9 Patch Beauty or Get Together

In December 2021, I made a list of quilts I wanted to piece in 2022. Number 15 on that list was called Get Together. Get Together is the cover quilt on the April 2020 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. It was called Get Together because friends were supposed to exchange 9 patch blocks and sew along together. The name Get Together means nothing to me so I've renamed my quilt 9 Patch Beauty.

My year changed when we moved into a new to us house. In the process of boxing up all my sewing 'stuff', I found a bag full of 9 patch blocks with the magazine inside. I don't remember piecing those blocks but I did, sometime, I even have the fabrics for the sashing and outside border! 

The 9 patch blocks have been sewn into double 9 patch blocks. This is a good project to use random neutral fabrics left from other projects!

Besides changing the name of the quilt, I'm going to change the pattern. The first change is relocating the placement of the flying geese. My quilt is going to be larger than the pattern so my flying geese will be the outside sashing. 

Another change is to the sashing between the double 9 patch blocks. I had plenty of 9 patches left so I sewed 9 patches into the sashing and made a single Irish chain quilt.

This didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned. If you decide to make this change, make sure you don't have dark little squares against the dark blue sashing.

I don't know if this quilt will be finished into the flimsy stage in 2022 but I'm enjoying the process and it feels good be working on an UFQ (unfinished quilt) even if it hasn't turned out exactly like I thought it would.

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant

9 Patch Beauty

I spent last week hand sewing the binding on 9 Patch Beauty which I pieced last winter. It was originally called the 'Get Together' quilt and is a pattern from the April 2020 issue of American Patchwork & quilting magazine.

After quilting, she measures 92" by 102" which is a decent sized queen quilt.

One of the changes I made from the original pattern was to put the flying geese along the outside of the quilt instead of in the center. I think it looks better this way.

I really need a clothesline to hang my quilts outside for pictures, that is so much better than the bed.

Lori Null long arm quilted this quilt using the Raindrops on Water design which was created by Three Sisters Fabric. This is one of my favorite overall quilting designs and Lori bought it especially to use on my quilts. I told her to program her machine to quilt the circles 3/4" apart.

For backing I used this mottled beige fabric. It shows the quilting quite nicely.

I always try to make the binding when I finish piecing a quilt so I don't misplace or use the fabric I need for the binding. This binding was pieced last January, I didn't realize I was going to be playing binding chicken! Well, I did and I won, barely!

That little piece of binding is around 2.25" because I trimmed it to a 2" square for the box. Whew, that was a close call!

For the last several years I've donated a quilt top to a quilt auction that benefits the school my Pennsylvania grandchildren attended. I would piece the quilt, they would hand quilt it then auction it. 

Our son and his family have moved so I no longer feel obligated to donate a quilt top for that auction. Since I started piecing this quilt with the intention of donating it, I'm still going to do so. 9 Patch Beauty will be selling in the 2023 Michiana Mennonite Relief sale which will be held at the Elkhart County fairgrounds on September 23rd. 

Several months ago I sent an email to American Patchwork & quilting to make sure I wasn't breaking any copyright law. I did make changes to my quilt and it looks different from the quilt in the magazine. I never heard back from them so I'm going to go ahead and donate it. I will NOT receive any financial benefit for myself. I am stating that my quilt is a variation of the Get Together quilt.

Here is a link to all the posts I've written about 9 Patch Beauty.

One of the first things I moved to our new home was my Christmas cactus. They were here all summer but I guess they weren't in sunny enough place. They didn't bloom well at Christmas.

They're all sitting on the front porch now with plenty of bright sunshine. This plant is full of blooms. A couple of the other cactus have buds, all of the plants have new growth. Hopefully this winter there will be a bumper crop of flowers. 

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

9 Patch Beauty, a Flimsy Finish!

Nine patch beauty is now a flimsy! It only took a couple hours to remove the paper from the back of the flying geese sashing. I sewed the square/square blocks onto the sashing pieces then sewed them onto the quilt. The outside border is a red print fabric with no piecing, the quilt is busy enough without a busy border. At this point, the flimsy is 95" by 105" so he's a good sized queen. Some people call this size a king but it's not. We have a king sized bed and it wouldn't be large enough to hang over the sides and cover the mattress.

