Grandmothers Choice - Week 4

I can't believe I did this block!  It was a very difficult block for me.  I decided to use paper piecing to get the points pretty...but even that was hard to figure out.  I use EQ7 and it couldn't help me because of the curves.  So I deconstructed the block in EQ7 and was able to print foundations of just the sunflower circle.  I sectioned it off into 3 chunks.  Then as I began sewing, I realized I couldn't sew all the seams because of the severe angle of the inside points on the outer curves of the sunflower.  I sewed one side, then the other side I folded under the excess, trimmed to 1/4 inch seam allowance and pressed, then basted the outer edges.  Uh oh..open areas in the middle of my block...

Next, I cut and sewed the outer corners of the block to the sunflower circle.  After all the practice I've had with curves recently, this was a piece of cake! LOL  I fussy cut a center circle and pinned to the block.

So what did I do then??  Yep, you guessed it I stitched by HAND!!  Ugh!  So this block has paper piecing, curved piecing, and hand stitching.

Grandmothers Choice - Week 4

Keep in mind this block is only 8.5 inches square!!  You may now applaud...I am certainly patting myself on the back over this block.  But I'm hoping the next one is much easier!

Keep on Stitchin'!

Modern Mystery Quilt - Part 2

What's with all the curves this month????  Part 2 of the Modern Mystery quilt was 30 half circles!!!!  I laid out 15 of the blocks on the floor along with one of the strips we were told to cut.  Most of us are guessing that those strips will join 2 half circles since they are the same length as those blocks.  We'll see!

Modern Mystery Quilt Part 2

These blocks measure 10.5 x 7.25.  I stood on a chair to take the picture and had trouble with the colors.  They are fairly accurate except for the pale blue background fabric.  Must've been the time of day.

And guess what???  The Grandmothers Choice block of the week is....curves!!!  Sigh....

Keep on Stitchin'!!

September FMQ-Final

Well, I did not like the result of quilting over the Golden Threads Paper.  Even though I had it secured to the fabric, as I stitched it crinkled in places making the lines not meet well and other places the foot got caught in the paper where it tore away from previous stitches.  Here's the bad quilting with the paper.

Bad Quilting

So I traced the pattern onto the fabric and then quilted.  Much better.  I'm still not great with tracing and backtracking, but I think this block is much better than the one sewn over Golden Threads Paper.

Final Quilting Block

Lesson learned!  Keep on Stitchin'!

September FMQ Practice

I've been practicing the September challenge on tear away stabilizer and using no thread in the machine.  I was able to run the stabilizer through my printer/copier after adhering it to freezer paper.  A heavier stabilizer may not have required the freezer paper.  Anyway, great practice to get the rhythm down and committed to muscle memory if your machine allows you to sew with no thread.  Hopefully you can see the needle marks on the stabilizer.

Practice on tear away stabilizer

Found out that the Golden Threads Quilting Paper does not agree with my copier even if it is adhered to freezer paper!  Scrunched up and flaked off a bit.  Hope I've got it all out of my printer/copier!!

Golden Threads Paper scrunched!

Thought it might be best to trace the design onto the paper!!  My sample fabric is ready to be quilted.......after lunch!

Traced Paper on block sample

Keep on Stitchin'!

Grandmother's Choice - Week 3

Since I couldn't log on to my computer today (thanks to hubby for fixing tonight whatever it was that I broke), I got a lot done! LOL  I'm on way to many Groups, but I just can't unsubscribe for fear of missing something!!! 

Grandmother's Choice Week 3

The brown triangles are a bit darker than in the picture, but the fabric does have light and dark areas.  I've had this brown and green fabric for a while now.  I think they are perfect for this 'old fashioned' sampler quilt.  They have a historical feel to me.  Plus I'm a sucker for paisley and 2 of the fabrics have paisleys!

I gotta get going on my FMQ Challenge and the Funky Chicken for September.  Ooooh...I've learned of another BOW or rather every 2 weeks, I think, starting Oct. 1 which also uses BlockBase.  Saw it on a recent EQ newsletter.....I really should resist, but can I?

Keep on Stitchin!

Modern Mystery Quilt - Week 1 blocks

These blocks look so simple, right?  Well, actually, they are simple to sew but......the size to make each strip weren't such easy decisions for me.  I'm used to making very precise blocks...cut this size.  The instructions were to make 10 blocks in various colors, having the finished blocks measure between 14" - 17" wide and 2.5" - 5" high.  Still easy, but worry wart me stressed over getting a variety of sizes and hoping I was getting enough variety.

Modern Mystery Week 1

This is most definitely a mystery to me.  How can such odd ball sizes fit into the same quilt that nearly 400 of us (at last count) are making...and everyone's strips are different???

I love my colors!!

Keep on Stitchin!

Final Fabrics for Modern Mystery Quilt

I went to the store to buy a background to match that pale green in the previous picture of fabrics.  I involved everyone in the store! LOL  We pulled bolts of greens and hmmmm'd and discarded bolts of greens.  Just could not find the right fabric.  Then someone said...what about a pale blue?  Whoop! There it is!!

Final Fabrics for Modern Mystery Quilt

The blue background has a marbling like stone to it.  Very pretty and absolutely perfect to make the darker fabrics pop.  I've also added in some solids and a couple 'solid' marbles in blues and greens.  That is a dark blue, not black in the picture.

Now, it's time to get started on the first week's blocks....before the second week's instructions on Wednesday!!

Keep on Stitching'!

Craftsy September Blocks - Drunk Indeed!!!

