Rhapsody in Blue

Good progress is happening with Rhapsody in Blue, the quilt that will be auctioned in the Michiana Mennonite Relief sale in 2027. I know that's more than a year away but it takes time to hand quilt a quilt. It's okay if it is finished in 2026, I don't want to have to be staying up late at night trying to finish the quilting. I don't do well with late nights anymore and my stitches might turn into 'toe catcher' stitching.

For this post, the pictures have been taken across the quilt but there are some close up picture also.

My phone recently updated and the program is different for sending picture from my phone to the home computer. I had taken a picture of the side that included the left outside border, it's apparently floating around wherever picture go when they disappear.

I have started the center section so I took individual pictures from the bottom like normal.

The background quilting is this curved triangle design. I like it because it's different from normal cross hatching, a nice change from the diagonal quilting in the 9 patches.

I also stitched in the ditch on both sides of the blue border that surrounds the center applique.

This is a picture from the right side of the quilt. It shows the quilting design very nicely.

When I roll the quilt, I alternate the side I turn the stick from. This keeps the edge of the quilt even. If you always roll the same side first, the edge runs crooked. You do need to keep track of which side is rolled first, I just place a pin on the edge of the first rolled side.

I have seen hand quilted quilts in the frame where they haven't been careful to keep the quilt even. I think it pulls on the bias and makes the quilt not straight. You can see in the above picture that the blocks from the 9 patches run straight across. That is how it should be.

I don't quilt with a portable quilting frame so I know nothing about quilting in one of those. This is for the old sticks & stands frame. I also think I'm more particular than a lot of quilters, I've been told by friends that I'm too picky but if I'm going to invest the time for hand quilting, then I'm going to quilt it my way. That's the end of my sermon for the day.

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

What's Under the Needle?

Blocks 63, 64, 65 and 68 of Stonefields are foundation paper-pieced blocks. I don't think Susan intended them to be completed that way but that is how I decided to make them.

Blocks 63 & 64 are called Perfection Syndrome.

Block 65 was supposed to be the same as blocks 63 & 64 but I decided to make it the same as block 68 which is called Halfway House.

The rest of the blocks in section 6 are appliqued, you can read about those blocks on my Sunday posts. Stonefields is designed by Susan Smith.

The 2025 Laundry Basket Mystery quilt, which Edyta has now named Tennesee, has been started over. Again I'm using fabric I purchased several years ago for another quilt that didn't happen. For those of you who are interested in fabric lines, the fabric is named Pointe Pleasant and designed by Nancy Rink for Marcus Fabrics. The first 6 'rounds' have been completed.

I made a change to the flying geese 'round'. The geese are supposed to go around in the same direction but I didn't like how that looked against the corner block. I like my setting better.

The background fabric for the star blocks came from my stash. I didn't have a background cream that quite matched the other light fabrics but it was close. However the next round background fabric is a light gray and I think it will tone down the brightness of the cream fabric. The gray fabric used in between the stars is the same background fabric in the zig-zag round.

The dark blue of the stars makes a nice contrast to the softer blues and brightens up the whole quilt!

The light gray fabric is displayed at the bottom and is a part of the fabric line. As of now, the flimsy is a scant 54.5".

I've been wanting a cover for my sewing machine for years and I finally made one. Heartland Sewing Center had June Tailor kits on sale so I purchased one. I measured my sewing machine and thought it was the large size but apparently it's not. 

The cover looks baggy but it completely covers the machine. It's made with batting but I wonder if it would have been better to use a stiff interfacing? I would like to make a cover for my retreat machine, I think I'll try interfacing for that cover. I'll let you know how it turns out whenever I get it sewn.

MSQC has the kit on sale but I paid less at Heartland. Misty Doan has a tutorial at MSQC, I watched the tutorial before I cut anything. It really did help in making the cover.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down, Free Motion Mavericks, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

Rhapsody in Blue

My goal for this quilt was to be ready to start hand quilting the center applique medallion by New Year's and I've done it, I'm ready to start the center!

