2015-04-24

Cats in the Bag!!

My first reversible bag.  I added a pocket on the one side just before it was complete..  Next time I'll know better, and add one on each side BEFORE I start assembling it.  Always learning......



2015-04-22

040 Quilt as You Go ~ Abigail & Mark

Quilt As You Go has intrigued me for a while. I'd found a tutorial at Little Island Quilting that i bookmarked as a resource; her measurements for the strips are what I used. I also found another tutorial at The Quilting Edge and while i found her instructions very easy to understand, the measurements didn't work for me.
I played around a bit with a few different quilting styles on each block, some were better than others...but......Here it is, done and I like how it turned out.
 The back, better shows the quilting styles.
 "A" quilted on a Hummingbird block....for Abigail
"M" quilted, shown on the back....for Mark
 The measurements for the strips (which look like sashing, but are in fact what hold the blocks together) are: for the front 1 ¾" wide, folded in half, and for the back 1" wide.
 The front sashing and the back sashing are sewn and the back is pressed out.
 I had to go to my Juki to sew this seam because the feet on the Janome were too wide, and kept pushing the batted layer away which made for a few 'unsewing' seams.
Back to the Janome to top stitch the front.

I really enjoyed this process, and am currently working on a queen sized Dresden Plate Quilt, in the QAYG method.  Measures 59" x 70"

2015-04-21

Circles for Applique ~ How I make them

I've seen a few different ways to make circles for applique and have tried a few of them without satisfaction.  Then I watched a clip on YouTube...and was sold.
 Roughly cut your fabric the size you would like your finished circle to be.
Normally I would cut the fabric in squares but in this case, I'd cut the centers out of the background fabric I was using for Dresden plates.

 Draw a circle on the wrong side of fabric, the size you want your finished circle to be.
I use a non adhesive interfacing and pin it onto the right side of fabric.

 Sew on the drawn line.

I use pinking shears to trim around the sewn line (no need to cut notches).
 Cut a hole into the interfacing, (careful not to cut through the fabric) in order to turn it right side out.

 Use a sharp(er) tool (I usually use a plastic chop stick) to push out the edges. I found it easier if I pushed on the fabric side, rather than on the interfacing side.
 Looks pretty good.

Turn it over and press.

I've made a variety of smaller circles and this method works so easy!
Done!

2015-04-20

039 Bubble Quilt for Baby

It was a request.... my niece wanted a "bubble quilt" for her next baby.  I'd never heard of it, so I researched it, hm..... interesting technique...   ok, I could learn something new right??

 This is how it began.  Making little pillows, stuffing them and sewing them together.
 And they look like this.
 Of course my helper was right there reassuring me, that it was looking good.
 Sewing the backing on, folding the backing around to make a "binding" was incredibly tough on the shoulders and arms.
 But alas, it was done.
 I used a light blue fleece (with teddy bears) for the backing and utilized the "tieing" method to hold it place, knowing full well that it would be impossible to try any other method. I used some of my Mother's embroidery floss to do the tieing.  so Little Henry has a Bubble quilt with his Great Grandma's embroidery floss in it.  I'm sure She's smiling!!
 Torture might be a bit of a strong word, but this project wasn't really a fun one, and by the time i was done i NEEDED to do something quick easy & fun, so i put together this receiving blanket to go along with the bubble quilt....... ahhhhhhhh.

And..... how is this for a Thank You???

Scrap Stash Score

I went to a fantastic quilt show in the fall, and it was like an early Christmas shopping (for me) trip.
yes, a few bags of bits and pieces, but many already ready cut (2.25" squares - I think that may have been a mistake) and 6" squares & strips, to large scraps the size of a fat quarter, to a 7 meter piece of fabric.
all for a few dollars.
I've already had use of a few things here.
Yay to scraps!!!

2015-04-18

W.I.P. Postage Stamp in a Block???

I've started a Postage Stamp quilt a few times, and many times it's been put away...  i had an idea for using up some of the blocks but surrounding them with solid colours..   I like how it turned out.  Still to be sandwiched and quilted.  (the quality of the photo isn't too clear, hope you get the idea though)
DH has requested a postage stamp quilt... and in earnest, i am working on & gathering 8" blocks of 1" squares - it might be a while...

038 Rag Quilt

I was given a huge bag of flannel fabric remnants from a Grandma who'd made pajamas for her grand-kids.  This was a perfect opportunity to try a Rag Quilt. I cut 4" pieces... and almost made it for a twin sized quilt, but ended up having to use other flannels from my stash to make the size.
 ~ here's the front ~

I'm not sure I'd want to make another; I was discouraged by the amount of lint that came out of the quilt.... after several washes it is still shedding.  Maybe the fabric had a low thread count....  Still, I can now say....... "I've made a Rag Quilt".
 ~ here's the back ~

W.I.P. Block in a Block

Over the past year or so I've been remiss in posting, but not for having not been busy in my quilting room. Here's one of the projects I've worked on.  I love the look of scrappy quilts; this ones no exception.

2015-04-16

I had to have one!!!

A featherweight is a "must have" isn't it??  I'm her 3rd owner; she's got all the original tools and accessories.  She "sings" along real fine!!!!  Beauty!!!

037 Rectangular Log Cabin ~ finished December 2014

I really like the looks of Log Cabin blocks, they're perfect for using up a series of colours from the stash. I've made them in rectangle form a few times, and love it.
 The back was supposed to be a very large log cabin but as you can see..... something went awry.  i'm sure the recipient won't even notice..  :)  Measures 64" x 84"




2015-04-15

HST's this is how i make multiple same colour HST

Half Square Triangles; I've seen several tutorials, and several tools to buy to make them, but I found an old quilt book I'd bought in the early 90's. It had instructions how to make HST and it's my preferred method.

 Lay your two fabrics right sides together and press.
Draw a grid of squares 1" larger than you want the finished HST to be.
Mine were finishing at 4" HST, so the squares were drawn at 5"
Draw diagonal lines (as shown)

 These are going to be the cutting lines.


Pin between the cutting lines
Each square will make 2 HST's.


Sew 1/4" on either side of the diagonal cutting lines


Cut along all the cutting lines; the squares and then the diagonal lines.


Open and press to the darker side, and trim to the 4 1/2" square, which once sewn into the project becomes a finished 4" HST.

Done!!

036 Nine Patch finished December 2014

Back in 2010 I blogged about "My little supervisor who was right there to make the softness test"  Matilda... has since crossed the bridge; she was our first cat.
I started this 9 patch back then, and somehow had other (better) ideas.. not to mention a whole other work that kept me from my biggest hobby, so this got stuck in the WIP pile(s).


Then in the fall of 2014 (after retiring from a 30+ year full time job) I tackled my hobby room. And tackling is what it needed. It got a facelift, and I began to "play" again.
My first goal was to get a couple of UFO's finished before the end of 2014 - which i managed with this 9 patch, and as you can see a new helper is right there while i quilt.
Max is an amazing quilting pal!!


Finally done!!
The front, turned out better than the WIP i had put away 4 years earlier.  
 
The back - which ended up more "scrappy" than i intended, but I actually love it the way it is.