Betty's (dudes22) Projects for 2016

Hi. My name is Betty. I joined this group last year after Sandy (sjmccreary) mentioned on 2015 Category Challenge group that she was starting a thread over here. Since then, I’ve just been lurking as I needed a new laptop so I could post pictures. In the course of my life, I’ve tried quite a few (ok a lot) of different needle arts and crafts. For years I was a big counted cross-stitcher but, as my eyesight has gotten worse, I finally gave that up. I’ve also done knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and hardanger to name a few. Now I mostly quilt. Over the years, I’ve made many quilts. As each of my nieces or nephews has married, I made each bride 12 table toppers, one for each month. And many baby quilts. Now that I’m retired, I hope to have plenty more time to make some things for myself.

Back in the 2014 Category Challenge Group, I based my reading categories on quilt blocks. For example, the Dutchman’s Puzzle block was my category for mystery books. I also decided that I would make one quilt block from my categories each month and so I’d have 12 blocks done at the end of the year for a quilt. Then, in 2015, I added the sashes and borders and got it quilted. If you want to see which blocks I used for my challenge and how they related to my reading, you can link here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/180203 and look at the first few messages. (You can also see what I read for each block that year and how I defined it for my reading.) And this is a picture of the completed quilt:
(Sorry, it’s sideways) I realized when I put it on my bed this year that now I need to make a couple of pillow shams to go with it. I liked making this quilt a lot and may do another quilt block challenge sometime.

I realized while cutting out fabric for a class I took back in Nov, that I have many, many UFO (unfinished objects) quilts in various stages of completion. In fact, I have a middle block from a class I took in 2002. (I know because the teacher signed my book) And there might even be a couple that could be older than that. So I’ve decided to work this year on finishing a number of these projects so I can start some new ones. I’m hoping that by posting here it will give me some incentive to get going and get them done.

I’m going to keep a list of projects I hope to finish and mark them off when they’re completed. I know there are more than I’ve listed to begin with and will add more once I go through my sewing area.

Project List:

Baby Quilt for Shower
Garden Quilt
Mariner’s Compass
Blue/Yellow Diamond Paper Pieced
Halloween Ghost
Dragonfly Quilt
Geometric Quilt (Nov class) (top done)
Christmas Shams
Crazy Block Baby Quilt
Di's Star Quilt
Pillowcases: # finished: 29 (As of End of May)
Orphan turning twenty blocks

ETA: the pillowcases are more of an ongoing charity project.

New projects started:
Baby quilt for Dom & Jess
Pink & Blue quilt
Scrap quilt

That baby quilt is at the top of my list because it is for a baby shower in two weeks. Today I’m planning to sandwich it so I can get going and do the quilting and binding.

Hi, Betty, and welcome to the group! You do beautiful work! Do you hand quilt, or machine it, or do you send them out?

Hi Amber - thanks for the welcome. If the project is small enough (table runners, baby quilts, lap quilts) then I usually machine quilt them. Larger than that, and I usually bring them locally to someone to quilt for me. That Christmas quilt I decided to have quilted for me.

>5 dudes22: Makes sense. I've hand quilted (which is soothing and fun but of course *really* time-consuming) and machine quilted (which I'm not great at yet, but getting there), but I've never farmed a quilt out yet, so to speak. I think I wouldn't want the quilted looking at my not-quite-perfectly-matched-up corners. Ha!

Hello Betty. I love the idea of a category challenge based on quilt blocks, so I went back to your threads and found the explanations. Here they are!
Really creative.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/159184

That's quite a project list. I spent last year working on UFOs with some success and a lot of satisfaction. Not only that, those dreaded Show and Tells weren't quite so daunting. Best of luck with yours.

>6 scaifea: - yes, the time-consuming aspect of hand quilting is what stopped me from trying it. Even the ones I farm out are machine quilted (long arm). Plus, the part I really like is making the top and I'm so "type A" that any quilting except for straight lines is never how I want it to look. And it would cut into my reading time.

>7 SassyLassy: - Thanks for finding and posting that link. I'm not sure why I couldn't get it to work - I've checked and rechecked and can't find anything wrong. That's part 2 of my thread that year and there was a part 3 which shows all the blocks and the finished quilt as well as all the books I read. Which was the link that doesn't seem to work. I wonder if I try to take the word "here" out and just let the link show, if it will work. Think I'll go try that.

Anyway, I am hoping to make some progress on UFO's this year, but there are a few quilts I want to start also and the allure of starting something new .....

Ok - I've finally gotten the link in post #1 to work by showing the whole link rather than being fancy with the "here" thing. Whew!

If you go to post #20 in the link, you can see my focus fabric, each block, and the blocks put together.

I love that the quilt you posted is sort of a sampler of different block designs.

Welcome, Betty! That's a clever idea for a quilt (having a block represent book categories) and a beautiful quilt as the result! I've never made a sampler quilt. Seems I should, since I have a list of "favorites" in Jinny Beyer's encyclopedia of blocks (though I think my days of being a traditional quilter are over).

I'm glad to see new people here in the group. We've lost more than a few. Some have told me that they feel odd if they don't have work to post about, but my feeling is that there is always someone else's work to look at!

>10 mabith: - >11 avaland: -thanks for the welcome. I had a lot of fun with that challenge and may do it again another year. I thought a sampler quilt would help me use up lots of different fabrics at once. And it looked very nice on my bed during the holidays.

