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Archive for the tag “Sapphire”

20 Aug 2012
8 Comments

Blue Pinwheel is Pieced!!

No, I don’t know why it’s taken me soooo long to finish piecing this quilt.  Call it quilter’s block, which is the term I use rather than the real culprit which I’m sure boils down to laziness…  Well maybe 98% laziness and 2% quilter’s block.

Whatever the reason, I’ve finally managed to finish this quilt top and because I did not follow a pattern ended up with a king sized quilt due in part to the double 4″ borders I thought would look good.  I obviously am not finished with run-on sentences either!  This is, I believe, the largest quilt that I’ve made to date.

Here’s an up-close look at this quilt that has taken me the longest to make.

 

Now, the points are not perfect and it won’t win any awards, but I’ve learned another valuable lesson on the importance of using only one machine to make the different pieces.  Kay and I have different sewing techniques and obviously use different machines.  She helped me piece ten of the blocks together and that introduced some variations that played hell with trying to line up everything.  Now I’m not placing blame, only stating that I have yet to learn for a quilt such as this how to “play nice” with another quilter and get the desired result.

Also in this pattern, when sewing the blocks together there are eight different points that need to line up which presents another challenge.  Normally I would have to make sure that all of the blocks are the exact size and then pin them prior to sewing to give me beautiful uniformity.  When there are eight points that need to match however, block size is only one component to a beautifully pieced quilt.

With all that said, I am still and all very pleased with how this turned out and can’t wait to get it quilted down and bound.  Speak out and tell me the challenges that you’ve faced!  Until then, happy quilting…

Posted in Blogs, Daily and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
25 Jul 2012
6 Comments

Heidi Grace Panels are done!

While getting ready to finish the top for the “Acadia” Heidi Grace fabrics quilt, I had received a call to pick the other quilt up from my new Long Arm quilter. I did manage to finish all of the panels before I left and have put them out on the bed to get a sense of what it will look like when finished.

Tonight I will hopefully have the time to finally finish sewing the top together. I still have so many other irons in the fire however that I might not be able to get the back together until the weekend. I feel a little bad because I’m already thinking about the next quilt I’m going to make! Focus, focus, focus should be my mantra!

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19 Jul 2012
2 Comments

A look at my future quilt

I know I’ve talked about it a little before, but what is on my mind right now is the Heidi Grace quilt that I’m putting together.  Half of the panels are done and even though it’s slow going during the week, I’m still at it.  Kay has a nasty cold that she’s been battling with lately and I’m not the best caregiver but I’m trying to take some of the dinner making and house cleaning duties off her shoulder while she gets well.

So I wanted to post a few more pictures of the Arcadia quilt in progress and here they are:

 

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18 Jul 2012
2 Comments

Patience and Anticipation

A funny thing happened last night that I was reticent to talk about without the approval of my spouse.  I asked her only because I am making fun of both of us, but didn’t want to offend her by including it in my post.  She of course approved of my using it because she’s fantastic.

I had to do some work from home last night and knew that I wouldn’t be able to do too much on the quilt that I’m finishing.  All of the blocks are together, all that’s needed is to piece the blocks together to make the panels and then sew the panels together.  Two of the panels are complete, but rather than have the expectations of finishing during the week, I’m trying to be realistic and have the patience to finish this weekend when I have more time.

After my work was completed and dinner was finished, we went back into the sewing room for the last hour of the night before we went to sleep to get a little sewing in…  After I’ve sewn my first strip to join two blocks together, I realize that I’ve sewn the strip on the wrong side of the block (with this pattern there is no way I could leave it in and make it work).  Now I have to say that on occasion this happens to me, but with this quilt… let’s just say that it is chronic.  It was at this point that Kay looking over at me and my “new” difficulties and makes fun.

Kay suggested that I give it up for the night and laughed a little at the continuing difficulty that I’ve had with this quilt.  Sewing blocks and strips to the wrong sides, forgetting to use the 1/4″ selection of the machine, and other trials I’ve faced while making this quilt.  I was thinking (you could actually see the gears move) of something pithy to reply to her when I looked down and saw that she was using the wrong sewing foot for what she was working on!!  What ensued at that point was nothing less than storm of cursing at our machines and the collective fate of our two quilts.

We could have given up at this point, but given our nature we hunkered down, brought out two seam rippers, and proceeded to “fix” our mistakes.  Rather than stopping afterwards, we completed what we had started before finally going to bed.  I had finished another panel, number three out of eight.  I realized though that I’m kind of enjoying the time that it’s taking to finish this quilt.  I happen to be making it for myself and think that as I use the finished quilt this Autumn, I will appreciate it that much more knowing as I do the time and patience I’ve had to have with it.  All of the effort I’ve put in leaves me feeling a great anticipation for what this quilt will be when it grows up.

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02 Jul 2012
6 Comments

Persian Plum Block of the Month 6

I did everything I promised myself I would do this weekend.  Yes!!!  The Arbor Lane quilt is finished and I’ll post a pic of that one tomorrow along with the nursery quilt that I also finished.  I even had time to start the week out right by finishing and being able to post this morning the Joann Fabrics Persian Plum block of the month quilt block #6.

This was an interesting block of flying geese.  I will mention right now that no matter how I sew this together I’ve never quite go the hang of having the finished size come out good.  The length is always correct, but the height is off by 1/4″ almost every time.  We persevere though, don’t we?

It came complete as has all the blocks to this point.  The measurements were correct and the instructions clear.  The colors I will still say are the most striking aspect of this quilt and flying geese is the motif.

Then we just sew them in the correct configuration for the block

Le me know how yours turned out.  Mine ended up being about a 1/4″ off, but I’ll fix that when I go to put them all together.  Here’s the comparison to the way it’s supposed to turn out.

