Small and Smaller Half-Square Triangles

This challenge was given to our guild in November, and I took pictures of the results at our December meeting.

First, this is my quilt.

I spent Election Day embroidering the center, then added the half-square triangles to the outside.  The half-square triangles finish at 1/2 inch.

The challenge for the guild was to make anything using half-square triangles.  These are the projects they showed at the meeting.  First was Lyn's.  She always adds embroidery and embellishments to her projects.

 I can't remember this woman's name, but I do love the embroidered ornaments.  She hadn't quite finished putting the borders on, but I think it will be great.

Then, Anne showed her quilt.  She used scraps of her Christmas batiks.  Fun!

Kim showed us her project.  Now, these are tiny!  I think she said there were 56 in there.

Then, Kris showed us her pin cushion made with the half-square triangles.  She very generously gave the pin cushion to a member of the group.

So, now they are working on their churn dash blocks, and I will be working soon on the next quilts for January.

Finally, a picture of the quilts I made for Christmas gifts this year.  Each of my children, and my husband, all received a quilt for Christmas.  Richard wanted a strip quilt, so I made one from a jelly roll of Snowbird Batiks.  The other four were 2-layer minky quilts.  They were so excited to wrap up in these.

As the weather gets colder here, these quilts will come in handy for everyone!

Christmas here was quiet, but also very nice.  We will do fondue for New Year's Eve, and I hope to continue piecing my latest project as we move into the new year.  Happy New Year all and

Keep Sewing!

Small and Smaller Churn Dash

Today's quilts are for the Sew Small Guild I belong to.  I have asked them to make a small or smaller churn dash quilt.  I provide the pattern, then they can play with it and change it up if they want or make it the same as mine.

This is the small one.  It finishes at 22" square.  I used charms for the color fabric, and lots of background fabric to go with it.  I found the cornerstone and border/binding fabric in my stash.  I had enough that it also went on the back.

Next is the smaller quilt.  This one finishes at 8 3/4 inches square.  I used a bit of a fat-eighth bundle I bought on a shop hop in May of 2013.  I had to buy more background fabric, and since it is from  Maywood Studios, I found it at my local quilt shop.

The half-square triangles in the churn dash are 1/2 inch finished.  I also learned that by strip piecing my sashing units, I could work more easily with small pieces.  I sewed a 2" strip of background to a 7/8 inch strip of red.  Then I cut them into 7/8 inch segments.

Now for some catch up.

I had some fun with this customer's quilt.  She didn't want a lot of quilting, and she wanted to emphasize the applique.  I think this captured it pretty well.  The border design is fairly new to me, but I've seen it a lot around the internet.  Here is a close-up:

Then, the whole quilt:

This quilt was also for a customer.  I really liked doing the pattern in the center of the yellow.

There was a lot of ruler work in both of these quilts.  

Then, I also finished a quilt of my own.  These blocks were part of a friendship exchange several years ago.  They all finished different sizes, so they created a challenge to put them together. I put them together, then put the top away and forgot about it.  This summer, I found it in the bottom of my batting scraps box.  It had the backing and binding fabric with it.  

Here is a close-up of the quilting.  I really just tried to play and choose different designs as I went.  It took me more time than I had planned, but I really like it.

I bought the backing fabric before I owned a longarm quilting machine.  So, I had not purchased enough.  But, I had purchased some fabric, just because, and it fit the other quite well, so I pieced the back like this:

I intentionally off-set the piecing so it wouldn't matter on the back if it wasn't centered.

Next, I finished our guild's mystery quilt last May, except I didn't want to do the applique.  I toyed with the idea of coloring the fabric, after I had quilted the flowers into the quilt.  My friend Lyn took it home and embroidered the flowers in and added yo-yos to the quilt.  She brought it back just a couple of weeks ago, so here are the pictures.

Enjoy the pictures.  I hope you are sewing.  I try to every day, and some days are better than others. Are you working on Christmas giving?  I hope to have pictures soon of my Christmas sewing.  Until then...

Keep Sewing!

Small and Smaller 9-patch

It's time for our Sew Small Guild to meet again tonight.  So, I have been working on Small and Smaller quilts.  This month is the nine patch.  I've enjoyed working with these, although sometimes I'm in such a hurry to get them done, I don't watch all my seams as I should.  Still, I'm enjoying these small quilts.  I'm going on a small trip, so the binding is just pinned down for the pictures, I'll bind them on my trip.

This one will hang in my husband's office.  He doesn't have a Halloween quilt...yet.  This one was made with the fabrics he chose from my stash.

These fabrics were also started from my stash, but I had to buy the yellow print to add to it.  I think it looks like a picnic quilt.  It is only 10 1/2 inches square.

Then, Richard got me these lovely fall flowers, just because.  They are beautiful colors, aren't they!  I love being inspired by color.

Nature provides beautiful color this time of year.  These maple trees are in our own yard.

I took this one just before they started blowing away in the wind.  Now they are mostly in the yard, and neighborhood.

Now, a few tidbits from Alaska.  First our Cake for our Anniversary dinner.

Then, dessert another evening...  The presentation in the dining room is so great!

Then, a watermelon carved for a centerpiece.  Beautiful and amazing work by the artists on the ship.

Enjoy the color, and be inspired!  Keep Sewing!

Small and Smaller

Hi again,

I've joined just one quilt guild this year.  It is a guild with a focus on mini quilts.  We've spent a few years learning much about the history of quilting, and different techniques.  I thought it was time to put our learning to the test.

Some may be intimidated by making something small.  I know I am more intimidated by making something complex.  So, we are warming up with small, simple quilts.  Each one will use elements that can be found in more complex blocks.  The first is the spinning L.

