Reveal: Autumn Green

About a week ago, I thought I was finished with this snowball/9-patch quilt. In this post, I mention that I had a finish when it was 7 rows by 9 rows.

At the end of that post, though, I mention that since there were extra blocks I could see myself going ahead with making enough more to end up with a quilt that would be 8 rows by 10 rows. And I did that last week when Sharon was here to sew with me.

Once I got to that point, I still had some yardage remaining. Why stop? I definitely have no need to accumulate more scraps, so I cut enough pieces to make blocks for another row wide and another row long - 9x11, this time. Below, take a look this reveal: Autumn Green.

 

Yes,  I am definitely finished, as there is not enough fabric to add more rows. What little bit of fabric  remains will be cut into 2.5-inch strips or squares and go into the appropriate scrap tubs.

At 9 rows x11 rows, it measures 54" x 66" - a fine size for quilt.

At this point, I have no plans for quilting it because I don't have a fabric selected for backing. That could be solved rather quickly, I presume, by shopping the stash. I just have not take that next step yet.

Now, it is a finished flimsy and I am gearing up for some long-arming action. I have one loaded. It will have a flannel backing - I've not done a flannel on this long arm, so wish me luck!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Finishing Up Loose Ends

Trying to figure out why I sometimes have such a propensity for procrastinating, and it is completely mystifying. In late August, I cut this fun green print and leftover grunge combination. My plan was to make a snowball quilt. 

And I went straight to work on making the blocks. In fact, I shared a couple of posts about my progress - first here, and later here where I am focused on saving the cut-away triangles off the snowballs.

So, started in August; ignored in September. I made all the blocks and then just left them untouched for an entire month while I worked on William Morris. I suppose my thinking was that this quilt would be so easy, while I was expecting quite the challenge with William. And if I were in the mood to work on a challenge, then I'd best do it while my mind was focused.

And so, my precious little snowballs and 9-patches sat untouched for a very long time. Finally this past weekend, I decided that putting this quilt together was long overdue.

My goodness, I had no idea I'd finish it so quickly. It went together like a dream!

I love how it is turning out. Now, it's not very big, as the 6" blocks are arranged 7x9. The good news is I have several snowball blocks left over, and more fabric, so I plan to make the necessary additional blocks for a quilt that will be 8x10. If my sharp, math-calculating brain is correct, that comes out to 48"x60". Still small, but very much acceptable for a cozy lap quilt or throw quilt.

That's my agenda for today. Sharon is coming to sew later on, and this will be my top priority. Pics to follow!

Happy quilting, Friends!

Plans for the Week

I've spent the morning watching coverage of the Queen's funeral. What a great show of respect. I was moved to tears more than once. 

And now I need to redirect my focus to figure out what will be my week's priorities. On Friday we have Frankfort Girls, so it is always nice to have a finish to share with those sweet gals. Maybe I can make that happen this week.

If I find myself being super-industrious, I could have this William Morris top put together.

I haven't touched this green/cream snowball project in about a month. This would be super-easy and fast to stitch together.

Any available stitching time over this past weekend was devoted to hexies. I am really motivated to make more of these, yet I don't have a precise plan at this time. 

Rather than to work on any of the other starts I've made in recent days, I think I MUST focus on William Morris and Snowball.

Check back in with me through the week to see how effectively I maintain my discipline. I really will try!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Snowball Blocks + Extras

My guess is that lots of quilters do what I am doing with these snowball blocks. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how we quilters assure that we will never, ever run out of projects.

For the green 9-patch/snowball quilt I am making, there is a point during the making of the snowball blocks that an additional step can be taken to yield a whole lotta' little HSTs. And yes, I am taking that step.

Here's a little stack of snowball blocks. For those readers who are non-quilters, this block is made with one big square and 4 small squares sewn across each corner of the larger square. The part that is cut off the back is waste. With bigger snowballs, though, that becomes a huge amount of expensive fabric being dumped into the trash can. My snowball blocks are 6.5 inches, so the cut away part is large enough that something could be made from those corners.

And that is what I am doing. In the process I am creating a whole new quilt project that was never, ever on my radar.

The steps are as follows. Picture tutorial begins...

With right sides together, match up the corners of the big and one of the small triangles; sew across the diagonal.

Then run the piece back through the machine, sewing a consistent amount away from the previous stitching; ideally we want a quarter-inch seam, but these are obviously going to be lots smaller.

Cut away the smaller corner. These seam allowances are about half what a normal seam would be.

I like to cut off the tails, so I do that as I go. Even though I am not going to be using these small triangles any time soon, they will be ready for me when I get to them.