I've been sewing the binding on the baby quilt while I was watching football this weekend and am almost done. Knowing it will be ready for the baby shower is a huge relief.

While looking for something in my sewing area yesterday, I came across a muslin fabric panel of 8 crazy quilt blocks and promptly decided I needed to start something new. This is why I have so many UFOs.

>12 dudes22: I have a fair number of UFOs myself. I bought about a dozen large pizza boxes from a pizza place for a pittance some years back and store them there. I finished up two of them this year, but then created at least two others so I don't seem to be getting ahead. ha ha. Most of them are lap quilt size, things I've made when I wanted to try some new idea.

Here is a picture of the quilt I made for my granddaughter's graduation last year. She saw the border fabric in my stash and I managed to find some others from the same line on-line and then some other fabrics. Made a couple of pillowcases to go with it.

My picture of the baby quilt for the shower tomorrow didn't come out very good so I'll have to try and get a picture tomorrow at the shower.

>14 dudes22: That's really nice.

My mother used to quilt but hasn't done so for probably 3-5 years. She made baby quilts and bed quilts for my daughters when they were young, but she really loved doing smaller art quilts. She had a great sense of color. Her apartment is decorated with pieces she made, which gives her a lot of pleasure. I enjoy looking at the quilts in this group because it reminds me of her talent.

There's a lady who displays at one of the quilt guild shows every other year that had a display at the last one of 12 12" mini art quilts that she had done. I don't have the imagination to do art quilts - I'm more of a pattern follower although sometimes I make changes to the pattern.

>16 dudes22: I'm more of a pattern follower
Oh, me too. I don't have a clue how to design on my own. I'm the same way with cooking (recipes) and music (sheet music vs. improvisation).

>14 dudes22: You've gone modern! How lovely! Did she help choose the pattern and colors? or did you? I prefer my children to tell me what they want these days (they are all in their 30s).

I went through a bunch of patterns I had pulled from magazines and pulled a bunch that she looked through and picked one. But I couldn't figure out how to change the size from a square to a rectangle for the bed so that it would still look right. The border fabric (which was the one she picked from my stash) was from a line that was 5 years old. I managed to find some of the coordinating fabrics online and then thought they would look good in this pattern. I did have to adjust the size, but working with rectangles made that pretty easy. The fabric in the middle was the one that convinced me this was the pattern as it was a big stripe across the width of the fabric. And, on the back, I cut a large square from a matching fabric that didn't work on the front and put it in the middle. So she could turn it over if she wanted.

>1 dudes22: Hi Betty. I love your sampler quilt. I like scrap quilting, but I've never made a sampler. I'm thinking of making one of the samplers in Eleanor Burns's Egg Money Quilts book, but first I need to make a Double Wedding Ring quilt for my son and his wife-to-be. I've made a lot of quilts for my son, but I think this one will be my favorite--ha.

>17 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura - when I do a recipe for the first time I tend to follow it exactly as I want to know what it tastes like before I start making changes. My husband cooks with a "if some is good, more is better" style which doesn't always work. And also makes for some recipes that can't be duplicated again. When we were first going out, he made some dry-rub ribs that were fabulous. In over twenty years, he's never been able to make them as good again.

>20 labwriter: - Hi, Becky. That's the first sampler quilt I made. It seemed to make sense to make one to go with my reading challenge the year that I made it. I also had hoped it would use up a lot of my Christmas fabrics. I've even thinking of doing another one. I have A LOT of Christmas fabric. Oh heck - I have a lot of fabric, period.

>22 dudes22: LOL...I have a fair bit of holiday fabric also, though mostly in fat quarters. We probably own some of the same....

>20 labwriter: Oooo, Becky, you are going to do a double wedding ring?! I hope you'll post photos as you work on that. I used to think I would make one, but the closest I got was to make a kind of "one ring" round placemat-like piece (out of off whites with gold) for under the centerpieces at a wedding (mine).

>23 avaland: Yes, I'll post my progress on my thread here. So far it's been two steps forward and one step back. Or two steps forward and two steps back. Ha.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/217764#5441730

Love the quilt.

Lovely quilt! The lines and arrangement make me think of Charles Renee Mackintosh.

>25 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori.

>26 mabith: Meredith, I confess I had to look up Charles Renee Mackintosh--beautiful. I own a few pieces of Stickley furniture that I love. I wanted to buy a Craftsman house when we moved, but I couldn't find one I liked and I wasn't willing to wait until I could find one. We ended up buying a 1956 ranch, one owner, Mamie Eisenhower pink kitchen with the original appliances (double pink G.E. oven, in working order, white Philco refrigerator that is perfect). Life is a hoot, especially since I've never been a "pink" person. But I've found that I love the pink Formica in my kitchen. It's a restful, lovely color. Now how did I get off on that tangent? Ha.

I think of it more like Frank Lloyd Wright, but I can see Macintosh. Sort of Art Deco.

I was looking for something in my sewing area a week or so ago and came across a panel of crazy quilt muslin blocks. So I immediately decided to start something new. So much for my UFOs. All the blocks are done and it just needs some borders now. And I now have a bunch of scraps that need to be sorted out. Amber's clean sewing room made me realize that I really need to do a general cleanup. I'm off on vacation at the end of next month and I usually take my machine in for general cleaning while I'm gone but it takes them 3 weeks so that's when I'll do it.

