted to do something different.  Some of the t-shirt designs had to be cut 15.5" in order to keep the entire image.  So in my graphing of the layout, I ended up needing some "filler" squares.  The filler squares were all 5.5" and I wanted a variety of pieced blocks.  So I went to EQ7, laid out a quilt background with 5" squares and plopped a variety of blocks in the squares.  I then printed off the block rotary cutting instructions so I would know what size to cut the pieces. 

This block came out of the Antique Mosiac library. 

When Joe saw the center pinwheel, he said he liked this block better than any block I had made.  The flat side of the pinwheel is 1".  The block is 5.5" square.  Those were some little pieces compared to what I usually piece.  (No comment about some of the flat points, please.)

I sewed them together in pairs of two.  Joe said they look like wheels.  Did I mention that the t-shirts were all Harley Davidson?  Rather fitting, don't you think?

Christmas Gift

I have not posted in a long time because I have been very busy quilting.  I have quilt projects coming out my ears.  My resolution for the New Year is to keep my fabric purchases to a minimum (notice I'm just short of saying not buy any more fabric) and finish the projects I have started. 

Along those lines, my last post was of the quilt for my brother's stepson and his wife.  It was intended to be a house warming present, but ended up being a Christmas gift from my brother and his wife to their son and daughter-in-law. 

The couple's names are Joshua and Mandy.  The outer background is yellow daisies.  Daisies are Mandy's favorite flour and one of the requested elements for the quilt... along with the Royal Blue color.  

This is my first quilt using this pattern and there are some things I did differently with the second quilt from this pattern (more to come later).  I am, however, pleased with the mitered corners on the outer border.  The border fabric is a stripe and it took some time for me to figure out how I was going to use it in the border.  Looks good, doncha think? 

BTW, Joshua and Mandy are expecting their first baby.  How am I ever going to finish the quilts I have started if people keep having babies?

On the Quilt Wall

Today, I spent half the day in The Studio.  It was nice to spend some time in my haven.  I've let it get in a bit of a mess which is not conducive to productivity.  I folded fabric last week in anticipation of my granddaughter's assistance in resorting my stash.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen, so I resorted it myself today.  

My brother asked for a quilt for his stepson a couple months ago.  The stepson just bought a house and brother and sister-in-law wanted a quilt for a housewarming present.  The request also included fabric with daisies and royal blue.  So I found two background fabrics and a variety of coordinating blues.  While this should be a relatively simple quilt, the combination of colors has made it a bit complicated.  

I have frog quilted more on this quilt (rip it, rip it) on this quilt more than anything I've ever sewn in my life.  I was explaining this to my son, Matthew, this afternoon and he asked if I was quilting or playing chess.  

There are two backgrounds and eight blues.  So I have to match the background to the appropriate blue, so the conversation goes something like background 1 to blue 4.  I have to agree that it sounds a bit like chess to me.  

I think it is going to be lovely.  It is a Carpenter's Star pattern. 

I do think I'm going to have to add a second design wall to the studio so I can layout queen size quilts. 

Quilter's Tranquilizers

Yellow - Soothes nerves when you want to buy fabric and the shop is closed. 

Red - Reduces irritation when you cannot find just the right fabric. 

Blue - reduces frustration when your stash is looking little low. 

Brown - relieves panic attacks when there is no place to hide more fabric 

Orange - Minimizes depression when you cannot get enough time to sew. 

Green - cures the urge to clean house when you could be sewing. 

Warning: May contribute to weight gain

Summer Love

The best thing about summer is what comes out of the garden. Here on Bank Street, we all have gardens and share among each other. Last night we had fried okra from David's garden.

Joe and I don't eat fancy. Along with the fried okra, I fixed a Crockpot of pinto beans, pulled some North Carolina (down East style) bar-b-que out of the freezer, and sliced tomatoes from our garden.

We had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year. It must have been the perfect weather... a little cool in late May/early June, and then hot, hot weather in late June/July. Joe treated his Kiwanis club to their annual tomato sandwich lunch last week. He fed 30 guys and gals our version of Southern caviar... sliced tomatoes on white bread with Hellman's mayo. We had enough tomatoes to can some. I canned seven quarts of tomatoes cut in quarters. They will be good in spaghetti sauce this winter.

I also canned seven quarts of soup mix. My granny, Ethel, used to can soup mix. She was canning and freezing other vegetables so she just put in a little of this and a little of that. I started mine from scratch and this was an all day ordeal. I have a new appreciation for the effort that went into every jar of Granny's soup mix. I am rather proud of how pretty the jars look. We had a little of the mix left over so I made a pot of soup. This is true comfort food.

Baby Amalia's Quilt

Esther is a friend who visits us every two weeks. It just so happens that when she visits, she cleans our house and we pay her. But she is a friend first. She is expecting a baby in a couple months.

So I had to make Baby Amalia a quilt. This is a triple Irish Chain pattern. I made it from one Honey Bun and some yardage. It was fun to make. I quilted some of it on my sewing machine. The center of the solid squares has a Rose of Sharon embroidery design in it.

I washed and dried it this morning so it was nice and crinkly when I gave it to Esther. I hope it brings Baby Amalia sweet dreams.

Whoot! Whoot! x2

I opened the mail box yesterday and there was a manila envelope that looked vaguely familiar.

Is it one of the envelopes I saw Bonnie loading in to Shamu on her Quiltville blog? YES! It is!

My book arrived! Bonnie Hunter just released her her book, String Fling. It has patterns using strings (strips) of quilt fabrics. But... I had to put it aside for the day. Our friend, Alex, tapped on the back door yesterday bearing a half box of green beans along with a basket of tomatoes, okra, peppers, and zucchini. So I snapped and broke beans until my hands were tired. Then I canned...

Aren't they pretty? Nine quarts of green beans and all of them sealed! These sure will be good this winter. I guess I'll have to clear a shelf in The Studio to store them. Alex said he would be back today with another box. String Flings will just have to wait until gardening season is over.