The Comforter Bash

I took time off from my sewing the Friday morning of the Jane Stickle retreat to attend the Comforter Bash. A total of 412 comforters were completed in two days with 457 people participating. That number does not include all the people who pieced the comforter tops.

I took several pictures to show you different ways to help.

These participants were knotting the comforters. Other people put the comforters into the frames.

These ladies were trimmers. After the comforters are knotted, the batting is trimmed to the edge of top then the backing fabric is trimmed to 1.5".

This is what I did, sewed bindings.

This is a picture of the entryway to the all purpose room. See the black bonnets? I assume the Amish ladies have their name on the inside of the bonnet so they know which one is theirs.

Making comforter tops for MCC was one of the agencies listed in Sarah's Hands 2 Help Comfort Quilt Challenge 2023. Perhaps the comforter top you donated was knotted at this bash!

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

Comforter Tops

I didn't twiddle my thumbs during my unintended October/November blogging break, I focused on finishing projects. 

In August I blogged about the Christmas Stars quilt I was working on and posted this picture.

The post was about Christmas Stars but the pieced triangle in the upper left corner was a long time unfinished quilt (UFQ). That corner guilted me when we lived in the farmhouse and continued to do so in the new house!

After I finished scrappy sprouts, I decided it was time to finish that UFQ and I did!

I had originally planned on a full size quilt but changed my mind and made it into a 60" by 83" comforter top.

I cut squares then recut them on the diagonal so the straight of grain was on the outside long side. I sewed the triangles onto the end of each row. I don't like the idea of adding squares then cutting them off, that means you have bias on the outside edge!

For fun I took a picture of the backside of the quilt.

There were quite a few blocks left so instead of packing them away for someday, I went ahead and pieced another comforter top. There weren't enough blocks to make a 60" by 80" quilt, I settled for piecing the center length at least 80" and used blocks not used in the center for a checkerboard border.

Last June a friend of a friend shipped me a box of fabrics she no longer wanted. She specified that the fabrics be used for charity quilts. The floral fabric used in the borders was from this box. Earlier I had used a larger amount of the same fabric as backing for a comforter, this time it was used in the front of the comforter. The bright colors really bring this comforter to life.

After adding the fabric borders, this comforter measures 60" by 84".

These comforters will be knotted at my church then passed along to MCC to be distributed in one of the many disaster zones in the world or here in the US.

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

A Gift From Bethlehem

Last August I posted about a small wool work nativity I wanted to make before Christmas. That was easily done, I finished the stitching in one afternoon in September! 

It's not a complete finish but it is farther along. I thought I had a frame that would fit the stitchery but I don't. I checked at Michael's and they don't have one that is the right size. Hmmm, I'm going to have to improvise but I'll probably wait until next year.

The pattern for A Gift From Bethlehem is available from Litttle Bits by Joan.

I was in Wakarusa last week and took a picture of the flower garden at rest. There is a Nativity in there now.

I also took a long view picture of the Christmas tree in the main square so it's a bit blurry. 

A tree in the center of the main intersection means no left turns and don't try turning it into a roundabout. The police frown on that. 

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

Christmas Stars

Lori brought 2 quilts that she had quilted for me when she came to our mini retreat. The Christmas Stars quilt came along to retreat with me. 

I sewed the binding Saturday evening and she was a finish by 10 pm! Both sides were machine stitched. When I machine stitch binding, I sew the binding onto the backside then turn to the front for top stitching. Not all quilters do it that way but that is what works for me. When I hand bind, I stitch the binding onto the front then turn to the back for hand stitching. I only hand bind special quilts, quilts that I hand quilt. Machine stitching is so much faster!

The design Lori used was a perfect, it's a holly design with circles, so cute. And the red thread looks so nice!

I thought I had posted when Christmas Stars was in the flimsy stage but I can't find one. The last post I find is when the blocks were arranged on the display floor in August. Those blocks were on the floor for two weeks and I checked them several times looking for mis-sewn blocks.

When I displayed the finished quilt at retreat, someone noticed a block that was incorrect. They asked me if I did that on purpose. No, I did NOT!

