347,514 stitches

Do you gasp at that number? I did!! My wonderful sister-in-law, Carolyn, (AKA https://OneBlockWonderWoman.wordpress.com//) did the custom long arm quilting on my Allietare quilt.  She messaged me after the quilting was complete and told me how many stitches went into the quilting, 347,514.  That is overwhelming really. The quilt is 111″ wide by 99″ long.   I wanted the extra width for the sides of the bed. Those thick mattresses add to that width. 

I’ve posted about this quilt project in the past, but I would like to report now that the quilt is finished, ready for show & tell and for the bedroom!  To catch up, here is what has been going on this summer.

I mailed the quilt top and the backing fabric to her in July and I got it back last week.  I ordered  Quilters Dream Natural Cotton Select Mid Loft batting from the Fat Quarter Shop, and that took a while to arrive.  I usually use Warm & Natural, but I do like the feel of this mid-loft batting.  Quilters Dream is the batting that Carolyn prefers. She knows what her machine likes best!

Carolyn did an amazing job on the quilting and you can see some little peaks of it here and there in the photos that accompany this post. 

While I was waiting for the quilt to come back to me from California, I made the binding and some pillow cases from left over fabric.

I had enough fabric to make 4 queen size and 2 standard pillow cases.  

Want a peek at the quilting?

The texture of the quilting really shows on the gold on the back of the quilt.

Carolyn did a beautiful job quilting, free motion on her long arm, Greta the Gammill.  Each area of the quilt was custom quilted freehand.  I think she did an amazing job.  

I spent one afternoon trimming the quilt.  Then I made a hanging sleeve from the leftover backing fabric.  I attached the hanging sleeve at the same time as I put the binding on the quilt.

For some reason, I put the hanging sleeve too low, and it didn’t get caught in the first round of binding stitches, so I did a second run…..and those stitches were too wide, so out came my trusty seam ripper.   Took the binding off, moved the sleeve all the way up and reattached it to the back of the quilt. I got in too big of a hurry I think.  I needed to take a break and try again.

The burgundy is “flange/piping” part of the binding, and gets stitched to the back of the quilt first.  

Over 400 inches of binding going on.  I love those handy little clips.  I had enough clips to go 3/4 of the way around a king size quilt, which is fantastic.  That meant I didn’t have to stop stitching very often, and drag it all back to my big table very often.   

This binding is what I call “Susie’s Magic Binding” and is my GO – TO style of binding.  I love the pop of color you get when you have that little flange showing. I also love that you can stitch it down entirely by machine.  Check out the tutorial at the link above.  I use my walking foot when attaching the binding and on this machine, I have an extra help with a special “ditch” foot for the walking foot, that keeps my stitching “in the ditch” of the burgundy fabric.

Manhandling a big quilt to put the binding on is no easy job. The “shipping weight” was 10 pounds, and I can attest to that fact that it is heavy! I had to set up my ironing board next to me to help hold the weight of the quilt.  I also had a table behind my machine table to support the weight.  I am so glad my machine is set in the table and I didn’t have to ‘lift’ the quilt. 

I did the “final” hand stitching yesterday, making certain the label was stitched down and that the sides and bottom of the hanging sleeve were attached.  I put some fusible behind the label to make it extra tough for someone to “remove it”.  Two edges are encased in the binding too.  

Ready to see it?  Here is the back — where you can really see the texture. (Note – those pillowcases were made using some of these backing fabrics)

Can you “see” my hanging sleeve at the top??  It matches the backing and pretty much disappears.  

And this is what I told Carolyn was the “beauty shot”…..

Five years in the making and finally finished!!!  This is a Bonnie Hunter /Quiltville mystery quilt pattern and was presented in 2015.  The pattern is currently available at Bonnie’s store as a digital pattern – https://quiltville.com/shop.html#!/Allietare-Digital-Pattern/p/59334161/category=13038426

Want more details on my version?  Just use the search function for “ALLIETARE”  on my blog, and you will find all the previous posts. Be sure and check out this post and see why I chose the colors I did.  You will see a hint if you take a closer look at the label on the back of the quilt too. https://stitchinggrandma.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/progress-on-a-ufo-allietare-mystery-quilt-circa-2015-16/ 

What’s going on in your stitching life?  Any random acts of  quilting? 

