Sister's Choice Quilts

Lots of Red Sampler Progress

I am really coming along with the Red Sampler blocks this week. Not too many more to go. I realized last week that each of those blocks needs to be framed with strips of background fabric. Luckily several Etsy sellers had the fabric, so I have been ordering it. Those Etsy vendors typically are super fast at mailing things out. 

I am really relaxed this week. Eva is at science camp. It is windy and rainy, so I hope she isn't going to be washed out poor thing. She was so excited to go. Lots of hiking and campfires and so on. And the whole staying in a cabin with your friends is too fun.

She is so grown up. I do not know how that happened so fast.

This is an audiobook I finished the other day. Have any of you read it? It is being heavily hyped on Instagram and other places. The author was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for her last book, so everyone has been waiting with bated breath for this one. And I thought it was kind of badly done.

Basic plot summary: former alum returns to her high school boarding school to teach a couple of classes as an adult. When she was at this school as a kid, her roommate was murdered and a man was convicted of the crime. Our main character suspects a miscarriage of justice and is determined to have the right guy convicted, even if it's been over 20 years. 

My issues were that one, the book was far too long. Like 75 pages too long. Two, there were too many characters to keep track of. Then there was a side-story romance of the main character and some guy that added zero to the story and could easily have been left out. Next, the ending was a real letdown. And worst of all, the narrator of the audiobook kept mispronouncing the name of one of the important characters. The last name Daugherty is NOT pronounced "Dog-er-tee". The G is silent for heaven's sake. It is "Door-tee". She said it wrong about a hundred times. Ok, my rant is over. 

Did you read this? What did you think?

Which of These Blocks Is Better?

Which of these blocks looks better? I already know because I did a little experiment for you dear readers. I wanted to show you what a difference contrast and value can make. The block on the left looks sharp and clear and the block on the right is a muddy hodgepodge that your eye can't make sense of.

Large prints, although beautiful, can be very tricky to work with. And prints that have fussy details or that just read "busy" are difficult to incorporate into quilt blocks. 

The block on the right is not successful mainly because the rust floral print of the pinwheel is too large and has too much going on in it. What is the dominant color? Is it rust, is it gold, is it pink? It is difficult to read. The rust used in the block on the left reads almost as a tone on tone, and that darker value of the rust fabric really makes the pinwheel stand out.

(Good contrast)

The green dot in the right-hand block isn't bad, but when you compare it to the green used in the block on the left, it seems a bit wishy-washy. The green in the lefthand block reads more solid and contrasts more sharply with the rust fabric used in the pinwheel.

The gold print in the right-hand block seems like a fussy afterthought. The small taupe print for the inner pinwheel in the left-hand block is subtle and doesn't fight with the other fabrics. I think it is possible that the gold could have actually worked in place of the taupe in the left-hand block, but I think it would tend to steal the thunder of the rust pinwheel, which is the element we want to stand out. The lighter tonal value of the taupe works better.

(Poor contrast)

When I am quiltmaking, I am leaning more and more towards small prints that read as solids. How about you? Do you ever regret your fabric combinations? Do you enjoy using large-scale prints in your piecing?

Fun Weekend Sewing

I have needed a new mat for my laptop computer for the longest time. I've made do with doilies or old table mats, but I got the notion to make myself something cute this weekend. 

I've been watching some of Lori Holt's YouTube videos on scrap busting and that led to me browsing through a few of her excellent quilting books, which are chock full of cute quilt block patterns. I literally pulled scraps from my stash bins and picked out three of her adorable block patterns and started sewing. I love how the apple and apple core mat turned out. It is a shame to cover it up with my computer!

Here's a closer look. You can tell I did the quilting myself. It is so strange how the results seem better when the quilting is a lot closer together. Maybe the lines are easier to follow or something. I don't know, but it turned out pretty well.

The little dahlia mug rug is cute too, but I was really rushing to finish this one. My piecing is ok, but I should have slowed down when I was sewing down the binding. Oh well, it makes a cute set on my desk and I will enjoy using them over the next while.

My progress on the Red Sampler Blocks has slowed down because I realized that I need a heck of a lot more background fabric and have to wait for it to come in the mail. It turns out all those red sampler blocks have to be framed in background fabric. Yikes. Luckily I found what I needed online. While I'm at it I should buy the border fabric before it is all sold out! Thank goodness you can order just about anything online. Remember in the old days if your local quilt shop didn't have it anymore you were out of luck? Now you can hardly even find a local quilt shop.

Hope you had a good weekend. I finished a couple of books and should do a review of what I have read lately for you this week. 

March UFO, and Probably April and May too

Now that my green Don't Fence Me In quilt is a finish, I thought I had better stick to my goals and pick a UFO to work on for March. As I went through my bins of UFOs, I came to a halt when I saw my red blocks from the Lori Holt/Bee In My Bonnet Red Sampler Quilt Sew Along. That was it, for sure. I checked my notes and figured I was on Week Nine. I got out my fabrics and stitched away happily on the three blocks for that week. 

Then I thought it would be nice to lay all the blocks I'd made so far out on the design wall and enjoy them all together in their red wonderfulness.

Oops. So, not on Week Nine. Yes, friends, this is what happens when you set aside a project for a year or more. You get all mixed up and don't know where you are. Darn it. Clearly, I need to go through all the blocks I have made so far and figure out where I am. 

I did make this little guy though, and he is as cute as can be. I was supposed to have made him for an earlier week, but as I recall I was having trouble finding the instructions. Lori said the center block was from her Granny Square book, but she made it in a different size and then added star points so everything finished at a 6 inch block. Ok. That took some research and watching her YouTube tutorial and figuring out that she was using 1 1/2 inch pieces instead of the 2" ones in her book, and I needed 2 x 3 1/2" flying geese...You see what I mean. It came out great in the end though. If any of you are confused as I was as to how the heck to make this block, email me and I will tell you the measurements of all the pieces. 