That's a bunch of nonsense about Amish women purposely adding a mistake to their quilts. They're just like me, they don't purposely make mistakes, they just happen!

For backing fabric I used the red/beige fabric I had considered adding as a border. You all quickly dispelled that idea, this fabric was perfect for backing. The backing needed to be pieced and I added other Christmas fabric. Years ago I had participated in a Christmas block exchange. These blocks were never used so I added them here.

Here is a closeup of the quilting on white fabric, isn't this design fantastic?!

For now Christmas Stars measures 83" by 89". She'll shrink whenever she gets washed. 

I haven't decided if she's going to hang in the rafters or if she'll be displayed on a bed during the Christmas season.

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

Lady Bug Crib Quilt

One of the projects I sewed at retreat was this ladybug crib quilt. The components have been living in the retreat bag for several years as a just in case project. Just in case means if I finish the other projects that were brought along to sew.

I thought this ladybug fabric was so cute when I saw it at Carolines Cottage Cottons several years ago. I added other bright fabrics that I thought would look nice with it. 

Some quilters won't add black to baby quilts but I think black really make the colors pop. This quilt is really going to stimulate some baby's sensory development.

It will be quilted sometime this winter. I think I'll use spiral quilting, I haven't done that in some time. 

As of now, the quilt top measures 40" by 46". It will shrink during quilting. 

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

I'm adding the picture of the buggy next to a Christmas tree in the conference room lobby. I thought they look pretty. The Farmstead staff were arranging the decorations as we arrived, they do such a nice job.

New Hexie Project

There are so many beautiful quilts at retreat and interesting projects in progress. I usually come home from retreat ready to start a lot of new projects. This year I only started one new project.

Hanne and Deb were both working on a hexie project. Hanne marked a 1/4" line on her hexies and was sewing them by hand. Deb was EPPing her hexies. I didn't measure them but I'd say they were 1.5" hexies. I didn't take a picture of their projects but they both looked nice.

I've been wanting a portable hand work project as an easy take along. I thought this would be perfect. I'm planning on hand stitching my hexies, not EPP this time.

When I got home, I pulled some of the Tula Pink fabrics I bought at Clothesline Creations last summer during my birthday outing and started cutting. I may have purchased more fabrics during retreat also.

I have a Fons & Porter hexie ruler I purchased years ago but never used. It says right on the ruler how wide to cut the strips for each size of hexie. I'm using 2" hexies so my strips were cut 4.5" wide.

Hanne had sewn her hexies into small columns using 9 hexies. Deb EPP'd her's into hexie flowers. I arranged pieces to sew 2 flowers to take along to Maryland to stitch. I took pictures of each group so I would remember how I to arrange them.

 

There was also some striped fabric that came in the fat quarter bundles. I didn't think plain stripes would look very interesting so I cut a 6.5" hexie (which is the largest size of the ruler) and marked lines on the back to make 6 triangles. Then I cut on those lines then rearranged the triangles.

Once the triangles are sewn, I'll trim the block to size. I think these will be an interesting addition to the quilt, at least if they turn out like I hope they do.

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

Dresden Stars

The Jane Stickle retreat was held early November. The next several posts are going to be about the projects I worked on.

A year ago at the November 2022 Jane Stickle Retreat, I pieced Dresden points. This fall I added the narrow cream triangle between each point and sewed 18 Dresden plates.

This picture is supposed to be horizontal but I'm still learning how to do things with the new computer. This is just 5 of the 18 plates.

I bought this kit years ago at Lolly's sometime between 2006 and 2010. The pattern is called Dresden Star and was designed by Edyta Sitar. 

Edyta has updated the pattern with brighter fabrics that look much happier than the browns she originally used.

Another retreater was watching me piece these plates and told me she also purchased the kit years ago. I asked her if Lolly's had a quilt on display and she said yes and that it was more colorful than Edyta's original brown quilt.

Of course I didn't purchase just one kit, I don't make little throws, I bought two kits so I could make a full sized quilt which is why I ended up making 18 plates.

The next step is to applique these plates onto the background fabric then add the circles to the inside. I'm not going to hand applique these plates, machine applique will be used. That will happen sometime this winter.

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