Advertisement

Making Labels for Quilts

In the last couple of weeks I got motivated to make labels for projects that are “nearing” completion or are completed.  If you have been reading my blog in the last month or so, you know that I finished TWO of my Pat Sloan projects (Get to the Point and Mama’s Garden) that were started in classes several years ago.  I am also working toward completion of my Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Allietare.

I like to make a label for my quilt as the “final step” in the project. I use my embroidery machine to make a simple label, and fuse & stitch it on.  (More about the embroidery machine in a minute.) Often times I will use part of the backing fabric as a border on the label so it kind of “floats” on the backing. I learned a trick years ago for “making perfect circles for applique” and use the method when I add the fusing product to my label.  Basically, I lay the fusible product on top of my label with the fusing facing the wording and stitch all the way around, then I slit the fusing in the middle with my snips, and turn the whole thing “right side out” . This way there is a nice neat “edge” on the label turned under, and I have the added benefit of a “hard to remove” label. I do stitch around the label by hand, avoiding going into the front of the quilt, much the way you stitch binding. I will put a link to a video at the bottom of the page that gives you a better “visual” than my explanation.

If I am “efficient” I have the label ready, so when the binding goes on, two edges of the label are stitched down by machine. Like I said, “IF I AM EFFICIENT“.  That means in my life that I better make the label BEFORE I bind the quilt, and that doesn’t always happen, so SOME have to be hand stitched on all 4 sides.  When I hand stitch, I use a matching thread so my sloppy hand sewing doesn’t show.  

Let’s talk about making machine embroidery labels.  If you followed me for anytime you know that I have two embroidery machines. I have the Brother PE500 with the 4×4 hoop and the Janome 11000 with lots of hoops, including an adjustable hoop up to 6×12 or so.  For years I made my labels on the Brother machine, using the available fonts in the machine, typing one line at a time on the tiny screen.   The example below is one done on the Brother machine, one line at a time.  Around 2017 I was given a hoop that can be repositioned on the machine, so making a bigger label could be done with out “re-hooping”. Using it for the label below I could get a longer label, and still keep everything lined up straight.  I got “pretty good” at the alignment thing and figuring out where to start the next line using the plastic grid that came with the hoops.  

The yellow label was applied on the back of this project BEFORE the binding went on.  The beauty of using fusible on the back is that it will stay in place while you are working on the binding. 

When I made my label for the Mama’s Garden quilt, I was using a fabric piece that Pat Sloan had signed for me several years ago, either when I took her class or went to a guild lecture she gave.  I had to try to line up the wording on my Janome 11000 (again one line at a time), using built in fonts.  I had fun with this label as it is the first attempt at making a label on my Janome, and I got to use some larger fonts.  I wish I had pushed the words pattern by a little farther to the left, but, I can live with the final result.

This label was stitched on after the binding went on. I used green of the backing fabric for the edge of the label, but set it opposite of the backing so it does not completely disappear.

I have a couple of “free software” programs for embroidery, and decided I would try one of them to make my next label, using the software on the computer.  The program I chose to use was called Embrilliance Express and I used the fonts in the program.  I was really pleased with the result on the screen and with the stitch out.

I haven’t figured out how to tell the software to cut the jump stitches between letters, but I can live with them.  If you use Embrilliance Express and know the secret, do share!

  I hooped this fabric in my 8×8 hoop and got a nice size label.  I did the fusible trick and got nice edges and corners when I turned the label out right. I fused it on and hand stitched it down on all four sides.

I had such good success with the creation of the label in the Embrilliance Express software on the computer that I got busy and made another label and stitched it out for my Allietare quilt.

For this label I used my inspiration fabric on the edges of the top and bottom.  I will add the fusible after I get the quilt ready to bind.  I still need to get busy and make that backing and ship it all off to my favorite sister-in-law, One Block Wonder Woman

She has graciously offered to quilt it for me on her big long arm machine, Greta the Gammill.  Go take a look at her blog I linked and check out her adventures. 

