Board Basting a Quilt

I have tried many methods for basting a large quilt sandwich, but I believe this is my favorite.  I followed the tutorial "The RST Guide to Board Basting."  I did do a couple of things differently, but for the most part, followed the instructions.

I purchased my supplies, which are minimal, from Lowes.  I purchased two "marker" boards to protect my table top.  They are slick and easy to pin on.  Its kind of like the boards they used to make peg boards, but without any holes.  These were also finished so I think you could use dry erase marker on.  I needed two to get the width of my table - I think they are 3 x 4.  The boards for wrapping are PVC boards and are used in vinyl house covering.  They have a nice finish that tape will stick to.

This is where I was "wrapping" the boards.  I actually taped by fabric to the board before I began wrapping them just to make sure I had the fabric straight and it would not slip.  In the demo, the quilter simply folded the fabric around the board and then started wrapping. But she was doing a small quilt and I was concerned that my larger one would slip - so I taped it to the board.

I was very careful to keep it straight, but even so, the backing got a little off center creating a pleat on the back.  I guess its a learning process, and I did get the pleat out.  I have to wonder if I had stretched the fabric a little when pressing or if maybe it was a little off bias from ripping instead of cutting.
 In the tutorial, she recommended starching the backing 2 or 3 times, before wrapping - I only did it once, maybe I should have done it more.

 Here it is all wrapped and ready to baste.  In the tutorial, the quilter thread basted her quilt and commented she felt it held the quilt together better in the quilting process.  She does this for both hand quilting and machine quilting.

I chose to pin baste mine as that is my preference when machine quilting.  I do thread baste for hand quilting.

This process was so much easier as I could just sit at the table and pin it, rather than standing over a table and reaching  and hurting my back.  Also just unwrapped a small section of the quilt at a time, which help to keep it straight and flat.  This took me a couple of hours, but normally it would take me all morning - at least 4 hours.

And here is my pinned quilt all set for machine quilting.  This will be a gift for my Grandson Toby who has a birthday in February, so I need to get busy.  I have a couple of other quilts in the lineup for quilting as well, one for a baby shower in January.

Now to decide how I want it quilted.  I purchased some Aurifil silvery grey thread recently to try out on this quilt.  Its 100% cotton, 50 wt - looking forward to giving this a try.

Teresa

Schnibbles Reveille and Moda Blockhead catch up

Its a good day even if I am battling a cold and missed out on a shopping outing with three of my closest friends....well ok, I am having a little pity party.  Hopefully tomorrow I will feel much better, as my husband, brother and his wife and I are going to Old Salem.  I have always wanted to visit there at Christmas and looking forward to this trip for several weeks now. 

Yesterday I started working on a baby quilt for one of the expectant mom's in our church.  She is not finding out the baby's gender before delivery and I was in a quandary as to what kind of quilt to make.  I finally just settled on a scrappy and decided to try a Schnibbles pattern for the first time.  Its called Reveille and is in the book "Another Bite of Schnibbles".

I finished all the blocks last night and laid them out on my dining table. My blocks measure 7" square which is larger than they are supposed to measure according to the instructions (6 3/4")- guess I got a little too scant on my scant quarter inch seam.  At least I was consistent and they all seem to line up ok.  Laying out a scrappy quilt can be a challenge as I try hard not to have two colors the same touching.  I used 53 different fabrics in these blocks and thought this would be a snap to arrange - wrong!  I think I am going with this layout, although that bottom row does seem a little brown now that I look at the picture.  Maybe move those blocks around a little....top right corner could use some brown.  Funny when I look at the picture I see a row of 3 blue arrows pointing the same direction.  Geez Louise, this is going to drive me nuts.

 

 

Moda Blockhead update.  There are 40 blocks out now, and I have made 39 of them.  This last block, #40 is a primitive bird on a huge branch.  I just cant seem to wrap my mind around primitive and therefore this block has not been completed.  Seems like I remember a pretty redbird on a branch in a Mimi Dietrich book I have, gonna look for it and maybe use that pattern.

 

Here are my most recent Moda Blockhead blocks.

Blocks 1 through 39

Block 36

Block 37

block 38

Block 39



Irish Chain / Dresden Plate Complete!

 The day finally arrived when all the hand quilting was completed on my Irish chain/Dresden Plate quilt.  I say finally...but it was actually kind of sad as my hoop stands empty now and I so enjoy hand quilting.  But I have another in the queue (Bethlehem Star) and just need to get the border on and baste it together.












I would like to give a produce endorsement for Marcia Baraldi quilting mitts.  If you have not heard of these they are wonderful.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/510066263/marcia-baraldi-quilting-gloves
I found out about them when Linda Hungerford of Flourishing Palms taught a machine quilting class for our guild.  They are only available on line, to my knowledge, and cost around $23...and worth every penny. 

