One More Word on Tisket A Tasket

While I was looking around on the internet this morning, I was on the blog of Anne Sutton, the lady who designed this quilt. What a surprise when I read the article and the comments. Makes me feel all "Aw Shucks"! Seriously, very nice words from the designer. And I also love the fact that it was recognized at our quilt show. Here's the link if you would like to read the post she did. http://bunnyhillblog.com/2010/05/04/a-tisket-a-tasket-quilt-show/

More Tisket A Tasket

It's getting closer to being ready to quilt! I have the top together and think I am stopping right where I am. However, I have considered a smallish plain border so will have to decide soon. It really doesn't need to be bigger.

Could not find something big enough for the backing - didn't want to buy anymore fabric since there is an excess amount of that in my stash. Quite a few charm squares were left and I cut some more so I pieced this for the back. Took a little while, but I think it's kind of pretty. I have three more rows to connect and that will be ready for pressing and then time to layer the quilt. After it is quilted, I will do a little embellishing with buttons. And binding, of course, which may be just plain white. Stay tuned for the final episode with Tisket A Tasket. (Click to enlarge)

Finally, The Final Tisket, Tasket Baskets

It's been a long, long time since I did anything on this little BOM piece. I now have the last two blocks fused and ready for applique. Maybe if I keep at it I will be able to get it all together and quilted for our quilt show the end of April. I kept up with it until before Christmas then just kind of let it go by the wayside. Once the fabrics are picked and it's fused, it's a piece of cake. I still have Red Delicious to finish but that is just putting the sashing and borders on. Will see how it goes. (Click to enlarge)

Working on Red Delicious

All of the blocks are appliqued and the finishing instructions are downloaded so I have been working on trimming my blocks down to size and cutting out the sashing. These blocks are trimmed but not sewn together yet. This is going to be so pretty! Love, love the red. Promise I won't post another picture until I have it all put together. Now to watch Dancing with the Stars. (Click to enlarge)

October Basket BOM

Here's the scarey little witch and black kitty for October. Ten down and two to go and the 12 months will be finished. I used an earring for the little hanging doodad and may change that. It's just lying there anyway and won't be attached until after it is all quilted. Again, the designer came up with cute patterns. (Click to enlarge)

More Tisket A Tasket

Here is a shot of the nine blocks for Tisket a Tasket. Some are without little embellishments in the way of buttons, mostly, that I will add after it is all together. Three more to go - one of which I have just downloaded and it is a darling little witch and black cat for October's basket. I have thoroughly enjoyed doing these cute, quick little blocks.

Anonymous left a comment (thank you for the compliment) and wondered what foot I used, thread and settings on my machine. The thread I have been using for the past few months is Sulky and I really like it. It's expensive but the coupons and sales at Joann's bring the price down nicely. The foot above is an open toed machine embroidery foot (I think that's what it is called) and it gives you a clear view of where you are sewing and also where you are going! I use this the most of any of the feet I have. After I got my Bernina, my son asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told him about this foot. He went to a shop and asked for a shoe - close!

Here are the settings I use on my 21 year old machine. They actually are the default settings and I love the way they look. It is very easy to adjust them to another size if you wish, especially when you are coming to a point or doing a small piece. I look forward to teaching a machine buttonhole class for our guild next week and hope I can do a good job and not get all rattled! As I have gotten older, I am not as glib as I used to be when talking and, like most old people, get hung up on words occasionally. I am sure the gals in the class will give me a nudge and help me along. (Click to enlarge)

Tisket A Tasket Sashing in the Works

I decided some time ago to do a multi-colored sashing for Tisket a Tasket Block of the Month. There are now nine blocks done and three to go. If I figured correctly, there will be 28 2 x 8" sashings plus cornerstones. I like these little squares on point and could have pieced them or paper pieced them, but I decided to take the easy way and just buttonhole applique them, also. Using fabric in the blocks, of course, and think it will look pretty. I do believe the border will be very plain but will make that decision when I get there. Just spent a couple of hours cutting the little pieces and ironing them on the white. When I start appliquing, I will pick a color, do all I can in that color, then switch to the next. There are already a few done as you can see in the second picture. (Click to enlarge)

Last Red Delicious Block

Finally - this block was the hardest to do but probably the most beautiful design of all. Although all of the blocks are gorgeous. I think I could have done a better job even though there is quite a bit of time in this one. When they are all together I doubt if I will notice anything that I wish I had done differently. My fabric for the cherries does not have as much contrast as I had thought, but the contrast is still there and it is a pretty, rich batik. I have loved working in the reds and actually used almost exclusively fabric from my stash. But, by golly, there is still a lot of red there! The next time Esther will put up the directions for the sashing and finishing the quilt.

