A quilt top!

 

Finally something to show on the quilt front. It took all week to get the last 9 rows sown together, some weeks are like that…….my brain was thinking more on what fabrics I would use next instead of focusing on the current project. It’s together now start a stack of quilt tops because I don’t layer and pin baste until I have 3 or 4. It’s too much bother to move chairs and set up the quilt frame for one quilt. —Ann—

One more round

I didn’t get as much done as I wanted to this week, the weather was too nice, I went for a walk every day the sun was shining, the wind was calm and the temps kept climbing 50+F.  Going for a walk was a necessity! The indoor activities could wait for a chilly day.  I still did a little sewing.  I rearranged a few blocks and decided to add one more round. Looking at my stack of extras I thought the border would be dominated by golds and brown but the dark diagonals asked for a continuation of similar colors. So I scattered the extras around then sewed more blues and reds to finish. I almost turned the sewing and pressing into an aerobic exercise sew a couple squares jump up and press then stretch to put them in place, step back and repeat for 30-40 more little squares. The iron never had a chance to cool off.  Now I can sew the rows. Enjoying the weather and the winter —Ann—

Design wall Monday

 

Finally something on the design wall. I started this last September and then life happens lots of trips to see the little girls and they really are only little for a little while. Whereas the stash of fabrics stays the same until I take the ruler and blade to it then the sewing machine and iron. Hope your week ahead is productive. I have ambitious ideas…..we will see how the week progresses. —Ann—

Rainy day and sewing

 

Playing with blocks on a rainy day in the sewing room.  So glad it isn’t snowing!! —Ann—

Log cabin

I could see a cardinal in the trees when I was drinking my morning coffee— a sign that I should get to work on these blocks. Later in the afternoon I could see the cardinal in the neighbors tree as I pressed the triangles  urging me to keep working on this quilt. Maybe it cast a spell as it all came together so fast when I sat at the sewing machine.  It needed a border but I didn’t have much in the stash to choose from and very limited yardage. But it’s a scrap quilt just about anything goes.  I had a Santa print and some Christmasy birds. I had to fussy cut the 4 1/4 x 7 1/2 strips for the borders because I didn’t want to cut the heads off the birds. Some are horizontal and some are vertical and I grouped them together so the borders have better unity. Random placement just looked messy. There is one border block that doesn’t have a bird…..it flew away or maybe it was the one outside my window. —Ann—

 

In the zone

 I was in the zone sewing yesterday……I glanced at my watch a couple times while I was sewing, not really registering the time but thinking I don’t have to make lunch yet……then hubby holler’s soup’s hot!  He took the initiative to make lunch—just soup—but made lunch!!

Back to sewing I finished these log cabin blocks, next to sew corner triangles to make a four point star at the intersection of each block.  After the new year I needed an instant gratification project just fast and simple sewing. I pulled out a box of 1 1/2 inch strips, a bunch were leftover from Christmas quilts from a few years ago. Fresh snow here, looks all Christmasy here now. The white everywhere is so pretty and fresh like a clean sheet of paper…..happy sewing…..Ann

Square in a Square

 Sometimes I don’t want to make any decisions I just want some mindless sewing time. A basket of cut parts was sitting right where I left it months ago maybe as many as 24 months ago, the pandemic days were so monotonous they are a bit of a blur except that I did sew a lot and cut a pile of strips for more blissful days of sewing.  Sewing these square in a square blocks is mindless except that I need to center the square on each triangle, pinch a crease on each side……. Mindless sewing, off wanders my mind, how can I arrange these boring blocks so I don’t need so many of these boring-to-sew blocks?  Turn them on point and add some tri- rec stars, the math works. I’m starting to get excited about this quilt. —Ann—

The Last is First

 

The last quilt top sewn is the first finished because the graduation party is this weekend. Just simple point to point free motion quilting. I found a long strip of binding in my binding box and cannot think what I was going to do with it. Perfect for this quilt which I am calling Shades of Green. All of this was from the stash.  Ann

Blue and orange blocks

 

The blocks are together now to figure out a border it needs star points. There goes all my extra parts but it needs star points. Oh wait I can cut more parts. Ann