So, that is my adventure in making quilt labels this month, and over the years. I need to learn how to import fonts into the Embrilliance program, and hope I can do that without buying something else.  I am so tickled with how the last two worked out and am writing about it to encourage you to use your embroidery machines if you have them.  Even if you just have a 4×4 hoop, you can make a multi line label!  Embrilliance is free in the “express mode”, and it is not to hard to navigate, which is perfect in my life!

Do you label your quilts?  What information do you like to include on the label?  How do you make your labels and apply them?  Love to hear what your methods are, as I like to continue to learn new tricks.

Here is the link Making perfect circles for applique  for the method I use for adding the fusible to my label and getting a nice clean edge.  The not only works for circles, it also is useful for rectangles or squares.  I tend to get a more “rounded” corner instead of a sharp 90 degree turn, which is fine for a quilt label in my life.

 

Sharing the fun and more

NOTE: REVISED POST –  Sometimes my links I enter “disappear” between the time I add them, and the time I finish.  In this post the link to Bonnie’s Show & Share dropped off.  It is now reposted!  Bonnie Hunter’s blog address is http://www.quiltville.blogspot.com .

Now, back to my post…………..

So, as you may have read – a few days with Bonnie Hunter – at a class; a lecture or a retreat can be a lot of fun!  My friend Judy commented that “You have more fun than the rest of us put together”.   Well, I do try! At this point in life, if it is not fun , then I am not doing it! PERIOD.  There are a lot of “levels” of what I would call fun.  From the blissful joy of holding a new grandchild for the first time, to the wonderful feeling you get when you serve meals at church, to the companionship and friendship, conversations and coffee while you sort and fold donated fabric, to the gathering of friends to sew together, or the peaceful quiet of the morning with your first cup of coffee.  Maybe fun is the wrong word….perhaps joy is a better choice.  I am trying very hard to have JOY in my life everyday; and to not allow the negative to seep in.  I am choosing to only work on those projects that give me  personal joy; or projects that will be bringing joy to someone else. I do look forward to sewing today, finishing up a few baby bibs, and then working on a pillowcase for one of Ocean Waves Quilt Guild  community service project, and a tote bag – big enough to carry a turkey, for Helping Hands Quilt Guild.  The pillowcases go to patients at local hospitals who getting chemo or are in patient and need cheering up. The tote bag will go to the food pantry that is held in the same church as Helping Hands Quilt Guild meets. I try to do my “best work” and pray that those who get these items feel a little joy during a difficult time in their life.

As I opened up my emails/blogs/Facebook etc., before coffee this morning, I saw another of Bonnie Hunter’s posts with photo’s of her trip to Dover DE.    Bonnie’s Show & Share in Dover DE   on her  blog post.  Quick, open it in another page then come back.

Are you back? Good, didn’t want you to miss the rest of my post.  Flip back and forth or split your screen!  Or, read this whole post and go visit Bonnie and then come back!

The  second thing I saw on the post,  was a picture of me helping Edna hold her Allietare quilt. (Edna and I were room-mates for our little get-away.)  Notice the lovely scalloped borders on hers! That means it is quilted, and bound.  The 3rd photo is me (in green) holding MY Allietare quilt.  I changed up the colors; and mine is still a work in progress.  (I went for greens and browns instead of the greys and blacks the pattern called for.) I want a final border so it fits my king size bed.  I showed the inspiration fabric with the quilt, but it doesn’t show in any of the photos.  I plan to use it somewhere on the quilt, but I am still “not there”.

Be sure to read the lovely embroidered label that Edna has on her quilt!  Go one, go check out all the photo’s on Bonnies blog, run the slide show. Turn your speakers down a notch or two. Don’t forget to come back!

On other matters – I run the “Second Time Around” table at Ocean Waves Quilt Guild.  We get lots of donated items from members, and from people who find the guild through other means and have items to donate.  Last Friday I went to pick up an entire “sewing room” of donations.  I filled my trunk, back seat and front seat with those donations.  On Wednesday and Thursday this week, different guild members came over to help me sort, iron, measure, and price fabrics.  We support our Community Service projects with this donated fabrics.  My helpers were looking for things that would make great baby quilts and pillowcase; and while they were sorting they really helped me get through a few of these bags.  I have many more days of sorting and folding and pricing to do before I get this pile into nice neat little stacks of fabrics.  I am setting some items aside for the quilt show next summer, but also boxing up items to sell at the guild meeting in November and during the coming year.