Two people at the baby shower promised me a picture of the quilt I made (I forgot my camera), but so far they haven't sent me one. And the one I took is way too blurry to post.

I've got a couple of projects underway. I really expect to finish one this weekend. I'll probably start another small one to go with the larger one. I plan to finish the larger one before Christmas this year, but I might get it done a little faster. Although it's big, I don't think it's got so much stitching that it will take forever and a day.

>29 dudes22: I know exactly how the distraction factor (aka "oh look, a chicken!) works! I am trying to train myself not to feel I have to act out every idea in my head!

>31 avaland: - I think it's "oh look - a squirrel!". That's kind of how I felt, but I couldn't resist. I will get back to UFOs once I get borders on it.

Today I've decided to try and fix the borders to a quilt I'm making. I had measured for the first border, taking into consideration seam allowance and the width of the border and wrote down those measurements, then put the project aside over the holidays. When I got back to it, I added the first two borders and I wondered that they seemed a little wavy, but proceeded to put on the other two sides. Only when I was measuring for the second set of borders did I realize that I had put them on in the opposite order which was why the first set was wavy when I ironed it. So I think I'll put something on the tube and rip out all four borders so I can start again. I hope I have enough material.

>33 dudes22: Sigh!

>33 dudes22: Betty, I feel your pain--ha.

I really don't like redoing things. I tend to put them aside for another day instead of fixing them up!

>33 dudes22: Yep, I'm feeling your pain, too. I really dislike losing any quality time to a seam ripper. You would think that would make me more of a perfectionist, wouldn't you? (not so!)

You would. And yet, I've redone two borders and now they're too short. AARGH!

I know this isn't the greatest picture (I think my camera needs replacing), but I'm wondering what you guys think I should put in the corner blocks - the black with white polka dots or the red? The black and white is the narrow strip that's my first border. Originally I was going to use the red as the binding, but then I figured if I put in corner blocks I wouldn't have to piece the side borders. I don't have enough red for both the corner blocks and the binding, so I can use it for the corner blocks and use the black & white for the binding or use the black and white for the blocks and use the red for the binding or use the red for the corner blocks and find another color for the binding. I suppose I could even use multiple colors for the binding.

Either or all of those versions would be good. But I think I would choose red for the corners and black for the binding.

Ha, Judy, I think the opposite. Black for corners and red for binding.

Yeah, it's all so subjective, isn't it!

>39 dudes22: I like your red blocks. Can you make a "scrappy" binding from material that you have left over? That's a lovely quilt!

>43 labwriter: - I didn't think of that until I started writing my post. I'll have to see what I might have with enough length so I don't have too many seams.

I'm sure either choice or Becky's suggestion would be wonderful.

My sister was over yesterday and we sort of decided that I'll use the red if I have enough of the other colors to make a multi-colored border.

Found out yesterday that my nephew and his wife are expecting a baby. So UFOs will be put aside again so I can make a baby quilt. I have a pattern I've adapted from a picture that I love making, so I pulled some fabrics and started cutting and sewing. Hopefully I'll have pictures soon.

Will look forward to seeing the project!

Here's the finished top that I mentioned back in post 39. And I've made the binding. Now I'll store it in my "for when I need a baby quilt quick" box. Since the tops take up much less room than a finished quilt, I usually store the tops and bindings and then pick a backing and put it together once I need it.

I've since found another panel of the crazy quilt squares so I'll probably do another one like this sometime.

Beautifully bright! I'm determined to try that crazy quilting one day.

?49 Love the bright colors!

>50 judylou: - >51 thornton37814: - I love to use bright colors for baby quilts. Since the bid squares are flowers, I feel this is more a girl's quilt than a boy's, so I'll probably try to make the next one with a big square that is more for a boy.

I've gone back to a couple of UFOs. I had to start by ripping out mistakes, but now I'm ready to keep going.

What a smart idea to leave it just as the top when you know you'll be storing it for a while. I love the colors.

That's a wonderfully, eye-popping quilt. I like how you finished the top, too.

Here's a quilt I ended up making from some orphan blocks I found. The pieced blocks were from a Turning Twenty Again book pattern. But somehow I ended up putting them together in the wrong order and the secondary pattern didn't show when I laid them out. So I put them aside - orphan. Thought they'd make a cute kids quilt with the car/plane/bike fabrics (which are all from the same line). I also made the binding and will put them aside til I need a quick quilt. I don't understand why the picture isn't that great. When I open it on my computer it's nice and clear and bright.

I have so enjoyed lurking on your needle arts thread. The pictures are great and they remind me of my moms quilts. She passed away in 1981 and I have several quilts that she made for the family. Some are at least 40 years old and still look new because they are being stored in a cedar lined chest. When I was young we went to quilting bees at friends and neighbors houses. It was quite a social event; the men sat in the living room and socialized ( told big stories ) while the women sat around a large quilting frame and worked on the quilt. They were all hand stitched of course! The children would play games and have refreshments. The memories of mom's needlework from the farm will remain with me always. P.S. She also made my dresses from flour sacks and they were beautiful. You have to know that in those days 1950's we purchased our flour in 100 lb. bags and the cloth was very pretty. Mom gained her sewing skills from my grandmother and older aunts, then, in the late 30s and 40s she worked in a textile mill in Madison, NC. During WWII she sewed underwear etc. for our soldiers. Sorry folks, your thread has made me reminisce about past needle work experiences.

