Saturday, April 30, 2016

Saturday Morning Silliness

And so it continues...

I said to myself, "Self, it should take you a few minutes to put on this binding. After all it is only a tablerunner!"


So on to binding I went.

But as Murphy's law dictates, I was short.


Inches short, not a full fat quarter strip short. Just inches!

Since I did the binding properly, with mitered strips, I came up short.  

If I had not mitered I would have made it, I think.  

Here is the left overs from the binding miters.


I did calculate the perimeter of the tablerunner, and calculated the number of strips I would need from the fat quarter. I reduced the binding to two and a quarter inches so I could get eight strips from the fat quarter with only a little waste.



Thought briefly that I should straight edge sew the strips together, but said "Nope! Do it right, Louise"

So I did and came up short, by inches.

Oh well, my Saturday morning quick binding stretched out a bit longer than I had anticipated.

But now it is finished.


I think I will go and have some lunch.

Louise, at the shop binding and now lunching

Ps. The table runner pattern is the First Grade project from "Precut Primer" by Me and My Sister Designs.  The book is available in the shop, Piecing with Poppers Quilting Center in West Greenwich, RI.





Thursday, April 28, 2016

A New Pattern

I have been trying to design and write patterns that are easy and fun to do.

The latest one uses a layer cake, or 42 ten inch squares, and a corresponding charm pack, or 42 5 inch squares.

This afternoon I scribbled.  I am still mostly old school with my patterns. And the process of working out the requirements and steps is fun for me to do. I know most of you probably think it am crazy but it is a process I do enjoy. I do use EQ7 at times, but paper and pencil are still my friends.

The result this afternoon.


You probably can't tell but there are 42 blocks in this photo that need to pressed and squared tomorrow before being pieced into a top.

Here is one block.


I am using the "Good Karma" line by Stephanie Ryan for Moda. I purchased it this weekend at the quilt show from Barbara of Six Gable Designs.

Stay tuned for more about this project.

Louise, on the island planning, scribbling and sewing



Wednesday, April 27, 2016

It's a Wednesday!

And what is so significant about that?
Nothing really!

Wednesday is usually a pretty open day for me, a day I can devote to paperwork, doing some household chores, blog writing and sewing!

I have done my paperwork for today, lined up my sewing projects, did a wash and cleaned the bathrooms and now on to the blog post.

But what to write about today?

There are no new projects happening.  You've seen all of the works in progress.  None of the WIP's have had anything added to them in the past week or so.  The past week has been full of activities relating to my guild's quilt show.

I am the vendor chair and organizer of all things cafeteria for the show, or so it seemed to me!

The show went well.  The vendors were happy, the quilters seemed happy and I am happy it is done!

But first, a few photos...


One view of the cafeteria and a line of vendors,


Part of "The Sewing Room"'s booth (They are in Exeter, RI),


A fairly long range view of the "Just Quilts" booth, (They are located in Bristol, RI)


Looking down past the tote bags from "Galilee Designs", to the quilts from "Six Gables Designs", towards the quilts displayed in the booth belonging to "Quilting with Poppers Quilting Center" from West Greenwich, RI.


A look one end of the basket raffle table towards the comfort quilts table.


A look down Basket Raffle "Alley" as I called it.


Another look at the other end of the basket raffle table and the comfort quilts on the left and "Bob's Featherweights" on the right. Most of Bob's machines are covered with the yellow drop cloths, but he has a wonderful selection of Featherweights and accessories for those machines.


A final look at the vendor booths, taken at 8:30 PM Friday night, just before I left for home.  Everything was set up nicely and ready for the 10 AM opening on Saturday, the first day of the show. A lot of hard work, but a wonderful time to see some lovely quilts, and of course to go shopping!

I also want to mention the other vendors who were present during the weekend.

Blaine's Sewig Machines from Cranston, RI, 
Kindred Quilters from Rhode Island
PatFergusonQuilts.com from Connecticut, 
Stitch Chicks from Connecticut, 
Easy Piecing from Brooklyn, New York, 
Michelle Polk, Jewelry, from Massachusetts, and 
Amelia's Garden, from Glenmont, New York

Each had unique merchandise for sale and everyone seemed to be pleased, both the show going buyers and the sellers, the vendors.

