Sister's Choice Quilts

Catching Up With UFOs

All the blocks for the Double Nine Patch quilt are finished.  In fact there are enough blocks leftover to make another half a quilt because I took out all the dark brown fabrics.  This involved a lot of ripping, but I decided I just didn't like the look of the dark brown nine patches.  Now I am left with just dark blue nine patches in the quilt top.

This is my discard pile of dozens and dozens of dark brown nine patches.  The reason for this OCD compulsion to remove them was due to an idea that without the dark brown, the quilt would be "lightened up" some what.  I am not at all sure I achieved that, especially when viewed from a distance.  However, I did find some border fabric that plays much better with the dark blue fabrics.

Isn't that pretty?  It is even from the same collection as many of the dark blue fabrics I used.  I found it in the tub that held the kit I originally purchased a few years ago and never got around to making.  Evidently the border fabric was included in the kit, lucky me.

I plan to sew the blocks together today and with any luck, get the borders on.

Hope you all had a great weekend.  I spent mine sewing and unsewing in nearly equal amounts.  Sigh.

In Case You Were Wondering...

With all the projects I have going on right now, you may be wondering if Nicole is a big old Starter, but not a Finisher.  

Over a year ago I started a project called Into the Wind, a Miss Rosie pattern featuring one million flying geese.  Well, maybe not that many, but a lot.  I ended up putting this project away because the color placement was driving me nuts.  You all have heard me say that it makes me twitchy to have the same fabrics touching in a quilt, and no matter how I tried, I was having a lot of that happen in this quilt top.  

Furthermore, I just could not wrap my head around the color placement of the blocks themselves.  I just had to put it away.  Every time I worked on it I had a head ache.

This is a photo of the blocks I had made up to the end of April 2016.  As I completed each one, I was laying the blocks out straight, just to get them up on the design wall.   In the pattern directions, there is a very complex (to me) diagonal layout.  Every time I looked at that diagonal layout, my brain shut down.  I think if you are making this quilt and are feeling confused and bogged down, you could absolutely go with a straight set as in my photo above and have a wonderful looking quilt.  It looks ok, right?

The diagonal layout, as called for in the pattern, is definitely a mind bender, but I think it will be visually so interesting and complex when sewn together, that I will be glad I stuck with it.  So I dragged out the UFO box and gave it another look.

Over the past weekend, I finished the full blocks, the side blocks and the corner blocks.  You see, when you set this quilt diagonally, you actually have three different blocks that you are laying out, plus pieced setting triangles.  I told you it was complex.

I resurrected this UFO, and spent many hours on Sunday concentrating on how to lay out the blocks for optimum color placement.  I did a good amount of un-sewing to get the look I wanted.  

I think this is going to be a winner when I get the top stitched together.  I have four of the seven diagonal rows sewn and am happy with what I see.  I am at a stopping point though, as I was short of some of the yellow fabrics I needed for the pieced setting triangles.  The extra yellows have been ordered and when they arrive, I will make those setting triangles and get this bad boy finished!

Stay tuned, I think this one may be a surprise finish.

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Red Pineapple Comes Out of Hiding

A lot of bloggers have been talking about 2016 being the year to finish up those UFOs that are at the back of the closet.  A project I started a few years ago, that definitely deserves a finish is my Red Pineapple project.  I pulled it out and had a look to see where I was in the process.  I had made 13 blocks using my stash of French General reds and pinks.  

I am not sure why I put this away.  The blocks do take quite a bit of time to assemble, with 10 rounds of strips in each. 41 pieces of fabric in each block.  I'd guess making one block takes me around two hours.  I started the project using a special Pineapple Block Ruler, and the results were pretty good, once I got the hang of positioning it properly for trimming the strips.  My friend Thelma was making the same project (at least three years ago), but doing hers with paper piecing.  I think her results were more accurate.  She finished her quilt of course, and I put my blocks away.

Well, it's back out now, and I have made three more blocks for a total of 16.  My first block finish after the long hiatus was a full half inch smaller than it was supposed to be, so obviously I need to perfect my use of the ruler.  The next two blocks came out at a precise 12 1/2 inches unfinished.

