Quilted: 9-Patch Strippy

Continued use of the Tin Lizzie longarm machine feels like productivity on overdrive. I rather like the feeling that things are getting done, and the growing stack of completed quilts is definite evidence.

The latest off the longarm is 9-Patch Strippy, made about 10 years ago. I believe it was a UFO that I finished in 2017; before that, it had lingered over several years.

 Do you prefer it with the vertical strips or the horizontal strips? I prefer vertical, but the quilt works so much better considering the overhang if I use the horizontal direction.

I have always loved the way this quilt looks. The pale blue setting triangles used around the 9-patch blocks do a nice job of setting them off and also looks good with the vine-y red floral in the strips. It's cool to see the combinations of fabrics I used in the 9-patches - so many previous projects come to mind, as these are mostly scraps from other quilts.

If you have noticed an increase in the number of quilts coming off the longarm, then you have very astute observational skills. It became clear a few months ago that I was woefully lacking in my goals toward quilting on the longarm. Two closets in my house are packed full of ready-to-quilt tops. I have been attempting to make a dent in this backlog.

We had a sewing day yesterday at Terry's house. My first order of business was to prepare the binding for this quilt. I now have 2 quilts quilted and awaiting binding. Both bindings are ready to go. I just need to sit down and stitch them on.

What quilt will go on next? I feel like I might be on a roll here with this quilting business, so I have to keep my focus.

However, I will have a bit of an interruption as of tomorrow. I will be getting a new right knee at around 7:30am tomorrow, and will likely be away from not only the longarm machine, but also the entire quilting room for the foreseeable future. Wish me well with both the surgery and the recovery. 

Happy Quilting, Friends! 

Jayne 

Easy Layer Cake Throw

Back in April at our retreat in Jamestown, Sharon made an impromptu quilt from a layer cake which has inspired several of us since then.

Here is Sharon's quilt and a link to the post with more details.

Helen also made one and shared it at one of our Friday gatherings. These are just so satisfying in a couple of ways. First, there's no waste of fabric, as the entire 10" block is used. Second, they make up so fast, since a layer cake only has 42 pieces of fabric, you know from the get-go that it will be quick.

Within a month or so, I had one of my own made. I used a Betsy Chutchian layer cake from her line Lydia's Lace. Here's a link back to that.

About a week ago, I quilted it. Yay! It's such a small quilt, and it gave me good practice at perfecting my freemotion skills. Each quilt I do is giving me more and more confidence.

I determined from the start that I was going to be non-fussy about how this worked up. I would try to do my best, but also improvise a bit and be inventive, if possible. Grow my confidence, definitely.

I've got a binding pulled from my box of scrap bindings. Believe it or not, I have more than enough of a perfect burgundy binding all ready to go, and will be more than enough to bind this small quilt.

 Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Tilda 9-Patch Flower Patch

Projects beget projects. Two recent finishes from this summer have resulted in a combining of remnants and techniques.

The first finish was making the last of the hexie flowers for the Grandmother's Flower Garden flimsy. I was adding hexies in order to straighten the edges. At that point, I truly thought I was done with hexie flowers. I honestly wanted to be done. I WAS DONE. 

But I kept seeing my quilting buddy Becky making these gorgeous larger hexies, and they were so pretty. Even though I'd firmly decided I was done with hexies, I loved those larger flowers.  My hexies were .75 inch compared to hers which are 1 inch. Ideas were percolating. I didn't want them to amount to anything, but they just kept niggling at me.

Let's move on to the other finish - the Wensleydale blocks. All 60 blocks are finished, and they are put aside until January when I will take them with me to Florida. I've slated Wensleydale for completion as a Snow Bird quilt. But the remaining gorgeous Tilda fabric was just so inviting. Why not use it for something? 

And that is how this new project was born - make a few (just a few!) bigger 1-inch hexies using the leftover Tilda. Gah! What a great look! 

These were so fun to make, I actually made more than I intended. They are addicting! This larger size is wonderful to work with. As I made these, an idea crept up on me. Suddenly I knew 9-patches would be the perfect complementary block to use with these flowers. 

Don't these blocks play off each other perfectly?! I love how these Tilda fabrics look so dreamy in every combination. Fabric this luscious does not require any fancy, involved blocks. The simpler the better works just fine. This will have such a charming, whimsical look.

I am currently appliqueing the hexie flowers onto a neutral background pulled from the stash. Combined with the 9-patches I'll have a pretty Tilda Flower Patch. It will only be a table topper; I don't plan to make a full quilt. That would be way too many hexies, and remember, I was done with those, right? Quick finish - that's what I'm all about with this project.

This mock-up is on the design wall. Only a couple of flowers are actually appliqued to the background fabric. The majority of them are resting on the design wall flannel. But clearly, you get the idea.

Playin' around in the Tilda fabric and the hexies. Feeling creative. Discovering what comes out of all the randomness. I'm definitely heading in a pleasing direction.

Do you ever get bursts of creativity? Or do your unexpected ideas marinate for awhile? I am so glad I allowed myself to go on this tangent. Sticking to a list of goals is great, but exploration has it's place, too. With pretties like this maybe I'll do it more often.