Posted in Block of the Month, Daily, Reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
30 Jun 2012
4 Comments

Making Handkerchiefs

I set out last night to slay another dragon.  I’ve always love the handkerchief, though I haven’t always carried one with me.  I’ve thought about making them for some time.  When I had gone to the Dallas quilt show I picked up some civil war era fabric.  I must have only purchased five fat quarters which really isn’t enough to make into anything, but I really liked the look and feel of it.

After work I headed to the sewing room with a purpose… Kay was as usual embroiled in one of her wonderful craft projects but saw I had a head of steam going and asked what I was planning to do.  Out came the implements of destruction: iron, ironing board, cutting mat, rotary cutter, and fabric… actually it was some test fabric that although it’s nice, I wasn’t worried about how it came out.

It turned out to be a good thing I did use the “test” fabric.  I cut the fabric 12″ X 12″ and ended up with a too small 10″ X 10″ hanky when done.  I had also sewn a couple up for Kay and measured that fabric 8″ X 8″, which turns out to be big enough for a coaster not a handkerchief.  It wasn’t a total loss however, as I was able to perfect (in my humble opinion) my technique and get the stitches to look exactly how I wanted.

Out came the civil war era fabric and I stitched it all up.  On a side note, the 10″ X 10″ fabric turned out to be the perfect size for Kay’s handkerchiefs and she’s going to use the 8″ X 8″ fabric for another of her projects.  I’ve determined since they came out looking so well of monogramming them with hand embroidery, or finding someone to machine embroider a monogram to them!  Happy Quilting!!

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27 Jun 2012
2 Comments

Persian Plum Block 5… almost half-way there!!

I’m so happy today that I was able to get accomplished the behemoth task of working late today and still managing to get the block finished and sew on the binding for my Arbor Lane quilt. Of course I’ve probably stayed up a little later than I normally would to make sure I could finish this. So here it is:

This block had a little more assembly, but went together fairly easily and finished 12 1/2 x 12 1/2.

And underneath was the fabric I used to bind the Arbor Lane.

Then a little trimming and some more sewing

and finally…

Posted in Block of the Month, Blogs, Daily, How to, Reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
25 Jun 2012
2 Comments

Almost but not quite!

If you’ve been following my attempts at quilting then you know that binding the quilts is one of my favorite things to do.  It is the ending, the completion that seems to make the whole process worthwhile.  I am by nature ambitious and set out this weekend to cram finish three quilt bindings in one weekend.  That was the plan…  I even had the hubris to say that I might try to do something else, like put one of the nursery quilts together as well.

Binding a quilt the way that I’ve chosen to bind my quilts is a stately process.  You really can’t hurry it along as I was trying to do and if you did, I don’t know that I would like the finished product at all.  It is a methodical, beautiful, measured, process and if I can be so bold as to quote one of my quilting friends, “neck down work”.

I started with the Christmas quilt since I had finished piecing it back in March, the my green Sage Garden Quilt since I am to surprise a friend with it tonight!!  EEEEK!!  The Arbor Lane quilt, which is by far the larger of the three quilts will have to wait until next weekend.

I didn’t even create the binding yet, let-alone sew it to the quilt.  It’s still on the couch mocking me for my overly ambitious plan.  I did take out one of the nursery quilt kits to see what I will have in store for me this week.  My plan (don’t laugh) is to try to finish it by the end of the week.

On a side note, I never did finish the mini quilt for the swap due to the fact that I sewed the first half at 3/8″ and the second half at 1/4″ seam…  but that’s a different story.  Until next time, happy quilting!!

Posted in Daily, Quilt Swap and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
20 Jun 2012
7 Comments

Jelly Rolls and Persian Plum Block 4

At lunch I slipped out to buy something from the fabric store, not out of need but there are a lot of sales going  on and I just had to.  After almost an hour of trying to decide between fabrics I ran across some jelly rolls.  I used my last one that I received for Christmas for a quilt that my son absconded with recently.  As I have no other jelly rolls at hand, I wanted to get some should the mood strike me.  Let’s be honest, can you really ever have enough fabric?

On to Block 4 of the Persian Plum BOTM

So now onto the new block.  This was definitely one of the easiest I had the pleasure of putting together!  And the colors as usual were stunning and magnificent.  If you were looking for a beautiful block this one turned out rather well.  There is some cutting involved, so be aware.

And the finished piece!!  Block 4 of 12, hey that’s means we’re already 1/3 the way there.

Posted in Block of the Month, Daily, Reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
16 Jun 2012
2 Comments

The Bobbin Surprise

Among the things that give me pause while quilting is the sewing machine bobbin. It’s the red-headed step-child of the sewing machine.  It is busily doing all of these wonderful things behind the scenes and rarely (did I say rarely?) complaining. As much as I remember to check my top thread, I’m almost always surprised when the bobbin runs out. The thing is… it doesn’t even upset me when it happens.

While piecing together a top furiously… (can you imagine yourself in action?) Three times in a row, the bobbin ran out at the end of what I was sewing, so no inconvenience encountered. At times however, I am so intent on sewing straight and managing the fabric while it goes though the machine that I don’t realize that for the last yard and a half the bobbin was empty!

I HAD an excuse when I was using my Singer Brilliance machine. There was no way to know while sewing as it the bobbin is enclosed for that model. Using the Viking Sapphire though leaves me with no excuse other than I like to gamble. It is a top-load bobbin with a see-through window so you can check see the bobbin on the fly.

One of my other peccadilloes is to wind two bobbins at a time. I know that I’ll still have to stop and change it out when it runs out. It feels though like it will be quicker than having to wait to wind it every time it runs dry.  Do you have OCD about certain things while sewing?  You heard it hear first from my, mine is “The Bobbin Surprise”!  Happy Quilting.

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