Welsh Beauty

There was another row of almost all cross hatching across Welsh Beauty this week but I persevered!

Last week my post included several photos of just cross hatching, I'm not doing that this week!

I have two pictures of the quilting, the right side . . .

And the left side.

While I was quilting, this happened, I emptied this spool of hand quilting thread, all 500 yards! There is more to quilt so now I'm measuring yard pieces of thread, cutting 10 at a time. I'm keeping track.

Total yards of the cream quilting thread used is up to 510. I'm also using a variegated blue thread on the flowers and swags. I'll be emptying that spool before I'm finished also.

I've been asked what I do to entertain myself while hand quilting. I normally watch a detective series on my IPad. The last several weeks I've been rewatching From Candleford to Lark Rise on BritBox. This has been a nice change from shows I normally watch.

Some people were having problems leaving comments on my posts so I made a change and that seems to have helped, people can now leave their comments. 

This is great for you leaving comments, but unfortunately, I'm unable to reply to your comments individually or in the comments section. I can leave a comment but I can't link it to the appropriate question. You need to come back and read the comments to see if I answered your question.

Last week someone asked me what kind of needle I use and what kind of thimble. I use DMC hand quilting needles, #7 and my thimble is an ordinary one that has a concave top. The eye of the #7 is large enough that I can use it for regular hand quilting thread and the #12 Sulky variegated thread. I can quilt small stitches with this size needle. When my neighbor ladies come to quilt, they want a smaller size which I keep on hand for them, they think the #7 is too large.

I'm so used to this type of thimble, I can't use a convex kind. I assume it is DMC brand. This is the type of thimble that my local fabric store sells. You are able to try it on in the package, I wear a medium.

I also have a copper one that I use sometimes that I bought at a store in Utah but the bottom of that thimble is longer than this one. It rubs on my knuckle.

These thimbles are relatively inexpensive which is good because I have a thimble with every hand project so I don't have to look for them.

I have worn out thimbles over the years, the concave top of the thimble becomes thin and the needle pushes through the metal. I just throw that one away and get a new one.

The size needle you use or the type of thimble is a personal choice that only you can make. What matters is if it works for you.

I made it to Wakarusa last week so I took pictures of the Quilt Garden.

The flowers have grown since July.

This sculpture looks so lifelike, at first glance, I always think there really is someone sitting on the bench! You can actually read the words on the newspaper he's holding.

I'm going to be taking a blog break for the rest of August, see you in September!

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday, Craftastic Monday

Churn Dash Blocks

I'm participating in Chooky Blue's churn dash sew along. Check out her blog for links to other participating quilters.

Twenty churn dash blocks were pieced in August. Now I have the 50 blocks I need for my quilt.

I don't have fabric for the sashing, I guess this means I'll have to do some shopping! I'm hoping I can find a brown stripe, the cornerstones will be pink stars but that's not definite. Wouldn't a pink and brown floral make a lovely outside border?

The first store I'll check is Caroline's Cotton Corner in Rome City. If they don't have what I'm looking for, I'll see what I can find at Lolly's in Shipshewana.

Linking to Stitch, Sew & Show, Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap

Welsh Beauty

Each stitch I make on Welsh Beauty is one stitch closer to the finish. I still have quite a bit to quilt but progress is being made!

Here is what I've accomplished over the past two weeks, from right to left.

I needed to use my scissors to mark my place for each picture. This is a LOT of crosshatching!

 Do you see the mistake in the first picture? I missed a 2" line! I'll have to unroll and stitch that line.

Here is the center of the the quilt. You can see the top of the center medallion peeking below the cross hatching.

And more cross hatching.

Still more cross hatching.

Finally to the left edge. I left off the duplicated cross hatching to the right of the scissors.

