Michelle May workshop

My guild sponsored a lecture and workshop with Michelle May of The Raspberry Rabbits quilts.    She is an absolutely delightful, interesting and entertaining speaker.  She will be at the Houston International Quilt Festival if any of you are lucky enough to be going this year.

Her projects are simply amazing and fun.

Our workshop was to make a pincushion and this is the one I made.   I see that little wild thread in the picture, now how did I miss that before??? 

It was fun day at the workshop!

Feathered Star Quilt

 

Just a picture of the finished quilt.  I have shown it in process many times.  Only thing left to do is the label.

Dear Jane

 My Dear Jane quilt is finished! 

This quilt has taken my almost two decades to complete, but from 2006 until 2019 is rested in my hope chest waiting patiently to be completed. 

This is how I finished off the corners, which is a little different from the original Jane Stickle quilt.  I generally finish of scalloped borders with a right angle  - just my preference.  Jane Stickle's quilt continued the scallops to the corner and then put a little knob in the corner.

A view of how I quilted the scallops.  I purchased this green backing fabric in Paducah, Ky many years ago and happy it finally found a quilt to call home.

My signature block.  The original quilt stated "In War Times" as Jane Stickle made it during the Civil War while her husband was away serving in the Union forces.   I decided to call mine "In Turmoil Times" as I feel our country has been in constant turmoil over the last two decades.  I completed my first block on September 10,2001, just one day before that awful day of September 11, 2001.  Since that day, our turmoil has included the search for Bin Laden and then Sadam Husein, terrorism attacks, ISIS,  the school and other place mass shootings, Black Lives Matter movement, Me Too Movement, economic disasters, political fracas, international and at home disasters of hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, fires --- the list just goes on and on.  I guess that has been the way it is has been for many years, but my heart and mind yearn for days of peace. 



Pemberley - Heart Flower Block #1

Yea..finished it.  My favorite block so far. But then, each time I finish one, I think the same thing about the newly finished block.

Pemberley - Heart Flower Blocks

Today for my Slow Sunday Stitching I decided to work on the Heart Flower Blocks for the Pemberley quilt.  My husband surprised me yesterday with a new "toy" to use in my quilting and I was anxious to give it a try.  I had been saying for awhile now that I wanted a clapper, he finally asked what I was talking about and I showed him a picture in Nancy's Notions.   Well, he ordered it and it arrived yesterday.  Such a nice surprise, and today I wanted to give it a try.

My first step in the Heart flower block was to prep the pieces for applique.  These are the pieces for one block  and there are four of them in the quilt, one for each corner. 

For applique in this pattern, Katrina Hadjimichael (designer) recommentds English Basted Method.  This was new to me, but I have been English Paper Piecing for years now and decided I would try out this method on these border blocks.  I traced and cut my paper patterns Friday  and cut the fabrics yesterday.  Today I basted fabrics to the papers for the gold Heart Flower block and pressed them flat using my clapper.  I must say, it does a great job.  If you are not familiar with a clapper, you simple place it over a pressed seam or edge right after you take the iron off.  The board somehow helps set the seams flat. I use a hand quilting weight thread in a contrasting color to baste fabric to the paper...makes it so much easier to see the threads when I pull them out.

If you notice the straight edges on the gold hearts, this is where you join the hearts. I used English paper piecing and joined the hearts before I removed the papers.

I always make a small tack stitch along the side to be stitched to ensure the points line up correctly prior to whip stitching the two edges together.  You cant see the tack stitches I made because the thread color closely matches the fabric, so I placed pins where each tack stitch is, just so you can tell what I do.  I generally place them about every inch or so across the seam. 

I use Coats and Clark dual duty 50wt thread for English Paper Piecing as I find it to be the strongest.  Here are the four hearts, English Paper Pieced  together.  At this point, I remove the papers, once again press the seams flat and pin the hearts to the background for applique.

Once I have the gold heart pinned in place, I have to place the leaf in place.  It much be appliqued first as the gold heart will overlap the leaf.  I line the leaf us with the joining seam, and had measured on the pattern that the leaf should extend beyond the heart  2 1/2 inches.  I pin it in place and then tuck in under the gold heart.  When appliqueing the leaf, I pin the gold fabric out of the way and use a running stitch to secure the leaf to the background which lies behind the gold fabric.
 So here is how far I got today on this flower block.  I may finish more tonight, but needed a break  for now.  Hopefully, tomorrow I will finish this block.

Getting quilts done

The last couple months I seem to be energized to finish up some projects.  I did complete the Hunter Star for my Son-in-law, a string quilt for my son and best of all my Dear Jane Quilt  - picture to follow in a later post.

This morning I finished piecing the backing for my grandson's Big Boy quilt - his name is Titus.  His mom suggested a quilt with cars and trucks as that is his favorite thing.  Well, I really did not want to make a little kid's quilt, although he is just 4 years old, but also wanted him to love his quilt.  So I found this fabric and panel and used it to make the quilt back.  Tomater is his favorite character in the CARS Movies.

