This and That...

I did accomplish a couple of Whoop Whoops (http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-oh-i-wanted-to.html) but not as much as I'd hoped.  One of the guilds I belong to meets at the Welcome Center in a subdivision.  In the meeting room is a huge fireplace in the middle of a long wall, and they borrow members' quilts to hang on either side.  Looks great!  However, they decided to ask members to donate quilt blocks, and one of the ladies is making quilts that will belong to the POA, and will be rotated throughout the year.  They asked me to quilt the first one, and said to have fun playing.  So I did!  I quilted each block differently, and had a blast.  I hope they like it :-D

One of my friends' (PA) mother made several of these Dresden Plate (or Fans) centers, and they were packed away for a very long time.  Some were hand pieced, others were machine pieced, but none were the same size blades, they didn't have anything in the middle, and they didn't lie flat. Another friend encouraged her to try and make blocks and then a quilt, rather than keep them stowed away somewhere.  And so we began....  First we determined they could be salvaged without ripping and re-sewing.  We used the tried-and-true method of  beating them into submission -- hot iron and lots of steam, plus pleats where necessary.  We had to make a few more blocks so that she could make quilts for twin beds, so we rummaged and found more fabrics that looked older (the originals were made probably in the 60s).  We added a center with rickrack around it to each block, and PA stitched them to squares of muslin.  I'm in the process of squaring them up (which is another story in itself) to 18".  These will be wonderful quilts, and she'll get lots of enjoyment having them out on the beds.  Do you have old blocks or parts of blocks hidden away that really should be in use?  I hope you'll think about bringing them out to play :-D

Design Wall Monday 11/7/11

That's a lucky date, I would think, 11/7/11!  Sounds good, anyway.  I've been paper piecing up a storm the past week, and I finally have all the blocks made for Fiesta!  (If you recall, it's a pattern by Possibilities.)  The blocks are on the wall, and will be shuffled and re-shuffled several more times, and I'll no doubt make substitute blocks.  I love paper piecing, and this has been such fun, I might even make the top larger.  The pattern says it finishes to 46" x 64", I think that's kinda small.  Of course, I could always resort to borders and borders :-)

Judy at www.PatchworkTimes.com will be posting other Design Wall Monday blogs today, go see!

The autumn weather is on the Plateau, it's been cold and frosty, with clear blue skies, and it's been dank and rainy, just right for hiding away in my sewing room :-)    Stay warm, y'all!

Another Friday Whoop Whoop!

This is a wonderful tabletopper made by a quilting pal, that I quilted.  The brown/gold/cream Autumn color batiks are so luscious, unfortunately they don't show up as beautiful as they are in person!  I love the pattern!  She had such a clever idea -- the snowball alternating blocks were too plain, so she appliqued the half-squares and four-patches smack in the middle, which added lots of interest.

And I was able to get the gifts quilt finished, and I think it's so cute!  Love the colors, so fresh and modern.  It's going to be tough deciding who gets which Christmas quilt.  Hmmmmm, gotta check the list, ho ho ho!  Edited to add that this is a Kate Spain "Flurry" pattern.  It's easy to make, and comes together very nicely -- when you glance at the directions occasionally.  I had lots of bits left over, but better than not enough :-D  B

 I don't know how time gets away from me!  I just noticed I've even skipped a week of blogging.  I just loaded a quilt for a guild I belong to.   But I want to work on arranging the Fiesta! blocks, now that they're finished.  However, I can't get to both the design wall and the Avante at the same time.  Argh!  I need a bigger house!  Go see Sarah's blog for pictures of other accomplishments this week: http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-not-your-usual.html

Whoop Whoop! 10/21/11 and Pattern

WHAT?  It's Friday?!  When I was a career woman, Friday could not sneak up on me.  In retirement, it's totally different.  Or, I should say, the same!  Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  So Whoop Whoop! Friday came unannounced.  But I do have something to be glad for -- I finished quilting a Christmas gift -- YAY!!!  And I typed up the instructions for it, as well.  One problem, though, is I can't seem to scan it in order to include the piecing diagram. So here are the directions, you'll have to look at the picture of the quilt to see how it's pieced.

 ANOTHER FIVE-YARD QUILT

60” Square

(takes five one-yard cuts of coordinating fabrics)

#1 - Large scale focus fabric

#2 - Small print that surrounds focus

#3 - Four-patches and binding

#4 - Four-patches and first small border

#5 - Medium scale focus for center of blocks and outer border

Plus 4 yards for backing.

