I’m still working on my January color palette challenge. The finished design:
I’m working on my QST’s (quarter-square triangles), using the Triangulations software. I really like the colors, and have to speed things up to be done this week!
–Sue
Archive of posts filed under the Quilting category.
Design-Wall Monday
This was a busy week, but I guess they all are!
We had a “crafting” get-together in TX this past week with at least 26 ladies attending. My plan was to make glasses cases (or iPod cases or phone cases) out of ready-made potholders. They are so simple — one L-shaped seam and sew on a button and you’re done.
NOT SO FAST!!! My machine down here isn’t as heavy duty as my machine at home, and goodness knows what size needles I had on hand, but they weren’t doing the job. I figured it wouldn’t be fun for the ladies to sew with needles breaking every fourth potholder, so I stitched the L-shaped seam ahead of time and we sewed buttons on by hand as a group! I wish I would have taken a picture of the 26 I stitched up for the get-together, but I didn’t, so here’s a picture of two I made for myself after the meeting:
I was able to get my rotary cutter in one and my Razr phone in the other (just barely). Just search for potholders on line, and there are a lot of projects out there you can make from a ready-made potholder.
On a photography note, I joined the 365 Project, which is a web site where you take at least one photo a day and post it on their site. It will make kind of a photo journal of my year. Right now it’s all about the birds, but there are times of the year that I don’t see many birds, so I will be forced to branch out *shudder*. I put a link on my left-hand side bar and would LOVE it if you visited.
Back to work! I need to finish my blocks for my Color Palette Challenge with Judy Laquidara. The end of the month is near!
–Sue
Design-Wall Monday
This has been a fun week, quilting-wise. I’m participating in JudyL’s & VickiW’s Fabric Palette Challenge for January.
How NOT to Build a Quilt: I bought fabrics without a pattern or project in mind. What was I thinking? Really…who does that? I found a batik I fell in love with, and chose some coordinating fabrics, thinking that I would figure it out later. So I have 3 yards of a border print, 2 1’2 yards of background, a couple of 1-yard cuts and a couple more 1/2-yard cuts. Try finding a pattern to work with predetermined, semi-random fabric amounts!
I decided this was a good time to dust off EQ7 and design my own quilt. Okay, that isn’t so easy either. It took several sessions, but I finally came up with a plan I liked. It’s easiest to work on EQ (I think) if you play around with alternating two blocks. I like Irish Chain quilts, so I thought I could use the greens in the Irish Chain blocks, and decided on a star for the open spaces. Not terribly original, but I like it:
Then I started figuring out the rotary cutting instructions. The star block worked out great. The Irish Chain block came out to 2 7/8 strips. Ooops! Guess I won’t be using my handy-dandy strip cutter!
Lesson Learned: I was making 12″ finished blocks. The star built on a 6×6 grid. Worked out perfectly. The Irish Chain block was a 5×5 block, and 12″ divided by 5 isn’t so neat and tidy. I should have paid attention to the configuration of the blocks I was choosing to make sure they would all play nicely together.
Solution: I decided I liked the look of the two blocks together. I like that seams don’t all meet at the same place, reducing thick spots. I like how the star nestles in and fills the space. I even like that corners of the star block that become part of the chain are a little smaller. If I do this one again, I might make them a different color. So anyway, I cut 2 7/8″ strips. I figured since that block only required strip sets, that it wasn’t a big deal.
Now that I have some preliminary blocks together, I know it will work. *whew*
Don’t forget to stop over to JudyL’s blog and see other quilters’ design walls!
–Sue
Design-Wall Monday
An easy project in progress today: finishing up five pillowcases for four great-nieces and one great-nephew. Barring distractions (and I am easily distracted), they should be an easy finish for today as two are finished already and three are cut, ready to sew:
January brings some sewing fun:
1) Judy L’s UFO Challenge (orange button on the right for more info). Since the tops are already done, this is a two-fer month for me: great-niece Hannah’s bumble bee quilt and Summer’s 1910 repro quilt. (You can click on the 2012 tab at the top of this page for a look at my UFO list with some pictures)
2) I’m participating in Vicki Welsh’s & Judy L’s Color Palette Challenge (click on the color wheel button in the right column for more info). The colors for January are especially pretty. I tried to re-create the colors in my header (the sage, dusty plum, blue), but it’s a poor attempt on my part. I definitely want to make something this month with those colors. I’m thinking those colors would be especially nice for clothing, but I’m still deciding…
And since we’re on the Texas Gulf, a picture from a walk this week:
–Sue (stitching her way into 2012!)
