3030 Quilt, the Last Block

The last block pattern for the 3030 quilt was released last Friday. I made 4 of the blocks. 

Here's a picture of the 55 blocks I've made.

Gay also released the setting design for the quilt which is very pretty. But I'm tired of making these blocks and I don't want to applique the applique blocks so I'm going to use them a different way. For now they are going into time out while I think about how to utilize them. 

I have a different project to start 2021 with.

The 3030 quilt is a BOW from Sentimental Stitches which started last summer.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Clever Chameleon, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday

Noah's Ark, the Last Finish of 2020

The hand quilting on Noah's Ark crib quilt was completed this week. I washed it to remove the markings before measuring which is 41" by 48". I think it looks really cute. 

This was a lovely panel and quilted very nicely. I would be tempted to buy another one to have on hand but Calico Point has sold out of this panel.

Number 12 Sulky thread was used for the hand quilting. For the backing fabric I used this blue brown cow fabric I bought years ago. Very thin polyester batting was used for the center. I like a thinner batting in a crib quilt because if it is too thick, it's not cuddly and babies need to be cuddled.

I actually finished marking the quilting lines on blue Stars Around the Garden . . . and . . . I put it in the quilting frame yesterday! Pictures next Sunday.

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching,  Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away

Happy Christmas!

 I wish you a blessed Christmas today, no matter what the circumstances, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

The last group of blocks for 3030. 

My 51 pieced blocks. Today Gay will release the last of the pattern.

Linking to Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Off the Wall Friday

Back to 3030

 I've started piecing 3030 blocks again. I've decided I am not going to make the applique blocks. They're really cute and pretty but I'm just not in the mood for applique.

I think friendship stars never look right, it's doesn't matter which direction the point goes, they just don't look right.

Since I am not making the applique center or the applique blocks, I am making additional pieced blocks. I also want my quilt to be larger than the original quilt. I'm not sure how I'm going to arrange the blocks but I need to get them pieced first.

The 3030 quilt is a BOW that started last summer. There are only a few more blocks to go.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Clever Chameleon, Wednesday Wait Loss

Noah's Ark

 The hand quilting has progressed to the sky. The clamshells quilt very fast.

Are you wondering how the marking progress is going on blue stars around the garden? Very slowly. My goal is to get it in the quilting frame on New Year's Day, will I succeed? We'll find out later.

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away

Harper's Garden

A year or so ago, I won a layer cake called Harper's Garden from Green Fairy Quilts on the Terrific Tuesday Giveaway on Melissa's blog. I couldn't decide what to do with it.

Recently, while perusing blogs in a linky party, I came across Susie's Scraps which has great patterns for scrappy quilts. One of the patterns was the Arrowhead Block which uses 10" squares. I really should have been working on another project but I followed the directions and made 2 blocks.

To stretch the cake fabrics, I'm pairing them with Kona fabrics from the solids tub. These two blocks were made with the spring green fabric left from the string X quilt. This is in keeping with my determination to try to use more interesting background fabrics.

This isn't a stop everything and make quilt, it's a waiting until its turn quilt. The arrowhead blocks were fun to make and didn't take long at all to make. 

Click the Harper's Garden link to see the picture of the cake.  

Linking to Peacock Party, Put Your Foot  Down, Whoop Whoop Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday,  Brag About Your Beauties, UFO Busting, Oh Scrap

This 'N That

 Sometimes there are things to say or show that simply don't fit with a quilting post, that is what today's post is about.

As you know, we are dairy farmers in northern Indiana. We had snow several times earlier this fall but the ground was still warm so the snow didn't stick. The week of Thanksgiving we again had snow but this time it stayed on the ground for a day.

The yearling heifers in shed 2 had never seen snow before. A year ago they were babies in the west barn. I was watching them out the west window in my sewing room. Only this one heifer was brave enough to come out the door and investigate the white stuff and she didn't seem very impressed with the stuff.

Several months ago I commented on a blog and won a pair of Moda socks from Fort Worth Fabric Studio. They say EAT SLEEP QUILT. I'm going to save them to wear at the next quilt retreat I attend, whenever that is. They also included a pattern for a cute Christmas tree quilt.

At the beginning of November, Kathi wrote in her post about Handy Hands. It sounds like a hand lotion but it isn't, it is about thread.

