Comfort quilts- double hourglass

     This past weekend, I think I made a personal record of four comfort quilt giveaways (by referrals). I was sweating sewing the labels on, making the cards, and bagging them. I washed and dried them all before they left. This double hourglass just came off the longarm, was bound, washed and out the door so quick, that this is the best photos I could get of it. I would have preferred taking it outside and done detail shots, but it had to leave. The other three quilts have had photos shot and shown previously.

Back

Front

Thinking hard, looking for a pop

     I finished the side triangles for the double hourglass. They are light blue, which does not show up well in the photo. It has been very gray here, and even with the lights in the house, it does not show up well. White was too stark and darker values took away from the diagonal play in the blocks.

     I participated in a batik star block swap with the Treadleon group. I made eight extra stars so I could make a 4 x 5 quilt, 12" finished blocks. My blocks are at the top and bottom and one is covering a very green star. My original 20 on the wall looked fine because the backgrounds were light value batik, but this grouping of stars needs some help. So I have been thinking of maybe skinny dark blue batik sashings, or not putting them all together. Just don't know what to do to make the stars pop. Again, poor lighting.

Just those pesky side triangles!

     The double hour glass layout is done, but I can't think what color the side triangles should be. I like on point quilts, but choosing the sides and sewing together is always a bit tricky. Have to do more thinking, but I really need that wall!

Ready to sew up

     The Disappearing Hourglass quilt, MSQC pattern, is on the wall laid out, ready to label columns, and then sew. I used a layer cake and had twelve made blocks left over. I am going to try to set those on point with plain fabric blocks between. That is a stretch for me (math).

     Also, I have all the blocks sewn and trimmed for a double hourglass, ready to go on the wall after another quilt. It is such an easy block- sew 2 WOF strips (contrasting), cut into triangles with the Companion Angle, assemble into same fabric pairs, then 2 pairs together make a square. Then square it up.

Trying to keep up

     I don't know how Sarah, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, keeps up. I have a lot of tops pieced, but my quilting is slow. Lately, I have had 4 requests for comfort quilts. I have to quilt, sew pockets on bags, make a card, wash everything and put it all in a tote bag and then in an oversize zip loc for the recipient. I used my last book and, fortunately, some one gave me an Amazon gift card so I could order another 6 books.  I feverishly labored to get this one out the door for my neighbor, the author, who requested the package for the mother of a coworker.
     I think I would like to make this double hourglass again. I liked the onpoint arrangement better than straight rows. The setting side triangles were tricky to figure, but I guess there is an app for that. 

Double Hourglass on point

Back 

Detail of quilting and the stripey binding

The Print knocks it out of the park

     The double hourglass quilt on point was driving me crazy choosing a fabric for the corners and sides. I tried all manner of off whites and whites. Wanda suggested a print. I dug through my stash and found a yellow with brown dots. Yes! It made the whole quilt work and made the diamonds sparkle. Thanks again, Wanda. She is the best!
    Now to find a backing and get it on the longarm.

Fabrics pinned at sides, nah

Just what the quilt needed!

Tilt!

     I showed the Double Hour glass blocks earlier and was able to lay them out. I did a straight layout. Hmm. The dynamic blocks looked boring. I left the room for a while and when I came back, I tilted them on point. I don't like sewing blocks on point because I cannot chain sew them into a web. I always get confused on point because each row is a different length. I have to take it off the wall one row at a time. When I finished Emma's star, I thought I was through with on point for a while. 
     However, the tilt brought back the sparkle I saw when I made the blocks. But now, I needed eight more blocks to make it a decent lap size (as shown by the white paper blocks). So, dig out the stash and cut eight more lights and eight more darks. Even though I cut 2 1/2" strips regularly from scraps and have them sorted by colors, there were no more strips that would work, so I had to make a mess digging fabric out of the plastic boxes. I did sew all the strips and cut them into the triangles. They are all stacked to chain sew.
   I have not decided what color to make the side/top/bottom triangles. White may be too stark, maybe an off white? 

Tried moving some around

Tilted!

2 sets of reject blocks- colors don't work with the others

New Block Starts

       The fabric I bought in Ithaca with the flowers, I have cut into making One Block Wonder. A friend got me started because I forgot how to do it (it was over 1 1/2 years ago). I have all the triangles cut out and made some sample blocks.

Triangle sets

     I also had made some strip pairs for my mom to sew. I am now cutting them with a triangle to make double hourglass. 
     These blocks, just the first from the strips are just made from two contrasting WOF strips sewn the long way and then I used the Companion ruler (it makes a nice blunt point for matching ends) to cut triangles out of the strip. I sewed four matching triangles together for a block.