 

Yes, everything on and under that brown table was donated!  And boy there were some treasures!

More fun/joy – My newest grandchild, Addison, stopped by yesterday with her mommy.  She got to visit with 2 of my quilting friends, Nancy and De, and arrived at JUST the right time.  We had been sorting and folding and ironing and pricing donated fabric for about 3 1/2 hours when she got here.  We were working on this big pile of donations!  (This was day 2 for me of the sorting and folding and ironing, so I was happy to be distracted).

It was a great stopping point and so much fun to sit and look at a sweet baby while her mommy went through my fat quarter baskets in search of fabric for “more bibs”.

Addison is 6 months old, and has 2 bottom teeth that just broke through.  She is drooling like a wet Rottweiler!  My friend Nancy, has been an expert “bib” maker, having a grandson who needed LOTS of bibs.  She gifted me her patterns and left over PUL**   fabric, and 4 bibs already cut out.  I had dug in my bins for flannel and for some other fabrics; ordered a snap-tool and set of snaps and got busy last week.  I picked up the snap tool on Wednesday. (Did you know you can order just about anything at Walmart.com and get free shipping for pick up at the store?)  The snap-tool I got was the Babyville brand, and I ordered a package of snaps.  It works very easily.   Grandpa did the first batch of snaps, and I did the second batch. They were ready to hand off to Addison when she came to visit.

I wish I had “snapped” a photo of her sitting on a quilt in my sewing room, playing with the stack of bibs!  I sent her home with 9, and have started another 3.

I just ordered another yard of PUL fabric from JoAnn Fabrics. It was on sale, and I got another 25% off, so I don’t mind paying their high shipping.  I am putting the bibs together with a layer of quilters cotton, a layer of PUL fabric in the middle, and a layer of nice flannel on the back.  These are quick and easy to sew.  My daughter pulled out some interesting fabrics for the next batch, and I have it all pre-washed and ready to cut.  Addison will be a fashionista in her batiks and small print florals!  These bibs are really fat quarter friendly.   I think I may modify the next pattern slightly so that the pattern can be cut on the fold, and I won’t have to worry about “right sides” when I cut the PUL fabric.  I also am waiting on a “review” of the bib to see how absorbent it is. I might put a layer of quilters cotton batting in there to “soak up”.  The PUL does help keep the “soaking thru”, but I am guessing a little extra thickness might be good.  I could practice a little free motion quilting on the bib before I finish the assembly.  Stitching through the PUL fabric defeats the purpose, but I could layer the quilters cotton and the batting; quilt it a bit to reduce the bulk with a tear away stabilizer behind it, then layer it with the PUL and the flannel.   Open to other ideas if you have one!

I hope what ever you are doing today brings joy to you and those around you.

**PUL fabric is Soft, Breathable, Waterproof “PUL” (Polyurethane Laminate) is a fabric laminated with waterproof polyurethane on the back. It is popular and effective for cloth diapers, diaper covers, bibs, diaper bags, wet bags, changing pads and more

Half Square Triangle FUN

I FINISHED MY 1430 !!!

  I am working on the Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt and in Step 1 we needed to construct 2.5″  half square triangles.  Well, I bit the big bullet and decided to go for the KING size; and it required 1430!!!  I have been plugging away at them since mid January.  Carole promised we would not need them all the first month!

Step 2 required 432 in the construction of the first block –

I made 144 of those blocks.

Then Step 3 required 288 in the construction of the second batch of blocks –

I made 144 of those blocks.

And then I continued to work on my squaring up of  the rest of the blocks, 20 here, 20 there and I am finally done!  This container has 739 in it!!

I figure I made about 29 extra HST’s, but hey, I would rather have a few extra than come up short at the end.  All the fabrics except the neutral came from my abundance of scraps.  I use the June Tailor Perfect Half-Square & Quarter-Square Triangle tool for marking cutting and squaring up.  I like it better than any other method I have tried.

The good news is, I am NOT burnt out on HST’s and am planning a BABY QUILT for my newest tiny granddaughter who is just 2 weeks old.  She is having grey, white, and coral accents in her nursery and I acquired the fabric Monday for her quilt!  I am thinking a chevron pattern with 4 or 5″ blocks. Graphic and modern will be the goal!!