I apologize that the pictures aren't better quality, the lighting is just fine when I'm hand quilting but it just doesn't take good pictures. I'll take some nice outside pictures when the quilt is completely quilted. 

There are a lot of photos to show you today. The background on the outside borders is quilted along with stitch in the ditch around the applique. Also you can't see in pictures how the quilting puffs up slightly, it looks so nice. I enjoy lightly moving my fingers across the quilt after it's quilted. It's a different texture than a machine quilted quilt.

The 9 patch border is diagonally stitched both directions. That pin is in the one block because I missed quilting the other direction. That will be quilted before I start the next section. 

Next is an applique border which does not have background quilting, just stitch in the ditch around the applique.

This is the bottom border of the 9 patch section so there are a lot of 9 patches, again all diagonally quilted in the light fabric. This makes the blue fabrics puff up nicely. I don't think you can see that in the pictures but it looks so nice in real life.

On the right side of the 9 patch border is the right side applique border. Just like the left side, there is no background quilting, just stitch in the ditch around the applique.

The right side 9 patch border.

The outside border on the right side. There is no applique in this corner. The applique is on opposite diagonal corners of the quilt.

The section just completed is 9" which means there is 77" to be quilted, if my math is correct anyway.

This is the center medallion center. The blue border will be stitched in the ditch along both sides then the sticks will be rolled and quilting will start. Of course the sides will also be quilted, not just the center section.

Rhapsody in Blue will be sold in the 2027 Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale, just in case you interested in buying a beautiful blue and light gray quilt!

Here is a post from April that shows pictures of the flimsy before the outside applique was added. I was also working on Elegant Garden at the same time, so you will see blocks from that quilt in the same post. I'm sure I showed you a picture of the quilt with the outside applique border but I can't find it! The original size of this quilt is 118" square. A hand quilted quilt doesn't shrink as much as a machine quilted one does. 

Elaine and I are collaborating on this quilt. She did the applique while I did the piecing and am now hand quilting the quilt. She'll do the binding and is making a special label for the backside.

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

Stonefields

The first two applique blocks in Section 6 of the Stonefields quilt are called Baby Audrey. I don't know why Susan Smith named these blocks or any of the blocks their name.

Of course I made a few changes, the top circles was supposed to be smaller but I don't like to applique really small circles. And the tips of the leaves were supposed to under the stem, I like them better on the sides. The dark blue stems are bias vine leftover from the Blueberry Pie flimsy. Probably the next several blue applique quilts will have vine/stems from the Blueberry Pie quilt.

These are blocks 62 & 63.

Block 66 is named Hot Cross Bun and was an easy block to applique in an afternoon.

I'm going to remember this block and perhaps make a second one as a substitute for a block I don't like in the future.

I was in Wakarusa last week so I took a picture of the quilt garden 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

Another Orphan Block Compassion Quilt

I pulled more blocks from the orphan tub before I went to retreat, or, in this guess, I should say rows from the tub. This quilt contains several rows that were not used in projects for one reason or another, I don't remember why. Making a row by row quilt was the obvious choice.

The top and bottom rows were once one long row which was kind of cut in half. One part is longer than the other because I wanted to cut the row on a point. I think this pattern is Rick-Rack nines from one of Bonnie Hunter books. I never did get my bookshelves organized so I can't put my hand on the book to confirm the pattern.

The center row was also a completed row but I don't remember what quilt this was from. The stars were blocks but I set them on point and added the triangles, they look very nice except that two of them with orange squares ended up next to each other 😞.

Leftover dark brown fabric pieces were used in the main body of the quilt. I did have to cut the top and bottom borders from the yardage fabric.

This was a fast and easy quilt to make since most of the rows were already completed, this quilt was sewn in one day, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving!

