9-Patches On Point

It turns out that changing mid-quilt from making a straight-set quilt to an on-point quilt wasn't as troublesome as I thought it might be. It's been tons of fun seeing this transformation.

Here are some pictures of what I first made - a straight set section 10 blocks wide and 24 blocks long. It's hard taking a decent picture of something so long and narrow, but you can get the gist of it, right?

At this point, I decided I'd rather have an on-point set, so I wondered if it would be terribly complicated to switch things up this far into the construction process. The answer is no. It was just a matter of making the angled parts which I would attach to each narrow end. Below is one end. The other looks just the same, only angled the other direction.

Attaching these triangle units to the straight set was easy and before long, I had a big hunk of this quilt completed. Seeing this laid out on the bed is making me very eager to get back to the machine and finish it off.

Look at how big this is! After adding each small angled unit for the ends, I topped out that larger, upper part to form a corner of the quilt top.

The very rough drawing on the photo above outlines the original section I made before making my design choice. You can see, I hope, the 3 sections that have been added. One small triangle section to the top left (not shown in the photo), another small section to the bottom right, and a larger triangle section to the top right.

I turned the quilt the opposite direction to see how it fit. The same. So that means I have a square quilt in progress here. I will put the corner triangles on this last long row, then  begin closing down to the final corner of the quilt. (I'm sure this is not very well explained; my technical writing skills need to be honed no doubt.)

The bed shown here is a queen size, and the photo above shows plenty of overhang. Ultimately, this quilt will be intended for a king-size bed, so I think I am doing okay as far as size is concerned. If my calculations are correct, the quilt will be 22x22 blocks on the diagonal and measure 93" square. I'll get this part made and decide at that time on whether or not borders will be needed.

Changing this quilt so dramatically has been a lot of fun. Initially I took it as a challenge, but as I did that first angled unit, I knew that it was easily doable. I hope to have a finish on this very soon.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Tiny Nine-Patch Challenge

Possibly you recall that nearly all the sewing I did in January, February and March was turning scraps into both 4-patch and 9-patch blocks. 

At about that same time, I discovered a sew-along on Instagram called Tiny Nine-Patch Challenge hosted by Taryn at Repro Quilt Lover. I was thrilled to find a purpose for the blocks I was making.

This link marks the end of my 1.5-inch scraps. This link shows a good bit of the background fabric purchased in FL specifically for the setting blocks in this quilt.

So here we are in June and I find myself making a quilt top with my 9-patch blocks. All the tedium of making those blocks is definitely paying off. I am whizzing through this quilt top! What a great idea to do the 'grunt-work' in spare bits of time in FL. They have been waiting in the wings for their time to shine.

And gosh, do they ever shine! Yeah! I feel almost maniacal about creating this quilt. To be able to cut that background fabric into 3.5-inch squares and whip out the rows for this quilt is exhilarating. I decided to make 3 sections about 10 rows wide and sew those sections together at the end so I would avoid having to wrestle the entire giant quilt at the machine if I were doing the quilt all in one section.

And this is absolutely gonna' look amazing. I love the background I am using, and while these next two pictures don't exactly look as pink as real life, there is enough detail in these photos to see the print, I think.

While I was making this first part, I explored the hashtag for this quilt-along - #tineyninepatchchallenge. I ususally find a lot of inspiration when I search hastags, and this time I found a genuine beauty. When I saw this quilt set on point, I was stopped in my tracks. Oh my. I want mine to be on point, too! 

Come back tomorrow or Wednesday to see if I was successful in turning my straight set into a diagonal set. 

Would you try such a change of direction in the middle of making a quilt?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Welcome Summer!

Officially summer arrived Thursday. Now it's Saturday, and I wouldn't want to do anything in a timely manner, now would I? Close is good enough for me.

Yesterday, the first full day of summer, was a scorcher and I found myself immersed in a range of activities, some of which occurred in the quilting room, but most did not. It wasn't until late afternoon that I made my way to the sewing machine to stitch on a hugely satisfying project. More on that in a bit.

First, let me mention one thing that made the first day of summer special this year - the incredible full moon. Did you see it last night? It’s called the Strawberry Moon in folk lore probably because of strawberry harvesting time. Here in southern Ohio we are well past strawberry harvest, but the moon was the exact color of a strawberry, especially just as it was rising above the horizon. We took a walk late in the day to avoid the heat  -  yeah, I dragged myself away from the sewing machine -  and in the twilight the moon was a breathtaking sight.

 

Now back to the stitching. Below is an old photo from March when I was working madly to turn scraps into blocks. This represents just a few of the gazillion 9-patches and 4-patches I made while snow birding.

I show you this because last evening was spent working on turning the 9-patches into a quilt top. I’m super-excited about this one! I bought several yards of discounted fabric from Quilted Twins specifically for the setting blocks in this quilt. I'm loving how it looks! In fact, I am so stoked to work on this quilt that I had to force myself to stop sewing and go to bed. (This is the equivalent of a reader saying 'just one more page' or 'one more chapter;' I was saying 'just one more seam' and 'one more row.')

