Grinding through the units

     The four patch HST floral quilt that I showed a block of previously has lots of component units- a 4 patch all floral, a 4 patch floral/background combo, HSTs with black and background, HSTs with black and inside light print. A lot of small unit assembly. 
     I am almost done, but for a few 4 patches and pressing some HSTs. The HST black/backgrund squares still have to be assembled into a flying goose shape. It feels like I am going in slo mo. 
     So here are the parts laid out on the pressing mat, and they fit very easily into a small box. Even though this will be a comfort quilt size, all the time and cutting used seem at odds with how little space the units take up in the box.

All in box

Three finishes, kind of, sort of...

     Due to all the rain we have been having, it has been hard to photo some quilts outside. Today, there was a break, so I rushed out and did the job.
     The first quilt is one from our guild that was cut out as a kit to make for our local VA hospital. We want to have 50 quilts by Veterans Day. I added an extra row around because it needed that neutral on the outside edge. Except for the center squares, it is all made from brick shapes. My mom helped sew the short edges of all the bricks, and then I assembled all the blocks and top. I made a scrappy binding because I thought it looked better than what I was given.

     The second vet quilt was made by another guild member and I quilted it. She wanted to trim it herself, so it is not all done.

     The last quilt is from the other half of the HSTs made from the Shirbori layer cake. This one is asymmetrical. I made the borders real wide so that  it can be used on a twin bed. It needs backing and quilting.

Variation on the Starburst

     The one layer cake I bought from MSQC, the Shibori by Moda, was able to make two lap size quilts. I cannot find this layer cake anymore- why did I not buy two? I love indigo. Anyways, I shared the first quilt, and here is the second one, asymmetrical, sewn- no borders yet. All made from HST that I cut from the 10" squares, one blue, one white sewn all around the edges, and cut on both diagonals. Have to find something for the border. 

     It is the first day of June, but I do not have all my flowers and pots done yet. We have had a lot of rain since April and I bought all my plants this past weekend. So far, here is my humble little deck. More to go. No grand views like some that are posted and make me drool.

Starburst quilting

     This is one of my favorites so far. I love indigo and I love this design. I love the quilting. It is going to be a hard one to give away. Here it is on the longarm.

        Here it is outside without the binding. I chose the binding, now I have to make it and attach it. Then I can show the back also.

Center Starstruck- border, hmm...

     I sewed all the blocks together for the center version of Starstruck and can't decide on a fabric for the border. It is 47 x 60 now and I was thinking a 3" border to make it a tad bigger. Now, I need to pull out the asymmetrical one. If I hadn't done this in a web method, I certainly would have gone astray. Thanks again Wanda for explaining it to me!

   It is so cold, dark and rainy here on Friday. If it was not for the photos I took Wednesday in my garden, it would be grim.

Hearts off to new adventure

     My granddaughter helped me draw the winner of the heart blocks for the Orphan block adoption. She pulled the winning name out of a bag and I contacted Kathy who gave me her address. The blocks are going out in the mail today.

     Also, I made the missing blocks for Starstruck and took it off the wall, clipped by column and ready to sew.

Starstruck!

     I finally finished trimming (Bloc Loc Rocks!) all the HSTs made from an indigo layer cake I fell for on MSQC. There were 42 blue and white paired blocks, sewn around all 4 edges and then cut diagonally across twice. Then the trimming. It is well worth the time.
     Then, I pulled out a quilt pattern I have been dying to make- Starburst. However, I had so many HSTs and did not want to make one huge quilt, so I made two for comfort quilts. I think they will need a border and the asymmetrical one is missing 2 blocks, so I have to scare up some indigo color to make the last two. I just love, love indigo. These two do not seem like too many to me!

Cool Kaffe HST asymmetrical

     A while back I got suckered into buying some Kaffe charm packs (MSQC got me again). I made HSTs with Kona Ash Gray. All trimmed with the Bloc Loc ruler. Played around on the wall until I found an asymmetrical design that appealed to me. I had another urgent request for a comfort quilt for a woman whose cancer came back aggressively after a short remission. Her whole family is having a crisis of a time. So, I thought this waiting in the wings quilt would make a good choice. I thought of one friend who always drafts things out, so I used graph paper to get an idea of where I was going because working to work on long diagonals, I needed to know where I was when rolling the quilt. All the Kaffe prints got the same curved ruler treatment. 
    I did use a lot of ruler work and to be honest, I don't like holding those circle and oval templates down. It gives me neck fatigue and sore shoulders. I need to find something to be grippier on the bottoms or forgo rulers. I was very happy with the quilting. The first photo is before washing and the others are after. I always wash my quilts after quilting before giving them away. They get packed in a nice tote bag with a book and card and pocket quilt. This package went out Sunday.

Unwashed

Washed, more texture

Back after washing

The diagram plan

Rainbows on the Wall

    I got nabbed by a rainbow color jelly roll recently on MSQC and thought I would use it to make the Cutting Corners quilt by MSQC. I sewed strip sets, warm and cool, five strips to a set. They were then trimmed into 10" blocks. White 10" blocks were layered on them, right sides together, and they were sewn all around the perimeter. Then they were cut diagonally and ironed opened. I trimmed all of them the same size with the Bloc Loc ruler (love it). 

This is the 10" square strip set of 5, sewn all around

Front of the sandwich- a white 10" square

Sliced diagonally

Opened out- two blocks with strips parallel to center line,
2 with strips perpendicular to center line

Trimming with Bloc Loc

Trimmed blocks with scrap trimmings-
those little bits mean a lot in fitting

   When I put them on the wall, it did not look right as the colors were so different and it did not make a cohesive looking, block by block, quilt. I removed them and tried the Starburst Quilt, MSQC, and it did not read as a cohesive design due to all the colors. 

Design does not cohere together due to fractured colors

     I looked through my files that I keep in Evernote of quilts I like and their tutorials. I found one that I modified. There are two kinds of blocks in these sets- ones with the strips parallel to the HST angle, and another where the strips are perpendicular to the angle. I played with that idea and grouped them accordingly in the secondary design.

Main block arrangement, cool colors

First try, whoops, one center diamond strips at top is not oriented right, and whoops, two blocks short, have to make another set

Everything oriented right, extra blocks made and added.
Love the look! Now it is off the wall,
clipped by column ready to web sew

Border decision made

     After sewing all the Kaffe HSTs into a web, I ironed all the seams, making sure each row went opposite, and then sewed the rows. As hard as I tried, I am still off in some corners. I trimmed, pressed, matched and am still off. I guess I still have a lot of improvement to make sewing.
     I decided on a 1 1/2" dark purple (Frond Plaster of Paris) inner border and the Kaffe fabric that had none left to spare, 2/12" finished border. I guess when I quilt it, I will like it more. I wish it had more pop.

Webbed

Rows sewn

Borders

Those Kaffe HSTs

     After a nice trimming job using the Bloc Loc on the HSTs from the Kaffe charm packs, I decided I wanted a diamond layout, but asymmetrical. I tried a number of combinations and settled on one that sparkled most to me. Then, I numbered the columns with painters tape and clipped each column, Wanda style, ready to sew in a web method. I have not decided on the borders yet. I did pull some fabric to try, but will wait until it is sewn together.

Final choice

New stuff going on

     I like to start new things among finishes and problems. I bought 2 Kaffe charm packs on sale at MSQC and cut Kona Ash squares to make HSTs. I will put them on the design wall and come up with a design then.

Matched up squares, and ones already sewn, needing the iron, below- one pile trimmed, the other sewn but need trimming

A few on the wall

     I also bought this panel when I was visiting another city because I loved the colors. Now I have to think what will go with it. It is the Fantasia line by Timeless Treasures and there is some fabric, though scarce, to complement it that I could scare up and buy I suppose.

Guild opportunity quilt reveal

     My quilt guild, Kenmore Quilters, revealed our opportunity quilt (can't legally say Raffle Quilt) at the Consortium of NYS quilt guilds quarterly meeting on Wednesday. We had bought a new stand and were ready to sell tickets. Everyone chipped in to make such a stunning quilt. It has various indigo batik print backgrounds and is based on a Karen Stone block. She gave us permission. Money raised goes to local charities. The quilt show is in early October.

It is queen size. Want a ticket?

     At the meeting, there was another quilt offered and I fell in love with the different size HST borders. Oh my, made me weak in the knees. I have to figure out where I can use that idea. After all, now I have Bloc Loc rulers to trim them!