I am going to keep at this one until I have a full sized quilt.  It is just too spectacular a quilt not to be finished and used.

My sincere thanks to all of you who wrote me condolence notes on the loss of our sweet Grandpa Larry.  I truly appreciate the kind words so much.  Gosh, remember four years or so ago when he broke his leg and you all send him get well cards?  He must have received around 100 cards!  He was so blown away by all the attention.  "Who are these people?" he kept asking me at the time.  "Just my blogging friends", I told him.  Well, you are my blogging friends indeed, and I treasure every one of you.

What Do You Know?

It all started out in the garage, where I store labeled bins of my fabric stash.  I have a couple of metal shelving racks that hold the bins very nicely, with some spaces in-between.  My problem is, my husband sees those little empty places on the shelves as an invitation to plop some completely non fabric item in them.  My shelves were looking so messy and so -- random-- with all his junk interspersed with my bins.

So, in a little pique of annoyance, I started re-organizing things, and removing all his stuff from MY shelves.     Way up on the top shelf was an unlabeled bin with hardly anything in it.  Harrumph, thought I, what a waste of a bin.  I got it down off the shelf, opened it up, and discovered 72 completed quilt blocks I thought had gotten lost in one of our moves.  Well, it turns out, they had gotten lost but now were found.

These blocks are all from the Ashcombe pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company.  Five years ago I went on a retreat/class with two friends and this quilt was the class project.  I had been collecting Civil War Reproduction fabrics in shades of lavender and purple and decided to use them in this project.

Usually I am pretty pleased with my fabric choices for my projects, but this is one time I believe I failed.  Individually these fabrics are so pretty, but when combined in this rather busy block design, they look murky.  Somewhat disappointed with the look of the colors, I put the blocks up and forgot about them until this little discovery.  Love them or not, the blocks were all done, so I figured I should sew them together.  I got my rows all sewn on Saturday and this week will connect the rows and finish the top.  

No plans as to how to use it, but it's always good to have a spare quilt top around for a gift, right?

What I Didn't Finish in 2014

 

I thought it would be fun do something a little different regarding my 2014 projects.  I am sharing what I Did Not Finish this past year, along with excuses comments on why I put the project away and what my plan is for a finish.  FIrst up are the quilts I really will complete.

First up is Scrappy Trip.  I put this away because it felt too random for me.  I was thinking I would prefer it with a consistent round of red on the outer pattern of each square.  In retrospect, I think the "randomness" is nice and I will definitely be putting this quilt at the top of my UFO's to finish list.  

I truly thought my Dresden Plate quilt would have made it to a finish in 2014.  The reason this is still in the works is an issue with the background fabric.  I have all my blocks done, and all that remains is to construct the lattices and borders.  The problem is, I have no idea what I did with the reserved background fabric.  I was pretty sure it was Moda's "Fig Tree Cream", so I ordered more yardage.  When it came, it is just a bit off.  I think I just need to make up my mind that a man going by on a bus wouldn't notice the difference in the dye lot and just put the darn thing together.

This is Flowering Snowball, a quilt I absolutely will finish in 2015.  A dear friend gave me these delicious Kaffe Fasset pink fabrics and I ordered a Flowering Snowball template to make the blocks.  The quilt ultimately will go to my Queen of Pink, Eva.  I love making the blocks and think the overall effect is fabulous.  

Give It Your Best Dot, a pattern from an APQ magazine.  I will finish this one.  I just got excited about getting started with the Quick Curve Ruler and put this one away.
 

Sigh.  I know.  This is Victory Star.  I love the blocks, and it is a major guilt trip for me that this doesn't have the star border on yet.  The color palette is just so drab.  I think it is the golden tan background fabric of the blocks that I don't love.  I need to finish this.  It will be beautiful quilted and folded over a leather chair in the library.

This is my Pineapple Quilt made from my entire stash of red and cream French General fabrics.  This may be a Lifetime Work, as it takes forever to make a block.  I just get bored with working on it for any really prolonged period of time.  The finished results will be an heirloom worthy treasure, so I need to at least vow to make a block or two every month and get this together.

