Category Archives: Sunflower

Little Sunflower

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The last of the red and white sunflowers for the red and white Feathered Star blocks is done. That’s not to say it’s the last sunflower I’ll be making as I love putting this block together and have Mr. Q.O.’s sunflowers to make. It’s a fun block to make and goes together rather quickly as there are lots of opportunities for continuous stitching.

It presses beautifully.

The feathers are all together for the final Feathered Star block so it won’t take long until I can put the centre of the quilt together.

I got behind in comments again and will try to get caught up over the next couple of days. I appreciate and read every comment and do try to reply.

Baxter sometimes sleeps with a paw up by his ear. It always makes me grab a camera to get a photo of his pose.

When he’s awake, he’s wide-eyed and investigating everything. It’s a treat to get a shot of him awake that’s not blurry.

Sunflower Combos

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Mr. Q.O. sat down with the stack of fabrics he previously chose and picked out 3 combos for the first of the sunflowers.

Guess I’ve got my work cut out for me getting the shapes printed and the first of these blocks started. As it turns out, it appears this week is a work-free week for me so I’ll have the time to get these started as well as finish a couple of things that didn’t get finished on the weekend.

I think this is my favourite of the combos he’s picked out so far.

Baxter, wide awake and posing for the camera. He’s so active that I always feel like it’s a feat to get a photo of him awake that’s not a blur of movement.

Sunflower

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While I’m still waiting for the white on white fabric to finish the Feathered Star/Sunflower blocks, I have enough to get the last two blocks done other than the outside large triangles and squares. So out came the pieces, and I got the sunflower for the second-last block done.

It presses beautifully.

When he looked at the finished sunflower block, Mr. Q.O. suggested an abstract sunflower quilt. If he picks out the fabrics for the blocks, I’ll make them.

Baxter is growing. We’re seeing changes almost daily. We were lucky to get a shot of him awake as it seems he’s either sleeping or tearing around investigating everything and playing.

Three Red and White Blocks

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Three red and white Feathered Star/Sunflower blocks, that is.  The more I stitch these, the more I’m enjoying them.  I’ve established a stitching sequence that is making them relatively quick to stitch by hand.  First I put together the “snake” of HSTs, squares and diamonds that form the feathers surrounding the kites.  That’s just lots and lots of continuous stitching, which makes the process a very quick one. Then I add the kites to the feathers, add the large QSTs to the sunflower centre and then stitch the kite/feathers around the sunflower block and all that’s then left is to add the outer squares and triangles and the block is done.

Three more blocks to go and I’ll have the six needed for the quilt top I’m making. I’ve started the next one and hope to finish it, except for the outer setting pieces, either tonight or Thursday night.

Don’t these shapes look intriguing?  They’re left over from cutting out Yin Yang shapes and the blades for the Dresden Plate I’m working on.  I can’t bring myself to throw them out as I keep thinking there has to be some use for them, particularly the sort of teardrop shape.  The smaller ones may just end up being glued to a blank greeting card to make some very original cards.

Tuesday night we think we discovered why Smudge pulled the toy basket over close to his kitty bed.  It was so he could use it as a pillow of sorts.

Red and White Feathered Stars

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Two of the Feathered Star/Sunflower blocks are complete and a third is almost finished.  After the third one is done, I’ll be only able to complete the stars without the setting squares and triangles as I’m waiting for more of the white fabric.  I’ll get the remaining stars ready so that when the fabric arrives I can quickly add the setting pieces and then start working on the border.

Along with working on a Feathered Star block Wednesday night, I got some more of the blades for the Dresden Plates cut as well as a couple of the arcs for the Pickled Ladies.

Wednesday it rained — again.  We seem to have had nothing but rain since Saturday and they say we’ll  have rain until this Saturday.  That will be almost a full week of rainy, rather cool weather.  I can’t wait for a couple of sunny warm days.  Wednesday night the fog was really pretty — the lights remain on all night in the offices in the tower across the roof garden, which seems incredibly wasteful, but they looked rather intriguing when seen through the fog.

