A little more sewing

I was running back and forth from the retreat on Sunday going to ball games, so I never turned my machine on.  I did manage to cut up some fabric that was gifted to me along with some matching colors from my stash.  I wanted to make a few baby quilts with it.

I started with a jelly roll race quilt.  Both my girls gave it the thumbs down.  I agreed that the squares didn't occur spaced evenly, but I still like it.  I love the color selection.
















This is made from Lola's Coin Quilt.  It goes together very quickly also.  It is basically the same colors minus the black.  It has a much softer feel.

To complete this, I just need to add borders.

What do you think of these selections?  I think I am leaning toward the charcoal border with the large flowers.    I like the one on the left also.  The dilemma is....if I use this one, it will be gone.  I know you feel the same way!!  Those special pieces of fabric that you don't want to give up.  Which one do you like? 

Finally some sewing

I finally made it back to the studio for a little sewing.  Funny how life gets in the way of sewing.  I hope I am done with painting and house cleaning for a while, but those duties never end.  Perhaps that is why quilting is so rewarding.  When you finish a quilt or a project, it is done forever!  I can clean a room today, and I have to do it again tomorrow.

Most of my sewing was done at the library.  What a great little retreat.  The project this time was the twister block.  It was a lot of fun to see the projects be completed.  One person was inspired (or guilted) into making the miniature version for the FW quilt. 

These are the projects that were hung to admire at the end of the retreat.

The partial quilt on the bottom left is Nancy's.  The funniest part is that I had brought that green to the retreat for my FW quilt, and it worked out perfectly for her twister.  I love it when those kinds of accidents happen.


There were lots of opinions on color choices.

Several people contributed to my scrap bucket which I put on the cutting table.  This is a twister skeleton.  There is a bias square left after the twister blocks are cut.

This is the remains of the skeleton after I have cut 2" squares.  There is not much left.  If you want bias squares, you can get 2 1/2" out of them, but I cut 2" squares on the straight grain. 

This is my finished twister minus the borders.  What do you think?  Do you like the red or the green?  I am not too sure about the larger border either.  Perhaps it is because I only have about 5 floral pieces in my stash.  I have to admit that it looks better in the picture than I thought it did.

Tonights agenda

Today was more painting....but tonight more of this...

Still dancing

Having a great time with the girls in Charleston.  So proud of them.  They are dancing as fast as their legs will go

Old Windmill

I'm not sure I understand the color placement in this block.  It is a basic half square block, but I tried several different color selections and none of them excited me.  I can't wait to see what colors you pick to prove me wrong.

#62 Old Windmill
Cutting:
This block is made of all 1 1/2" finished half squares, so everything is done with the Easy Angle and a 2" strip.

Background: Cut 16
Color 1,2,3,4: Cut 4 each

Pair each of the background triangles with a colored triangle to make a half square.  Press toward the color.  Square up each square to 2" if necessary.

Join the half squares together in pairs and then Join in 4 patches.  I pressed the 4 patch seams open.  Join the 4 patches together  to complete the 6 1/2" bloc

I can't wait to see your color choices.

Peace and Plenty

This reminds me of how much I love those good and plenty candies.  You know the black licorice ones.  I just may have to get some at the store today.



Farmer's Wife number 64 Peace and Plenty.  While I was posting this block, I noticed that something didn't look quite right.  I became acquainted with the seam ripper, and now things are looking better.  This is how NOT to put your pieces together!!

I did not make mine like the book.  There are so many ways you could make this block.  You can make yours just like the book with 1 1/2" finished half squares if you prefer.  I sewed mine differently and eliminated 4 seams.

Cutting:

Background:
16- 1 1/2" finished half square triangles (2" strip cut with EA)

Color 2:
8- 1 1/2" finished half square triangles (2" strip cut with EA)
4 - triangles cut with 2" strip and Companion Angle (CA)

Sewing:

Sew together 8 half squares - square them up to 2" if necessary.  Join them in pairs.

Sew together 4 flying geese with the remaining triangles.  I pressed the first seam toward the larger triangle and the second seam toward the smaller triangle.  Square up to 2" x 3 1/2" if necessary

Join the flying geese units to the half square pairs to make 3 1/2" squares.   Join the 4 squares together to complete the 6 1/2" block. 

This is what your completed block should look like.  I pressed the seams where the flying geese met open as well as the seams where I joined the four patches.

If you sew your 4 patches together correctly, your block should look like this. 

Hovering Hawks

This is number #52 according to the FW.  When I recommend you cut triangles, you can always use strips and cut them with right sides together.  I am working from scraps, so this generally isn't possible for me.  It does speed things up if you use strips because they are already lined up and ready to sew. 

Cutting:

Color 1:
4- 2" squares
8- 1 1/2" finished half squares (2" strip EA)

Color 2:
10 - 1 1/2" finished half squares 2" strip (EA)
2 - 3 finished half squares (3 1/2" stgrip EA)

Sewing:

Sew all the half squares together (6) and trim if necessary to measure 2".  Join 4 of the half squares with the squares to make 4 -3 1/2" four patches. 

Join the remainging 2 half squares with the remaining small triangles and use your easy angle to trim to 3" finished half square.

Join the 3" finished half square units with the 3" finished half squares to make a a 3 1/2" square.

Trim away the corner of the 3 1/2" square using the take away method. 

Add the remaining 2 triangles to the corners to complete the 3 1/2" squares.  Square up to 3 1/2" if necessary.

Join the 4 squares to complete the 6 1/2" block.

This is the back of the block if you want to see how I pressed mine.  The fianal join seemed thick, so I pressed that seam open.

Block 51 Hovering birds is almost identical.  You may want to do this one in also.