Sister's Choice Quilts

Project Discovery

I was rummaging in my sewing room closet the other day and discovered an old project I had started, who knows how long ago. The project box was labeled "One Block Quilt". Upon further investigation, I learned that I had made over 150 of these little 4-inch blocks. There was no pattern in the box, but I did find my handwritten instructions on how to cut and assemble the blocks. I have no idea where the idea came from, but a niggling memory keeps coming up with the idea that it may have been a Carrie Nelson project.

ADDED LATER:  I searched my blog and found the description of where the idea for this project came from. It is a project that Temecula Quilts came up with. They were doing something called "One Block Wednesday" and this was apparently one of their offerings.

Luckily I also rediscovered that the pressing directions are important, so I will have to go back and press again!

Whew, that box is pretty dusty! The instructions say to use 2-inch strips of fabric, making it a great jelly roll project. I evidently used starched strips from fat quarter pieces because I have two matching strips for each two blocks, rather than one strip cut WOF. I must have dug into my Civil War Repro stash, as that is the theme of the fabric I chose. That is always a favorite for me. 

150 blocks already made seems like quite a lot, but the instructions say I need 357 to make whatever size quilt top I am supposed to end up with. It's a mystery. I will try to keep making these fun little blocks when I have a minute or two and see where I get.

Honestly, you just never know what may turn up when you start rummaging around in your sewing room.

Happy weekend everyone!

Moda Blockheads 5, Week 3

Wednesdays are Moda Blockheads days, and they have not disappointed. This is my Week 3 block, "Stellar Elegance" by Brigitte Heitland of ZenChic. And, guess what? This is a first for Blockheads: a paper-pieced block! It was super fun to make, especially after watching the instructional video that was provided by Anna Dineen. Do you avoid paper-piecing? No worries, a couple of designers provided alternate block options that do not use that method. 


The blocks have been first-rate so far, and I've enjoyed making them. It isn't too late to join in, and the weekly patterns are free. All are designed by Moda designers and there will be a number of setting ideas provided. You can make the blocks in 6-inch or 12-inch sizes, or even both if you like. Fig Tree will be providing a setting using both sizes of blocks. There is also an option to make a smaller-sized quilt or table topper with a holiday theme (Xmas, Halloween), and a second larger quilt with the remaining blocks in another fabric collection. The sky is the limit with this sew-along, and there is plenty of opportunity to exercise personal choices. 

There are so many options to making this quilt, and I get lots of inspiration from seeing what other people are doing. I wanted my block to be slightly more simple looking than the one pictured on the pattern sheet, which I accomplished by focusing on the star shape and using more background fabric to make it stand out. 

I think this is a great sew-along. If you have been thinking of sitting it out, it isn't too late to change your mind or do a smaller project out of it.

 

Frustrating Sewing Day

I have a ton of BasicGrey fabric leftover from my Sampler Spree project and wanted a pattern that would use some more of it up. I have a pattern in mind, created by BasicGrey, called Apple Sauce.
I think the block that is featured is really unusual and wanted to test it out before I launch into making 25 of them.


That block is so interesting, don't you think? So I made one up and it came out just awful!

So, this is just unacceptable. Nearly every single point of the dark blue flying geese units is cut off! Then I tried a second block, and a third one, following the cutting and sewing instructions to the letter. Every one of them turned out the same!

I got out my never-fail 501 Rotary Cut Quilt Block book by Judy Hopkins to see if I could find that block or one that was similar. Sure enough, I did. I compared the cutting directions and sure enough again, the measurements to make the block in the 8-inch size were slightly different than in the BasicGrey pattern.  Specifically, the measurements to make the solid flying geese "sky" triangles were different. (Units D/E in the book illustration).

This is basically the same block as Apple Sauce, but you just need to flip the direction of the flying geese unit around and add corner squares to the center unit "B". I made it according to the book's instructions, and my fourth test block came out without cut-off points. 

I didn't bother to square this block up nicely since I won't be using it, but look: all the solid red points are good and won't be lost in the seam allowance.

I sent BasicGrey an email asking for tips or if they had pattern corrections, but who knows if anyone will answer me? 

Have any of you made this BasicGrey Apple Sauce pattern? Is there some trick to not cutting off those points in the block? I have found a workaround for the problem by using the instructions in my Judy Hopkins book, but man, it is frustrating to spend $10-12 on a quilt pattern and have the block instructions not be right.

Flea Market and Helping Out at the Winery

Everyone must be thoroughly sick of my posting on the endless Sampler Spree blocks, so I will give you all a break from that topic while I wait for my lattice fabric to arrive. In the meantime, I have the blocks all up on my design wall and keep seeing blocks I want to re-make in more effective colors. It is driving me nuts to tell you the truth. I need to leave it alone.