Man O Man, did I struggle with these blocks.  Drunkard's Path 3.5 inch little blocks with no room to spare.  My seams are awful and uneven and the little blocks are anything but square, but I was able to get my 12.5" finished blocks.  Very time consuming and S-L-O-W!  I finally decided to pin all the curves together while watching TV one night and then sew them the next day.  That worked much better!  Next time I do a drunkard's path-type block, I will cut over-sized squares.  And next time I make these types of blocks, I WILL have acrylic templates!

Sept Block 1 - Chain Block

Sept Block 2 - Cleopatra's Puzzle

I really like the looks of Drunkard Path blocks and am pleased with the final outcome of these blocks....just don't turn them over to the back side! hahahaha

Keep on Stitchin'!

The Other New Quilt BOW

This second quilt started on September 12 and is........ready???  a Modern Mystery Quilt!  So outside my comfort zone!  But why not?  I've seen some modern quilts that I rather like and I always like learning something new.  This quilt is from the American Quilter's Society.  Information and the 1st block is here:
http://www.quiltviews.com/modern-mystery-quilt-part-1.

First is fabric choice.  I have some here that I've decided to use, but I need to get more.  This line of  fabric is Camelot by Jason Yenter for In the Beginning.  Pretty, huh!

Camelot - In the Beginning Fabrics

I want to use the light green (2nd from right) as the background fabric and purchase another darker green to replace it.  I doubt I can find this exact light green print, but I should be able to match the color.  I have another fabric in this line for the backing.  We were told we needed 3 yards of light (or dark) background and assorted dark (or light) fabrics.  We need a total of 4 yards for the assorted fabrics.  I may  throw in some solid colors, too, that I have in my stash to break up the 'busy'.  This is the most modern-looking fabric that I have and I just love these fabrics!  They hinted that there will be some curved piecing, too.  Should be a fun quilt.

Hopefully, I can get links and stuff up soon so that it will be easier to follow these posts on the weekly blocks.

Keep on Stitchin'!!

New Quilt Blocks - Block of the Weeks!!!!

There are 2 new quilts being started in September.  Yes, I caved and I'm going to try to do these, too!  These are Blocks of the Week (BOW).  I'm trying to get a new page and labels set up on my blog for the BOWs, but for some reason things just aren't working.  So if you happen to get weird notices from me about a post and then discover it's not there...well, you can guess that I'm having problems! LOL

Anyway, until I get that worked out, I'll post them on the BOMs page.  The first quilt, Grandmothers Choice, started September 1 and is a salute to the trials of obtaining women's right to vote.  You can find the 1st two blocks as well as so much information about that time in history here:
http://grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com/.  Barbara Brackman is, I guess, the most knowledgeable quilter alive about historical quilt blocks.   The 49 blocks for this quilt are from her EQ's BlockBase.  She is also providing the blocks on her blog.

Here are my first 2 blocks.

Week 1- Grandmothers Choice

Week 2 - Grandmothers Choice

 Since these blocks can be printed from BlockBase or from EQ, you could choose to print paper piecing foundations or templates.  I decided to make the block with rotary cutting instructions and templates when needed.  Templates were definitely needed for Week 2 block.  And yes, those are inset seams!!!

Next post will be about the 2nd BOW that I'll be working on.

Keep on Stitchin'!!

In Color Order - September HST

Boy this year is flying by!  Does that mean I've been having fun????  I think so!  I have really enjoyed working on these BOMs this year.

However, I must say, I'm becoming less fond of HST!  It takes me forever to piece a block and no matter how careful I am and how much I pin and check and repin and check, I still miss those points and end up frog stitching.  Sigh....

Sept HST 2012

One thing for sure, these HST really make some pretty blocks.  I think this will be a really good-looking quilt.

Carol Doak Mystery Quilt - September Block

What a great looking block this is!  Not hard, but sure took a lot of concentration on my part and a few frog stitches to get the points looking good.

September 2012

Keep on Stitchin!

Foot Book

I decided to take a few classes at the store where I teach the Bernina Embroidery Software.  I've been spending too much solitary time at home and needed to get out and with people.  One of the classes is an ongoing Foot Book Class, which uses the various sewing machine feet.  The Foot Book is a Bernina project, but we have other machine brands in our class as well as Bernina.  The Foot Book project can be found on the Bernina.com site.  I wasn't going to post any pics, but I've changed my mind.  It's a fun class and I love using the various feet that our machines have.  We use fabric, card stock, and various embellishments.  So here are the pages we've done so far.  Don't you love the couch picture for the couching page??

These pages will eventually be placed back to back...not necessarily in the order of the pictures and will be bound together by various methods.  They will have metal eyelets and metal rings to make them into an 8 inch book.  Aren't they fun????

Keep on Stitchin'!!

Retreat Paper Piecing Failure!!

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the retreat and loved every minute, I didn't get done what I thought I would!  I first tried working on the paper pieced Summer Quilt.  Oh, how I struggled with that!  After doing more frog stitching than paper piecing and working hours, I only got 2 blocks done!!! Sigh....  I came to the conclusion that I'm not yet confident enough in my paper piecing to work on these with all the wonderful retreat distractions going on.  So I put aside this and pulled out a flannel quilt kit that I had packed at the last minute.  I got the top completed.  WooHoo!!!!

Blue & White Flannel

 A very simple quilt, of course!  But won't it be nice and cozy this winter????!!!!

Then I began working on the Christmas Star Strip quilt.  I got all the strip blocks sewn and have most of the sashing pieces completed.  I laid out some of the blocks and sashing and snapped a picture.

Christmas Star Strip blocks/sashing

I hope to get this done before Christmas this year.  I'm loving this quilt!!

If you get the chance to go to a retreat, definitely go!!  So relaxing, so fun, do what you want when you want.  Not to mention meeting new friends and seeing all the eye candy that everyone works on.  Fun, fun, fun!!!

Keep on Stitchin'!!