Now, the bad news is, I don’t have a lot of time before I leave on a trip to Hawaii the middle of April, so she will probably not get to her quilt until I am back home the first week of May!!   Next week is “Ocean Waves Quilt Guild week” with a meeting on Monday, followed by an executive board meeting; class on Tuesday, a trip to the airport with the speaker on Wednesday, a board meeting on Thursday and the release of Scrap Dance Tango Step 4 on Friday!!  Oh, and I am going on Sunday to pick up the speaker in Maryland!  PHEW….when am I going to pack for Hawaii??   Keep an eye open for progress as I go along.  Gosh, it might be fun to try my hand at hand quilting while I am on my 15 day cruise, but I don’t think I want to try this as a “first” project.  I would need my quilt bee buddies along to guide me and none of them are going to be tagging along!

I am still working on Senior Quilts.  We tied 3 yesterday at church, and will tie the other 3 on Saturday.  I brought 2 more home to bind, and will start prepping that binding this afternoon.  I will do those with Susie’s Magic Binding!!

I have another project  “on the floor” of the quilt room, laid out and planning borders.  My friend June started this quilt from a kit her daughter gave her at least 15 years ago.  It was a UFO that she really wants finished, but is just not quilting much any more.  I mentioned it previously and showed pictures as I was adding borders.  I am working on the 20″ drop (in the green) that she wants and am short fabric.  So, creative thinking has got me adding a panel along both sides and I will also be adding a couple of strips similar to what shows on the right side of the picture. 

It has been a struggle to get this finished for her, with her design concepts very different from mine!  Oh well, you may see this again about once a month, because it seems I can only dedicate one day every few weeks to working on it!!

Time to make some binding and think about that sweet little baby girl whose quilt fabric is calling me.  Honestly, finding time to sew is tough, because I have been hopping in the car as often as I can to go visit and hold and snuggle her!  I forced myself to stay home today, do a little laundry, clean toilets and sweep the kitchen and sew binding.  Can you guess where I would RATHER be ??  And I am thinking ahead to later in the spring or early summer when her cousins will come from Texas for a visit and to meet the new addition to our family!  Gosh I love being a Grandma!!!  And let me tell you….Grandpa is enchanted as well!

Time to get sew!!  Enjoy your projects and family time!  (Remember my last post?  Yes, the final border for Allietare is still waiting!)

 

note; Allietare is a Bonnie Hunter / Quiltville mystery quilt

           Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt is designed by Carole at From My Carolina Home blog.

Links to both are on the side bar of the blog.

 

 

 

 

 

Major progress on Allietare

I have held off on any Allietare updates until I had some significant progress to report.  The edges have been trimmed and 2 rounds of borders have been put on.  The pattern finishes as a nice queen size, but I upped the border size slightly and have ONE more round to go.  I am going for king size, and will be adding a 12 ” border all around in a textured tone on tone gold print that goes nicely with those gold center blocks.

I’ve been “on break” from sewing while I recover from bronchitis that kept me out of the sewing room for a full week.

I have been working with our Senior Quilt Project at church, and we have 9 quilts for presentation to our graduates. Our congregations signs these quilts, writing messages of hope, faith and God’s love on them.  They will be presented on Mother’s Day to the graduates.  Each quilt is different.  We have a large selection of fabric that we cut 8.5″ squares from and then each person chooses the pattern and fabrics they think would best suit the graduating student

I made this  one,

This one was made by Mary Lu Wilson –

and really reflects the personality of the recipient who works as an EMT volunteer!  I did the binding on both quilts after we tied them last weekend.   Finished the binding last night and they are ready to return to the church.   Of course, I used my favorite “Susie’s Magic Binding method” and I could make the binding and get it stitched on by machine in an evening.

I plan to work on my friend June’s quilt on Friday, getting her last round of borders on, now that she has decided which fabric and what size she would like them to be.  I feel like I have had it for months, and only work on it once a month.  Once I get the next round of borders on, I will take it to her, and we will decide how to back and quilt it.  No pix until I get that next round on!