The photo above is the center part of the Flea Market quilt. It has at least two more rounds of blocks to surround the center section, but I think I may only add one more round. I have it all sewn together up to this point and believe I will put it away until closer to spring. The mood of this quilt is rather light-hearted and lends itself more to that time of year in my opinion.

For those of you who don't know, my son-in-law is a winemaker. Right now, it's harvest, and everyone who is able lends a hand to get the grapes processed and turned into wine. That is my granddaughter Eva in the photo above doing something called "punch downs". The grapes have been put into large bins to start the fermentation process, and are releasing lots of juice. The skins and stems of the grapes rise to the surface due to the carbon dioxide produced by fermentation. This cap of material needs to be "punched down" back into the juice to complete the fermentation process.

Yes, it is hard work! But before you contact Child Protective Services, take a look at the smile on our girl's face. She loves helping her daddy. Agribusiness is a family affair. 

 

 

Sampler Spree Blocks are Done!

My 100 Sampler Spree blocks are all done. I actually have probably made 120 blocks, but not all of them made the cut. I put the ones I like best on the design wall, but they will need to be arranged somewhat more. Those two lightning bolt/zig zag blocks on the bottom two rows are way too close together, for instance.

It is amazing how effective taking a photo of your quilt blocks is to show you what needs to be positioned elsewhere!

I showed my husband the photo and his reaction was "Well, that's rather busy". I guess it is, but I think the setting will calm things down a bit. There will be a separation strip of the cream background fabric in between each block, and then the blocks will be latticed in groups of four, which will provide more separation.

It's been a very fun project to work on and I think I will enjoy the finished quilt. I need to order more fabric for the lattices, so I am stalled until that arrives. 

How was your weekend?

 

House Cleaning

I used to have a lovely man who would clean my house once a month. He came with an assistant. The assistant would start in on our primary bedroom and bath, then do the guest room and library. Dusting, vacuuming, floor washing. The boss would start in the kitchen and clean the counters, the stove top, the blinds over the sink, the microwave, the oven etc. Then between the two of them, they would dust and mop the floors, vacuum the stairs, and repeat the process on the second floor. They would even do extra things such as washing windows, cleaning blinds, and dusting ceiling fans. 

It took the two of them about three or four hours to do the job. Then Covid descended upon us and we had to hold off on having them come to clean. Then the lovely man who owned the business decided to retire. By the time lockdown was over, we had no more house cleaners.

Our house is 3400 square feet and has a lot of floors. Carpets in the bedrooms, hardwood and porcelain tile in the foyer and bathrooms. Lots of vacuuming, lots of floor mopping. The floors are the worst of it. Vacuuming carpeted stairs? No thank you. 

My husband said he could do the job. And he has been for the past couple of years. He vacuums, washes floors, cleans the bathrooms. I appreciate it so much, but those extra things just aren't getting done. Window washing hasn't been done in ages, ceiling fans are coated with dust, the baseboards are dingy, mirrors are splotchy, and kitchen cupboards are sticky.  I feel as if things are out of control.

Since I'm not working anymore, I told my husband to relax, I'd take over some of the jobs he had been doing (or not doing...). 

I knew I needed some motivation, so I started watching YouTube videos on house cleaning. Most of the gals who do these cleaning videos are energetic women in their 30s who have three or four kids. It's pretty amazing what they can accomplish. But that's not me. I may not have any kids living at home, but I am in my 70s and don't have the energy I used to have. 

After watching hours of YouTube (when I could have actually been cleaning the darn house), I decided I needed to step up my game. It was kind of like knowing you need to lose weight and reading diet books while you have a snack. But now I'm ready.

I learned a few tips that may make the house cleaning chore a bit easier. The first thing I got was a cordless rechargeable vacuum for the hard floors in the house. These work great in kitchens and bathrooms and anywhere else dust, hair, and debris accumulate. The price range for these things is from $125- to over $600. I got a Eureka at the lower end of the price spectrum and it is charging as I write this. It weighs less than 5 pounds and there is no cord to wrestle with. It has a little canister that shows all the crud the machine is picking up and that you have to empty after use.

Other supplies I got are microfiber cleaning cloths and a special toilet scrubber that gets under the rim and does a splendid job. See the picture at the top of the post? The blue round-shaped sponge on a handle? The one I got is similar in concept to that. Clorox makes them and so does Scotch Brite. They do such a better job than a regular toilet brush.

I also learned a few "hacks" to make some chores less onerous.

If your blinds haven't been attended to in years, you may have to face the music and get on a step stool with a spray bottle of cleaner and some rags. However, once you get your blinds in clean shape, all you need to do is dust them every couple of weeks with a Swiffer. Honestly, I did this and it only takes a minute or two for each window. 