This next quilt is one that may or may not ever get finished.

 

It is Maison Bleue, a quilt I made with a fabric collection I loved and have hoarded for years.  I got bogged down when I was arranging the blocks.  I just could not get a pleasing arrangement to save my life.  I still do like the fabric and the block design is very nice, so I really should make this one a Finish.  Perhaps if I get the blocks out and throw them up on the design wall, everything will come together.  I could also pick my favorite blocks and make a big table runner for my Dad's enormous dining table.  

Finally, here are three quilts that will not be finished ever, at least in their current format.

Don't be shocked.  I have made four or five of these hand appliqued Orange Peel blocks using an amazing fabric collection I adore.  I just do not have it in me to do a hand applique project that will take me a year or more to complete.  I love the Orange Peel block however and am going to figure out how to piece or applique this block on the machine.  This fabric collection is Fancy by Lily Ashbury and is too gorgeous to waste.

This was my biggest fail of 2014.  A tragedy in fact.  This was a Quick Curve Ruler project that I took liberties with.  I changed up the pattern with disasterous results.  Nothing came together, and the quilt was a complete mess.  I could not live with it and didn't have the strength to try to fix it.   I threw it in the garbage.  Yes I did.

Last is Canned Pears.  I made all the blocks, which I found fussy to construct, and just do not feel the love. They will not be going together to make a quilt that will live at my house.

So there you have it, What I Didn't FInish in 2014.

Surprise Blocks=New Quilt

I was out in the gargage rummaging around, looking for a nice large bin for all my new happy fabrics, when this project practically fell on my head.  Years ago, two houses and a lifetime ago, I began this applique project with some Fig Tree fabrics my friend Lisa sent me.  I was so shocked to find that the four applique blocks were already completed, and all the units for the other blocks in the top had been cut out.

Intrigued, I took the project box up to my sewing room, and had a closer look.

Oh.  I really am not that fond of this method for making flying geese units, but a commitment had been made, so I had to go with it.  (I prefer to make my units larger and trim them down with Monique Dillard's Fit to be Geese ruler).

You can see by the photo, if you cut on the drawn line, and flip up the corner square, you will have two flying geese units.  Actually, this method provides you with four matching flying geese.  I used to love making them this way until I discovered the joys of accuracy using Monique's ruler.

I got to work, and in no time, I had a good number of the blocks finished.  The photo below shows what I had accomplished by the end of the day Friday.

I spent all day Saturday sewing.  Didn't leave the house, stayed in my house slippers all day long.  And by 5:00 PM Saturday this is what I had finished!

There is a pieced border, which hopefully I can get together this week.

I have to add----I had forgotten how much I dislike working with triangles.  All those bias edges.  Ugh.  This pattern calls for surrounding each star block with borders of pieced triangles, and the outer border is all pieced triangles.  Really annoying.  Piecing blocks with bias edge triangles makes me feel like a complete amateur.  I hate that.  Lots of fudging, tugging and pinning to make things line up. That being said, the quilt is pretty cute, and as Grandma Higgins would have said, "A man going by in a bus would  never notice any imperfections".

 

Victory Star Block Units

Here is my Victory Star block, which is comprised of two different units and a solid center square.  The units are not very complicated, but when you are first making a block, you do have to concentrate a bit on what you are doing, and particularly the direction you are sewing your "sew and flip" corner blocks.

I am sure most of you have used the sew and flip method, but here is a photo to demonstrate what that is all about:

Draw a diagonal line on the corner square and stitch right on top of it.  This is where you have to pay attention, because there are two directions in which you might draw the line and stitch, each giving you a corner square that flips in a different direction.  This will make a critical difference depending on the design of your block.

Trim, flip and press and there is your unit.  Don't you agree that it is a preferable method to cutting and sewing tiny little triangles onto a larger piece of fabric?

Victory Star

I find myself with several irons in the fire right now, and am reluctant to start a new project.  It just seems the time to finish up some really nice projects that have been aside for too long.  While rummaging in the closet,  I dug out a project from several years ago, Victory Star, a Bonnie Blue kit that was part of a class I took.  In class we completed a block or two, and went over various construction options of the units in the blocks.  When I got home I made a few blocks, and wasn't feeling the darkness of the fabric and packed things up.