I still have a stack of half square triangles waiting in the kitchen to trim for the Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt…..I was a bit afraid to even go near my rotary cutter when I was feeling unwell last week, so there has been no progress on that project.   I also put up a post about starting another quilt along for a mini bargello.  Well, thinking I would use my 2.5″ strips out of my scrap storage bins and how “easy” the project would be, got me planning.  The plan is still there, but I got sick and now feel totally behind!  I am taking a trip in a few weeks and have other deadlines (ooohhh…income tax time) looming!  Plus, I have been on the run, visiting with my youngest daughter 3 days in a row, so I feel like my projects will just have to wait. Family first!  I did have fun this week with my newest quilt bee = the Queen Bees!  It is fun to see them “up and flying” now. They have a plan in place for next month’s bee while I am away.  They are a lively bunch, with all different skill levels, and I think it is fun to watch them share techniques and skills with each other.

That’s about all the fun I can muster for this day!  I hope you have a lovely weekend and celebrate the Risen Lord this Easter Sunday. If you are looking for a place to worship, you are invited to Reformation Lutheran Church, 613 Lakeview Ave, Milford Delaware, with service at 8:30 and 11 am on Sunday. Drop in and take a peak at all those beautiful Senior Quilts too!  If you live elsewhere in the world, I encourage you to take time and worship during this very holy week.

 

NOTE:  

Allietare Mystery Quilt designed by Bonnie Hunter – www.quiltville.blogspot.com

Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt designed by Carole – http://www.frommycarolinahome.wordpress.com

Susie’s Magic Binding – Aunt Marti’s 5 2 quilts  blog – http://www.52quilts.com/2012/05/tuesday-tutorial-susies-magic-binding.html

 

Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Step 3 Complete

The monthly report on Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt is ready!  I did promise not to bore you with it daily….so I hope I have met that commitment!

Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt is designed by Carole and presented on her blog – From My Carolina Home on WordPress.  The link is at the bottom of this post, and there is also a button on the side bar of this blog.  This post will be linked – up on Carole’s blog, and the FLICKR group.

I waited patiently for Step 3 to be posted yesterday morning, and when it was, I got busy!  Because Carole designed the pattern to have you do all of your cutting in Step one, and all of your half square triangles in Step one; assembly of the blocks is rather easy.  That is…if you follow directions~!!~

You may remember that I need 1430 half square triangles (HST) for a king-size. They are all constructed and I am trimming the last 300+…. still.  I do 10 or 20 every so often.  And, because I was so focused on getting all those HST constructed and trimmed, I left some of the cutting for “later“.  Well, since I  did not have enough of the neutrals cut,  I had to take a few minutes to cut more.  I did a little math before I started so I would not “over cut”.  That’s what I mean about “following directions”.  I was hoarding my neutrals until I had all the HST constructed, and I knew it wouldn’t take much time to cut those “other pieces” from step 1 when called for.  

I love the Robert Kaufman Quilt Calculator app for Android phones.  There is a piece count and a pieces to yardage area function, so it is easy to determine how many strips to cut to get my additional 2.5″ squares.  I use the June Tailor Shape Cut, a slotted ruler with 1/2 ” increments and it makes fast work of strip cutting and subcuts into squares.

Once I had 288 neutral squares cut at 2.5″ I pulled out my 2.5″ half square triangles and took out 288 of them. I have been keeping my squares and HST  clipped in bundles of 10 for easier counting. Keeping them in baskets and trays helps too.  It took me longer to press the fabric than it did to cut those squares.

I did lots of chain piecing –

Then lots of ironing – still chained together – still in groups of 8-10 —

Then more bundling into groups of 10 with a little color sorting as I ironed —

I made lots of trips with 2 patches to the ironing board….then I sewed some more…..and made more trips to the iron with 4 patches!  And by dinnertime I had 144 of those cute little 4 patches finished. 

Now I am starting to wonder what the pattern will look like, since in step TWO- in February –  we constructed 4 patches that looked like this-

Oh I love a mystery!  This is a SIX MONTH mystery, so patience will be necessary!  🙂  I am also wondering what we will be building NEXT month!  (I have travel plans in April, but the 2nd Friday is the 8th, and I am hoping to be at it EARLY that day!  I am going to beg Carole to get her post ready and schedule it to “publish” early on the 8th!  You think I can convince her????)

