It doesn't seem possible, but month six in the Blogger Girls BOM program is here already. My two blocks did come out quite different looking, which is good. I started with the variation block (pictured on the bottom), because I was really challenged by the difficulty of making sure I cut out the right fabrics in the right sizes. Sometimes these things take me awhile to puzzle out. I left off the corner thingys, because I preferred the clean look of the background fabric surrounding the design.
Here are all twelve blocks. When you make two a month, you have them done before you know it. Practically painless.
Our final reveal of our finished quilt tops is scheduled for July 1.
Go have a look at some of the others who are participating in this sew along:
Sherri from A Quilting Life - aquiltinglife.blogspot.com
Thelma from Cupcakes ‘n Daisies ~ cupcakesndaisies.blogspot.com
Lissa from Moda Lissa ~ ModaLissa.blogspot.com
Denise from Quilter’s Window ~ Quilterswindow.com/blog/
Lisa from Stashmaster ~ The-Stashmaster.blogspot.com
This pattern is Victory Star, one put out by Paula Barnes of Red Crinoline Quilts (formerly Bonnie Blue Quilts). I have been thinking about Paula lately, as she recently lost her husband under quite tragic circumstances. Paula is a lovely lady, and I had the privilege of taking a class with her once, and Victory Star was a kit that came along with the price of the class. It was very obvious how important her husband and family were to her, and my heart goes out to her in this time of grief.
Since Paula was on my mind, I pulled out my class project box, and the one completed block I had managed to do. This is one kit I have decided not to meddle with, and will be using as is. I am not sure what each of the fabrics in the kit are but I believe the majority of them may be Paula Barnes designs for Marcus Brothers.
Once I pulled out the kit and saw that I had already done all the cutting, I sat down and stitched up a few blocks. It seemed like an appropriate project to work on over Memorial Weekend.
Hope you all had a nice weekend.
That would be All But Binding. It is hanging on the back of the Waiting for Bindings Chair. I'll get it done by the deadline! My red and white Gentle Arts spools block quilt (not bowties) by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co., is the May choice in the Vintage Schnibble of the Month program hosted by Sinta and Sherri. Super cute pattern.
I am sighing a big sigh of relief to have gotten three quilts finished this past weekend. These are going to be wonderful additions to my quilt collection, and I have no excuse for dragging things out so long. Get them done, get them quilted, and get them on the beds!
The quilt in the picture above is Message in a Bottle, a Miss Rosie's Quilt Company pattern. I adore the jewel like facets the blocks make when they are set diagonally. Two super simple basic blocks--pinwheel and square in a square--and when you set them diagonnally and add pieced setting triangles, you get the most complex looking design. I am thrilled that I finally got this pattern done, and highly recommend it.
Those plain squares sure do suggest some great custom quilting options too!
The designer of the pattern, Carrie Nelson, strongly recommended a mitered border on this quilt. She suggests that a mitered border is a great look on most diagonally set quilts, an opinion I completely endorse. However, after my complete failure to get a good looking mitered border on my Long Road Home quilt (pictured yesterday), I was not about to tackle that job again. Bother.
Last, but not least, here is Hill Country Baskets, another pattern by Bonnie Blue Quilts. It is a miracle I finished this quilt, because it took forever to line up the right fabrics, forever to make the basket blocks, F.o.r.e.v.e.r to attach the fussy cut lattices, and FOREVER to get up the energy to get the last two borders on. Something within me persevered however, and I can add this quilt to my DONE! list. I think I am changing the name of this quilt to Forever.
Did I mention it is as big as a circus tent? Yes it is. This will be wonderful on my queen sized bed.
I had three big finishes this weekend. I will share one today, and the other two tomorrow.
For some reason, I stall when it comes to getting the borders on my quilts. I have a big push to get my blocks sewn together, and then completely lose steam (and interest) in seeing things through to the final point--borders.
Long Road Home is pictured above, and wasn't even supposed to have borders. It just looked unfinished to me without them. Besides, I don't like all those bias edges on the outside of my quilts. I found the perfect Civil War paisley print in my stash, which undoubtedly was part of a kit I long ago dismantled and didn't get around to using. The print has a dark brown background, with touches of red and gold and either blue or green. It worked great with the scrappy fabrics in the Long Road Home blocks, and I was pleased as could be to have discovered it.
I have a guilty confession to make. I tried to do a mitered border on this quilt and it looked just terrible. There was too much fabric, and the borders were rumply. I know I measured right, but that is what happened anyway. Also, since we are telling the truth here, my miters weren't that great either. At least the first one I did looked kind of sloppy. I ended up removing all four borders and reapplying them the regular way. I feel like a failure, not even being able to do a decent mitered border at this stage of my sewing career, but I'd rather have a flat quilt with borders that don't rumple than have a sloppy miter job.
How about you? Do you love to do mitered borders? Any tips for the rest of us who dread them?