Since I need about 40 snowball blocks, I am going to end up with about 160 little cut-away triangles. When chain piecing, it doesn't really add too much additional work to take these few extra steps.

A pile of tails soon builds up; this is much easier for me to throw away than what you see in the next photo!

Not everyone is interested in a stack of little HSTs, but I know I will be able to use these for something. With fabric in the range of $11-$13 per yard, I just can't justify wasting these.

With consistent stitching of the second seam (I just eyeball it), I generally have an HST in the range of 2 inches - often just a scant fraction smaller.

I will be sure to let you all know when I use these HSTs. It might be awhile; it might be next week. One never knows around here. 

How's you Monday going? I have had a hair appointment, and now I need to make a very serious grocery store trip. I have procrastinated doing that for so long that my list is a whopper. Yikes.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Snowball Quilt

Yes, I started another quilt. When I was packing for last week's retreat, I literally made a very rash last-minute decision to throw in 2 fabrics that I have quite by accident put together, and I think this might be just the thing.

Let me back up a bit to provide some pertinent background details. I bought the green print in 2021 (I think!) while at the Needles and Pines Retreat in Nelsonville.  It has been moved to various locations around my quilting room as I have tried frequently to find complimentary fabrics to work with it. Finding nothing that "wowed" me, I went with a blotchy neutral of creamy gold and beige. I bought the neutral while vacationing this past June; we found a little quilt shop in a remote part of Nevada - Winnemucca.

One entire morning of retreat was devoted to cutting strips and squares for these two blocks. First I made a few of these.

 And then, I made a few of these.

On my goals list for this year is to make a quilt like this - snowball blocks combined with 9-patches. I like the look of the 2-color quilt, so I stopped dithering over fabric combinations; this shall be a 2-fabric quilt. Here's my inspiration pic.

And here is how my first few blocks look when paired together. 

Like I frequently do, I put this pic through a photo-editing app to see a mock up of the eventual quilt. 

I'm going to be happy with this, for sure. The two blocks are super-easy to construct, I can work for a good long while as I listen to my audio book. The outlook is promising from where I sit!

Hope you are creating a bit of magic today! I am headed back to the quilting room.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

March Project: Cottage Green

In my stash a green print fabric has been calling to me ever since I bought it about 10 months ago. Typically, I don't buy a lot of green, and when I purchased this while we were at retreat last April, I had not a clue as to how I would use it. I couldn't come up with a single fabric already in the stash that would match it, and I had no burning desire for a green quilt.

I simply just loved this mini-floral print. Period.

 

I do not recall how much I bought - maybe 2 yards, maybe 3 - and I have kept it sorta' out in the mix of things in my quilting room ever since. I'd consider an idea, pull some fabrics, audition various looks, and then put it back. I knew at some point I would arrive at the perfect intersection of green print + supporting fabric + pattern.

And, yes, that point came about a week ago, just as I was finishing Temecula Baskets. Sharon P. was here and we were dreaming of future quilts. This green solid and white grunge had tremendous appeal, but what pattern? I sealed the deal when we landed on the idea of snowball blocks combined with 9-patch blocks. 

With the help of Sharon's discerning eye, I'd arrived at that perfect intersection, and it included a bonus - EASY! This quilt has been a dream to stitch.

When I started this project, I had no idea how big a quilt I would end up with. Of the 3 fabrics, I had the least of the solid green; that, then would decide the size. I would make snowball blocks for as long as the solid lasted; when it was gone, that was how many 9-patches I would make. I used every last inch of the green. Above, you see the fantastic results - 55 of each block. My quilt will be 10 blocks wide and 11 blocks long.

After I had a few blocks made, I just had to test the look. I love it! Laying a few out on the floor, stepping back, studying from various angles - all so very pleasing. 

I needed a good name for this quilt. Referring to it as "the green 9-patch and snowball quilt" would not roll off the tongue smoothly at all. Quite clumsy, actually. Thinking cap on... The soft little green print puts me in mind of an English cottage garden just as spring flowering is bursting on the scene. And English hamlets are often centered on greens, or town squares. There it is - Cottage Green.

I did take a straight-on shot and played around with a photo editing app which gives me a glimpse of what my final quilt will look like.The number of rows and columns is off, but the final will look very similar.

I am currently sewing blocks together using the chain-piecing method (Eleanor Burns style). I should be able to finish the quilt top this weekend. 

I have another solid fabric that I eliminated from use in this. It is a dull gold color, and picks up the gold in the print fabric. I might use it as a border for this quilt. It won't compete with the gentle colors of the center, but will serve to add a wow! factor, perhaps. 

