Sister's Choice Quilts

Pie Birds

This is the first completed block in a Kim Diehl table runner that is made up of seven of these little guys.  It took quite some time to put it together, as each of those block triangles is actually two folded corner triangle units sewn together.  You do the sew and flip method with the black fabric on all the colored strips and then sew the smaller strip units together to make longer ones.  Lots of points and seams to line up, but the super scrappy effect is worth the bother.

34 different fabrics in each block, if you don't repeat any (I'm trying not to, but it's hard).  65 total pieces in each block.

In honor of my year to "Use It Up", I pulled fabrics from my Kim Diehl storage box.  I have so many scraps leftover from her Simple Whatnots projects that I could construct about twenty more Kim Diehl projects out of the leftovers alone.

Pattern is in the book "The Big Book of Table Toppers" by Karen M. Burns.

If you are wondering about the title of this post, "Pie Birds", that is the name she gave this little quilt.  It made no sense to me either until I really looked at the block from a distance.  The little black triangles are blackbirds baked in a pie!  See it?  How cute is that.

Super cute, but just wait.  This quilt was one of the wackiest I have ever made.  Here is how you sew the thing together:

So, where are we going with this?  Well, this quilt needs to be trimmed up.  Keep in mind, each block has 65 pieces.  Seven blocks x 65 = 455.  Four hundred and fifty five little pieces that took FOREVER to line up perfectly with no points cut off, every seam intersection perfect.  And here is what I am supposed to do:

Cut the sides off.  (Sound of Nicole sobbing...)

To be continued.

 

Alternate Block for Moda Blockheads Sew Along

 I admit it, I have been stalled on the Moda Blockheads Sew Along because I couldn't figure out how I would sew the blocks together in a cohesive manner.  I knew I wanted to use an alternate block, and I liked the idea of a single Irish chain, but it took me awhile to get to that conclusion, do the math and come up with a color scheme.

Here is my Single Irish Chain block, measuring in at 6 1/2 inches, unfinished.  The plain squares are 2 1/2" and the little four patches are made up of 1 1/2" strips that are sewn together, then cut into units to create   2 1/2"  four patch blocks.  The final block is sewn as a nine patch, with the nine units you see above.  I need to make about 49 of them I believe.

And I am still stalled out, because I want to keep with the Kansas Troubles fabric line, and I have to wait until March when Lynne's new collection Fresh Cut Flowers is released.  I'll need a good amount of background and red, and that line has just what I want.  Her colors are consistent from collection to collection, so the effect will be the same as the test block.  I have no clue how to figure out how much fabric I will need.  I plan to order 3 yards of background and 3 yards of the red.  Hopefully I will have leftovers for another project, and not be caught short!

I think the effect of the red squares criss crossing throughout the quilt will be pretty and will set off all the different blocks nicely.  

Hope your week is going well!

Courthouse Steps is Finish

Courthouse Steps is finally a finish.  This quilt has been at least a year in the making.  I started out strong, then put the project away, and only brought it back out in the New Year.  This is my year to Use It Up, so the quilt is made entirely of scraps from my stash of reproduction fabrics.  There is a lot of Jo Morton represented in the fabrics, as well as Rene Nanneman, Pam Buda, Paula Barnes, Barbara Brackman, Judy Rothermel.  All my favorite designers of Civil War reproduction fabrics over the years.  True confessions:  this barely made a dent in my stash. Sigh.

Even though my fabric choices are all repros, don't you agree that the quilt has a modern feel to it?

The quilt has 81 8 1/2 inch blocks, set nine across and nine down.  1377 pieces.  The measurement is 72 x 72,  a good size for a quilt.  Believe me, I could have kept going, and made this as big as a circus tent.  I have three gallon size zip lock bags of strips left over!

