Solids and Stars

I am hesitant to post this finished top, as I don't know if I'll keep it or gift it.  But I like to journal WHEN these things are made, and since I spent atleast 4 days doing LITTLE ELSE but working on this one, I want to get it entered into the blog archive BEFORE THE WEEK IS OVER.

I have been watching you tube videos from a young lady named Amanda Holmes, who lives in Australia.  She posted a video almost everyday during the month of May, due to the fact that she was home from work due to the pandemic.  Well, one day I spotted these star blocks on her quilt-room wall, and she mentioned them.  I was struck by the simplistic beauty of them.  She never showed the finishing of the quilt, but I caught a quick sighting of it when she did her yearly wrapup of quilts finished.   

I took her design, made my stars, making 3 more than her 9, and then wasn't happy with how traditional it looked.

 Her quilt had NO SASHING ANYWHERE, and as a square quilt, hers looked really good; but lengthening mine with an extra row changed that.  Something in me warred for a twist.  So I messed around and added a bit more of the solids, sortof off-kilter, and this is what I ended up with.  

                            I LOVE IT !

That's why I'm undecided on it's fate ! 

 ***NOTE:  In all of these photos of an entire top, there is a dark green printed star in the center of the bottom row.  Seeing the photos, I felt that it was too dark for the 'flavor' of the rest of the stars, so I replaced it.  The first photo is the finished layout.
  

Finished size of top currently is 52" x 72".  

EDIT:  I finished machine-quilting this quilt today, June 9, 2020.  Considering how to bind now.

I finished another quilt top ! Butterscotch and Stripes

EDIT:  

 Now bordered in the stripe.  Have enough left to bind it with same stripe.
And I want to note that I bought a used Q-Snap floor frame from Wanda C. (that's it overturned in the photo so that Marley doesn't use it as a hammock !)  Love it !

This top just came out of NOWHERE. 

A friend was placing an order with Connecting Threads a couple of months ago,and asked if I wanted to add something onto her order and share the postage.

I had been eyeing this green stripe, so I said, "yeh, get me 3 yards of this."

Well, at about the same time that it arrived, I spied this butterscotch-colored Waverly solid at our local Walmart.  I had meant to get some of it when several of their solids went to $1.00 per yard last summer, but I kept putting it off until I missed it.   Somehow this bolt missed the markdown and when I saw it, it only had 2 yards left on it !    So I bought the rest of the bolt.

I had NO PLAN to use the two fabrics together.  In fact, I was playing around with some other solids/polka dots and white-background prints, using this block. 

For some reason, (I think that I realized that I didn't have enough fabric like this to make anything of size), I switched and started making blocks with the butterscotch and my brown prints.  I tried a couple of layouts and really thought that the coloration looked RICH (still do!)

At first, I was laying the blocks out ON TOP OF the green striped fabric, to see how the combo worked.  I LIKED IT !

Then, after messing with design in EQ5, I changed to this 'trip around the world' shape.  I liked using the green stripe here, making it look recessed, and bringing the blocks forward.

Then at the end, I decided to use the rest of the butterscotch to give me big areas for quilting at the corners.

Based on 6-inch blocks, the finished size of the top right now is approximately 60 X 72 inches.  I don't know if I'll add borders to make it fit a bed or not.  Just letting it tell me what it needs, ya' know? Looking back at the first layout, I'm missing the big green feel.  Maybe I need to find a green that would work for a big outer border.

Quality control checked it out and gave it approval as is, but I'm still waiting for more input.

The color in the photos from different rooms really varies.  True color is somewhere inbetween.

Another FINISH--Turquoise Peels !

Unquilted finished top, for full view

Totally finished and IN USE  !

This one has been in the making for about 4 years, I'd say.  I remember sitting in front of the t.v., evenings, with hubby, the last year before he passed, (and that has been 3 years now, unbelievably), me working on it nightly.

For the little blocks, I think that I chose a size and then drew the peels myself, using a plate or something for the curve.  The background squares were cut at 5 1/4 inches, and then after hand/needle-turn appliqueing the peels, the little blocks were trimmed to 5 inches, causing each block to finish at 4 1/2 inches square.

In this photo, I realized that the stencil that I used for the white area turned out to make the lower peels look like the leaves to a flower..........I LOVE THAT !  And this is the first quilt that I have made IN YEARS that was actually FULLY big enough for my bed......it would even work on a full-size, I think.

The finished quilt measures approximately 74 x 96,, and hasn't been washed yet.  I put it straight onto my bed and have been sleeping under it every night since !

I am really pleased with this wave-design stencil that I ordered and purchased from Stencil House.  I bought it in 3 different sizes, and I believe that this is the 5 inch size.  Quick and easy to quilt, and so pretty for the movement it gives the borders.

