Friday, March 17, 2017

Thursday, March 16, 2017

tip #38--simplify your labels

As we do the big sort I am contemplating re-homing quilts.
The kids do not want them all and I do want to give some to friends.
A few years ago I started simplifying my labels.
It is really hard to give away a quilt that has "for my darling daughter on her 14th birthday" written on the back. The recipient may think I decided my daughter was not so darling after all.

So, now it is just my name and Chicago and the year.
No baggage of sentiment.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

double four-patch

I have been wanting to use a double four-patch in the solids-on-prints but sets with this larger scale block were a bit boring. Then, on Pinterest, I saw some double four-patch quilts set on point. They are wonderful and I knew on point with them would work for this too.

Block finishes 8 inches
Print: two 4 1/2 inch squares, four 2 1/2 inch squares
Solid: four 2 1/2 inch squares

Another on-point quilt is making its way in my sewing.

Friday, March 10, 2017

woven, top completed

Woven
Blocks finish 8 inches
Solids--two rectangles cut 1 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches
Prints--three rectangles cut 2 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches

120 blocks set 10 by 12

My design. Use at your pleasure.

I like this!
I think I may make a second version with three horizontal lines using the Party Line pattern I drafted a few years ago.
Ships and Churn Dash completed. Shoo-fly and Pinwheel being bound. Geese-in-Flight, Framed Nine-Patch, and Zip at the quilter. Times and Woven need backs. Plus in progress, Double Four-Patch begun, and Party Line a possibility.

.

Saturday, March 04, 2017

second olympic sew-a-long, quilt completed

Not finished with my first olympic sew-a-long quilt yet, but just completed the second quilt.
Temecula Quilt Co. had a sew-a-long during the Rio olympics last fall. I made this second version with solids.
Love how it turned out.

Quilted horizontally every one inch by Sue DiVarco.

Back uses up some random pieces of fabrics I love.

Friday, March 03, 2017

plus, playing with proportions

While deciding on the setting for the previous plus/times quilt I kept vacillating straight set or on point.
Finally I said to myself, I can make two.
More plus blocks to make!

The 6 inch finished blocks were set on point.
These finish at 7 1/2 inches and will be set straight.

I didn't want to make the exact same block again so I played with proportions of Tula Pink's block and came up with this one, very similar but slightly different. (I am not sure her original proportions but they look like what I made with the 6 inch block.)

Block finishes 7 1/2 inches.
Solid: cut one 3 by 6 inch rectangle, two 3 by 2 inch rectangles (need exactly 3 inch by 10 inch strip)
Print: cut four 3 inch squares, four 3 by 1 1/2 inch rectangles (need exactly 3 inch by 18 inch strip)




Thursday, March 02, 2017

may you live in interesting times..., top completed

"may you live in interesting times..."
Yes we do.

The top is done. I had this great purple to use to set it on point. On-point settings are all a bit difficult as I don't have enough room on my design wall so I lay it out on the floor of the living room. Because I sew in the attic, this is two flights up and down and pieces get out of order very quickly.

These blocks are based on the Tula Pink Summer Days.
Blocks finish 6 inches.
200 blocks.

I over-cut the setting triangles from squares cut 10 inches then cut diagonally into quarters. The corners are over-cut from 6 1/2 inch squares cut diagonally once.

The block is designed by Tula Pink.
The set is mine--use at your pleasure.

After 30 years in our wonderful house on our terrific block with our beloved neighbors, we are packing up with plans to move this summer to a one-level condominium downtown.
I do not anticipate a great number of on-point quilts in my future, but those that come will not involve running up and down two flights of stairs.