I used Creative Grids 6 inch Log Cabin Trim Tool to make the blocks, and used an 8 1/2 inch ruler to trim the final round of strips.  Each block took quite awhile, since I was very particular about what colors to put in each block and how the blocks played with each other.  It took as long to pick the five fabrics for each block as it did to sew them I think!  I also ended up replacing the outside strip on about a dozen blocks to achieve the more overall gold look I wanted.  If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see the fabrics I used more clearly.

How do you think I should have this quilted?  I am not real good at picking out quilting designs, but I have a new quilter and need to give her some suggestions as to what I like.  I've been choosing a design called Baptist Clams (silly name), which is kind of a cross between Clam Shell and Baptist Fans.  I am thinking an allover design that has some curve to it would compliment the angularity of the blocks.  All suggestions welcome. 

Courthouse Steps -- 7 Blocks to Go

I am almost finished with these Courthouse Steps blocks. I have completed 74 and need a total of 81.  Honestly, I have probably made more than 74, because I keep remaking some of the books that have colors I don't like so much.  When I first started making the blocks, I used a bright orange/rust color that just doesn't gel with the softer golds, tans, browns, blacks, greens and russets.  So I have been taking those blocks down and re-making the ones I can without the bright rust fabric.  There were a few blocks with a certain strident shade of gold that had to go as well.  Maybe I am over-thinking it, but those colors just jangled my nerves so they had to be removed.

I tell you, I will be glad to get this one together.  It takes me forever to construct a block, and nearly as long to choose the five fabrics that will be in each one.  My sewing room is complete chaos, because the only way I can operate is to see ALL the strips at one time.

Have you heard about the latest Moda challenge/sew along?  It is to make a quilt using the Double T block, use exclusively Betsy Chutchian fabrics, and get the top done and posted to Instagram by March 31.  There will be winner/s and cool prizes are promised.  I have a fat quarter bundle of Betsy's Rachel Remembered collection, and am sorely tempted to join in.  Check out the details here.

Are any of you thinking of doing this sew along?  The five week turn around is pretty tight, but what do you think?

 

Pinwheel Puzzle

My little Pinwheel Puzzle quilt is finished.  I think I will put this one on the coffee table in my living room for a more toned down St. Patrick's Day accent.  In fact, I could live with these colors all year long in my house.  The pattern is an old one by Teri Atkinson, and her instructions for this rather tricky layout were very clear and precise.  Each block incorporates fabrics from the neighboring blocks, so one has to keep one's wits about one during construction and assembly.  The small size of the quilt and my design wall were helpful also.

This little quilt measures 16 x 44, which is also the perfect size for a rectangular dining table.

I quilted it with what I call the "Wiggle Stitch", which is #4 on both my Berninas.  I lengthened the stitch length to 2.50.  It is a very forgiving stitch for quilting and makes a nice jigsaw puzzle shape.  My quilting lines are about one inch apart.

Do you find it difficult to find green objects to decorate with?  I have the worst time.  You would think I would at least have more green books I could pull out and use as color accents, but publishers must think a green cover on a book is the kiss of death.  These were the only green things I could find to put out!  Also, have you noticed that greens clash with each other as bad as blues do?  There sure are a lot of shades, and most of them look awful next to the others.  Mother Nature makes it work, but I fail.

Now, to get back to Courthouse Steps.  I seem to be doing anything and everything to procrastinate working on those blocks.  I have about a dozen or so more to make, so I do not know what my problem is.  I am going to have to exercise some will power and just get it done!

 

Tessellations

Over the weekend I started a little tessellating table runner for my coffee table.  I've had the pattern for ages, it's an old Teri Atkinson called Pinwheel Puzzle. I do not think it is currently available, but you may have it in your stash and not even realize it, just like i did.  

Anyway, I wanted just one more green table topper for my coffee table.  We are going into March, right?  And i want to be fully engaged in decorating with green. I played around with a lot of ideas and pretty much had given up when I re-discovered this old pattern in my files.  I rummaged through my bin of green scraps and found 13 different ones that I though went together and got started.