Facebook memory minders tells me that I took exactly one year to hand-quilt it, inbetween many other projects.

I used a batting that I bought from Connecting Threads, Hobbs Heirloom Bleached 100% Cotton.

This batting is recommended for light-colored quilts, and I really like it.  It has a beautiful drape to it.  It is not really warm, and would make a great summer-time quilt, which this color of quilt lends me to anyway.

Frankenquilt........FINISHED...

...and GONE !

I finished the Frankenquilt on Thursday, washed and dried it, and photographed it a bit.  

 Today, I took it to show to the lady for whom I pick up lunch.  She carried on over it, and wanted to know if I ever sold my quilts, and for how much.  

I gave it to her. 

 

I made the binding finish at 3/4 inches wide.......because I wanted to !

I couldn't help it !   She just loved it, and is always so sweetly complimenting all of my work.  And, I couldn't price it !   After all, it was made from bits and pieces, here and there, all found here in my tubs and bundles !  

So, there........Frankenquilt has found a happy home.

Enjoy, Sister Faye ! 

Details.....Finished measurements before washing--56" x 64".

                Machine-quilted in ditch horizontally, vertically, 
                and diagonally , except for border rows of squares.
                Borders were hand-quilted free-hand without 
                hoop, using big needle.  

                Batting was Fairfield 80% cotton/20% polyester 
                remnants.  Thread for quilting was variegated 
                spool sent from JoAnn Gilley.
 

Basting the Frankenquilt

I have spent the last week putting together a back for a top that I made last year. 

 I took orphan blocks and arranged them on my design wall until I was satisfied with the look.
At that point, I started to add pieces from this green print fabric that I had found in a box of scrap fabric that I purchased from a second-hand store.

The pink will be removed after the quilting is done. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I just had enough to make the back big enough for the front, having to sew on a pink strip all around, just to have enough overage to be able to pin it into my basting frame.

 I'm finding that I like this back better than the front......of course, it doesn't matter, since it promises to be truly reversible.  I think that I will machine-quilt it from the front, since it gives me more of a 'grid' to follow when quilting.

This was the only block that I had to do any applique on........I added the hexagon block to the center of this very plain large block, to spice it up a bit.
Even the batting for this quilt is a Frankenbatt !   I pieced it together with many leftover cuts from making other quilts !

We are all still sheltering in place or "safer at home", as they like to say, because of the Covid 19 virus pandemic.   Our county has only had two diagnosed cases.  I stay home mostly, except to run meals to a friend, and of course, do my shopping.  I DID have a short visit from my brother Jeff today.........a most wonderful chance for a much missed hug !  It was so nice to visit with someone in person !

Finished Quilt--Air Mail 'Round the World

Searching my mind and my 'play room' for my next project, I opened a box that had been sent to me by JodieAnn, probably a year before she passed away.  I would have almost NO NEW FABRIC if it weren't for that sweet gal !  Anyway, there were 2 charm packs and 3 half-yard pieces of coordinates.  So I started playing around to see what I could make work with just that fabric.

This is what I came up with.  The fabrics are nice, but the red and white printed background fabric tends to give the quilt a pinkish tinge that I don't care for.
 I got it pieced within a couple of days' time, and grabbed some leftover polyester batting from quilting the embroidered quilt blocks commission.  I seamed some pieces together and basted this one up.

Marley Jo sized

Good ol' Singer 15-91 came through again for the machine-quilting........just straight-line quilting in all of the ditches (seams).

Definitely doesn't crinkle up like it would with a cotton batting.

 Note to self, I have not found a solution for any machine that I use making tucks when I machine-quilt (except during free-motion quilting).   So, now, I use straight pins on whatever seam I am quilting, and place them about an inch apart for 6 or so inches.  After quilting over them, (yes, I quilt over pins), I move them to the next 6-inch section ahead of the needle.  No more tucks.  I am very satisfied with the outcome, if not the extra work.   It's worth it to get something quilted up more quickly than I could quilt by hand.

UPDATE on Spot in the Middle quilt.
 Washed and dried finally........I loved the flat look of this one, and for once I didn't want crinkly.  Well, crinkly is just what I got, of course, with a cotton batting.

Nothing wrong with the quilt..........this is usually what I'm waiting for the whole time I'm making it..........all that lovely 'real quilt' wrinkliness.  Just NOT this time.

Also, for the blog record.....COVID 19 Pandemic has us still staying at home, "sheltering in place", but I do go out for groceries and meal deliveries.  Schools and Church services still postponed for now.

Tiny quilt finish

All sizes of quilts make me HAPPY !

