Patchwork of the Crosses - Fabric Grid

Nothing like three days off work and being snow bound in the house to give you time to sew. I am enjoying these days, doing a lot of hand sewing, reading, napping and watching movies. Is this what retirement is like?

I have just about finished the PotC blocks that I precut, and need to cut out some more. It is a little overwhelming to try to pick out fabrics unless you can see the ones you have already used and how you used then. I am not trying to only use a fabric once, but I would like to only use it once in the same place on a block.

So I came up with this grid and it helps tremendously. I have 17 blocks done now, two more to finish and then I start cutting out again. Using this grid I can see at a glance what fabrics I used where. The blank spots are there because I don't have any of that fabric left..not even enough to cut a 3/4 inch square. That is what happens when you throw away the small scraps of fabric.

If you are making one of these quilts and would like the grid, I will be happy to send it to you. It's on an excel spreadsheet, but I can change to .pdf if you do not have excel. It's pretty simple to make one in excel if you choose to make your own.

I number the blocks as I make them...not the order they will be in the quilt. Column 2 is the center or cross block, and then the rows that surround the center as row 2,3 & 4. My final column is for my block border, which in my quilt I am using a different shirting around each block. The little squares of fabric are 3/4 inch cuts.

I must admit to enjoying this little organization project. I do love organizing things and perfect little task for a snowy day.

I have pictures of my recently finished blocks at end of this post.

I have started quilting on the Fancy Flowers wall hanging from the McCalls Quilt Along.

Using for the background a template of hexies, which looks like chicken wire to me. Something different from the usual cross hatch that I often do.

Hand quilting is so relaxing for me and I am trying hard this time to keep my stitches small and consistent.

Thanks for stopping by and if you are I the Southeast, I hope you are enjoying the "historic" snow storm as much as I am. Now to refill the coffee cup and do a little handwork :)

Don't forget to check out my finished blocks at the bottom.

Teresa

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

McCall's Quilting - Fancy Flowers

Have you been following the McCall's Quilting Quilt Along called Fancy Flowers? This project is an appliqué method used by Erin Russek of One Piece at a Time. This one has been fun for me as I learned a new appliqué method. The YouTube videos are great! Check it out if you have not already done so, the lessons are all available until some time in March. Here is my version of the project, all done except the quilting and binding. I am going to hand quilt this, so may be awhile before you see the final quilt. I want to have it ready for Spring.

I have also been busily working on my Patchwork of the crosses blocks and have pictures to show of completed blocks. Hope you enjoy them and if you get inspired to do one yourself using English Paper piecing and need a template to print your own paper foundations! let me know and I will be happy to send you a .pdf version I developed. I will need your email address though so I know where to send it.

Thanks for stopping by, Teresa

Posted with Blogsy

Gifts of Grace Quilt

Happy New Year to all my blogging buddies. I hope your Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year holidays have been wonderful. It has really been that long since I last posted!
Over the holidays, I finished my Gifts of Grace quilt. The stitchery in this quilt is from a 2010 block of the month offered by Val Laird on her blog. She has the pattern for sale now if any one is interested in purchasing one. Check out her BLOG as she has some really lovely patterns to choose from.
The blocks are based on the Bible verse Galations 5: 22-23.

Here is my version of the quilt. My setting is quite different from the design of Val Laird. I hand quilted the top, which only seemed right considering all the hand work in the stitched and appliquéd blocks. I have close ups of each block at the end of this post if you are interested.

(Blogsby is not cooperating with me and I could not get it to upload the close up of the Kindness block which is the wheelbarrel block. Unfortunately my patience is wearing thin, and before I lose my joy and peace, I will just leave it as is.)

I do need your help with getting out quilting marks. I used General's Sketch and Wash marking pencils to mark my quilting lines. For the most part it washed out great. But after two machine washings, I can still see some of the markings shadowing my quilting. Anyone know how to get these markings out?
Thanks for any helpful advice you have to offer!
Teresa

Posted with Blogsy

Northern Lights

I have finished the piecing of my mantel wall hanging and now just need to get it quilted and bound in time to hang it over the mantel in January. Hopefully it will add some color to a house that appears so drap after all the Christmas decorations are packed away. I named it Northern Lights for no reason other than that is what popped into my brain when I looked at this picture and wanted to put a title to this post.

I am struggling on a quilting pattern. I want to do quilt this on the machine and therefore have to keep it fairly simple, but then I don't think this quilt needs anything very complex as the colors and the pattern are rather complex enough. Maybe complex is not the right word, but hopefully you know what I mean.

Any suggestions?

 

Here is a picture of some flowers on my deck. I have been reading a few sites that talk about getting color inspirations for quilts from pictures and I like the red, yellow, dark green, brown and splash of bright blue in this picture. I think the would make a lovely quilt. Maybe even with a white background. That brick red paint on the steps was painted this summer, on our front porch as well as the deck and I am very interested in how it sets off other colors.