I made a tessellating quilt about ten years ago, and pretty much swore off of them for the rest of my life.  The construction is quite complicated and strained my brain to it utmost capacity.  You see, each block is composed of fabrics not just of its own colors, but of those that are adjacent to it as well.  But the results are so interesting, and I love the effect.

This is the quilt I made ten years ago, and while I still love it, I also still remember how I suffered while I was making it.   It turned out really great, now that I look back on it, but man, was it ever a struggle to make!  It was so difficult for me to keep all the pieces straight and not get something going in the wrong direction.

My little table topper in the first picture may look a little boring, but I wanted to choose shades of green that would look good year long in my living room.  I have a St. Patrick's Day decor in mind for it, but it is so neutral that I know I can use it all through the spring and maybe longer.  Sometimes you want something that gives interest and texture, but isn't too "in your face" in terms of color. 

Check back in a day or two and with any luck I will have finished the table topper and can show you what I mean.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

 

 

 

Chatty Friday

I have a few new books to share.  I have not read them yet, but all three are getting rave reviews.  I know many of you are big Kristin Hannah fans, and enjoyed The Nightingale, which came out a year or so ago.  This new book of hers, The Great Alone, has a very different subject matter, concerning a family hoping to start over in Alaska in 1974.  The terrain and the story are supposed to be equally dramatic.  If it's by Kristin Hannah, you know it is going to be good.

An American Marriage was both my Book of the Month Club selection as well as Oprah's Book Club selection.    Set in the "new South" the story is about a couple's marriage and racial injustice.  If you have been wanting to read more diverse fiction, this sounds like a good place to start.

Finally, my most anticipated book of 2018:  The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock.  This book has not been published in the US yet, only in the UK.  I managed to get my hands on a copy and am thrilled to start reading it.  It is historical fiction, and reviewers are raving about how good it is and how it is certain to win various literary prizes.    The book is described as "a spellbinding tale of curiosity and obsession".   Whew.  Set in London in 1795, the book's characters include Mr. Hancock (widower and lonely merchant), a courtesan, and lots of other earthy characters, including eventually I assume, Mrs. Hancock.  And what brings them all together?  Why a mermaid does.  There is a mystery involved and a bit of magical realism.  It is a nice fat book, nearly 500 pages, and the author's writing is supposed to be amazing.  I cannot wait to dive in to this book.

Just look at that cover on the British edition.  Their covers are almost always better than the US editions!  If you can get your hands on a copy before the September US release date, do try.  Who could stand to wait until September?  If you read it, let me know your thoughts.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Hope your days will include some reading, some sewing and some fellowship.

S'Mores Update

This week I have been focusing on my S'Mores quilt.  S'Mores is a design by Jo Morton, which I first saw on Instagram.  I am switching up my version however.  I am making 4 inch finished square in a square blocks, and will separate them with a tan lattice.  My blocks are all red and brown, with scrappy cream and tan accents.  I will do plain setting triangles from the tan lattice material.

In the photo above, I was experimenting with some lattice fabric, which I really liked, but don't think I have enough of.  Fatquartershop to the rescue, and I am waiting on something pretty darn similar to arrive in the mail.

My blocks are turning out so perfectly, which I credit to the Square in a Square ruler by Creative Grids.

You make your triangles slightly larger than you need and trim after each round.  The ruler has marked squares that you line up with the units in your block before trimming down.  Honestly, they are all coming out great.  I have made 81 blocks so far, and think I will need about twice that.  151 I think.   Since the blocks are 4" finished, but will be set on the diagonal with a 1 1/2" finished lattice, the math is too much for me.  I'd like to end up with a quilt around 76" square.  I will get it up on the larger design wall in a week or so and get it figured out.

I made 40 blocks on Wednesday, which wasn't too bad actually.  Do you notice the little binding clips I have holding some of the blocks together?  I have ten blocks in each clip.  It makes it easy to eyeball how many blocks I have in each color, without having to stop and count the darn things all the time.