And here’s a tease for the goodness to come - a couple of 9-patches sewn to setting blocks. Stay tuned! I promise, it's as gorgeous as can be.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Quilting Temecula Baskets

Often the hardest thing for me is deciding.

There are so many quilt tops stored in closets that I have a hard time deciding which one to pull out for quilting. It's like playing favorites. What a nice problem to have, right?

Yes, two closets are packed full with quilt tops made over the last 20 or more years. I made the tops yet never had the means with which to have them quilted. And now that I do have the long arm machine, I continue to make quilt tops and never quite seem to get ahead in the quilting phase of the process.

Sometimes it's just a matter of pick a quilt - any quilt.

 

 

Mostly just randomly, then, I picked Temecula Baskets which I pieced in 2022. Here's a post that pretty well explains the entire piecing process.

Temecula Baskets is such a cheery creation and seemed suitable as a summertime quilt. It will probably be on our bed for awhile these next couple of months.

And so, another quilt has been removed from the closet and finished off. I’m thoroughly pleased with the results. It was fun to piece and the quilting continues to be easier the more I do it. 

Now to trim it, bind it, and label it. Even when you say you're done, you are not really done. *wink*

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Cutie Pie With a Cute Dress

In several posts over the last year and a half, I’ve mentioned that DD Erin had a stack of fabrics that she wanted to have made into clothes for Cate. Since she wasn’t likely to do this sewing herself, I was a capable and very willing alternative option. 

These were the three fabrics, and I recently finished up the last outfit from the pastel stripe in the middle.

This tired little cutie pie is wearing her new wrap dress while vacationing in Hawaii! Look at how tall she is! Those long legs and knobby knees! It appears that a 6-hour time difference and touring Hawaii might just wear a toddler completely out.

Below is a repeat pic from this post that shows the lining fabric I bought to go with the stripe. It was purchased in Dade City, FL, at Quilted Twins. That earlier post also shows a front view and back view of this wrap dress. There's also a link to the Etsy shop where I purchased the pattern.

 

After the dress was made, I needed to make bloomers, and had enough of each fabric to make two pairs. I made the pair from the lining fabric first to see if I had the fit right. Then I made the striped pair but went with little shorts instead of bloomers. (That's what you do when you run out of elastic!)

I am so thrilled with how well the wrap dress fits Cate that I am tempted to whip up a couple more for her as we approach summertime. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Revealing Sharon’s Version

You all know that I’ve finished my PFMF (Paris Flea Market Find) and now Sharon is about to have hers finished, too. When she comes next week for our sewing day, we are going to load hers onto the long arm machine, and I will turn her loose with quilting it.

Do you notice much of a difference between hers and mine? (click here for my version) Sharon's choice of 3 Sisters fabric was Etchings. The reds in that particular line are much more vivid and the other colors have more intensity. The other major difference with Sharon's is her spectacular choice of border. Just look at that gorgeous floral. So lush with tremendous impact.

I like that the red star points show up so well on Sharon's version. I was not mindful of where I placed the red squares on my version, so if a 25-patch block has a red corner, then I've lost some of the impact of the stars. I wish I'd had the forethought to realize this when I was constructing, but alas, I did not. Oh well...

Sharon is already stitching together another Paris Flea Market Find! I guess if you love a pattern a whole bunch, then making multiples of it isn't a terrible thing, right? 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Pinwheels

Who doesn’t love a freebie? Ranking right up there with finishing a quilt, having a free quilt made from excess bits is an exceedingly pleasing accomplishment. I believe this unplanned and totally adorable little pinwheel quilt is about as cute as can be for a freebie. 

 

My freebie quilt began way back in April at the quilt retreat. While making the sashing units for Paris Flea Market Find, I decided not to waste those cutaway portions of the flip-and-turn corners. I had a gazillion of them by the time I had all the triangles made. If you click here you can read up on the initial phase of this quilt. I sew my seam for the second HST while I am doing the original seam. My seams are quite narrow, but I try to make them as uniform as possible so I don't have to trim. Most of mine were close enough that I didn't have many needing trimming.

It was a fun few sewing sessions getting all the HSTs pressed and turned into pinwheels. I quite enjoyed the process, and was determined that I would make enough for a nice-sized mini quilt or even a baby quilt. I really didn't want any leftover pinwheels, so I had to piece some setting squares that would ensure that all pinwheels were used. Easily accomplished.

Looking closely, you surely will be able to see those pieced setting blocks but I feel certain that once this is quilted and laundered, the crinkly nature of a quilt will mask all that. I am just thrilled that I used so much of the leftover fabrics of the original quilt.

A handful of pinwheels are made with the florals from the border fabric on PFMF, so I sprinkled them throughout the quilt for random pops of variety. I selected my border for this pinwheel quilt out of my ever-diminishing stash of 3 Sisters fabrics. This is Sanctuary.