I have rolled and the corner design is appearing. Normally I quilt approximately 4" across each time. The next 4" of hand quilting will include a bottom feather or two of the longer pointy design. Here is a link to a photo of the whole quilt before quilting. I am about 4" above the top of the center medallion and 4" below the start of the corner design. There is probably at least 15" to be quilted.

I don't normally show all the cross stitching on the full swath across the quilt but today I did.

My first post about Welsh Beauty is dated September 5, 2021 but the quilting start in August 2021. I didn't write the exact date on the calendar. There have been a few changes from that post, I'm using variegated blue thread instead of brown.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday, Craftastic Monday

Flower Patch is a Flimsy!

I'm still trying to finish UFQ's into the flimsy stage. The latest flimsy finish is my Flower Patch Mystery Quilt.

When I last posted about Flower Patch in May, I had completed the quilt top according to Denise's instructions but I wasn't satisfied. I thought it needed more than a plain border.

I've foundation paper pieced flying geese borders then added a narrow red outside border to add a bit of color to the dark blue.

Each individual goose finishes at 2" by 4". For now the flimsy measures 78" square and will be going to the long arm quilter this month.

I don't normally sew mystery quilts but for some reason I pieced the first block. My daughter loved it and told me to make the quilt for her, so I did!

For my fabric selection, I pulled a variety of darker batiks needing to be used. I thought the blocks were looking dreary so I added the red for some zing.

I've always enjoyed foundation paper piecing which is the method Denise had us use. It was fun to make large blocks for a change.

Linking to Stitch Sew & Show, Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts, UFO Busting, Oh Scrap, Put Your Foot Down

Hearts & Wreaths

The 18th block for Hearts & Wreaths has been completed and she's another cutie! I purposely fussy cut those turquoise hearts to highlight the butterflies.

I'm going to be gone almost a week in August and then again in September. I'll prep hearts for blocks 19 and 20 to take along as a hand project. 

My main hand work focus will be hand quilting Welsh Beauty.

Here is more information about Hearts & Wreaths. Here is a link to the 16th completed block for Hearts & Wreaths. The post shows a photo of all the finished blocks to date. 

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday, Craftastic Monday

Triple Treat or Kitty Corner?

Bonnie Hunter's new Leader & Enders project has started named Triple Treat. I was excited when I saw this pattern, mainly because it has no HST's!

I thought I made this same pattern 22 years ago when I found the pattern in the January/February 2000 issue of Fons & Porter magazine, For the Love of Quilting. I used that pattern to make a college quilt for son 2. I know how long it's been because he graduated from high school in 1999.

After comparing the two patterns, I realized it's not the same design at all. They both utilize 4 patches but they're not the same. Kitty Corner has more 4 patches which means I'd use more of the 2" and 2" strips!

Triple Treat has diagonal chains in both directions white Kitty Corner has only 1 diagonal chain.

Kitty Corner calls for 2" squares while Triple Treat uses 1.5" squares.

I'll have to decide which pattern I'm going to use but for now piecing has started on the twosies. I've decided to make my quilt in blues and close cousins of blues. I might change my mind but I'll decide that later.

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

Another Squirrel

Cathy, from Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilts, is all the time coming up with quilt blocks that I've never heard of. She's done it again, this time with blocks called Horizon. She's made 3 small quilts with the blocks.

Of course I had to stop what I was working on and piece a couple blocks to have a sample to look at. I have lots of Kona fabrics so that's what I used.I also decided I'm going to use black for contrast in all of the blocks.

Cathy gave the size of the pieces she cut but she didn't say where she cut the large rectangle to insert the contrast fabric. I cut the rectangle at 3.5".

My favorite of Cathy's 3 quilts is the one where she alternated the contrast section so that is what I plan to do. 

So far only 2 blocks have been pieced but there will be more coming, someday. This will be a great project to piece at a retreat, it doesn't involve much thinking.

For now those 2 blocks are hanging out on the design wall with the other squirrels.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Stitch Sew & Show, Put Your Foot Down,  Needle & Thread Thursday