 

The front of the quilt is made using the LOTUS ruler.  I tried to use all the colors in the back of the quilt.  Wonder which one he will lay on his bed as the top side?  HAHA - I think that is a no brainer. 

I also got the blue Feathered Star quilted and sewed on the binding.  Have to share this very rare occurrence.  I made the binding many months ago, when I first started working on this quilt.  When I sewed it on the quilt, I was getting a little nervous as I approached the last corner, knowing I had to go midway down the last side.  Binding was getting short, I thought dagnabit, I am going to have to add a little more.  But it was exactly the right length - I was stunned, when I went to join the beginning to the end, I had an exact 2 1/4" overlap, just the amount I needed.  



Here's the quilt laying on my dining room table.  I spritzed it with water to make sure I had all the blue quilting markings out and left it there to dry ( just slightly damp).  Now to get it hemmed, but until then, I love going into my dining room and seeing it there.  It is such a soft cozy quilt as I hand quilted it in big stitch.  I will start hemming it this afternoon :)

Slow Sunday Stitching - Pemberley

Here it is Sunday again, they seem to roll around in a blink of an eye.  Comes with retirement I guess, as the weekends seemed to take forever to get here when I worked , and then went by so fast.

Today I will be completing the applique on my fourth Dresden Plate for the Pemberley quilt.  Its all pinned and ready to go.   I took this picture and realized I have a couple of the leaves off center, not to mention three missing.  I took this to a First Friday sew-in that my guild sponsors each month and pinned it all together there - hmmmm guess I better go find those missing leaf pieces.

 

These are the three I have completed so far:

A picture from the pattern - just a reminder of what the quilt looks like.  The dresdens go in the center of the borders on each side.

Laying out a scrappy quilt

I have been working on the LOTUS quilt I wrote about in the previous post.  From each strip of fabric you cut, you make two blocks.  I have been making them two at a time, using one for the top half of the quilt and setting the other aside for the bottom half.  When I make scrappy quilts, I like to make all my blocks first, so that I can lay them out in a way that somewhat balances the colors.  These blocks are so big, they are hard to layout on my design wall.  The other problem, is I have to climb up on that bench you see the other projects hanging on, in order to put blocks at the top of my design wall.  My husband made this for me , and he angled the back to be a little lower than the front to keep it from turning over on me.  I am having some pretty bad inner ear problems and dizziness right now, so he gets very nervous when I start climbing up on that bench.

Here are the first two rows (total of 6 rows in quilt) on my design wall .  I can get three rows on there but possibly get all six if I set them sideways.  I kept wondering how I could do this in an easier way.

 

Then I remembered the triangles that you get when you cut the blocks out.  I pulled two triangles out of my leftovers for each fabric, and used a flannel board I made (cardboard covered in flannel).  This allowed me to layout the fabrics for the entire quilt  in a smaller area.   Now I am ready to start assembling the blocks into rows and rows into a quilt top. (The triangle on each side are cut in half to make a straight edge.) 



 



 

This was fun to play with, and may be a technique I use often in scrappy quilts in the future.

 

Lotus quilt

 
 

I found this patter a few years ago and even bought the ruler to make the quilt.  But, as things go, I never got around to making it. 

My Grandson, Titus, as been out of the crib for some time now and is deserving of a Big Boy quilt.

 He loves the Cars movie, especially Tomater, which is his favorite.   I just could not wrap my mind around making a Cars quilt, as I would rather it be something that he would keep for a long time and I wanted it a little more appropriate for an older boy - in a few years.  I did purchase some cars fabric and started looking for a pattern - just nothing came to mind, until I remembered this LOTUS pattern by Jaybird Quilts.  But sadly, I just could not see this car fabric used in this quilt. 

Then I found a cars panel and have ordered it on line, but it has not arrived yet.  It has a big image of Tomater and Lightening, soooooo, I thought, why not use that for the backing, along with a border using the Cars fabric I already had purchased.  I decided to do just that, and use the primary colors to make the lotus quilt.

I am having fun with this project now.  To make the twin size quilt (69" x 90" per the pattern) I need 1/3 yd cut of 27 different fabrics.  I checked my stash, and I had 18 different ones I could cut a 9 1/2" strip from WOF, so only needed 9 more - off to Hobby Lobby I go (we have no quilt shop in my home town.  The closest is almost a hour drive away.)  I actually bought 1/3 yard cuts of 10 different fabrics, hurried home, washed the fabrics and put my husband to work cutting out the triangles.  Decided to go with solid white triangles, as I had a bolt of that fabric on hand.  I cut out the jewel shapes, and started making blocks.    Here is an arrangement of 6 of the blocks, just so I can see how it will look with all these different prints and patterns.  I think it will make a great Big Boy Quilt :)

 Oh well...one more project to add to the list.