UFO List for 2012
1. Mom’s quilt (not pictured; just a pile of fabrics!), Cowboy Boots friendship quilt with each boot made by a different quilting friend. I embroidered the maker’s name on each block.
2. Charming Log Cabin in pinks (pattern by Threaded Pear, Afternoon Delights Series). I made my first Charming Log Cabin some years ago and loved it, then gave it to SIL Grace. Have had this fabric set aside to make one for me ever since. This is the year!
3. Quilt and complete Rob’s queen-sized quilt (partially shown below), quilt & bind Lucky Stars by Terry Atkinson (lap size) in Alaska fabrics (not pictured)
4. Kaleidoscope # 1 (huge quilt, small portion shown below. Created from the book by Sara Nephew: Serendipity Quilts. I’m going to LOVE this one. I think it’s going to our church’s big party this year for their auction. Either this one or #7.
5. Quilt Baby Hannah’s “Bee” quilt (Terry Atkinson’s Yellow Brick Road); quilt and bind 1910 repro.
6. Minnesota Bear Paws (this was a quilt-along with Judy Laquidara quite a while ago (variation made to the border(s). I made it out of Minnesota fabrics. 7′ pine tree (pattern by Sandi Irish). A small part of the tree is done.
7. Kaleidoscope #2 (same pattern as Kaleidoscope #1 above, different colors)
8. Cranes kaleidoscope (nothing to show — it’s triangles in a box. In fact, maybe it’s a One-Block Wonder…not sure til I look!) One thing is for sure: those cranes aren’t getting any younger.
9. Quilt roses wall hanging (soooo old…early quilting skills…what more can I say?) Flannel lap quilt (Yellow Brick Road pattern in “manly” colors), pieced and quilted. No photos yet.
10. One-block wonder (doing a different setting due to poor fabric choice on my part. New setting being created from Pdudgeon’s suggestion. Thanks, Pam!)
11. Piece/quilt/bind Irish Jewels, an original interpretation of a traditional block. I have one whole block done, so I have a ways to go!
12. Christmas roses kaleidoscope (waaaay old; missing some fabric, so will be a REAL challenge). No picture yet.
That’s it! Almost half of these are completed tops and just need quilting and binding, so I think it’s an achievable goal. On paper, any way. I’ve added this list as a tab at the top of this page so feel free to check my progress.
Click here for a list of participants in Judy L’s 2012 UFO Challenge.
–Sue
Waiting. . .
For the Port A ferry.
And the winner…
of my Blog-Hop Party Give-away is…
sandyquiltz says:
Although I’ll make a quilt with just about any color combination, I confess to a particular fondness for the purple and green combination. Yummy. Thanks for the opportunity!
Sandy
Congratulations, Sandy. Your Triangulations software is ordered and will be on its way to you within a couple of days.
By the way, there were 115 entries (comments). The random number generator (witnessed by DH) chose number 99. Thanks to all of you who entered.
–Sue
Holiday Dessert Recipe
I had this apple torte at a quilt retreat in Huntsville, Alabama, in September. It was a memorable, beautiful and DELICIOUS dessert. It is definitely one to consider in your holiday baking. I’ll be making it today for a dessert buffet at our guild meeting tonight.
You can find the recipe at allrecipes.com. Just click on the link.
And a reminder: If you haven’t entered my Blog Hop Party give-away, you will need to click HERE to be magically transported to the give-away post.
–Sue
Give-Away Reminder / Squash Soup Recipe
REMINDER: I’m participating in the Blog Hop Party give-away hosted by Quilting Gallery. Click HERE for my give-away post and a chance to enter the drawing.
SQUASH SOUP: I served a delicious butternut squash soup a while back. It was so good, I made it again for Thanksgiving to have as a first course. Yum! It is a Food Network recipe by Alton Brown, and you can click HERE for his recipe.
SEWING: I’m working hard on a “secret” project to be revealed at our quilt guild next Tuesday. Don’t you hate it when you can’t share???
I’m keeping comments closed on this posting to make sure no one mistakenly tries to enter the give-away here. You have to go to the link in the “reminder” paragraph above to enter.
–Sue