This little quilt measures 36.5 x 39.5. I expect to get it quilted straight away and put it aside for the little granddaughter coming in September. This will be the first for her; yes, several more are planned. *smile*

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Long Overdue May Collage

It’s almost too embarrassing to be sharing my May highlights 11 days into June, but I’m gonna do it anyway. I like being able to go back through all the previous month’s activities and projects. It’s an easy way to see all the fun memories I made and the variety of projects I tackled.

And talk about making a memory! I’ve been holding onto a little secret for awhile now. We are going to be grandparents again! DD Emma and her partner Glen will be having a baby girl in September!  

More details will unfold in my collage description, so let’s get into it.

TOP ROW: Early in May, we went up to Columbus to see our daughter's new home. She and Glen had just bought a condo, and one room desperately needed to be painted before moving in. (Mom and Dad to the rescue!) She walked us through the house in such a way that one last room would have a special surprise. Upon opening the door we saw an empty room with a little display in the middle of the floor. Clicking on the pic above enlarges it, so you might be able to read the little sign. It says "The best things in life are unexpected - September 2024." Surrounding the sign are two ultrasound pictures, a pair of booties, a onesie and a wooden ornament. Isn't that sweet?!!? It was certainly a most memorable way to announce the pending momentous event. 

Other pics in the top row show the finished-all-the-way-even-quilted Floral Explosion. I have it folded across the back of the family room sofa and have actually used it a few times on some recent cool evenings. The last picture is one of the two baby quilts I needed to finish - this one for a baby boy born to a high school friend of Emma's.

MIDDLE ROW: The second completed baby quilt is for a grand niece. It is the same pattern as the other baby quilt, and both used some random layer cakes I'd bought specifically for baby quilts. In the center is our precious Cate fast asleep on my lap. We'd been called on to babysit one day, and we'd just come back from a walk to the main branch of the Columbus Public Library. Whew! What a way to wear out an 18-month-old! The last pic in the middle row is the flimsy, Tag Sale. I wrote about it here, and I have to say that the comments were so helpful and sweet. I needed to hear all those things! Go read them, if you haven't.

BOTTOM ROW: Sweet, happy Cate! Everything is an exciting adventure to her. I marvel at the permanent smile on her adorable little face. Next is a "freebie" mini-quilt made from cutaway corners. I'll be sharing that very soon. Last, is Paris Flea Market Find as it comes off the longarm machine. I wrote about it's reveal yesterday.

Sorry. This post is all words and only the one collage picture. Let me make up for that with two 'tease' pictures of a new project going on here.  

The project is a remodel of our master bedroom. One major part of the work requires my moving out all these books as well as the two bookcases. The books will be either sold or donated, and the shelves are replacing three cheap-o shelves in the quilting room. A project like this always looks worse before it looks better, so June promises to be a messy month. (serious understatement) New flooring in our bedroom goes down on July 2, so we have a deadline to work toward. Yes, I will share more before-and-after pics.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Reveal Day!

Finally, I can share my newly finished Paris Flea Market Find quilt! She is quite a beauty, wouldn’t you agree?

This quilt tells a story of how a well-established fabric stash can pay dividends. My good sewing sister and fellow fabric stash expert Sharon and I often talk about future quilts we want to make and wonder how we’ll ever use up all the fabric we have accumulated over the years. At some point way back last fall, Sharon suggested we make Paris Flea Market Find, a pattern by It’s Sew Emma that she had. Each of us would use our respective stashes, of course.  Happily, neither of us bought a single inch of new fabric for our quilts. That is very satisfying, I must say.

We cut our quilts out ahead of the retreat at Needles n Pines. We waited until the April retreat to begin sewing. I shared snippets of our beginnings: a sneak peak at mine is here; a sneak peak at Sharon's is here.

My stash for this quilt was a very nice collection of 3 Sisters fabrics: Paris Flea Market, Sanctuary, and Promenade. Sharon used another 3 Sisters collection called Etchings.

While at retreat, I finished all my blocks and all the sashing strips. I’d not prepared or cut any cornerstones or borders. You can bet I did that ASAP upon my return home and I had the quilt top (flimsy) stitched up straight away.

Having a finished quilt top used to be my goal when making a quilt. Now that I am using the long-arm machine more successfully, I occasionally quilt up these flimsies. A totally  completed quilt?!! Whoa!

I put PFMF on the long arm on May 29 and took it off on May 30. I then spent a bit of time considering binding options, and once again the stash provided precisely what I wanted! See this post for the binding story.

Last evening, I finally stitched down the last of the binding. A quilt begun on April 7 and finished on June 9 - wow, who’d ever thought this was possible? Especially a big, full-size quilt!? Sometimes baby quilts can be that fast, if not faster. This quilt measures out at roughly 78x85 inches. 

More pictures? Why, yes, I think that's appropriate! *grin*

As I took this final picture, I realized that the majority of fabric used in my pillow cases are 3 Sisters - Aviary and Sanctuary. I expect that a few random squares also show up in that front pillow. How wonderful!

Now I owe y'all a few pics of the more recent goings on over here, as well as a long-overdue May collage. Plus, I think a proper picture of Sharon's flimsy is also called for; after all making this quilt was her idea!

Soon, my friends, soon.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne