More of My Red Quilttop

Hope you are not getting tired of this, but that is what is keeping me occupied in the warm, muggy weather.  I have made a change in the layout and will now make 16 blocks that will be set together without sashings.   There will be a first border of the diamonds on a light print that will be approximately 4 inches wide (makes for easy figuring) and then the darker red second border.  I'll decide the width of that later - I have plenty of fabric - but it will probably be 6 to 7 inches wide.  You can get the idea from the upper right hand corner of the picture.  That will result in a quilt of 85 inches or more square - a great size to go on a double bed with a dust ruffle.  This will look so pretty on my bed with the church window headboard.  I think there is still a photo on my sideboard.

Here is the 14th block in progress.  The pieces of the flowers have been sitting with the paper still on the back  and have curled.  Pretty close to having this one done - another flower and some buds.

Next on the agenda.  I do plan to make the grapes smaller - they are pretty large and would look better being smaller and having more of them.  I love grapes and cherries in blocks! After this one, there will be one more to choose from the many books and patterns around here.  I was having trouble enlarging them on my scanner but have now figured out how to put the scanned image into my Microsoft Digital Image program and printing it from there.   You can see that the pattern of the wreath is done in four pieces.  You can even reverse print if you wish.  Such a relief to be able to enlarge or make patterns smaller again without running to Staples.  The light bulb goes on over my head eventually!!   Keep cool, quilting friends.  (Click to enlarge)

Work on One, Think About Others

We all do it - I think that's part of being a quilter - thinking about the next projects while you work on another one.   My red applique is coming right along with just one more block to do and then the sashing.   I actually am anxious to get to Hop to It and also thinking about this old reproduction quilt that was one by Nancy Page that was published weekly in newspapers.  From Sentimental Stitches (I gave you a link to that site in the post about Leslie's schlep bags and you can read their information if you enlarge the picture), I ordered this pattern for the Laurel Wreath quilt.

Here is an article with patterns for some of the birds and the wreath that I took from an old Quilters Newsletter Magazine in 2002.   These are such cutie pie birdies.

Three more of the birdies and the wreath pattern. 

The pattern for the quilt is on a dvd and it has all of the flowers and birds so you are able to print them and trace your pieces.  I am mulling over in my mind what fabrics I want to use.  First thought is Aunt Gracie type on some sort of a really cool background which is what the original quilt is.  I have also thought it might be great in Kaffe Fassett fabrics in the manner they are doing quilts on  http://gloriousapplique.blogspot.com/.   That may be a tad wild, though.  Solids might be very pretty, also.  Or just all sorts of scraps.  Fun to think about!    (Click to enlarge)

Still More Red Blocks

Ten down - two more to go.  I have spent most of the day putting these two together and have been fighting with my wonder under.  I must be doing something wrong - but am having a hard time getting the backing off the pieces.  Maybe I am not ironing it long enough.  I have had to use a pin to get it started and that is so frustrating.  It is actually some softer than Heat and Bond Lite but it is certainly taking much longer when you have such a time getting the backing off.  I have some Steam A Seam 2 Lite which is really nice but expensive.  However I'll use those Joann coupons for that. 

I have laid these out on some red fabric that I have lots of and have quickly cut some squares to see how I would like sashing like that with a solid red border.  This is not the finished sashing - just a test sample.   I don't have enough of the background fabric to do much of anything.  Kind of like the look of this and, if I go this route, I will applique the squares on the sashing instead of piecing them.   Will use something other than the wonder under for that!  If you know a secret about easy peeling of the backing, please let me know!   (Click to enlarge)

Staying in Where It's Cool

There is red fabric all over the basement - and I now have two more blocks ready to applique.  This pattern was about five inches square and I enlarged it to fit my sixteen inch blocks.  It struck me that I have done a very similar block before.............

in my quilt From There to There to There to Here in the late 90's.  The pattern was one I found in a magazine and it was larger but pretty much the same idea.   This quilt was machine appliqued and hand quilted.

The second block fused today.  And the second time I have done this one.  This is from an old Quilters Newsletter Magazine - they used to have so many great applique patterns back in the days.  I have a lot of them that I tore from the mags and have kept in files.

The last block in the middle row is my other tulip bouquet.  The first and third blocks in the first tow have both been used in other quilts.  The one with the bird is in a little white wool quilt I made sometime ago.  

I will have to make myself go outside later this evening and water my poor plants.  I can remember now how hard it was when it was so hot and humid to keep lots and lots of flower beds watered!  Would not be able to handle that anymore.   Stay in where it's air conditioned and relax and sew if you can!  This will eventually go away - soon, I hope!  (Click to enlarge)



Seeing Red Again

Hot, hot weather - not my favorite by any means - and a real downpour this afternoon with lightning, thunder and wind followed by the power going out for several hours.  It's to be really hot through Friday, at least.  There is this about Michigan - it usually isn't as humid as, say, Kansas, for instance.  Every summer I used to wish there would be no July and August and instead have three Octobers!  This old lady is a cool weather kid.

Last week I was going through fabric in the basement and came across the red blocks I started maybe two years ago.  So I have put two more of them together - the two on the left of each row.  I have decided that the bottom one will have it's middle big flower changed - it needs more contrast.  These are fun to do and actually seem to applique faster than the small ones.    These are sixteen inch blocks.

I also fused another block for the Hop to It quilt.  There will probably be a couple of changes made here, too, before I applique it.  I was going along really well when the lights went out so that was that for today.  (Click to enlarge)

Hop To It

I have had Edyta Sitar's "Hop To It" for some time now and have been wanting to do the quilt.  After I finished getting the hexagon top together, I fused one of the blocks and have done all the buttonhole stitch on it except for nine of the berries or grapes.  It will be scrappy and batiks - not sure yet whether I will make it really, really scrappy or more controlled with fewer fabrics that coordinate. 

This block is okay, but maybe needs some punch.  All the backgrounds will be different light batiks.  I will give all this more thought and do some auditioning of fabric and see what I come up with.  I just love her work - she really has the touch.  (Click to enlarge)

Coming Along on the Hexie Quilt.

After appliqueing all the hexagon flowers, stems and leaves to the blocks,  I added a green strip on the side of each one.  The applique went fast.  Now I have pressed and trimmed all the blocks and cut long strips strips from the background fabric to go between the rows. 

This is kind of how it will be - there will be room for some pretty quilting between the rows of flowers.  I'm liking this very much.   I have to make two more flowers as I will be making five rows of six each.  Twenty-eight are finished.  (Click to enlarge)

Back to My Hexies

Figruing out the layout of the strips for the hexagon quilt.  Either four or five floral strips separated by plain ones for pretty quilting.  Here I have tucked strips of color on each side of the flowers and like the way that looks.  Each strip could be a single fabric or it could have multiple  pieces - will try both.  I hand appliqued the first hexie down but have since done two with blind stitch machine applique using monofiliment thread.  Much, much faster and hard to tell which is which.  Being in my 80's, I think I am going for the "fast"!!
(Click to enlarge)

Thinking Hexies

The little wallhanging for the baby is almost all done - just the binding, sleeve and label which I should get done tomorrow.   We have our sit and sew day and that is what I will sit and sew on.   After that, I will post it's final picture.  In the meantime, I have done a little bit on something that has been waiting in the wings - my hexagon flowers.  I found this yummy background batik that features very soft green dots and went through my stash to find greens for leaves and vines.

This is the quilt that I am loosely working from.  It's the Nancy Page Magic Vine quilt from back in maybe the 1930's.   Will do the panels with flowers and leaves and then a blank strip for quilting.  At least, that's the idea at the moment.  I would like to make this a bed size quilt and a strippie quilt is a good one for that.  There is a pattern for this quilt at http://sentimentalstitches.net/free-stuff/block-of-the-month-quilt-designs/nancy-page-club/nancy-page-club-magic-vine-quilt/   along with a lot of other free patterns for old quilts.  It's a fun place to visit.   The blocks in the above quilt are 6 x 6 - I am making mine 6 x 11 and sewing them together after the leaves and vines have been buttonhole appliqued down.  Right now, I am planning to hand applique the hexie flowers.  (Click to enlarge)

Seeing Red

This was done probably ten years ago - it has been a while.  One of my first big paper piecing projects, I gathered all my reds and printed out a bunch of blocks and enjoyed putting together the different shades of red with a bit of gold.  My favorite color!

The reason I am posting this now is that I am working on my project that I cannot post and thought I would find something to put up.  The project is 3/4th appliqued and I just made a decision for an addition and found the perfect fabric to use!  I tried about three other pieces and they might have worked but finally came across one that I just loved.  That's a good feeling, isn't it, when things kind of fall in place. 

This has been another gloomy day - but not to complain, I feel so for the people in the south whose lives have been turned upside down by the terrible storms this week.   We certainly can take some gloomy days.  (Click to enlarge)

Some Quick Quilt Labels

Our quilt show is this weekend and I have four pieces to enter and each one of them had no label.  I am getting very lax on that part of the quilting process, I am sorry to say.  I have done all sorts of labels and do enjoy making them on the computer.  Some times I use muslin backed by the sticky backing of full sheet labels - that can be used several times and it does go through the printer very well.  With freezer paper, I have had problems with it bunching up as it starts through the printing process.  However, it does help a lot if you fold a long piece of scotch tape across the leading edge of the paper - gives it something to grip easily.  I have some really good printer's sheets of cloth on the sticky paper that is soft and easy to needle when you sew through it.  I also had the package of sheets I show in the picture above that does a nice job but is terrible to try and hand sew.  So, I decided to do some quick designing and some quick printing and then add strips around each label.  For the edge, I just did a decorative stitch around the raw edge and it worked out fine.  Now I will be able to whip those little babies to the backs of my quilts in no time at all.  You could really get creative and use a different colored strip on each side, or paper piece a diamond in a square with the center containing the information.  But if you just want to get one done and in a hurry, this works well.  (Click to enlarge)

My Projects

Here are all 80 of the blocks that I have been making.  The first two rows at the foot of the bed are sewn together - the remaining six rows are complete and ready to join the first two.   I am loving the beautiful reds, oranges, hot pinks, golds,cerises and the occasional bits of green and blue with the black and white. 

And the cabin is coming along.  Instead of piecing the squares on point, I have fused them and will machine buttonhole applique them along with the other shapes.  Still have a bird, heart and leaves to fuse.  And also two windows.  Then will come a narrow border and a wider border to be picked out yet.  May do a border similar to the cabin by piecing with lots of pretty batiks.  Kind of thinking that's the way I'll go.  Beneath the cabin on the original piece there is "Est. 1969"  - I could be wrong on that date.  I take it that is for the year a couple was married and established their home.  I may just applique a little spray of leaves and berries.  Will figure that one out later.  This is a fun one!  (Click to enlarge)

Building a Little Cabin

In one of the books by Edyta Sitar there is a small wallhanging with a pieced cabin and I have gone this far on getting it together.  The next step is fuse and applique two little trees, some leaves, a heart and bird by the cabin and then do an inner border that is shown as pieced but which I will applique in the same way I did A Tisket A Tasket.  Then a wider second border and it will be ready for quilting. 

I have been cutting and sewing the black and white and bright colored flower blocks like I had a deadline or something.  They are all done now - 80 of them - and I am sewing the rows together.  It is turning out to be 80" x 80" and I will just bind it.  I really love how it looks and the blocks were so easy.  I did find out where I saw the quilt.  By putting "quilts with Kaffe Fasset's fabrics" in the search box and looking under images it came up.  There was a picture of it on   http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/   which is a great blog that I follow.  Wanda, who writes the blog, makes just wonderful, scrappy quilts and so many of them.  Beautiful work.  (Click to enlarge)

Black and White and Flowers All Over

I have been making these blocks all day long.  It's been a dreary day outside but the fabrics are bright and pretty.  The blocks go together quickly and I really like how they are coming together.  The colors in this picture are pretty close to the actual blocks which are just laid out on the bed.  Trying to decide on how many to make of the 8 x 10 blocks.  It all depends on if I put a border on or not.  I bought more of the wiggly dotted line fabric but don't know if it will be enough to make borders.  May make enough blocks for 8 rows of  10 blocks for a top that is 80 x 80.  That would nicely cover a double bed if you used a bedskirt.

I'm leaning toward not putting a border on the quilt and to bind it in the squiggly fabric.  (Click to enlarge)

Another of My Oldest Quilts

I actually posted a photo of this quilt as one of my very first posts which was back in 2008.  Good heavens, I have been running of the mouth for close to two and a half years.  I have found that blogging is as much fun as quilting - well, almost.  It makes me feel good that anyone would be interested in anything I have to say and it's great fun to "show and tell" which is what quilters love to do.  And only other people who share the same interest can know how wonderful it is to buy fabric, cut it up and sew it back together in the form of a beautiful piece that you are so proud of you just have to show it to another person who is similarly addicted to quilting. 

Another of my very early quilts - 1988 - Hitch Your Flowers to a Star is machine appliqued (satin stitched)and hand quilted.   The idea of a huge star came from a copy of the old Quilt magazine.  Blocks are large, being about 18 inches square and there is a wide sashing and border which are quilted with a wavy line of feathers.  This quilt, too, has a pillow tuck (a plain piece separates the body of the quilt with that part showing on the pillows.  There also is a block on that but it's under the pillows. 

The center and three of the big blocks.  In the center of the wreaths, I quilted motifs.  This quilt has been out for many years and the colors have held up very well except for a little fading of one of the greens.  Bits and pieces of the quilt show up in some of my blog pictures since I sometimes lay out things on that bed in order to take pictures. 

This is a wallhanging done more recently from a Piece 'o Cake pattern with some of the old fabrics leftover from the quilt.  It is also machine appliqued and some of my first machine quilting.  I have always loved the Piece'o Cake patterns.  (Click to enlarge)

Feather Fenced Flowers

Here is one of my oldest quilts and it is the one on my bed.  Machine satin stitch  appliqued and hand quilted, it was done on the polished apple fabric that was popular back in the 80's.  It was very pretty with a satiny sheen and needled so easily.  Each block was outlined with a small feather motif, hence the name.  I did a "pillowtuck" which is quite a large just quilted space that tucks under the pillows - I don't think that is done much anymore.  Quilters generally use the quilt flat on the bed with pretty pillows along the top.  On this one, I did a long appliqued motif that is on the pillows when the bed is made.  All together there are nine very large motifs that I took from some applique patterns designed by Pat Andreatti.  I have quite a few books that she has written. 

Above are six of the nine blocks.   This quilt was done in and around 1989 and my color pallette back then was not quite as scrappy as I make them now.  The backing is a plain ivory cotton and that is almost unheard of now, also.   Everyone pays close attention to the backing and many backs are almost as pretty as the front.     The center block is the one with the birds and in that one I quilted my initials and the year 1989.  You can make out CDB above the birds if you look hard, but it is impossible to see the year below in the picture.  (Click to enlarge)

A Wrestling Match

Here is the ruffled piece all pinned and ready to be quilted. As you can see from the picture

right above - it is something of a wrestling match quilting it and it's kind of wavy on the back. I do think, however, that it will not look too bad when it is all done. I am trying to start in the middle of the quilt then going each way for the straight line seams. The wavy ones I will do from one side to the other. The problem is that when you are quilting from the center, the closer you get to the left edge the more bulk is crammed into the space under the machine. Going the other direction is much easier. Will keep plugging away at it and I do think it will turn out okay. It is something I am doing on a whim and I really think it's frilly and cute. Don't most girls love ruffles? (Click to enlarge)

A New Computer!

I have been wanting a new computer for a long time and now I have one. Seems like I have been working almost full time getting everything off and then back on again. Wow, it's a great one and so much faster - lots faster than I am. I think I will really enjoy this so much. In going over all my old files (that was a job, but it didn't pay very well) I found the pictures of this quilt that I did a long time ago. It was out of a book called Pink Lemonade. I don't think I posted any pictures of this.

For this quilt, I used fabric I had - don't think I bought hardly any. The applique is by hand. I really love the old florals. I had this one quilted and think it's a good job. I will tell you a secret - the quilting was done in off white thread which is great throughout the body of the quilt. However, the border was also done in offwhite - and I just can't get used to that. It is a beautiful pattern but the light stood out so much. My secret? I took a sharpy pen and covered all the white with black and it looks wonderful. It smelled like Sharpy for some time, but that went away. Do any of you have any quilt secrets? ;-) (Click to enlarge)

The Backing for a Quilt

I have had this appliqued top lying around for probably close to two years and I want to have it quilted. It's not a really big quilt but it is very colorful and I do like it a lot. I had spotted this fabric at Joann's a long time ago and have contemplated buying it for a backing but just never got the job done. Yesterday when I was over there, I looked at it again and thought it would probably be just perfect but should have brought along an extra block that didn't get into the top. The fabric is $9.00 a yard - that's the same as in a quilt shop but the difference here is the 40% off coupon. Lots of the time fabric is 30% off and you can't use the coupon on top of that.

So I did it - bought enough for the backing and binding and I know I probably got too much but I have three blocks I did not use in the top so could do something with them. When I got home and put them together - I thought they looked smashing! The colors are like hues and really blend together. I am glad I bought it - I think it's perfect. (Click to enlarge)

Who Would Have Thought

I know I have posted before about the fact that I had a quilt in the AQS show in Paducah and of course I am very proud of that. I did find this picture of an almost 20 year younger me standing beside my quilt as it hangs there proudly wearing it's Second in Amateur Applique Dogwood Ribbon in 1992 and thought it just might be a good addition to my blog. The picture is not a very good one, but you can get the idea. Another of my quilts hung there ten years later in 2002. Although it didn't win a ribbon, it is just as wonderful to have one hang there with all the other lovely quilts. If you think you have a quilt that could make the trip, by all means give it a try. (Click to enlarge)