Sister's Choice Quilts

Lucky Charms

Just look at this gorgeous fabric! It is called Lucky Charms and is by Andover Fabrics. It isn't easy to find a collection of such great greens, so I am super happy to have bought it. I have no idea what I'll make with it, but there are 24 fat quarters, so I think I'll make a full-sized quilt. The fact that it features shamrocks doesn't faze me in the least. I have the Irish connection, so I think I could use it year-round. 

The prints are all very small, so it isn't "in your face" St. Patrick's. I ordered the bundle from Shabby Fabrics.  

In other news, I did get my rows of the Take It Easy quilt top sewn together. Now just to assemble the border!

I took out most of the offending crooked print strips. If you look closely you might find one or two crooked ones left, but they don't bother me too much. Well, there might be one I still need to fix...

Take It Easy

Well, friends, it seems that I may indeed finish a UFO for the month of January! I picked the Take It Easy quilt project I had started heaven knows how long ago, and tackled finishing up the blocks. All blocks are made, and all border blocks are made. This week, actually today and tomorrow I plan to get these all sewn together into a quilt top.

It feels very gratifying to actually check something off my "To Do" list!

However. I noticed that there is one print that when not cut out straight is crazy-making in its "Offness". I don't think I can stand having it in the quilt top. I have a date with my seam ripper tomorrow and plan to replace the more crooked strips. If you enlarge the photo, I bet you will see what I am talking about. Third row, second and fourth blocks for instance. It's the print with the diamond pattern. Some are cut straight and look fine, while others are on a slant that is quite noticeable. 

Did you all have a good weekend? Was it All Football, All the Time? That is pretty much the story of what was going on at my house. No matter, I didn't get much sewing done, but I sure did plow through some good books. Looks like I will finish 14 books for January, which I believe is a record for me.  I will be sure and do a review of the best of them in the upcoming week or so. 

I made a really good batch of chile con carne for dinner on Sunday night and spent some time writing some goals down in my journal. I do not know how it happened (yes I do), but I have gained 8 pounds since early December. I have been enjoying way too many baked goods and after-dinner snacks. I've worked out a plan to drink more water, walk 4 or 5 times a week, eat salad for lunch, and consume nothing after dinner. How did you do with weight gain over the holidays? Is it an issue for you, or do you manage to stay the same?

Designer Mystery 2022 Alternate Block #1

Yesterday I got started making one of the alternate setting blocks for the Designer Mystery 2022 Sew Along sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop. The setting for this quilt is gorgeous, featuring alternate blocks such as the Ohio Star above, and some darker Log Cabin blocks. This quilt will be a stunner when it's done.

This block was the eighth in the series. Four more to go. I thought I'd get a jump on those alternate blocks rather than saving them all up for the end. Each block has a frame around it as well, so that's another task I could tackle.

Thanks to Sandy KN for the suggestions of quilt shops to visit in the Tuscon area. If anyone else wants to weigh in, my friend hasn't left for her trip yet, so there's still time. It's been a while since I have been to a brick-and-mortar quilt shop, how about you?

Have a great weekend everyone.

Tackle Those UFOs

Have you made a list of your UFOs and started tackling them? My January UFO is Take It Easy, a jelly roll quilt pattern by Primitive Gatherings. I started it a couple of years ago and it has been sitting in a project box half finished for a while. 

I do love a red and white quilt, and think this one may be a gift for one of my brothers-in-law. A quilt I made for my sister that he always loved has been damaged by his dogs and he asked me if I could replace it. I think he would like this one. Actually, she would have liked it too. She was always so appreciative of the quilts I gave her.

At any rate, I digress. I finished all the blocks for this project and plan to see if I can sew them together this weekend. I have a major tip for any of you who plan to make this quilt:

TRIM YOUR BLOCK UNITS AS YOU SEW.

Because of the nature of jelly rolls, I was dealing with more variation in the width of the strips than I would have had I cut 2 1/2 inch strips out of yardage. Consequently, I don't think two of those block units came out quite the same size. They were real close, but not precise. 

I did trim the final 12 1/2 inch blocks to size, but I sure would be happier with these blocks had I trimmed each of the block units as I made them. Construction is super simple, although you can get mixed up as to the placement of the 2 1/2 inch square in each unit if you aren't careful. 

This is what the finished quilt top will look like. 

Say, I have a question for you all. I have a friend who is taking a trip to Tuscon, Arizona next week. She would love to visit any quilt shops in the general Tuscon area. Can any of you make a recommendation? She would sure appreciate it!

Sewcialites 2 Progress

These are the first 12 blocks I've made in the Sewcialites 2 sew-along. I think I swapped out one block I didn't like with a different 9-inch quilt block pattern. Middle row, last on the right I think. I am using the Flower Pot collection by Lella Boutique for Moda. The navy blue colorway in the line didn't make sense to me, so I left it out. I plan to use it in another project, so it won't go to waste.

Now that I have cleared off my large design wall I can lay them out and get a feel for how I am distributing my colors throughout the blocks. I also want to get started on making my setting blocks for the finished quilt top, and seeing them all in one fell swoop gives me a feel for placement. 

I am going with this layout. There are 24 blocks in the sew-along, but don't you think those four red corner stars are begging for a block to be inserted in the center? Me too. Guess I need to get busy and make four more blocks.

Are you doing this sew-along? What fabric are you using?

Storing Patterns in Binders

A couple of you asked me about how I store my patterns in binders. It all started with the first Sewcialites Sew Along. Fat Quarter Shop offered a Sewcialites binder for storing all the printed free patterns for the project. I loved the idea and bought it.

