What's Happening in 2023?

A year ago I had big quilting plans for 2022. I was really going to sew those quilts that had been on the sometime list. A lot of them didn't happen, so what do I have planned for 2023?

I'm not going to attempt to be as ambitious as I wanted to be a year ago. The for sure projects are . . .

1. Lady Jane is the quilt designated for hand quilting. She needs to be marked then put into the hand quilting frame. The backing is waiting and wool batting will be used. She will be quilted with white thread.

2. Hearts & Wreaths -  The borders need to be marked and then the vine embroidering will start. After that, the leaves will be appliqued.

3. Make some Christmas quilts. I've already pulled fabrics and put them with patterns.

4. I'm NOT going to start any new projects for the RSC this year. I have 3 projects that need to be finished from last year, Star Dance, Dancing Stars and Scrappy Sprouts. Hopefully these will be completed this year.

4. There are several small quilts that are to be machine quilted by me.

5. Maybe this will be the year Writer's Block happens, this quilt has been waiting for so long.

Writer's Block is the from Red, White, and Sometimes Blue book.  I cut strips for this quilt four years ago but never found the time to actually sew anything. Of course my quilt is going to be blue & white. The background fabric was purchased earlier this year. It's a soft white with a gray dot.

I don't know why it's named Writer's Block, the design reminds me of a variation of the Burgoyne Surrounded design. I plan to add an applique border.

6. Finish at least 2 UFQ's besides the RSC projects. There are several.

I think this is a manageable list. We'll see what has happened by the end of 2023.

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

9 Patch Beauty

The square in a square blocks for 9 Patch Beauty have been pieced. 

Now foundation paper piecing the flying geese sashing starts, that is going to take awhile. I need 30 sashing sections for my version of the quilt. 

The outside of the geese is the same blue used in the square/square blocks and the sashing in the quilt center. 

Various cream fabrics are used for the geese. I'm using leftover scraps and pieces for the triangles, time to get them used.

9 Patch Beauty is my version of the Get Together Quilt. Here is a link to the first post and the changes I've made to the original pattern.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down

3/4" Grandmother's Flower Garden

I'm making progress with the hexie table runner using 3/4" hexies. Last week I finished 2 flowers that the center and middle row were completed before.

I selected this teal floral fabric because I thought those pink flowers worked well with the pink row.

The orange and pink row of the next flower is rather weird. I apparently only had 4 of those brownish/pink hexies prepped so I added them this way. That row looks rather off balance when you look closely at it. 

If this table runner survives 100 years, that's the flower people will look at and make comments about the originality of the sewest.

Have a blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings

9 Patch Beauty or Get Together

In December 2021, I made a list of quilts I wanted to piece in 2022. Number 15 on that list was called Get Together. Get Together is the cover quilt on the April 2020 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. It was called Get Together because friends were supposed to exchange 9 patch blocks and sew along together. The name Get Together means nothing to me so I've renamed my quilt 9 Patch Beauty.

My year changed when we moved into a new to us house. In the process of boxing up all my sewing 'stuff', I found a bag full of 9 patch blocks with the magazine inside. I don't remember piecing those blocks but I did, sometime, I even have the fabrics for the sashing and outside border! 

The 9 patch blocks have been sewn into double 9 patch blocks. This is a good project to use random neutral fabrics left from other projects!

Besides changing the name of the quilt, I'm going to change the pattern. The first change is relocating the placement of the flying geese. My quilt is going to be larger than the pattern so my flying geese will be the outside sashing. 

Another change is to the sashing between the double 9 patch blocks. I had plenty of 9 patches left so I sewed 9 patches into the sashing and made a single Irish chain quilt.

This didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned. If you decide to make this change, make sure you don't have dark little squares against the dark blue sashing.

I don't know if this quilt will be finished into the flimsy stage in 2022 but I'm enjoying the process and it feels good be working on an UFQ (unfinished quilt) even if it hasn't turned out exactly like I thought it would.

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant

Triple Treat

Last summer Bonnie Hunter came out with her newest leader/ender project, Triple Treat. I decided to participate but modified the pattern to use 2" strips and started sewing.

Here is a link to the post I wrote in July about my triple treat progress. I had tentatively decided to use the 4 patches in the Kitty Korner pattern from the February 2000 issue of Fons and Porter magazine but changed my mind after I had all the 4 patches made.