 I was experimenting with some strip-piecing when I put these blocks together a while back.  It was just the right size for some evening hand-quilting over the past week.  I chose different colored quilting threads to match the colorway of each block.

When it came time to bind, I went back to the 'strings' tub, and I chose colors to match all but the brown center block.

Now, it sits on my coffee table, bringing me a smile each time it catches my eye.

I LOVE QUILTING !

And I LOVE having a stash to draw from on a moment's whim !  Thank you, Father in Heaven, for this gift of being able to create things, big or small, to add beauty to MY life, and, hopefully, the lives of OTHERS as well.

Sign of the times

First case was recognized in our little town now, so taking things a bit more seriously.  Y'all keep praying God's mercy.

Spot in the Middle---finished !

Yesterday, I finished binding this quilt that I have seen referred to as Spot in the Middle.  I have heard others call it Framed Square.  Either way, I REALLY LIKE the finished quilt.

After being undecided on how to finish the piecing, I settled on a fairly modern design featuring ONE side border of a solid light tan, giving me a good place to showcase some "Big Stitch" hand-quilting.

I machine-quilted approximately one half-inch inside of each block's outer seam, in both directions.  Then, after hand-quilting the cable in the solid tan fabric border, using an exaggerated size stitch, I went back and quilted a square one-half inch outside of each block's center square, doing it also with the bigger stitches.  I used a thread from Coats and Clark, called Bold Hand Quilting Thread.

Each block measures 6 inches, finished, and with 10 rows of 8 blocks, plus the 6-inch vertical border on the right, the finished measurements of the quilt are 54 x 60 inches. 

The backing was happily pieced from bigger pieces from my stash of brown fabrics (mostly), and I much prefer it to any ONE fabric that I could have used by itself. 

I just had to get this little fussy-cut square into this quilt.  Quilting certainly DOES bring me joy in the many hours that I spend alone.

Somebody on Facebook dubbed this photo "a cat scan".

For the record.....

I finished the quilting on the "Spot in the Middle" quilt, today !   I will hopefully be able to share more

photos as soon as I get it bound.

No virus in my home, praise be to God.

Finished quilt top --Spot in the Middle

I have been laying this one out for DAYS, arranging and rearranging, trying to balance the lights, mediums and darks.

I even tried to add borders to bring it up to a bed size, but alas, that wasn't my vision.

Unfortunately, the finished product leaves me longing to make one without so much contrast.  I love the very lights, lights and light-mediums together, and would love to see one made BY ME with just THAT.    Maybe I'll try that in grays.

Notes of interest (only to myself, probably). (FACTS FROM MY DAILY LIFE FOR THE JOURNAL)
1.  I just had my first eye exam since the Spring of 2009.  And my distance vision has actually improved just a bit.  Our little town's optometrist retired years ago, and I have just put off getting my eyes checked anywhere else.  We now have a facility to do the exams, so I got off of my rear and went.  Glad I did.........he said that my eye health looked excellent.  I'll probably use my prescription to get myself a pair of prescription "readers" for now, and make do with the glasses I'm currently using for driving.  That's about the only time I use them, and they are sufficient.  On the other hand, the over-the-counter readers that I use for hand-quilting are leaving me frustrated.  Now I know that that is because the two eyes are measuring differently in what they see.

2.  I'm having this year's screening mammogram tomorrow, LORD willing.  Last year was my first one in a long time, due to the fact that I finally had insurance.  As for every time before, they sent me for a second mammogram.  That's just the make-up of my breasts........there's never been an actual problem found.  I'm just hoping to get 3 in a row on record for comparison so that I won't have to keep having double tests every year.

3.  I ate a double cheeseburger today WHOLE....the WHOLE THING together, AS A SANDWICH .  Actually it was a McDouble from you-know-where.  The reason I note this is that since my surgery in 2013, which damaged my swallow and killed a nerve in my tongue, I haven't been able to manage burgers in buns.....there just has not been enough cooperation in my mouth to process.  I'd buy a burger and just eat the meat, or the meat and the top or bottom of the bun .  But today was a banner day, and I praise God for the progress !

Oops,a FINISH.... I missed one !

Somehow, I seem to have missed blogging about this little quilt that I pieced back in August of 2019.

It was inspired by the quilt in this post....
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2017/01/zip-top-completed.html

Nice and crinkly, post-wash and dry.

It is a baby-quilt size, finishing somewhere between 35 and 40 inches square.  (It sold at Christmas-time.)

Before laundering the quilt.

I was really happy with the border that I ended up adding to the quilt.  I think that it set it off just right.  Lottie had no complaints.

This whole series of quilts by her are a lifetime of inspiration to me....
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/search/label/solids%20on%20prints%20series