Another idea is to designate a "power hour" a couple of times a week. Set your timer and pick a couple of rooms and do what you can just in that specific area. After an hour, "ding", you're done. 

I am going to see how it goes, and I'll keep you posted. My husband will still help me, particularly with the carpet vacuuming and floor washing. I sure hope we can do this ourselves because hiring it done is so expensive and it is such a pain to get started having someone new in your house and having them do things your way.

Do you have any secrets for keeping up with housework? I'd love to know if you keep to a schedule, hire help to do it for you, just let things be a mess (no judgment), or get other family members to lend a hand. And if you have any cleaning tools or products to recommend, please weigh in!

Sampler Spree Light Blue and Dark Orange Blocks

Monday was productive in the sewing room. I finished my fifteen light blue blocks.

Then I finished my dark orange blocks! Now, I have been working on this project for a couple of years and had many of the blocks already made. For most of my colorways, I only needed to make less than six or so more blocks. I need 15 blocks in each of 7 colorways, and I find it helpful as I near the end of the project to put each color up on the design wall and evaluate if I have repeated fabrics, left out fabrics, or used poor fabric combinations. Some blocks might be eliminated, some might need to be re-made. 

For instance, in the dark orange group, the third block in the second row is kind of "meh". The flying geese would be better if made in a darker orange. I may re-do that one. I have three different Basic Grey collections that work great together: Cider, Persimmon, and Nutmeg. I have plenty of fabric for three quilts! Which isn't happening. LOL

This quilt is going to be incredible once I get it all together. What fun I have been having making the blocks and planning my fabrics and colors.

No post from me tomorrow. I have to go to the Bay Area for my annual physical, so I'll miss a day of posting this week. I hope my doctor will be pleased with me. The good news is, my cholesterol is down to normal, which I attribute to my recent weight loss. Yay. That is a first in over 20 years! I'm getting my flu shot too. 

So, we'll meet up on Thursday and talk about house cleaning, a subject that is weighing on my mind. 

 

Brown Blocks for Sampler Spree QAL All Done!

This Saturday I finished all the brown blocks for the Sampler Spree Quilt Along. Going forward, I am going to work on finishing up the blocks for each color one at a time. That way I can be sure not to duplicate fabrics too much, or leave out anything good. It's fun to see them all together. I have seven different "colors" (navy, light blue, teal, gold, light orange, dark orange, and brown). I plan on making 15 blocks of each color for the quilt top.

I did veer away from the Sampler Spree book for four of the blocks shown above. I have a Judy Hopkins block book that has instructions for making tons of blocks in various sizes which I used for inspiration and measurements. If you don't have a quilt block pattern book with loads of block ideas, it might be a good idea to get one. 

In other news, the big event of the weekend was Eva's first 7th grade dance, which had a 70's theme. I am so proud of how well she was able to nail the outfit. I'm pretty sure I had a blouse that was just like hers back in the day. She said she had a great time, but that "it was really loud".

I hope your weekend was excellent. I spent mine sewing and planning on how I am going to take charge of cleaning my house. More on that later this week.

 

Moda Blockheads 5 Has Begun!

I am very excited about the latest Moda Blockheads sew along. I pulled all my fabrics from my stash, didn't have to buy a thing. I chose colors that give me a pumpkin spice latte vibe, in butternut, black, rust, orange, and cheddar. Are you sewing along? The patterns are free, so at least be sure to download the latest one every Wednesday!


This is the first official block to kick off the sew-along. It is "Bright Star" by designer Betsy Chutchian. Betsy made the block entirely out of half-square triangles and squares, but I am a flying geese girl and substitute those in when I can. Joanna Figueroa did her version with flying geese and what she calls "ribbon blocks". A ribbon block is essentially the same as a flying geese unit, only with the corner squares sewn on to form a diagonal of center fabric rather than a triangle. 

All of the blocks in the sew-along are supposed to have some sort of star design, which would make this sew-along fun to do in Christmassy fabrics. 

I think things are off to a good start!
 

 

4 More Sampler Spree Blocks

This is all I have to show for my day yesterday. I puttered a bit in the morning, walked Archie, and read for a couple of hours. After lunch I made the four blocks you see above. I noticed I was low on my Teal and Light Orange blocks so decided to concentrate on making more of those. 

The book I am reading is The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger, which is so good. It was just a bit slow to start, but I am so engrossed in it now. It is both a mystery and a portrait of mid-century American life in Minnesota, with characters you will remember long after the book is over. Set in the decade after WW2, this book contains flawed characters, who are deeply relatable. Not sure just yet how it will all be resolved, but if you enjoy a literary mystery with amazing description of scenery and carefully drawn-out characters, give this book a try.

Tomorrow is the first official block of Moda Blockheads, so check in with me to see my fabric pull and first block!