Here is my first Triple Treat flimsy. She measures 63" by 90" and will be donated to my church to be knotted for charity. I miscounted piecing the blocks and made way more than necessary. Hopefully this quilt will find a tall person.

I had found some yardage fabrics from my mom's stash so I decided to use it up. This is  different twist from most of the TT's I've seen, all the others have used a variety of fabrics. I should mention that these browns have tiny little blue flowers in them so I thought they would look nice with the blue 4 patches. You can't see the flowers in the pictures though.

Maybe it's because I used the same fabrics for the blocks, but I am disappointed the blue fabrics from the 4 patches don't show better, they blend into the colored sections. But the white chain is visible.

I wondered what a quilt would look like if I turned the 4 patch block so the blues of the 4 patches would make the chain. I have a fat quarter bundle of small florals I purchased years ago. I pulled those out, cut up 2 of the quarters and made 6 blocks just to get an idea. I think I'm going to like this design.

I've moved onto another project for now but my triple treat variation will be pulled out later this winter and finished. I am going to use a variety of background fabrics this time.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Monday This 'N That, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down

EPPing Again

 The decision to finish older projects is still happening. This time it's an EPP project using 3/4" hexies. I have no idea when I started working on these blocks, I do know it is since I finished my grandmother's flower garden quilt which used 1" hexies. That was back in 2014.

This flower garden is using civil war fabrics. There were 3 completed flowers in the box when I opened. it.

There were several partially completed blocks. I added the outer red hexies which had already been basted.

And there were 7 or 8 centers with no outer hexies added. I'm using hexies that were already basted but I'll be adding more.

This is a flower that only had the light center. I had been making the flowers with a dark outside row. I want to mix those up by using lighter rows on the outside. This blocks is my favorite one so far.

The plan is to make a table runner for the top of an old blanket chest I inherited from my mother. The lid is in rather tough shape so the runner will cover all the dings it has accumulated over the  years. The lid measures 24" by 50". This won't be sewn in a hurry but it's fun to EPP again.

This is the flower I'm working on now. The pink hexies had been already added to the center cream fabrics.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Sew & Tell,  Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday, Craftastic Monday, Monday This 'N That,  Monday Musings

2022 Challenges, 11 - 15

 I made a list last December of challenges for the year 2022. Now at the end of 2022, I'm reviewing how many of those challenges I've met. I had no idea we'd be moving to a new home during 2022 which definitely had an impact on my quilting progress.

Todays post is about challenges 11 - 15.

11. Fire Island Hosta Queen - Didn't happen, maybe in 2023?

12. Goose Garden - Another one that didn't happen, again maybe in 2023?

13. Charity quilts - One of the charity quilts that was finished was the String X quilt which I showed a picture of in the last post. I had thought about keeping this quilt for our own use but changed my mind and donated the flimsy. I did finish a couple of smaller quilts here and here.

14. Flower Patch Sewalong - Yes, a quilt that actually is completely finished, quilting, binding and label!

15. Get Together quilt - While I was organizing my quilting projects for the big move, I realized I had already pieced the 9 patches needed for this quilt. 

The 9 patches have now been sewn into double 9 patch blocks and I'm ready for the next step.

The Get Together quilt is the cover quilt on issue 163 of American Patchwork & quilting magazine. The idea of the title was to exchange 9 patches with friends but my 9 patches have all been sewn by me. I need to come up with a different name for my quilt, maybe 9 Patch Beauty?

Linking to Needle & Thread Thursday, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

2022 Challenges, 6 - 10

 I made a list last December of challenges for the year 2022. Now at the end of 2022, I'm reviewing how many of those challenges I've met. I'll be posting about those challenges all week. As I said in my last post, moving into a new house slowed down the quilting progress.

This post is about challenges 6 - 10. Click on the title of each number to follow a link to a post.

6. School auction flimsy - I decided to combine #2 with #6 and pieced a Blue Ridge Beauty. She is in the process of being hand quilted for the 2023 school auction.

7. Finish ongoing RSC projects -

    Star Dance - All the shoofly blocks have been pieced but no progress since. Hopefully a 2023 finish.