This is the layout that was in with the last pattern downloaded so, even though it is not to scale, you can get an idea of how all the blocks will go together. As I was making them, I made them a little larger and will have trimming to do, plus things to add such as some red buttons on the middle block at the bottom. There will also be some little black buttons around the center of the flowers of the upper right block. Anyway, I am glad the cherry basket is done. (Click to enlarge)

Red Delicious - Next to Last Block

This took a while and took some figuring out how to do it. I love the teapot but my cup and saucer are a little shakey. That sort of thing is what keeps one humble. Actually, it doesn't look too bad and when it is in with all the others it will blend right in. I do like the strawberries, too. Now on to cutting out lots and lots of plump, pretty little cherries. I have some fabric that I think will be great - a really pretty piece of blotchy red batik. Yum, yum!! (Click to enlarge)

A Tisket A Tasket for September

Here's the September block for A Tisket A Tasket. Three more to go for this one - these have been fun and easy to applique. I have also started working on next to the last Red Delicious. Those take more time. (Click to enlarge)

Red Delicious

Here are pictures of Esther Aliu's final two Red Delicious blocks of the month that I have left to do. Esther is a very talented designer from Australia. I had been keeping up in a timely fashion until last month and so want to get to work and do my version of her beautiful designs. The basket of cherries looks challenging and will take a while doing all those plump little pieces of fruit and their stems. This one is the final block and I think it is wonderful. The teapot uses a portion of the earlier month's block - there is enough of the striped background to cut off the needed amount for the this block so that one is partially done. In thinking about doing the teapot, I imagine I will embroider the curved lines by hand - ditto the lines in the coffee cup (should have said teacup!). I have all the blocks up on the flannel wall in the basement - and it is going to be a very stunning wallhanging. So, I plan to go downstairs and start digging through my bin of reds and seeing what I can come up with. I love red anyway - so this has been lots of fun for me. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can post at least one of my version of these great patterns. Thank you Esther!

August Tisket A Tasket

Here's the basket block for August - eight down, four to go. As I have mentioned before, fast and fun little blocks. The buttons aren't sewn down yet but will do that later. (Click to enlarge)

Red Delicious BOM

Here is the latest Red Delicious - two more to go. There will be one more leaf pointing downward that will actually extend into the block below and also a narrow sashing between the blocks, so the third leaf will be appliqued later. Also later will be some embellishment to the three flowers. (Click to enlarge)

Start of Another Red Delicious Block

Two more blocks after this one and this is going to be very pretty. Just getting started appliquing and am definitely going to lay in a fabric stem over the machine stitched one. Still have leaves to put on, also.

Will probably get this finished tomorrow. Today I spent a fun day with my daughter and youngest granddaughter. Sherry and I drove to Ann Arbor and had lunch with Hannah at a nice restaurant downtown. It was a nice day and we ate under the big umbrella on the sidewalk. Then we went to the mall and shopped. There is a neat little shop called Forever 21 with cute, trendy clothes for the cute little gals like my granddaughter. The prices are really reasonable. She tried on five or six dresses and looked cute in all of them. Two went home with her, along with a couple of t-shirts, some socks and a little billfold. Good little shopper. My daughter found some pretty shoes to wear to Norah's wedding in early September. Me, I bought some candy!

Tisket A Tasket Seven

Here's a wooly little lamb for July but minus a little flag that he will hold in his mouth eventually. The buttons in the stars are not sewn on yet - I am going to try and find some little white star buttons - and I will sew some little red seed beads jutting out from each v of the middle star. I should have faced my wool or used ultra suede scraps but am not going to tear it apart now. (Click to enlarge)

What a Mess!

This is the fabric that I go through for the Tisket A Tasket BOM. I make such awful messes when I am trying to pick out my fabrics - never take the time to refold anything and therefore never can find my scissors, rulers, rotary cutter, etc. I eventually make all the decisions and then clean up my squirrel's nest.

This is the mess I made figuring out the layout for the little Christmas stitcheries I have been doing. Eight are done and the last one is about half way finished. I intend to make three wall hangings pretty much the same.

Here is the row that I have figured out. In the blank block I will put appliques in one of the dark reds. Thinking mistletoe - easy to cut - maybe two clusters with red shiney buttons for the berries. The second row would have the embroidery first and the third row will be pretty much like the first one.

Here is a peek at Tisket a Tasket with what I am going to do for sashing - and some of the fabric I am thinking of for July's basket which features a little white lamb. I will use a piece of the white wool from my little white quilt. This is fun and quick to do. There is a page on Flickr that has lots and lots of pictures of the blocks being done -

http://www.flickr.com/groups/969252@N20/

You might want to take a look at it and see some of the pretty blocks. (Click to enlarge)

Red Delicious

Here is another block for Red Delicious - at least it's ready to be made into a block. The two pieces will be separated by a narrow band maybe in the same fabric as the strips in the top part. This one was not as easy as some of them. I love the mushrooms and ladybug, pepper and apple - but I can't figure out what that swirly thing is. I did it the way the designer directed. I haven't sewn the parts together yet because I want to have all the blocks done then trim them out as I complete the top. It's going to be pretty and I am really pleased with the reds.
(Click to enlarge)

A Tisket A Tasket No. 6

Half-way through the blocks. The little bird needs a little bow or something around his neck and the buttons aren't sewn down yet. Fun blocks. (Click to enlarge)

Red Delicious BOM for May

This month's block is actually three smaller blocks, two of which are shown here. They are filler blocks and are really adding a great touch to the rest of the piece. I have put my blocks up on the wall in the basement in the approximate place each one will be and have taken a picture so that you can see how it's progressing. There will be four more to be added. This is a pretty piece and I love all the red! That's always been about my favorite color.

The picture is dark and I apologize for that. There will be a lot more of the dark red sashing between all the blocks which will really spice things up. The bottom middle block will have red buttons from each point - I decided on buttons instead of circles - and the ribbons on the fan have to have a tassel of some description. That will probably be embroidered. As to the size, it is supposed to be about 50 x 50. Can't wait to see what the last four are. (Click to enlarge)

All Five Basket Blocks

Not a very good picture with kind of wrinkled blocks on my kind of shabby portable "design wall" that I rigged up a lot of years ago, but it will give you an idea of what they look like when they are together. Seven more to go. (Click to enlarge)