 Meanwhile, I have some trimming of HST to complete, and might now finish cutting the rest of my neutral blocks!!  And, I can get back to my Allietare Mystery Quilt.  It still needs to be trimmed…..and then there are those two UFO’s for my Material Girls Bee….# 8 and # 9…..I better dig them out and look, because we have a bee on Wednesday and ssshhhhh….don’t tell I haven’t touched them………and the UFO challenge was my idea!

 Don’t forget to SPRING forward this weekend if your area is doing it this weekend.  I did not realize until I went looking for the “official” name (Daylight Savings Time in the US), that some countries have already  Sprung forward, and others will do it later in March and April.  There is a great chart on this website Time and Date Daylight Savings Time events  .  Could be helpful if you are making international phone calls or traveling in the next few weeks to know what is happening at your destination.  For me, I am happy to be able to remain in bed until 7 am!  I find the winter is tough because I always feel like I am up before the chickens!

What are your sewing plans for this weekend?

You can get more information and steps for Scrap Dance Tango Mystery Quilt on Carole’s blog –From My Carolina Home

The FLICKR group is located here – Scrap Dance Tango Flickr group

 

 

 

 

Allietare – Assembled – ready to trim

Yesterday I mentioned I would not show any pictures until I had the main part of my Allietare assembled and ready for trimming.  I had some free time in the afternoon, and got that last seam together, and ironed.  Trimming is next and border decisions need to be made.  I will open up that pattern one more time and see what Bonnie Hunter recommended, then decide just how big I want the finished quilt to be.  It currently measures  71 x 85.  I have a king size bed, so thinking the borders will have to be carefully considered.

Not much will happen in my sewing room until nearly dinner time, but I ask you to “wish me luck” as I proceed!

Note: pattern is by Bonnie Hunter – the Quiltville Winter Mystery 2015, Allietare.  I changed 2 of the recommended colors – I chose green instead of grey, and brown instead of black.  I used a constant red; and a constant gold for the center of the stars, and went scrappy with the smaller gold pieces and the neutrals.

Block construction completed – Allietare!

I got some time to sew today, uninterrupted by real life.   I cranked up the heaters out in the garage to make the room reasonably warm and got busy.  (It was 15 degrees Fahrenheit  outside today for the 2nd morning in a row…..brrrrr)

I have worked pretty much non-stop for the last 8 hours building my blocks from the pieces that were constructed over the last 6 weeks for the Bonnie Hunter – Quiltville – Winter Mystery Quilt Allietare 2015.

I focused on getting the “gold center” Star  blocks finished first and putting them on the design wall – on point.  As I mentioned in the last blog post I built them much like 9 patches.  My design wall was full of “inspiration” items that I had to clear off before I could actually get up on the step stool and start putting these blocks on point.

Then I went to work on the alternate blocks – called Echoes of Pisa in the pattern.   If you remember back to the beginning in Clue 1,  I chose to use green instead of gray as the pattern calls for.  With the green, I don’t think it gives you the feel of the Leaning Tower of Pisa that Bonnie Hunter was going for, but it does give me the feel of Italy.    I was inspired to go with the green and the brown (pattern called for gray & black) when I found this piece of fabric in the bags of scraps my friends had given to me. So far, it hasn’t made it’s way into the quilt, but I am certain I will find a way to incorporate it on the back of the quilt.  It is nearly a fat quarter in size, so I am thinking about how I will make that happen.                                    

Tuscany is full of those wonderful rolling hills and vineyards, and  that is what this fabric made me think about when I was pulling my fabrics initially last October.

I was able to get all 50 blocks  made and set out on the design wall as they will be joined.

I need to cut the red fabric  and  place them for the setting triangles. There are also edge pieces that are made, just not set up on the wall yet.  (I had to put the whole thing up “side ways” as it is so large.)   I think I will save that job for tomorrow after I re-read the directions again.  Then I can “get going” with stitching the rows together.  I think my “row marker pins” will get put to use tomorrow!

Time to turn out the lights and lower the heater settings and head in to the house for the night.

Hope you have a good day of stitching today!

