Two-da-da-da-done

 

Finally I finished these quilts the baby girls are 3 months and one month, my niece’s two newest grandkids.  It has been hot here a good day to go downstairs and finish something!! —Ann—

Another flimsy

 A third hummingbird quilt top sewn sometimes I cut way too many pieces for one quilt but I just cut one 6 inch strip of each fabric and i like variety in the colors and prints……..so three quilt tops later I’ve almost used all the pieces.  This one I used just one background fabric it sewed together much faster and I could turn the segments just for fun.  Now to find backing fabrics and pin them on the frame to baste.  Backing is my least favorite part of quilting.  —Ann—

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—

Design wall

 I have been doing more reading and knitting than sewing of late, after reading Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick got me back in the sewing room but progress has been slow. I need to make two baby quilts one baby due the end of April and the other the end of June. First decision what pattern to use? I frequently sew a kaleidoscope pattern click kaleidoscope in the labels sidebar to see that pattern. Older sister of April baby has one of those quilts.

How about hummingbird by Darlene Zimmerman?  Click hummingbird pattern on the labels sidebar and scroll to see that pattern and a variation.  So I cut lots of pieces and onto the design wall……I want lots of bright colors with black and white background or should I say white and black since there is more white than black in all those fabrics.

 I’m having a hard time bringing order to the chaos.  Eight different white and blacks and throwing a couple oddball fabrics, random placement was just too busy so maybe 4 of the same print I each background square or puddle them together either way I need to place each and every fabric on the design wall before I sew a single seam.

I need to spread these out on the wall so I can rearrange things……..make a grid with string and pins. I have yarn I can do that…….

How do I want to do this?

This arrangement worked for the raspberry truffle quilt if you scrolled that far because the pinks were very similar and the background fabric was all the same.  There is just too much going on here. Over stimulation for tummy time.

I think this arrangement is best I’m still going to need to have everything in place before I start sewing to keep the diamonds between the X the same prints and puddle the prints together.  I found a couple more bright fabrics to add to the mix.  Making the grid made it so much easier to see what I was thinking. —Ann—

  

Design Wall

 Oh the possibilities......set the blocks straight without sashing, with sashing, border  fabrics......in the end I sashed it with as much of the background fabric as I has then found a short fat quarter very close to the same tan and value. I sashed the outside blocks with a dark brown and more cornerstones. Another flimsy ready to be layered and quilted. linking to Judy's DWM.--Ann--

Design Wall Monday

 I love it when quilt parts fall out of the closet so I don't have to decide what to work on next. Leftovers from click.  I had enough 30 degree triangles of pinks and reds for 12 blocks so I cut a few more of the greens leftover from click which by the way still isn't finished because I'm hand quilting. My first thought was to set the blocks on point but for the number of blocks I have I would have a long skinny quilt, this  4 x 5 blocks arrangement works better I can still add sashing and cornerstones if I want to make it a little bigger, it could be a doll quilt or a baby quilt. check out Design Wall Monday at Judy's. Happy stitching --Ann--

Off the Wall Free Motion Quilting

 The Hummingbird in Green quilts are finished!!

 I cut so many pieces I made a second smaller quilt which I listed on etsy. I just free motioned a squiggly line through the hummingbirds and swung arcs from point to point of the triangles and sashing. I stitched across and up the borders like a ladder and followed the miter.

Sewing the block "how to" here and click on hummingbird in the labels section for all the hummingbird quilts made with Darlene Zimmerman's 30 degree tool. While I was working on these quilts I tried no line trifocals which gave me a headache so I didn't wear them much then I tried trifocals with lines which were better but I felt like a chicken bobbing my head around trying to figure out where to look anyway I had the center of the quilt pinned to my design wall and was considering which way to put the stripes in the border and was looking at the vertical stripes on the bottom of the quilt and horizontal stripes on the sides. The vertical stripes were clear and sharp but the horizontal stripes were a mess. I walked right up to the quilt and looked at it to see if the fabric was flawed nope so I went back across the room still a mess so I got my glasses and put them on everything was sharp now I know what it really means to have a mild astigmatism.
P.S. I traded the trifocals for bifocals and am much happier but still use the cheap reading glasses in my sewing room unless I am working with stripes.--Ann--check out Free Motion Friday at Leah's  and Nina Marie's on and off the wall.

