Sister's Choice Quilts

Red Sampler Blocks Underway

New Project! Woo hoo! I am so excited to show you my first two weeks of Lori Holt's Red Sampler Sew Along. Each week it seems we will make one 12 inch block and two 6 inch blocks. The block patterns come from three or four of her published books, so it sure helps if you have them on hand. Luckily I have collected them over time. Two weeks done and seven more to go to catch up.

The most challenging block was the one on the bottom left that consists of four 3 1/2" Churn Dash blocks. That is an easy block, but try making it in a 3 1/2" size and you might re-evaluate that opinion. There will be a number of blocks in that style throughout the quilt. Easy blocks, but made super small and connected in a quadrant. It is a fun look and I am excited to see where we are going with it.

While I made the blocks yesterday, I listened to the end of the audiobook I have been so enjoying. The Hail Mary Project by Andy Weil.  Ok, this is a surprise. It is science fiction and I loved it. As a matter of fact, I like it the best of any book I have read this entire year. It will be in my top five favorites without a doubt. I URGE you to read this book. I laughed, I cried, and in the end, I was left with the happiest best feelings. I loved this book so so much. It is a book about heroism, unlikely friendships, and features a character who is the most unusual I have ever encountered in a book. Not going to spoil it for you. Just read it. Or listen to the audiobook. The narrator could not have been more perfect. And then tell me how much you loved it. You are welcome!

Sewcialites- Almost Done

Well. Sewcialites is just about a finish for me. There are a couple more weeks in the sew-along, but I really want to put a cap on this project and finish it up. I made a couple of extra 6-inch blocks to fill in the blanks and figured out my setting. The setting I chose is similar to the Fatquartershop setting, but I wanted more of a star look than they showed, so I switched out the position of a couple of half-square triangles to get that look.

My overall review of the project is that I enjoyed it for the most part. I particularly liked Kimberly's weekly chatty tutorials. Any sew along tends to be a skill builder, and this one was pretty good at that, especially for people new to quilting. The blocks are not as cohesive in style as other sew-alongs I have done. Perhaps there were just too many designers for this project. 

I am happy with my finish, and will get these blocks together this week. It is a fairly small quilt, around 54" square. A nice lap quilt, porch quilt, or display quilt. 

I am ready to move on to a new project, how about you? Lori Holt's Red Sampler quilt is calling to me. So, this illustrates a contrast in sew-alongs for you. Lori's Red Sampler project has multiple block designs, but all by one designer. A two-color scheme, but scrappy within the color constraints. Block designs for different abilities, so there will be challenges for some. I think the resulting quilt will be cohesive and pleasing. My fabrics are prepared and I am ready to dive in!

Lori's Red Sampler sew-along has been going on for nine weeks, so I will have some catching up to do!

Hope to have some May book reviews for you this week. Right now I am listening to the best.book.ever. The Hail Mary Project by Andy Weil, who is the author of the Martian. Did you see the movie with Matt Damon? This newest book is even better. I never read science fiction, so if I love this, it has to be amazing. So so good.

Simple Folded Corner Ruler

My big news is that I have only two more vertical rows to sew for my Moda BlockHeads 3 quilt! That quilt is just humongous. King-sized for sure. As I was sewing a row together over the weekend, I noticed one of my twelve-inch blocks was just a mess. I do not know what happened, but when I looked at it close up and personal I was not happy. I decided to replace it with something else and so made my final block for this sew-along. There you have it above. It is called Autumn Star and is from one of Lori Holt's books.

I have been finding that more often than not lately, I have been reaching for Doug Leko's Simple Folded Corner Tool when I have to make those "draw a line diagonally, stitch a quarter inch away, and trim" kind of instructions. There are so many lines to line up the tool on your fabric that you basically cannot go wrong and end up with a wonky block unit. 

I had to make eight of the rectangular units and sew them together into four block segments. Only, I managed to sew them together incorrectly. I did an outstanding job of matching up my points, but unfortunately, this is not how the unit is supposed to look.

This is what the units were supposed to look like. Luckily, thanks to the tool, even after unsewing all the pieces, the final results turned out great.

Do press your seams open for the best results.

In other news, my son-in-law and his new wife celebrated their first year of marriage with a spectacular sushi party in their backyard. Now that most of us have been vaccinated, small gatherings are starting up again. It was so lovely to get together with friends to celebrate something together! The sushi chef is above explaining all the fabulous dishes he will be coming out with over the course of the evening. It was loads of fun, and the food was both unusual and delicious.

Hope you had something to celebrate this weekend!

Red Sampler Sew Along

Uh oh, you know what that means. I have been going through cans of starch like nobody's business lately. These yummy fabrics are mostly from Riley Blake, getting prepped for a sew-along Lori Holt is hosting, called the Red Sampler Sew Along. As I said, the fabrics are Lori's from various collections she has done for Riley Blake, and the block patterns all come from Lori's books. The sew-along has been going on for eight weeks, so I have some catching up to do!

Here are the reds all pressed and folded. The reds have a coral cast to them, which is very fresh and pretty. The reds that Bonnie and Camille use are similar in tone I think. I pulled a couple B&C reds from my stash and they go perfectly. There are a few darker tone reds on the bottom of the stack on the left. They will add a nice change from the lighter ones I think.