I've been storing recipes that I print off the internet in binders for years, so I don't know why I didn't think to store my sew-along printouts in them as well. Inside my Sewcialites binder, I have the printed patterns from a couple of other sew alongs. I quickly ran out of room in just one binder. Now I have four binders that I have purchased from Amazon and Staples. With all the free patterns I printed out for the Moda Blockheads sew-alongs, you can believe I filled up several binders quickly.


It is becoming a lot more common these days to purchase PDF files of quilt patterns online and print them out yourself. There is usually no monetary savings in doing that, but at least you have immediate access to the pattern and don't have to wait for it to come in the mail. I had a ton of Pattern Basket patterns that were just sitting in a stack. With a hole punch and a binder, you can organize them in a jiffy.


Which is exactly what I did last weekend when I wanted to make this cute heart table runner I saw somewhere. The pattern "Let's Play Hearts" is by Atkinson Designs. You can purchase it online, print it out, and make the runner in a few hours. Instant gratification.


Binders are a great way to organize your free printouts from sew alongs, as well as PDF files of patterns you purchase online. I can't tell you how many times I have bought a PDF pattern twice because I couldn't find the original one I bought in my computer files. 

How do you organize your printouts and purchased patterns?

 

 

 

 

 

Mahalo Mini Quilt

I do love seasonal sewing projects, and I also love a mini quilt/table topper. When the two worlds collide, as they did this weekend, you get some great results. The quilt pattern is Mahalo Mini by Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life
You can download the PDF pattern for under $7. And how cute is that?

I used a variety of Valentine-themed fabrics for my project, but the pattern says a charm pack will work. The pattern gives directions for two piecing options: curved piecing or applique. 

I opted to do machine applique. I made a triple layer of freezer paper template (surprisingly sturdy) and applied spray starch with a little brush to the edges before turning them over the curved edge of the template. I was pretty happy with how nice each one turned out. Each template is good for about three applications of starch, then the edges start to get soft and soggy.

It's been a couple of years since I have done any machine applique, so it took me a while to get up to speed. Jeesh, what a trial that was. Once I remembered the technique and machine settings I was good to go. I used a blind stitch and invisible thread on the top.

This is not a beginner project by any means, and I sure wouldn't want to do a full-sized quilt with this block! I enjoyed the challenge though and would make this mini quilt again in a variety of colorways appropriate for other holidays or seasons. Sherri's instructions are excellent. A 30°triangle ruler helps with the cutting, but if you don't have one, she includes a template in the pattern

The 14" size is just perfect for the end of my kitchen peninsula, where I like to keep a vase of flowers and a candle. I know I will enjoy this little piece for years to come. 

Hope you all had an excellent weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed myself up in the sewing room.

Not Much Sewing, Some Reading

I don't have much to share this week, sadly. My work assignments have been taking up all my time, so there hasn't been much sewing. I did finish a Designer Mystery block, but that is all I've managed.

I am listening to an excellent audiobook. Dominicana by Angie Cruz is a backlist title from 2019 that I've been meaning to get to. My reading resolution this year was to read the books on my shelves. The title is free with Kindle Unlimited right now. The book was shortlisted for the American Women's Prize for Fiction in 2020.

This book is Ana's story, which takes place in the Dominican Republic and New York City in the mid '60s. In a transactional arrangement, Ana is married off at the age of 15 to a man more than twice her age who moves her to New York City. You can't help but root for Ana as she tries to figure out life in a new country where she doesn't speak the language and is confused by just about everything she sees. As Ana's matures, her greatest desire is to be independent. She wants to go to school, she wants to make money, she wants to get out of the house and away from her domineering husband. Her life is anything but the American Dream, but she has big plans to change that. The book is charmingly written, but the deeper subject matter of the harsh realities of the immigration experience and how it affects the personal desires and opportunities of the individual will make you think.

Have a great weekend everyone. Hope to be back on Monday morning with some sewing to show you!

Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread

We were fortunate over the holidays to receive a gift basket from Harry and David's. They are known for their amazing holiday gift assortments, which often contain a selection of perfect pears. We have been enjoying the contents of the gift basket over the holidays and into January. After eating all the cheeses, crackers, chocolates, and other goodies, we were down to two remaining pears. 

Years ago I used to make Upside-down Pear Gingerbread, which is similar in concept to Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Only better. Of course, I couldn't find my recipe, so I "Googled" it and sure enough, I found several recipes that I thought were similar if not the same as the one I used to make.

Eva, my husband, and I had a lovely afternoon snack. I can tell this isn't going to last long.

Here is a link to the recipe I used, which is by Taste of Home. I've had good luck with their recipes and this was no exception. It was delicious! Let me know if you try it!

A Well Loved Quilt

Well, this quilt has been well-loved. I made it for my nephew probably 20 years ago and he has definitely used it. 

We were at my father's house this past weekend to go through closets, books, and other possessions for donation, and the subject of quilts I had given to the family came up. My brother-in-law was telling me that his dogs had damaged a quilt I had made for my sister. She loved the quilt and it had been on their bed for years. Since she has passed away, the quilt had special meaning to him. It has been so long that I couldn't recall which quilt it was that he was talking about. (That is a sign of making a lot of quilts over the years!) I asked him to text me a photo of the quilt in question and that I would try to replicate it for him.

Then my nephew brought out the quilt in the photo above. I encourage you to enlarge the photo to get the full scope of the condition.

Sometimes we quilters complain that the people we give our quilts to don't appreciate them enough, or the effort that went into making them. I'd say the lack of verbal appreciation is offset by what your eyes tell you when you see one of your quilts loved to smithereens. 

I have to say, it's kind of fascinating to see the anatomy of a quilt after all this time. 

Anyway, it looks like I have some new quilting assignments coming up in the near future.