Many quilters, seamstresses, and other needle artists are linking up over at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. I've not stopped over for a few weeks, but I'm going today. Come on along and let's check out the creative talents on display there.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Porch Pillows!

Why, oh why, do I take so long to do things? Having great ideas and plans for future projects mean nothing if I never take action on them. I have long been known for my tendencies toward procrastination.

These thoughts are brought to you by a woman who is forever dealing with clutter. And, honestly, if I would get straight to work on a project as soon as it enters my sewing room, my clutter factor would definitely be reduced.

I bring you Exhibit A . . .   

The fabric covering the pillows in the picture has been in my stash for perhaps as long as 20-25 years. Both were purchased at the Fabric Shack home decor store in Waynesville, OH. I used to go there often. They also had a quilt shop in the next block, so it made for a fun shopping trip.

I have moved these remnants around ever since. Folded nicely in a tub or tucked in a neat stack under the table. I knew I wanted to make pillows with these pieces, yet I always put off doing it. These pillows were 'someday projects.'  

For some reason this summer, I was tired of waiting for 'someday' and I just sat myself down to make these up. It is far nicer seeing them adorn my screened porch than seeing the fabric buried in the stash.

I made the leafy yellow ones in July; wrote about them here. A month or so later I made the fruity ones. They look a heck of a lot better as pillows than as stash fabric I was frequently moving.

They seemed more suited for our porch than inside, so out they went. It sorta' gives the space a fresh, new look. Crisp and clean, like these October days we are having.

It is too early to tell if I have learned my lesson, but the fact of the matter is that seeing gorgeous fabric used in something - pillow, quilt, table topper, etc. - is far, far better than having it take up valuable space in my quilting room. 

Have you curbed your stash lately?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Sharon Quilts!

In between the quilts I've been doing, Sharon brought one over to finish. The two of us have a history with making one particular Thimbleberries pattern called Harvest Mix. I've made one, she's now made three! 

Since her daughter has recently moved into a country cabin in the woods, Sharon wanted to make a quilt that would enhance her rustic setting as we head into the fall season. And does any quilt look like it will work any better than this one? It has such a rich, fall-toned vibe! It will look great in Amanda's new home.

Sharon opted for a wavy, vertical line across her quilt, which was a really fast way to finish it. I might give this option a try on a quilt; I've never done it, but it does look good and finishes fast.

Here's a clearer view of the wavy quilting lines. They run the length of the quilt.

The colors in this quilt are simply the most wonderful combination of browns, yellows, golds and deep reds - very evocative of autumn here in Ohio.

 

To see my version of Harvest Mix, click here. 

 

Short and sweet today, Peeps!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

 
 

 

Show and Tell with the Frankfort Girls

It's been awhile since I've shared some of the lovely creations of my gal-pals in our quilting group. Fondly known as The Frankfort Girls (where all the original members lived), we  have morphed over the years to include the little towns of Williamsport and Kingston, as well. Still fun; still creative; still loving stitching sisters.

I may have shared this first one already, but why not have a second look? This lovely green Irish Chain was a gorgeous finish from Sheryll a month or more back. I've made Irish Chains in a lot of colors, and green might just be my next one - I mean, really, Irish Chain? Yes, a green one is fitting.

Terry brought this recent finish to Jan's a couple of weeks ago. She was stitching the binding. I think she said it was a pattern by Kathleen Tracy. (Don't hold me to that.) 

Sheryll had this wool and patchwork combination finished to the binding stage. Just in time for fall.

This beauty was a kit that Terry gave away about a year ago. Helen took it and had this lovely finish to share. I'm gonna' share this closeup view of the neat, tidy applique stitching that she did. What perfection!

On a side table at Jan's house, this sweet table topper sported a heartfelt message. Sweet and simple always wins me over.

And last week, we were at Becky's and she had this beauty to share. Talk about simple and sweet; gosh, I love it!

I probably have left out several other show and tell projects from recent meet-ups, but I am so hit-and-miss with getting pictures and following through with posts, I just try to get as many as I can.

Hope you are having a great day! I have a meeting upstairs with my long arm machine; catch ya'll later!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Red Ohio Stars

 That happily ever after story I referenced in this post from last month is about to reach it's conclusion. 

This quilt went onto the long arm machine about a week ago, and late Monday I took it off. Tuesday was devoted to the binding and label. Now it's ready for a show and tell with the Frankfort Girls on Friday, if I don't deliver it to Abby beforehand. Conclusion to story.

The quilt shown in this photos is laid out on a king-size bed, so it will be suitable for a child's twin or double bed. Or a couch quilt. At 68'x74" the kids can even commandeer it for forts and tents and picnics by the pond or s'mores by the firepit. Oh, the life this quilt will have! 

Doesn't it seem odd that idea for this quilt was 'birthed' almost exactly a decade ago? That link above shows my drawing out the pattern and selecting the fabrics. I think I can even recall the show I binge-watched on the iPad while I stitched. Funny how that association remains after 10 years.

Feeling pretty good over her about getting two quilts quilted (click here to see the first one done) and delivered to a family that truly wants them. I'm going to get another quilt loaded on ASAP.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne