Will the pieces fit??????

All the pieces are cut - but will they fit together ?  The quilt club that I belong to, Stitchin' Friends (yep, same name as my blog - can you tell I like it?) is working on a double wedding ring table runner.  At our meeting this month, we made the arcs and at the March meeting, we are to complete the arcs and cut out the centers and melon pieces.  I can't be at the March meeting because of the Quilters of SC Spring meeting, so I have already cut mine out.  I am so excited about this project, which will be a table runner.  I selected my fabrics to match my dishes and I think it is going to look so cool. 

Here is the picture of the pieces in the correct layout.  So far so good - but then I have not tried to sew them together yet.  Just seeing them at this point though makes me want to crank up the sewing maching and get 'er done.

I debated on the background fabric, but found this particular fabric at the Springs Creative sale this past week at $2/yard - so I took a chance that it would work and I really think it is perfect.

Now the next two pictures are for the members in my club, but of course I will share with you too - although they may not mean much.  In cutting out the melons and centers I  folded the template in half, marked the center line and then transferred the center line to the back side of the fabric.  I am hoping that this will make the piecing go a little more accurate and easier.   Not sure you can see the lines on the fabric, but they are there.  I started to make them darker but was afraid they would show through on my fabric.  Hopefully you get the idea.  try clicking on the picture to enlarge it and maybe you can see the lines better.

Happy stitching,

Teresa

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Finishing the Edge

A few of you have asked me how I am going to finish off the edge of my Granny's Posies quilt.  This is how the outer edge looks after I join the rows.   I want to add a border and then quilt as usual, so my first step is to make it a straight edge.

To do that, I  have to remove the tacks I put in the outside of the corners, and press the the hexies flat. 

Next I stay stitch right right along the line where the hexies meet.  I sew two rows of stay stitching to give it added strength.

Then I measure 3/4 inch from the outer edge of the hexie.  This measurement would depend on the size hexie you have made and it is approximately 1/2 the width of the hexie.

Finally I trim off off the excess, and there you have it...a nice straight edge to add a border.

I have been at retreat this past weekend and had a wonderful time.  I took my camera and of course did not take pictures, except for one quilt I was fascinated with.   This one will definitely go on my bucket list.  The quilt looks so complicated, but when you see the blocks up close, they almost look like a modified rail fence, with the center rail split diagonally.  I think I can do this!

We did have some excitement Saturday night as the cabins had a little septic backup at 11:30pm and we had to be moved to another location.  So here we go - all us senior ladies with our pillows and blankies parading around the campground in our jammies. Hmmm..maybe the midnight parade can become an annual event!

I didn't finish anything at retreat to show you, but I did make progress....I am now over half done with quilting on my Circus Stars, I completed another row for my Granny's Posies quilt and I finished my third flower block on my Cottage Grove quilt - and I think that is pretty darn good!

Happy Stitchin!

Teresa
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And the winners are...

Joan P (no email, no blog) and Floss. 

Thank you to those who entered the drawing, you have no idea how much it pleased me that you would want my pattern.  Also, thank each of you that had nice comments about the pattern, even though you didn't enter into the drawing.  I do understand how you can get just too many projects in the works.

I pulled two names and they were Floss and Joan.  I emailed Floss to get her address, and I need for you Joan to email me and let me know how to get your pattern to you. (jqd@comporium.net)

Its been a pretty bad week at work - working over and the weekend was busy with club meeting and family stuff, so don't have much on the quilting front to share.

So I will wish you all a Happy Valentines Day, and see you next week.  I will be heading for retreat on Thursday - Yippee!

Teresa

Pattern give-away

Yea....I finally finished it. 

I love designing quilts and making them, but then I try to write the pattern and instructions and I hit a brick wall.  Its so much harder to put in words and pictures how to make a quilt than it is to just make it. 

But I finished the pattern for my Welcome Wall Hanging and thought I would share my bliss of having it done with my blog followers.  I plan to give away two of the patterns, so if you would like one, just leave me a comment.  I will draw two names, a week from today.

Someone requested to see my Dear Jane Signature Block swap quilt, so here it is.    Kind of hard to get a good picture with it lying on the floor, but hopefully you get the idea. 

The label on the back of the quilt lists the countries and States of origin of the blocks. 

There are 13 countries (including USA) represented and 41 States.

I just love looking at the blocks and when it is hanging in my office it sure draws the attention.

I wonder if I have blocks from any of you????  If you participated in a DJ Siggy swap, please let me know, I want to search my quilt to see if your name is one there!
 

And just a note of progress I am making on my handwork.  The three main quilts I am working on are all involving handwork so the progress is slow, but very enjoyable and that is what counts. 
 
I have 75 hexies made and sewn together, need 165 for the body of this quilt. I am toying with the idea of a picket fence border with tiny hexagon flowers.  Have to play around with that though a little longer.
 
I have 2 of my flower block appliqued on the Cottage Grove quilt, and have completed the quilting on 28 of the 65 stars on my Circus Stars Quilt.  Its nice to see them progressing, but I will not bore you with pictures each time. The retreat that I was to go to in January was postponed because of the snow, which was a major disappointment for me.  But hey....its coming up this month - next week!!! I can hardly wait and hopefully you will see a lot more progress on these three projects after retreat.  This year I am only taking handwork, which will be nice not to have to load up half my sewing room .
 
Thanks for stopping by and keep stitching, and be sure to leave a coment if you want a chance to win a pattern.
Teresa
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