Latest Finish!

My hope to have this quilt top finished on Thursday did not work out; instead, I have a finish from last evening (Sunday). The best laid plans...

Let me introduce Posies and Polka Dots, a quilt I am pleased as punch to share. (I'm feeling alliterative today!)

Just as pretty as can be, don't you agree? I love the Kona Snow for the background and the blue Moda Essential Dot just perfectly sets off my treasured fat quarter pack of floral calicos. I had to search the archives all the way back to June '22 to find my first post about this floral pack. Read about it here. I was making decisions about which light blue and white dot to use.

 

I don't know a lot about Japanese cotton, but I have used it a couple of times and it is the softest, most delicate, most supple-feeling fabric you can imagine. I can see why it is pricier than other quilting fabric. My purchase is the Pedicel collection by a manufacturer called Cosmo Textile. "Tiny floral" - a perfectly simple and accurate description. I imagine the details can be plugged into a search of eBay or Etsy - if you were inclined to shop for these pretty florals - perhaps they are still available at various outlets.

So, my initial idea to make stars was at some point changed to making 9-patches. I've been going with the simpler designs lately, so this decision does not surprise me. I like the setting blocks that create columns; I made five (5) vertical blue columns around four (4) vertical white columns. My quilt top measures roughly 84" x 76".

Completing this quilt top fulfills one of my goals for "23, so I am super-stoked to have it done. Now, another goal for "23 is to quilt these tops as I make them, and I am failing miserably in this effort. Since I am so very excited to have this done, I may have to get this one on the long-arm machine ASAP. 

I could still turn this quilting goal around.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

July Collage and Happy Little 9-Patches

Busy, busy, busy in the quilting room the past couple of day, and what a joyous feeling of accomplishment! I will tell you all about my progress on Posies and Polka Dots after we review July's highlights.

TOP ROW: All three pictures across the top are from our 2-day mini-trip to Akron. We visited Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, home of Goodyear co-founder F.A. Seiberling. It is a magnificent Tudor-style manor, so beautifully preserved and maintained. Then we located the magical quilt shop of fiber artist Sue Spargo. Learning of her work has opened an entire new realm of needle craft to me. We topped off the day by having dinner with my first cousin Sam, who lives in nearby Hudson.

MIDDLE ROW: Mid-month, we took a day trip to our college alma mater. In the distance there is THE Bob Evans Farm, where the two of us met on a September Friday night, nearly 48 years ago. *wow* Center stage is our darling Cate asleep in Gramma's arms. And on the right, a hand-quilted finish - Fall Foliage.

BOTTOM ROW: Cate is crawling now, and seems pretty excited to be mobile, it appears. She also had her very first taste of a family delicacy - home made ice cream! Her initiation to this traditional summer treat was met with eager enthusiasm. Finally, one additional finish was the Kaffe Fassett panel that I turned into a lap quilt.

Now, let me show you these 9-patches! I began with about 40 total  - 20 with blue backgrounds and 20 with white backgrounds. Then I decided that I really ought to have a sketch of what I was attempting to achieve, so I drew this diagram. 

I need LOTS more 9-patches. Making those has been my task today. I have them all ready to stitch and press before day's end. I have also cut out some of the squares needed to make the HST setting blocks, the side triangles and corner triangles. This resulted in my needing to go to Etsy to order another yard of the blue - Moda Essential Dots, it's called - which will be here next week. I was gonna' be short about 7 inches. 

With the blocks I'd already made, it was plain to see that my quilt was not going to be big enough. That's when I decided I needed a diagram. My mock-up has 5 blue columns with 4 white columns. I also added a row to the top for more length. Making it bigger might have resulted in the hassle of buying more fabric, but I have made quilts too small for bed use, and that's no fun at all. I won't be sorry for this extra fussing.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Polka Dots and Posies

You knew, of course, that I spent three days last week at a retreat with some of the Frankfort Girls. We always go to Nelsonville's Needles 'n Pines Retreat House - it has comfortable bedrooms, plenty of space, and close proximity to a fabric store and restaurants (although we eat in, as often as not).

I really have not detailed very fully what I worked on, so let me correct that in today's post. Way back in August, I began making - surprise! - 9-patch blocks with some beautiful florals. I made several with white background fabric, and and equal number with a light blue polka dot fabric. The resulting blocks are gorgeous.

After making several of each versions, I made an equal number of HSTs for setting purposes. I wasn't sure exactly what my setting would be, but I did decide that something interesting could be done with HSTs.

That link above shows two potential layouts for the blocks. I was entirely uncertain about how to proceed, so I did what any self-respecting quilter would do - I put it away for awhile.

I took the whole business to retreat, and found that I still liked the vertical look of the HSTs - which means that the blocks will be set on point. what I will do for side and corner triangles, I do not yet know, but I will figure out something when I get there.

My first idea was to put the blue 9-patches in the blue columns, and the white 9-patches in the white columns, like you see laid out below.

This creates very strong vertical columns though, and I was not sure that was the look I desired. So I traded out the blocks. I put the white background blocks into the blue columns, and the blue background blocks into the white columns, shown below.

I do think I like this better. It seems more visually interesting. Just for kicks and giggles, I laid the blocks out straight rather than on point to see what diagonal lines would look like.

Meh. Not what I want, so I am going with that previous look. I will calculate how many more of all these blocks I need, then proceed with making them. As I go, I am sure I will be brainstorming the side and corner triangles. I have plenty of each fabric remaining, and I fully intend that the blue polka dot will ultimately serve as those bordering triangles.

I definitely enjoy the challenge of creating a quilt using the fabric I have on hand. The goals are simple for me - make optimal use of the pretty stuff - in this case, the delicate florals - and set it all together so that the quilt on the bed will be as pleasing as possible.

Happy Quilting, Friends!