And the backgrounds.

I have fat quarter cuts of most of the reds and one-yard cuts of the backgrounds and the red gingham, which appears often in the blocks.

I have not used Riley Blake fabrics much before this. The quality feels just as nice as Moda. I was a bit worried about the reds bleeding but saw no sign of it while starching heavily. What is your experience? Have you used much Riley Blake fabric?

What is it about red and white quilts? They are so hard to resist.

The patterns Lori uses for the sew-along come primarily from her two Farm Girl Vintage books, her Christmas Vintage book, and her Granny Square book. She has been doing three blocks each week in 12" and 6" sizes. I will link to Week Eight of her sew-along, where she has all the blocks done so far pictured. Obviously, you need her books for the patterns.

As soon as I get my Moda BlockHeads behemoth off the design board I will make a few of these pretty red blocks as a reward. 

Hope you all have a terrific weekend!

Making Progress

I'm about halfway finished with sewing the blocks together in my Moda BlockHeads 3 quilt. Woo Hoo! I love this little quartet above. Did you know that when a bee returns to the hive she can tell the other bees where the good flowers are by doing a little dance? She explains it all by her movements and the other gals can fly out and find the spot she is describing. No map required.

I tell you, sewing the lattices around each of these blocks is a time-consuming process. Whoever figured out what size the lattices need to be for the different-sized blocks was a genius. So far, all my blocks are lining up and the rows are exactly the same length. I refer to my notes all the time to be sure I don't get something wrong. It is really best to keep on working on this and not stop. When I took a break a few months ago, I totally forgot all the details and had to start all over to wrap my head around the complicated directions. The directions aren't easy to find either. A lovely lady whose name I forget showed her quilt setting on Instagram and I loved it. I reached out to her for her measurements for the lattices and she kindly told me what she had done. So I just have scribbled notes to follow. I'm not sure I could tell you where to go to see what she did.

Yesterday Eva and I celebrated our last day of school by having lunch out. There is a new place in town where one can eat outside on a covered porch. They just serve sandwiches and salads and have a kid's menu. We both had BLTs. The second half of mine is going to be my dinner. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were happy to be out in public. The best thing was seeing other people out and about having a great time.

Do you find as you get older your appetite decreases? I remember my mother-in-law saying that all the time. When she and my father-in-law would go out to eat, both of them would bring half their meal home in a box to eat later. I know I haven't had much of an appetite lately. It may be more stress-related than age-related though! Whatever the reason, I have lost 15 pounds and will take it. I have to wear a belt to keep my pants up! Would you believe my shoes are even loose? A couple of pairs of sandals I like keep flying off my feet when I try to wear them!

Well, look at me, rambling away. I hope you all are having a terrific week!

Sewcialites Block #33, Not.

Last week was the release of the Sewcialites Sew Along Block #33, which was a sewing machine. It was cute I suppose, but to me, it didn't fit in very well with the other blocks. So I decided to substitute in something else that I felt was more in keeping with the style of the other blocks. It was super easy. Nothing but 1 1/2" finished half square triangles (2" unfinished). My block is 6" finished.

I did not make this block in the photo above. This block #33 was on the Fat Quarter Shop blog Jolly Jabber and was made by "Sue". Not by me. It is adorable, just not for me in this quilt.

The block I did substitute in is called "Whirlpool" and is from the Comfort and Blessings Sew Along sponsored by Pieces from the Past last year. Here it is in my finished quilt block from that fun project.

I have made it a habit to always save the block patterns from sew-alongs I have participated in. You would be surprised how often the occasion arises when you want to switch out a block or need an idea for a block for a project. Those previously made blocks really do come in handy!

Thanks so much for all your kind words yesterday. I really appreciate it. I know I am not the only person who has had a lot on their plate over the past year and a half. There is nothing unique about my situation, and in fact, I realize I am far more fortunate than many others. Still, it has been hard! And so nice of you all to extend your kind thoughts and prayers.

Light At the End of the Tunnel (in more ways than one!)

I have been sewing! I wasn't completely sure what I was going to share with you today, because there are choices! My number one priority right now is to get the rows of Moda BlockHeads 3 together and get this monster off my design wall. 

Naturally, I had forgotten all the details of what size lattice strips I needed for the various sized blocks in this quilt. It took me a moment to get back on track. There was some ripping and some trimming, but all is lining up nicely now and I have completed almost four vertical rows! It is coming together and I could not be more thrilled. I hope to wrap this up this week. 

My summer schedule is also falling into place, and it seems I will have some large blocks of time for sewing, which is what I have been craving. Grabbing an hour or two is great for sewing blocks for a sew along, but I need hours of uninterrupted time to actually complete something.

I sure hope you all had a great weekend. It was a long one for us in America, and I understand that many of you in Europe had a "bank holiday weekend" as well. 

I haven't shared this until now, but my husband has been in the Bay Area five days a week for the past month undergoing radiation treatments for cancer. He has two more weeks to go, and he will be finished with his treatments. It has been worrisome for sure, but his spirits are great and we are both looking forward to him being home and regaining his health. My plate has been very full with his illness, caring for my dad, and homeschooling my granddaughter. I am so looking forward to a more carefree summer. I will still be spending weekends with my father, but the schedule for the rest of the week should be easier.

Happy June everyone!