Design Wall

I had parts left from the first quilt (click) I must have been thinking I would make the first one 5 across and 6 down rather than 4 x 5 and this one is 3 x 4 blocks it will be a nice child size quilt. "How to" for sewing 30 degree triangles (click) Darlene Zimmerman makes it so easy. I just have to add the 1.5 inch border then the green stripe border then practice machine quilting on this one first. Lots of wonderful quilts at Judy's PatchworkTimes  I just had a flash from the past.... the green reminds me of a dress I wore in our high school play My Fair Lady.  I watched the movie on tv last night after the football game. As I watched I was remembering who played the many characters and the costumes. I was in a street scene, the ascot race scene and the ballroom scene. For the ascot the girls were all in bright bright blue and white satin dresses no two were alike. We must have worn hats but I can't remember. My dress for the ballroom was chartreuse green with a chiffon overlay it was very simple and elegant then the costume crew added sashing and sequins and then be-dazzeled me with some really gaudy gems. (I watched The Game Plan the other night too). I think the skirt was almost a full circle so lots of flow for the ballroom dance but there were so many couples on stage no one got the full effect of my dress. Its just as well I wasn't a very good dancer.--Ann--

Design Wall Monday

The borders on the the quilt ready to be layered. I tried so hard not to have the same two fabrics side by side but in sewing the blocks together I turned a couple around and there are 2 pairs side by side. One is obvious the second pair I noticed when I was taking the picture but is not so easy to spot in the photo because it is a different section of the same stripe. click how to 30 degree angle What's on your design wall? Have a look see at  Judy's  PatchworkTimes. --Ann--

30 degree tool

 I love this tool it makes the tippee canoe block so easy. Darlene Zimmerman, inventor of the tool calls it Hummingbird. How do you get that kite shape between two triangles without fussy piecing?!? Three 30 degree triangles equals 90. such simple math.












Cut 6 inch strips for the kite shape and 5 inch strips for the background you need 2 background for each quarter block. Flip her ruler back and forth to cut the triangles.

Match the narrow ends and sew 1/4 inch seams.
















Open it up and finger press














Sew the second background piece to the center triangle match the point.
Open it up and press the seams to the left.

Trim the block to a square. I trimmed them to 4 1/2inches which extends over the point of the square. The instructions oversized all the blocks and trim to 4 inches, I did not like throwing all the excess away so I cut them as large as possible. There is still enough for the quarter inch seam.

Pair up and ooohh and aahh your fabric choices.

Flip right over left, match up seams and sew.















First seam, do not cut between the two parts, flip over and sew the second seam. The seams will butt up and match.

Sew easy. All the outside edges are on the bias so handle as little as possible.
Because I cut my blocks larger than the instructions I also need to cut the sashing longer to 8 1/2 inches. Cut a 8 1/2 inch strip of fabric then cut 1 1/2 inch strips. The sashing is on the lengthwise straight grain which eliminates stretching when sewing.The setting triangles and squares also need to be cut larger. The cornerstone is still the same, 1 1/2 inches sew to a 1 1/2inch  x 4 inch strip sew that to a 4 x 5 inch rectangle. The setting triangles are cut from a 4 inch wide strip using the easy angle.

Happy sewing! --Ann-- P.S. I found the booklet at a quilt shop in Minnesota but no ruler so darling daughter found it on the internet for me for Christmas in 2011.

Design wall Monday

Its always nice to start the new year quilting with bright cheerful colors. This will be a graduation gift.  I need to decide which way the stripes should go in the setting triangles and border. Vertical and horizontal as shown, horizontal (crosswise) then vertical (lengthwise) or all crosswise or all lengthwise and maybe a little spacer of dark purple or black? The green in the setting squares is the backside of the fabric the right side was a bit brassy.Check back later in the week for a tutorial on the 30 degree tool I used for this quilt.  Do you ever intentionally use the back of your fabrics? --Ann-- linking to Judy at PatchworkTimes for lot of inspiration

