Intrepid Thread's Block of the Month

I can hardly wait for the first month of my Intrepid Thread's Block of the Month to begin.  I am making the West Side quilt.  But the shop also offered this Metro Area quilt.

 It was a hard decision which one to make.  I considered doing both. 

The quilts are using Elizabeth Hartman's new book. West Side is using Melody Miller's Cotton & Steel fabrics along with a linen lattice and some additional solids. 

I do not know if the shop still has room for more participants.  But this looks like such a fun New Year project it would be worth seeing if you can join in the fun.  You can check it out on the buttons for the Intrepid Thread shop or the West Side BOM on this blog site.   

Finish It Up 2015

A 2015 goal is to try to finish up a number of projects that have sat around for too long.  These Alison Glass prints are a favorite of mine.  I made 12 placemats out of them late last year.  This will go nicely as a runner with them. 

Here are 7 of the 12 placemats that go with the runner.  The other 5 are repeats of some of the placemates' fabric centers.  I think they will be really pretty on our table for the coming family birthday dinners.  

British Flag Quilt

I started this quilt a good two years ago for my granddaughter.  I finally finished off the last four blocks this afternoon.  Now just to  put the blocks in a pleasing arrangement and add a one inch finished lattice between the blocks.  My New Years resolution is to try to finish off the multiple projects that are waiting for finishing.

SF 49er's

I made a pillowcase for my 12 year old grandson, Elijah, for Christmas.  His mom joked that we needed a table runner for Football Sundays.  Our family gets together for the games each week, with treats and a meal.  I had left overs from the pillowcase so decided to take her up on her joke.   

Field Day Placemats

I have been wondering what to do with these Alison Glass prints for some time.  Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts had a great sample of one of these placemats with Alison's fabric on Go Create showing this placemat.

  I pulled out my fabrics and ended up with 11 placemats.  I need to do some searching through my stash for one more print to make it an even 12.  These will be perfect for spring and summer family dinner celebrations.  I did get this one completed.

A Christmas Skirt At Last

I have been talking about making a new Christmas skirt for our tree for at least a couple years.  I had some 4 1/2 inch strips cut from this Figgy Pudding fabric and decided it probably would work well.  

I got the the skirt all finished, even figured out how to face the center hole so I did not have to split it and make ties.  It will fit right over the tree stand before setting the tree in.  I had it all machine bound, with the light print.  

Problem #1:  Now that it was all done except for sewing by hand the binding down.   I decided to try it out on the tree stand.  Might have been smart to see how big it needed to be first.  It was a good 2 inches too small all away around to cover the stand's legs.  

OK:  I cut a 6 1/2 inch bias strip folded it in half and started to sew it all around from the back side.

Problem #2:  It was cupping under so badly that this idea would not work.  So I un-sewed the strip and put in on again sewing it from the top side.

Problem #3:  Now it cupped up instead.  I was smarter this time and only sewed about 10 inches around, in order to test my idea.  Not so much un-sewing this time.  

Hmmmm:  What to do, maybe add pleats every 2 inches or so to give more fabric around, maybe it will lay flat.  WORKS!

I guess this goes to say the Mother of Invention at least when quilting is a couple of major mess ups!   

Tutorial Testing

My VBF asked me this past week if I would help her out by testing one of her tutorials.  I must admit I did add an extra block.  But the tutorial is great.  Easy to follow and a really fun piece.

BROOKE AT SILLYMAMA QUILTS

I used Alison Glass fabrics with Kona solids for the crosses and border.  Such a fun color combination.  

All finished except to handset the binding down.  

Be sure to stop by Brooke's site and take a look at some of her great tutorials.  Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

Around the World Quilt Blog

Brooke invited me to post my latest project in the Around the World Quilt Blog this past week.  

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

Like so many of us I have more projects started than I like to admit.  However, this gave me an opportunity to work on something I have had in mind for some time.
My idea came from Elizabeth Hartman's book Modern Patch Work.  Her pattern was Rapid City.  I am not interested in doing a whole quilt as Elizabeth did, but just combining eight blocks to make a wall hanging that will end up being about 15 inches wide by 40 inches long.
There are actually only four blocks, but I repeated each twice.  I did move some of the fabrics around in each repeat and used a different final frame on each.  I will also use a dark grey and black fabric for a final frame between each block when I join them to make two final blocks.

This was my first block.  I have used all Alison Glass's fabrics, with only Kona solids as the final frame.

One finished block and a second with just some changes to the fabric placements and a different colored frame.

This was the next block I attempted.  I think I am going to like this project.  

Six of the eight are now complete.

Blocks seven and eight.

The final project completed.  I just have to quilt it now.  I have no idea how to quilt it as of now.  I will have to think on that a bit.  

Time to Start Christmas Gifts

I figured I had better start some of my Christmas gifts.  I have some quilting friends I want to remember with a small fun gift.  I think this idea might just be perfect.   

STARS

I love these star blocks.  I've used them several times.  I'm on a mission to use up my Bonnie & Camille fabrics, so this is the last project that I'm making with them.  The quilt will have a total of 42 blocks and measure approximately 66 inches wide by 77 inches long.