>56 dudes22: Great use of orphan blocks!

So I was having a productive morning. First, I finished the top for a qeometric quilt I started in a class in Nov. Now I need to decide on something for the back and binding before I take it to be quilted.

Then I added the borders and cut bindings for the baby quilt I'm making for my nephew and his wife for Aug. I need to get a backing before I quilt, but basically done.

THEN - Back in post #33, I was talking about a quilt whose borders were giving me trouble. So I took it out today to find out what on earth was the matter. Lo and behold - the edges are off almost 2" to the center measurement. Way more than I could ease in. (Which is why they ended up short the second time.) There are lots of seams and 1/2 square triangles so I understand why the sides stretched. Not to mention that taking the borders off twice probably stretched the fabric. Since there are a ton of seams, I think I'm going to try and adjust them to pull the edges in so the borders will fit. But probably not today. Back into the pile it goes.

I promised my husband I'd pick up leaves in the gardens and the temperature is going to be nice enough that I won't be able to delay it any longer, so that's my project for this afternoon.

>59 dudes22: Leaves. Endless leaves here. Isn't it great when something finally becomes clear? Sometimes it just takes putting it away for a while.

You certainly have been productive. btw, what did you come away with from the Expo? A bit of fabric, of course. Any inspiration?

No - not really. The fabric I bought was kids material - stash stuff. The quilt I think I liked the best was the one of the multi-colored leaves on the black which you happened to take a picture of. I might try and find it on-line. I was thinking of your scrap quilts the other day when I saw one on Pinterest that I liked.

>61 dudes22: I liked those leaves, too. Scrap quilts=very messy hobby.

>62 avaland: - Thanks for the picture. I think I wasn't very specific. I'm going to try and see if I can find that pattern of the leaves. I'll go back to your post of the pictures and make a note of the magazine it was from and see if I can find it.

One of the local quilt guilds has their show this weekend. I'm hoping to get there later today and if I see any interesting quilts, I might post a picture or two. And maybe buy a little fabric.

>63 dudes22: I think it said American Quilter, April 2002. If you haven't found it by the next time I'm at the quilt museum, I'll find it there for you and make a copy (if that's possible). I'll check back with you before I do, of course.

There's a local show up this way next weekend. I'd like to get to that, but I have commitments both Friday and Saturday, but there's one in Chelmsford, MA the following weekend.

Sorry, but no pictures from the quilt show. I forgot my camera yesterday and didn't get back there today. There were some very nice quilts there. Most of them machine quilted.

Sometimes one has to just enjoy the show, right?! btw, I did just register for the Vermont Quilt Festival. Hubby and I will make it a mini-vacation.

I'll be looking for pictures and hearing how great it is which will make me sad I'm not going.

I haven't had a chance in the sewing room this week. Hubby spent a few days in the hospital, so between running back and forth and the dog, etc... So this am I decided to bite the bullet and try to fix the sides of the dragonfly quilt so I could attach borders. That went pretty well and I've got the first border on now. Maybe this week I'll get the next two on and can get it ready to take and have it quilted.

>67 dudes22: I'm sorry to hear that your hubby has been in the hospital. Nothing too serious, I hope.

Dragonfly quilt? Have we heard about this one before? Tell all :-)

I didn't actually call it the dragonfly quilt before, but that's how I think if it because the fabric has dragonflies on it. It's the one I talked about back in list #59, the one with the border problem. Hopefully, I'm on the right track now.

ETA: Re: hubby. He had a partial bowel obstruction. Has to do with adhesions from some surgery he had almost 20 years ago. He had the same problem last Memorial Day, so this time we recognized the symptoms early. Treatment is mostly IV fluids and waiting for the obstruction to pass.

>69 dudes22: Oh, yes, that quilt. I will be interested to see how you solved the problem (it's been my experience that one's best and most useful attribute as a quilter—especially if one is not either a perfectionist or OCD— is how creatively one fixes a problem or fudges it!)

re: hubby: I'm glad it all worked out (unintended pun, I think)

So sorry to hear about anybody dealing with hospital stays, especially with a pet at home. Hope your husband is feeling well now. That can be a painful experience. I had serious issues with adhesions myself so I can commiserate. My daughter just had a 3 day hospital stay for a UTI and kidney infection which is a problem for her since she has only one kidney on the left side and the right side is just there enough to become infected and develop stones. She will have to have surgery, most likely. She is only 22 so this can be a lifetime nightmare or resolved quickly if we have the right surgeon. Fingers crossed. Best of luck with hubby's problems.

>70 avaland: - I solved the problem by stitching a little bit more on some of the seams to pull the edge measurement in so it matched the center.

Now my next dilemma. The middle border - the middle of the quilt measures 66.75" now. But the edges only measure 66. And I thought it was going better - ha - ha! So - do I cut the middle borders to match the edge? Or do I cut them to match the center and try to ease in the extra? I have NEVER had this much trouble with the borders of a quilt. Moving on to another project while I await help from all you quilters.

By middle border do you mean the two horizontal ones, top and bottom (and the "edges" are the vertical pieces?), or something else (like a piece of sashing). Is your 66.75" measurement taken vertically or horizonally through the middle of the quilt? Can you post a photo?

It's vertical through the middle.

First, my problem quilt. I decided to go with the measurement of the middle of the quilt and put the middle border on. I was going to put the final border on today, but then I got sidetracked.

Let me start by saying I'm really not a scrap quilt maker. I save the scraps - I just don't use the scraps. I think it's because I'm too much of a linear thinker - too type "A". I totally admire the scrap quilts that avaland has shown us. But I saw a scrap quilt on Pintrest that I thought would be something I might do. So I've been going through my scrap boxes and bags, ironing and sorting. (And actually throwing some out - why would I keep those tiny pieces?) And so - instead of working on my UFOs, I'm starting another quilt. I still have some more scraps to go through before I start so it might be awhile before I show anything, but I'll post a couple of blocks once I get a few done.

And now I have fabric all over the place and no room to work on the other quilt. Oh well...

Oh, now I'm curious as to the pattern you've chosen! (define "tiny")

I was at the Chelmsford (MA) Quilt Guild's show during the past two days and there were quite a few scrap quilts, some in patterns I had thought I would do "sometime." One is just half dark/light squares using half square triangles. So simple. I'll try to post some of the photos I took over the next few days.

I'm glad you've worked out your conundrum with the middle border.

"tiny" - about less than 2 inches. Or those small oddball shapes where I have no idea which way is straight. I also came across fabrics I'm sure I must have used in something, but can't remember what.

I was thinking of going to that quilt show, but couldn't fit it in. Look forward to seeing some pictures.

>77 dudes22: I don't keep pieces much smaller than 2 inches, myself. Well, one has to draw the line somewhere!

Here are a couple of sample blocks for a scrap quilt. I saw the pattern on Pintrest and thought it might be a way to use up my scraps. I think the two dark strips are what appealed to me about the blocks. These are 9.5 inch squares. One has dark strips that finish to 1 inch and the other has strips that finish to 1/2 inch.

ok-tell me - do these look a little blurry to anybody? They look clear when I open up my photos on my computer, but lately it seams they look blurry in the posts.

ok here's another try. this one was my camera.

ETA: nope - it still looks blurry to me. I wonder if it the smaller size.

I like the first photos better. They do seem slightly off. I like the pattern. It should be an interesting pattern when done, I think. How are they pieced? For example, are the pieces in that center column done in a large piece and then cut to size?

The strip in the middle is done first. I used 4-5 inch strips and then trimmed them up to 3 1/2 inches. Then when it's long enough on the diagonal, I trim it and add the dark strips and build out to the sides. Then I square it up - this time to 9 1/2 inches. I try to make sure I won't have pieces that are too small in the corners. The pattern I saw on Pintrest said she trimmed them to 8 1/2 so you can basically make it whatever size you want.

I took the top picture with my Ipad and the bottom one with my camera. And I notice that one is upside down for some reason. (the picture, not the blocks - I never moved them) The thing that annoys me is if I look at the picture in my junk drawer (where I have it stored), it's crisp. Weird, weird, weird.

ETA: Do you think it has something to do with the size I adjust it to in my post. I used a height of 300 for those two.

Yeah, the pictures are showing up much larger in the post than they're actually sized for, even after I reset my zoom. Possibly due to the html you're using. if you use {img src="image-url-here"} with the greater-than/less-than symbols instead of the braces it won't change the size of the image.

I love the color balance and make up of those squares!

>83 mabith: - I've been using that html but putting in a height of 300 so people could see the detail a little better (I had hoped). When I put book covers on my reading thread, I use a height of 200. I tried changing the height to 200 and it does seem a little clearer, but maybe not much.

Thanks for liking the squares. I'm still not a "pull it from a pile and put it in" kind of person. More of a " should I put a piece with x color in now". I do think it will help me use up some of my scraps, but might create more UFOs rather than complete ones I should be working on.

Increasing the size will always make them blurry. The true height is 225.. I find the default font on LT so small I have to zoom in two degrees and if you don't have the "zoom text only" option selected it will blur the images too.

>85 mabith: - where do you do this?

On a Windows keyboard ctrl+ zooms in and ctrl- zooms out. You can also find the setting under the View menu on Firefox.

Ok - thanks.

Haven't been doing a lot of quilting lately. The weather's been nice so I've been planting containers and reading in the shade when it's been too hot to garden. I do have one quilt that needs to go be quilted. Maybe I'll take it up this week. And I've done a few more scrap squares.

I've been gardening early and am safely indoors by 9 or 10 am. Yesterday was cool and wonderfully overcast, so I got a lot done.

I'll be interested to see how your scrap quilt comes together, Betty.

I love the quilt in >49 dudes22:. I also love your idea to store the tops for a quick baby gift when the time is right!

The problem quilt in posts #33 and #59 just will not stop being a problem. I made the back, cut all my loose threads and took it up to the quilt shop I like today to have it quilted only to find that I put the two pieces of the back together end-to-end instead of side-by-side. So now I've brought it back home to fix the back. It haunts me, I tell you.

I also bought some batting so I can put together the baby quilt I'm making for my nephew and his wife. In theory the baby's not due til Aug, but you never know when he (yes a he) will make his appearance.

I also have just one more paper pieced block to make for another quilt I'm making and then I can start putting it together.