Well, now that the Narragansett Bay Quilter's Association 2016 Quilt Show, 40 and Fabulous, is complete, I can get back to sewing and creating.  If you got to the show this past weekend, I hope you enjoying seeing all of the quilts.  Many of the quilters have posted pictures of the quilts they enjoyed seeing and those that were entered into the show. I did not get more than a quick look at the quilts, so unfortunately, I have no pictures to share with you.  But I do know what I saw has inspired me to get back to work and designate pieces for the next quilt show.

Be looking for photos and posts on those quilts in the coming months.  It is time for to get back into the sharing of quilts at a show.

Have a great Wednesday!

Louise, on the island working on a Wednesday








Tuesday, April 19, 2016

And Another Fat Quarter Quilt

I know I am repeating myself, but ....

I am making another fat quarter quilt.

The previous one is almost finished, just the last part of the double four patch is left to go so, another fat quarter quilt "needs" to be done!

Here is the grouping for the next quilt.


This orange swirl will be the background.

From the left, 

 
Blue swirl and orange for a fence rail block.


Orange and green swirl for the nine patches.


Dark green swirl and orange for the double nine patch


Lighter blue swirl and orange for ..., it's a choice between four patch and half square triangle.
I think both units will work equally well for this color combination. This will need to be decided later.


This batik is the focus fabric and will be the border.  It might also show up as the left over unit once I decide which unit should utilize the lighter blue swirl and orange. I think might work as the half square triangle unit.

What do you think?

I can't wait to get going on this one!

Louise, cutting and contemplating on the island while watching the baseball game. 






Saturday, April 9, 2016

Another Fat Quarter Quilt in the Making

I have another fat quarter quilt in the making.

I had purchased these fabrics awhile ago and had recently unearthed them from the project to be stash. ( not much different from the UFO stash, but different in that none of the fabrics were cut yet)


So in this sunny Saturday morning decided to cut these fabrics and move them from a wannabe quilt into the UFO stash.

The fabrics were purchased from Amelia's Garden, a shop in New York State.  


This yellow will be the background fabric.

"Happy Go Lucky" by Bonnie and Camille for Moda is the focus fabric.


Yellow and green for the Fence Rail.


Yellow and this orange print for the four patches.


Yellow and this orange print for the half square triangle blocks.


Yellow and mint green for the nine patches, both positive and negative nine patches.


And finally, yellow and red for the double nine patches.  Yes the red is strong, but the double nine patches make a strong statement in the quilt.


The red may also show up as the binding and maybe an inner border.  I will have to see how that looks later when the blocks are finished.

All looking good on a Saturday morning.

Cut, labeled and ready to piece.


What's on the schedule for your Saturday?

Louise, having fun with fat quarters on a Saturday on the island










Sunday, April 3, 2016

Afternoon Cutting

I am spending this afternoon cutting, when maybe I should be doing something else! Don't know what, but...
 I have had this grouping of fabrics that should have evolved into something for the guild challenge in 2014, but didn't.


Yesterday was the "Schoolhouse Shop Hop" bus trip and at the Red Barn Sewing and Quilting Center in Merrimac, Massachusetts, I found this book by Barbara Becker, "Quilts for Children of All Ages".


While leafing through the pages, I found this quilt.


Called "Take Me Along", which reminded me of those fabrics again!

I decided to use them to make one of these quilts, and I began to cut.

But after the required one 5 1/2 inch strip and two 3 inch strips, there is quite a bit left over from the one yard of fabric.


I was not willing to put the rest back into the "I will use this someday" pile; so off to search for a pattern to use up the rest.

And I found it.


"Trail's End" is becoming a go-to pattern for me. It is a 48" x 60" quilt that uses eight half yards. 
Cathy's patterns are written around that amount of yardage and yield a nice lap quilt.  They can also be enlarged quite easily by adding a border or more blocks, if you have extra fabric.


As a result, today, I am happily cutting for two new quilts.  Not complicated ones, mind you, but rather quilts that are allowing me to use yardage that has been languishing.  (I love that word, languishing, not what it means but how it rolls off the tongue!)

Two years for fabrics "languishing" in my stash is really not a long time. But today I am happy to see them being cut up into useable pieces.

Let's see how long it takes before they become a quilt top!

Louise, in the studio cutting up fabrics on a windy Sunday afternoon.