 They are very comfortable, with the straps made of a soft fabric that does not stress against your hands.  Fingers are free to thread needles, snip threads, etc.  The palm has a great gripper that allows you to easily move the fabric around.  I am not receiving anything for this endorsement - just thought y'all would like to know about theses great quilting tools.




Quilting on Chains.  Single line of quilting on the chain that crosses where the two chains meet.  Makes a frame around the quilted block.

Back of the quilt showing quilting on the chains.  These are actually on point - but took the picture at different angle.



Border quilting - I followed the light blue line in the border print to create a piano key type quilt pattern

Back side of border quilting

Final quilt - Now to make the label!

Jack's Chain - Rows 1 and 2

The first two rows of my Jack's Chain quilt.  I am having so much fun putting the rows together - all by English Paper Piecing (EPP). 

There will be border blocks to even out the edges, although I kind of like that wavy look on the left side. 

I have not joined the rows together yet, so all the outer edges still have paper in them, giving it a slightly wavy look.

This was taken on my dining table as my design wall is full of Moda Blockhead blocks.  The sunlight is wonderful in the dining room and you can see it shining through on the table.

Thank you to SoScrappy for sponsoring the Rainbow Scrap Challenge which ended this month.  This challenge kept me on goal for making the sweet 3" nine patches.  I hope she does another one next year, although I don't think I will start another EPP project this ambitious. 

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends and can find some time in the next few hectic weeks before Christmas to get some quilting done.

Thanks for stopping by,
Teresa

RSC - Final Month

November is the last month of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and I sure have enjoyed participating in this with SoScrappy and all the others.  I am doing Brown only for November rather than Black and Brown.

Once these are done, I will have enough nine patches to complete my Jack's Chain quilt.  I hope to have the quilt completed and ready to give to my wonderful brother Jack for his birthday in September. 

I have already completed 11 of the Jack's Chain blocks - with 35 more complete blocks and 35 partial blocks to go. I counted up the pieces that were needed for this quilt yesterday, and kind of wish I hadn't - as it is quite overwhelming:

Large Hexagons - 52
Half Hexagons - 16
Connecting Triangles - 470
1 " Squares - 3, 198
Total pieces = 3,788

Thankfully, I only have 20 more nine patches to make and that is the bulk of the pieces.

I am thoroughly enjoying the process though, and I know I will be a little sad to see it come to an end.

Moda Blockhead Update

Catching up with pictures of my Moda Blockhead blocks.  I have been getting them done each week, but just have not yet posted these pictures.  Just completed Block 35 - 13 more to go!

Block 31

Block 32

Block 33

Block 34 - was supposed to be primitive applique; but I decided to machine paper piece mine

Block 35

Slow Sunday Stitching

Its a dreary Sunday afternoon, chilly outside and the perfect time for some hand quilting and Halmark Countdown to Christmas movies.  

Galaxy Star

 Last couple of days I have made progress on my Galaxy Star quilt.  I am struggling with these quarter inch seams coming out just right so that the star points line up right with the checkerboard center.  I measure, I check the seam width, I check the finished piece and dang if I am not off!!!  Not off by much - maybe 1/8 inch or a touch more, but it shows up so much against that black. 

The black is actually a batik with black background and deep blue dot swirling around. So progress is slow, but I am determined they will line up correctly.  I have nine of the twelve star blocks completed and all the sections made for the remaining three stars.  Hope to get that done tonight. [ I share a room with my husband, so what you see in the background is his stuff :)]

Pink is the color for Octorber in the RSC.  I could probably have used 100 pinks and still not used all in my stash.  I don't have a lot of yardage in my stash, but I do have a lot of pieces 1/2 yard or less (mostly less) that I can pull from.

I have 15 of the 33 blocks I need to make in October completed.  We will be going to WVa next week, so I will have them done by the time I get home - at least that is the plan. 

This is my work tray that travels with me. It sits in a larger tub where I have all my Jack's Chain blocks in process.

September Finishes

I completed three quilts in September.  The actually piecing on two of them was completed in March, but I did not get them quilted until September and then got the binding on with the help of some friends. 

Bali Wedding Star - gift to my daughter Ellen and her husband Adam. It is their wedding quilt, they celebrated their 3rd anniversary this past June.  Once all quilted and gifted, the oooops was discovered in the top left corner.  I call that my signature, haha.  Quilted by Donna Sawyer, Heath Springs, SC

This will be a Christmas gift to my grandson Eli as his "big boy" quilt.  I make the grand kids a big kid quilt when they move from the crib to a bed.  Eli turned 8 this past February...hmmm think I am a little late with this one too.  Quilted by Donna Abbot, Michigan

Nosegay quilt - I took a class in this at the SC Quilter's Piecable Retreat in October 2016.  I am looking forward to taking it to the retreat this year and showing that I finished it!  Quilted by Donna Abbott, Michigan

September Wrap-up

September has been a fun and busy month. Thought I would just show what I have been working on as a "catch up".  Tomorrow my daughter said she would help me get pictures of three quilts that were finished, with the help of some friends who long-arm quilt, this month. 

