Avaland's 2019 Quilts & Other Creative Projects

Another year! Will come back and post an intro in the next week or so.

Here we are in 2019!

I've put together the purple quilt and a backing, and hope soon to get it off to the quilter.

I've postponed putting up the quilt I was working on prior to the purple distraction back up on the design board. I thought I might mess around with some UFOs and odd, leftover blocks and see what I can make of them (I didn't get my charity quilts to their destination, so I will continue to add to the pile and deliver it to a shelter later on).

(Photo removed, blocks can be seen in photo below)

I have 10 of these 16" blocks leftover from a quilt made in 2013/14 for our king-size bed (and to have on the bed when we sold the house). The block is one I found in Jinny Beyer's encyclopedia. I've done a few quilts from picking out blocks from that book (I love browsing the book and letting my imagination run wild!).



9 of the blocks together are roughly 46 inches square, not enough for even a lap quilt, imo. So, I'm thinking of finding a print with both main colors mixed for a border, but I think it needs a narrow inner border to "stop" the pattern. What do you think? White? Gray? Black?

If not too busy, I would look for a border print that has a third color you could use for the inner border. Otherwise, I would say white - unless - the print has a white background and it ends up not matching.

Oooh, I kind of like the idea of a grey inner border...

And I *love* the purple and green together!

>4 dudes22:, >5 scaifea: I thought about finishing those half squares within the border but I don't think I have enough of the fabric leftover.

After searching online and through my stash (and not finding anything suitable), it occurred to me that I just took down curtains that were made from a Kaffe Fassett fabric and thus, have an abundance of it available. But, I think it needs a tiny inner border. Presented here is white, black & gray candidates. I'm inclined to choose the black....I don't like the white against the KF print, and gray just seems wrong. The black is a dramatic divide between the stiff movement on the left and flowing movement on the right.

ha ha, the challenge of taking UFOs and or leftover blocks and try to make something useful and reasonably decent-looking!

{photo removed}

I like the black best of the three, but still think you could grab one of the other colors in the border.

>6 avaland: I always go with Kaffe, but I think you're right about needing that inner border. Do you have anything in the purple range that would pull the outer border and centre together?

I love those purple and green blocks. Look forward to seeing where the new project ends up.

>8 SassyLassy: - I like that idea.

Hm, I think I agree now about the black, even though at first I thought I'd like grey better... Also, I LOVE the paisley fabric!

>7 dudes22:, >8 SassyLassy:, >9 mabith:, >10 dudes22:, >11 scaifea: Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I had some extra fabric of the green solid that is in the blocks and tried an inner border with that but it didn't look right (I think because the red-violets and the greens don't actually touch each other), nor did any of the colors from the KF paisley look right (some funky colors in there). Some of it is because the very stolidness (odd choice of word, I know) of the blocks and the fluidity of the KF fabric. I think I will go with a narrow black border and let one's eyes make the jump across.

>11 scaifea: I am prone to picking up all manner of paisleys when I see them, which includes some of KF's prints. I love this one for all the colors, but my favorite is one he did with a blackish background.

Okay, here is what happened to the blocks and paisley curtains: (apologies, the usual method of rotation seems not to be working today)



Putting the blocks together reminded me how "fun" it was lining up all the seams. And first I failed to remember that two of the sides of the border are going to need to be wider than other two sides, and then I failed to remember until last minute that the paisley fabric is directional. Ugh. I cut down the outer border to 12" because it turned out to be about 7 x 7 ft! And it's pieced but not able to match it at seams. Now it's about 6 x 6 ft.

The black border (1") makes the blocks look like they are floating on a sea of psychedelic plankton!

Not sure how I will quilt this. Usually I quilt the ones intended for charities myself, and simply.

The black does look good as a separator. Sometimes when I have a directional print in the border, I'll put an extra block in the corner to separate the borders. I used a stripe in that baby quilt I just finished and put squares in the corner because I was too lazy to miter the corners. I like the way it looks. I might keep this in mind for a quilt.

>14 dudes22: Thanks, Betty. As you have probably observed I mostly prefer borderless quilts, but some of these small ones need the border to make the quilts a bit bigger. The repeat on that fabric pattern is pretty big and I didn't have enough fabric between the two curtains to fuss with it, especially after it occurred to me that I need to at least get the direction right :-)

Went to Goodwill this morning hoping to snag a queen-sized, 100% cotton sheet for the backing. No luck but got one twin & one full sheet (great colors) and two men's plaid shirts (interesting plaids) for future projects.

I've been doing the quilting equivalent of doodling the last couple of days—sewing random scraps together from my scrap buckets—as I am inclined to do when not attached to a specific project. My pile of 6 inch scrap squares is now up to 345!

With the talk of UFOs here, I feel compelled to join the confessions, and to show my solidarity with the rest of the group:

annnddddd....Ha! I just spent 20 minutes making up my list of quilts and projects in various states of incompletion and then decided it was too traumatizing to look at the whole list! The pressure! I cut and pasted the list into the "notes" app on my laptop so it's somewhere if I want it. I think I shall carry on as before. :-)

Oh - you're funny. But - shouldn't you have a lot of projects that produced all these scraps. Or are they from those fat quarters I remember you like when we went to the quilt show?

cute as

Super work, congratulations

>17 dudes22: To answer your question....



I spiffed this wall up yesterday. It gets really, really messy when I'm pulling things out and stuffing it back in. This is yardage, most of it smaller pieces like fat quarters. There are a few bins tucked in there with smaller scraps that I have put near their larger counterparts. I admit that I often buy without a thought of what I will do with it. I like a print or a color.... I love to buy scrap bags or cut up clothing for the fabric*. Clearly, I accumulate faster than I produce, but I love working with a large palette. One does have to tolerate frequent chaos and mess (I grew up in a small house in a family of 8 so no problem).

Mind you, this is only one wall. The adjacent wall holds sweater bins of scraps cut to various sizes, and open plastic bins with all the loose small scraps. Maybe will post that when I clean it up.

*I think quilt fabric can have a certain look to it, so I like to mix it up with cotton clothing and other items.

I admit to just picking up 7 flat sheets at a Savers store. Twin size $5. It’s a bit of a schlep and traffic so I wanted to make the trip worth it. I use cotton sheets or a good quality cotton-poly one for backings on quilts being donated.

I went through one of my bins of scraps leftover from projects not that long ago and tried to cut them up into various sizes I thought I would use. Except I forgot about adding a half inch for the seams. Still usable but I may do some strip blocks with them instead of using in a project. I have a bunch of fat quarters too and I'm thinking of using them for one of those blocks where you cut and then shuffle the pieces and put them back together. Once I finish some of my UFOs, of course.

>22 dudes22: If you need some strips or squares to mix things up at all, let me know. We should plan to meet up at some local quilt show between us this year....

That sounds nice. We'll have to see what's around this year. I've got plenty of scraps - thanks anyway. The one strip scrap quilt that I did needs to go be quilted. I found that all those seams make it very heavy. I also have some other blocks that I started using one color per block, but those need more work. My idea was to use some of the scraps as leaders and enders when I'm making something else, but so far I haven't decided on which ones to put together.

>24 dudes22: Sounds good. I'm trying the use of painter's tape to mark quilting lines today....

I posted these photos because I didn't want you to think—looking at that wall of fabric— that I was some compulsive neat freak. I do work messy and amongst clutter, and I'm comfortable with it (to a point). It reminds me a little of one of my grandson's activity play stations (or, what I refer to as his overstimulation station).

Will accept counseling from the group here :-)

But it's such a nice big room. Surely no one expects it to be empty? I decided when we were moving that I needed to take a very serious look at what I thought I would do one we moved and what I should get rid of. I got rid of a ton of stuff but still couldn't bear to part with a few things that I still think I might do someday.

I did realize that I never posted pictures of the room my husband made for me to quilt in in the new house. I'll have to remember to do that when I get home.

>25 avaland: Love that "working mess - that's always my explanation too! Seriously though, it does look organized in its/your way, which is the only way to organize if you are going to get anything done. Also love "I accumulate faster than I produce". Isn't that so you can produce more, more readily!? (My friends do call me the consummate enabler.)

Oh, you enablers!

While looking at my own photos I was inspired to rearrange, declutter (as much as one can), reorganize, dust, clean the iron and the windows, pack up some bags for Goodwill. My oak bar chair is going to the bookstore and I’ve decided to give up both dress dummies. I rearranged to make it more open in the middle and will probably take out the high table and possibly offer the blue Elna machine to my younger daughter (thinking more on that last bit). All that said, there is still a lot I didn’t deal with.

Betty, do post room photos when you get back home.

I've been on prednisone (steroids) due to sudden deafness in one ear and the nervous energy it produces has me zipping around the studio like a mad woman. That's why the cleaning and reorganizing was going on. I started making scrap squares and accumulated another 200 so had over 500...so then put together 144 of them for a quick quilt. Now, I've pulled out all of my solids and am cutting 5" strips and squares for a quilt project, but I'm also sticking my fingers in this and that. Good thing last dose is tomorrow!

Finished the pink & green charity quilt. Bound it while visiting while gabbing with my SIL & brother in Maine late last week. Another bit of UFO taken care of.

I have about 5 quilts needing quilting now and I may have to consider doing more of them myself either roughing it here or renting time on a quilting machine. Or, I need to expand my list of machine quilters. Or both.

My goodness. Even your post sounds busy. Sounds like you're getting a lot done. Hope the prednisone works for your deafness.

31 Nah, the steroid did nothing. But, hey, no tumor or anything. I'll be getting a hearing aid. Today was the last dose, thankfully. Maybe I'll slow down a bit.

I've just cut 5" squares of most of the solid color cottons I have for a quilt. Still, I felt it necessary to buy 15 half yard pieces of Kona cotton in varying hues to fill in the color gaps I have:-) * There are going to be a lot of triangles!

*I get these from Hancocks at Paducah online, and shop from a sample "folder" of Kona Cotton colors that I bought a few years ago.

>30 avaland: & >32 avaland: Sudden Sensory Hearing Loss is possibly the most common audiology problem. When my mom lost her hearing (due to medication) in her left ear, the audiologist she saw said he sees at least 4 patients a week with SSHL.

>33 lesmel: Interesting. I think I saw at stat that said this happens to 2 or 3 out of 250-300 people.

Starting a new project, so as mentioned above I have been digging out all the solid color fabrics I have and cutting 5" strips and squares.



Here is the sample block which in about 12" across (done with a limited number of colors, so imagine a richer variety). It's made up of 12 triangles which made up of four small triangles each.

{photo removed}

The colors in the photo are darker than in RL.

OH my gosh! I love that block! And I've always been afraid of solids in my quilts. I figure prints hide mistakes. Are you making some as HSTs first?

>34 avaland: ooh, I absolutely love that block too!

Thanks, the appeal to me is probably obvious 😜

>35 dudes22: Yes, some number over 200 (280?), but I’m holding off putting them together until I receive the additional colors. I’m cutting 5” squares in quarters diagonally & then sewing them together. Every time I work with small triangles I swear I won’t do it again....

I can’t decide whether to include the grays and browns...any thoughts?

I'd keep them. You have such a wide variety of colors they'll work in. Maybe just not as many as other colors dependingon the look you want. What about stitching the fabrics together before you cut them? You know - stitching on each side of the diagonal and then cutting them apart? Or if you're worried that wouldn't be enough variety (heaven forbid) then just do one way and then rearrange them for the other diagonal.

>38 dudes22: Did think about the express sewing of the 5” squares but I’ve decided to cut the triangles first for maximum mixing. Although, I could do some, perhaps a third that way (I just don’t want, say, the peach always next to the cobalt blue, if you know what I mean.

I think you are right, I should keep some of the browns & grays.

I did think about doing a ‘natural’ color center square instead of the black. The old pattern I found called for 4 1/4” squares cut into the 4 triangles and I thought: no way and upped it to 5” squares.

Whoa, that's gorgeous!! I can't wait to see more!

>38 dudes22: Betty, I started out doing some of the half square triangle blocks the express way and it just went so well that I talked myself into doing them all that way* (about 74 pairs of 5" squares mixed colors, stitched around the edges and cut twice diagonally for roughly 296 little blocks). It might be reducing the "mix" but I'm hoping it won't be noticeable when the additional two triangles are added to the sub-block

Then I cut the rest of the 5" squares (roughly another 70) diagonally twice for 280 separate triangles. I think I'm going to need much more...but it's a start (and I am mighty tired of cutting!)