I requested a catalog, they also sent me a variety of thread all in different weights. A newsletter, that contains several tatting patterns, was also included. If tatting is your thing, this place is for you!

And finally, I did some online shopping at Green Fairy Quilts. I like to use Bella solids fabric when I hand quilt, Kona just stitches harder for me. I normally buy a bolt of white Bella solid at Yoder Department Store in Shipshewana every year but they have been out since spring. Green Fairy has a special price on bolts of Bella solids, I ordered a bolt of Snow and Feather. I also ordered a fat quarter bundle of Kona solids Aurora Palette which was on clearance. I didn't take a picture of the bolts of fabric but here is the Aurora Palette. This was the last bundle, I would have like 2 bundles but, oh well. I'm not sure what I'll use this for yet but I have a granddaughter who loves these colors.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Clever Chameleon, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday

Hand Quilting Noah's Ark

 I quilted across Noah's Ark this week and finished the last of the animals in the Ark.

I'll wash the markings out after the quilting and binding is finished.

This 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.

Kathy, Margaret, Deb, Nanette, Sharon, Karrin, Gretchen, Daisy, Connie, Monica and Sherrie

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching,  Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away

Dancing Stars, Another RSC Project

Another quilt has been started for the RSC called Dancing Stars designed by Amy Ellis at Amy's Creative Side. The block is foundation paper-pieced, perfect for a scrappy RSC quilt! 

The first block.

I'm using fabrics left from other projects. The block is 6" finished.

Linking to Scrap Happy Saturday

String X Flimsy

 The string X flimsy is finished. 

After looking at quilts on other blogs, I decided I need to start using more colorful background fabrics. I had plenty of this Kona spring green fabric in the solids box so I used it. It turned out quite nice.

My string X measures  62 by 87". It will be donated to the MCC comforter bash to be knotted. The 2020 bash was cancelled of course but the November 2021 knotting should work out.

Some of the strings were pieced together. Most of the strips used were 1-1/4" strips and left from the scrappy barn quilt I pieced in November. I did use some 1-1/2" strips too. For the pointed corners I used triangles cut from other projects.

Muslin was used for the foundation piecing. Some of the muslin was a bit heavier, it maybe slightly challenging to stick the needles through the layers for knotting.

String X is a free pattern found on Bonnie Hunter's site.

There are still a lot of strips left. They'll be in time out for awhile until I'm ready to make the next string x.

Linking to Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, Off The Wall, UFO Busting, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap

More String X Blocks

I wasn't sure which unfinished project to work on after finishing the puss in the corner flimsy so I pulled the string X box.

I pulled a small bag of scraps and sorted through them.  I organized a lot of small pieces to be sewn together in strips then sewed them to be used in the blocks too. You can find the pattern for string X here. 

I've made 2 changes to Bonnie's pattern. I started out using paper for backing then I switched to muslin. I've had the muslin here for years, time to get it used. I cut the muslin into 5" by 11" rectangles, it gets trimmed to the correct size after it is sewn.

The 2nd change is I'm using my HST/QST ruler to cut the end points. Maybe Bonnie didn't have a ruler like this when she wrote the pattern, she tells you a different way to trim the corners but why reinvent the wheel? The HST/QST ruler has a 45* angle and it works just fine, it was much simpler for me.

I'm trying to use all the strips in the 1-1/4" box. This is an odd size and I don't use 1-1/4" strips very often. 

These blocks aren't any certain color and I haven't decided what color(s) will end up being used for the side triangles. Four of these rectangles are needed to make a complete block. I need 24 blocks to make a 60" by 80" quilt. 

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

Progress!

 Hand quilting happened this week. Most of the center of the quilt has been quilted. 

And  . . . drumroll please . . . the applique on the border of blue Stars Around the Garden has been completed!

Blue stars is supposed to be the next quilt in the hand quilting frame but it will take me several week to get this marked for quilting. It measures 90" by 106". This is the 3rd quilt I've made from this pattern but the first time I've made the appliqued border version.

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching,  Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away

Christmas Decorating

Some people really get into Christmas decorating. I love to read their blogs and see all their pretties. My decorating isn't like that, my decorating is done mostly with quilts.

Red Radiance is hanging in living room. I always smile when I see this wallhanging, it was so much fun to make.

This panel quilt is in the dining room where we never dine, it's actually where I have my Grace quilting frame. 