    Scrappy Sprouts - All of the blocks are pieced but no progress since, maybe in 2023?

    Dancing Stars - Again nothing, still in the bag, maybe in 2023?

I've decided I can't start anymore RSC projects until these 3 are finished.

8. Welsh Beauty - hand quilting - The challenge I had issued last December was to be halfway finished with the hand quilting by May. I actually reached the halfway point in March but I finished the hand quilting in October! 

9. Hearts & Wreaths Applique quilt - All of the blocks for the center have been appliqued. Now I need to prep the borders. The borders will take at least a year to applique.

10. UFQ's (unfinished quilts) - Finish at least 1 of them.

Several UFQ's were finished.

A. Another String X flimsy. I did think about keeping this quilt for our own use but then decided to donate it to be knotted for a comforter.

B. Indian Hatchet - I love this quilt. This one is staying here for our own use.

C.  Arrowhead Blocks - This is a small quilt that I've machine quilted. He has gone to a nursing home for use as a lap quilt.

I think I've completed other UFQ's but these were the main ones I thought of.

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

Darlene Zimmerman Embroidery Blocks

Last June a friend and I were out and about. One of the stops we made was the fabric shop in the Essenhaus complex.

They were selling kits for a small quilt they had on display, it was so cute, embroidery with baskets. I told the clerk I didn't want a kit but I would be interested in the pattern. The name of the pattern is Pretty in Pink and is a free pattern from the Robert Kauffman website!

I looked up the pattern and downloaded it, then read it. The large floral blocks are from a panel! I didn't want to buy the panel. Then I remembered I have a Darlene Embroidery panel I started working on several years ago.  Maybe this panel could replace the other one?

I pulled out the old panel and started working to finish the last 4  floral blocks. 

The last block is finished! I'm not sure what this flower is supposed to be, it reminds me of dogwood blossoms. This dogwood has pink blossoms.

Here are pictures of all 8 of the blocks.

Twelve weight Sulky thread for thread. Unfortunately I haven't been able to figure out how to make these straight set blocks become on point blocks and be he correct size for the small quilt. For now they're in timeout until I come up with an alternate idea.

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

2022 Challenges, 1 - 5

I made a list last December of challenges for the year 2022. Now at the end of 2022, I'm reviewing how many of those challenges I met. I had no idea when I made those challenges last December that we would be moving into a new home this year!

This first post is about challenges 1 - 5. Click on the title of each number to read about the quilt.

1. Writer's Block - Didn't happen. I've had strips cut for this quilt for several years but I did buy the background fabric. Maybe in 2023.

2. Double Delight - I started piecing Double Delight March 1 and finished sewing the binding May 4.

3. Blue Ridge Beauty - This is not a finished quilt. I donated the flimsy to the school fundraiser my Pennsylvania grandchildren attend. It will be hand quilted then auctioned in the 2023 quilt auction.

4. Wildflower Woods - The flimsy has been pieced. I still want to applique some broderie perse on the triangles in the center section.

5. Reduce 2" strips box - When I was in Utah in September, I took all the colored 2" squares along and sewed them into foursies. They're still in the bag they came home from Utah in. Maybe more progress will happen in 2023.

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

Indian Hatchet Tutorial

Despite my resolve to not start anymore quilts this year, I did! But it's a leader/ender quilt.

After I sewed the binding for the Bloom/Bouquet quilt, I had cut off triangles to contend with. Instead of letting them accumulate in a box for years, I dug out white squares from the 2.5" square box and sewed a few of them. I took pictures while I was doing this and wrote a tutorial.

Recently I had an Indian Hatchet quilt finished, it took me many years to piece the blocks for this quilt. It originally lived in my retreat bag as a 'take along to retreat' project. 

There were many kind remarks about the quilt but I could tell people didn't understand how I pieced the blocks. And since Blogger isn't very cooperative anymore, I'm not able to respond to people's comments. That's why I'm making the tutorial.

The blocks are very simple, you need a 2.5" square of background fabric and a cutoff triangle from binding or whatever. It doesn't matter what size the triangle is. If you want to cut triangles from a fat quarter or yardage, that's ok, it's your quilt, you use whatever fabric you want. (The green cutting mat makes the white fabric look pink)

Lay the triangle upside down onto the background fabric. I don't measure the triangle, I just eye it and see if it looks like it will cover the corner. Sometimes it doesn't but I don't resew it unless it's really off.

