Just what I need - More inspiration!

My friend Karen finished this beauty. You may remember that she was working on the blocks on our annual retreat in June (here). She couldn’t have chosen a better border to frame these lovely blocks. You are killing me Karen! Now I want to make one.

Can somebody send me a few more hours in the day please!

Noah and Matilda sew-a-long

My second block, quilted and bound. I changed this one quite a bit as I want all of them to orient on point. I have quite a few antique pieces of these wonderful c1890 neon fabrics. The 4 corner blocks will have the real thing (as opposed to reproductions) on the back. I just love this backing fabric! 

This is the third corner block and is my favorite block in the quilt. 

before quilting

I can really relate to this designer. She was probably asked months in advance to make a block for this wonderful presentation gift and, like me, waited until the last minute. She scrounged what she had and drew the simplest design she could in order to finish in time to send it off. Yup, that’s me!

O.K., I just love this backing fabric too! 

I have lots of antique scraps so I hope to incorporate many of them in this quilt. There have been very few reproductions produced over the years and I snatch them up whenever I see them. I don’t know why I love these so much since I rarely use black in my quilts. These neons just speak to me. Maybe I do have a wild side after all (wink).

There are 42 appliqued blocks in this quilt so I need these crazy fabrics to keep me motivated! These wonderful patterns are available on Dawn's Blog (Collector With a Needle). 

Blockheads Revisited

With row #4 now complete, we are halfway there. I started this Moda Blockheads journey because I love the designers involved. Particularly Betsy Chutchian and Jo Morton. My friend Cyndi (Busy Thimble) introduced me to Jo Morton at our annual quilt show a few years back. She is as delightful as her quilts and fabrics. And ever since I bought my first Betsy Chutchian book (again, thanks to Cyndi) I have been in love with her quilts and color sense and now her fabrics.

Since it is only one block a week, I have not had a problem keeping up. I am doing this in the potholder method so that when the final block is announced, I will be 100% done! That is one of the reasons I love this method so much. It forces me to complete a quilt. I love how the back looks in the potholder method too. I have used mostly Betsy and Jo fabrics with a few splashes of others thrown in. 

It helps that all but the Jan Patek blocks are machine pieced and quilted. Jan’s applique designs are sweet and simple so it doesn’t take me long to applique and quilt them by hand. I like the fact that I have decided to stitch them together in order of publication. The setting isn't very exciting, but I like that it showcases each designer in a vertical row.

Check out the Moda website to see today's block. 

It has been a lot of fun so far and when it is over, this one will go on the auction block to another deserving cause.

Mother Load!!

Woohoo, look at this pile of deliciousness. I was the happy recipient of all of this from Rose (Something RoseMade) who is diligently working on stash depletion in 2017. At last count she was down over 50 yards (as with most of us it fluctuates up and down depending on how close we are to a quilt shop). 

There is an entire quilt here. All I need to do is continue on with these blocks and I have a completed top. 

As these are all my favorite (o.k., I have many favorites) Barbara Brackman prints, it will be a cinch to get the inspiration to finish them up.

Thanks again Rose!!!

And Happy Eclipse to all of you!

Noah and Matilda sew-a-long

So.. I have finally begun my Noah & Matilda journey. Read all about it on Collector with a Needle’s Blog (here). Dawn and her daughter have created some wonderful patterns for a number of antique treasures and this is one I have been wanting to start for a long time. 

Here is my first block, quilted and bound. I have chosen to make it in the potholder method (big surprise!). 

My color palette will be 1890 antique and reproduction neon fabrics. 

I am calling it "Noah and Matilda's Ruby Anniversary Cake". These fabrics would have been a popular choice at the time of their 40th wedding anniversary. Since my 40th anniversary will be in 2018, I thought it would be appropriate. I also like to give all my potholder quilts a title with some sort of cooking reference thus the word "cake". I modified the first block a bit by adding the circle in the center. Mainly because I made a bit of an error in the quilting which I wanted to cover up! 

This is going to be fun! Want to take the plunge? 

Kevin the Quilter's Sapphire Stars

August is my busiest month, but I was able to finish “clue #2” of Kevin’s Sapphire Stars mystery sew-a-long. This is my first mystery quilt ever. I just knew Kevin would make it fun and that it would be likely that it will make a super veteran’s quilt when finished.

Do you talk to yourself while sewing? I use little rhymes to help me place the pieces together correctly. For instance, when I was piecing these units together I was reciting “Blue on the red is what he said.” And then, “Red to the yellow said the smart fellow” (that’s you Kevin!). It helps to keep me in check. 

So… I don’t know what I was saying here – but it turns out that “red on the blue was a silly thing to do”!

When Randy (Barrister’sBlock) was visiting last week, she was surprised to find that I did not have a seam ripper (I actually have one, I just couldn’t find it). Unless I am working with precious antique fabrics or that last piece of an out of print fabric, I find it much faster and easier to simply toss it into the “orphan block box” and cut out a new one. They will have fun in there with all the other orphans and someday become another “Pot Luck” quilt.

 Take your time with clue #3 Kevin. Wink!

And, P.S., did you notice my new cutting mat? While at the show, Randy encouraged me to try this Martelli cutting mat and boy was she right! I love it! What a difference it makes. Thanks Randy for the nudge!