Another one

 Sometimes I get carried away cutting pieces for quilts and sometimes I need to make two quilts. First baby was born just over a week ago healthy baby girl at 6 pounds 9 ounces. The next baby is due in June. 

The four point stars burst in the first quilt so in this quilt I’m going with the stars in the background three on each side.  Stars will either be offset in the middle of the quilt or let the background circle in the middle row.  I did polka dots in one and the dots were dominant so I moved them to the outside edge. Much quieter there.  The lower circle is a print with black and gray houses —a cul-de-sac. I still may rearrange some things. I like working with the string grid with this pattern but sometimes when I move a couple pieces I get the string too and all fall down. I had to cut many more background pieces  I have 4 leftover but enough of the colored triangles for a third quilt and I have ideas. —Ann—

How much did it shrink

Those seam allowances can really shrink a quilt and to really be able to see it on the grid I pinned on the design wall.  The quilt top is sewn!  I’m really glad I grouped the background fabrics together.

Now to decide on borders the plaid is out. Either the top or the bottom or dig through the pile of fabrics some more.  The weather has changed again from capris yesterday and temps in the 80’s to wool sweaters and the furnace running.  It’s a good day to sew. —Ann— 

Blissfully sewing

 

Blissful sewing……..this is the first piecing I have done since last year! It felt good and sounded good after oiling the machine.  The hummmmmm and then I saw the star!  The big four point star in the background fabric I liked it and it’s not too late to rearrange the background pieces for another four point star.  Those background fabrics really needed to be organized into puddles. —Ann—

More therapy

 

I started cutting strips for the borders and kept getting distracted because I wasn’t thrilled with the plan. It was so boring with limited fabric……..aha do a piano key border! Isn’t that much more interesting and also able to incorporate more fabrics including some of my pansy fabrics which have become wonder what I am going to do with those fabrics. I’m using the back side of a couple fabrics because they blend in better. I paid for both sides of the fabric, use that side too. It’s going to mean a lot more sewing time…..more therapy.  —Ann—

Therapy

A little time in the sewing room was like therapy for a somewhat chaotic life. Indecision on the borders was the hold up on this quilt, that and too many other things demanding my time. I completely used some of the fabrics.  Ask myself what would grandma do?  I made the quilt longer by almost a full block by sewing 8 more blocks then cutting them in half and sewing to the other end. It still needs a 2 1/2 inch border of purple all the way around. I’m auditioning some purples that were at the bottom of the stash and then to find enough of a purple for the binding. Decisions, challenges, progress and therapy—Ann—

Blocks are sewn

 

 The blocks are finished!! Those fabrics and colors are so cheerful a little spring in the sewing room. Some days it feels like spring other days not so much. Sewing these blocks was slow sewing because I had everything arranged on my design wall and the challenge was keeping them in order. Then twice I forgot to move the needle one click to the right so I ripped fortunately I also forgot to shorten the stitch length.  Amazing how that tiny difference in the seam allowance made in the size of the block, by moving the needle the block was bigger than the predicted 8 1/2 inches so I could square it up to exactly 8 1/2 inches without it I would have been squaring to 8 1/4 inches. Lots of things going on the rest of the week and next.  —Ann—

Spring on the design wall

 After days of cutting all these parts I found a muscle in my back I didn’t know I used for cutting with the rotary cutter. It’s been a long time since I cut that much fabric. As I was stretching to place more segments on the design wall……..thinking I need to stand on the step stool to finish the top 2 rows……..I imagined myself stepping off the step stool and tumbling to the floor…….don’t want that to happen. Instead I will start sewing and move everything lower on the design wall. This is not going to be speed piecing to keep everything in order. Slow down and enjoy the process. 16 blocks sewn today 64 to go     —Ann—

Spring colors

The design wall is blooming and every single piece of this quilt will be on the design wall before anything is stitched. Every time I look at it I move pieces. I need to cut more pinks and purples and maybe introduce a couple new fabrics because when it is gone it is gone.  I still feel like I have put a very small dent in the stash. Another snowy/ rainy wet day here. It was a good day to play with fabric. —Ann—
 

Spring?

Its spring on my design wall outside is a different story. This looks like a quilt that every single piece is going on the design wall before I sew anything. I already see pieces I’m going to move and I have a lot of cutting left to do but that’s as far as I got today my monkey brain was all over the place, just work in little bits. Tomorrow I start on the purples and the greens. Snowy days can be productive days. —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—

Design wall

 Over the weekend I put a few of these log cabin blocks on the design wall to audition fabrics for corner triangles. I’m going with the bright gold on upper left mostly because I have enough fabric.

A girlfriend is making a baby quilt at my house, I’m letting her pick fabrics from my stash because it’s been enchanted by some magical force and never seems to get any smaller no matter how many quilts I sew.  We are both having fun as she chooses and cuts the squares and triangles and arranges them on the wall. Maybe she will start sewing this week.

