Traveling Quilter: March 2013

Thursday, March 28, 2013

WIP Wednesday 3/27/2013

Wonky blocks finished tonight

Changed up the placement of the strips on the second row (bottom and left sides). Did the same for the fourth row. First and third rows have strips on bottom and right sides. Wanted to create a dancing effect with the blocks and not so lined up. Hoping the border will look somewhat wonky, too.

One of the blocks in the second row turned out a little small, so I added a narrow scrap, then trimmed.

I've really had a hard time getting motivated to sew this week, for a variety of reasons. There's no deadline on this quilt, and I really work better with a deadline. I'm hoping that I'm out of my slump and will get this quilt done in a week or so.

Debbie

Like my Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

WIP Wednesday 3/20/2013

Tonight I worked on wonky blocks, adding fabric and then trimming to make them all the same size. Since I don't have a lot of the white print, I decided to sew two wider strips to each block, rather than four thin strips.

Sewed a strip to the bottom

Trimmed even with the right side of the block

Sewed a strip to the right

Trimmed to 8.5" square

Top three blocks are done

I'll do the same to the remaining six blocks, then work on the border.

Debbie

Like my Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

And the Winners are...

The winners of drawing for the Nancy Drew blog hop are:

Yellow: Linda W. Pink: Dolores S.

Congratulations, ladies! I have received your mailing addresses and your fabric will be mailed soon. Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone for visiting during the blog hop and for leaving so many kind comments. See you again soon!

Debbie

Like my Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Make It Monday 3/18/2013

With no looming quilt deadlines, I decided to pick up a project I began last October during my annual quilting retreat by the sea.

I made 10 of these cute little blocks last fall. They are "Freeform Units with Inserted Strips" from Sandi Cummings' book Thinking Outside the Block. Recently I sewed together two more to make a set of twelve.

One of the blocks trimmed up, not worrying about whether it's square or not.

Twelve blocks laid out on the design wall

My plan is to add a narrow, over-sized border of white to each block, then trim to a consistent size. For the border, I'm thinking of white, dotted with small squares of the cherry fabric. I don't have much of the cherry left, so I'm hoping I'll make it all the way around the quilt.

Debbie

Like my Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Nancy Drew is a Clue Blog Hop

Welcome to my blog! I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm delighted to participate in the Nancy Drew is a Clue Blog Hop. Be sure to check the end of the post for giveaways.

The Mystery of the Missing Library by Debbie Allred

Someone has stolen a beloved set of Nancy Drew books. Mrs. Brown, the prime suspect, has a new piece of artwork on display in her home.

Mrs. Brown's new artwork

Take away the painting...

Aha! There are the missing books, hidden in a secret room behind the painting! Mystery solved.

I came up with the idea of building a mystery into my quilt. I decided to hide Nancy Drew books behind a painting, in a secret room. I didn't know what painting I would use, but as I was finishing Rosa's Travel Quilt, I got the idea to use one of the small leftover panels for the painting.

Four smaller pictures were left over from Rosa's Travel Quilt. I chose the bottom right (Central Park) for this project.

I added a burgundy frame, then quilted. This is a finished quilt.

Back of the "painting"

Backing fabric is left over from Larry, a quilt I made last year

On to the second quilt. Using the framed painting as a guide for size, I cut out a section of Nancy Drew books fabric, then made an Attic Windows block, to give the illusion of the books being in a hidden room.

I spray basted the books piece to background fabric - chosen because it reminded me of wallpaper. I did an escape hatch finish, turned the quilt right side out, then zigzagged in black around the books piece. I did a little bit of quilting in the books piece. Like the painting piece, this is also a finished quilt.

I needed a way to attach the painting to the books quilt, that would make it easy to remove and easy to replace. I spent a lot of time thinking about it - snaps, skirt hooks, magnets, etc. Then just last night I found out about clear Velcro, so I tried it out on this project.

The bottom strips are transparent.

I stuck a transparent square in each of the corners just above the books. Sorry about the blurriness.

After trying to guess how to line up the back side of the painting quilt, I finally stuck both Velcro pieces together, then pressed the back side of the painting to the sticky back of the Velcro.

Ta-da! The squares are lined up just right. By the way, after I finished, I saw on the package that the product shouldn't be used with fabric. I'm not worried, because I don't plan to wash the quilt.

Once again...

The Mystery of the Missing Library

For Nancy Drew is a Clue Blog Hop

21" square

Original design

Partly from stash

Completed 3/10/2013

Back of the books piece

Now for the giveaways. You could win one of the two fat quarters below.

Yellow with tiny white dots Pink stars

For a chance to win one of the fat quarters, simply leave a comment by the last day of the Blog Hop (end of Friday, March 15). Be sure to mention whether you prefer Yellow or Pink. For an extra chance to win one of the fabrics, leave another comment mentioning that you are a new or existing follower OR that you have Liked my Facebook Page. Two winners will be drawn on Saturday, March 16.

Be sure to stop by and see today's other Blog Hop participants:

Monday, March 11, 2013

Dancing thru-threads

Traveling Quilter

Jane’s Quilting

More Stars in Comanche

Moose Stash Quilting

Quilt Doodle Designs

Cate’s Linens

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Grandmama’s Stories

Judy At That Other Blog

Full Schedule

Debbie

Like my Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Sew Thinky Thursday: Week 6

This week's question:

What is your favorite color of Kona Cotton*? How much of it do you keep in your stash? Is there a solid that you always find yourself running out of?

I am not brand-oriented. Price means a lot to me, along with available colors to go with my project. On average each month I make a throw-sized quilt, on a quilting budget of $50 for the month, which isn't much to buy fabric, batting and finishing supplies like embroidery floss and perhaps thread. So I usually buy Jo-Ann's Country Classic solids ($4.99/yard) with a 40% off coupon. I'll spend more to get a color that makes me happy, but I can usually find something that will work in the Country Classics.

As for stash, given my quilting budget, I don't stock up. I generally buy maybe a half yard more than my Electric Quilt pattern suggests. I usually have to start fresh with each quilt, as I rarely have enough yardage in stash to make a background in all one fabric - my preference versus scrappy background.

I tend to gravitate to blues, anywhere from light to dark. I love rich jewel tones, as well. But I'll go with whatever color my design seems to want.

Debbie

Like my Facebook page Traveling Quilter and get more updates on my quilting and my travels.

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Nancy Drew Blog Hop Begins

The Nancy Drew Blog Hop has begun. Please come back on Monday, March 11, to see what I've made. Meanwhile, enjoy visiting the other participants' blogs. Here's the full schedule:

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Michelle’s Romantic Tangle

Life in the Scrapatch

Debby Kratovil Quilts

Selina Quilts

Meadowbrook

Hilltop House Creative Works

My Sister Made Me Do It

Whims and Fancies

Pieced Brain

Just Let Me Quilt

Thursday, March 7, 2013