Thanks for stopping by,

Teresa

 

Posted with Blogsy

Thank you and Thank you again

Isn't this a beautiful quilt rack? I was so surprised when I got home from a meeting a couple evenings ago to find that my neighbor, Marty, had brought this by the house and given it to me. He makes furniture items with that beautiful natural wood.

 

And here is a picture of my new windmill wall quilt on the rack. They look like they were made for each other, don't you think?

Thank you so very much, Marty!

 

I also received this cute charm pack and scissor fob from Kathy over at Kathy's Quilts. Check out her blog at http://kathysquilts.blogspot.com

 

 

I have been working on my New York Beauty blocks and am liking this freezer paper paper-piecing technique. Since you don't actually sew on the paper, you can use the patterns over and over. Would you believe I have made all these blocks with the same paper foundation piece and I am still using them!

Thanks Jane Godshall for teaching this great technique!

 

Happy Stitchin,

Teresa

 

Posted with Blogsy

Summer Colds - YUCK

Don't ya just hate a summer cold? Seems like they go on forever. I have been battling this one for almost two weeks now, and the only good thing I can say about it is that I am home bound and able to get some sewing done - in between sneezing, coughing, complaining......

I took s class in New York Beauty quilts by Jane Godshall, and it was so much fun, which just happened to be the day I also started getting sick. Jane's method uses paper foundation pieces but you do not sew on the paper, therefore no time wasted pulling paper off your block, now I like that. I am making a "mantle wall hanging" to go over my fireplace after Christmas and did the design I wanted in EQ. This is the version I opted for, but I have several others drawn up, so this could change. I am using all batiks , but I need some sparkle!

These are the blocks I have made so far. The pucture is a little dark, but no flash on my iPad so not sure how to lighten them up unless I go outside, but it is pretty dreary out there too. They are a little wonky in size but Jane told us not to square them up. I just hope they are going to go together ok.

As Mary Fons would say, I got some "scooching" to do.

 

 

I have also been quilting on my Gifts of Grace quilt. I am using Masking tape to mark the grids on the appliqué blocks. I have one more appliqué block to do and then I can start the background.

Hallmark movies, BBC shows on DVD, Candy Crush, Nelson Demille novel "The Lion" and hand quilting fill my days and evenings.

I found another use for the masking tape. I use the stab method of quilting and when I pull the thread through, I use the side of my little finger rather than pulling with the needle. While this keeps from weaking the thread, it was wearing a painful groove in my pinky.....so...

A wrap of masking tape saves the day!

Thanks for stopping by,

Teresa

Posted with Blogsy

Tori, Songbird

Please meet my new sweet granddaughter, Tori Elizabeth. She is a doll baby for sure. Sitting beside her with a protective hand around her is Toby, who is no longer the baby of the family. He seemed so little before Tori came along, and now, at 17 months, he looks the part of big brother. Tori will be well watched over with two big brothers, Timothy and Toby, and two big sisters, Tess and Taralyn. Of course there is Mom and Dad as well.

Tori's other grandmother is Japanese and told me that Tori means songbird in Japanese. I think that is so special and to this Granny her strong, healthy voice was sweet music.

I am in Washington at a business conference and sure wish I was at home holding this little one!

I have finished another Pathwork of Crosses block. I believe this makes 5, but I am losing count.

This one has not been pressed yet. The hotel room comes with an ironing board, but no iron. The ironing board does make for a good sewing table though .

Thanks for stopping by,

Teresa

 

Posted with Blogsy

Thank you,Marlene

I am the lucky winner of this cute bag made by Marlene of Stitchin by the Lake.

She included these two sweet patterns as well. Thanks Marlene, I love the bag!

I have been sewing on my Patchwork of Crosses (PoC) blocks and have completed two more. I enjoy the hand piecing, but I think it takes me longer to pick out the fabrics than to make the block.

By the time I have made twenty of these blocks, I will probably not be s o particular about what goes with what.

These blocks are put together with English Paper Piecing. They really do lie flat, but the outer row of pieces still have the paper in them, so they looked kind of crinkled up.

 

 

 

Anyone that has followed me for long, knows how much I like to organize things. Here is my stack of project boxes for the PoC project.

The bottom box holds fabrics for the crosses, next box is the shirtings fabrics and pattern, then my neat organizer for blocks I have cut out and ready to sew (holds 16 small boxes, each with a block). The blue box holds finished blocks and the top unit has all my sewing supplies and papers. The little pink tub is for snips of thread and fabrics. All this for one quilt!

Put on the Hallmark channel for movies, get a hot cup of coffee, settle into my comfy chair and enjoy a little hand quilting. Life is good!

Thanks for stopping by,

Teresa

 

Posted with Blogsy

Klosje quilt top Done!

Well, here it is. I finally finished my klosje quilt top and appliqué border. It will have to wait a bit for quilting as I want to hand quilt this one and I have one ahead of it to be done.

So, for now it goes into a drawer until its time comes , which hopefully will be within the next year.

And this is what I will be hand quilting next. I have it basted and ready to quilt and can't wait to get started. Feels so good to see projects that have been around for awhile getting done!

 

Posted with Blogsy