It's too wet outside to take pictures so I've done the best I can inside. Once the ground is dry, I'll take outside photos, the colors will look better.

The color in this picture looks better than the top one.

I could have set the flying geese different directions but decide to go with this way.

There are a lot of seams in this quilt! It will be a heavy bed quilt.

I hung the flimsy onto the bedroom curtains. Now I need to use the sticky roller on them.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this flimsy. Those who follow me know that every year I donate a flimsy that is hand quilted then sold in an auction that supports the school our Pennsylvania grandchildren attend. When the farmer and I visited them last summer, they told us of their plans to move in the spring to a new farm that is several hours east of their present location. Since they won't be attending the old school anymore, I won't be donating flimsies. I'll just keep this quilt in the to be quilted closet until it's needed then I'll have it longarm quilted.

9 patch beauty is my version of the Get Together Quilt from the April 2020 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine. My version isn't better than the original, I just took the pattern and made changes to make it 'mine'.

Here are previous posts about 9 Patch Beauty, December 16, 2022, December 23, 2022,  December 27, 2022 and January 3, 2023.

I used to be able to juggle having several quilts in progress at one time but I'm tired of that way. For me, right now, I am planning to focus on one quilt at a time until it's a flimsy, at least that's my goal.

There were several questions about foundation paper piecing in my last post. I googled foundation paper piecing and found this tutorial. I hope it answers your questions. There is a lot of information on the web about foundation paper piecing, just google your questions and find your answers! Like any other skill, it needs practice to become easier.

Linking to Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Writer's Block

I've started piecing a new quilt that I've been wanting to make for years called Writer's Block. This pattern is found in the Red, White, and Sometimes Blue book which was published in 2011 by That Patchwork Place.

This red and white quilt is lovely but my quilt is going to be made with various blue fabrics and the background is a soft gray fabric.

Kelly Corbridge is the designer of this quilt, I think she must have had writer's block when she named this quilt. I'm going to change the name of my quilt but haven't had any ideas so far, any suggestions out there?

This quilt has been on my list for years, ever since I first saw it in the book. I even cut blue strips but have been searching for the right background fabric ever since. Now I've found it!

The background fabric is Whisper Weave Cloud by Benartex. I didn't buy this fabric online, it was purchased at Calico Point. The picture in the link displays the fabric so much better than any picture taken by me.

I've sewn the strip sets and have started cutting them into sections for the 9 patch blocks. There are three different types of 9 patch blocks.

Block A is a diagonal chain 9 patch. The best thing about this block is it works whichever way you turn it! I really like it when that happens.

Block B is a regular 9 patch block with dark corners.

Block C is a regular 9 patch with light corners.

When you arrange those blocks together into a double 9 patch block, you get a checkerboard block.

Those 9 patch blocks aren't sewn together. I have a LOT more 9 patch blocks to piece and there will be more variety of blues when they're completed. Individually the 9 patch blocks finish at 3".

Of course I'm changing the pattern, my quilt will have 16 checkerboard path blocks instead of the original 12. I'm also envisioning an applique border. Unfortunately the applique border will have to wait until I finish Hearts & Wreaths which has to wait until I finish the hexie table runner for the antique blanket chest.

This quilt is going to take a while to piece because I'd rather be spending my time outside. There will be plenty of time for sewing inside when summer heat and humidity arrive. 

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

9 Patch Beauty, the Flying Geese

All 30 of the flying geese sashing for the edge of 9 Patch Beauty have been pieced, I love the precision of foundation paper piecing!

The geese look nice sitting along the edge of the center.

Of course the next step is to remove the paper from the back of the sashing. Some people leave the paper on the backside then remove after they've sewn the pieces to the quilt. I never do, I think removing before sewing is much easier.

Sorry, the blue edge blends into the carpeting.

My 9 Patch Beauty quilt is based on the Get Together Quilt. Here is a link to a previous post so you get read about the changes I made. I'm too impatient to spend time rewriting something I've written before.

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

9 Patch Beauty

The square in a square blocks for 9 Patch Beauty have been pieced. 

Now foundation paper piecing the flying geese sashing starts, that is going to take awhile. I need 30 sashing sections for my version of the quilt. 

The outside of the geese is the same blue used in the square/square blocks and the sashing in the quilt center. 