*Perhaps I was just being lazy

That's great! I think even if you notice that there isn't as much of a mix as you were thinking, that you'll be the only one who notices.

>42 dudes22: Quite possibly.

I really shouldn't have started yet another project as I still have the 2018 "wild goose chase" a.k.a.
"Swedish Death Cleaning" project in limbo. Perhaps it's a winter thing....

Spent yesterday working on these two, finished 15" blocks (the previous photo was a mock up of a block). I changed the dimension of the block from the one I found in an older book, so I had to recalculate the pieces and I didn't get the black square calculated correctly the first time. There are 48 triangles in each block and it's more than a little crazy-making to get them all to come together reasonably well (I am by no means a perfectionist, but I don't want any glaring distractions). And I kept sewing the triangles on the wrong way and having to pick the seams apart. In the afternoon I drove off to one of the local quilt shops to fetch a few more colors (I felt I had a lack of oranges).

Now that the worse is over (I hope), it should go smoother. I can't decide thought whether to make a large lap quilt or something that would fit a bed....

I do really like this! I don't think I'd work with triangles unless it was paper-pieced. Hate bias edges.

I love the colors against the black, it's really striking. I can't imagine doing all that fiddly piecing. You're very good at it and have the patience required to make it look really nice.

>44 avaland: Well I do really like the black there, despite my reservations about black mentioned elsewhere, but in yours a good strong colour is needed and it looks great.

You also answered one of my unvoiced questions that I didn't ask because I couldn't contemplate doing it myself if I wanted to maintain any vestiges of sanity - you are going to join the triangles at the block seams! I know you will do it beautifully; I know I am nowhere near there as yet.

>45 dudes22: I understand, I really do.
>46 lauralkeet: Well, I will only fiddle so long ...I'm okay with some imperfection.
>47 SassyLassy: OMG, you are right! I hadn't thought that far ahead!



"...I going slightly mad...it finally happened..."

>48 avaland: That's stunning and well worth being slightly mad!

Forgot to add support for the oranges. I have a hooking UFO for which I dyed a dozen different orange shades and am hooking it in irregular waves. I should find it - unseen since the move, which means it is in one of the dreaded bins.

That's looking awesome. I'm not sure if it's just the picture, but I like how some blocks have a dark triangle in the first row that makes it look like it's not just a square in the middle. Like the square has a point on it. (Bottom right square, for example)

>49 SassyLassy: - You know - I was never a big fan of orange in my quilts until a couple of years ago. Now I find I buy quite a bit.

ETA: I don't envy you the seam match. I know when I do flying geese that's one of the things I hate.

>49 SassyLassy: Thanks. You know what a tease you are, don't you? We dearly want to SEE some of your work...:-)

>50 dudes22: Yes, I see what you mean. The photo is a bit darker than real life, but it still might have that effect in low light. I initially thought some pieces were too dark but threw them in the mix eventually to balance the brights and lights. The only colors I avoided were the really light pastels....

I still have the flying geese project with the sentimental fabrics to finish, but that is, thankfully, paper-piecing.

OK, after a marathon day yesterday, here are the blocks:



There are 1,152 triangles in this quilt. 48 per full block. I thought I might stop at an oversized lap quilt, but it was only 5 more full blocks to make it 63"x84" and I was on a roll...

And in the evening I put together the upper left hand corner—just to see how bad it was going to be to put together the block edges. I pinned it through the points, and there is a bit of fudging but only one place that needed to be picked out and redone (1 out of 12, so that leaves about 100 more to go, ha ha).

That is really extremely striking. I envy your speed at getting these things done.

>52 avaland: It's a wee bit addictive...or obsessive. I haven't been out of the house in FOUR DAYS! (except for yesterday, I limited it to mostly mornings).

>52 avaland: Dang. That is an amazing piece. Although my preference is always for the old-fashioned quilts, that one would stop me at the fair. Adding the black to it truly sets off the colors; it's very striking.

>55 Lyndatrue: Thanks. Not sure why I'm not attracted to the "old-fashioned" styles, perhaps because I have several vintage quilts, or perhaps I get a buzz off vivid colors (child of the late 60s, early 70s)

I have most of the quilt together, just two more seams to go! It is a bit hair-raising and there always seems to be one triangle that is "off." At least on one occasion I picked the triangle out and put in a new one. No work on it yesterday as the grandson came over and kept us occupied for most of the day.

The Way-Too-Many-Triangles Quilt is all together now and my sanity is intact. I will have to put it in the pile needing quilting -- not sure how I want it quilted. Perhaps I could do some simple lines.

Anyway, I put this one back up on the wall and have added the outer blocks (which are unfinished. The white you see is the paper. I need to find where I stashed the large triangles for the corners). The blocks are made with fabrics I had used in clothing, quilts and other domestic projects from the 70s to present day (there is only a few pieces from the 70s). They are arranged with the oldest fabrics in the middle (much lighter, aren't they? I made a lot of clothing for my children, particularly the girls)

At last count I now have done about 70 quilts and a fair number can't be represented for one reason or another. I use photos to remind me what fabrics I used and I tear the room apart looking for a piece of it (what is amazing is that I usually find one...eventually)



The colors don't seem to read well in this photo or on this platform...but you get the idea.

Taking three small quilts to a quilter tomorrow. She's someone who did a quilt for me back in '06. I didn't hear from my regular quilter nor from a another person (friend of the quilt shop owner) that was going to call me, so I had to find another as the quilts were piling up (and the studio was feeling rather congested).

My son brought back to me the magenta scrap quilt (some of you might remember it) that was made for my then-future daughter-in-law. That marriage lasted a couple of years and she left it behind when she moved her stuff out. Long story but as much as I love it, I can't keep it. I gave it a good wash and it will go to one of my best bud's daughters.

The three quilts are with the quilter and I won't see them again until April. I may quilt the one in #52 above myself.

and I finished the last block for the quilt in #57.

Doodled around some of yesterday playing with a few of the blocks from the encyclopedia I've bookmarked over the years (The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns--one of my favorites places to play). This might be the next project....



One quarter of this visual is the actual block, and it was first published in 1930 as both "Interwoven Puzzle" and "Puzzle in a Quilt." I made up the four blocks because I wanted I couldn't tell from the one block how they interconnected. To make the pattern shown, I use two different blocks and they are placed differently (and, it took me a while to figure that out...thus the puzzle bit....) I really don't want to work with tiny triangles again (never say never), so I'd enlarge it.

I'm still thinking about it. I have many other blocks in the book that intrigue me, so plenty to keep my brain entertained.

I love that -- I may have to hook it.

That reminds me of a quilt I’ve been thinking about doing that is similar except it has more weaving (?) and the colored strips are solid. We’re on vacation in Mexico and the WiFi is terrible but I’ll see if I can find the magazine I got it from online and post it here. (It was on the front cover).
ETA: you might be able to download the instructions.

I couldn’t find it. I just ripped it out of a magazine before we came and it was on the cover. I’ll have to look when we get back.

>60 SassyLassy: As best I can tell, I can't make X number of identical blocks for this (although two of the four here are identical). I tried to use one of these two to expand to one side and it was a no go....

This pattern can be done with scraps, which appeals to me, of course.

>61 dudes22: The block is one quarter of that picture and I imagine it could look quite different if colored differently. I can't believe you are down in Mexico trying to find a pattern....

>63 avaland: - I can see how the yellow and green won’t make a complete pattern if you just add blocks. Maybe you could take some blank graph paper and make your own extension.

>64 dudes22: Exactly! This is what I thought might be going on, especially when the name of the block has the word "puzzle" in it. I might be up for a puzzle in the near future.

Putting together the quilt shown in #57 now.

I was cleaning in the basement recently and found a cache of photos, including a small album where I put photos of things I have made. I came across a couple of photos of the 2nd quilt I made in '83-'84.



I had picked a block pattern out of a 101 Patchwork Designs by Maggie Malone (c. 1982) and used scraps. Some of those scraps have made it all the way through the years and into the quilt pictured in #57. So, I was doing much the same thing when I started as I am now, although there has been a lot of experimentation in between.

>63 avaland: I did manage to work out that if you wanted to expand the pattern and keep it centred, you would have to surround the centre completely each time. The first time takes 12 blocks, each additional iteration adds another 8: 12, 20, 28... Having it follow the pattern though, as you say, doesn't give identical blocks for quilting, although the further out you go, the greater the number of identical blocks you would create in each set (a lot of rotation involved here). Seems like a fun puzzle for a snow day!

>65 avaland: Looks like you were already jumping in with both feet even then - lots of points and bias seams already.

>That’s so interesting. I don’t think I was quilting in the eighties. Can’t remember when I started. Pretty sure I didn’t get started until the mid-nineties. And to think you still had some of the fabric. Although the first quilt I made was a lap quilt for my husband which had golfers in one of the fabrics and a plaid and I still have some pieces of them. So maybe not that surprising.

>66 SassyLassy: Yes, indeed. Not sure I feel I have to center the red, but we’ll see what happens. I have figured that I can do each row via paper-piecing, too. I will just have to draw out the paper pattern & run some copies. If the squares are two inches finished those blocks will be 16”. Still, it intrigues me.

>67 dudes22: Just when I think I’ve used it all, I find some....

>68 avaland: - I thought perhaps you would be doing HSTs. I had thought perhaps you could use one of the methods making multiple HSTs and then spin them around. Surely you have some big enough scraps? I have to admit that paper piecing always seems to get too bulky where all the seams meet.

>70 dudes22: It depends on what size I end up going with. There are 64 squares or HSTs in each block. I did a mock up on the design board using HSTs from sewing two 5 inch squares together. I thought it a bit too big. I drew up for paper piecing the eight rows for the first block and have done 3 of the rows. The squares & HST are much smaller and, if it works, the smaller squares/HSTs will allow me to show more of the pattern.

Of course, the first thing I forgot, and did not discover until I finished the first row, is that the paper-piecing design should be a reverse of what one wants because you sew the pieces on the back of the pattern. I forgot this and thus—unless I want to redraw them all—my finished rows are mirror images (which is ok because this whole puzzle pattern is nutty and it uses mirror images)

The pattern is one of four interlinked squares, so I can do the squares in four repeating colors or make each square a different color (but that means I'll have to be at the top of my game because every block will be different after that first one!)

>66 SassyLassy:, >70 dudes22: Photo to illustrate above babblings...



At the top: a mock up on one block using half square triangles made from sewing two 5 inch squares together around the edges and cutting it diagonally corner to corner. The squares are 3.25 inches. That mock-up, squares not sewn together, is 2 ft. across.
Bottom left: 5 blocks done in colored pencil
Bottom right: three of eight rows of one block done via paper-piecing (rows are not sewn together yet). The squares here are 2 inches before sewing, so 1.5 finished for a 12x12 inch finished block.

Yes - a 2ft square is rather large. Now you have an orphan block - ooo - what if you use it in the middle of the back? Actually I could also see it just framed and hanging on the wall of your sewing room. OR the center of a medallion quilt. Just keep adding borders. ok - I have to stop now.

We got home last night so I'm hoping to get to some sewing maybe tomorrow.

>73 dudes22: Are you glad to be home?

I'm crying "uncle" already. I looked at the paper-pieced rows and thought something wrong, picked out a few seams and "fixed" it, only to discover it hadn't been wrong after all. I'm thinking that the nature of paper piecing in this instance will just cause me more pain than gain, so I think I will use the method for the large mock-up, making half square triangles with the 5 inch squares and do the quilt on a larger scale.

Sewn together that block will be 22", four blocks 44 x 44", and if I add another 1/2 block width on all sides it will be a 66 x 66" oversized lap quilt. And my sanity will be left intact.

I now much decide whether I use white & off-white scraps for the background (as I am prone to do) or make it all one fabric (if I do the primary colors, it will be white).

------

Haul from the Fabric Extravaganza in Nashua (NH) yesterday. 9 dealers in a hotel ballroom selling all sale materials: fabric, books, kits, tools, patterns....etc I got about 6 yards of mostly pieces smaller than a yard for about $20 total. Might go back again today to see if I really missed anything.

I'm glad to be home except for the cold. Those look like some nice fabrics. Ryco's in Lincoln (I think we talked about them) is having their yearly big St Patrick's Day Sale next Saturday. I have a gift cert from Christmas I'm planning to take and use. It just gets so busy that it can take a while to check out.

That interlocking square pattern is really neat.

>75 dudes22: I went back to the sale yesterday and picked up more. About half of the dealers had marked things down a notch, and it was far less crowded. I picked up some pieces for the current project (just the excuse I used, of course), a few odd scrap pieces, and some odd lots of whites and off-white (which I can always use).

One of the dealers was the Christmas Tree Shop and I never realized they had fabric (I've only been in one once a long time ago). They were selling half yard pieces of good quality fabric for $2.75.

So I found that pattern I was talking about earlier, but I realized it probably wasn't what you'd like. Not sure it would be "scrap friendly". And I discovered that there were two templates I didn't rip out of the magazine.

Yes, I finding that puzzle pattern is not so scrap friendly.

I had done the mock up of the one block in red, blue, green & yellow but when it came to the real thing, I changed over to teal, yellow, violet and fuchsia/magenta. Here is most of it up on the design wall: two blocks and some extra (have to make more squares) out of what will be 4 blocks (each block is 8x8 rows), plus two more rows on each side (so 20x20 rows) and that will make it about 5 1/2 ft wide. A decent-sized lap quilt.

Believe it or not, those are not solids, but prints! Tough to find enough prints of roughly the same color and saturation to do this; there is a lot of repetition. I would have liked to do it more scrappy but the colored pieces are not spaced conducive for that.

The yellow is actually part of four square-shaped "links" (like the red one you see in the center), but I did briefly think about making the yellow a bigger link around the red central one, but decided against it.



I'm thinking of getting the carpal tunnel taken care of so I can go back to Victorian crazy quilting, which would slow my production down considerably. ha ha.

Where to start? That really is a great block/s. I can see a little bit of the prints in the yellow, but the rest do look almost solid.

Hopefully the carpel tunnel will go ok. You really do zip through blocks.

>81 dudes22: Thanks, Betty. I think, if I have surgery on the wrist, it probably should be summer....

>82 avaland: - Yes - that way you can sit outside with a good book while you recover.

Oh the pieces are prints! I can sorta see it on a closer look (are some of the prints batik?). I love that you were able to find scraps that matched so well. It makes the quilt all the more amazing.

>84 lauralkeet: I think there might be one magenta batik but that's it. As I have needed more pieces I've stretched the colors and prints a wee bit.

I think I have all the squares made but they don't all fit on the design wall (even though I've just added some batting strips to either side so I can extend it a row....

I've decided to do the four original blocks (the photo is most of three blocks) and add another two squares around those blocks to make the quilt roughly 5 x 5'. I'm tempted to temporarily move my sewing machine next to the design wall when I start sewing those squares together...

Lois - How do you think I should attach my batting to my design wall? I thought about spray baste, but then I thought "what if I need to take it off?". what about thumb tacks?

>86 dudes22: Are you fastening it to drywall or something else? I'm using only the flannel, but I used a staple gun about every 6-8 inches into the drywall. I assume a staple remover or screwdriver would remove them. Last week I cut two narrow strips from leftover batting to place on each side of my main design fabric and also used the staple gun on that. You could probably use tacks with no problem. At some point, when I can find a way to get the large pieces of rigid insulation to the house, I will take this piece down and staple it to the insulation. I have a second gridded piece for a second piece of "wall".

This latest quilt really needed ALL of it up on the design wall (even with the little extension I could only get 18 of 20 squares up) and I will probably temporarily move my machine next to the wall when I start sewing it together (because I think I'm going to sew it together row by row—20 squares each row)

>87 avaland: - Thanks for your thoughts. Hubby nixed the tacks - said the shafts wouldn't be long enough. It is the rigid insulation that I'm attaching it to. He thought that we should use spray adhesive. He says if I ever need to change it, we'll flip the insulation around.

Maybe once you do a few rows/squares (depending on how you plan to attack it), the seam allowances will take up some space so you can fit more on.

>88 dudes22: I just want to use rigid insulation so I can have a second piece. My wall is limited, bordered by two windows.

I haven't been in the studio for a few days! Imagine.

Here is a close-up of what's on the design wall. I think you might be able to see the the pieces are prints.

That's looking nice. I can see the prints a little bit more. Since you're the queen of HSTs, I thought I'd get your opinion on a project. I've started cutting for a new project that has quite a few HSTs. The method in the pattern is the squares with stitching on each side of the diagonal of the squares then cut apart on the diagonal. Although my HSTs are somewhat scrappy, they're all in various patterns of red and white. I'm going to need a lot of them so I've been debating other methods of making HSTs to get a larger amount at one time. I was thinking of the method where you sew strips together and then cut them on the diagonal and then into HSTs. That leaves the edges on the bias but the HST would be the exact right size. The other thing I was contemplating was making them a little larger and then cutting them down to the exact size. (If I do them with the square method.) Any thoughts? Suggestions on what you've found that works well? Do you press to the dark or open? Ok - off to cut some fabric.

I press to the dark (that was the answer to the easy question😆)

I have done them several ways and I can’t say I have a favorite. I seem to frequently end up cursing Er, frustrated and declaring never again (just a ritual of a kind) I’m putting together now. I moved my machine over to the design board so I can just pick the squares off the board & sew. My method of using the 5” square turned out some HSTs that are “off” so lots of fudging. It will turn out all right, I’m sure.

I’m sure you will be fine whichever one you choose.

I have the squares for half of the rows for the puzzle quilt sewn together, and have sewn some of those rows together. Lots of pinning, a sometimes a rip-out and redo. I aim to sew a row or two most days, though I've had quite a few distractions this last week .

I'm sure with those points meeting, pinning is a good idea.

I picked up three quilts from Melissa the Quilter this afternoon. Remember this quilt? I found the block in the Jinny Beyer's encyclopedia of patterns and I threw it together in no time using, very randomly, 2 1/2" squares and strips. It was such a simple quilt I debated paying to have it quilted (was it really worth it?, I thought.)

But, the quilting has really made the quilt! I don't know if you can see it in this photo....but it's a flower pattern:

>94 avaland: It's very pretty. The quilting adds to it, of course, but it is pretty on its own, as well. I often wonder what will become of all the fabric and scraps in my sewing room, when I'm gone (no, I'm not expecting anything anytime soon, but it'll happen eventually).

That really is a lovely quilt.

That's really nice, Lois. I have to admit, big white spaces scare me. The quilting she did is really nice. I can see the flowers.

>95 Lyndatrue: Thanks. I think of that sometimes, too, Lynda. I would like to have it donated to a group who exclusively makes charity quilts (but not the average quilt group). I keep thinking I'm sewing the stash down, but then I find a few pieces on sale or a lovely fat quarter I can't resist or someone gives me a bag of scraps or I cut up some piece of clothing from Goodwill....

Maybe I'll send it all to Amber! LOL (like she won't be buried under her own stash by the time she is my age)

>96 dudes22: I had just been thinking, as I finish putting together the puzzle quilt, that I was tired of white and off-backgrounds. This is probably why I feel the need to make those random scrappy squares: to achieve some sort of equilibrium.

>97 avaland: I would like to have it donated to a group who exclusively makes charity quilts

Lois, you may recall I took charge of my mom's fabric stash when she was no longer able to make use of it. At the time you suggested I look into Project Linus as a possible recipient. I eventually acted on that suggestion and found that while my local chapter did more knit & crochet work, they did have some quilters who were very happy to take the fabric off my hands.

>97 avaland: *snork!* I think it's sweet that you assume I'm not already buried...

>98 lauralkeet: I remember that!

>99 scaifea: Oh, I assume you are buried, of course, but when has that ever stopped any of us from adding more?!

>100 avaland: #TRUTH

The purple quilt is finally done and packed up for mailing off. I took it outside for photos, and it added some bold color to a dull, early spring landscape (however, the quilt goes nicely with our blue-violet shutters!)

>102 avaland: I LOVE the colors in that one! Beautiful!

Ooh, I love those colors too!

You do such a good job with your scrap quilts. I love that little pop of turquoise in the quilt.

>102 avaland: I'm just stunned with this quilt. I would give serious money for that, and I honestly am trying to have LESS things, not more. I do love purple, and I'd use this quilt as a bed topper, because I would want to see it every morning.

Your photograph gives me the best possible solution. I can admire it as much as I like, and it won't need washing, or folding, or room on the quilt/blanket shelf.

It's really a lovely quilt. :-}

Lovely!

>104 scaifea:, 105 Thanks!

>106 dudes22: Thanks, Betty (and I must of thought I could get away with that pop of turquoise).

>107 Lyndatrue: I admit that I am quite fond of it myself, but it's now with the postal system winding it's way to the giftee.

>108 mabith: Thanks, Meredith.

I have thought about doing another color scrap quilt, but can't decide which one. Green, perhaps. or Blue. Yellow-Orange might be too bright. I'll put it on the endless mental list of projects to do.

I have the 2nd of the 3 now bound (my thumb arthritis is, of course, acting up... but I persevere). Today, I'll take a few photos and box it up for mailing. Next, I'll bind the one in #94.

And I stitched up the last few rows for the puzzle quilt, so now it's just stitching the rows together. It's fussy stitching (which is why I have sometimes put it off).

Finished assembling the top of the "puzzle" quilt, and am doing some random sewing of scrap squares, but spring has made itself known so i have been outside raking, tilling...etc.

Here it is, a week later than my last post, and the finished puzzle quilt top still hangs from the design wall, and I'm still sewing those scrappy blocks. I have now amassed 500+ squares and am still at it. All I can say is that it has been rainy...

But, I've been thinking about doing a brown version of the random scrap quilt for a friend who likes brown. While brown doesn't sit on the color wheel in the same way as the others, but certainly other colors are added to make it reddish, golden, greenish.... I have an ok collection of browns, so we'll see....

But then, the Jinny Beyer album of blocks is nearby taunting me, and some unfinished charity quilts are whispering from the UFO shelf....

Let me know if you need some browns. I'm sure I've got some I could spare. ha, ha ha...

>112 dudes22: Thanks for the offer, Betty. Once I started digging (beyond the obvious collection on the shelves), I found more than I imagined I would have. Much will depend how I want to do this scrappy quilt.

I should be out planting, weeding...etc but it's rain, rain and more rain.

OK - just let me know if you need some.

Same here. I'm so Tired (yes - capital T) of damp, drizzle, rain, clouds, repeat... We're something like 15 deg below average temp.

I picked up a notice at the fabric store about a show in Springfield, MA. How far is that for you? It's about 2 hours for me, but I'd consider it. Are you going to the Vermont show this year?

>111 avaland: I like working with browns. It can be such a warm colour at times, and at others, depending upon the mix, it can look quite crisp and new. I think part of its problem may be people's memories of it in '70's decorating, or gloomy cabins on rainy days, or used in unfortunate materials. And while I do like it, somehow I can never find quite the right spot for the finished item.

So, the question is, does brown have a place in today's world?

Actually, I just realized that although it doesn't really feature in my house, it is the predominant colour in my wardrobe, and has been for years. No black in my closets!

>113 avaland: I hate to think what that rain is doing to the weeds. Lately our forecasts can be summed up by RDF: rain, drizzle, fog. Summer is coming though.

>114 dudes22: I've been looking at the Vermont Quilt Festival flyer that I got, but am unlikely to go. Are you talking about World Quilt New England in August (I Googled)? Springfield is roughly 2 hrs for me, also. I probably wouldn't go to an event in August; I don't do well in the heat.

>115 SassyLassy: I am having trouble remembering the brown in 70s decorating... I have a few browns in the house (outside of the kitchen), but then I live surrounded by woods with all manner of grays, browns and other earthy colors.

I keep seeing peeks of sun this morning so I should abandon the studio for the outside world. I bought some plants and bushes which need planting, and I have sworn to throw all the seeds I bought for last year into the garden and see what comes up (I never got them planted because of last year's rain).

I pulled out the flyer I had and, yes, it is in Aug. It's 2 hours for me. I went to a quilt show this weekend which wasn't really worth it.

>116 avaland: the brown in 70s decorating
My parents finished our basement in the 1970s, which involved paneling of course (therefore brown), and I vaguely remember a theme of brown/orange/red both in the basement and our family room.

Funny though, when my mom got into quilting many years later, her work was a riot of color. I have one of her quilts that is reminiscent of fall leaves, but for the most part her work was a lot brighter and colorful.

>118 lauralkeet: Oh, interesting!! We did have knotty pine paneling, but our house would have been more late 50s decor. Interesting about your mother's quilts. Did you inherit quite a few of them?

