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

Blue Embroidered Flimsy & Purple Embroidered Flimsy

I'm home from retreat but before I left, I completed two flimsies from my 'to do list' that I posted about in January. Blue embroidered blocks was #11 on that list.

I've pulled the blue embroidered blocks that I posted about in July. I purchased these embroidered blocks from the resale table at the Jane Stickle retreat several years ago. There were 21 blocks in the bag, I appliqued 4 blocks to make a square quilt.

The blocks finish at 12" and I used the sashing design that was used in the feathered star wall quilt aka known as Radiant Blues. The pattern for Radiant Blues is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and was designed by Marsha McCloskey. I had to modify the pattern to fit the size of the blocks.

The next picture is take from the side.

The flimsy size is 96" by 97".

There is a slight color difference between the blocks and the white sashing. 

After the blue flimsy was finished, it was time for the purple embroidered blocks (number 12 on the list). I used the same sashing design for these blocks as I did for the blue blocks. It's just an unusual setting and I think it brings the blocks to life. I also added applique blocks to the embroidered blocks so I could make the quilt square. All the blocks finish at 16.5".

I took some pictures to show you the progress as I worked. The first picture is with the sashing added between the blocks.

Now the sashing rows have been added. What a difference the sashing makes!

This is a closeup of a bottom section.

After the 3" wide sashing is added, a 1" finished sashing with a square finishes the design. That is boring sewing but so necessary. I didn't take a separate picture. Next a 2" finished background border was added then the 1" finished checkerboard border.

The embroidered blocks look rather blah in this picture. The outside border is a darker purple that will finish at 4.5".

Here is a close-up picture of the various borders. The fabrics look more blue than purple in the pictures.

This flimsy measures 98" by 99".

I'm glad to have these flimsies completed and they've been delivered to Calico Point to be machine completed. I'll be displaying the finished quilts to you sometime in February.

These are the last of the projects to be completed this year on the long long list of projects for 2025.

There will be a 2025 wrap-up in December. In January I will share the 2026 list with you. It won't be quite as intensive as this year's list.

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

Fall Cleaning, Quilts in the Rafters

Fall cleaning happened several weeks ago. The living room furniture was moved back while the quilts in the rafters were removed, the rafters were dusted and different quilts put on display.

This is Star Dance. Her finish was posted here.

9-Patch & Hourglass. Here is a link to the finish. This quilt has been shown before, she was one of the original quilts displayed when we first moved into the new house.

Many of you watched my applique and hand quilting journey with Hearts & Wreaths.

While the tall ladder was inside the house, the farmer dusted the triangle windows. I didn't have him wash them, I thought streaky windows would bother  me more than dusty windows.

Some people have expressed concern about him climbing up such a tall ladder. His response is he climbed up to the top of the silo on the farm for 50 years to adjust the blower. He no longer wants to or needs to do that. Climbing a 12 foot ladder is not a problem at all.

The Christmas cactus have come out of their quarantine in the garage and are now sitting underneath the south windows in the dining room. This is actually the same place they occupied on the porch except now they are inside the house instead of outside.

They're still loaded with buds so I'll have blooms for a long long time.

I don't have many indoor plants. There are the Christmas cactus which are outside in the moderate seasons and one large fern that stays indoors all year round. 

The amaryllis bulbs have been dug up from the flowerbed, they're resting now in the garden wagon. I'll be potting them at the end of the month to bloom this winter, hopefully starting in January.

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, Blocks 55 & 56

Blocks 55 and 56 from the Stonefield's quilt are titled 'Dahlia'. It's a very pretty flower. 

Susan doesn't include detailed instructions with the patterns but she does have a few instructions for these blocks. She says to applique the bottom four petals then applique the other four on top. I didn't like those instructions and came up with my own plan.

Here is block one.

I wanted to applique the petals so they would overlapped each other but block wasn't quite right.

Block two went the way I wanted it to, all the petals overlapping.

And I fussy-cut the center circle.

She also gave some other directions but they made no sense to me. I simply traced the design onto my background fabric by using my light box and a black frixon pen.  Then I traced the petals onto the back of freezer paper, cut out the blades then ironed the paper onto the back of the fabric. Next I cut the leaves out leaving 'turn under' and appliqued them onto the background fabric.

I didn't have to worry about perfect points on the petals since there is a circle in the center.

Stonefields is designed by Susan Smith.

I won't have a Wednesday post this week, I'm leaving Wednesday morning for the Jane Stickle retreat in Shipshewana.

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