Here's what they call the "beauty shot". Look at all those pretty blocks. After seeing how cute they are, if you are inspired to make this quilt, the instructions are on Lori Holt's Bee In My Bonnet website, all organized and everything, week by week. You do need at least three of her books to make the blocks though. 

She also has YouTube videos showing her progress. And Fat Quarter Shop has a fat quarter bundle of Lori's reds to get you started. It seems like a good deal for $65.

So there you are. I will get myself up to speed on this project and look forward to sharing my progress with you. It is a sixteen-week sew-along (you make several blocks a week in 12" and 6" sizes) and I figure I am at least half way done. 

Don't Fence Me In Finished Blocks

"Don't Fence Me In", a pattern by Carrie Nelson/Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. Fabric is Lucky Charms by Andover Fabrics. I finished my 81 blocks! These blocks are so fast and easy and I highly recommend this block for a scrappy quilt in just about any colorway. 

I hope to sew all the blocks together this week. I will. I will. Only I got distracted by an idea to use up the remaining Lucky Charms fabric to make a tiny table topper. I looked through my patterns and found one I liked.

Once again, I chose a Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. pattern. I ought to be able to use up every smidgen of that green fabric. This is a "Little Bites" pattern called "Grain". Carrie's Little Bites patterns are the same concept as her Schnibbles patterns: patterns for small table toppers. Only Little BItes are super tiny, most around 18-20". I am making the version on the bottom, which finishes at about 20 inches square. Just the perfect size for that spot at the end of my kitchen peninsula where I like to put a candle or a vase of flowers.

I happily started making four patches while listening to a book review podcast, and before I realized it I made over 80 of them, which is way more than I need. Oh well. I can pick and choose the ones I like best for the design, right? It will be fine. 

I'll keep you posted as to how this little side distraction is going. Won't it be cute for St. Patrick's Day? 

Sewcialites Blocks 14, 15, and 16

 I let myself fall behind in the Sewcialites sew along and played catch up this past Saturday. Blocks 14 and 15 were the easiest ever, but 16 took some time. I am happy with how it turned out in spite of all the pieces and points to match up.

Surprisingly, it was the easier block, number 14 that I am not happy with. I was sure I cut that text fabric straight, but apparently not. 

Now, that's going to bug me. At least it is an easy do-over. 

I hope your week is going well. My sisters and I worked at our father's house this weekend and sorted through old check statements and other documents our parents had saved since 1980. That was fun. Not. Next we are going to try to get rid of their furniture to clear out the house so some repairs can be made and it can be "staged". 

I am continuing to listen to celebrity memoirs, having decided Matthew Perry's train wreck life story "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" wasn't worth finishing. I moved on to Gabrielle Union's "We're Going To Need More Wine". I am not real familiar with her work, but she grew up in a town near Palo Alto, so I was intrigued. She is a feisty one, but her story is interesting. She does a lot of work with victims of sexual assault which is admirable. 

Some recommendations for worthwhile celebrity memoirs I have gotten from readers are "The Boys" by Ron Howard,"Becoming" by Michelle Obama", "Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox, "How To Stitch An American Dream" by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilts. Let us know in the comments if you have any favorite memoirs.

Don't Fence Me In Block Progress

My sewing was a bit derailed last week, but I am making some progress on my Don't Fence Me In blocks. This is a really fun block to make and you can make a nice little stack of them in no time flat. I've been working assembly style, making the rail fence units first, then choosing my surrounding triangle fabric.

I've been working randomly, just picking up whatever my hand hits. This will undoubtedly come back to bite me when I have a dozen blocks left to make and only have black strips or light triangles left. I don't care. I love the freedom this type of piecing gives me. Working without a plan suits me right now.

While I do this rather mindless piecing, I have been listening to celebrity memoirs. I finished "Finding Me" by Viola Davis a week or so ago. What a challenging childhood that woman had! She has definitely worked hard to get where she is, and best of all has come to accept herself as being attractive and worthy. Last week I finished "In Pieces" by Sally Field. I found her tone a bit whiny, but she too had a childhood with some serious issues. The book is really about her relationship with her mother. The memoir I am listening to this week is Matthew Perry's "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing".  He obviously is very charming and has a self-deprecating sense of humor. He also comes across as very self-absorbed (I know, it's a celebrity memoir, so I should expect that), and dealing with some very serious issues relating to his addiction. He comes across as kind of mean and very cocky. He says some trying-to-be-funny things about Keanu Reeves that are just cruel. The jury is still out on this one.

Do you enjoy memoirs? What are some good ones in your opinion?

Don't Fence Me In Quilt Pattern

Just a quick post today to show my pretty green rail fence blocks. The pattern is Don't Fence Me In by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. (I mistakenly called it Gazebo in an earlier post). The fabrics are called Lucky Charms, which I got online from Shabby Fabrics. I got all the fabric cut out and just had to make a few test blocks. I have 90 to make in all for the quilt top.

The blocks go together like a dream. You make the rail fence section, then attach the four outer triangles, which are then trimmed down to an 8" square quilt block. 

I am using a Creative Grids ruler called "Perfect 10" to trim up the blocks. You line the 4 inch line up at all four points of the Rail Fence unit and trim away the excess on all four sides. Every block is coming out just right. You can use the ruler to trim blocks up to 10 inches.

Hope everyone is having a splendid week.

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?

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!