Friday, December 28, 2018

Good Fortune Clue 6

Yay! More string piecing! :)



This clue went quickly--I have such fun string piecing that time seems to fly. Narrow strips like this can stretch, so I'll leave them on the paper foundation for now and take them off as I use them.





On another note, I got this great picture of my granddaughter in the nightgown I made for her for Christmas. I love pictures that show things I've made actually being used!


Happy New Year--I hope it is a joyous and prosperous one for you.

I'll be linking with Quiltville's Mystery Monday.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Good Fortune Clue 5

Another clue done for Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery--this year entitled Good Fortune.


Three-Triangle Squares

A little pirate and his ship (with a side of giraffes)

Eagle

Cattle and ruby slippers


It was a fairly easy clue this Christmas week. I'm looking forward to the next.

Happy Holidays!

I'll be linking to Quiltville's Mystery Monday.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

A Lovely Gift

An anonymous lady, on a Facebook group to which I belong, worked through the administrator of the site to do a Santa Angel giveaway leading up to Christmas. She said she had fabric and other things that she wanted to share. My name was one of those drawn, and I received the package today.

Pretty Pinks!

 A big Thank You to the Santa Angel. Happy Holidays!

Monday, December 17, 2018

Flannel Scraps

About a month ago, I organized my fabric. I pulled out all the leftover flannel scraps from other projects and started cutting them into usable sizes.


I cut 2.5", 3.5", and 6.5" squares. I put the 2.5" squares together in nine-patches and the 3.5" into four-patches. Now everything measured 6.5", and I kitted them up for throw-size quilts.


I kitted kids' flannel into 80 units per bag. The quilts are/will be 8x10 blocks (48" x 60" finished). The other fabrics, I planned for adult quilts at 10x12 blocks (60" x 72" finished). In the end, I had enough for 4 kids' and 6 adults' quilts.




One kit

Blocks in a kit



I've sewn the kids' quilt tops together and have started on those for adults. The layout is random, so I can just sit down and sew these. I plan to use flannel backing to make these really snuggly and warm.

Kids' quilts



Working on adult quilt


There is a lot of sandwiching and quilting in my future, but I'm glad to have a plan for these flannel leftovers.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Good Fortune Clue 4

I was so glad to have a clue involving strings this week from Bonnie Hunter's mystery Good Fortune.


I am substituting yellow/gold for the orange that Bonnie chose.







A goose and a French hen




Scarecrow, pumpkin, and Peeps!

I am enjoying this project--and I've actually been able to keep up so far! 😺

I'll be linking with Quiltville's Mystery Monday.


Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Good Fortune Clue 3

So far, I'm keeping up with the clues in Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, Good Fortune.

Here is a sampling of my units from clue 3:



Friendly Bunny

Another rabbit--this one is all dressed up

Butterfly and Smiling Snail

I love having little up-close surprises!

I'm linking with Quiltville's Mystery Monday #3.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Good Fortune Clues 1 & 2 and Donation Quilts

Yay for Mystery Quilts! I'm enjoying Bonnie Hunter's Good Fortune Mystery.

Clue #1




Clue #2







And a selection of each






Five Leader/Ender Donation Quilts--I provide only one picture, but all are 3.5" (unfinished) squares arranged the same way. Sizes: 2@ 67"x86" and 3@ 62"x74"



I'll be linking with Quiltville's Monday Mystery Link-up.


Soon it will be time for Winter Break--yay! I'm ready for some serious quilting time. 😀

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Slow Progress Report

I'm still here!

Work has had me so busy this semester, that I haven't taken the time to post. I'm working on a few projects--mainly some donation quilts that  I'd like to have done and taken to the agency for distribution  before the busy Holiday season. I'll catch up with pictures and posts eventually. For now, here's proof of life.

Straight-line quilting on simple squares



Any one else out there have a day job that cuts into your quilting time? 😀

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Blogger's Quilt Festival 2018

The Blogger's Quilt Festival is on at Amy's Creative Side. Join in and take a look at all the wonderful quilts featured there.

This quilt is an original design I call Stars on Strings.

Stars on Strings  66"x 88"



Stars on Strings (detail)






Stars on Strings (backing and binding detail)



You can see how I made it HERE.