In re-opening this project box, I am quite pleased with the potential to use this quilt in my home.  I have a white couch in my library room that this would look terrific on. The walls in that room are painted a warm yellow, and there are dark red curtains at the window.  This will go great in that room and at 75" square will be a good size for a "couch quilt".  And the block design....how cute is that?  It reminds me of a fancy bow on the top of a present.

The blocks are somewhat involved, involving several "units" to come together to form the block.  I will share that with you in a later post.

I spent a lovely day over this long weekend, making more blocks and setting them out on my design wall.  Hope you all had a Happy Valentine's Day and a nice 3 day weekend!

PamkittyPower

Remember these?  I had so much fun playing around with the red and pinks in the first "PamkittyMorning" collection designed by Pam Vieria-McGinnis and Holly Holderman for Lakehouse fabrics.  There were dozens of prints in the line, and at least five or six different colorways.  If you liked yellows and greens, you were all set.  If light and medium shades of blue float your boat, they were available.  And of course, the pinks and reds that I chose, are gorgeous, as you can see. Of course if you could afford all the prints in the line, you could get a fat quarter of each and make the cutest scrappy quilt on the planet.

Pam came out with a second collection, "PamkittyLove" which is just as cute as her first design.  All the  fabrics in the second group coordinate beautifully with the fabrics in the first collection. With the addition of some black floral and polka dot prints that are adorable.

The good news?  Pam is coming out with her third collection "PamkittyPicnic", which I cannot wait to get my hands on.  After Quilt Market next week, we fans will have a better idea of what all is in this group.  I am certain however, that the prints will work perfectly with the other Pamkitty fabrics in your collection!  I plan to add to my Pamkitty stash for sure!

Since I have done no sewing this week, I felt I should go down to the studio after work today and rummage around a bit and come up with something to blog about.  Low and behold, I discovered my PamkittyMorning granny square blocks.  I have enough fabric left to make more blocks.  What should I do?  Make a nine block table topper with my favorite blocks or make twelve or sixteen blocks for a small quilt?  I am leaning towards making a table topper because this style of fabric (which I adore) doesn't play so well with my more traditional decorating scheme in the bedrooms.  On my kitchen table though, the sky is the limit.  Can't you just see a table topper made with these blocks on my summer table?  With a big blowsy bouquet of hot pink roses?  And a dish of strawberries? 

 

What's On My Design Wall

Hey, everyone, how is your week going?  My Wednesday was a lot better than the earlier part of the week, that's for sure.  I finally said "No" to a commitment that has been making me unhappy and stressing me out, and I feel as if the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.  Between caring for sweet Baby E, lovely Grandpa, and working two part time jobs in town, somethin' had to give.  One of the part time jobs is over, and I am sitting here asking myself why I didn't do it sooner.  Do any of you do that?  Hang on in a situation that is miserable, or at best, going nowhere?  Why do we do that? 

Spent the latter half of the afternoon in the studio stitching.  You can see my progress on the Kiss Me blocks--nine done, seven to go.   Didn't work on Dresden plates, but they are sitting there, encouraging me.

The red and aqua block on the far right is the first block of the latest Designer Mystery BOM, sponsored by the Fatquartershop.  Instead of receiving all the blocks and letting the project sit ignored all year, I decided to do something radically different and actually construct the thing the same month I received it.

Here it is before cutting:

Pretty fabrics, and the most adorable little mini charm pack of 2 1/2 inch squares!  I am sure Moda has given it a too-cute-for-words name, Petit Fours?  Truffle? Amuse Bouche?  No instructions on how to use it, but it is sweet all the same.

So here is the finished block:

Oh yes, I do like this.   And I am vowing right now, in front of God and everyone, that I WILL keep up with this BOM.

So here is an unsolved mystery:

Why is there so much fabric left over?  This is not typical of FQS BOMs.  Usually they have the amount of needed fabric figured out down to a thread.  Will we use the leftovers for a scrappy border?  Any guesses?