Blue and orange

 I’m going to like this I better cut extra……..Ann

Bear Quilts

When DD was working on her flannel rag quilt I was searching the stash for fabrics for little  bear quilts.......I found the leftover bits from the first rag quilt DD made.  I cut the 6 inch sqaures into 3 inch squares I even had the leftover batting squares cut, cut, cut, then sew the X.  It was such a short line that I used lots of different stitches.  One done next to fray all those edges.  I think the little bears will like these quilts.  --Ann--

Checkerboard

I finished this months ago but was waiting for fall to post it. The last of the 3 inch squares from wedding quilt I made for son and daughter-in-law in 2019.  All the blocks but one or two are miss matched.  I can see two little girls playing checkers or some made up game on this quilt someday.  Just a simple arc from corner to corner in all the little squares. And now all the strips and squares have been used!! However there might still be some yardage left in the stash.  --Ann--

Ta da da done the second

 

Another one done!!  Just simple free motion machine quilting from point to point.  The backing fabric is a piece of hand dyed fabric that my mother got some where local it just seemed perfect for this quilt, it was a little narrow so I had to add a strip.  Used binding scraps just sew another strip to the strip and viola' its done.  --Ann--

Another two steps

 Two steps yesterday, the 9 patches and the side triangles on the pinwheels. It was hot again but I’m not complaining the downstairs was cool and full of natural light. Hubby pulls the shades as soon as the first sunbeam comes in the west windows making the upstairs feel like a cave. It does help keep the house cooler but I need light and lots of it so I spent the afternoon sewing.  --Ann--

Small steps

An afternoon in the sewing room……..all my 4 patches are sewn. Next to cut all the 3 1/2 squares to make it a 9 patch. Just one little step at a time. —Ann—
 

quilt seeds / scraps

The start of another quilt from my little bags of quilt seeds leftovers from previous quilts.   I take out the parts then reach for fabrics to add and start cutting and sewing and cutting and sewing some more.  This little bag of scraps even had the recipe for the quilt complete with the name of the book and author.  Most of my decisions were already made for me.  Happy quilting.  --Ann--

June flowers

 I dug this out of the closet because I thought I was going to need a little go project but we didn't need to go so instead I have been working on this with my afternoon coffee.  I started it in 2017 I think.  I had all but a couple leaves left on two of the four now finished blocks.  That was so easy to complete that I kept at it, the stems are now finished on the pink bouquet.  I may finish the last 2 blocks before June is over and as hot as it has been it is a very doable goal.  I'm going to add 4 patch and little pinwheels all in a row to fill in and square up these blocks.  Thankful for central AC.  --Ann--

Busy Day

 Busy day yesterday I added the border to this graduation quilt then I basted two quilts, today I put my foot on the pedal and machine quilt. Another chilly overcast day a good day to spend in the sewing room.  --Ann--

Design wall

The next graduation quilt...... this one for niece, she likes blue, but she is not going to the school that has the beautiful blue and yellow colors, the school she chose has brown and yellow for school colors  what kind of a school choses brown for a school color??? I thought I would do the same pattern as the helitrope and hollyhock quilt I finished earlier this year with the navy where the light squares were.  I do not like it.  There is not enough contrast so I moved the 4 patches.... they create a line of interest but still not working.  Its chaotic.  Flip through some books, look at it from across the room, glance at it while I flip the lights off and on, make a cup of coffee.  Rearrange the blocks into a double 4 patch that was boring so I rearranged the 9 patch block so the 4 patches are in the corners and the solid squares are in the sides. 

That is a big improvement.  I had the 4 patches all turned the same direction but like them better radiating from the center of each 9 patch.  That is what a design wall is for arrange the blocks on the wall not on the floor on my knees even though I was on my knees for the bottom row.  Then step back and look, squint my eyes and look.  I have two grays for sashing and a cream which is so close in value to the flannel  you can't tell the difference.  I'm leaning toward the gray but yardage will be the determining factor.  Maybe add a couple yellow cornerstones. Use it up and make do.  --Ann--

just scraps

 

I was a little to ambitious the week before last when I cut sashing to finish 2 quilt tops then machine quilted 4 quilts and cut and finished the binding.  I could feel it in my wrists so have been taking it easy since then I had to find a little project that didn't require any cutting.  I found these 16 patch strips all cut and leftover from wedding quilt for son and daughter-in-law. There were only 2 sets of 4 I had play mix and match with the rest.  Just scraps and a nice little lap quilt.  My hands need a vacation.  --Ann--