Thanks Amy, for the opportunity to share and to look at beautiful quilts from many other quilters.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

The Blogger's Quilt Festival is on at Amy's Creative Side. Join in and take a look at all the wonderful quilts featured there.

My quilt is an original design I call Boxes of Strings.

Boxes of Strings 74" x 84"

Boxes of Strings (detail)

Boxes of Strings (backing and binding detail)







You can see how I made it HERE. NO Y SEAMS NEEDED!!😄

Thanks Amy, for the opportunity to share and to look at beautiful quilts from many other quilters.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Stars on Strings--An Original Design

This quilt began on graph paper. I have an EQ program, but I was defeated by triangles!

Stars on Strings--66" x 88"





I tried this more than once. My first experiment was to use regular, brightly-colored strings.


As you can see, the red stars are lost amidst the chaos!



I went to neutral strings which worked better to show off the stars.

Please forgive the camera strap in the corner!

 I stayed with this idea, though, for me, it was hard--I always want MORE COLOR!



The making wasn't too hard, though 60 degree triangles can be tricky to assemble. It was simple string piecing for the blocks.

8.5" paper foundation 60-degree triangle

4.25" red triangle (sorry the picture is so fuzzy)

Pieced triangle (ignore the partial to the right)

I didn't get a picture of the step of gluing the triangle to the foundation, but you can see its placement here. After the triangle was secured, I simply string pieced the three areas around it.


When I had finished the pieces, I assembled it in rows.





This is when the stars and hexagons show up--you have to keep the faith through the piecing; they will eventually be there!


The edges of a triangle quilt are uneven. I didn't want to trim off all the piecing work to make them straight, so I pieced some half-triangle for the ends.

Now you can look at the piece on the right!
I did these half-triangles with neutral centers, so as not to distract from the star pattern. I also used a narrow (1.5") coping strip (border) at the top and bottom of the quilt, so I could manage my triangle points better for binding. I didn't want to lose them. 😉

You can see both the half-triangle ends and the coping strip here.



I had intended to use a pieced backing, but with the weight of all the strings on the front, I was afraid it would be too much. Instead, I chose this backing fabric both because of the color and the pattern--the hexagons echo those on the front.




All in all, this was a successful experiment, though I must admit that I am heartily sick of neutral strings for now!







Now, please, bring on the color!

I'm linking with Jo's Country Junction String Challenge Fiber Tuesday 167 at The Quilting Room with Mel, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.





Monday, July 23, 2018

Autumn Stars--Another Mystery Quilt

Okay--you can call me the crazy mystery lady! 

I love making mystery quilts. I have a friend who works them up for a forum to which I belong, and I love her designs. The forum thread from which this quilt is made begins HERE.


Autumn Stars 90" x 90"

Front (detail)

Corner (detail)

Back and binding (detail)

I'm done with summer--bring on the Autumn!

I'll be linking with Fiber Tuesday 166 at The Quilting Room with Mel.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Sampler Project

I have always enjoyed looking at sampler quilts, but I've never made one. I have decided to change that.

I chose Barbara Brackman's Civil War Sampler.


http://www.ctpub.com/barbara-brackmans-civil-war-sampler/

I may not make all fifty blocks, but I hope to complete enough for two quilts. I'm doing each block in two different color combinations, so I can divide them into two groups of different blocks.

I have a box of Civil War reproduction fabrics that I am using. I'm not very familiar with the fabrics, or the way they should be combined, but I'm enjoying the process.

Here are the blocks I have so far. (Note: Each photo shows two blocks from the same block pattern made with different fabrics.)



White House

Star of the West

Barbara Frietchie Star

Catch Me If You Can

Hovering Hawks

Port and Starboard

Strength in Union
Fox and Geese

Peace and Plenty
Yankee Puzzle

Blockade
Louisiana

Tennessee

Calico Puzzle

I am making 12" blocks. These are larger than I normally do, but the cutting instructions for the blocks are clearer for the 12" size rather than the 8" size. The instructions are different from those I prefer, in that there are no unit sizes for the parts of the block. I usually rely heavily on those measurements to keep things uniform. I also have used some different techniques than the book shows--but, to each his (or her) own.

I'm enjoying this new experience and experimenting with some different fabric prints than I have used before--lots more to come!