In August, I took a class in machine quilting on your domestic machine offered by the York County Quilters and taught by Linda Hungerford, of Flourishing Palms. The class was great and I could hardly wait to try out some of the techniques learned both in quilting with the walking foot and in free motion quilting.  I decided to use the Aurifil Block of the Month 2016 blocks I made last year and quilt each block individually.  I will be teaching a workshop in January in Quilt-As-You-Go (QAYG) and thought this would be great blocks to use in my class.  I have completed the six blocks that follow, using strictly the auto feed (walking) foot on my Janome 6600.  So much fun, and I plan to do all twelve of these blocks with a different pattern using the auto feed foot.

In another guild sponsored workshop  on the Galaxy Star quilt, and taught by Anita Bowen.  This was also a fun class and I am excited about my quilt.  I completed one block in class and today I decided to set aside the work I have been doing preparing for classes I will teach in October, to just have fun and work on the Galaxy Star.  I have been completing "pieces" of the 18" block , so nothing to show other than the one block I finished.  when the blocks are joined, they form a smaller star in the corners.  I plan to do the QAYG method on this quilt as well, and will do some free motion work in the black areas, cross hatching and outline on the stars.  This will be a little more of a challenge, as I will not have sashing on the front and I need to make sure those stars line up right.



 

September also saw me complete some more of the Moda Blockhead blocks: Blocks 28, 29 and 30.   Hmmmm these don't look so pretty all together, but they really do blend in well with all the other blocks.  I am using either the dark green or the blue in each block.



 

Last, but not least, is my Jack's Chain using the RSC.  The color for September is Orange and I had the orange nine-patches completed by the middle of the month.  So I began assembling more of the Jack's Chain blocks - so progress being made. 





When I list it all out like this, seems like a lot to have gotten done.  I love being retired so that I have time for my quilting.
Teresa

Cathedral Window kit giveaway

Anyone interested in a Cathedral Window quilt kit? Finished quilt will measure 78 x 84 (if I remember correctly). I used to teach my method for making Cathedral Window quilts that I call Yes You Can!.  This is the project that I used in teaching the pattern.  I don't intend to teach this class again, and I know I will never finish the quilt.  I have already made one, and making a second is just not how I want to spend my time.

So I am giving this one away.  All the pieces are cut and ready to put together.  I will include a copy of my pattern so that you can see how it is done.  All sewing is on the machine, with the exception of the little flower inserts.

I will ship it to you, at my expense!

Any takers???  I need this project box for a new project I am getting ready to start - Pemberley, by Katrina Hadjimichael.

Thanks, Teresa

Watching the hurricane coverage on NBC - a scarey storm for sure.  I pray Florida residents have gotten out of the way of the storm and that people and homes will be protected.

Recently I gave my dining table and china cabinet to my daughter for her new historic home where for the first time she has a nice size dining room.  I have been wanting a farm style table  and found this one at the Habitat Restore store for just $180.  Its a great table - extends to 8 feet and came with 6 nice heavy chairs.  I am unfamiliar with this particular pattern and have have not been able to find one like it anywhere on the net...so if you know the manufacturer for this table, I would love for you to share that information with me. There was nothing on the furniture itself to indentify its maker, other that Walter of Wabash who made the slides for the leaves.

My husband and I painted the chairs and table base, he sanded the table top to the natural wood and I did the finishing work on it.  We are so pleased with the final result and it blends so well with the buffet and china cabinet that my father built many years ago.

 





Did anyone do the 7-Day Challenge being hosted at Threadbare Creations for National Sewing Month?  I completed the 7th Day this morning and just love the snowflake design.  It was a mystery project and I am so glad I did it.  The finished top will look great on my kitchen table this winter!  I plan to do a simple cross hatch quilting pattern and then bind in a dark blue fabric.


I am keeping up with the Moda Blockhead Challenge and here is my Block 27; Union Variation by Jo Morton.  This challenge has been just that - a challenge to make these blocks, but a fun one! 

 I am continuing to work on the Jack's Chain quilt in combination with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The color for September is Orange - which is becoming a favorite color for me.  Seems each month, that color becomes my favorite.  Just need to make 5 more nine patches.

In the next day or so,, I hope to post a picture of my Nosegay quilt which I received back from Donna Abbott, who quilted it for me.  Maybe I can grab the last bit of sunshine today before Irma hits and get a good picture.

Teresa