I've started a new quilt that I've wanted to make for several years,OMIGOSH!. I'm not going to make the full size version. A small crib quilt will suit me just fine, large enough to say I made it but small enough I won't loose my mind.
For the past two weeks I've been sewing teeny, tiny, little 9 patch blocks. There are 49 pieces in a 4-1/2" finished block!
I enjoyed the Holiday Blog-Hop Lori from Humble Quilts organized. After seeing all the lovely Christmas decorating, I was actually inspired to start a Christmas quilt!
I have several of Gail Pan's Christmas books and I've decided to trace off the patterns, embroider them using variegated red thread and put them all into a quilt. The background fabric is white with tiny silver dots. Some of the blocks will easily be embroidered in one evening, some are going to take several weeks.
I decided to start with the blocks that take more time. I have a feeling I'm going to be very tired of this project by the time the last block is embroidered. I'm using 3 strands of embroidery thread. You go through a skein fast when you use 3 strands. I've marked the designs by using a blue Frixion pen. I would have used the red pen but it was out of ink. Any marking not covered by thread disappears with a hot iron.
I don't do a lot of Christmas decorating. This year I just put the nativity out. Our 3 year old grandson did the arranging. Notice a Duplo guy in the group along with the stuffed tiger. The 3 wise men also brought along a couple of marbles for baby Jesus. I don't know if this project will be finished for Christmas 2020 but I'm hoping the embroidery will be finished by then.
For last weeks hand quilting I made it past the center triangle in the row.
Some weeks just a little progress is made on Floral Triangles, this week I made it across the whole row! This was row 4 which is the center row of the quilt, I'm more than halfway finished.
Left side border.
The yellow flower is an original hexden flower the pattern called for. I'm not pleased with them, think they look rather boring.
The blue flower is not a hexden flower, it is circles of alternating fabric sewn together with a circle in the center, so much more interesting. What do you think?
Another hexden flower, boring! I think the curves just aren't deep enough.
Still another hexden, this time in pink.
Another circles flower, this time fussy cut. I love it!
In 2019 I started piecing Ohio star blocks for the RSC. I managed to keep up for 3 months then fell by the wayside. I'm going to start again but the color for the month of January is green, lime green. Even though the green Ohio stars I pieced last year aren't lime green, they're green, so I'm not going to make more.
I've decided to start a 2nd RSC project called Sound Check. The pattern comes from McCalls Quilting, March/April 2014 magazine and was designed by John Kubiniec. I know the skill level says beginner, but sometimes it's fun to do an easy quilt! I've been wanting to make this quilt every since I saw the pattern 6 years ago. It's time has come in 2020.
The idea is you make 4 different blocks using the same solid color fabric. Each of the 4 blocks use a different gray or black. This is the lime green I've pulled, the grays and black are left over from the small flying geese quilt I made last year. I needed to get more gray fabrics.
Several years ago I purchased a fat quarter bundle of solid Kona's from Yoder Department Store in Shipshewana. The bundle contained 40 fabrics. (Yoder's actually have just about every color Kona makes.)
A fat quarter makes 2 blocks and I've pulled 4 greens for these blocks including the lime green. I need a total of 49 blocks. I'll keep up with the RSC colors each month but I'm not sure I won't get impatient and just piece the rest of the blocks.
I finished the Happy Little Things flimsy this week, now she'll go into the 'to be quilted' closet until I'm in the mood for machine quilting.
The original pattern was nice but not what I wanted. I was just in the mood for something different and I got it. The flimsy measures 43-1/2" by 45-1/2". The little 9 patches measure 3" finished and the layout is 14 blocks across by 15 blocks down. Don't ask me why the length isn't 3" longer, it just isn't. That's just the way quilts go sometimes. I took some close up photos for you to see.
I keep getting asked what kind of batting I use. I'm using Hobbs Tuscany 100% Wool. I buy my batting from Connecting Threads when batting is on sale.And it's on sale now! The sale lasts through February 11, 2020.
I'm halfway finished with the quilting on Floral Triangles! Length of the quilt before rolling.