Various cream fabrics are used for the geese. I'm using leftover scraps and pieces for the triangles, time to get them used.

9 Patch Beauty is my version of the Get Together Quilt. Here is a link to the first post and the changes I've made to the original pattern.

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

2022 Challenges, 11 - 15

 I made a list last December of challenges for the year 2022. Now at the end of 2022, I'm reviewing how many of those challenges I've met. I had no idea we'd be moving to a new home during 2022 which definitely had an impact on my quilting progress.

Todays post is about challenges 11 - 15.

11. Fire Island Hosta Queen - Didn't happen, maybe in 2023?

12. Goose Garden - Another one that didn't happen, again maybe in 2023?

13. Charity quilts - One of the charity quilts that was finished was the String X quilt which I showed a picture of in the last post. I had thought about keeping this quilt for our own use but changed my mind and donated the flimsy. I did finish a couple of smaller quilts here and here.

14. Flower Patch Sewalong - Yes, a quilt that actually is completely finished, quilting, binding and label!

15. Get Together quilt - While I was organizing my quilting projects for the big move, I realized I had already pieced the 9 patches needed for this quilt. 

The 9 patches have now been sewn into double 9 patch blocks and I'm ready for the next step.

The Get Together quilt is the cover quilt on issue 163 of American Patchwork & quilting magazine. The idea of the title was to exchange 9 patches with friends but my 9 patches have all been sewn by me. I need to come up with a different name for my quilt, maybe 9 Patch Beauty?

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

Shoo Flys & Snowballs

I don't normally sew Bonnie Hunter mystery quilts or sew along with her leader & ender project. I was curious though to see what she had planned for this year. This year's Bonnie Hunter's Leader and Ender project for the next year involves piecing shoo fly blocks. 

I've been wanting to start a shoo fly project ever since Jayne posted about her project back in December 2017. 

My shoo fly blocks are going to finish at 4 1/2". I pieced 5 blocks so far, just wanted to see how they look.

And I made a couple snowball blocks, just to see what they look like with the shoo fly blocks.

For now I'm going to concentrate on sewing HST's before I piece anymore blocks.

A year from now Bonnie is going to have a bright bold colorful scrappy quilt. My quilt won't look like hers. My quilt will have the quiet gentle dignified beauty that comes with a two color quilt. The important thing is that we'll both be happy with our own quilt.

After I took this picture, I remember another 2 block quilt from Kathy's Quilts that I bookmarked. I see that this quilt involves churn dash blocks and 9 patches, not shoo fly blocks. 

But still I wonder, what would shoo fly blocks look with 9 patch blocks? So of course I made some 9 patches to see.

First 9 patches with dark corners.

Interesting but I don't like the big light center blocks next to each other but I do like the corners. Can you envision a dark chain running through the quilt? 

Next the 9 patches with light corners.

I like that the center light blocks aren't next to each other but I'm not sure about all the light fabric in the corners. 

Both these settings have potential but I think I'll stick with the original alternate snowball block.

I even purchased a special stencil that fits perfectly in the snowball block, because, as you know, hand quilting is what I do.

Since I took the picture, I did peel the lower left sticker off since it was covering up part of the marking line.

If sewing shoo fly blocks isn't your thing, Kevin the Quilter is hosting a Simply Sensational Summer Scrap Quilt mystery this summer.

Meadow Mist also has Mosaic Mystery in progress. Her mystery runs through April 2020.

In the mood to piece a Christmas quilt? Check out Sarah and her Christmas in July sew along.

And then there's the Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt Along that Julie is hosting. It's happened in June - July, so they're at the end of the quilt along but the pattern is still available. Here's a link to week 5 where the participants are displaying their quilts.

Linking to Let's Bee Social,  WIP's on Wednesday, Needle & Thread Thursday, Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Brag About Your Beauties, Finished Or Not Friday

2022 Challenges

I don't make New Year's resolutions, I make New Year challenges. Here are my quilty challenges for 2022. These are in random order and won't necessarily be pieced consecutively.

1. Writer's Block from Red, White, and Sometimes Blue.  I cut strips for this quilt three years ago but never found the time to actually sew anything. Of course my quilt is going to be blue & white, or maybe blue & cream or maybe even blue & gray. I haven't decided on the background fabric.

I don't know why it's named Writer's Block, it reminds me of a variation on the Burgoyne Surrounded quilt. I plan to add an applique border.

2. Double Delight - This is a free quilt pattern by  Bonnie Hunter. Double Delight was her 2008 mystery quilt and is found at the bottom of the free pattern page with the rest of the older mysteries that never made it into books.

I prepped the fabrics for the quilt and took all the bits and pieces along to the Jane Stickle retreat in November. Sewing on this quilt didn't happen but it's ready to go! The little 9 patches have been sewn for several years.

3. Blue Ridge Beauty - Another Bonnie Hunter pattern from her book Adventures with Leaders & Enders. This quilt will be made with blues and creams/beige.

4. Wildflower Woods - This was a BOM kit I purchased several couple years ago at Caroline's Cotton Cottage. The fabrics are civil war colors. I'm not enthused by civil war fabrics anymore but I will make this quilt anyway, it will be a nice change from all the blue quilts. The fabrics are more brighter and colorful than the photo on the website.

5. Reduce the amount of strips in the 2" box. Quilting Twin has lots of free patterns for 2" strips. I want to make at least 1 queen sized quilt top from the box and I've printed off the Snowflake and Circling the 9's patterns. 

I sorted through the box and divided the strips into two groups, white based and cream based. I had forgotten a year ago I pulled most of the autumn fabrics and made two quilts. There isn't much of those fabrics in the box anymore.

6. Every year I piece a quilt flimsy which I donate to be quilted and sold in a school quilt auction. This auction provides funds for the school my Pennsylvania grandchildren attend.

Maybe one of the quilts I piece from the 2" strip box can be used as a donation quilt for this auction.

7. RSC projects - I had decided on several different quilt blocks but changed my mind and decided to finish projects instead.

In 2018 I finished a smaller quilt called Star Dance. I want to make this flimsy larger so I'll be making sawtooth stars each month.

Dancing stars and scrappy sprouts need finishing also. Sewing blocks for a new quilt is fun but the sense of accomplishment when finishing one is so awesome!

8. Hand quilting, I would like to have Welsh Beauty halfway quilted by the end of May, more would be great but I'll settle for halfway.

9. Applique - Of course I'm continuing Hearts & Wreaths. This is a wonderful project to pick and take with me.

10. UFQ's - I have several unfinished scrappy quilts started several years ago that need to be finished. I want to finish at least one of them.

11. Fire Island Hosta Queen - Years ago I bought the pattern, last fall I bought fabric, it's time to make the quilt! This quilt is going to be a long term piecing project, it's a Quiltworx design.

12. Goose Garden - I bought this pattern years ago and pulled some fabrics. There is an alternate way to set the blocks on the backside of the pattern which I like better than the front design. This isn't a huge quilt and will be good practice for the Fire Island Hosta quilt.

13. Charity quilts - I made at least 15 charity quilts in 2021. I'm not sure how many I will piece this year but I do have 6 crib quilts to be quilted and donated.

14. Flower Patch SAL continues through the spring.

15. Get Together - This quilt is on the cover of the April 2020 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. The magazine actually had a sew along for people to participate. Of course I didn't sew along at that time, I work at my own pace several years behind everyone else. I have made some of the 9 patch blocks and purchased blue and red fabric for borders.

There are other quilts I'd like to make but these are the main challenges for 2022. I'll try to remember to have a post at the end of December 2022 and update you on my accomplishments or lack of accomplishment.

Linking to Peacock Party, TGIFF!, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Scrap Happy Saturday, Whoop Whoop Party, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap

Blueberry Pie

The center of my Blueberry Pie is finished! This was a fun and easy center to piece. He measures 74.5" square.

Doesn't he look like a woven coverlet?

I did change the pattern and made my quilt larger. Math and I don't always agree but I was very pleased when two out of the three types of 9 patches were exact the number of blocks I needed for the quilt.

Blueberry Pie is going into a closet until I'm ready to applique the border.

The original pattern doesn't have an applique borders but I'm envisioning 12" applique borders followed by a 9 patch border.  The 9 patch border will be followed by a more narrow border on the outside. 

