Friday, December 21, 2018

Books and Log Cabins

 Blocks made recently include Pineapples from "Patches of Scraps" by Edyta Sitar and "Long Time Gone" by Jen Kingwell   Love them both!   

From Edyta, above, the paper-piecing for this 7-1/2"block is done on the printed side of the paper instead of from the back....easier......not yet trimmed closely or removed from paper to prevent fraying until I am ready to assemble.  Technique reminded me that we did this method back in the 1980's using paper foundations from the Little Foot people (Little Foot is a 1/4-inch foot made for Singer Featherweight machines).



The three 5"blocks, above,  from "Long Time Gone" are Pineapples done in the traditional paper-piecing method (sewing done on the reverse of the printed pattern).  I am planning to assemble this quilt as I go......these 3 blocks will be attached to the half-square triangle unit.

Then, I experimented with printing the tiny "Courthouse Step" foundations (below) from Pam's "Vintage Patchwork" onto muslin so I would not have to tear paper (in other words, also creating log cabin blocks on a foundation as done "back in the day"!)     Photocopied the patterns onto paper (two on a page) to use a "masters".  Ironed freezer paper onto old-fashioned muslin (slightly oversized from 8-1/2" x 11" paper size.  Cut to size with rotary cutter for nice crisp edges and sent it into my printer!  Worked great but I did watch the printer with a bit of trepidation hoping it would spit it out and not eat it up!



Fat Quarter bundles of "Harriet's Handwork" have arrived at last! And now sold out too!  New line "Susanna's Scraps" due in March (ordered extra FQ bundles!).  And don't forget Jo Morton's "Hickory Road" line is due in January.......it is beautiful!

Making tablemats.......made the first one for the church craft sale table and then others wanted one so I have made 6 so far using whatever fabrics they liked (second photo is mine made from one of my Mom's favorite fabrics).




Squaring 2" half square triangles from the leaders/enders basket!  Goal is to make a fullsize quilt for myself but some are being used in "Long Time Gone" that I am making from repros.



Have squared only 226 so far but I just do it in odd little bits of time so that the job is not overwhelming....but when it is done, I hope to be able to sit and sew and not unsew!

More new books arrived today!  

From Carrie Nelson, "Pin Pals", 40 sweet little pincushions and more!  And a darling little book of "Mini Quilt Blocks", twenty 5" block ideas!

 Also, from Carol Hopkins we have "Vintage Legacies", 14 reproduction quilts...........always great ideas! Love the cover quilt! And the 48 Moda blockheads blocks from six great Moda designers!


Whew!  Guess that is it for now!  Unless you want to see my newest little great-grandson, due Jan 15, but decided he wanted to be here for Christmas and arrived Dec 10.....weighed 6.5 lbs at 5 weeks early!  His name is Mason Todd.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

What's New?

Received Pam Buda's new book shipment and am just as "wowed" by it as I thought I would be!  I might even be able to keep up with this program!     What a "novel" idea to name the quilts after 19th century books!  Pam's quilt ideas are fantastic as well as her machine quilter's talents!

Photo layouts are enticing and I can't wait to get started on Something!   (Likely the log cabin as I love them so much!).  And what a nice idea to include photos of the fabrics she used and the space for quilters to plan theirs!  The pattern instructions and the Quiltmaking Techniques are both her usual top-notch style and I am sure even beginners will easily make the designs!

Wendy Reed, the Constant Quilter, has already set up a monthly challenge here!!  Scroll to her Oct 16 entry.......no idea why I can't change font!


"Spice It Up" by Jo Morton is here...........a few bolts, fat quarter bundles, and 5" charms.






Next up from Jo is "Hickory Road" due in January.....ordered the whole line of typical  Civil War era reds and browns madder prints.....no photo yet.   Colors are much brighter than the photos show!


Below are 5 bolts from "Sequoia" by Edyta Sitar.....could not resist her birds!




Fat quarter bundles of "Something Blue" also by Edyta Sitar!


This is an antique doll quilt offered on eBay a while back....went for a lot of $ as I recall!  Seller was from Portland,Maine.

Loved it...so reproduced it as well as I could trying to match fabric for fabric!  This log cabin variation is sometimes called "Housetop".


Handquilted down the center of each log.  

Not much sewing got done around here this summer..........it was hotter/more humid than it has been in a long time and with my sewing room on the second floor, it was too hot to work there!  So I missed my girl......we've been working together since 1990 and we are getting re-acquainted now.....latest sewing was tablerunners for my church craft fair Nov 17 and adding logs to my 6" log cabin blocks.  

I did spend time "Making Scraps" ....can't believe I was running low with 1" strips for my log cabin blocks....tying to do new fabrics as they come in and this winter will start on older fabrics in one of my closets in order to increase the variety..........love lotsa color!  Even Busy one might say!




From a 6-1/2" strip of each fabric, I cut two 6-1/2" squares, two 4" x 6-1/2" rectangles, four 1-1/2" strips and four 1" strips......just started cutting four instead of two as I was using them up too fast.....

See  Pam Buda's blog for another reason I have been busy with other things!  Little tiny Uneven 9-patch blocks for a quilt needing 500+ of them!  And to see a glimpse of her quilt and heaps of little blocks! Did find I took a photo back in April of probably the first batch of blocks I made!


Until next time.........................

Monday, July 30, 2018

Maine Quilt Show PART 2



Thanks to Pam Weeks, I now have a fullsize photo of my Favorite piece in the New England Quilt Museum Exhibit at Maine Quilts.  See how huge it is?!  And I have photos of the information cards!




These broderie perse toiles surround the center bouquet.  Did I mention it is All teeny, tiny Buttonhole stitch?  I will have closeups of the Buttonhole stitch on my next post.
And a few block closeups:


I remember a rose fabric like this from "back in the day" early 1990's.  And I know definitely I had that blue fabric peeking out on the side when I opened my shop in 1990.






Now for the Baltimore Album.....there is stippling in two corners of the quilt (wish I had taken a closeup of that!).  Bea thought the quilt border needed more quilting so she would sit in a chair next to the bed and add quilting.  Unfortunately, she was unable to finish.







 Notice how the feather border is done!  Saw this within a few days of observing that same method on a Wreath, instead of a vine border) on an Amish quilt (Facebook I think) .....don't recall ever noting this design so it was odd to have seen it twice in a few days!




Was asked to show the backs of my Half-Square Triangle blocks........




Used regular nested seams for the rows and then pressed the assembly rows open.



Spun the center of the 4-Patch which makes the seam allowances all go in one direction.  When assembling the 4-Patches into a top, it should be all opposing seams if I have figured correctly.  As one commenter noted, blocks could be larger 16-Patch and it would also work!


More quilts from the show next time, as well as a lovely customer with a lovely quilt for Show & Tell!!!