Design Wall Monday 3-11-13

Here's what I've been working on in addition to the Mystery for Relay #28, Easy Street and my Queen Bee blocks.  Yikes, there is a lot of orange and red in those blocks.  I have a blue and yellow block going and I may break down and buy some more wild prints for this to finish it.  The triangle method I use for these makes enough for 2 blocks from each pair of fabrics.  So, even though I am trying to finish off these triangles I have a feeling I will be making more to go with the 3 sets of triangles on the right of this photo.  This will be a charity quilt.  

I tried a new way to sew on binding -- both sides by machine.  First, I'll admit I didn't follow the directions... I thought I had and when I went back to my saved copy of the directions I realized I had done it exactly backward.  Sigh.  I think this may be a great method for me once I do it a few times, especially if I follow the directions.  You sew the first side of the binding on the quilt as you would regularly, except you sew it on the back first.  Then you use your blanket stitch to catch the binding down on the other side. The directions are on Pat Sloan's web site.  It is offered as a PDF so you can easily save them to your computer. 

I did pretty well on the goals last week.  

Week of Mar 4, 2013

Continue to focus on Mystery for Relay√

Prep and sew more Orange Peel blocks√

Iron backing so I can load it on Ruthie√ not ironed but loaded

Mail out fabric & directions to Quilt Bee members√

Finish QOV Blocks and mail to Alycia√ almost finished but not mailed

Pick one section of studio to straighten/clean NOTHING done on this one….

Week of Mar 11, 2013

Quilt the scrap quilt on Ruthie

Go to Cottonwood and pu Jenny’s sewing machine and some quilt fabric/supplies

Hair Cut

Keep working on Mystery for Relay

Finish enough blocks for triangle baby quilt

Mail the blocks to Alycia’s QOV

Make Small Quilt Chat’s triangle quilt

Clean extra bathroom 

That is a huge list so I may not get it all done.  I will be focusing on the quilt on Ruthie as Jenny is bringing me a quilt to do Sunday and it would be great if we can get it on the machine and done before she leaves.  We'll see.  

That's it for me today.  I am heading out to Charlottesville to Cottonwood Quilt shop to pick up that sewing machine and see if I "need" anything.  As if! 

Make sure you visit Patchwork Times to see design walls across the internet! Oops, Judy hasn't posted it yet so I will link up later.  

Happy Quilting All! 

Triangle Thursday 9

March 7, 2013

Darting Birds

This design is number 1738 in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. Find a printer friendly version here.

Cutting directions are for 6” finished size.

Fabric	Number to cut	6”
Green Triangles	2	Use the 2 ” triangle template
Green Squares	2	2 ½”
Rust Triangles	4	Use the 2 ” triangle template
Cream Triangles	6	Use the 2 ” triangle template
Cream Square	1	2 ½”

Here are the pieces you need for this block. Oops, I included an extra cream square….

Start by making all of your half square triangles first. I trimmed some extra half square triangles to make this block.  If you’ve got some that will work, trim those to 2 ½” square.  Lay out your pieces and sew into rows. Iron the middle row toward the center square.  Iron the top and bottom row away from the middle.  Sew the rows together and iron. 

Sorry for the delay in getting Triangle Thursday posted.  The snow and no power made it hard to sew the block yesterday! Enjoy and see you next Thursday for Triangle Thursday. 

Happy Quilting 

Design Wall Monday 3-4-13

I've been working on Mystery for Relay #28 making the units for the block and trying to decide which fabric I'm using for the center square.  But some of the side things I'm working on include:

Blocks for Alycia's Block Challenge for QOV.  Here's the first one I've gotten done. I need to get some more finished quickly and get them in the mail if I want to be eligible for the prize!  And, even if they don't get done in time I am always happy to send blocks and quilts out to Alycia for QOV. 

Here's my newest pinwheel project.  I am prepping packages for the Quilt Bees to make this block in reds, blues and whites for a quilt for Alycia's QOV. 

Here's last month's Quilt Bee block.  Another fun Scrappy Trip Around the World.  I have enough fabric to make one more.

Here's what I got done from my list last week.