Blueberry Pie's original name was Writer's Block. The pattern is found in the Red, White, and Sometimes Blue book which was published in 2011 by That Patchwork Place. Kelly Corbridge is the designer of this quilt. The background fabric is a light soft gray called Whisper Weave Cloud by Benartex.

I changed the name from Writer's Block to Blueberry Pie. I didn't think the name Writer's Block had anything to with the quilt! Cynthia suggest the name Blueberry Lattice but I went with Blueberry Pie.

Perhaps someday I'll make a Cherry Pie but with more pieced blocks and no applique, someday being the key word here!

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

Quilt Fail!

In 2024 I pieced a pineapple quilt, in blues of course! There were a LOT of blue strips leftover so last winter I pieced those strips into log cabin blocks. (I thought I had posted about those blocks but I can't find it.) 

The plan was to wait until this coming winter and sew the blocks together then but I can't wait to do everything in winter, I need a finish now! I decided to sew the blocks into a Perkioman Mountain setting, I think it's just a more interesting design. 

The first few strips in all of the blocks are light blue fabrics then the fabrics became medium blues then dark blues. When I sewed the blocks together, I couldn't see the design, the light blues are too light! The darker blue strips look like sticks sticking out into the white strips.

When you take a close up look, the light blues don't look so light but they disappear when you aren't close!

I'm very disappointed with this quilt but now I've decided on a plan B. This flimsy is 96.5" right now. I had planned to add outside borders but I'm going to wait. This quilt is going to become a backing for another quilt. I don't know what that quilt is yet but I'll let you know when it happens. The borders will be added once I know what the size of the unknown quilt flimsy. I did stitch the outer edge of the failure so all those seams won't unravel.

In 2020 I pieced a quilt which I called Scrappy Barn Quilt which is set in a Perkioman Mountain arrangement. The fabrics are all darker in that quilt, you can definitely see the design. 

I actually have a lot of the dark blue strips left, I might try this design again. Or, I might make a perkioman mountain quilt using split 9 patch blocks like this one I made for my niece in 2022. Which one do you like the best, log cabin blocks or split 9 patch blocks?

Linking to  To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Weight Loss, I Quilted This, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF, Finished Or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Orphan Block Compassion Quilt

Earlier this month I completed two compassion quilts. In the same post, I showed you some orphan blocks that were hopefully going to become another compassion quilt but they needed to sit awhile until the design appeared in my mind.

That happened last week and the orphans have become a flimsy.

I took some pictures along the way with the intentions of giving some measurements but I didn't keep up with writing down the measurements.

The blocks in the center are all 12" finished. The sashing and cornerstones finishes at 2". 

The top and bottom blocks finish at 10". 

They don't line up with the 12" blocks but I'm calling this an design element. I did have to add pieced coping blocks. It's 40" wide and 60" long.

The 9 patch blocks finish at 5". I sewed 2.5" rectangles on one side of them while the other side had 3.5" rectangles which means the length of these blocks becomes 10"by 5" finished. These blocks were sewn onto one side and the bottom of the quilt. It finishes as 53.5" by 77". 

I did stay-stitch along the outer edge of the flimsy to keep seams from pulling open. Some people say they don't have a problem but I do even though I make my stitching length shorter when I piece quilts. Prevention is easier than repairs!

I'd like it better if it was a little wider, adding an outside border of the yellow fabric would have made it the perfect width but . . . this yellow is the last of the yellow from the bolt I purchased when I started Hearts & Wreaths. All that is left are squares which will go into their appropriate box to be used in future scrap quilts. 

This flimsy used a lot of the orphans. There is one album block left, 4 of the 9 patch blocks and 2 of the patchwork blocks.  I did not buy anything to make this quilt which was a win-win! 

This flimsy, and the others I have made or will be making, will be quilted sometime next spring. I have absolutely no idea how this flimsy will be quilted but I have decided the best way to start is to stitch in the ditch along the main seam lines that run the full width and length of the quilt.

More orphans were pulled from the box and this is the arrangement I came up with for the next compassion quilt. This is not the final arrangement, it has to rest awhile before the sewing starts.

Someone once asked me why I have so many orphan blocks? What can I say, apparently I run an orphanage!

I am taking a blogging break until the middle of October. See you then and of course, happy stitching! 😉

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