Rhapsody in Blue

The quilting is finished on the applique border in the bottom half of Rhapsody in Blue. Don't you just love this texture?

Here is the applique border. I just connected a bottom square to the top square with a straight line. The lines are spaced 1.5" apart. This applique is a variation of the Lady Jane center.

Here is the center applique. This applique is the center applique of the Lady Jane quilt. We have permission from Nancy Rink to use her design in this quilt.

Here is a close up of a corner of the applique border. The lines are diagonal to the bottom line. That pin is there because I didn't notice that there was a loop in the thread. When I roll this side backup toward the center, I'll stop and remove that loop. I try to watch for those but I don't always catch them until I've knotted off.

I was at Grandma's Pantry last week but forgot to take a picture of the quilt garden. Sorry 😞, but I will share this cute picture with you. I've noticed something has been munching my hostas so I've been spraying deer/rabbit spray on them. Here are the culprits, who can be upset at these cuties?

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Quarter Square Triangle Quilt

I sewed the leftover layer cake squares into a Quarter Square Triangle flimsy after I finished the Totally Tulips flimsy. I had originally planned to quilt this flimsy myself but then decided not to, I'm tired of machine quilting.

I took the flimsy to Dana Stalter for quilting and selected a dragonfly design. Normally I like quilting to be closer together but since these blocks are larger, they could handle a larger design. The blocks were set in a trip around the world design. It's not very obvious but Dana noticed and mentioned it to me when I picked up the finished quilt.

The quilting was done with light green thread.

I used the same backing fabric as the Designer Mystery quilt. I think this is a springy quilt and the green backing looks springy to me.

The finished quilt is 58" by 73". I could not have quilted a cute design like this, it would have been stitched in the ditch which would have been adequate but not cute. Now it's finished and ready to be gifted when needed.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down, I Quilted This!, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Rhapsody in Blue

 The quilting through the center of the quilt is finished!

Here are pictures from left to right.

For some reason I turned the regular overhead lights and led lights off, I can see the quilting so much better, now I'm showing you. This is the right side of the quilt. I love those feathers!

You can easily see where the quilting in the background of the applique border has been quilted. I'm definitely doing the right thing by quilting the background, it doesn't look baggy anymore.

I don't know if I'll have both sides of the applique border finished by next Sunday. Hopefully the bottom half will be finished.

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

This 'N That

 Today's post is about random quilting projects that aren't large enough to merit their own post.

Year ago I discovered Thangles and pieced a LOT of 2" finished HST's. I made a crib quilt with part of them then the rest have resided in a box for years. 

Since the Stonefield blocks have been removed, the HST blocks were arranged and rearranged on the display wall several times. 

This is the final arrangement, the squares will probably hang on the wall for months until I start sewing the squares together. There are 20 blocks horizontally and vertically which is 400 squares. I'll piece them in 4 sections, 100 squares to a section. 

There are still a LOT of blocks in the box so there will probably be another crib quilt someday.

There was a bag of blue strips leftover from the pineapple quilt I pieced in 2024. What do you do with leftover 1.5" blue strips? You start piecing log cabin blocks, 144 of them.

The individual blocks are all pieced, bagged and stored away until this winter, then they will be sewn together. There are still a lot of strips left, I think they'll be sewn into 9-patches. You can never have too many 3" finished blue & white 9 patches on hand.

I pieced potato chip blocks for the latest block drive for Many Hands, Many Hearts. All the details are available on that blog post.

I pieced 16 of the yellow/purple blocks . . .

And 31 orange/blue blocks.

And pillowcases have been pieced. One set was a surprise gift for a friend, which have been gifted but I forgot to take a picture. The red and black pillowcase was a graduation gift for a great-nephew, of course in school colors. I used a pillowcase kit from Calico Point for this pillowcase. They will give you a free pattern if you need one or, like me, you can't locate the pattern you already have! 

Our grandson decided he wanted to make a pillowcase for himself, he did a pretty good job. He likes cats so he selected a cat fabric.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Oh Scrap, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down, I Quilted This!, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

So Close!