 I got that tip from Jayne at Jayne's Quilting Room blog.  Jayne has many very cool projects.  If you don't follow her blog, you might want to stop by, say hi and have a look.  She recently made a blue and white quilt she is calling Snow Shoo, which is awesome.  Two simple alternating blocks (Snowball and Shoo Fly) and you end up with such a beautiful pattern.  I've added it to my TBM (to be made) list.

Did you all have a good Valentine's Day?  We celebrated by having our carpets and sofas cleaned.  lol  So romantic, right?

 

Luck o' the Irish

I am ready for the next holiday!  Over the weekend, I was able to finish up this little table topper for St. Patrick's Day.  It still needs to be quilted, but that shouldn't be a big deal.

The pattern is called Luck o' the Irish by Fons and Porter, and is on their website.  You can download the pdf file for around $7.  I added a second row of squares for the border, as I wanted the quilt to be a bit larger than their pattern.  The stems are appliquéd, but weren't a bother at all.  I used invisible thread and the invisible stitch on the Bernina.  My version of the quilt measures around 16" by 34".  Fons and Porter rates the difficulty level of the pattern as "easy", and I would agree with that.

The fabric collection, which is so seasonal right now, is a jelly roll of Greenery, by Maywood Studios.  The fabric doesn't seem to be in stores yet, which is a shame, with St. Patrick's Day right around the corner.  They claim to be releasing it sometime in February.  I bought the jelly roll from someone on Etsy, who said they picked it up at Quilt Market.  Any greens would work of course, but these fabrics had just that perfect shamrock green.  I have about 3/4 of the jelly roll left over!

Hope you all had a nice weekend, and an extra day off, if Monday was a holiday for you.  Eva was off school so I took her to the movies to see Peter Rabbit.  The movie was sort of cute, but was brought down a notch by some really juvenile scatological humor.  In this grandmother's opinion.

UPDATE:  Fatquartershop just announced the arrival of Greenery today!

New Ironing Station

I have a new ironing station!  I shamelessly copied an Instagram photo Thelma (Cupcakes 'n' Daisies) shared last week.  I dragged my husband to Lowes and we easily found what we needed to create this ironing board and storage shelf.  The entire project took less than a couple of hours to complete, believe it or not.

We got a four tier chrome shelving unit.  They come five tiered, but due to my space constraints, I wanted the 14" shelf depth rather than the deeper shelves offered in the five tiered unit.  The cost for the shelving unit was about $50.  The unit is 37.5" wide, 14" deep and 53" tall when assembled.

 

Obviously you do not want to iron on a surface that is 53" high, unless you are a giant, so some customization of the legs has to be made to make the unit shorter.  My husband used a hacksaw to saw the metal legs down to a height of 37".  He said it was easy, and I took his word for it.

For the top, we needed a board.  We could have used particle board, thick plywood etc, but we found an already cut hardwood board at Lowes.  The one we chose cost around $15. There were various sizes to choose from and we selected one that measured 16" x 48".  It was 3/4" thick, which is important.  You don't want a flimsy board.  The fact that this board was the right size and already cut was a big plus.

While my husband assembled and customized the shelving unit, I covered the board with two layers of quilt batting and a length of fabric.  We used a heavy duty staple gun to turn the edges under and staple the batting and fabric all around the underside of the board.

The finished height of the ironing station is 38" once the board is resting on the top.  We did not secure the board to the shelving unit, as it seems to stay perfectly in place.  I think the two inches of batting and fabric on each underside keeps it from moving.  The board does not slide around, it sits nice and flat and is a wonderfully firm surface for pressing.  

To celebrate that, I picked up my new annual iron!  The T-Fal I got last year worked great for its year of service, so I replaced it with another one (slightly different model) at Walmart.  

I am super excited with this new ironing station, and kept going upstairs to look at it all evening.  I am thrilled not just with the improved ironing surface, but those three shelves are fabulous for storage.