Pemberley: Dresden Plate Flower Blocks

Slow stitching Sunday - working on the Dresden Plate Flower blocks for my Pemberley quilt.  One block is completed, I am in the process of appliqueing one to the background and then two remain in waiting for applique.  Each is different fabrics and the Dresden Plate is English Paper Pieced.

Border Workshop

 

I recently took a border workshop, taught by Joyce Walton a member of my guild, York County Quilters Guild, Inc.  She had developed this very easy method of making this border.  The panel is one I purchased several years ago and could not decide what to do with it, I just thought is was the most beautiful panel I had ever seen.  This border treatment seems to suit it so well.

I am pleased with the result, but now having trouble deciding how to finish it.  Joyce did a presentation at our last guild meeting and she does the most beautiful quilting with decorative threads, beads, embroidery - I left so inspired wanting to use some of these techniques in this quilt.  She both hand quilted and machine quilted with the decorative threads, and that is what I am battling with.  I don't want to do heavy quilting in the panel, as I think it would take away from the pretty floral design.

Its up on my design wall, waiting for me to make up my mind.

Happy July 4th!!!

I am so thankful to be an American living in this great nation of ours. 

A few years ago, I made this banner.  The star is of my own design and I call it Star of Justice.  The words are from the Pledge of Allegiance and are hand embroidered and the banner is hand quilted.  Its just a small banner, but I do love putting it out at this time of year.  I give the pattern away and if you would like a copy, just give me your email and I will .pdf a copy to you.  If you don't want to post your email, just send me an email at jqd@comporium.net and I will send you one.

Slow Sunday Stitching - Favorite Handwork

I love to follow Kathy Quilts blog where she sponsors Slow Sunday Stitching link up party.  I have never linked up, but have really enjoyed seeing what everyone else is working on.   Today she is celebrating 7 years of postings to this blog and I thought I would join in.

She asked everyone to post their favorite hand work project and I looked back over my quilts that involved a lot of handwork and simply could not pick out a favorite.  So I have included pictures of a few with a few notes on what was involved. 


This is a Gifts of Grace quilt designed by Gail Pan.  I am only showing one block, as I don't have a really good picture of the quilt that shows up the blocks well. I hand embroidered each block - there are nine of them - and then hand quilted the quilt.

Jack's Chain - all hand pieced using English Paper Piecing.  Hand Quilted.  Made as a birthday gift to my brother, Jack

Baby quilt I made for my granddaughter, Lorelai.   This one is very special to me as the solid blocks were hand quilted by my mother.  She had passed by the time I made this quilt, but I had a collection of her blocks.  I hand appliqued the doll blocks and hand quilted them as well, then put the quilt together using a Quilt as you go method. I n putting this post together, I realize I never got a picture of the competed quilt - I will get one the next time I am at my daughter's house.  Lorelai turned two yesterday, and my daughter said she sleeps under this quilt every night now. 

Star of Bethlehem.  The stars are hand pieced using English Paper Piecing and the quilt is hand quilted. 

Patchwork of the Crosses - All the blocks and piecing of the quilt top was done by hand.  I paid to have it quilted by a long arm quilt professional. Two of my friends made one of these at the same time, and we finished them within a month of each other.  It was with the encouragement of each other that we three actually completed our quilts.

Irish Chain - I machine pieced the chain portion of this quilt, but the little Dresden plates were all hand pieced and then hand appliqued to the chain.  I hand quilted the white and Dresden blocks, but the remainder of the quilt I machine quilted.  I love the look of hand quilting and machine quilting combined.

She also asked us to show our current project and that is the last picture.  Thank you, Kathy, for sponsoring this sharing of our projects.

Pemberley, designed by Katrina Hadjmichael.  This is my current project.  All hand needle turned applique and English paper piecing.  There is one more border row that I am currently working on.  This last row is made up of blocks, some English Paper Pieced and some needle turn applique.  I am enjoying working on this project, and must admit, it has been quite a challenge for me.

Dear Jane - Kites

Drum roll - finished the corner kite blocks and thus all the blocks are done for the Dear Jane quilt.  Now just to get the borders sewn to the center and begin quilting.  I am definitely going to machine quilt, there are just too many seam in these blocks to make hand quilting pleasurable to me.

I patterned my signature block after Jane Stikle's block.  She had written "In War Time" on her quilt, as she made it during the Civil War while her husband was away fighting.  I chose "In Turmoil Times" as I began this quilt the day before "9/11" and it just seems to me that since then our country has just been in turmoil. 

Dear Jane Triangle Borders

Woohoo...finished the triangle borders this morning.  I have included some close up pictures of the Top and Left borders, but just now realized I never took pictures of the right border....guess that will be my next post.  But for now, I am on to the 4 corners.  I debated on using the sashing fabric for the solid triangle between each pieced block, but decided on the scrappy look, much like the ones in the original quilt.  I am glad I made this choice, as I love the way it looks, even thought it is VERY busy looking.