I am so to a finish! In some of the places, depending on how far I reached in from the top section, I was able to link up with the quilting from the top section. 💥 I'm not finished yet but another week should finish the center of the quilt. However I do need to unroll and stitch the background of the applique border.

Here are the pictures from left to the right. The pictures show the entire part of the quilt so you can see where the quilting connects to the top section. You can also see where more quilting is needed.

Left side outside border, there are two feathers that need to be quilted. See the V on the left side of the background quilting? That marks the center of the quilt.

There are two rows of quilting needed in this patchwork section.

The blue leaf with the pin is not quilted. It was just too far for me to quilt those curves. I'll quilt it after I roll.

Again there are two rows that need diagonal quilting.

The center applique, the one flower in the center that curves to the right is not quilted yet. Some directions just stitch easier which probably makes no sense to most of you but a hand quilter understands.

The center flower is rather large and the blue was too large of a space to not be quilted. I added some curves to give the illusion of petals.

I had looked at my Lady Jane quilt to see how I quilted that flower. Adding the curved lines is how I did. Now I'm trying to remember if I added the curved lines on the corner flowers? I'll have to add that quilting if I didn't for continuity.

Another section of patchwork. This time there are three rows that need quilting.

Border applique, the flower with the pin is not quilted and I need to quilt the background lines in the top flowers already quilted.

More patchwork, again three rows need diagonal quilting.

And the outside right outside border. I had reached in farther when I quilted the top section so the quilting is finished on this border!

It is such a feeling of accomplishment when you connect the quilted sections! But I am not finished yet, I need to keep quilting in the evenings.

Just a reminder, I did not do the applique on this quilt. My friend Elaine did the applique, she is one of the ladies who taught me how to applique.

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Fire Island Hosta Queen

I've finally started the Fire Island Hosta Queen quilt, I've been wanting to piece this quilt for years but just didn't make the time. The first time I blogged about this project was in December 2022.

Four partial sections of leaves have been completed.

These leaves may not look like much but they represents many hours of careful stitching. There will be a stem at the bottom where the uneven blue fabric is. I trimmed off the excess fabric but there is still more fabric that will need to be trimmed.

Here is a picture of the backside of the leaf section. There are 40 pieces in this leaf, 160 pieces in the 4 sections.

After the stem is attached, another pieced section will be attached then a pieced section will be added to the outside portion. I'm not looking too far ahead, just piecing a section at a time.

This is not a fast project, I hope to have all the leaves completed by the end of the year but that depends on how many other quilts I work on. I have an applique project that will require intensive preparation, the actual applique won't start until next year. 

Sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself but I always enjoy watching the quilts grow and being completed. 

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down, I Quilted This!, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Rhapsody in Blue

More quilting across the quilt! Here are the pictures starting with the left side border.

    

This is the applique border. All winter I've wondering if I should go ahead and add background quilting or wait until it's finished and see what Elaine says. I've decided to go ahead with the quilting, the quilting is so much easier in the frame. These are straight lines across the background, from square to square in the patchwork borders. The lines are 1.5" apart.

There are a variety of quilting designs in this quilt. I think a variety of designs adds interest to the quilt. The simple diagonal lines in the patchwork section are a nice contrast to the curvy background triangles in the center applique section.

The right side applique border, again straight lines have been added.

And the right outside border. I love this feather design. This quilting design will be used in other future quilts.

People keep asking how much more there is to quilt. See the tape measure on the left side of the photo, there is a 9" swath across the center of the quilt to be quilted.

After the center is quilted, I'll unroll and quilt the rest of the background of the applique border. That will take several more weeks of quilting.

I was in Wakarusa last week, the quilt garden has been planted! The name of this year's garden is Wedding Garden. There is a new sign in the background.

There are doing some work on the side of the flowerbed, they're putting in pavers. I don't know what is going into the center, perhaps another flowerbed? I'll keep you updated.

Here is a link to information about Quilt Gardens Along the Heritage Trail.

I didn't go to Grandma's Pantry so I didn't get a picture of their garden. I'll get there soon and take a picture to show you.

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday