Design Wall Monday

I can't believe how fast time is passing by.  I can't seem to have enough time for everything I want to accomplish.  I didn't post last week because my design wall looked identical to the week before.  I did make some progress on my quilt this weekend.  It was sort of 1 step forward and 10 steps backwards.  You may not be able to tell in this photo, but I made the border pieces as instructed, and they are 5" too small.  They should have finished at 11, and the instructions said to finish them at 10.  It's just a fork in the road.  I still need to put a 2" red border around the quilt, and then I will decide what to do with the border.  The magical number is 55"  I either need to make 5 red triangles at 11" or 11 triangles at 5".  I have plenty of the red fabric, but I will need to switch to a different tan no matter what the plan is.
I am almost to the bottom of my checkerboard quilt.  I am doing a tight stipple on it, so it takes about an hour to quilt one row.  Since the backing is so busy, I have used up all my partial bobbins.  There are 5 different colors on the back.  It is a wall hanging, so even if you could see it, it wouldn't be a problem.
I did manage to get the borders on a baby quilt.  It was out of proportion, so I only added to borders to even it up.  Since I made the quilt larger, I also had to make the backing larger.  It is now living in my ready to quilt pile.  Ellen found the dragonfly fabric in her resource center and it worked out perfectly. 

Check back with Judy to see what other are working on this week.

Absent

I might be absent from blogging, but I am sewing up a storm.  I didn't want you to forget about the Farmer's Wife blocks in my absence!  I know I still have 2 more blocks to post for March (#31 Evening Star and #56 Maple Leaf), but I wanted to post the first block for April.

Let's start April with # 107 Windblown Square.  This block is identical to #102 Whirlpool with different color placement.  I wanted you to cut this one while the trapezoid cutting was still fresh in your mind.  It can be a little tricky to use the cut-away technique.  It took me a few times before I felt confident.  The trick is to remember that the stitch line of the easy angle should be on the corner of the piece, and the cutting line should be 1/4" less.

Instructions for the Whirlpool block are located in this post.  It is exactly the same except use 3 colors instead of 2.

Enjoy the sunshine and the spring flowers.  Have a lovely Easter.

Retreat Success

I made much progress this weekend.  What could be better than 3 days sewing with friends?  It would take something fabulous.  Well, it wasn't all sewing, we did have a little adventure at a quilt shop.  We even a had a friends helping friends experience when Ellen bought two washcloths from Nancy so she would have enough funds to buy the fabric she wanted.  Almost everyone made the strippy quilt (1600" quilt), but everyone had a different vision and they all turned out well.  The quilt below is Ellen's.  I just love that blue fabric that she put between the rows.  After she had her strippy sewn, she cut it apart and add the columns.

 On my design wall is another oldie.  This one was put away long ago because I was having issues with the border.  It was a mystery quilt and I sort of lost interest with my color selections.  It will probably be hanging just like it is now next week, but it will get finished eventually.

 What did I work on with 3 full days of sewing?  Backings and more backings!!!  This tub contains all the quilts that I have finished and the matching backing.  I hope to have a week full of quilting.  Don't get me wrong, I know I won't get all these done this week, but each one is a step closer to clearing up all my UFOs.  I think I must be on the 100 step program.

Check back with Judy to see what others are working on this week.

Northern Lights

This is another super easy one! 

#61 Northern Lights

Color 1 & 2

• 4 - 2" squares each
• 2 - 3" finished half squares (3 1/2" strip and easy angle)

If you aren't working from scraps, you can cut strips (8"-9") instead of squares.  I am still working out of the scrap bucket, so I don't have many strips.  I really liked that green for the half squares, but I couldn't find any more for the 4 patches so I had to go with an alternate color.

Join the squares in 4- patches and join the half squares.  Check your measurements to make sure they are 3 1/2"; join the 4 blocks to make a 6 1/2" Northern Lights block.
I'm not sure how many blocks this adds up to, but I think we are almost 1/3 the way done.  Do you know what that means?  We are almost out of blocks with big pieces!!

Jelly Flops

The neutral jelly flops are cut! Subee suggested I hang them on a drying rack to see how they looked (and to display the colors better).  Let's just say 80 yards of fabric stress tested the drying rack.  I was going to carry it upstairs to get a better picture, but I realized that couldn't happen.

This is one side of the drying rack...

This is the other side...

And here they are all folded up and ready to travel.  I decided it would be easier to take the box to the library where there are lots of tables and open area to do the swapping.  The red plaid...well that was handy (laying on the floor), so I grabbed it before I had a land slide!! 

I have most of my stuff loaded for a weekend of sewing.  I didn't get any sewing done of quilt backings this week, so that is what I will be working on at the retreat.  It doesn't sound too exciting, but it is necessary.  I can't really judge how long this will take, so I packed 3 quilts that just need borders.  The best part about these weekends is spending time with friends, so it really doesn't matter what I am working on.  Well, the food is great too!!

Puss In the Corner

#71 Puss in the Corner

 

Cutting:
Dark:

• 4- 1 1/2" finished half squares (2" strip & easy angle)
• 1- 3 1/2" square

Background

• 4 -1 1/2" finished half squares (2" strip & easy angle)
• 4- 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles

 

Sew the half square together first and press toward the dark.  Join in a 9 patch fashion.  Press away from the half squares (toward the rectangles) and press toward the the rectangles on the center section.  It probably took you longer to pick out your fabrics than it do to sew this one.  Sorry for the bad pictures :-(

 

 

 

 

 

 

#109 and #6

Windows and the Big dipper.  These are just simple hourglass blocks.  These are so similar that I decided to post them together.

#109 Windows

Cutting:

• 2 dark/2 light triangles with a 2" strip and Companion Angle (CA)
• 2 - 2" x 3 1/2" dark
• 2- 2" x 6 1/2" dark

Join each both light triangles to the dark triangles to make an hourglass block.  Add the dark 2" x 3 1/2" dark strips to the top and bottom (press out); Add the dark 2" X 6 1/2" strips to the sides.

#6 Big Dipper

• 8 Dark/8 Light triangles cut with CA and 2" strip

Join each light to a dark triangle.   Make sure you sew them all the same.  I pressed toward the dark for the hour glass blocks, and I pressed the seams of the 4 hour glass blocks joined together open.

The first day of spring and it feels like summer where I live.  I am enjoying the record setting temperatures, but I know it can't last.  My flowers are blooming  and they are beautiful this year.