I’ve just completed block 3 from Joann’s Persian Plum which is called the “Quartered Star”. This was a little more difficult than the previous two, made more so by the fact that I put three pieced together that didn’t belong. Isn’t seam ripping fun???
The block is beautiful when finished and I’m very excited to put all of these together to see what the whole quilt will look like. Here are some pictures of the block going together.
Here is the finished block
The first quits I ever made were flannel quilts. Probably because the first quilt I ever remember having was one from my Aunt Clara and it was a patchwork flannel. There wasn’t anything fancy about it, the pattern was blocks arranged haphazardly on the quilt top. The underside was made from one piece of fabric with warm autumn colors throughout. I don’t recall now if there was the possibility of batting between the top and bottom, but it already felt heavy enough.
I remember the weight of the quilt anchoring me down on those cold winter nights and in the spring when the rain would come and we’d tunnel into our quilt every time the lightning lit up the night sky. When it got real bad we’d be called into the front room with our quilts in tow for a cup of hot chocolate to calm our nerves.
When my wife and I were discussing which quilts we were going to be keeping and which ones to send off to family members we realized something… We currently have a springtime quilt and Kay is finishing a Summer one. I’ve just completed an Autumn quilt which just leaves a Winter quilt to complete the set. Much to my wife’s chagrin, I suggested that since I was the one to make it, that I would make our Winter’s quilt out of flannel. She complains if the weight of our covers isn’t enough and I figured that having a flannel top and bottom with a warm and natural cotton batting in the middle would do the trick. She was a little put off by this because it would be the only flannel quilt in the set. I’m also worried that my long-arm quilt person will freak out with the thickness she’ll have to quilt through.
I’d love to hear you opinion on flannel quilts… where do you stand?
I was under the impression that I would have finished with the appliqué on the Arbor Lane BOTM quilt and moved on to the double quilt I’m making. Alas, I spent the entire weekend finishing up with the center block and the four side panels. Then I spent most of today sewing the rest together instead of posting. The good news is the quilt top has been assembled and I went out this weekend for Joann Fabrics sale and bought the backing for it. 
Now it will be sent off to Candy who performs miracles with her long-arm machine.
Today, I get to start the double quilt. No, there isn’t such a thing in reality, I just call it a double quilt because I’ll be making two quilts with minor variations for two different people.
Finally I’m able to show the quilt top for the Arbor Lane. A skeptical decision regarding the backing fabric turned out to be a fantastic decision. I really love how this quilt turned out. I will be taking it and the schoolhouse quilt for some long arm quilting and I’ll post the pics after it’s finished.
Applique sewn on with Husqvarna Viking Sapphire
Eating carrots as a child was always a chore at the dinner table. My parents knew they were good for me and would not injure me as I thought they would. Likewise, although quilts can contain any number of different techniques from paper piecing to string art, one of the most popular remains that of the applique.
I set my sights a couple of times on trying this out and it has been a disaster, my technique is horrid. I am okay (read not thrilled) with mistakes in the quilts that I make. But there comes a point in time where giving up on a technique seems really compelling. Luckily for me, unluckily for my wife, I’m stubborn. I will ruin 20 pieces just to become adequate at its creation.
Why would my wife become unlucky? Because I will plead and beg her to stop her projects to work with me on mine, asking her questions nonstop, and criticizing our work until I’m satisfied with the result. She is a real trooper but has politely suggested that I join a quilting guild so I can learn more.
My confession… is that everything I do has been self-taught through trial and error, although at times (many times) I have come across wonderful people who’ve shared their videos of how to’s on the web. (Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!) I know I should be trying to work with more experienced quilters, but it’s difficult while working a full-time job. That doesn’t even mention that I’m a guy and a lot of experienced quilters in my area are women… married women whose husbands probably wouldn’t understand why their wives were spending time quilting with another man!!
Kay and I do go to quilting events when they’re in town and plan on going to the quilt show in Houston this October. that is normally where I am able to connect with other quilters and ask the questions that are giving me fits.
Until then, I would love comments from anyone out there on the best way to do appliques on quilts. I’ve seen them with a satin stitch, a zig-zag, and have seen them done by hand. But would love to know what your favorite way is…
Until then thank you for all your support and keep sending the comments!
I love piecing together a quilt it’s my favorite part of the quilting process. Designing is fun and I love binding the quilt, but watching the top coming together is the most rewarding to me. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I’ve laid the top onto the bed and think about what it will look like fully quilted.