So I've put aside the scrap blocks I was making for a little bit.

>92 dudes22: Oh yeah. Been there. Always a frustration!!

>92 dudes22: Sorry your "problem quilt" still haunts you. I thought I had fixed the squaring of the chevron quilt but when it came back from the quilter and I was trimming it, I realized it was still lopsided by an inch or so. I was a little embarrassed that I had sent it to the quilter this way.

The great thing about some scrap quilts is that they are easy to put away and take up again, don't you think?

Interested to see your paper-pieced quilt. I have done some paper piecing but not an entire quilt.

>94 avaland: - The paper pieced quilt is not very big - I think its 24x24 finished. I need to really press the blocks good and then trim them up before I start putting them together.

So I saw a quilt on Pintrest that looked so quick and easy, I went and pulled out fabrics and started putting them together this morning. No way to finish UFOs.

>95 dudes22: LOL!

>95 dudes22: I saw something about using a mallet to flatten the seams on paper-pieced blocks. Hrm. Where did I see that...Facebook, probably.

I pressed as I went but it was with a small Clover iron that I usually take to a class. So I'm thinking a good pressing with my big iron is what I need now.

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I posted to my own thread. So - projects update. Sorry - no pictures tonight. I'll take a couple tomorrow.

The problem quilt is back at the quilters and I hope to hear it's done later this week so I can bind it.

I have the baby quilt all quilted except for the borders. I can't decide what to quilt there. I'm tempted not to quilt the border at all because it's not very wide, but a quilt always looks so much better quilted.

I've pressed and trimmed about half of the paper piece blocks. I'm planning to take them to a open quilting class to get some help with putting them together. The pattern doesn't explain it very well and since they're diamonds, I figure a little help can't hurt.

The pattern I saw on Pintrest back in post #95 is done (well the top is). I'll post more comments when I can show you a picture.

Also finished a "book bag" which is another name for a small bag with a flap for my daughter-in-law for her birthday. I'll try to get a picture of that posted too.

And I've worked on a few kids' pillowcases.

So fairly productive, but still nothing finished. Except the bag.

>99 dudes22: *fingers crossed* Hopefully the problem quilt has learned to behave.

>99 dudes22: You have been busy! And I thought I had too many projects going at once.

Surely at this point the "problem quilt" needs a new name?! Sounds like an adolescent who has gone off to college!

Yes - it does. Once I actually get the binding sewn on, it will be the "dragonfly" quilt for the dragonflies in the fabric.

So - here's a picture of the bag I made for my daughter-in-law for her birthday:



And this is the quilt I made from a JoAnne Fabric pattern that I found on Pintrest. Once I got done I thought the center isn't really in proportion to the strips. So I think I'll try this again but with narrower strips next time.

>103 dudes22: I like the sizing for the center!

I like it too.

Oh, I love the bag - the fabric is beautiful!

>103 dudes22: Lovely bag, and I also like the sizing for the center of the quilt, though I suppose you could have done it any number of ways.

Thanks all. Interesting you all like the size of the center block. I still might give it a try with smaller strips just to see what it looks like.

I like the offset look of the block. If you are not happy with the size of the centre, is it easier to try a larger centre than making the strips smaller?

That's a possibility. It was my first thought, but I wasn't sure how it would work out. Maybe I'll try both.

I went up to my favorite quilt shop yesterday for an open quilt class. (Bring your own project that you need help with) I've reached the point in my paper-pieced-log-cabin-diamond where I need to put the blocks together and the directions were less than helpful. So I took it to get some advice and guidance. I managed to get 1/4 together and feel I can get the other 3 quarters done by myself. I also picked up the previously-known-as-the-quilt-from-h***. The person who quilted it did a really nice job. It's a panograph design with dragonflies in the pattern which are also in one of the fabrics. Just need to get the binding on it. Currently sewing the binding on a baby quilt and hope to have a picture to post in a couple of days.

Supposed to be hot and humid this weekend, so I should have lots of time to quilt.

Sounds like good things came out of your open class, and I'm glad to hear the problem quilt has been redeemed.

MY sewing for the rest of the year is going to be severely curtailed. My husband and I have been looking at condos for a couple of years now - off and on. We went to see some yesterday in a new development in an area we wanted to be in. (Closer to my family - about half an hour away from where we are now.) We liked the designs a lot and decided to go for it. I'm already panicky about packing and sorting even though the condo isn't even built yet. I can't imagine the number of boxes I'll need for fabric and books. So you might not be seeing many projects from me, but I'll still be watching what others do and posting if I do finish a couple of things. I do need to take a picture of the baby quilt I finished and I am going to finish that dragonfly quilt since I only need to do the binding.

>113 dudes22: Well that certainly sounds like a fun adventure! I understand your panic about packing. Is this a "downsizing" move as well?

It's kind of an equal. Actually a little more sq footage than we have now, but I would like to get rid of a bunch of stuff.

Oooh, moving to a brand-new place! Exciting! But, yes, also there's the packing. Good luck!

>116 scaifea: - Thanks.

Having been through a move and purge about two and half years ago, I sympathize. I started a year before we actually moved and was very methodical about it. If you would like the outline of how I tackled it all, I'd be happy to write some notes up for you. We didn't move into something too terribly much smaller but it was still a big purge (I shudder in remembrance!)

>118 avaland: Are you finding that things are mysteriously accumulating again?

Packing and downsizing can be so rough, though I feel like thinking about it is worse than doing it. I may be moving into a shared house soon, and should downsize, But I feel like the amount of stuff I have is the right amount (my storage solutions just aren't enough), so I'm gearing up for an internal mental clash.

>118 avaland: - Thanks for the offer, but I think I have a pretty good plan. IF I can get my husband to actually purge and not just "shuffle".

>119 SassyLassy: - I think you're right - thinking about it is more stressful than just getting to it.

I went to pick up one of my sewing machines today from being serviced and one of the ladies suggested wrapping items in fabric. Moving two things at once. I may consider it. I could wrap cups and glasses in fat quarters...etc...

>119 SassyLassy: Indeed!

This is the baby quilt I just finished for my nephew and wife. Baby should be here in a couple of weeks. It's hard to see but I quilted hearts through the middle stripe. This is now my go-to pattern for a baby quilt. I love the stripe with matching pattern stripes The wrinkles are from being folded.

>123 dudes22: Very cute!

>121 dudes22: Re: Wrapping items in fabric

From years of packing experience, I would say that it really depends how much fabric you are using and what is being packed. Fabric folded thickly doesn't have much give to it and doesn't allow the small amount of give that some breakables need. Balls of yarn are great for packing between single or double layer fabric wrapped breakables, and for putting in the awkward corners of the boxes. Quilted jackets and light quilts are great between layers and on the bottom of china barrels. If you are wrapping in fabric though, another thing to consider might be the dual unpacking at the other end, where you are not only putting away whatever has been wrapped, you are also having to find spots for the wrapping.

I can see it might work well with small appliances. Another place I sometimes use folded fabric is at the top of boxes of books, if the books don't quite meet the edge of the box. Of course here you want the fabric to be densely packed, so that the corners of the box aren't pushed down.

Isn't moving fun!

>123 dudes22: Adorable!

>125 SassyLassy: I agree that you would want to be selective about what you wrapped in fabric. I used every extra towel, washcloth...etc along with yarn, mittens/gloves, wool socks..etc. I also used plastic recyclables with their covers to fill spaces in boxes. If I used my fabric I would feel the need to re-wash it. I packed all my fat quarters in giant Ziploc bags, taped to ensure they stayed closed. At that time much of my fabric was in plastic boxes and I just taped several boxes together.

>124 lesmel: - Thanks

>125 SassyLassy: - After giving it some more thought, I think I probably won't be using fabric to wrap stuff in. Maybe at the tops of boxes with books - that sounds like a good idea.

>126 avaland: - Towels, etc seem like a good idea. I have some big bins that we used when we went to Alabama a year ago. I think I'll try to use some of them for fabric. I actually had to buy one to bring back all the fabric I bought while we were there so I know they won't be too heavy.

Love the mix of quilting designs on the baby quilt!

Fabric wrapping worked nicely for me when it came to not very fragile things that still needed to be separated from each other, though I can't think of any similar things in a normal house. (I have a large collection of semi-expensive Japanese dolls, and some of the plastics react to each other so you can't leave them touching each other for long.)

A friend of mine also suggested using fabric to fill in the spaces in boxes with books which I thought was a good idea. A mix of books and fabric should lighten them somewhat.

These are pictures of the infamous "problem" quilt - now known as the dragonfly quilt. There are dragonflies in the dark blue fabric and the person who quilted it for me also has dragonflies in the quilting. (which is hard to see.) I'm planning to give it to my sister for her birthday next month. When I showed it to her when I was working on it, she really loved it, so I decided it could be hers. It will be a combination birthday/new apartment gift.

I just don't understand it: My pictures are clear on my laptop, and clear in my junk drawer here on LT, but blurry when I post them in my thread. In my image HTML, I used a height of 400. Any smaller and it's hard to see the material. I need to get some help on this. I think my grandson is coming next week for my husband's birthday; maybe he can help.

>130 dudes22: The quilt is beautiful! What happens if you DON'T put height/width in your img tag?

This:


Kind of small for you all to see the fabrics

Oh- and thanks.

Love the quilt!

Photos get fuzzy when they are enlarged. If you must specify the size of the image, it is best to use the actual size or something smaller. Being compressed a bit can also sometimes cause fuzziness or loss of detail, but not nearly as bad as enlarging.

>133 mabith: - Thanks.

>134 dkhiggin: - I've seen photos in other posts that are quite large and not fuzzy. (look at the first post in avaland's thread.) How do they manage to do that?

>135 dudes22: They start out larger than yours do. When I post pictures to Flickr, I always post full size. When I make a link from here to Flicker, I make them display MUCH smaller than they actually are, so they fit comfortably in a "talk" page boundary (and respecting the natural ration of the image). I could make them larger, but don't see the need (since clicking on them takes you to the Flickr image). Consider putting one of your recent photographs in your gallery, so that we could provide more insight. I can't think that any modern equipment is making the image that small (my camera, and my cell phone, both take pictures that are quite large, and my camera is a few years old).

>136 Lyndatrue: - ok I loaded the image from #130 & 132 into my member gallery. I usually just upload them from my laptop directly to my junk draw here without using Flicker or Photobucket. I was using Photobucket when I was first starting uploading pictures, but then once I discovered I could do it directly from my laptop, that's what I started doing.

I appreciate all the help you folks are trying to give me.The local senior center is offer a one-on-one with a local college student for tech issues and I'm thinking I'm going to sign up. There are other things I could use help with also.

The only thing I can think of image wise is that you're getting the image location from the thumbnail in your gallery/junk drawer, rather than the full sized image. If you click on the quilt picture in your gallery then you can get the larger image, which is already a good size for LT threads, so you don't have to worry about changing the size manually.

>137 dudes22: The reason I like Flickr is that when I just use the link provided, I can choose a size to display, and anyone curious about the very tiny details can then click on it, and end up on Flickr, where it's trivial to enlarge. I used to not mind photobucket images, but lately, they make it very difficult to get to the larger image.

To get to the image in your gallery, Betty, you need to click on the image, and then use your browser to view the image directly, and copy that URL into the standard entry. Then it will show your lovely quilt like this:

Thanks - I'm going to give that a try later when I have a little more time and I'm on my laptop instead of my iPad.

ok - I see what you mean now. Thanks for the help.

Your quilt came out really well, and I love the dragonflies in the actual quilting. What a great gift.

>142 SassyLassy: - Thanks - My sister was here one day and I was asking her advice on the order I should use in the borders. She thought it was wonderful so I decided she should have it. And her b'day and moving to a new place seemed a good time to give it to her.

I can't say I've been doing a lot of quilting lately. We're going to be buying a new house/condo which isn't built yet, so we've been spending a lot of time picking things out and I've started to pack (including my fabric) even though it will probably be 6 months before we move. But I have been following everyone's threads and enjoying the posts. I do have one paper-pieced project that just needs a final border on it that I've been working on and I hope I'll get to that soon. And I'm going to try and keep my scrap quilt box out so I can work on them if I have a little time.

I was doing some more packing today and came across a couple more UFOs that I had forgotten about. Guess I'll still be working on them next year too.

>145 dudes22: There is nothing like a move to discover old things anew again, and to clear out the excess and the no longer wanted. I hope you will have adequate space in your new condo for sewing!

Alas, I think I'm still going to be sewing in the basement although my husband is planning to make me a sewing room. I might also try to fit in a small sewing area in the 2nd bedroom.

I hope so!

Very little sewing lately as I've been trying to start packing and sorting for our move. When my friend saw the bag I made for my daughter-in-law (post #103), she asked if I would make a couple for her to give her mother for Christmas. These are a different pattern than the other, but I liked making them a lot and may make a couple more, if I can manage before Christmas. They are supposed to be book bags, but they're not too big.(apporx 8.5 x9.5") And they have a couple of pockets too.

So this is one more project I've been working on for a while. The diamonds were all paper pieced and I've finally got all the paper off the back. I thought I would post it even though it's not quilted yet since I'm going to pack it up and it will show up again next year as another UFO. The top size is 26 x 26.



The only things I'm going to work on now are some of those scrap string blocks (posts 79 & 80) since I only need my box a scraps and some thread. I can't see me not sewing for the next 6 months, but I could just read in my spare time. I'll still be checking in here to see what everyone is doing, but probably won't have anything to show myself.

>149 dudes22: >150 dudes22: Very nice!

>150 dudes22: That is beautiful!

Lovely! I especially like that you've put a closure on the bags, and the fabrics and patterns combo on the quilt square is beyond gorgeous.

Thanks guys. I'm thinking I might make a couple more of the bags for a couple of Christmas presents. I went to the local yarn store to get the buttons - I think they always have great buttons.

I really love the bags (in >103 dudes22: and in >149 dudes22:), and have been considering an attempt to make something similar. Is this from a pattern, or is it as simple as it looks? It seems as though good measurements, and choosing the right fabrics (and buttons, of course) are the important parts.

Your projects are always so professional when finished. I'll be happy to have something that's even close to as nice.

Lynda -
The pattern I used in #103 is a Heather Bailey pattern (her web site: http://www.heatherbaileystore.com/?Click=25).

The one in #149 is by a company called Pink Sand Beach Designs. This had really great directions. The only thing I changed when I did the second one was to take some of the interfacing off at the top of the sides to make it less bulky where the handles attach to the side seams. I bought it locally, and there isn't a web site on the packaging, but maybe you could find it online somewhere. I did find this one simpler than the first one.

>150 dudes22: That's fabulous! I've done a few things paper-pieced, and sometimes parts of quilts (particularly those with small triangles).

Thanks Lois - I've got a few bumps where the blocks meet with all the seams, but I'm hoping to reduce some of them when I block it before I sandwich it. Someone told me that using a lot of steam and then putting a pile of books on it for a while can sometimes help flatten it. I might just try that.

To all my friends here on the NeedleArts Group:



Hope you all have great needlework new year!

Thank you! Hope your Christmas was a happy one.

Thanks, Betty. Happy New Year. When is the big move scheduled?

>159 dudes22: That would make a lovely quilting project. Happy Needling to you and everyone else too!

>160 judylou: - Thanks it was.

>161 avaland: - HNY to you too. Move is sometime this spring. Now it's back to packing and sorting.

>162 SassyLassy: - I think Meredith (mabith) should design it as a cross stitch. Way beyond my quilting talents.

Time for a new 2017 thread, don't you think?