Binding

A large part of my hand sewing last week was finishing the binding on blue split 9 patch.  I don't always finish the binding by hand sewing but I did for this quilt.

I had purchased this stripe to use as binding for another project but then changed my mind. I thought it was perfect for this scrappy quilt.

The binding strips were cut at 3" so there would be a 1/2" of stripe on each side of the edge.

I posted more information about the quilt on Friday's post.

I won't be keeping this quilt for myself, it's a present for a May wedding.

I appreciate all the concern and suggestions about my cracked fingers last Sunday. I've tried various products over the years. Superglue is the only product that stops the cracks from getting larger and actually makes them heal faster.

I have dry skin which is manageable most of the time. But when we have an arctic front come through, we need to turn on the gas heater to supplement our furnace. Our home really is dry then and the dry air just makes cracks in my fingers.

They're healed now and quilting has started again.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away

Blue Split 9 Patch Finish

Before I left for Phoenix in December, I pulled blue split 9 patch from the closet and corrected the blocks turned the wrong direction. 

Several people mentioned they couldn't see the mistake. Click on the link above. The light fabrics are supposed to zig zag in a somewhat rectangular path. If you look at the top, the path shoots out to the sides instead of staying inside on the path. Compare that picture to the finished quilt below.

I added a plain blue border. I had thought about piecing a border but this quilt is busy enough, the simple border gave my eyes a place to rest.

I dropped the quilt off to be long arm quilted before I left and it was finished by the time I returned home. It's so nice to have a finish the first month of the new year, I haven't had a complete finish since August 2021!

I ordered a simple overall stippling design. 

A view of the back side of the quilt. That dark spot is some dampness from the snow on the porch.

Here's a close up of the stippling on the backside. 

A view of the quilt on our bed.

My quilt roll is looking pretty good!

The quilt was quilted by Three Sisters Fabrics in New Paris, Ind and measures 91.5" by 102" after quilting.

I wrote several posts about blue split 9 patch: first post, another post , the final post before quilting was the post above. 

The split 9 patch block was Bonnie Hunter's leader/ender project which started in 2013. I did make a change to the block, instead of 3 HST's, I used a square in the center. I think the center square adds more interest to the design.

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap

Blue Split 9 Patch Quilt

One of my 100 day challenges was to sew together the blocks for blue split 9 patch. Split 9 patch was Bonnie Hunter's 2013 Leader and Ender Challenge. The pattern is here under Bonnie's free patterns listing.

The blocks have been sewn together into the main body of the quilt and measures 85" by 96". I'm going to stop for now. There will be a border added sometime but I'm planning on this quilt being a wedding gift. I need to find out what size bed to finish the flimsy for. This quilt will definitely be long arm quilted.

Looking at the picture, I see I have two blocks in the same row turned wrong. I'll get those corrected before I add the border. This pattern is a definite challenge to orient the blocks!

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap

100 Day Challenge

I've been reading about the 100 day challenge on several blogs. Some people are challenging themselves from September 25 to Christmas Day. Some are challenging themselves through the end of 2021.

I've decided to challenge myself too. Of course I'm a week behind in the challenge and I won't have a full 100 days because I'll be spending 2 weeks in lovely, sunny, warm, no wool socks and no long underwear Phoenix during December. I will have access to a sewing machine though, I may be starting a new project there!

My challenge is starting now and running through December 31. For my challenges, I want to finish sewing the components of several quilts into flimsys!

First on the list is Lady Jane. You can read about this project here.

Next is the Embroidered Double Wedding quilt. It makes sense to finish this quilt next since I'm using a lot of the same fabrics as Lady Jane. Here is a close up of the embroidery.

These are some of the stars that are going to surround the embroidered center. You can read more about this project here.

3rd to be finished in the Split 9 Patch flimsy, click here for the info about this quilt. And yes, I know, there is a mistake in the arrangement of these blocks. I'll make sure that doesn't happen in the final arrangement.

I also have some blocks to be sewn into flimsys for the RSC challenge, mainly the 16 patch blocks. I want to piece puss in the corner blocks as alternate blocks.

Can I do it, can I actually complete 4 quilts in 100 days? Since most of the blocks are pieced, I think I can. It is safe to lay blocks on the display floor now, the windows are shut for the year (unless it really warms back up) so blocks won't be blown out of place.

What about you, what are you going complete during the last 100 days of 2021?

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

Split 9 Patch Blocks

By sewing whenever I had time, all the split 9 patch blocks are pieced. I've arranged a few on the design floor to show you. Unfortunately I arranged them incorrectly but didn't realize that until I downloaded the photo and had stacked all the blocks.

We don't have air conditioning in our home so windows are wide open in the summer. A breeze coming through open windows is NOT friendly to blocks displayed on the floor, I've learned that the hard way.

For now the blocks will be stored until the windows are shut tight which will be sometime this fall. Then I'll be able to arrange them to my liking and the wind won't rearrange them. 

Besides, I need to trim the blocks to 6.5". Lately I've been watching the drama of Downton Abbey again. Lady Mary and her cohorts will keep me entertained while trimming blocks.

Split 9 patch is a free pattern from Bonnie Hunter. I've changed the pattern slightly by adding a solid square in the center of my blocks. It changes the look which I like.

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

Piecing Blue Split 9 Patch Blocks

I've been working on piecing the 174 blue 9 patch blocks for what seems like forever! But actually it's only been several weeks whenever I have time.

I have a card table set up with the HST's and squares beside my sewing machine.

I lay out two blocks at a time and run them through the machine. 

I just keep sewing and piling them up until I have a big pile.

Then I press them, alternating the direction of the seams.

I went ahead and finished one of the blocks.

All 174 blocks have been webbed. Next week I'm getting together with a friend for a sew together day. I hope to sew as many blocks as I can into finished blocks. I'll press them when I return home.

Then the fun part happens, arranging the blocks on the display floor! I'll show you a picture when I get to that stage.

The split 9 patch block is a free pattern from Bonnie Hunter's website.

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

What Else?

When I'm piecing blocks I run an ender through the sewing machine so I don't have to cut my thread. Lately I've used a variety of leader/enders.

I have a lot of older fabrics cut into 2.5" squares. After I pieced a red jumbo granny square, I decided to piece more blocks using the older fabrics. I've pieced 4 more blocks.

A total of 12 blocks are needed to make a quilt approximately 60" by 80". I'll be making more of these blocks as the summer progresses. I certainly have plenty of older fabrics to use.

In March I posted about piecing blue split 9 patch blocks. I had enough HST's on hand to piece 50 blocks. I need a total of 224 blocks so I need to piece 174 more blocks. Which means I need 348 more HST's. I am really glad I decided to use a solid square for the center of my blocks, otherwise I'd need even more HST's!

If I only need a few HST's, I use a half and quarter ruler. This is what I'm using to make the HST's for the Lady Jane blocks. My ruler is a Fons & Porter ruler. 

When I need a large volume of HST (348 is a large amount to me) I use Thangles. Now I have all the HST's sewn, I just need to get them cut apart and pressed.

When I was washing the breakfast dishes the other day, I glanced out my kitchen window and saw Mabel slowly meandering her way up the driveway!

The farmer usually takes a nap after breakfast, his nap was cut short that day. I took some pictures of Mabel in my yard, the cows in the background look rather jealous and were wondering how she got out.

I was thankful the other cattle hadn't found the not quite shut gate that Mabel had found. One cow in the yard isn't bad but the whole herd running around can really tear up a yard. Trust me, it's happened before.

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

Split 9 Patch in Blues!

One of my challenges to myself for 2021 has been to lower the amount of strips in the 2.5" box. That is slowly happening by using the strips for the 8" finished easy breezy blocks I'm sewing for the RSC.

What I haven't talked about is the smaller box that is full of 2.5" squares that I've also been accumulating for years. Of course most of the squares in that box are blues. I've been wanting to make a blue split 9 patch for a long time but just never got around to it until I saw Keryn's post about her blue split 9 patch. That was all it took for me to start one too! I love her star center!

It is harder to see my star because I'm not piecing a true split 9 patch. I'm making the center a full square which changes the appearance somewhat. It would be nice if my display wall was large enough to add more of the blocks but it isn't. I'll have to wait until I have more blocks pieced then lay all the blocks out on the display floor.

This is supposedly my new leader/ender project but it's threatening to take over the sewing room and become a full time project! 

Split 9 patch was Bonnie Hunter's Leader/Ender project in 2013. Here is a link to the instructions.

When we we had the frigid arctic temperatures several weeks ago, we woke up to fog one morning! When the frozen moisture in the air touched the trees, they became frosted.

Those frigid temps are gone now and so is the snow. 

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