>117 dudes22: The New England Quilt museum has someone lecturing on Lowell's silk mills this Saturday (they have an exhibit of silk quilts) and I might go, particularly if the weather is inclement and I can't get any gardening done.

Here is what I did on Monday after the sun got too strong to be outdoors in:



The jelly cabinet was previous a light & lovely sage green, but since the newer, riotous wallpaper it's been out on the porch. Now, it's it lovely cerulean blue, it's back in the kitchen/dining area.

I saw that in the NEQ newsletter but we're going to a play Sat afternoon.

Like the cabinet. My sister did one in a barn red that's pretty and she uses it for her cookbooks since her kitchen is very small. I think yours looks a lot bigger than hers.

>119 avaland: When my brother and I cleared out my mother's final residence, we each chose quilts we especially liked. The care facility "inherited" some as well, to use in fundraising (like silent auctions).

>122 lauralkeet: Good idea!

So, I'm thinking of doing a BROWN scrappy quilt (similar to the Magenta, Purple, and Fall Colors ones) because I have a friend who loves the color brown and it offers a bit of a challenge, I think. It doesn't sit neatly on a color wheel; it's a composite of red, yellow and black (or other colors as almost anything can go into brown.

My brown collection sorted into several piles: dark earthy brown, golden brown, reddish brown, greenish brown, a taupe-ish, even a purplish brown. I wanted deep, rich colors so I've ruled out most of the golden and lighter tan tones. And I first avoided solids but have since added them in.

Here area small pieces of a lot of them (note: this photo reads it a bit darker than it actually is)



They won't go together like this as they will be put together into those 6 inch squares, but I wanted to put them all up there and see if there are any pieces that truly bug me (yes, certainly a few), and which ones I should do in small amounts or small pieces...etc. I can already see that I want that prints too near each other. I absolutely love the some of the larger prints but they need to be spread out over the quilt.

I did purposely push the red-browns SW and some of the green browns a bit NE. I think they will look better in "pools" or areas of like tones...

I'll jot down some notes before I take all these down and cut up the rest of the pieces. I'm sure there will be lots of rainy days ahead....

I'm not much of a brown person, myself. I think that one with the blue on the left side and that big print with the flowers might help it not look so "muddy". Although you did say the picture was darker than it really is, so maybe it's just the photo.

PS - let me know if you need more.

>125 dudes22: Betty, if you would like to send me some small pieces or short strips t of browns, I'd be grateful. I have a lot, but now that I've started to put the blocks together it doesn't seem as much of a variety. One of the few local shops is closing and having a sale this week, so I'll run up there and see what she has.

Only, if I can reciprocate, of course, with whatever your heart desires :-)

Please pop over and leave me a PM with your address and I'll spend some of this rainy Sunday finding you some. Payback for those lovely batiks you sent me.

Put some fabric in the mail today. They tell me it should be there Thursday. Enjoy!

>128 dudes22: Thanks so much, Betty. I drove to a quilt shop about 25 miles east of here to see what I could find to augment the piles. I have done about 30 squares out of 144 or 121. Because of all the different browns, I'm working this quilt somewhat differently....we will see how it goes.

The collection of brown scrappy squares thus far. I've put these up on the design board so I can start thinking about how I will arrange them. As you might notice there is a loose grouping of reddish browns, and greenish browns. There is a tiny collection in the upper left that is pinkish browns, and the few purplish browns are in the upper right.

{photo removed}

One thing I've noticed about doing this kind of quilt with browns is that the similar brown prints are much, much easier to spot than any other color I've worked with thus far. This means I can't get away with using too many of the same print in the quilt. There will be some squares that I will take down, slice up and rework. I'm playing with it all now (this isn't made to be hung up, btw)

Lovely browns and looking very warm. It's interesting how many moods brown can convey.

>131 SassyLassy: So true! (thanks for stopping by!) I've done 109 squares now, about 12-15 more to do (need a few extra). I also need a bigger design board. I really need to see all of this quilt arranged. Maybe I'll talk the hubby into going to Home Deport for some rigid insulation assuming we can tie it to the top of the car.

I applaud you for taking on a brown quilt. Your friend should be very happy. I like that it looks like some pops of lightness so it's not too somber.

>133 dudes22: Thanks, Betty. I have finished the requisite number of squares but will make a few more as extras because sometimes some of the blocks just don't work with the whole. Currently, I have an area of reddish browns in one corner, golden browns in another, greenish brownish and a few taupe-ish in the remaining corner -- it's trying to make it look like the colors have just pooled there on their own that is a challenge.

And I took them all OFF the design wall because....

Yesterday, I FINALLY went to Lowes and bought two 4x8 ft pieces of rigid insulation for a bigger design wall. I no sooner got through checkout before I realized that it was extremely windy out and tying it to the top of the car (and keeping it there) would be a creative challenge (a couple of guys coming in or out of the store made snarky comments). Nevertheless, she persisted! Hubby assisted me in my mad challenge and he drove us home very slowly. I have two pieces of the gridded flannel to equal 84"x 72" and I can use leftover batting around the edges.

That's great. When Pete made my design wall in the basement, we used the rigid insulation too since he was insulating the rest of the basement anyway. Mine's 96"wide by 84" high and he managed to cut out a piece where the outlet is. Since you've got a picture of what it looked like before, you should be able to get them back in the same place. more or less...

>138 avaland: You are up early! My room wouldn't accommodate a wall that big and they have to be moveable because of the windows. But that must be DIVINE!

The blocks don't have to go back in the exact same place, thankfully.

I'm on a tear to get this quilt together because the carpal tunnel in my left hand (I'm left-handed) is very bad now and I really need to schedule surgery.... (which I will schedule by the end of the week!)

I'm usually up between 4:30 and 5 - old habits and somehow I feel like I'm losing time. Definitely more a morning person. I liked the purple one you did this way and the brown one is coming along too. I'd thought about giving it a try, but a lot of my fabrics are too multi-colored to give the same look. Although I guess I could cut up some of those fabrics I might not use. There are so many things I want to make and not enough time.

>137 dudes22: I am a morning person also. And yes, I understand the plague of more ideas than time, which is probably for the best.

The brown quilt's squares sewn together. I had to use the hallway in order to arrange the squares for the entire quilt (until I get the design wall sorted in the studio).

The first square of each row is behind the labels.



Despite what I thought was careful placement (as much as one can do that with scrap quilts) I see more than a few things that bug me, but not enough to tear the the rows apart. It's not a quilt that is meant to be hung.

Actually, looking at the photo now, I think the golden browns are less vivid than shown in the photo, and the red-browns and green-browns are a bit more visible.... My faves are the deep chocolatey browns. Can you see any of your scraps, Betty? (thank you again!) Pieces of the assembled bits you sent (they had a white backing) have ended up in 3 or 4 squares. I had to be careful of the very light colors .

I'd have to go and look at what I sent to figure it out. Glad some of them were of use to you. You really zip along when you decide to make a quilt.

Well, the rows are together now and the quilt has been ironed. I can add it to the to-be-quilted pile. May go out today to see if I can find suitable backing from a store north of here before resorting to online. Did I say that I have about 400-500 of the regular scrappy squares already done and waiting for me to assemble into 3 or 4 quilts? (it's a compulsive thing).

My plan now is to schedule the carpal tunnel surgery, take the sewing machine for a tune-up, send the 3? 4? quilts to one or two machine quilters (I'm not sure when my hand will be up for binding them). And then live vicariously through all of you for a while, LOL (it's not like I don't have books to read; I can use my right hand to garden some, if needed).

I love the idea of how you do your scrappy blocks. But a lot of my scraps are of the novel prints variety which I don't think lend themselves to this type of block. Plus I might be just a little bit too much type A.

ETA: Do you find that all those seams make the quilt really heavy? I did finish one scrappy one and it seemed that it was a lot heavier. Not quilted yet either.

It's interesting how different people approach the same things. I like to say I'm a right-brained, middle child, INFJ (one of the Myers Briggs 16 "types")

I haven't noticed it being any heavier than, say, that pineapple or the wild goose chase ones I did. There are some places where many seams happen to converge and there is a thick seam allowance to clip.

>139 avaland: I don't remember where the brown quilt was headed to, once finished. I envy whoever the final recipient is. It's very appealing to me, and seems warm and restful, all at the same time. I often buy quilts at estate sales (with the expectation of donating them to hospitals and such), but once in a rare while I keep one.

I would keep your brown one.

>145 Lyndatrue: It's going to be a surprise for a friend in Tennessee whose favorite color is brown. That's sweet, thanks for the compliment.

Yesterday morning I packed up three quilts to go to Cheryl the Quilter, who I am having lunch with today.

And while the design board fabric was still hanging up in the hallway, I pulled out my collection of scrappy squares and put up another quilt of 121 squares (abt a 5x5ft lap quilt), then took the squares down in order with the rows labelled so I can sew it together whenever I'm in the mood. THEN, I did a second one. And judging by what remains in the basket, I have enough completed squares for at least two more!

And then, I started to re-organize and neaten up the sewing room. I found a stash of 4.5 inch half square triangle blocks, half white/off-white, half florals (leftover from a quilt made a few years ago, I think). So, I took it to the design board to see what I could make with them....and then I was off making up some more squares to complete the design....

I think this is all part of some kind of anxiety before the carpal tunnel surgery (which I still must schedule).

Here are the blocks arranged light outward to dark....(pieces look darker than they really are in this photo)



I'll make up the remaining blocks, then take it down in order and mark it, so I can put it together sometime.

And, in case you might ask, our HC/trade paper SF book collection runs on the shelf near the ceiling. It begins at the back door running the length of the entire hallway and along two walls of our bedroom for maybe 50ft of shelving. More of it is his than mine.

>147 avaland: Wow Lois, that was quite a flurry of design. You could be right about what's motivating you, but judging by >148 avaland: that results are fabulous. I love the sort of gradient effect working from the center out.

Oh my gosh! You've been so busy. Makes me feel like a snail in comparison. I've seen variations of the quilt in #148 and one day I'll get to making one of them. I can't believe you had enough "left over" to make another quilt.

>148 avaland: It's rather like going to the county fair, of earlier times, with all the quilts hanging from the rafters, and me, walking under them, in admiration. I no longer go to the fair (too much walking, and too much noise, and far too many people), but I loved the exhibits of quilts.

I am impressed that you just tossed this one together. It's lovely.

>151 Lyndatrue: Thanks. The blocks were made by putting two 5" squares together, drawing a line corner to corner and sewing on either side. I took the best of the two and made a quilt out of it several years ago and these are the leftovers, so not so choice pieces, if you know what I mean. But, I've made up the extra needed and when it's together it will at least be suited for charity.

I don't think I've been to a fair since the early '89 or '90 when the kids were still young enough to enjoy it. It appeals to me less these days because 1. hubby is a city boy (hmm, for that matter so was the 1st hubby) 2. for all the reasons you state.

>147 avaland: When you're on a roll... Very impressive. Does that energy transmit virtually?

>152 avaland: - Did you only use one because you wanted more variety or did some other factor make one “the best”?

OK, sooooo, carpal tunnel surgery is scheduled for the 26th on my left (dominate) hand. I imagine the flurry of activity will continue until then.

I did drop off the three quilts with Cheryl, but had second thoughts on the black and colorful solid triangles quilt of a few months ago. It's a tough one to quilt.

>153 SassyLassy: Don't we all wish!

>154 dudes22: Betty, the leftovers (I think) were from the quilt pictured below (from 2015 or '16). It's all florals or leaves and I was very fussy about which half I used. And I may have used both sides of the square for some prints, if it was different enough.

An idea popped into my head while fussing with the rows in #148. All of my floral prints are shelved by background color and the largest number of any are of red/rose/pink florals with a black background, so I'm thinking of using them in my go-to simple quilt pattern that uses 9.5, 4.5. 2.5 squares and 4.5 x 2.5 rectangles. I will use the larger motifs in the larger pieces.

I'll cut some pieces and try it on the design wall, and see if it will work.

We're always looking for ideas for the next quilt, aren't we?

>157 dudes22: We are (and I've let that last one pass....)

Have started another pineapple quilt, this one is a bit more elaborate-looking (slightly more complex pattern), but definitely scrappy. The pattern looks like this and is roughly a 10 inch block:



My previous one used roughly 7" blocks and was this pattern:



Preparing for this, besides fussing with my laptop and the printer so as to print 40 copies on 11x17" paper (which I had to go buy....), means I spend time sorting my scrap bins out and pulling out prospective bits. I'm working on a second block now. Each of the floor "arms" are a different color, sorted from lighter in the center to darker at the adjoining corners. This isn't something I need to do in a hurry, what with the impending surgery happening in a few weeks.

There are still the three scrap quilts packed up that I could assemble anytime ....

I have some pineapple blocks to do for the red/white quilt. I traced one onto freezer paper to try and use a technique I learned when I took a class with Judy Mathieson many years ago making a Mariner's Compass Quilt. Once you iron the center piece to the paper, you fold the paper back on the line and trim to 1/4" before you sew the second piece to the first. You end up sewing right next to the freezer paper instead of through it. So in the end, there's no paper to remove and you can use the freezer paper over again. And once you've made the first pattern, you can stack a few freezer squares together and sew through them with no thread in your machine (and an old needle) to make multiple patterns. (also helps when folding back the paper) I'm thinking of tackling one after I finish the "trip" block I'm working on now.

>160 dudes22: Interesting. I've used the Golden paper (or whatever it's called) and the treadless needle to reproduce many copies of a design when I was doing my own machine quilting.

I've spent several hours today putting groups of fabric pieces today in little piles. Each of the four colors has six pieces (small to large) so that is 24 pieces of color in each block, and with 36 blocks, that 900 pieces (and another 720 white/off white pieces). I was hoping to not use repeat fabrics, but even I don't have 900 different fabric pieces.... (hmm, I wonder)

>161 avaland: - LOL - I bet if you cut from different parts of some materials, it could look like different materials - maybe you could get to 900.

I've used Golden paper before for my machine quilting too. I've copied the pattern to the paper and then pinned it to the quilt.

>162 dudes22: Yes, that has crossed my mind while digging through the scraps; it's a good idea. The large motifs don't work well, and I have to be careful with anything with black in it. Still, I don't want to over-engineer the fabric choices.
I've folded together sets of 6 fabrics—maybe 40 of them—that's enough for 10 blocks...then I'll have to do it all over again. The things I get myself into...and what a mess I've made in the studio.

Well - I'd hate to have you fall short. Let me know if you need some fabric. Or maybe once I see a few blocks, I get an idea of what you might need. I also have plenty (!) of white and off whites if you need some. Even if you can't sew, you can sort. And you need such a little amount of each.

ETA: Plus, if I give you most of my stash, I can buy more.

>164 dudes22: After the first couple of blocks, this is my plan/method/approach....each color roughly light to dark, being wary of too-busy, too large prints, prints with black, or with too much white, and no solids. I am avoiding supersaturated reds, in particular. I'm careful with the batiks as some read lighter than they look and they don't always play well with others, and I try to alternate prints so they read as individuals. After doing a few of these blocks, I am not necessarily making the corner triangle the darkest piece anymore but I will keep in mind that effect of framing the corner piece that you can see. I have also decided to add a few grays, tans & light browns.



I've sorted out 90 groups of 6 fabrics of roughly the same color, which will make 20+ blocks. I have an embarrassing amount of fabric when one hauls it all out to play with (bins and bins, shelves and shelves, buckets and buckets), but I seem have less reds, oranges and peaches that aren't batiks. If you have any of those colors, particularly the peaches & oranges, I'd be happy accept any donations. The smallest triangle near the middle is about 3 inches at base, the largest strip is about 6 inches in length. I've been cutting about 2 inches in width, though if I'm careful I can get away with 1 1/2.

PS: I lightened the photo but some pieces still look darker than they are....

Lois, that’s an absolutely beautiful design! I like watching your creative process.

That's really nice. Funny, but I had already put aside a piece of a light peachy color and some off-whites. I'll look through my reds, oranges, and peachy colors to see what I have. And maybe a couple of surprises.

>166 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I read in an older quilting book yesterday that for scrap quilts to be called scrap quilts they must have at least 75 different fabrics. There was some story about a quilt being disqualified because it had less.*

>167 dudes22: Yellows are a bit low, too. I had quite a few of them, but a lot of them are batiks and either read too much as very light or they are just eye-popping bright. I've been trying to integrate the 1980s calicos; it's tough as the colors don't play as well with the more modern tones and tints. Still, I preserve, because they have meaning for me.

I've done six blocks. I only get one done a day. It can be a bit tedious so one a day is fine.

*During lunch I was flipping thought some old quilting books to look for some easy blocks I could use for charity quilts and found the story about the scrap quilts.

>168 avaland: - I can see how they would get tedious with all the trimming, etc. I sent you off a small package of fabrics yesterday. Can't remember if I put in any yellows. I tried for a few reds, but I think most of mine are more saturated than you want. I tried for some red/white prints from my quilt that are a little more dense with the red. Not sure if they'll work for this or not. I'll do some more rooting around to see what else I can send.

My red/white quilt has some pineapple blocks and I may tackle a few of them next. Since it's only red/white, I need to decide how to make them a little different. Or I may opt to do some of the simpler ones. Rainy here today so a good sewing day.

>169 dudes22: I got your package late yesterday, what a wonderful surprise. Thank you! I had a lot of fun taking them out and sorting them. They have been put in the file folders for my next-sorting-of-the-colors. I had a few of the prints but in different colors (!)

Yesterday, I went through my Kaffe Fassett, Laura Birch, and Christmas fabrics piles to see what might work in the quilt. KF & LB don't always play well with others. Thanks again, Betty.

Glad you liked them. I tried to stay away from busy prints and I can see why KF &LB don't work well. I also have tons of novelty prints I've used for baby quilts and pillowcase that were just too busy.

I meant to ask if those reds were anything like you're looking for. I realized when I was cutting out some reds yesterday that I might have some more that are kind of "dull".

>171 dudes22:, >172 dudes22: I had so much fun yesterday putting together your fabrics with mine to make more 6-fabric groups. It's amazing: I had a lot of incomplete groups and many of your fabrics just fit in the missing spots. Lights where I needed lights, mediums where I needed mediums, a subtle print where I needed to separate two busier prints. I think I have enough now for all the blocks. An yes, the reds were very useful. Thanks again!

I've come down with a rotten cold which should slow down my intentions to run around and get "everything" done before the carpal tunnel surgery next Weds. Besides, I figure it's a good time to take my machine in for a tune-up, too (but will I be able to sleep while my machine is in the shop!)

>173 avaland: - oh - I'm so glad they helped. I've been thinking that I should probably take my smaller machine in for a tune-up too. If I do it now, then I could do it again before we go to Fla next winter. While looking for your fabrics in my scrap bins, I finally came across the manual for it. Not sure how it ended up in there.

The quilter called and two of my quilts are done. We are going to run down there Saturday morning to pick-up. I might be able to get the brown one bound before the surgery (and if the chest cold doesn't diminish by early next week I'll have to reschedule the surgery anyway) The brown one is a gift, the "puzzle quilt" has no immediate destination.

I had her hold off on the black one pictured in #82. Not sure how I want it quilted and with what color thread. I've had another black quilt done in black thread which looked good on the black areas but not on the bright colors.

I finished my 9th block (9 of 36) and have called it quits until after rehab. Tomorrow morning hubby will drive me down to MA to pick up the two quilts that are done (I'm afraid I'll have a coughing fit while driving) and will see if I can get the brown quilt bound before the surgery.



Here's an angled view, just for fun. I'm not religious about having the colors/patterns go from light to dark, but they mostly do.



Betty you can see some of your reds in the first photo bottom left block. There have only been two blocks made since I received your generous scrap donation, but more will show up in subsequent blocks.

>175 avaland: - Took me a minute, but I think you meant the black one in #52 not 82. Not sure what it's for or how much you want to do, but you could have some kind of separate design in each black block and then something different in the triangles.

>176 avaland: - I like those a lot. I need some pineapples for the red/white and am trying to decide how I want to do them (not that there's a lot to plan).

>177 dudes22: Thanks for seeing that error; I'll fix (I have a virus-addled brain) Yeah, I'm liking them a lot also. At my best, I can only do about one and half of those blocks in a day. Although I have a decent rhythm now, it can still be a bit tedious, so I limit myself to just that.

-----

I picked up the brown quilt and the puzzle quilt from the quilter yesterday. I got the binding sewn on both before packing up the sewing machine. And I did the hand-sewing done on the brown quilt during a couple of episodes of "Handmaid's Tale" last evening. Might get the puzzle quilt done this evening.

>176 avaland: I love this tons! The colors are gorgeous.

Well I hope you make out ok with your surgery. Put your feet up and get some of those books read that have been sitting around. I read The Handmaid's Tale last year and have been meaning to try to series, but just haven't gotten to it yet.

>179 scaifea: Thanks. I like it, too.

>180 dudes22: Thanks. The surgical nurse will call today so I'll find out if the cold will cause a postponement.

Handmaid's Tale, the series, is tough to watch on many levels. It's so visceral. I read the book first in the 80s and probably every 8 to 10 years thereafter. I'm not sure I believe that books actually singlehandedly change one's life but it was amazingly powerful the first time I read it.

Puzzle Quilt done. Couldn't decide on a color for the binding so I used a crazy Laura Burch print that had all the colors in it!



Brown quilt done and already in the mail heading south.

>182 avaland: Both quilts are lovely, but the brown one is amazing.

Once in a great while, I'll see a quilt at an estate sale auction that I cannot resist, and I end up with it. The brown one would probably do me in, and the very last thing I need is more of anything. It looks soft, and inviting, and I'm happy for your friend in the south, who I'm sure will love this.

You really do good work. :-}

Those are both so lovely!

Gosh, I love both of those so much.

>183 Lyndatrue: Thank you. It's not as soft as it while be after some use :-)

>184 dudes22:, >185 scaifea: Thanks.

>182 avaland: That puzzle quilt binding works beautifully and your piecing is so precise.

Wondering if there will be an uptick in brown fabric acquisition now. That's lovely.

>187 SassyLassy: Oh, the piecing is not really that precise...(it's just the view). I'm not a perfectionist :-)

Surgery was cancelled yesterday because the surgical center's HVAC went down. So, it's 6:30 am tomorrow. But, the Sew & Vac called and, unexpectedly, the sewing machine is ready! Daughter#2 and family arrives in the wee hours of Saturday. There will be a full house.

I'm so jealous. Dropped my machine off yesterday and they said 4 weeks.

Hubby has gone to pick it up. Just got call surgery now postponed until Monday. But, this means I will be able to pick up my grandson when he arrives Saturday!

Surgery is at 2 pm today in a sister facility (4th rescheduling is a charm!) The sewing machine is back from it's tune-up. However, my daughter, son-in-law, and one year old grandson are sleeping in the studio on air mattresses (hard to believe I could push everything against the walls and make enough room for sleeping quarters). It's a full house all week.

>192 avaland: We all wish you luck with the surgery (which is surely imminent, considering the time). You'll be in my thoughts today.

I hope you made out ok and are not in too much pain so you can enjoy the visit from your family.

Thanks for the well wishes. All went fine. It’s got a big ace bandage with lots of padding on it now. Fingers are useable if I don’t try anything complex (it took two of us to get my bra on and then it was a kind of clown act 😂) . The palm where they cut is sore but since I’m not doing much with the hand I haven’t taken any meds. I take the big wrap off tomorrow afternoon and put on a small bandage.

Hopefully it keeps you out of the kitchen for a while too. Lots of eating out.

>196 dudes22: Currently, younger daughter is here with her family (scheduling conflict with surgery couldn’t be avoided) and she loves to cook.

Lobster claw padded bandage came off on Thursday and I wore a large band-aid for the rest of that day before I chucked that yesterday morning. So, three and a half days from surgery and surprisingly the hand moves normally and I can do most things; however, the wrist hurts if I pick up something heavier and in a certain way. The incision is sore, the two (?) stitches (a kind of ladder stitch, I think) are driving me nuts. I still have not taken any pain meds, although I've iced the hand a few times. So, couldn't pick up 1 year old grandson after the surgery but I could hold him (they headed back to Virginia last evening).

----

I gave my daughter the blue Elna Lotus I bought some time ago when I thought I would have to learn to sew standing up (because of the neck). And she insisted she needed to hem her husband's shorts then and there, despite not knowing the machine...etc. And I couldn't help her all that much because this is a very different model than my Elna. I printed out the handbook for her (I couldn't find the original in a studio that was filled to capacity with two inflatable twin beds and a pack & play!) and she sorted it all out and got it done. She was also happy to take one of my two dress dummies (the Dritz skinny one), so yay!

----
I'll have the hubby put my newly tuned up machine back in the table and perhaps later I'll sew!* I probably won't attempted the fussy pineapple blocks yet, but I can sew other things! (it's supposed to rain today).

*first, I will need to put the house is some kind of order after a week long family hurricane.

family hurricane
I like that phrase, and understand the feeling completely. I only have the two adult daughters (no partners or children at this point), and even so when they both visit at the same time there is a certain aftermath to be dealt with. I'll have to remember that expression.

Luckily ours are fairly close, so no overnight guests. That's why I set my guest room up with a trundle bed that looks like a sofa instead of a bed. That way I have a little room to sew there too.

Glad your surgery was so successful. Don't over do the sewing!

>199 lauralkeet: Your day will come, Laura! LOL.

>200 dudes22: I had a day bed with a trundle in the previous house when I had two guest rooms. I only have the one here and my son is occupying it while he house hunts. Thus, the makeshift guest room in the studio.

I'm going to do some sewing later just because I can!

Well, the left hand continues to recover, although I think this second week has been more painful because of the things I've been trying to do. I found using my rotary cutter is painful (somewhat better with a new blade), but using scissors was better generally. Opening jars is not possible yet, and cutting up vegetables hurts... but most things are fine.

I have been sewing some of my stockpile of scrappy squares together and will have a quilt top done by the end of today. That's something. Luckily, I iron with my right hand, not my left (ETA: finished assembling this quilt top and tried to do some work on a pineapple square but the hand isn't ready for it)

I've been thinking of making some of my clothes again, at least some patchwork casual tunic tops. I am producing quilts at quite a pace and they are piling up, so a break might be nice. I would love to add embroidery to such tops (rediscovering my youth here, ha ha—although in the early 70s it was my pants I was embellishing) but not sure if my hands are up to it but I could explore the stitches on my machine.

Lois - What do you do with extra batting from projects? Do you try to make larger pieces by connecting smaller ones? I bought some of that tape that's supposed to iron smaller pieces into larger ones, but I didn't think it worked that well when I tried it. Could have been me. Now that I have a larger ironing board maybe I'll try again. Seems like I have some big, but not big enough pieces and I hate to just throw them out. I've been thinking of trying one of those "quilt-as-you-go" projects that would use smaller pieces, but it seems like a lot more work.

>203 dudes22: I have the same question. Didn't know about the tape, but not sure I would trust it.

>204 SassyLassy: - I tried it but found it awkward to control with two pieces of batting on a regular ironing board. And I think I need a pressing cloth too.

>203 dudes22: I zigzag pieces together to use (wide, short stitch), which I haven't done in a while so the batting is piling up (many of them pinned with their dimensions). I used to keep all the scraps but now I just keep the larger pieces. I use them mostly on quilts I donate but I have put some of the Frankenstein battings into my own quilts. I think tape would drive me crazy, especially if an iron is involved.

>205 dudes22: That would be really awkward!

Yesterday, I made a whole pineapple block (as seen in #176). The last 3 go-rounds were painful, but darn if I wasn't going to finish one! Each day the hand can do a wee bit more without pain, but I'm impatient.

Using the rotary cutter still hurts but not as much as it did; pinning is painful but I found it better if I manipulate the cloth onto the pin with my right hand, rather than drive the pin through with the left. But, I was out driving the other day and noticed the left hand no longer goes numb on the steering wheel, woo-hoo!

We plan to cower indoors this weekend what with the heat & humidity very high (temps 99-100ºF, will feel like 108º). Give me a book or a sewing machine (and the last two episodes of "Trapped" on AmazonPrime) and I'm all set.

Even though we're close to the coast, it's supposed to be similar in heat and humidity here. But my sewing area in the basement is cool so I'll probably be down there a lot.

OK - here's another question for you (or anyone else who wants to chime in)… If you see a picture of a quilt that you can make without buying the pattern, and it seems to be a pattern that anyone could have figured out, when do you need to give credit? If you do.

For example - I see a lot of quilts on Pintrest that are variations of the Log Cabin block. Some are actual patterns that they want you to buy. But if I can figure it out myself, what then?

re: batting - what's the smallest size you keep? I'm thinking I need to go through mine and decide what to get rid of.

>209 dudes22: If it involves a classic block pattern, I'd say: not unless you want to. Where are you giving the credit? on the label?

Re: Batting scraps. Generally, I'll keep strips that are at least 1 ft in width after trimming. I may still have some smaller strips from when I was making bags and needed it for the straps or handles. I've got a mix of batting types, too, so I try to keep them sorted.

I'm up to doing one pineapple block a day (on most— but not all—days). It doesn't bother the hand much now unless I overdo. I've done 15 of 36 blocks.

I have two scrappy tops 60.5 x 60.5 now done. I still have 300+ scrap squares in a basket for more quilt tops.

Glad you're able to do some sewing. Those blocks are looking good.

re credit: I was thinking more about if I put it in a local quilt show, let's say.

>209 dudes22: re credit: this has been a huge topic of discussion for the past several years among rug hookers. Based on the thinking in that realm, I would think if it is a Log Cabin variation, then that is all you would need to say under Pattern Name, or however your show words it. If, however, it was a purchased pattern, the pattern maker/designer would have to be credited and the pattern name would be whatever the pattern was named. If it was an original pattern from the internet, that you have worked out for yourself, that would not be allowed without permission from the designer and the feeling would be that the designer should be compensated.

I could go on about this forever, but basically designers I know treat pattern copyright like book copyright. Furthermore, they feel that a particular pattern that is their design is the way they earn their living. I do admit to having difficulty with the idea that traditional patterns which were once shared by all can now be copyrighted by one person, but I am certainly onboard with the idea for original designs.

In a weird illustration of all this, I was at a gathering this winter where a well known designer was selling her patterns. Someone there was working on one of her patterns, which she had bought from a third party (also there) who had taken it from Pinterest. Although it was explained to her that the designer was present and that this was her pattern, she seemed oblivious to the implications. In fact, she actually went to the original designer and asked her for help!

Don't even get the designers going on completing their work and then selling it!

Perhaps this is something the group could mull over on one of our discussion threads.

>212 avaland: Incredible once again, as are the pieces casually draped on the ironing board. I would never be able to do such a block, let alone one a day!

>214 SassyLassy: - I remember reading an article in a quilting magazine that talked about copyright, etc. (if a person wanted to use it for a class, make to sell, etc) and I can understand that it's the way they make a living. I guess I wonder how different does a setting in a quilt have to be (or not be) to claim it as "new" and therefore "owned" by the person. Like the red and white quilt I'm making. I bought the book that has the pattern. But most (if not all) of the blocks are traditional blocks laid out in a particular manner with some sashing, etc. But there are a few blocks that I don't care for and so I intend to substitute different blocks. So is this the pattern that I bought - not really. But I would give credit as being inspired by the pattern I bought. Tricky subject.

Sorry, Lois, for taking over your thread.

I would give credit as being inspired by the pattern I bought.

Sounds like the ideal solution.

>215 dudes22: No apology necessary! An interesting topic. I suppose I would know all the "rules" if I were a guild member (but clearly I am too much an introvert to pull that off). I like Jennifer's explanations above and your response; a nice discussion. I've only ever exhibited twice (one I did from a block pattern, the other was the second random scrappy quilt a few years ago. However, I have made two large quilts for charity raffles—one was a double Irish chain made with scraps (may have used a certain method of piecing it); the other was a purchased quilt pattern called "Vintage Violets" from the early otts. I bought and used most of the matching fabrics and I remember I gave credit on the label before I turned it over to the charity.

I agree with Jennifer with regards to your proposed solution.

I am now finished with 20 of 36 pineapple blocks. I ran out yesterday to the closest quilt shop to find a few more yellow and oranges so I could set up all the pieces for each of the remaining blocks. I have had to become a bit less uptight about matching the tones & tints of any one color. As it stands now, the blocks would measure 60 x 60" but if I found the right fabric I'd consider a border and a maybe a 5x7 arrangement of blocks instead of the 6x6 of my original plan.

It's been just over a month since the carpal tunnel surgery and it no longer hurts to use the rotary cutter or a pen to handwrite (yay!) but when I overdo (mowing, weeding, too much of anything...etc) it complains so I ice it. And anything that presses on that specific area of my hand produces some pain . The hand no longer goes numb. I will probably do the other hand before the end of the year.

I'm so glad your recovery has moved swiftly enough to be back creating again.

>219 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. And yes!

Photographic update of what I'm calling the "Pineapple45" quilt. Now 21 of 36 blocks, 945 pieces.

This is not the final placement, I suspect. You can't really see the variation in all the fabrics from the photo.

That's looking really nice, Lois. And I'm glad to hear your wrist is coming along nicely and you can do most everything.

>220 avaland: I’m glad your wrist is healing nicely. Your quilt is beautiful.

>221 dudes22:, >222 NanaCC: Thanks to both of you re the quilt, and, yes, thanks, the hand is indeed fine. It's not really the wrist but the bottom of the hand in the center and outside bottom. I have a slightly extra notch in my "line of destiny"—what does it say about about life now, ha ha!

Nice to see you here, Colleen!

The pineapples are looking great! I'm glad your hand is recovering well!

>224 mabith: Thanks, Meredith. How are you doing?

Plodding along with the pineapple blocks. I think I'm going to do a 5x7 arrangement. I have 7 or so blocks left to do, I think. I need a break so today...

I spent the late afternoon and evening, zigzagging odd, leftover pieces of batting (all the same kind) together to make pieces large enough to use for a lap quilt. I've managed to make two, with likely a third to come. I'll use these for the charity quilts that need to be finished. I have a couple of tops that I hope to put together before our vacation, so I can have some binding to do lakeside while we are up there.

And while I have the machine set up with the walking foot, zig zag foot and plate...etc I hope to empty the bins of the "white" batting scraps and do the same with those (think of the space I'll have in those bins!). The previously mentioned scraps were all Quilters Dream Select, 100% cotton. The white is the poly-cotton, I believe.

(gosh, that was a bit of a boring post)

NO - NO! Not boring. I always feel I should be doing more when I read your posts. I must have a short attention span. I always feel like there's something else I should be doing instead. I have 2 bins and a large bag of batting scraps I should try to put together now that you've told me how.

>227 dudes22: If I am in the studio, I'm not housecleaning, weeding, exercising or doing anything I should be doing (a good friend of mine would say, "Don't should all over yourself!" and really, I just need to shake my fist at my Puritan ancestors and then do what I want.

Continued with the assembling of lap quilt sized battings today and made two more. I label each scrap of batting with its dimensions, list them all, and then sit down and figure out which ones of I can put together to make a 65x65 or a 72x65...etc. and in what order I sew the pieces together (always with the surplus on the outside (for example, if I put a 23 x 42 piece together with a 24 x 36, I made sure one size is flush to I can attach without trimming until all the pieces are together. I used 4-6 pieces to make each. I quit after doing all the 100% cotton. Will do all the white pieces another time.

I emptied one bin entirely! Be sure to cut the edges of the batting so they are straight before you sew them together with a wide zigzag and a medium stitch length (or use the best side of the piece you are using). The walking foot works great for this. I will only use these "Frankenstein" battings for scrappy quilts which wouldn't show any of the zigzagged seams. (yeah, I had two big bins and odds & ends stuck in strange places).

>228 avaland: I label each scrap of batting with its dimensions, list them all, and then sit down and figure out which ones of I can put together to make a 65x65 or a 72x65...etc. and in what order I sew the pieces together

Genius. Not being a quilter, I have never given a thought to batting, much less the leftover odds and ends. I'm impressed with your ability to use most of what you've bought.

>229 lauralkeet: I can't imagine throwing the stuff away!

The sewing machine has unexpectedly been taken to the Sew & Vac hospital. It was doing all manner of not-normal things (which is probably all connected), despite my best efforts to troubleshoot. I was working on assembling and quilting one of the scrappy tops that are destined for donation, only to have one challenge after another. So, I am machine-less for as much as a week....

I suppose I could pin up a 2nd quilt so it can be ready to quilt when the machine comes back. I want to have a few quilts to be able to finish (the hand sewing of the binding) when we are lakeside on vacation in 3.5 weeks.

How annoying!

>232 dudes22: Very!

I took the machine in on Friday and just about the time I was getting antsy on Saturday I got a text that they had done the machine. Apparently, a thread somehow got into the machine and wrapped around the gears. I took that machine apart as far as I dared to and never found anything. So, back in the saddle...so to speak.

Another interesting note. Earlier this week I put together and pinned a scrap quilt, frankenstein batting and a sheet for backing (this one poly-cotton, I believe. I usually use 100% cotton), trimming the excess off the batting & backing. Later, I was trying to use my rotary cutter and it wasn't cutting. It was extremely dull! I can only think that trimming the poly-cotton sheet is what dulled it? Any other ideas?

btw, what do you do with your old rotary blades? (I try to sharpen them with that circular gadget (works sometimes), but other wise I put them in the plastic cases they are sold in marked with an X). I ask because they are seriously accumulating.

I would guess it's the sheet that dulled your blade. My problem is that I usually bump into a pin and put a nick in the blade. I'm very bad about changing my blade and then so surprised at how well it cuts when I do. I've never tried sharpening mine. I just stick them in a case like you do and eventually put them in the trash.

>234 avaland: Good to hear you machine is fine. Please ignore my query elsewhere!

Re cutter blades: I know that people who use cutters for wool strips are always being advised to not cut anything with synthetics as it dulls the blade, so your rotary blade may well have been dulled by the poly-cotton.

I remember a quilting instructor once saying that dull blades were great for paper and cardboard template making. Just set them aside with the X as you did, and then have yourself a template making afternoon when you have a collection.

Like the idea of zigzagging the scraps of batting. I too have some, had wondered about that, so good to have confirmation that it works.

>235 dudes22: The sharpening gadget works if it is just somewhat dull, but doesn't seem to have much affect on nicks.

>236 SassyLassy: There it is, then. I will not use them on the poly-cotton! (funny, I usually "rip" the sheets to size, but this one was going to be too close....)

I have a second charity scrap quilt pinned but I won't be able to eyeball to do the quilting because it is made with long scrappy strips, not blocks. The last time I tried using painter's tape to mark the quilting line it was more trouble than it was worth, but this time I have picked up two "new" rolls of painters tape (assuming the problems might have been because other tape was older or had a higher degree of stickiness), this time I'll be using one for "delicate surfaces".

Only FOUR official pineapple blocks left! (though I will probably make a few extras) I'm doing the 5x7 arrangement. Debating borders. I did borders with the last (more simple) pineapple made last year.

I've used painter's tape on a lot of my quilts and like it to help with straight lines. I have a "thing" that I can attach to the back of the presser foot to follow a previously quilted line, but I usually just reposition the tape.

>238 dudes22: I have a "thing" like that and I tried it years ago with not very good results. It seemed to move, and there wasn't a way to tighten it.

I never tried mine and I think that was the reason.

Catching up on photos. A few more pineapple blocks needed:



As previously noted I must decide about borders. I did end up adding borders to this earlier, more simple pineapple pattern:



And here is one of the scrappy quilts I've made for charity -- about to be marked with painter's tape for quilting (I'm enlisting hubby's help with the laying of the tape):



I plan to finish the binding this one and the previous one lakeside in September and then will deliver a total of 5 quilts to "The Wish Project" in Lowell, MA.

(you know, I'm kind of bummed that so few of us post here these days. I used to love to see all the different needlecrafts everyone did. I suppose there are better/more accommodating sites, perhaps with bigger audiences, perhaps more specific to one's specialty, to do this sort of thing. And then, of course, life changes and can take us away from LT, too. The reason I like it here is that I know anyone posting is also a book-lover! )

>242 avaland: - I too wish there were more threads, considering the number of "members" this group has, but at least I can keep up. I'll admit to lurking on your thread in the Club Read group and Laural's thread in the 75 Challenge group to see what you guys are reading every once in a while.

>242 avaland: I would be very sad to see you move somewhere else. I may have posted a few years ago, but truthfully, I'm just getting old (or at least older), and the only things I'd want to make aren't sensible. Quilts can be donated, but the desire for yet another crocheted doily, or embroidered napkin, is long vanished. Not the desire to make them, mind you, but then what do I do with them? I still use cloth napkins with meals, but I'm reasonably sure that I'm an anomaly.

Ah, well. I love looking at your quilts, and watching your progress with them. I'm especially taken by your Pineapple quilt, and I've been watching the progress on it. You do some lovely work.

>244 Lyndatrue: - I use cloth napkins too!

>242 avaland: I would love to see more activity here too, but we have a good thing going here with our regulars. Ravelry is definitely more specialized, and while I know there are Ravelry groups for just about any interest (TV, food, etc.) that's not why I'm there. I go to Ravelry to interact with others on specific techniques. This group provides a little more socialization, is not specific to knitting, and as you said is full of book lovers. All good.

>243 dudes22: Oh, a lurker! That's nice.

>244 Lyndatrue: another cloth napkin user here!

>243 dudes22: Oh, was that you I saw peeking around the corner?

>244 Lyndatrue: Thanks for compliment. My comments were only fleeting thoughts, not meant to make anyone feel guilty. Life pulls people away for one reason or another. I love being around creative people and enjoy seeing what others are making---whatever it is.

(I still use cloth napkins but in a boring, environmental sort of way—to avoid using paper ones. They are just odd ones I picked up at Home Goods, they don't match anything).

>246 lauralkeet: I wonder if it is the technology that puts some off. Other sites make it much easier to post photos (i.e. FaceBook)

>242 avaland: Another cloth napkin user here.

It would be terrible if this group wasn't here! Its threads are the first ones I look at whenever I login to LT. I learn here, and while I am amazed at the talent, it does inspire me to keep trying.

>247 avaland: I just found this group thanks to you or Laura. But I haven’t figured out ‘posting pictures’ in the six or seven years I’ve been on LT, so I’ll be following all of you for inspiration.

>249 NanaCC: NanaCC, I think we shouldn't let you off that easy:-) Do you have hardcopy photos or are they on your phone or computer? I just upload photos to either the member gallery or junk drawer on my profile page. Then, I use the same line of code that I use for book covers to post it in the message field. Would you like me to write up easy to follow directions? (you would have to tell me if you are on an Apple computer or a PC). Failing all that, I'll drive to New Jersey... if you send the photos to me, I'll post them for you! I would love to see what you do!

>251 lauralkeet: standing by as backup tech support if needed!

And I'll cheer! There is a post in the Wiki about HTML stuff and there's a thing there about posting from the Web but it's kind-of the same as grabbing one of your photos.

I'm still here, too, just lurking mostly lately. Still working on projects, but mostly right now for my etsy shop. And I keep forgetting to post photos here. Bad me.

We use cloth napkins, too, and for green reasons as well. I've made most of ours to match the seasonal tablecloths I've also made, but I have a stack of plain white ones, too, that I'd picked up at garage sales.

>253 scaifea: Is your son's wardrobe suffering because of your Etsy work? :-) Both my daughters have Etsy shops, one for pastel paintings, the other for some pop culture items related to a hot virtual reality game (the latter has farmed out the sewing to a factory in Kentucky because she had orders for a 1000+. She's a marketing guru in her real job, but this is what she did on her vacation, ha ha)

>254 avaland: I still make all his pajamas every fall (that's coming up again soon!), his Halloween costumes (again, soon!), and any special occasion stuff, but he's getting old enough now that that's about it.

And boy, am I so *not* a marketing guru! My shop remains small and humble because of it, but that's okay.

>255 scaifea: My son, when about 11/12 (?) let me make flannel "night shirts" for him to sleep in. Seems it was a the junior high years. It was pretty much the only thing I made for him after his toddler years, and I probably still have the pattern. At 35 he has his own sewing machine now, LOL.

Hey, at least you don't have to farm your sewing out to factory...!

>256 avaland: Oh gosh, Charlie runs so hot that he'd likely set the bed aflame in a flannel night shirt! Ha!

I think I remember you mentioning that he does his own sewing now, and I love that!

But good for her for being so successful that she *needs* the factory! I'm in it because I love making the things, so I'm happy not being quite that popular on etsy, I think.

>257 scaifea: Too funny! (we were running a wood/oil combo furnace at the time with the thermostat set low).

She is not in it for the love of making things, she's in it for idea, execution/pursuit of aforementioned idea, promotion of the product and the rush one gets from the whole process ending with getting people to buy it. LOL.

The charity quilt in #241 is quilted and half bound, and folded up to take on vacation lakeside. That being done, I finished the last block for the pineapple quilt, fussed with the arrangement of blocks (it's just never going to be perfect) because beginning to put it together.

I made a run to the quilt shop about an hour north to find border fabric yesterday (it's a small college town and we happened to pick student drop-off weekend to do this. Not to mention the town had the main roads all dug up in preparation for paving! Still, we had a nice lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river and an additional stop at the book barn (8 ft high shelves downstairs, 14 ft upstairs!) At the quilt shop, I found a green for the outer border (with a quilt like this one can pretty much pick whatever color one wants!) and a cheerful magenta print for the 1 inch inner border.

After three hours of weeding in delightedly fall-ism temps, I retreated indoors today to continue work on the quilt. As of tonight I have just one more seam and all 35 of the blocks will be assembled and I can start on the borders.

Will post a photo when it is assembled.

Wow! That's great! I was pulling things out to take to the church yesterday for our charity sewing group and realized how many tops I had that need to be quilted. Some of them are fairly small (36x40) so one piece of fabric for the back might make it. I think this afternoon I might try putting some batting pieces together so I can quilt them. I think that, besides the red/white quilt, this might be what I do the rest of the year. And I can practice my free motion quilting.

>260 dudes22: I had some small ones and I added borders to make it at least 5x5 or 4x6. I still have a few small pieces...maybe too small even if I add borders, and matching fabrics to them might be difficult. I used to randomly make small pieces just because an idea popped in my head, but over the last 5 years I've channel that energy into the scrappy squares. I really am trying to deal with the UFOs.

I have thought about refreshing my free motion quilting skills. I used to quilt small quilts and other projects. At this point, I do worry whether it would be putting more stress on my neck (because I'd like to not go through that painful year again!)

Borders are on. Here are some photos, the color not accurate. The inner border is a cherry magenta, the outer and cheery moss color. The quilt is about 70x90 (I haven't actually measured it yet), so a twin with a generous overhang, or a full/queen with less. It's too big for the space on the floor so I'll post the entire quilt when it's completely done.

Green is my favorite color so that looks really good to me. But as you said, almost any color would work. How many different fabrics did you end up using?

Not sure. There are 24 pieces in each block that are not white or off-white, so 840 total; but I did notice annoyingly there were a few repeats :-)

I love those colors so much!

The green and magenta look great as the border!

The pineapple quilt is packed up and ready to go to a quilter, and I found another quilt waiting to go (the wild goose chase one in #57 above). And I know I have the solids quilt from #52 in limbo at one of my quilters' house (can't decide how to quilt that one)

And maybe it's just itchy fingers (itchy brain and hands, probably) but I came across a cache of 4" scrappy squares long ignored (I use the bins of 5" squares quite a lot but not the 4") and got it in my head that I should just use them up NOW and stop cutting scraps that size in the future. Yes, I'll just make some charity quilts with them. Then, I randomly start sewing squares together, but come across a cache of novelty prints and decide I need MORE to mix with these. So, I take all of the novelty fabrics off the shelves and cut 4" strips from them (at least 2/3rds of them) to mix into the pile.

I thought 15 x 15 squares, but then thought how boring that would be (and think of having to match all those seams) so....this is the result (and there is enough squares for at least two more quilts, nevermind the cache non-novelty prints*).



For sashing I used strips from leftover backing fabric (have a bunch of those long, narrow pieces).

Question: this top is just shy of 50" square. Do you think that is big enough for a kids quilt? (I don't mean it so much as a bed covering as a comfort quilt or extra blanket on a cold night).

*the results of my little two-day sewing detour is that I have the makings of maybe three small quilts but DID NOT manage to actually deplete the cache of 4" squares because I added as much TO the bins as I took out!

>267 avaland: Fun quilt - I think I recognize those orange circles from my own stash! I particularly like the material you have sashed it with. It works really well.

I think that 50" square is certainly a comfort size quilt for a child. It will fit over a child on a lap, curled up anywhere, the back seat of a car, in a tent, under the table - you name it.

I end up exhausted just reading what you get done. I think 50" is fine for a kid's quilt. I love the way your random quits look. I tend to agonize over what goes with what. Even though I can see how it works in your quilts.

>268 SassyLassy: Thanks for the input. That's more or less along the lines I was thinking. I could have made it bigger, but it gets much more cumbersome to manipulate. That backing fabric used for sashing was probably the best of the leftovers, most were too light to use.

>269 dudes22: Thanks, Betty. In putting the squares together the only thoughts were to avoid too many repeats, and roughly alternate the kinds of prints.

The colors are gorgeous in >262 avaland: and >267 avaland:, Lois. Well really, in all of your posts. How long does it usually take you to complete a quilt?

>271 NanaCC: Thanks, Colleen. I love color. So much energy and stimulation (it's probably some kind of drug for me, ha ha). And I love playing with the fabrics. Re: time. It depends on the quilt, of course. One of those 10.5 inch pineapple blocks took about an hour (if all went well—it rarely went perfectly). It's a more intense, crazy-making process, so I seldom made a whole block in one sitting; and made only one block, possibly two, over the course of the day.

It's really nice to finally be retired. To have unfettered time to do what one wants. There are moments I feel guilty out of habit (surely, there is something I "should" be doing, right? But as a friend says, why "should" all over yourself!).

>268 SassyLassy: ooh, I like!!!

>272 avaland: I love your friend's expression!

>273 lauralkeet: Indeed, I have said it to more than one woman friend!

So, the charity quilt in #267 above is quilted and half-bound. I'll take it with the previous two to finish the handwork lakeside ...if I'm not reading....

I used a cotton sheet for the backing (I bought a stash of them very cheaply from Savers, one just has to check for possible stains before buying), a Frankenstein batting, and a piecemeal strip of leftover bindings. I have also finished another top like this one, only with a light blue print as sashing (doesn't look as nice as the teal stuff did, but it's what I had). I have the makings of one more top (this one will have less flowers and more trucks, ha ha), and possibly a fourth.

The idea is to try to use materials I already have. I think after these are done, I may do some with batiks. When I sorted my fabrics recently I couldn't believe how many batiks were sandwiched in the piles (beyond the separate box of the ones I used in that large batik quilt a year or two ago), and some fairly dark. Will have to brainstorm.

All that is after I was out in the morning cutting and moving brush (until it got too hot to do so).

The quilt in >267 avaland: is stunning! I love the mix of fabrics with the sashing to break it all up.

>276 lesmel: Thanks. Not bad for something off-the-cuff.

You will never believe what just happened...well, yes, you probably will:

I was going through the remaining bin of 4" squares, now devoid of most of its brights & novelty prints. I was a bit disappointed that I had ONLY been able to empty the equivalent of ONE sweater bin of squares with these 4 quilt tops. Well, I thought, it's progress and perhaps I can offer the remaining bin to someone ...but then had second thoughts. So, I went to put the bin back on the shelves and noticed ANOTHER bin labeled 4" squares. What?!?!?!? Sure enough there had been three bins originally. This one was labeled "lights."

Oy. Well, the bins are down to two (do you know how many 4" squares of fabrics fit in a plastic sweater box? Hundreds, probably more than thousand!! thankfully, only one of these is really full) Someday I'll do another marathon sewing binge and produce some lovely light-colored lap quilts.

Honestly, what am I bitching about. I love having this stuff around. I love looking at it, smelling it, sorting it, and certainly touching it. It makes me happy and keeps me out of trouble.

-------

Currently, I have three tops done, and another to assemble with sashing (I think I'm going to use black on that one!) Will post a photo when they are finished.

>278 avaland: I am absolutely positive that no one will be surprised, or disbelieving. Of all the people here on LT (or quilt makers in general), you are one of the most likely to have more squares hidden away from yourself, ready to surprise you on a new day. Congratulations? :-}

>278 avaland: great story! And so much great quilting ahead of you.

HA! I was at Joann Fabrics on Sunday and a group of us were discussing fabric stashes.

This reminds me I really need to evaluate what I have and decide on some projects. Maybe some charity lap quilts will help kill off my stash.

Argh! I just remembered I have the fabric for my brother's quilt that I was supposed to make this year.

Hi, guys, another quilter here. I sew only by hand, and it takes me forever to finish a quilt. I'd like to do them faster, but both my interest and ability seem to have time limits. I'll post a picture if I can figure that out (thanks to avaland for directions).

I'm making a trial here. https://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/b3/dc/b3dc449638c2b6e636d72677441434b4171...

>279 Lyndatrue:, >280 lauralkeet:, >281 lesmel: See, this is why one needs to be around other creative people.

>281 lesmel: Do you really want to "kill off your stash?" ;-)

Okay, I'm making a trial here:



That didn't work, did it? Back to the drawing board.

>282 sallypursell: That's lovely, Sally. And a serious amount of work! Is that one that comes pre-printed for hand-stitching? I know another woman here on LT who does those.

re: photo. Did you type the line of code the begins

>285 sallypursell: we are typing at the same time! Here is the line of code without the carats on either side so you can see the code (just put the carats in on either end with no spaces).

img src="put line of code here" height="400"

Oh, and check that there aren't any erroneous spaces in the code

No 1 is post #267; here are the other three donation quilts which are just tops at the moment.
#2, the blue-sashed one is the same as #1 except the sashing is a half inch wider.
#3 is the allover squares on the left. It's a bit small (42x49") meant for a younger child. Still, it seems too small so perhaps I can find something for a small border.
#4 is the same arrangement as #2 & 3 but with an extra row of blocks. I also saved most of the boy-type prints for this and went low on flowers.

Not sure when these three will get finished...but I USED UP 648 squares (although about a quarter were cut recently to vary the mix)

I've got a migraine at the moment--for three days now. I am so BORED. But my son helped me figure this out.



I don't know if this will be in focus. I may have to try again.

Detail"


Hours with graph paper. I'm not very good at this, so it takes me forever.

And now some detail:

The bottom right-hand block, also the "signature block".



And a detail--

>284 avaland: It's like pruning a tree..you gotta trim the right amount to make it grow! ;)

>289 sallypursell: - >292 sallypursell: Your quilt is beautiful! You should start your own thread in the group so we can ooh and aaah over your projects!

>288 avaland: The quilts are awesome as always! Patch quilts like these are almost always my faves b/c of the colorways. I always struggle with getting just the right balance.

>293 lesmel: I get over-complicated, and each quilt takes one to two years. I really haven't finished very many. Also, I don't use anyone else's designs, so the design part may take up to six months. I'm not sure a thread is worth it. But thank you so much for the lovely compliment.

Oh, and a third complication: I have given them all away to nieces or nephews, and they have scattered. It would be hard to get access to them to photograph them.

>293 lesmel: Too, too funny! I love the pruning analogy! And thanks, but there wasn't a huge amount of thought put into these.

>294 sallypursell: Wow, that is some serious hand stitching! And you do your own designs! Impressive.

I'm amazed at how productive you are. But it's given me some thoughts that I may go through some of my bins and make some like these. Our sewing group from church has decided to make some baby quilts for an agency that gives support to unwed mothers and these would work up quick.

>296 dudes22: I'm ignoring the weeding, the housework...etc.

Yes, they do work up quickly! There are many ways you can add the sashing. I did the bottom of the block first, then the left side, and then assembled it and added the remaining top and right side long pieces (sometimes pieced). I needed roughly two yards (possibly one & a half) for all the sashing at 2.5 inches wide.

Packing up (including the four quilts to work on). Come Monday late afternoon picture me here listening to the loons and watching the sun go down.



The view will look something like this:



Back on the 16th.

Nice!

Hope you met your migraine quota earlier and don't have anymore this month. What a lovely place to be!

We are back. I wasn't joking about the loons....



I managed to get to a favorite quilt shop in Nobleboro, Maine ("Maine-ly Sewing") on our way back. My favorite stores always have plenty of fat quarters, a sale section, grab bags and all the latest stuff to look at. This shop is in a house (thought historically to be haunted) and each room is full of fabric. The proprietor had just gotten home from a show in Pennsylvania.

I finished hand sewing the back of the bindings on the four charity quilts during my vacation, and all while being able to look at the water between stitches....bliss.

Now, BACK to the studio. We have rescheduled our wood floor installation for November so I still have time to sew. I have three more tops for donation quilts I may continue to work on, until I'm inspired to do something else.

Here are the four finished quilts for donation:



They will join two other finished quilts to be donated, but I will call them first because I have three tops finished and I could get those three done in the next month -- if I don't get big ideas that carry me off....

Beautiful! Scenery and quilts.

I hate hand-sewing binding. I'm always glad I don't have to do it very often.

I'm always impressed by how good your scrap quilts look. I start pulling fabrics for one and get all hung up on what goes with what. (I know - it all goes)

>305 dudes22: dudes22 I have a theory about "matching" fabrics--every quilt should have a light fabric and a dark fabric, although that is very relative. Other than that, everything goes, especially in scrap quilts. There I find that if I just choose stuff I like it does all go together.

Does this go without saying? I find that I think when I see a quilt that is not interesting enough it is usually lack of value range that causes it. All medium value fabrics together is boring.

If you look at the scrap quilts above you will see the very thing in execution.

That black and brights quilt really is striking and beautiful. As far as quilting it goes, I always use the rule of thumb that quilts which are mostly rectilinear should be quilted with curves, and curves with lines. Do you have another theory I could compare. I love your work.

>65 avaland: I made that quilt too! I'm also still using scraps that are in that quilt.

>115 SassyLassy: Of course brown has a place in modern quilts. I use a lot of brown. I'll have to find another quilt of mine to show you. I have in mind a chocolate and plum quilt--God knows when I'll get to it! I have some birchwood fabric to use as the "solid" background.

So what do you consider a "neutral"? Classically, black, brown, beige, white (which includes shirting prints), cream, and now, red. I would add pastels, including pink, light lavender, very light green, very light blue, and the like.

I particularly like speckled whites and creams, or dotted fabrics. I have a huge collection of dots, hoping one day to make a quilt completely of them, or maybe mixed with stripes. I love stripes. You can't have too many stripes.

If I were making your "puzzle" quilt, it would be a scrap quilt, with myriad different warm colors in the yellows, lots of blues with brown, lots of different reds, including maroons and almost black. It's very easy to mix browns and black with green and purple. Think of the varied purples! A little brown in each color would tie it together.

Sally

Lois, the quilt in #148 is gorgeous!

>303 NanaCC: Thanks, Colleen

>304 sallypursell: I only do the back by hand, so not too much.

>305 dudes22: It's a lesson in letting go; or it's like watching an athlete loosen up before taking a shot or heading out on the field. However, you are doing your own thing, being creative, and that's more than just manufacturing quilts!

>306 sallypursell: There are fabrics I am careful with: blacks, saturated reds and yellows, solids, too many fabrics with white backgrounds, some batiks. The first random scrappy quilt I made had a piece of bright red with black dots and it sticks out like a sore thumb, as my mother would say.

>307 sallypursell: When I have a quilt quilted, I always have a curvy design because I feel the need to soften all the angles (that said, I think I had something more spikey for my son's big quilt). When I quilted some myself I went for a loopy look, or specific quilting on borders. Now, despite the neck surgery, I only quilt in grid fashion. I have one quilt that needs quilting, which I want done in different stitches and multiple threads and a certain pattern which I may do myself. I'm trying to get back to a point where I feel I can do it.

>308 sallypursell: I wonder what I would do with that pattern now. It seemed like a challenge for a 2nd quilt.

>309 sallypursell: To whom are you asking your question about neutrals? sassylassy?

The puzzle quilt was more or less just to try the pattern itself. I didn't give a lot of thought to the fabrics.

Let's see, #148, I'll have to check if I finished that. I must have.

NOTE: I know this is an excessively LONG thread, the result of retirement and a concentration of craft (I haven't been out building arbors or rag-rolling walls). In other groups on LT I would have continued this topic on another thread, but here we haven't done that. Do you think I should?

PS: Stopped at a favorite quilt shop on my way home from the lake. She has not only a room upstairs where everything is 40% off, and always has lots of fat quarters, but also a bin of "grab bags" filled with scraps from others' quilt-making (I know there is a lot of this on Etsy but I think it is 1. too pricey and 2. touch & go re:the contents).

Regarding the quilt in #148. I have NO IDEA what I've done with that, or those pieces!!!! I don't find any pictures of a finished quilt. Can't think of where I might have stashed the blocks because I recently sorted out all my UFOs. I suspect I will pull apart the studio later today to find it!

My browser loads fairly quickly, so I'm ok with you just continuing.

ETA: I'm such a linear person that I have a lot of angst about quilting curves. So I usually send out if I'm going to do curvy. I do sometimes do straight lines on quilts even if they are all angular.

OK, I'm irked by scrolling up and down to #148 so I'm going to continue this thread....