I did it small.

+

Then I did it smaller. 

The spinning L is made up of 4 of the same unit.  Two strips sewn together.  We will use this later in another quilt.

I am encouraging those who are more confident in their skills to play with the layout of their quilt. Maybe they can come up with something different.

I spent 2 weeks on vacation the first part of September.  We went to Alaska.  One of my favorite things, and one of the scariest, was a zipline.

We were high up in the trees.  I want to do that again!

Keep on Sewing!

Working With Rulers

I've learned that working with rulers can be intense.  Especially if it is cross-hatching.  Here is my latest work, using rulers, cross-hatching, and some free motion.

First, the whole quilt.  Done.

This. Took.  Forever.  Literally.

Here is the border treatment.  Actually, this was a fun part.  I really like when I get to the borders.

Here you can see all the cross-hatching in the yellow.

Now a view of the back.  I took a picture of one of my mistakes, but I won't tell you where it is.

You'll probably see it here, though.

What a relief!

What's next?  Not a whole lot.  I won't be posting for a while, I've got other things going on.  But, if I get something done this week, I'll take a picture.

Keep Sewing!

An All-Time Favorite Quilt

I am honored to be able to quilt for other people.  This trust they put in me to help make their quilt shine, is sometimes overwhelming.  However, I think I just did my  All-Time Favorite Quilt.

This 27" square quilt was pieced by a 7-year-old girl in my neighborhood.  This is her first project she has sewn.

She brought it to me for quilting, and then I also did the binding.

She then gave it to her 3-year-old brother, for when he pretends to be a dog.  That has got to be the best gift ever!

She wanted puffy batting, so we used a scrap of polyester batting that I had.  I also had a red scrap in my stash for the binding.  Didn't she do an awesome job?!!

This is one I quilted for someone else.  (Actually, grandmother to the above quilter).  I love the colors used.

I used the continuous curve for this one, and it seemed to flow as I quilted it.  The fun part is, if you miss something going one way, you get a second chance coming back.

Here is the quilting from the back.  I think that is one of the funnest parts of quilting; looking at the pattern made on the back.

Finally, how many unfinished projects do you have?  A lady in my guild this last year had 305 kits waiting to be put together.  I don't have that many, but I do have a few.  This one I found in a box, when I was looking for something else.  I had removed the center 4 blocks, because they were sewn wrong, then tucked it away. So, I spent an hour piecing it back together, and piecing the back.  It is ready to be quilted.

I now have 8 projects of my own, waiting to be quilted, because the tops are done and the backs are, too.  Anybody selling time in a bottle?  I sure could use some!

I am currently quilting a friend's quilt, that I am doing cross-hatching in.  This takes HUGE amounts of time, and I need to get it done soon, to get 2 others done in the next 3 weeks.  I am hoping I can squeeze more time out of my life to spend at the machine to get them done.

Do you have a favorite quilt?  Do you have unfinished projects?  Do you find yourself wishing for more time at the sewing or quilting machine?  Do tell me!

Keep Sewing!

Catching Up! A longer post than usual.

I've really had time to focus on quilting for others this summer.  My work schedule changed, so I have more consecutive days to quilt...which is so heavenly!

This quilt made me a little nervous because of the 16 inch borders.  However, I traced the big flowers in the center, then traced the design on the borders, alternating flowers, and it worked up pretty well.  The owner was pleased, and giving it to a granddaughter.

The fabrics made me smile, and I enjoyed picking out familiar fabrics that I have owned, or seen at my work.


Then, in time for summer, a great watermelon quilt.  I quilted puffy feathers in the creams, using cream thread, and an echoed paisley in the red and green, using green variegated thread.

I was pleased at some of the compliments received.  I'm working to improve my quilting, and this one was fun to do.

Then, an interesting design, with nine patches, and a type of lattice.  I should have loaded it with the lattice going across the frame, but I didn't realize it or design the quilting in time.

I used blue thread, and did continuous circles in and around the nine patches.  Then, a straight line in the lattice sashing.

I always enjoy the design created on the back.  It's often a surprise to me, mostly a pleasant surprise.

The borders were single blocks, quilted with the same continuous circles.  Then, I filled in the white with squiggles, and did a quilted leaf in the setting triangles.

This next one used some fun fabric, the owner wanted the blocks treated like applique.  I didn't want the quilting to detract from the graphic design of the fabric.  So, wiggly lines around the block.

Big suns in the border felt right with the theme, plus all those angles fit in well.

Secondary design on the back, as the wiggly lines meet in the pinwheel cornerstone blocks.

Same design shown from the front.

Next, a princess quilt.  She wanted it similar to the pattern, which makes my job just a bit easier.  However, I did think of the inner border design.  She wanted an emphasis on  hearts in the quilt.

 More big borders, but this flower was freehand, instead of tracing.

Whew!  I am amazed as I look back on all of these quilts!  It really has been a more productive time this summer than for many months.

Then, last week, a visitor!  That means my own sewing happens.  We each made a Jelly Roll Quilt.  First, my visitor made this one.  

I made this one with Snowbird Batiks by Moda.  I also added an additional row on the top and on the bottom, to make it just a bit longer for my sweet husband.  I think that I will use a pantograph for quilting this one.  I am waiting for the right color of Minky to show up at the store.  Plus I have a few more quilts for others waiting for me.

Not enough time for everything I am wanting to create.  I guess that's normal for everyone.  Still, I am grateful for the time I've enjoyed quilting this summer.  It helps that I can practice quilting for others, and push myself a little bit each time.

I hope you are sewing, too!  I'll have more to show soon!