The last triangle in the row.
The left side border. See the diagonal lines change directions?
Halfway Finished!!!!!!! I've rolled since I wrote the above, the right side border is quilted and the background of the first triangle. Need to stitch in the ditch around the applique in that block. Sorry, I don't have those pictures, you'll have to wait until next Sunday. Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching,Oh Scrap, Bambi's Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.
Since Grandma's Embroidered blocks are in a flimsy, I pulled another unfinished project. Last summer I participated in Jacquelynne Steve's Happy Little Things sew-along but I decided I didn't want to finish my embroideries the way Jacquelynne did. At the Jane Stickle retreat, I sewed fabric strips for my alternate blocks. Since I've been home, I subcut the strips and sewed 9-patches. This is what I've sewn so far.
This quilt will be 14 9-patches across by 15 down.
I have enough blocks for rows 10 and 11. And yes, the blocks are placed rather randomly.
Do you see the rectangular block in the center? Several years ago, one of my friends had me choose a design to embroider then sew into a pillow. I selected this saying. She got mixed up and used a different one, then felt bad and hand embroidered this block for me anyway. I've had it hanging on the design wall for years. When I put the Happy Little Things blocks on the wall, they were next to this block. Blue and white, it would look perfect in this quilt, so I added it. So glad to get it into a project and off the wall. I need to cut more strips and make more 9-patches. This is going to be a nice crib quilt. Linking to To Do Tuesday,Midweek Makers,Put Your Foot Down,Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party,Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, Brag About Your Beauties, Finished Or Not Friday, UFO Busting
There was hand quilting this week. I've never yet made it all the way across the quilt in one week on Floral Triangles. This week is the closest I've come.
Right side border, notice the white diagonal lines change direction on the right side of the red flower. This is the center!
This stem fabric isn't my favorite but the black does add brightness to the quilt.
I use a blunt point scissors when I'm quilting. I don't like sharp pointy scissors on my quilt.
I have several unfinished projects from the quilt retreat in November so I decided I had better get to work on finishing them. The project at the top of the list is Grandma's Embroidered quilt blocks. I had decided I was going to use a garden maze border between the blocks. I used this tutorial from Quilts by Elsie for the maze directions.
It was very windy out and couldn't get great pictures. I had one set up that looked so nice on a snow drift but I wasn't fast enough and it started to blow away. You'll just have to settle for the pictures on the clothesline.
I wanted simple borders but something more interesting then sashing and cornerstones. I like the way the flimsy has turned out. Now she's going into the to be hand quilted closet until her turn comes for quilting.
From a distance, you clearly see the garden maze. When you are close up, you just see a star! She measures 68-1/2" square . The blue is a Kona fabric and the white is a 'old' white by Moda. On my last post about this project, someone asked if I'd show close ups of the embroidered blocks. I didn't take pictures of the individual blocks, there's 25 blocks, that's too many pictures! Here are the blocks in groups. These pictures were taken inside the house and there is some glare. Whenever this quilt makes it into the quiting frame, I'll be showing individual pictures of each block as it's quilted which should be better quality than these.
Lots of quilters are making lists, checking them twice, ready to start the new year with 1, 2 or more new projects, or, maybe even finishing older projects. I had written a long, very long, extremely long post about my plans for 2020. When I was finished and read over it, I thought it sounded pretentious and pompous so I pressed the delete button. You'll just have to follow along and see what I work on this year. I'm going to be accountable only to myself. To me quilting is a fun, enjoyable hobby, not a competition to see who has completed the most quilts in a year or even who has the most UFO's. 2020 won't be a record year of making quilts but do I plan to enjoy every minute of my sewing!
Every year I see quilters buying cute quilting planners for the year. Not me, I've been using the same spiral notebook I purchased from Dollar General 10 years ago for 25 cents.
At the November retreat, my friend Deanna gifted me a journal with a beautiful cover she made. Now I have a lovely planner which is priceless to me. Thanks Deanna, I love it! Wishing you all a Happy New Year! Linking toMidweek Makers