While she cuts I have been sewing triangles on the hexagons for eye spy quilts for my little granddaughters. I think I have doubled the number of hexagons since November when I started putting them on the design wall.  These will wait until her quilt top is together. I’ve got gold triangles to sew to the log cabin blocks this week.  Thankfully not as many meetings and activities ahead.

Staying warm in the sewing room. Ann

The Roar, the Hum

 

I sat down to do some sewing after weeks of not sewing, the roar of the machine was such a comfort. A couple days later I sat down to sew again the roar was still roaring so I oiled the machine. It’s humming a happy tune now in my happy spot. I cut out these hexes before my little grands were born, now they are ready for bigger quilts but I’m not making them bed size, just bigger snuggle quilts. Looking forward to more time in the sewing room this week.  —Ann—

Fabric auditions

 

Get to work on the second graduation quilt.  The request was for a green quilt but I did not want it to look like a Christmas quilt or a Saint Patrick’s Day quilt or a sports team quilt or a farm machinery quilt. My stash of green fabrics was sadly lacking then I found my stack of Merryvale strips and a wonderful assortment of greens and throw in some blues and purples just for fun.  Start pairing them on the design wall then cut and cut some more. I have sewing to do…..Ann

Design Wall

Something new on the design wall,  more kaleidoscope blocks but a different block construction.

I could have done bat wing construction but then I would have needed to keep my right and left pieces in order and we all know how directionally challenged I can be.

 I sewed all the matching  kaleidoscopes pieces in pairs then sewed them to a backround piece then sewed two  segments together and trimed to 6 inch squares.  That block is square its the angle of the photographer.  Easy Peasy no right or left to keep in order and I could rearrange the blocks.  Looks like I'm dreaming of cooler days on a beach.  

--Ann--

Something new, something blue

 

And all from the stash.  I saw this at One Sister Designs last summer.  Last summer doesn't that seem like a long time ago!?! Its just a 9 patch with some 4 patches cut 3 1/2 inches and 2 inches. Couldn't be easier then the row are off set so the 4 patches run in diagonal rows.  I cut, I sewed, I pressed, I crawled on the floor putting up the last two rows of squares why didn't I reach a little higher when I put the first squares on the design wall??  That's what I did on my snow day.  --Ann--

kaleidoscope

 

Tuesday always feel like Monday when we spend a weekend at the camper because we always drive home on Monday.  The company was great, the food was great, the fishing was fishing not catching. But the guys had fun trying.  I was eager to get back to my sewing room and sew the rest of the color blocks.     On top are all the color blocks together.  I'm going to go with the blocks all mixed up together.  Today I start sewing the corner triangles.  Happy stitching. --Ann--

Kaleidescope progress

The first bunch of blocks are partially sewn, then I sewed the black and white blocks for the second quilt and thought what if I put all the black blocks in one quilt and next week we will see what all the colored blocks look like together.  Those decisions will determine which set of fabrics I use for the corner triangles.  Happy stitching  --Ann--

Design wall

More *** astriks, splats, splotches, explosions, and fireworks! The black and white prints are so much more interesting than the solid black fabric I used on the first bunch from a week or so ago. What is interesting is some of the black and white prints are not strong enough to hold the astrik together, the color looks shattered, disjointed, discombobulated or like it exploded. Isn’t it fun! Darling daughter helped pick out sashing fabrics too. She is such an enabler when we shop. The white looks anemic, the multi color dot is fighting for attention, the solid black or the mini dot are the finalists. Still have half the blocks to sew.    --Ann--

organizing my head

Yesterday I went to my sewing room and just looked at the mess for a while.  The day before that I looked at the mess then knit a few rows and thought about my plan of attack and went back upstairs.

First I had to sew a label for a quilt but then I thought maybe I would like to make a new baby quilt instead of the one that is finished that I really do like so I got out the western and cowboy fabrics lots of leftovers from all those boy quilts I made.  Look at pictures of those quilts to help me decide what to make...........look through all the pictures.......maybe a sailboat quilt would be quicker,  pull out the bright fabrics I need 4 or 9 fat quarters for the boats,  sashing and border fabric if I only sew 4 sailboats.  Most of the bright fabrics have been cut so there are very few full fat quarters............spot the background fabrics from the finished quilt.  I could make another one just like it because I really like that quilt. I felt like I had accomplished a lot at this point even though I had nothing to show for it except more fabric on the table.

Still didn't get the label sewn but I did get the table cleared and cut the sashing for this quilt which has been on the design wall since November.  Tomorrow I will blow the dust off the sewing machine and sew.  I feel like my head is organized for 2020.  --Ann--