Stash-Busting Project

From deep within the depths of my stash, I found these three fabrics that look like they should have been bought with a single project in mind. No, they were not. They were bought at various times over the last several years. How they happened to meet up this past fall, I do not recall, but I sure am glad for this happy accident!

The neutral fabric is by Andover. The yellow is by Joanna Figueroa/Moda. The peach is by Marcus. I can't be any more specific because I've tossed all the essential info with the selvages. My guess is that they are pretty well aged.

Like I said, they were all matched up back in the fall, but I didn't get around to doing anything with them. I brought them with me to Florida in the hopes that I'd have time for a quickie project. 

I cut out a 3-Yard Quilt yesterday called Modern Charm. I cannot tell you which specific book because I only took a picture of the cutting instructions. But I'm sure I borrowed my friend Jan's book; so I can identify later, if I need/want to.

Obviously, with only 3 yards of three fabrics, this will be a small quilt, and I have in mind yet another quilt for new grandbaby Dillon, arriving in April. She already has one quilt prepared; this will be #2. (I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be making quilts for grandchildren for years and years.) *smile*

I have sewn and cut all the sub-units. Now to stitch the remaining churn dash blocks. They will alternate with the yellow dot fabric. I am hoping that the resulting quilt will be a gentle, calming quilt for a new baby girl.

I have already made a couple of 3-Yard Quilts - click here to see one - and all the Frankfort Girls have made them, as well. Some have made quite a few! 

I am motivated to keep going on Modern Charm, so look for a fast finish!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

 

 

Festive Churn Dash

That cute little churn dash block from yesterday's post is now stitched up with 8 others into a happy, festive little table topper. I am just loving it!

All the fabrics are from the existing stash. The red setting fabric was from my friend Kay's sewing room. The backgrounds were just random fat quarters collected over the years, and the three browns used for the churn dashes are scraps from quilts made over 20 years ago.

The inspiration for this little quilt (pictured below) is one I've saved and come back to time and time again. I don't think there's any one specific reason I have been so taken with it. I love the cute little dashes; I love that it's on point; I love brown and red together. To me it simply screams "make this!" 

And so finally, I have!

I've added a tag onto the picture indicating that I do not know the source for this quilt; likely it was saved from Pinterest or Instagram, my usual two sources for inspiration. If any reader knows the source, I'd sure love to acknowledge it, so let me know.

I see that my churn dashes are evenly divided whereas the inspiration quilt has smaller center squares separating the corner triangles, making the churn dashes look chubbier. I might return to this and make another one with that chubbier churn dash. 

I do love the churn dash, in whatever form it appears. A couple of years ago, I was in a major churn dash frenzy. Click here to see the exchange blocks project of the the Frankfort Girls. The quilt from those blocks is pictured below. Also, click here to see True Blue, a large churn dash quilt. And click here to see a navy and poison green example. 

I'm sure I've got a scrap piece of batting for my festive little lovely; I will do a stash dive for backing. The binding has to be brown, like the inspiration. I can see this being finished off in short order.

Only two more sleeps till Christmas!! 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Christmas-Time Sewing

This time of year is so packed with shopping, decorating, cooking and baking, family gatherings and all other manner of Christmas preparations. It is no wonder, then, that Sharon and I have had precious few days we could get together for sewing. We did manage one last session before Christmas - this past Wednesday.

Sharon put the finishing touches on these gifts for a Pioneer Woman fan. These fabrics are from the Ree Drummond/Pioneer Woman line at Wal Mart, and Sharon has made two place mats and a small table topper.

They are as simple as can be, but so exquisitely pretty! I just know her friend is going to love them!

While Sharon made these table accessories, I made two more Scandinavian Stars (pink, this time!) and then I proceeded to make 9 churn dash blocks. I have saved a picture of a little quilt I've wanted to make for years, so I just decided that I should go for it. Make the blocks!

I cut out all 9 blocks, but just made this first one. It measures 4.5 inches and will be set on point with red setting blocks. I hope to find a few pockets of time in the coming days to finish it.

Happy first day of winter! Are you ready for these long dark nights ahead? Here's a thought for us to ponder.

"May you find peace in the promise of the solstice night, that each day going forward will be blessed with more light." ~unknown

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Retreat Review

Retreat was a total blast. We had the best week, and some of us are proud to have awesome finishes. Since news about retreat could go on for awhile, I will divide things up and share tidbits over a few posts. First up, one of my finishes. This was quilted just before heading out to retreat; I finished off the binding at retreat.

A popular, trending term these day is "influencer." This quilt is totally the result of being influenced. It's not a new concept; people have been influencing one another since forever, don't you think? I know other quilters have certainly influenced me. One need not be an internet rock star or social media sensation to be an influencer. Here's how I was influenced.

First, retreat friend and fellow Frankfort Girl, Sheryll, made an adorable little churn dash quilt years ago that I have admired often. Below is a picture of Sheryll's quilt taken at the Ross County Fair, where it won a red ribbon. Long time readers know I am a sucker for churn dashes.

At a later retreat, Laura, influenced me when I learned that she was a big fan of "poison green" - a popular quilt fabric color in reproduction lines. I'd never considered using it too much, but Laura made me aware of the power of certain colors in quilts. There's the second "influence."

The final influence came from Sheryll again, at yet another retreat. She had the brilliant idea to meld these first two ideas into an absolutely gorgeous finish. Small churns plus poison green - quite the winning combination. 

 

Totally INFLUENCED!  And happily so. Wouldn't this influence you? 

I quilted my little quilt last week when working out tension problems on my long arm. It took just part of a morning at retreat to bind it. My quilt is smaller and my churns are slightly different proportions than Sheryll's, but still, I am so happy to see this finished.

Yes, retreat was a resounding success, I think it's safe to say. I will do more reviewing in my next post.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

First Flimsy for 2021

 I have been missing in action so far this new year, so let's officially welcome in 2021, shall we?

So, I entered the new year dealing with a sinus infection that just would not stop. I feel as though I have totally lost the last week. We have been good quarantine-minders, and stayed away from everyone (sniff!). We found a 1000-piece puzzle to work on while watching various bowl games. We were happy to see our Buckeyes win on Friday night, and the Browns win on Sunday.

Even though I wasn't up to doing much sewing, I did have a bright idea somewhere along the line, and I had blocks ready to stitch when the sinus headache finally relented. The block exchange we did in the Frankfort Girls group resulted in this beauty being finished off yesterday.

I had the idea that I would use an easy HST block that resulted in a light/dark secondary design. I dug in the stash for a suitable HST combination and pulled the two ancient pieces you see above. I couldn't even begin to date those two pieces; they have been in the stash for a very long time. 

My resulting quilt top measures 68" square. I am undecided at the moment about adding borders. I will take a few days to decide. Here are some close-up shots of the flimsy.

The idea for this design came from some pictures I'd saved on Pinterest. I am glad I took the time to consider a variety of options because I am very pleased with how this turned out. It did require making a few extra churn dashes to complete the design. I also had to do some mathematics (!) to figure out the 8 setting squares where the light/dark design turned the corner. Totally worth it.

And just to document that we did it, here's the puzzle we worked; begun on New Year's Eve and finished on January 2.

 Happy Quilting, Friends!

Still Making

 As the year comes to a close, I am still making quilts. I'd been in a bit of a funk in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but an idea struck me in some odd moment, and now I am back to work, focused on a strong finish to this strange, pandemic year.

Of course, you have all read about my 4-month focus on the churn dash block. I made dozens - many dozens for 3 different quilts. So this most recent push for churn dash blocks was for the block exchange that we Frankfort girls had at our Christmas gathering a couple of weeks ago. I took 42 blocks and came home with 42 exchange blocks of all manner of colors and combinations. 

That stack of blocks has been waiting for inspiration, and finally this week it came. Half-square triangles for the setting blocks. 

I dug into the stash for a suitable combination and came up with this dark burgundy and cream pairing that will do nicely. The blocks need to be 6.5 inches, so I whipped up a handful to see how the results would look - hey! a winner!

My ancient stash provided these two fabrics - an old Kansas Troubles fabric from their line called Stitches on the Oregon Trail, and an old Kaye England neutral called Matters of the Heart. Very pleasing. 

In place of partying to bring in the new year, you'll find me stitching. Happy New Year!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

I'm Still Making Churn Dash Blocks

Some of you regular readers will know that I have been making quite a lot of projects with churn dash blocks. Since back in late August/early September, my predominant block at the sewing machine has been this classic block.

This week, I have made the blocks needed for an exchange we Frankfort girls have planned for later this month. These blocks are made at 6.5 inches. With 7 in our group, everyone will bring 42 blocks, and we will walk away with 42 blocks made by all our friends. It will be fun to see all the variety we will bring to the exchange.

 

Just to be on the safe side, I have made about a dozen extra. Perhaps I will use them when I make the eventual quilt that will come from these blocks. And even though I've made so any of these blocks this fall, I am still loving them, so it hasn't been a chore to make a few extras.

To see the earlier churn dash blocks and quilts I have worked on this fall, click here. These have all been a joy to make and I do love the end results on each one.

Hope you are having a happy Sunday! It's on the chilly side, here, but we are gonna layer up and head off for a long walk on the bike path. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

Cranking Out the Churn Dashes

For many, 2020 will forever be remembered as the year of coronavirus. I have one additional thing by which to remember the year: the year of the churn dash.

 Yes, I am still cranking out churn dash blocks like a crazy lady. This time, the measurement is 6.5" unfinished. And they are looking pretty darn cute, I must say. Have I ever met a churn dash I didn't like? I think not!

 The Frankfort Girls are doing an exchange of these blocks next month, so I need to make 42 of these little sweeties to contribute to the fun. I shared the fabrics I'd pulled a couple weeks ago. I'll rerun the picture here.

I spent a good portion of Tuesday cutting out all 42 blocks. I will begin chain-piecing this weekend, but I always seem to want to see what one will look like, so I make one (or 4!) all the way through to get a visual. I love how they look!

A year ago, we did a similar exchange using 9-patch blocks. That was loads of fun, and I am so eager to see the variety of finishes that we will come up with.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Visiting with the Frankfort Girls

 

I had the honor of hosting the Frankfort Girls on Friday morning and the whole crowd came! We sit around the kitchen table with hand stitching - we eat, we stitch and mostly we talk. And talk. And talk. This bi-weekly gathering is scheduled for 9-noon, yet we were still gabbing away at 1pm. Gracious!

My theory is that we have ceased a lot of our gathering and socializing these last 7-8 months, and when a group does get together, we have much catching up to do! Are you finding that you are missing out on a social life?

Here are some show and tell finishes from two of our group. Terry has been making churn dashes as much as I have these past few months. The pattern for the quilt below has a name, but I am totally drawing a blank on it. is called Churn Me Up. (Thanks, Terry!) The  smaller churns are 6" finished, which is the size I will next be making. I love that the four in the center are surrounded by larger churns. Adds a lot of interest.

 

Jan also had a finish to share. She had finished the Sew-Along quilt we did earlier in the year. Her version omitted a couple of blocks and repeated others. 

I always marvel at how different quilts look because of the variations in color placement. Our lack of rules for this sew-along are resulting in our quilts looking almost unrelated.  If we didn't know that we were all making the same blocks, we'd be none the wiser. 

Just to show you the difference, here are two more from the sew-along. Sharon O's is purple; mine is red and cream.

I have done more sewing this past week, but didn't take time to post anything here. Perhaps this week I will catch you up on my stitching activity.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

 

Churn Dash Explosion

Since late August, I have been on a churn dash kick. 

 

 

In August, I bought the little fabric grouping above. This random stack of fat quarters looked so irresistible. I subtracted the lightest fabric (second from top) and added shirting fabrics in yardage form and in charm pack form. My churn dash journey had begun.

 

After making a dozen or so blocks, it was time to switch gears a little bit. The Frankfort Girls' modified quilt retreat took my focus away from the 5" churns and I worked the whole week on True Blue, a pattern that required 9.5" churns. Still fun! Still churn dashes! Just as satisfying! Big, chunky blocks make quick work.

Now I have returned to the 5-inchers. I have spent the last couple of days making the last of the blocks, and then laying everything out for a pleasing yet random arrangement. 

 

During this 2-3-month time span, the Frankfort Girls agreed to another block exchange. Yes. You guessed it--churn dashes! So on the menu soon, I will be making 6.5" dashes. Fun, fun, fun. I am not growing weary of making these blocks at all. In fact, I feel as though I am in a kind of rhythm with them. These are very satisfying to make and really, only a few steps more involved than a 9-patch. 

 

I pulled my fabrics for the Churn Dash Exchange. I need to check a few things off my list and then I will dive into them. The deadline for our exchange is our Christmas gathering, so I can pace myself. 

After a really long stretch of cloudy, rainy, dreary days, we have bright gorgeous sunshine today. What a welcome sight to see! Hope you are having a great day!

Happy Quilting, Friends!