Kay and I will interrupt each others work to show our progress and chide each other with “have you taken a picture of it yet?”. This came about because while quilting at one point I was nearing completion of a quilt without having taken a single photo of it yet. There would be no way to know how it had gone together or what it had looked like while it was still in process. We both had wanted to document the process long before we started writing about it. The main reason though was to share this process with our children.
We’ve been together for 16 years and have seven children between us. Yes, I said seven… though all of them are out of the house and in different states, we’re lucky enough to have frequent visits. We thought at some point a few of the children might wonder how these fantastic quilts that made it into their hands had manage to come together. This inevitably led to writing about the highs and lows, successes and challenges of making a quilt.
At times we become frustrated trying out something new and having to undo it for the third time. Having those photos from the past showing where we started and how far we’ve come have really helped us stretch our ability and has driven us to try harder. Using advanced techniques makes for a more challenging quilt to be sure, but it allows us to grow in our abilities while making more elaborate works. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when putting together something less intense feels just as rewarding. I think it’s the sense of accomplishment of having completed a work of art, which is how I view all quilts… works of art. There is no machine that does all the work, just a person or three and a lot of hard work.
Which part of the quilting/crafting process is your favorite?
So many times I plan on doing a project and get caught up doing something else, like a site I read that had the same subject “buriedinscraps.wordpress.com. So this evening I was looking at some of my unfinished projects and knew that I needed to get a move on to finish some. I decided to start with my old block of the month project from Joann Fabrics Arbor Lane.
Has anyone else out there worked on a project and as it was coming together felt their stomach drop through the floor? As soon as I started I realized that the measurements were all wrong. I was texting my wife and letting her know how disappointed I was in this, but that I was persevering in the face of adversity!!
“I AM going to complete this quilt” I keep telling myself, all the while thinking about the quilt I really want to be making. It’s not turning out horrible, but some of the blocks do NOT match up.
What do you do when things go wrong with your projects? This UFO isn’t complete yet, but by the end of this weekend it will be. I think the best way to complete these unfinished project is the same way you do anything else that’s overwhelming like eating an elephant… one bite at a time. After all, it really isn’t the rabbit that wins the race, it’s the turtle. Steady and with perseverance, at least that’s my .02 worth.
So as far as ease-ability of putting the Arbor Lane quilt from Joann Fabrics together?? 2 out of 5 stars. We’ll revisit once we’re completely done.
This is the second block in the series for Joann Fabrics Block of the Month “Persian Plum”. This block was a little more technical and has you sewing triangles together prior to joining the halves to form a square.
While not impossible to get the tips perfectly lined up, I would suggest pinning for best effect.
At the end of the first round of sewing you should end up with eight half squares.
Joining these together forms your four multicolored squares.
The finished square is well designed and I’ll say once again a beautiful set of colors. Look me up in another week where I’ll be putting block three together.
One of the books that I recently received was Quilting a Patchwork Garden. As I found time to open it up and review its pages, I came across the first quilt Sage Garden Patch. Wonderfully inspired I would highly recommend this pattern for a beautiful and easy project that will win over a beginner or an advanced quilter.
But quilt aren’t the only thing this book has instructions for, pillows, table runners, wall hangings, napkins, and more. The last 17 pages of this book have helpful hints and suggestions, it even has quilting designs. I recommend this book with 4 out of 5 stars.
The closet didn’t deserve pictures as it was chock-a-block full of camping gear and Christmas gear.
We spent our entire Saturday with the movers and rearranging the furniture. By the end of the day I could barely stand up straight anymore. The walls are still more-or-less bare, but the room now has a television/game systems, book shelf for quilt and other types of books, filing cabinet for patterns, and organizing unit for quick access to fabric squares.
The closet has been completely reworked to include all the fabric bins and craft bins, plus some of our quilts. We brought our old dining table in to continue to use as a surface to sew on until our new sewing tables arrive. here’s a look at some of the transformation.
As you may know my daughter has been on vacation and staying with us for the past three weeks. Her quilt top is still almost finished, her panels are sewn together and she’ll be taking it with her back to Kansas to finish it. We tried to find the border fabric she had selected but will end up buying it online.
I’m sad to see her go, but proud that she was able to accomplish so much for her first time quilting in-between relaxing and spending time with her parents. We sent her off with a cutting mat, rotary cutter, fabric scissors, and some new fabric. I hope this will spur her on to take her sewing machine out of the box and finish up her quilt. Maybe she’ll even want to start another afterwards.
Books quilts and sewing 