Note; Pattern is by Bonnie Hunter – http://www.quiltville.blogspot.com – Allietare Winter Mystery Quilt 2015.  More info can be found on Bonnie’s blog.  Pattern is free until February 1, 2016. If you go to the link ,  Allietare  and the pattern information is not posted any longer, it must be after Feb 1st.   If you missed the pattern, you should be able to get back to see the link -up — Mystery Monday link up reveal

Christmas Quilt Along Table Runner on the Table

 Every Friday,  Bonnie Hunter gives out another clue in the Quiltville Winter Mystery 2015 – Allietare . ( Allietare Mystery quilt ). Since “Black Friday”, I anxiously await for the next clue!  Today, Clue 4 came out.  Before I could even THINK about starting any cutting, I wanted to get my Christmas Table Runner finished.  (Here is my logic:  I saved the clue, printed it out, and got busy with my Christmas Table Runner.   I knew that if I started Clue 4, then the table runner would be “pushed to the side” again!  I figured I am managing to keep up with the clues, and if I get behind now, at least the table runner is finished!)

The table runner project started back in mid-November when Carole, at “From My Carolina Home” on WordPress invited her followers to Quilt Along. If this project interests you, you might want to start at this link:  From the beginning .   She gave us the instructions over the course of 4 weeks on Friday’s.

I’ve had the top made for 2 weeks, but have been busy with other things, and needed to piece the back and get it layered and quilted and bound.  

Here is my finished project.  As previously mentioned, I went “scrappy” using up those “gifted”  bits of fabric my friends share.  I only pulled a few neutral fat quarters and fabric for the border and backing from my stash.

The quilting shows a little better on the back.

As usual, I had to add an “element” to the back of the quilt too, using leftover squares and strips.

The photo below was taken with a flash, and the project looks “flat”.  I find that interesting that the quilting flattens out in the photo with the flash.  

I have several prior posts about this project if you are a new visitor to my blog. If you would like to see those posts, follow these links.  Christmas Quilt Along and  here.

note – binding is done using Susie’s Magic binding .  If you would like a tutorial, look here:  Susie’s Magic Binding Tutorial

Now, I can proceed to Clue 4 …….

CLUE Completed and Table Runner too

Feeling quite productive for the middle of the week!  All of my little half-square triangles for Clue # 1 of the Quiltville Winter Mystery, 2015! Allietare! are complete, trimmed and assembled into happy little groups of 10.  Last post you may remember I discussed my “need to practice” with the specialty ruler to get the precise block needed.  Along the way reading other posts, I discovered some folks adding 1/2″ to initial size and then trimming off enough to get the “right sized block”.  The “easy angle ruler” and I are still not great friends.  I did put my single needle plate on my machine to eliminate some of the “chewing of fabric” problem I was having.  That helped.  And, for the last 50 I needed to make, I did up the strip size by 1/2″. They were “much easier” to sew.  I did like the “no lines” approach to using this ruler, cutting through 4 layers of fabric at once to get the required triangles, and not having to “worry about a scant” quarter inch.  I had “room to trim” and that was just fine with me.  

Once I had all my HST units trimmed down, I felt free to work on other projects.  I layered up, and had help “pin basting” the project from Pat Sloan’s class last month.  A friend came over and did most of the pinning while I “cleared the table” of my piles of stuff.  Oh gosh the sewing room has gotten out of control.  She had 2 big quilts to pin baste, and my 4 x 8 table comes in handy.

After we worked on her projects for a couple of hours, I decided I would work on finishing the mystery/Quilt – along project I had in progress.  The pattern was from the blog “From My Carolina Home” and was a scrap buster.  My friend recognized her “bird” fabric in the project.  I love when my friends gift me their treasures. I decided to go for the “table runner” and made 5 of the blocks.  I had a terrible time figuring out what to use for the border and finally settled on red with little white stars.

The project is 98% from the scrap storage boxes.  I only pulled some neutrals out of the fat quarter stash and the border from yardage stash. I think the back will be from the same red as the border.   (Don’t tell, but I have “covered that table again” with my stash storage boxes!)  Tomorrow, I will clear the table again and get the table runner layered up for quilting.    Friday a “new clue” comes out from Bonnie Hunter – Clue # 2 of the Quiltville Winter Mystery, 2015! Allietare!

 

Links to Quiltville – http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/allietare-mystery.html

Link to From My Carolina Home blog – Christmas Quilt Along