Week of Feb 25, 2013

Focus on Mystery For Relay quilt√

Sew more Orange Peel blocks√

Trim some scrap fabric into strings & squares oops

Make appt. for Ragg’s vet check√

Load beige backing on Ruthie oops again…. I really don’t want to iron the 108” x 72” piece of fabric

Week of Mar 4, 2013

Continue to focus on Mystery for Relay

Prep and sew more Orange Peel blocks

Iron backing so I can load it on Ruthie

Mail out fabric & directions to Quilt Bee members

Finish QOV Blocks and mail to Alycia

Put binding on FCQ charity quilt

Pick one area of the studio to straighten/clean

That's more than enough for a week.  Catch other design walls by visiting Patchwork Times. 

Happy Quilting! 

Stash Busting Report February

What can I say? I've been buying for specific projects.  Well, except for 3 yards of a fun white on white.  But, honestly, all the rest was for specific projects, um except maybe the polka dot fabric...

2013	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out
February	11.750 yds	24.25 yds	1 yds	9 yds	15.25 in

I've taken new pictures of the block I am working on.  Check Monday's post for the first two pictures.  Here is one more. The center block is the piece I am planning on using for the border.  In fact, I used this print to pull the fabrics.  I am close to getting all the subunits  finished.  It's time for me to make up my mind.  Do you want to add your ideas?  Leave a comment.  The yellow is out -- way too bright.  So now, between the brown shown on Monday's post and the print today which do you like best.

I am sure that blue grey fabric with the spindles in it will drive me crazy.  It seemed like it was the right color but I'm not so sure seeing it in the photo.  Unfortunately it's staying as I have very little of anything else in those shades of blue.  

I've been getting my directions and fabrics ready to send to Quilt Bees a group of 12 gals from across the US. Most are my daughter Jenny's age and not all are quilters.  None the less, we've all been making some wonderful and fun blocks.  In fact I made my first 1600 style quilt for one of the gals who sent each of us 32 strips. Check my post about it here.  We've made one or two blocks from the pattern and fabric provided from the monthly Queen Bee.  I am the last to be the Queen Bee so everyone has 11 blocks done.  I'm using my new standard block, pinwheel variation. My blocks will be made into a quilt for Alycia's Quilts of Valor.  Watch for the finished quilt sometime in late spring/early summer. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Triangle Thursday #8

Feb. 28, 2013

Greek Cross 

This design is number 1646c in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.  It is attributed to Ruby Short McKim Studios in Independence, Missouri.  She was a syndicated newspaper columnist in the late 1920s and the 1930s.   Find a printer friendly version here.

Cutting directions are for 6” finished size.

Fabric	Number to cut	6”
Scrap Triangles (black)	4	Use the 2” triangle template
Light Triangles (pale green)	4	Use the 2” triangle template
Center Square (oriental print)	1	2 ½”
Dark Rectangle (oriental print)	4	1 ½” x 2 ½”
Light Rectangle (pale green)	4	1 ½” x 2 ½”

Here are the pieces you need for this block.

First make your half triangle square units by placing a scrap triangle right sides together with a pale triangle.  Sew along the long side.  Iron the seam toward the dark fabric.  If you don’t have enough scraps to do both sides of the triangle, you can cut a 3” square and carefully cut it on the diagonal.  Once you’ve sewn and pressed the unit you will need to trim it to a 2 1/2" half triangle square. 

Next, sew with right sides together the light rectangles to the dark rectangles.  Press to the dark side.

Place the pieces in the correct positions and sew the units into rows.  When pressing the units in the rows I chose to press the seams in the center square away from the center. When it was time to press the half triangle square/rectangles/half triangle square units into rows I pressed toward the rectangles.  Sew the rows together.  

Since actually making these blocks I realize my scrap triangles won’t go together easily into a quilt.  So for now I am happily making blocks using the excess triangles.  I’ll have to find some how to use all of these blocks.  This particular block I really like – the pattern, the colors, the fabrics…all of it. I have enough of some of the fabrics to make a small quilt with a little fabric augmentation.

Congratulations!  You are done with another Triangle Thursday.

Happy Quilting