Design Wall

Happy New Year I feel like celebrating now after a week of having a cold, runny nose and lots of sneezing. Now that the Christmas tree is out of the house the sneezing stopped or maybe it was having son's dog so much in December or maybe it was the homemade chicken noodle soup last night that improved how I was feeling.  Ok it wasn't homemade but I did put the water in the pan to boil then dumped the package of ingredients and a can of chicken. I did get this much done on a quilt for a graduation gift. She asked for purple and green, lime green. I am using Darlene Zimmerman's 30  degree ruler, there will be sashing and cornerstones between the blocks. I would have the top done if I hadn't been napping everyday for the last week. I'm feeling better and have big plans for 2013 and lots of inspiration from Nina's creative side.  --Ann--

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle

listed on etsy

The colors of this quilt make me think of a rich decadent dessert with chocolate and raspberries. I used Darlene Zimmerman's 30 degree angle triangle to cut these blocks traditionally called Tippee canoe or hummingbird. Darlene's ruler makes it so easy.
the inspirations click color  click   click pattern  the beginning click DWM    By turning the sharp points out with every other pair it created the twister shape in the negative space. I free motion machine quilted it by swing an arc from point to point using a pink and brown thread.
00 calorie Enjoy!! --Ann--

Quilt Frame

Reposted with updated photos.
I have read so many blogs by quilters who are still crawling on the floor to layer and baste or pin their quilts. It is time to rise up off the floor and get yourself a quilt frame! I watched Footloose the other night Whether you find one at an estate sale or go to the lumber yard and buy boards to make one, a serious quilter needs a quilt frame.

 I have 2 quilting frames, this one was my Gramma's, the boards are 3/4 inch x 4 inches wide and are 86 and 101 inches long. It will frame up to a full size quilt. It has holes drilled every 4 inches, pieced strips of denim are nailed to each board for pinning the backing. The holes are for dropping large nails through to square the frame. Then she used C clamps to keep it tight.  Gramma used the frame to hand quilt. She would sit on one side and quilt as far as she could reach then remove pins and 2 nails and roll the quilt onto the board and then drop the nails through the holes again  and clamp with C clamps to keep the frame in place and the quilt taught on the frame. She had short stanchions with holes for the corner nails so the quilt was at a comfortable height for quilting.
The other quilt frame that I have belonged to the Grandmother of one of my dearest friends and if she ever starts quilting I will return it to her. It is made of 1 inch x 2 inch boards that are 96 inches and 120 inches long.

I set it on my dining chairs, a good height for pinning, its a little higher than kitchen counter tops. I put the nails in the holes then measure across and lengthwise at the corners and diagonally to be sure it is square.

Then I pin or staple the backing to the frame. Stapling is quicker to put on the frame but pinning in much quicker to take off and there is no scarring the fabric with pins.

Lay the batting on and smooth it out.

Lay quilt top on and smooth it out

I pin with straight pins if I plan to machine quilt it. I baste if I am going to hand quilt with my lap frame.

Buy boards that are knot free you don't want it oozing sap on your quilt.  And  don't let the guy at the lumber yard sell you warped or crooked boards that contractors have rejected. Straight boards are a must. Clamp or tape the boards together in pairs so you are drilling holes through both boards. Measure and mark every 4 inches. Then take your hubby's cordless drill and drill holes big enough to accommodate the 4 great big nails you bought with the boards.  Mine are mismatched 3 1/2 and 4 inch nails. If you are a pinner sew long strips of denim and fold in half then tack or staple to boards. If you prefer to staple quilts to the frame skip that step. Use a light weight staple gun  with 1/4 inch staples  you want them to come out easily. I tilt the staple gun slightly so the staple does not go in all the way and leaves a space to pry it out with a flat edge screw driver.

Save your knees! Save your back! Get a quilt frame! Sweet talk your hubby into one for Valentines Day or get him a cordless drill.

 Happy Quilting,

 Ann

Design Wall Monday

The palate for this quilt was inspired by the Sphinx moth or as I saw it referred to as an exoskeleton hummingbird. After the fabrics were selected from my stash and all the pinks were leftover from this spool quilt; the obvious pattern choice was Hummingbird by Darlene Zimmerman using her 30 degree triangle ruler. I arranged the blocks in a different way. Her arrangement just called for sashing and cornerstones, I didn't have enough brown for sashing and none of my other browns were the right brown so this is how my quilt will be. The colors make me think of a chocolate raspberry torte or truffle.........something rich and decadent to have for my birthday today. I am the same age as the year I was born minus one thousand nine hundred.  Take a peek at Judy's Patchworktimes to see what else is on the design wall.  --Ann--