I have a Christmas lap quilt which goes on the back of the couch. For the backing fabric, I sewed leftover blocks and fabrics together. The 4yo grandson likes the backside of the quilt the best so that is how it is displayed.

Evergreen wreaths are on the entrance doors. I'll probably keep them up through February. They add a bit of cheer throughout dreary winter days, but who knows? Maybe we'll have more snow this winter and it will be brighter outside.

Our 4 yo grandson arranged the nativity in the bay window. The items will probably be rearranged during December but that's ok.

I almost forgot this little wall quilt I made several years ago. I lay it on top of a quilt on the quilt ladder. A friend gifted me with a charm pack for my summer birthday, it was perfect for this 12 Days of Christmas pattern from Temecula Quilt company. 

When I went to get the 12 days of Christmas quilt, this  snowman mini quilt was with it. This was a kit I bought at the Grand Rapids show. This kit is from the Red Button Quilt Company and is called Snowman Love. Thank you to Tina for correcting my mistake! It rests on top of a quilt on the other quilt ladder.

A project on the list for 2021 is the Redwork quilt. Maybe it will be finished by next Christmas.

Of course I'll do some baking but I'm not one of these people who makes 20 dozen kinds of cookies! My mom always made pumpkin roll for the holidays. This is one I've made for Thanksgiving. The recipe is from the King Arthur site. The pictures with the recipe are prettier than my photo but the roll was delicious!

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, UFO Busting

Puss in the Corner, the Flimsy

Puss in the Corner was started with blocks left from my Wilfred & Cloves quilt. All the fabrics from the original quilt have been used and I pulled more from the stash. Yes, it has made a dent, a small dent but still it has reduced the stash a little. 

Isn't this a busy quilt?

With side triangles you get a 3 patch block. Those little squares finish at 1" each, the quilt block itself finishes at 5-1/2".

A 2" finished border has been added to the sides of the quilt and she measures 90" by 104". The binding will be the same fabric.

I had originally planned to sew blocks for puss in the corner at the April Jane Stickle retreat. Plan B was to sew them at the November retreat which was also cancelled 😢. I wasn't going to wait until spring 2021 so I pulled the box and got going. Now I can cross this project off the list.

This quilt will never be among my favorite quilts, I'm a blue fan, but I do like this quilt. It was fun to make a quilt using a color combination I don't normally use.

Some people have mentioned I sewed this quilt fast. Strip piecing and chain stitching are a quilter's friend. If you remember, I pressed the teal/red blocks differently then the pink/brown blocks. The blocks locked together perfectly right. Here is a picture of the back.

For now the flimsy is going into the waiting to be quilted closet. I know I won't be hand quilting it, I'll wait until I need a quilt for someone then have it longarmed.

Of course there were 1-1/2" strips and small pieces left from piecing. I could place those strips and pieces neatly, tidy and orderly in the 1-1/2" strip box then close the lid until another day . . . but hey, where's the fun in that?

So what did I do? Started a new quilt of course, the Lost in the Crowd quilt. But the name of my quilt is going to be the Forever quilt because it's going to take forever to make! Forever definitely won't be a fast quilt and that's ok.

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

Slow Applique

The 3rd corner of blue Stars Around the Garden has been completed.

The circles in the center of the flowers are lightly padded with batting. I see I missed a leaf, will get that appliqued then the corner will truly be finished.

I did hand quilt a little on Noah's Ark this week but I forgot to take a picture, next week!

Linking to Patchwork & Quilts, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching,  Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away

Happy Thanksgiving

Earlier this fall I was piecing autumn easy breezy blocks when I received a Thanksgiving panel via snail mail from Nanette. It was perfect as the center for these blocks. 

I pieced enough easy breezy blocks for a second flimsy too. This one measures 71" by 86" and the panel flimsy is 60-1/2" by 78".

These flimsies, along with binding, have been sent to one of the charities listed in Lori's September 25th post. They will quilt them. Here is a link to the post by Lori of Humble Quilts fame. 

Linking to Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, UFO Busting

Still Sewing Rows

 

Another section of the puss in the corner quilt has been sewn together, just the 3 center rows to go.

I stacked some of the blocks in the bottom corner so I could use my chair again. Also a grandson wanted to play with the Lego's.

Almost finished!

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss