Becky's quilt obsession

There was a request on HeartStrings yahoo group quite a while back for someone to finish up some blocks left after a member’s mother had died. The member felt unable to work on them, as they were the last blocks her mother had made prior to going blind, and then dying. The request was unusual, as they were described as already having batting quilted on them. I thought they were “quilt-as-you-go” blocks, and volunteered to tackle this project. This is the way the box arrived. I laid the blocks out, and each owl was quilted to just batting – no backing. There was a new sheet enclosed to use as backing. My first thought was to just cut off the batting, but then I took time to examine the blocks. Each of the twelve owls were different, and each was quilted in a different pattern. I just couldn’t willy-nilly go at them and destroy that work. They went back in the box for a long time as I thought about what to do with them.   The above is how I finally decided to treat each block. T...

The landscaping is finished; my shoulder is now missing a big hook-shaped bone spur, and I’m back to the quilting machine thanks to the Physical Therapists! I’m starting with some HeartStrings quilts that are needed for Robin’s project. This first one was made from blocks sent by Kathy (I think). I finished it in my favorite way, adding sashing just wide enough to cover the seams, similar to a quilt as you go, but just on one side to make the top. This way I don’t have to try to press all the seams open! I had just a yard of this stars on blue print, just enough for sashing and binding! I love it when it uses the fabric all up! Kathy sent backing, so that was great. This second one is a top sent by Melva, one of Bonnie Hunter’s mysteries. I had it over the couch to finish drying and my daughter walked it, saw it, and said did you make it? No. Well, can you make one like it? These are the colors in my living room and it matched perfectly. I love Ohio stars set on point! There is a t...

6. Fall Chinese coins When I finished the Pineapple Blossom quilt pictured, I cut up the remaining scraps into Chinese Coins, and sewed, and sewed, until they were all in the coin strips. There are different sizes of columns. Both of these projects were made from scraps from 2 other quilts – all cut from quarter-yard cuts of autumn fabric. The only fabric I had to add was the various yellows. The pineapple and Chinese coins came from stash/scraps – no fabric was purchased. I plan to make the Chinese Coins into a wall hanging that fits above the king-size bed pictured above. I found a cool setting using black and white Greek something in between the columns. This project was put away because I was busy making a lot of Heartstrings quilts out of Chinese coins, and I wanted them finished for Alycia’s goal of 400 QOV that year. 7.Blue Braid (King) Another class project with Bonnie Hunter . I wanted to make a monochromatic quilt for a long time, so did this. I knew when I started it ...

Don't faint that I am finally posting a blog update. I haven't been sewing very much - babysitting, sick, yard, etc. You know the drill. I did have a finish. Above is the Drunkard's Path quilt that a now deceased quilter left as a UFO. I don't know the lady; 4 UFOs came my way via my SIL. The quilter must have had time to put things in "dying order" as all the parts are together with little index cards with her plans on them. These drunkard's path blocks were with muslin squares that would have made an every other square setting. The problem I found was that the muslin was cut to what the block was supposed to measure, not what it did measure. She had sewn one set together, and the pieced block was gathered to fit the muslin. I decided to just set the pieced blocks together, and actually pieced it together by hand! I haven't done that in a while. The top sat languishing until a call from DSIL asking if I had one UFO finished for the the Charity auction...

This is the finished product of the red, white, and blue Chinese Coins project. This is the last one I pieced, and the last quilted. I used Circle Lord Baptist Fan templates to quilt it, and put Hobbs 80/20 Batting in it. The pillowcase has a matching cuff on it made from the last few of this group of coins. The backing shown below is some decorator 100% cotton that should look nice if someone doesn't like the front. This is the last funky caterpillar, along with its pillowcase made from the same fabric as the backing. Both quilts will go to Alycia for her Quilt of Valor project whenever I can remember where her address is located. I was so glad to finally have some finishes. I am so easily distracted that I start half a dozen projects, and then berate myself for not finishing them. I've started on two sets of blocks from a fellow HeartStringer that I want to set and finish for the Quilt Relief of Nashville. Their devastating flood did not receive much media coverage because ...

Today I finished up quilting the last of my tops made from HeartStrings Red, White and Blue Chinese Coins. With all the straight lines and squares in the top, I decided to borrow Baptist Fan templates for the Circle Lord, and use those. I like how it softens the quilt. I used a decorator 100% cotton sateen on the back. I even took time to match up the pattern when I seamed the backing. This way it is more reversible. This one will be traveling to Alycia's QOV project whenever I finish the binding on it and on the Funky Caterpillar one. This was supposed to be the end of Chinese Coins for me; I had given the rest of them to another piecer at the HeartStrings Nebraska Sew-in who was making them into QsOV from that area. However, when I was cleaning the quilt room, I found a box that had some more that Susan had brought over with a lot of other fabric and blocks. I'm not sure if I will sew these up, but there are people in my guild that will be happy to work on them to donate lo...

I finally quilted a quilt on Black Bart! This is a HeartStrings Happy Blocks top, with "matching" backing made with donations by the Queen of Backs! I haven't quilted since before Christmas. LeaderGrips - I found a wonderful (so far) way to load Backing on the long arm. I bought LeaderGrips , sewed a casing in the new leaders, then filled the casing with the wooden dowels. You then put little plastic clips in the center and both ends, then replace those with the long plastic piece. They have a video of it on you tube. Since I hadn't installed zippers on the new table, it was easy to sew the casing. I used the new side clamps that Nolting sells to steady the leader down its length and used the channel locks to sew an almost straight line. I did pin the casing first. It took me about 7 minutes to load both sides of the backing. No pinning, no basting to zippers, just those plastic pieces. I used something similar a long time ago to hold tablecloths to banque...

