tip #43, take in a handful of scraps

Even though I am trying to get rid of much, I do continue to accept scrap offers from my friends. I am not committing to purchasing the minimum fat quarter and still get the benefit of bits of great fabrics.
I try to limit it to just a handful. Cutting them down and adding them to my scraps adds depth to what I have to work with.
Here is a delightful mix from my friend Donna this past week.

flicker, top completed

Flicker
Block finishes 9 1/2 inches

99 blocks
Set 9 by 11
85.5 inches by 104.5 inches

Cutting
Print: four 5 inch squares
Solid: two 3 inch squares

I used Doug Leko's Simple Folded Corner Ruler. You could use any sew and flip version.

Pressing:
To the solid triangles, to the print squares, to one side of the block

Assembly:
Rotate every other block and all seams will abut

This is a big quilt! I like the bits of color flickering over the prints.It is one of the simplest in the series and went together quickly.

That sort of figure 8 look in the middle of the quilt is irritating me, but it only is strong in photographs and is much less prominent in real life. I'll look at it under different light and see if I need to do some block moving.

living dangerously

I started this quilt long ago.
The earliest I find in in my blog is 2009 when the top was completed.
http://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2009/06/not-plaids-well-there-are-few.html

I used fabrics from many sources, including precious bits I purchased in 1989 in Japan at a department store. Paul was an adorable blonde toddler who got me access to many things, including a bride who let me watch her try on her wedding kimono.

It is made with Bonnie Hunter's pattern Chunky Churndash.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/chunky-churn-dash.html

I finally had it quilted and today made the binding. I had a piece of 1980's Hoffman woodblock collection and hoped it would be enough, and it was.
It was like when knitting faster and faster in hope there is enough yarn to finish the project.
All that remains is pictured here:

the sewing space comes together

barn--tutorial

Barn
finishes  by 6 by 8 inches

I designed this block to have a float at the top so I wouldn't have to watch the triangle points while sewing long rows.
I plan to make 143 blocks, set 13 by 11, 78 by 88 inches.
My design, use at your pleasure.

For this tutorial I feature a block made with a delightful vintage fabric depicting gold panning, pick axes, and bags of gold dust. My neighbor Sharon took in the sewing stash of a neighbor who died and I chose this. It was the cut aways from a shirt construction and there was just enough for this block. It is a rough weave cotton and I guess it is from the 1950s.

Cutting:
Solid
Cut one 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch rectangle and two triangles from a 4 inch strip using Bonnie Hunter's Essential Triangle tool or the EZ angle
Print
Cut two 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch rectangles, one 2 1/2 by 6 1/2 inch rectangle, and one triangle from a 3 1/2 inch strip using Bonnie Hunter's tool or the EZ Companion Angle.

Trimming:
After sewing left sky to the roof and pressing to the roof, use ruler to trim away excess

Pressing:
Press left sky to the barn roof; press right roof to the sky
Press away from the door to the barn
Press the lintels up in half the blocks and down in the other half so every other block with next into each other.

Press left sky to roof

Carefully trim excess sky to have a straight sewing line for right sky

Press roof to right sky piece. Trim dog ears.

Sew three sections together

Press horizontal seams up or down every other block so seams nest

tip #42, bundle your project for storage and travel

In preparing my projects for taking to the longarm quilter, I protect what is most fragile--the raw seams and the edges. (I always stay-stitch the edges of the top.)
I fold the top and the back with the right sides out, folding to keep the edges within the bundle.
I stack the top and back, and tie up the whole thing loosely with a length of selvedge.
This keeps it all tidy on the shelf and on the trip.

My longarm quilter and I unbundle and decide on the quilting plan. She stores them on hangers until they come up in her queue.

tip #41, make the sleeve and label while making the back

I am in backing production here, readying five tops for the longarm quilter.

One thing that trips me up when I receive a quilt back from my longarm quilter is all that is involved before attaching the binding.
-choose the fabrics for binding and sleeve
-make the binding
-make the sleeve
-make the label
I often make the bindings ahead of time, but just recently included making the sleeves and label at the same time as the back. I no longer have to hunt down the leftover or coordinating sleeve material.

I just finished piecing three backs and made the label and sleeve to set aside.
I pinned a piece of paper to each to remind me what goes with what.
The sleeves are hemmed on the edges and pressed and ready to go. If I find the quilt shrunk up a lot when quilted I can trim the sleeve down and quickly re-hem