Stitch the triangle to the corner of the background fabric.

Press triangle to one side. I normally wait to press until I have a bunch of them sewn. A bunch is more than 5 but less than 100. You don't have to press, you could wait to press until the other side is attached but the triangle lays flatter for me if I press them separately.

Backside of block after first pressing.

This is the salad box I keep my triangles in. There is a lid, lids are important in case you drop the box!

Sew the 2nd triangle on the opposite corner.

Press to the side.

Trim away background fabric. I take a scissors and just cut it off, it doesn't matter what the width is. Don't over think this!

Take a ruler and trim the blocks to 2.5".

Trimmed block.

Two trimmed blocks.

When you sew your blocks together, the colored fabric corners are sewn together. If you want something different, you could alternate the colored corners. Look closely at these blocks, the triangles are all different sizes. I didn't cut that that way, that's how they turned out after I sewed them. This quilt probably has some HST's I sewed a small triangle to the background fabric corner.

I sewed the blocks together in groups of 16. You can sew your blocks together in whatever size you want. You can use larger background squares to sew your triangles onto. Take this pattern and make it your way, have fun!

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

Hearts & Wreaths Progress

Progress has been made with Hearts & Wreaths, I trimmed the blocks then sewed them together. Now all I need to do is applique the borders, sew them to the center then I'm ready for hand quilting!

Look at all that space where the corners of the blocks meet, I envision lovely quilting motifs in those corners.

Unfortunately it will probably be at least a year before those borders are finished.

The center will hang on the display wall to keep my enthusiasm  going for the borders. I won't be able to use a large part of the display wall but that's ok. I smile every time I look at the blocks.

I started appliqueing the blocks for Hearts & Wreaths in August 2021. The pattern can be found in issue #138 of Quiltmania magazine. Here is a link to my first post about Hearts & Wreaths. I had originally planned to make my quilt larger by appliqueing 25 blocks instead of 20 but I changed my mind.

I've adjusted to my basement sewing room, I love all the space! I had several friends come for a sew day in early November, they loved all the space too and were impressed with the lighting! 

The basement heating works fine, I'm not cold at all.

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

This 'N That

November has been jammed full of activities. I haven't had time to sit and power sew quilt blocks but I have made some progress on various smaller projects.

Four of the five quilts that Lori quilted have had the binding attached but poor orange sherbet is still waiting for her finish, maybe next week?

The little blooms/bouquet quilt has  her borders now, machine quilting will happen sometime this winter. I'm not sure if she'll become a charity donation quilt or not. She won't be going anywhere though until she's finished.

I had bought autumn fabrics and made napkins to be used for autumn and Thanksgiving.

I thought the grandsons would especially enjoy the fabric with the squirrels.

Then I decided to make winter napkins. Nothing says winter more than red cardinals and blue snowflakes! These will be used through the winter, not just at Christmas.

The zigzag stitching was done on my mother's old Elna which was probably purchased back in 1966 or '67? I use it all the time to wind bobbins. New modern machines don't fill bobbin completely full which I find very annoying. 

On my way to the Jane Stickle retreat in Shipshewana, I browsed at Gohn Brothers in Middlebury. The prices were so reasonable I bought 4 -1.25 yard pieces of baby flannel to make receiving blankets. The raw edges have also been finished with zig zag stitching. These have since been delivered to The Center in Nappanee. It's been cold here and they'll be used!

If you're wondering how to pronounce Gohn, most people pronounce it so it rhymes with John. However my mother always scoffed at that and said Goon Brothers. I assume that is the German pronunciation.

While searching through the Christmas fabric tub, I came across several yardage pieces. I hemmed them with my rolled hem foot. They turned out very nicely and will be used this Christmas season as table toppers.

I've also sewn bindings on several comforters that were knotted at church. There are several women who sew bindings besides me. The pictured comforter is one I pieced. 

It's probably a good thing I've been busy because I haven't started any new quilts. I was so inspired by all the quilting beauty I saw at retreat that I was ready to start at least 5 quilts the first day home!

It probably sounds crazy to most of you but December is actually a slower paced month for me. I'm glad, I'm ready for some stay at home sewing time.

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