BLOCK ONE

Fabric #1 - Cut 3 strips 6 ½” wide

Subcut into 18 ea 6 ½” squares

Fabric #2 - Cut 18 strips 1 ½” wide

Subcut into 36 ea 1 ½” x 6 ½” rectangles 

and 36 ea 1 ½” x 8 ½” rectangles

Sew 6 ½” strips on two opposite sides of the 6 ½” square.  Sew 8 ½” strips to the other two sides.

BLOCK TWO

Fabrics #3 and #4 - Cut 3 strips 4 ½” wide

Cut 3 strips 4 ½” wide

Sew a 4 ½” strip from each together.  You will have 3 strip sets that you will then subcut every 3”, this is Set 1.

Sew a 2” wide strip from each together.  You will have 3 strip sets that you will then subcut every 3”, this is Set 2. 

Fabric #5 - Cut 2 strips 3 ½” wide

Cut into 18 ea 3 ½” squares

Arrange and sew as in diagrams for Block A and Block B.  Then sew the top, alternating Blocks A and Block B in a 6 by 6 design. 

Add borders. 

BORDER 1

Fabric #4 - Cut 5 strips 2” wide

BORDER 2 

Fabric #5 - Cut 6 strips 4 ½” wide

BINDING

Fabric #3 - cut 6 strips 2 ½” wide

This quilt has been thoroughly belly-tested by my in-house quilt inspector, Annabella.  

Now, go to Sarah's website for more Whoop Whoop! :-D

http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2011/10/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-lazy-week.html

Design Wall Monday 10/17/11

Another step done on the Christmas quilt, yay!  I just made some hst's to add for a border.  Unfortunately, they didn't come out the right size, so I'll have to do an "adjustment" border.  Do I need another outer border?

And I made several more blocks for the Fiesta! quilt.  These are just on the design wall for the picture, they're in no particular order.  Looks like it's going a little purple, need to add some other colors.  The photo really doesn't show the colors all that well.  Maybe next shot, when I add more :-)

Go to Judy's blog for more works in progress, designs on the wall, and great ideas! http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/10/17/design-wall-monday-9/

Beautiful weather on the Plateau right now, getting pretty warm today, about 79 degrees!!  But starting Wed night it will be in the 30s at night, and only in the 40s during the day.  After the front passes through, it will be sunny, which is perfect weather, as far as I'm concerned!

Whoop Whoop! 10/7/11

After I finished the "Flurry" top, I loaded this onto the Avante.  It's old fabric I purchased years ago from a vendor at the AQS Show in Nashville, one of those five 1-yard bundles.  Couldn't figure out what to do with them!  I mentioned it online somewhere, and a lady graciously sent me a hand-drawn copy of this pattern, which I really love!  Of course, the fabric was bundled with the pattern in the UFO closet for years and years.  Now I really love the quilt, I hope I can quilt it nicely enough for a Christmas gift :-)

Do you longarm quilters have your rulers and templates stored where  you can find them?  I had them stuffed in a drawer, and had to rummage around trying to find the one I needed.  (Except the Line Tamer, which has a permanent pocket in my quilting apron at all times!)  As I was in a resale shop the other day, I ran across this cute little CD holder.  Hmmmm.  Wonder if that would work?  Well, yes!  It works great!  Not for the larger circles, for example, but for the little ones that got hidden in the bottom of the pile, this works a charm.  I've asked my dear hubby (now called Captain B. Cool -- LOL!) to mount it on the wall in the Avante room.  Very handy, indeed!

To see other projects that have been completed this week, go see Sarah, here: http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2011/10/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-two-down-one-to.html

Oh, for goodness sake...

It just would not go right!  Ever run across one of those patterns?  I checked twice to be sure I had the right fabrics and the right yardage.  But when I went to cut the strips, nooooooo.  Fortunately, I was using unbleached muslin, so I was able to borrow some from a friend.  Oh wait, I guess you don't really "borrow" fabric to use in a quilt, do you?  I studied it all, and the pattern was correct, but I had a bazillion extra parts, and not enough of others.  Guess my brain was not engaged!  You can see where I inserted a piece of fabric to make the borders long enough.  BTW, the border's not really crooked, there are pins underneath on the design wall.  But the top is done, and I'm ready to start quilting!  Guess I'll make mug rugs or tabletoppers from the extra bits.  Go over to Judy's blog here: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/10/03/design-wall-monday-october-3-2011/ to see dozens of other "design wall Monday" projects!

Our local airport had an open house on Saturday, and someone took a picture of my hubby in his Glasair II.  It was terribly windy, so he didn't fly it, but it drew lots of attention on the sidelines.  It was a great success, hooray!  Although it was quite chilly, it was much better than last year, when it was hot, hot, hot!

It was a great weekend!