The quilt measures 55.5" by 71" and will join the rest of the compassion quilts in the 'to be quilted' closet. I'm going to be very busy next spring with machine quilting!

In case you are wondering, there are more orphan blocks waiting to be used. Am I the only one who makes more blocks than needed for a quilt or changes their mind about how to set them so some are leftover?

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

Rhapsody in Blue

The inside applique border has been quilted. There is no background stitching, the quilting is around the applique.

The pictures are from the left outside border to the right outside border.

This border was 9" wide so now there is 86" left to quilt. I'm hoping to be ready to start the center medallion by New Year's Day. 

The next section to be quilted is another 9" row of the blue patchwork. 

Just to remind you, I did not do the applique, that was completed by my friend Elaine.

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

What I Sewed at Retreat

The first project was to piece block 6 of the Designer Mystery quilt from Fat Quarter Shop. I was able to fussy cut the center fabric to display a flower.

Next I pieced chain blocks for Garden Party.

I think I have all the chain blocks I need for my quilt. The next step is to make the partial chain blocks. I'm attending another retreat in January, I'll piece them there. Once all the blocks are completed, I can start sewing the components together. 

Next was to sew triangles for a project I've named 'Waste Not'. Leftover triangles keep accumulating, I have to do something with them. I sew the triangles (which are various sizes) onto 2.5" squares which were cut from leftover backing fabrics. I also trimmed part of them.

The squares will be sewn together like this in 8" blocks.

There is still a bag of triangles to be sewn onto the squares. This project will be going along to more retreats. Some of the triangles are cut off from when I miter strips for binding. I had a person tell me they just throw those away, I paid money for those triangles and fabric is expensive!

Stonefields was taken along to retreat, blocks 60 and 61 were appliqued at retreat. They made their appearance in last Sunday's post.

Some stash enhancement happened from the resale tables.

This kit was the most expensive purchase. A pattern was included with the fabrics but I don't know if I'll make it. I read over the pattern and couldn't find the size of the finished quilt. I had Donna read over the pattern and she couldn't find it either. Why do designers do that? Why don't they say what the size is?

I bought this floral yardage just because I like it. There is 3 yards which is plenty for a pretty quilt.

Several charm packs jumped into my hands, how can I resist at $5 apiece?

I also bought a jellyroll. I had one like this years ago, it made a lovely children's quilt which is probably what will happen to this roll.

Last were 2 panels at $1 apiece. I have plenty of fabrics to add to the sides. Won't they make lovely compassion quilts?

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, Free Motion Mavericks, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Stonefields, Blocks 59, 60 & 61

Blocks 59 & 60 are called Lollipop Lady. Block 59 was actually supposed to be a pieced block called the Handkerchief. I thought 2 of that block was enough so the handkerchief turned into a Lollipop Lady.

I had a problem stitching the rick-rack in the circle, it wasn't really a rick-rack though, the edges were supposed to be curved.

I didn't like the way my lollipop block turned out so block 60 was changed. The rick-rack design was changed a large circle and it looked so much nicer.

Block 61 is titled Summer Camp. 

I really like this block, this block is going to be the center block in my quilt. Section 5 is completed since block 61 was the last block in that group. Blocks 60 and 61 were completed at the retreat I recently attended.

Here are the blocks so far, all 61 of them!

There are 121 blocks in the Stonefields quilt, now I'm halfway finished! Stonefields is designed by Susan Smith.

I have to show you what my friend Elaine completed at retreat. Several years ago, Gay Boomer from Sentimental Stitches had a redwork BOW. Elaine kept up with the embroidery and completed every block during it's week for a year, then it was time to piece the borders.

Elaine has spent the last several retreats foundation paper-piecing the flying geese borders.

She was missing one section of the border at the bottom right side, she'll piece it after she returns home. Isn't this quilt beautiful!

I think the blocks finish at 6" while the flying geese are 3" wide.

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