Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Planning Party Update, 3rd Quarter Check-In

It's time for a Planning Party update and I'm posting my summer progress. Here is a link to the list I made in January of my tentative quilting plans for the year.

The Anniversary quilt was finished the first of August. This quilt is an anniversary (obviously) quilt that will be gifted next year. The wife loves purple!


In July, Tula Hexies was finished, machine quilted by me.


Several compassion quilts were also quilted by me. You can find links to them here, here and here.

Here is the largest of the quilts I've machine quilted. She's called Dots & Dashes.


Dresden Stars was also finished in August. Colleen Gall was the long arm quilter.

Dresden Stars and the Anniversary quilts were both started and completed in 2024.

Linking to Planning Party, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts


Sunday, September 15, 2024

Blueberry Pie Borders

The borders on my Blueberry Pie quilt won't be completely appliqued, just the corners. However the applique does extend 18 or 20" on each side of the corner.

The first corner is completed and ready to show. I love it!


I wasn't sure about the flower in the point but adding the leaves made the difference.

The pattern for Blueberry Pie is found in the Red, White and Sometimes Blue book but it's not called Blueberry Pie. You'll find it listed as Writer's Block. I thought the name was rather unimaginative so I changed it to reflect the blues used in my quilt.

The pattern in the book does NOT have an applique border, this is my addition. The border is a variation of the center medallion in the Lady Jane pattern, designed by Nancy Rink.

There will be a dark blue border added the outside of the applique border when the applique is finished. 

I was in Wakarusa last week so I took pictures of the quilt garden.




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


Thursday, September 12, 2024

Blue Pineapple Blocks

I'm finished, the 64 pineapple blocks are pieced!

Sixty-four blocks make quite a stack. The next step is to remove the paper from the backside of the blocks. Normally when I foundation paper-piece, I remove the paper immediately after piecing each block. This time I didn't because I had the blocks on the display floor since the first part of August. I could pick them up in a hurry if I needed to and they wouldn't get wrinkled.

We've been having lovely early autumn weather this month. It's definitely sweater weather in the early mornings but the afternoons are perfect for sitting on the porch and removing the papers. That's the plan anyway. 

Finished, these blocks will measure 12.25". 

I purchased the foundation papers from Gigi's Thimble. Gigi had a sew along in 2022 but I wasn't aware of it. I thought her quilt was beautiful when I stumbled across it. Of course it was in blues, how could I resist, so I ordered the foundation papers.

I was surprised when the papers arrived. The pattern was printed on ordinary white paper, just like what I would run through my printer. Normally paper used for foundation paper piecing is a lighter weight paper, easier to tear for removal, less apt to make the edge seams come undone when removing the paper.

I had the papers so I used them, however I do not recommend them. When I wrote my post in April about the blocks, someone commented that they normally use regular paper for foundation paper piecing. After foundation paper piecing 64 of these blocks, I am definitely NOT a regular paper fan and will stick to newspaper weight paper from now on. That's my opinion, you use whatever weight of paper you want to use.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts


Wednesday, September 4, 2024

More Pineapple Blocks

Another group of pineapple blocks have been pieced for a total of 52 completed blocks, just 12 more to go for an eight by eight block arrangement.


When I made the original 20 blocks, I pieced them with more dark blues but I thought they looked too dark. Now I'm piecing the blocks with lighter blues. I think they blend ok, what do you think?

The above picture is not the final layout. Once all the blocks are completed, the papers have to be removed from the back of the blocks. That will take some time.

September is a busy month for me, I don't know if I'll have time to complete the rest of the blocks this month. I hope you all find time for stitching this month.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Blueberry Pie Borders

The flowers are appliqued in the first corner. The next step is to add leaves and the circles. 


I'm not sure I really like the flower in the corner but I'm not going to change it.

The pattern for Blueberry Pie is found in the Red, White and Sometimes Blue book but it's not called Blueberry Pie. You'll find it listed as Writer's Block. I thought the name was rather unimaginative so I changed it to reflect the blues used in my quilt.

The pattern in the book does NOT have an applique border, this is my addition. The border is a variation of the center medallion in the Lady Jane pattern, designed by Nancy Rink.

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Dresden Stars

 Dresden Stars came home from the long arm quilter several weeks ago. The binding is finished and she's ready for her debut!


Colleen Gall is the long arm quilter who custom quilted Dresden Stars for me. 

I have many close up pictures of the quilting to show you. I added a red binding, it adds a touch of color to the edge.





A cream on cream fabric was used for the backing fabric. Colleen used the same brown thread for quilting both sides of the quilt. The cream backing fabric displays the quilting designs very nicely. Of course I took pictures of the back side.






Years ago I purchased two kits for Dresden Star quilt at Lolly's Fabrics in Shipshewana. Completing these kits was one of my goals for this year and I've done it! The center of the quilt is Dresden Star, a pattern by Edyta Sitar.

The Dresden Star pattern does not make a large quilt, two pieced kits were larger but still not bed sized. I added pieced borders to enlarge it. The finished quilt measures 91" by 104", a queen sized quilt.

I have a tub full of civil war fabrics, some of which I purchased, some were gifted to me by my friend Deanna when she moved. I liked civil war fabrics back in the early 2000's, now, not so much. The kit from Lolly's had some really blah fabrics so I pulled from my stash.

I'm planning on taking Dresden Stars along to the retreat this fall to display at show & tell. I worked on these blocks at several of the retreats. Some of the ladies told me they also bought the kit, maybe this will encourage them to sew their kits.

As I said, civil war fabrics are not my favorite fabrics, Dresden Stars will be donated to the 2025 Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale next year.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Elegant Garden

I have started another applique project in addition to the applique borders of Blueberry Pie. Pie is a large bulky project, I don't want to take it out of the house to work on. I need a small transportable project and Elegant Garden is perfect. 

Block 1 was started at the handwork group I attend once a month. Of course I had to finish it when I returned home.

These blocks are small enough I could easily applique a block a week but I'm going to try limit myself to one a month until I give in and work on them full time. The blocks will finish at 9".

I am using my civil war fabric stash for my blocks. I have enough fabrics that I shouldn't need to purchase any.



Elegant Garden is an older quilt designed by Edyta Sitar from Laundry Basket Quilts. 

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