We shall see.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Snowball Progress

In the last post I promised some pictures of Sharon's progress on Lucy, but the weather was so dreadful that we postponed our sewing day until Thursday. So we shall wait on her highlights.

Instead, we will take a quick peek at my snowball blocks for the Lucy quilt.

I have a few cut, pressed, and stacked in groups of 10. When I attached all those little squares, I was very mindful of using a scant quarter-inch seam. It appears that this was a perfect plan, as these are pressing out very consistently to the correct size - 6.75 inches.

Some of you might be disappointed in me, but I am NOT saving those cut-away triangles. Too small. I have no desire to make or own a little quilt with these, so out they go. It will be quite a stack of bits, won't it? This is just from a fraction of the 60 blocks I will be cutting.

I finished an audiobook yesterday - Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. I enjoyed it quite a bit, although there were troubling aspects of it. It delves rather deeply into the notion of how we perceive people and how their lives really are behind the doors of their homes. The main characters, Kate and Peter, are quite likeable, which kept me interested. I would recommend the book, but with the caveat that it gets pretty heavy at times. We humans can make great messes of our lives, and our kids' lives, but we can survive more than we think, and be all the better for it.

Okay, I'm off to sew the last of the snowballs (I miscounted yesterday; go figure), and then cut and press them all. That is today's sewing goal.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Goodbye, January

 Already, one-twelfth of the new year is in the books. Blinking, it seems, wipes out a month. 

In my search for an appropriate image, I found the one above of Lucy Van Pelt from the Peanuts gang. Perfect, since the quilt I am working on to close out January is called Lucy. In the description provided by pattern author Carrie Nelson, we know that the Lucy to which she is referring is Lucy Ricardo of I Love Lucy fame, but we can be flexible here, I think.

We are having a 'weather event' here today - snowed overnight, raining today, and returning to snow tonight. I believe I heard that there will be some accumulation in the morning, but we are likely on the fringe of the serious stuff, so I am not too concerned. I am perfectly content to hibernate here in my cozy house with a Slow Sunday project on my lap. It isn't stitching, but it is handwork, nonetheless. I am drawing diagonal lines on 276 (+/-) squares for the next phase of my Lucy construction - 60 snowball blocks and 44 half-snowball blocks.

I have my little box of squares ready for action. I plan to work on this task while we watch the OSU men play today. I have earbuds nearby on the chance that we finish the game before I finish the squares. I will go back to my current audiobook, if that happens.

To cut all those 1.75-inch squares, I stacked strips and lined them up carefully so that I could cut lots at a time.

Worked like a charm!

I have a few snowballs made. The corners will be randomly placed; no plan for making any tough decisions here.

I will link with Kathy's Quilts again this Sunday for her weekly Slow Sunday Stitching party. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Snow Shoo Quilt Top Finished

When one goes for several days without internet, one tends to get more work done - that is true for me, at least. Maybe others have more control about limiting their time on their devices, but not I. *smh*

What I accomplished is a quilt top! Yippee!! and Hooray!!

Snow Shoo is now a completed top and I have to say that this finished better than I expected. I just love how it looks.

This is a very deceiving quilt to figure out without a lot of study. Last year when I was photographing my friend's antique quilts, one of her treasures was this same pattern, and I had a devil of a time figuring out the blocks. Once you know, though, it makes such simple sense. Here's the link with a picture of the antique I copied.

The quilt is made by alternating a Snowball block and a Shoo Fly block - thus the name Snow Shoo. I love the chaining effect that results with the two blocks combined. I was concerned during my construction that my scrappy blues and neutrals would not mesh well together, but I think it looks absolutely gorgeous! I am thrilled with how it has turned out.

 I will not allow any quilt police to have a crack at evaluating this quilt. The fact that a few of my points have missed their marks does not detract in the least from the overall look and I am NOT seeing the flaws - only the beauty. Everyone is with me on this, right??? *wink*

 My quilt is 14 rows long and 13 rows wide. The dimensions are 82"x76". My blocks are 6.5" shoo fly and 6.5" snowballs (finished at 6"). I had intended to make the quilt one row wider and one row longer, but as I put this on the bed I realized that this was plenty big. As a result, however, I have a stack of leftover blocks to find a way to use. We shall see what happens with them. No rush to do it soon, for sure.

So, my journey with Snow Shoo has concluded until such time as I get it quilted. Be sure to stay tuned to see Sharon's Snow Shoo finish. We began this journey together and we will have pictures of hers very soon.

Happy Quilting, Friends!