3/4" Grandmother's Flower Garden Tablerunner

The hexie flowers I pieced during the winter are sewn together. Now I need to fill those gaps on the sides with partial flowers.

I'm hoping EPP'ing the partial flowers works with sitting on the porch, otherwise I don't know when they'll be completed!

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

In the summer I often share pictures of Wakarusa's Quilt Garden. I was in Waky last week, here is what the garden looked like.

I'm sure flowers have been planted since then. We've had plenty of sunshine and light rain, perfect for planting flowerbeds. I'll update you on progress in June.

Writer's Block

I've started piecing a new quilt that I've been wanting to make for years called Writer's Block. This pattern is found in the Red, White, and Sometimes Blue book which was published in 2011 by That Patchwork Place.

This red and white quilt is lovely but my quilt is going to be made with various blue fabrics and the background is a soft gray fabric.

Kelly Corbridge is the designer of this quilt, I think she must have had writer's block when she named this quilt. I'm going to change the name of my quilt but haven't had any ideas so far, any suggestions out there?

This quilt has been on my list for years, ever since I first saw it in the book. I even cut blue strips but have been searching for the right background fabric ever since. Now I've found it!

The background fabric is Whisper Weave Cloud by Benartex. I didn't buy this fabric online, it was purchased at Calico Point. The picture in the link displays the fabric so much better than any picture taken by me.

I've sewn the strip sets and have started cutting them into sections for the 9 patch blocks. There are three different types of 9 patch blocks.

Block A is a diagonal chain 9 patch. The best thing about this block is it works whichever way you turn it! I really like it when that happens.

Block B is a regular 9 patch block with dark corners.

Block C is a regular 9 patch with light corners.

When you arrange those blocks together into a double 9 patch block, you get a checkerboard block.

Those 9 patch blocks aren't sewn together. I have a LOT more 9 patch blocks to piece and there will be more variety of blues when they're completed. Individually the 9 patch blocks finish at 3".

Of course I'm changing the pattern, my quilt will have 16 checkerboard path blocks instead of the original 12. I'm also envisioning an applique border. Unfortunately the applique border will have to wait until I finish Hearts & Wreaths which has to wait until I finish the hexie table runner for the antique blanket chest.

This quilt is going to take a while to piece because I'd rather be spending my time outside. There will be plenty of time for sewing inside when summer heat and humidity arrive. 

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

Quilting Lady Jane

Even though I post about other handwork projects sometimes on Sunday, I'm continually hand quilting Lady Jane. 

I've finished the center medallion section! 

Here are pictures going from the right side of the quilt to the left side.

The center medallion is finished! I've used a wool batt in this quilt, the texture feels so nice when I gently move my fingers across the quilted sections.

The left side of the quilt.

It's hard to really see the quilting except on the background fabric of the medallion and the darker blue borders, sorry.

Click here for a link to the Lady Jane pattern. I do wish my quilt was larger. The pattern has 3 rows of churn dash blocks on the top and bottom of the medallion. I don't know why I didn't add those rows to this quilt?

And here is a link to the first post I wrote about quilting Lady Jane.

This post may be the only post this week. Spring is finally here and I'm enjoying the outdoors. My sewing mojo seems to have disappeared for now.

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

Let's Pop Some Corn, Small Table Runner

All the leftover fabrics from Let's Pop Some Corn were sitting on my cutting table. Instead of putting the leftover fabrics away, I decided to just add the checkerboard border to the little table topper.

Then I decided to quilt it and have it actually completely finished, so I did!

This little table runner is 20" square and it's finished! All the fabric pieces have been organized and put into their respective container.

The original Let's Pop Some Corn kit was gifted to me by my friend Linda. She also kindly included backing fabric and batting with the kit. There was enough backing and batting to quilt both table runners.

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

Woodland Gatherings

This past winter I've been going to Caroline's Cotton Cottage for Wildflower Girls. The location of her shop is in the Limberlost area where Gene Stratton Porter places the stories of her books. Each year Caroline bases the class on one of Gene's books. This year the book we learned about was the Harvester.

Caroline designs a pattern for us at each class. Usually it's a small quilt (which I don't normally make) but each year she also designs a pincushion. I decided to make the pincushion this year which is named Woodland Gatherings.

Each flower represents an herb talked about in the book. The pincushion measures 4.5" by 6.5".

I've always wanted to do wool work but never find the time, too many handwork projects in progress! I did buy another small kit though, a nativity scene. Hopefully I can work on it this spring/summer/fall and have it ready to be displayed at Christmas.

The reason the class is called Wildflower Girls is because Gene Stratton Porter was a naturalist and talks about wildflowers and nature in the books.

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

Broken Dishes

The HST's sewn from flippy corners are accumulating so I took a bag along to the retreat and sewed them into broken dishes blocks.

After I returned home from retreat, I sewed them into two small quilts. 

The yellow/orange HST's were flippy corners from the Sunny Lanes quilt. This little quilt measures 29.5" by 33.5".

The green HST's were flippy corners from the Peppermint Pines quilt, this quilt measures 22.5" by 30.5".

The borders of both quilts is fabric that was donated to me to be used for charity quilts. These little quilts will end up at Goshen Hospital to be used by chemo patients.

They won't be quilted right away. I use pieced batting in small quilts and I don't have any pieces on hand right now. I sent several quilts to be long arm quilted last month, I'll have plenty of pieces to use in these little quilts when the quilted quilts return home.

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

Small Indian Hatchet Quilt

After I finished the Let's Pop Some Corn table runner, I trimmed the  Indian Hatchet blocks that were pieced over the winter. This quilt isn't going to be a large quilt like the one I pieced last summer.

I added the borders after I was home from retreat, she measures 32.5" square.

The blocks were pieced using this tutorial.

The outside border was fabric given to me to be used in charity quilts.

I pieced several other small quilts since I was home also. Backing and binding have been prepared for them, but since I miter my binding, those triangles keep accumulating.

I've started a new project to use the triangles. Pineapple blocks are definitely not a Leader/Ender project. 

For Leaders/Enders I'm sewing 1.5" squares together to eventually make foursies.

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