Quilt top finished!!

Quilt top finished!! Now my least favorite step in quilting……the backing especially if I need to sew chunks together……and I am determined to use fabrics from the stash.  —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—

Hunters star block

 

My iPad is not letting me put the curser where I want it to share instructions on constructing the hunters star block! Argh!!  I sewed it the easy way by sewing the diamonds to the trapezoids both were cut from 1.5 inch strips. I cut the angles of the trapezoids using the companion angle, I marked lines on the companion angle so I could line up the fabric for exactly the right size trapezoid.  I sewed those skinny segments together then added the large triangles.  Those were cut from 7.5 inch squares then cut in half diagonally. The blocks were trimmed to 8.5 inches.  Easy—no paper piecing, no y seams I don’t stress over which way the seams are pressed, if they didn’t butt together I flipped one over, those little indiscretions will be inside the quilt. Who will know?!?  —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—
 

Another snow day

 

Another snow day in the sewing room lots of pieces cut but still need to cut more. The snow came with rain then as fine as sifted sugar then it came down in big globs and then sifted sugar again then it quit!  Some activities were cancelled so extra time in the sewing room. It feels so good to work entirely from the stash. —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—
 

Hunters Star

 I didn’t write much about these blocks when I was sewing them. Thank you for the very nice comments so to clarify how the block goes together……The pattern is Hunters Star, I used the book Hunters Star and Beyond by Jan Krentz. The blocks are 8 inches finished. I’m a traditional piecer I do not like paper piecing. I cut 6 1/2 inch strips and used the Easy Angle tool to cut the large triangles  and the Companion Angle both by Darlene Zimmerman to cut the 2 inch narrow strips to the right size. The orange diamonds are also cut from 2 inch strips. I read the directions and then I cut and sew my way. The diamonds were sewn to the narrow navy strips, those 2 segments were sewn together then the large triangles were added. Easy. I also used a lot of spray starch to keep blocks square. I have plans to make another, my pile of navy never seems to get any shorter.  Do you ever look back at your own blog for instructions on how to do something? I do occasionally because how did I do that……Ann

Blue and orange

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