Sister's Choice Quilts

Sewcialites Binder

Are any of you doing the Fatquartershop's Sewcialites sew-along? I have been enjoying making the blocks and watching the Friday Behind the Seams videos with Kimberly Jolly on YouTube.

Recently, Kimberly announced that her shop had created a binder to corral all the pattern instruction sheets for the project. Being an organization nut, I ordered the binder. Of course, any binder would do, but this one is labeled with the name of the project and is pretty cute.

I picked up some sheet protectors and got everything all assembled. It will be a nice reference for block patterns when the project is finished. Now I want to do this with all my past and current sew-along patterns!

These are my Sewcialites blocks so far. I didn't like one of the week's blocks and substituted the Martha Washington Star block (the purple one) for it.

There are bound to be more blocks I don't care for, so I made another extra one in the Ohio Star pattern. Keep this in mind when you are participating in these sew-alongs. You do you. Don't worry about following along exactly with the crowd. If you don't care for something, swap it out, make it your own.

 

Curvy Log Cabin Block and Ruler

I have had Log Cabin blocks on my mind lately. I have been using Fatquartershop's Log Cabin Piecing papers to make a fall table runner and have really been enjoying the process. I recently picked up one of my Creative Grids Log Cabin rulers to compare the construction process for accuracy and enjoyment of piecing.

This past weekend I played around with the Creative Grids Curvy Log Cabin Ruler in the 6-inch size.  I needed another 12-inch block for the Moda BlockHeads sew-along and thought if I combined four of the 6-inch curvy blocks to make a 12-inch block it could be interesting.

As you can see in the photo of my finished block (which is four blocks sewn together), the style of this Log Cabin block is a variation of the standard one. In the Curvy Log Cabin block, there are wide strips that are combined with narrower ones, rather than all the strips being the same width as in the classic Log Cabin block. The overall effect is, well, curvier.

As with the regular Creative Grids Log Cabin ruler, there are markings on the tool showing you where to line up the center square for accurate trimming. (I placed the ruler on a scrap of white fabric so you can see the markings more clearly).

I ended up making a total of 5 Curvy Log Cabin blocks.  I had to discard the first one because it did not come out as well as I would have liked. The trick to using this tool is this:

Do you see the square at the lower left of the ruler? It has four holes drilled into it.  You are to take a pen and mark the wrong side of your center squares carefully. You then must pay strict attention to stitching exactly between those dots in order to have the seams on that critical center square come out exact. If you disregard this suggestion, your seams will not be straight when you add your strips around the center square to complete the block. The thing is, the seam allowance is slightly more than 1/4" for that center square. Ignore your usually sacred 1/4" for this center square only. Just pay attention to sewing between the dots. The remaining strips will be sewn with your 1/4" seam allowance.

I wasn't super careful with my first block and some of the sewn strips did not look even to me. In my subsequent blocks, I was more exact and the blocks came out fine.

Will I use this tool again?  Hmmm.  Probably not. It was ok for the novelty of making this one block (composed of 4 six-inch Curvy Log Cabin blocks), but I don't think I'd ever make an entire quilt with it. I prefer the regular Creative Grids Log Cabin ruler, as it seems less fussy. My final thoughts are that I would make an entire quilt using either the Log Cabin Paper Foundations or the Creative Grids Regular Log Cabin trim tool. Both are fun to use and produce super accurate blocks without too much thought or fuss.  

Here are my eight 12 inch blocks for my Moda BlockHeads project. Only I am not going to use the block on the top right. It is a cool block, and it is made well, but to my eye, it does not play well with the others. It comes across as too dark, too bold, too something.  It stands out too much. So, I will be making one more 12-inch block to replace it. Maybe I'll put it on the back of the quilt. I could also add a little border to it and turn it into a candle mat.

Pressing Tool and Log Cabin Blocks

I recently bought a few more notions at Fatquartershop.com. One of them is this cool seam roller by Riley Blake. It is designed by Lori Holt and is actually a very nice little seam presser. It cost $15, and I am glad I bought it.

It works great for the times when you want to press a seam open but want to kind of squish it in place before you apply the iron.

I've been using it with my Log Cabin paper piecing and found it to be really good.  As a matter of fact, I don't even need to use the iron as I attach the strips!  This little wooden seam roller is all I need. I have been rolling it on the wrong side of the block, and then on the right side of the block, as shown in my top photo.

And here is my finished Squirrelly Girl table runner!  I made twelve paper pieced Log Cabin blocks. Still debating on whether or not to add a border.  This will probably be a Christmas gift for someone, who will use it on their dining table.  Maybe I need to get some more cute border fabric....I am imagining a border of about 2" all around in one of the white prints.

Gosh, this is such a cute fabric collection. It is going to sell out, so if you think you like it, I highly recommend getting a layer cake at least!

Hope you all had a nice weekend.  We have been warned that our power company will shut down our electricity Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon.  It is very dry conditions and the wind is kicking up, which makes for a real fire danger. My husband has the generator all gassed up and everything ready to move into one refrigerator. It is so inconvenient but considering the alternative...I am going to try to get these posts scheduled so my content won't be interrupted.

 

Paper Piecing Log Cabin Blocks

I have stitched a bit more on my paper pieced log cabin blocks. This is a block all stitched. You carefully place the fabric strips on the paper's underside, lined up along the right numbered line. After stitching, I have been trimming my seam allowances with a handy little tool called the "Add A Quarter."

After stitching on the line, you fold the paper back along that stitched line and use the ruler to butt up to the fold. The ruler has a notch or ledge on it that grips along the fold. Use your rotary cutter to cut off any excess fabric beyond the quarter-inch ruler allowance.

That trimming after each strip really makes the back of the block look neat and tidy. 

And the front of the block isn't bad either! I am really enjoying this paper piecing and plan to get more of the Fatquartershop's paper piecing tablets.  I want the Courthouse Steps, the Pineapple, and the Economy papers. These will be handy along with a honey bun or other precut to make table runners as gifts for folks. 

I swear, I could sit and stitch these blocks all day while listening to podcasts and good audiobooks!

Didn't we have a nice conversation in the comments to my last post on tailor's clappers? So many great suggestions on pressing and alternate devices to the clapper. What was really fun is that we got to hear from loads of new people! Thanks for commenting all you guys! That is what this is all about...creating a fellowship amongst quilters. I love hearing from you all and appreciate every moment you gave, contributing to the conversation.

I hope you all have a terrific weekend. It is fall here, with temperatures finally down to the mid-70s. I hear some of you got snow in the midwest! I am still waiting for that crazy tree in my backyard to turn red and drop all its leaves in 24 hours.

The Clapper

Have you all heard of a tailor's clapper? It is a wooden block that you use to flatten seams when sewing. Kimberly Jolly of the Fatquarter Shop has been touting them on her Friday "Behind the Seams" YouTube videos. She uses one made by Riley Blake called "The Quilter's Clapper". It seemed to work great for her when she pressed her seams open, so of course, I ordered one. FQS is sold out, so I got mine off of Amazon. 

They are made of hardwood and have a good heft to them. They come in two sizes, 7" and 12". They are kind of pricey at $18 and $23, so I just got the smaller one.

So you make your block unit, press the seam open and plop the Clapper on top of the hot fabric. The combination of the heat and the weight of the wooden block is supposed to flatten your seam even more.

Did it work? Hmmm. I don't know. I guess, somewhat. The photo at the top of this post is of the unit pressed open before applying the Clapper. The photo right above is of the unit after the clapper sat on it for a minute. It is noticeably more flat in the last picture, but it wasn't that bad in the first picture after just being pressed on the wool mat.

Do any of you have this device? What do you think of it? Should I leave the clapper on the block unit for a longer time?

Jelly Roll Blocks, Chicken Chili, an Audio Book, and Good TV

My Take It Easy jelly roll blocks are coming along. They are pretty mindless to make.  All the strips are cut out and I just have to sit there and sew three together. I love listening to audiobooks while I do sewing that doesn't call for much concentration. My current book is quite gothic in style and totally creepy.  Just right for October! It is called The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James. 

The story is set in Cornwall on an estate called Winterbourne Hall. There is a dual timeline of the present day and 1947. The set up is a cliche, but I got past it. The modern-day character inherits the house from an aunt she didn't know she had. Of course, she did. That happens all the time, right? At any rate, the atmosphere is deliciously spooky, complete with heavy fog, impenetrable sea mists, and sinister children. There is something malevolent afoot, and I am going to find out what it is.

The weather is getting more fall-like every day. Cooler temperatures, changing color on trees and shrubs, and earlier sunsets.  I have a white chicken chili* in the crockpot and plans to watch my favorite Australian soap opera on tv tonight.  That would be A Place to Call Home.  If you haven't watched it, you better start! There are 6 wonderful seasons and if you tune in, you will completely understand why it was the most beloved tv drama series ever in the land Down Under. So good. Don't miss it.

*Changes I made to the chili recipe: I used the meat from a rotisserie chicken, added a can of Rotel diced tomatoes, and garnished it with Fritos).

 

 

 

Geting Caught Up

I spent the weekend getting caught up on my sew-along projects, doing laundry, reading, and recovering from my vacation. The blocks above are from the Fatquarter Shop's Sewcialites sew-along. There have been four blocks so far. The purple one on the top left is not a block from the sew-along, rather one that I used instead of Week 4's block.  I did not care for this last week's block's asymmetry, so I changed things up. 

This block is the latest Moda BlockHeads block "Strings" by Janet Clare. I haven't done string piecing for a while and found this really fun. The block above is four smaller block units, each sewn on a muslin foundation. The finished block is 8 inches. This sew-along has provided some very nice challenges and changes of pace for me.

The book I am reading is The Searcher, the newest from Tana French. It is set in western Ireland, which is fun for me since our son is an Irish citizen. I sorely missed our September trip to visit him this fall. The main character is an ex-cop from Chicago, who has moved to Ireland to start his life over. I am only 60 or so pages in, but I am enjoying it a lot so far.

I have to share one last picture from our trip to Lake Tahoe. Eva is standing atop Donner Summit, with Donner Lake behind her. For school, she is about to start a book called Patty Reed's Doll, about a child in the ill-fated Donner Party. Little Patty had one toy, a wooden doll. When things got tough for the traveling party, her parents had to get rid of every extra item that was not essential to carry on their wagon. Patty was told to ditch her doll but secreted it in a pocket within her petticoats. Can you imagine what comfort that little companion provided a frightened child during that winter full of hardships and starvation? I am counting this as a field trip and adding the hours to our educational accounting for October!

I hope you all had an excellent weekend and continue to stay safe and healthy.