This top was made by Jay from Nebraska, a fellow HeartStringer. I quilted it with Baptist Fans, and today was inspired to finish it with the binding. Judy L http://www.patchworktimes.com/ has a tutorial for sewing the back of the binding from the front, so I gave it a try. Mine wasn't as neat as hers, but it did work, and this quilt is finished. Jay has a project making quilts for a nursing home, but this one doesn't fit his measurements. It's too wide for a lap quilt, and too square and short for a twin bed. I'm sure it will make someone in the Women's Shelter feel better. I tried Mary's setting for taking the picture, but my pink petunia's don't work as well with this quilt as her red geraniums would. These are the 4 rolling star blocks for the corners of my Secret Project. The top right one was the first, and I made the outside diamonds with the same fabric on both sides. I like the other three better, but I probably won't make another one. Th...

I'm working with another set of Chinese coins made by a HeartStringer last year. I'm really enjoying this grouping as it is a nice change from the others. These did not play well with the others, but are beautiful on their own . I tried to load a larger picture so you could click it. If you do, you will see pink, toile in red and cream, toile in blue and buttery yellow, and a variety of reds, blues, and gold-browns. There are flowers and geometrics, with some damask roses thrown in. These do not say "hurly, burly man", but instead "girly girl". I just love them. As I was trying them on for different projects, I remembered that Mary posted a picture of a basket weave HeartStrings quilt. I thought these would look good in that. When I measured out the strips, almost all of them were about 11-12" long, just right to make into 5 1/2" squares. I tried setting them as a basket weave, but there wasn't enough of them to make that work in the QOV size. ...

I hope none of you get the ugly respiratory bug I had. It took 3 weeks and 3 rounds of antibiotics, as well as all the junk for the concurrent asthma to finally kill it. It came at the end of 6 weeks off arthritis meds, so it's been about 2 months since I've felt well enough to sit and sew. I can't imagine what it would have been like 50 years ago, with out all our great medicines. No wonder people didn't live as long. Who would want to if they could hardly walk, and then only with pain? Stashbusters is having a BOM made out of almost ugly fabric. Last night, and today, I finished the first two 12" blocks. I also made two 6" blocks from all the HSTs I cut to audition for the center of the star. My almost ugly fabric is the starburst fabric that is definitely toned. We are supposed to add a little yellow and orange to the blocks. I decided that I could use this opportunity to try working outside my usual palette. I'm sure missing the brights, however. The...

Someone asked about posting a link to the previous photo I had on this blog for this quilt made from HeartStrings purple project group blocks. I did quilt it, finally, with spirals of course. It is bound, labeled, and off to be auctioned at a Friends United fund raiser. This group takes educational materials, including computers and the like, to Honduras. I'm quilting another top that was donated for them as well. I want to make sure and give credit to Evelyn Sloppy for the pattern for the Hearts in this quilt. I've owned her book ( Log Cabins , I think) for a long time. When I posted pictures of these blocks for help with settings, many HeartStringers asked for the pattern. Evelyn Sloppy's book was out of print, but she graciously gave us permission to post the pattern on the Heartstrings website. A few weeks later I noticed it was on the Martingale Publishing site as a free pattern. What a neat lady! Happy quilting, Becky Email me

Last weekend we finished moving things in my closet so I could hang my quilts. I have some that my grandmother made, and I didn't want to leave them folded. I have 2 butterfly quilts that she made. The green one was probably made in the 50's, and the turquoise one was made in the early 60's (it came to our house in 1964). After my brother left for college, they were always on the twin beds in his room with fancy embroidered and crocheted pillowcases on the pillows as the quilts weren't long enough to cover the pillows. If you examine the green quilt, you can see it has the sashing fabric all around the outside. The turquoise one doesn't have any on the top or bottom. I really like how the green one looks - complete! The turquoise one looks like Grandma ran out of sashing fabric, but I know that wasn't the case. Grandma used that same sashing fabric in quite a few quilts, both before and after this quilt was made. She must have bought it by the bolt! I think tha...

If you remember, I set personal goals to meet while creating quilts out of the RWB Chinese Coins. One of them was to use up all the fabric in this bin, and I’ve made some progress, however some of it just ended up on the cutting table, although most of that is from the “stacks”. I’ve told a few of my quilting friends about making QOV, and Rose decided she wanted to help. Right now she isn’t doing much sewing, but is trying to pare down her fabrics. She visited today, and this is what my ironing board looked like when she left. There is over 20 yards of fabric there! I think I’m going to have to make a lot of quilts. I have been working on Funky Caterpillars 2. DH is gone tonight, but will help me Photoshop the pictures and add them to the test directions tomorrow and Friday. I thought you might like a progress picture. I’m really liking not having any waste! Happy Quilting, Becky Email me

I was able to finish the HeartStrings RWB CC#3 this evening just after DGD#1 arrived for her "Girls' Night". When I put #3 up on the design wall to take the picture, DGD decided she and the dolly, with quilt, needed to be in the picture, too. Does anyone recognize their blocks? Becky