Smudge was posing for the camera.

A Red and White Beginning

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The beginning, that is, of the largest of the red and white quilts I’m planning.  At least, so far it’s the largest of the ones I’m planning.  I couldn’t resist adding a sunflower to a feathered star and have the entire quilt planned out, including sashing and borders.  Curved piecing and continuous piecing — what more could I want?  It’s completely hand pieced and took about 3 evenings of stitching, on and off, while working on a few other things as well.

It presses like a dream and lays flat as can be.

Would I have attempted this block without Inklingo?  Not a chance!  With Inklingo, it’s not daunting at all as perfect stitching lines and matching points make a block like this easily achievable.

This quilt is demanding to be made quickly, I think, so there may be a lot of red and white seen on my blog over the next few weeks.  I can’t wait to get the blocks done so I can start with the pieced sashing and border.

I had a migraine on Tuesday that pretty much kept me off the computer as I was finding it difficult to focus on anything.  Hopefully I’ll get caught up on comments and replies to comments over the next couple of days.  I’m working as a registrar today and tomorrow so my computer time will be limited.

It was a grey overcast day on Tuesday.  Smudge found a cozy spot to have a cat nap.

Red and White Again

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One more of the red and white blocks was finished late last week for a grand total of four so far.  I was going to set them with plain white 6″ squares in between, but now that I see them side by side I rather like the effect.  A lot more blocks need to be made before I make that decision.

I couldn’t resist making a red and white 6″ sunflower block.  This is definitely a favourite block to make for me.  Putting the ring of diamonds and triangles together takes no time thanks to continuous stitching.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll end up with sunflowers as the alternate block for the other blocks.

The back of the little sunflower.

A close-up of Smudge relaxing on the couch Wednesday evening.

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Spectacular Sunflower, Day 3

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My first sunflower block turned out as wonderfully as I had hoped.  I used shapes from both the 6-inch and 12-inch collections so that I could make the double sunflower.

While I was stitching, I was taking pictures of the continuous stitching sequence that I’m using but unfortunately none of them turned out well enough to post.   I’m going to make a second block and Mr. Q.O. will take over the photography duties so that the photos are clear.  I will post them either on the weekend or on Monday.

It presses like a dream and the block lies wonderfully flat.

The block finishes at 12″.  I’m going to make one more block using these fabrics and then play around with some border ideas using shapes from the collections.  And then?  Well, then I’m going to make a sunflower variation using perhaps some batiks or maybe I’ll make a red and white quilt.  The possibilities are endless.  I’m glad I decided to make these blocks first as it has made it easier to sort out think about the design I’ll use for a larger quilt.

Two kitty close-ups .  First Lester.

Then Smudge.

Spectacular Sunflower, Day 2

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While I had hoped to get the first sunflower completed Wednesday night, we were out for a while at a friend’s and there just wasn’t enough time.  Stitching these shapes is an absolute delight!  They go together quite easily, without any issues.  Normally, I’d join the two rounds of diamonds and triangles together before adding them to the fussy cut centre.  The second round of diamonds and triangles is started, as shown.  I can’t wait to see it finished.  The fabric I’m using for the background is going to, I think, really frame the sunflower rather fabulously.

This is how the centre looks with just the one row of diamonds and triangles added.  If I were going to make a 6″ block, all I’d be adding now would be background.  However, I’m adding the further round of triangles and diamonds and my block will finish at 12″.

The back, after pressing.

Lester was looking at something I was holding just above the camera while Mr. Q.O. took the photo.

Smudge had been at the water bowl shortly before this shot was taken.  As usual, he was putting his whole head into the water bowl and then catching the water as it dripped down his face. I think if you click on the picture to enlarge it you can still see some water droplets on his fur.

Spectacular Sunflowers

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Two new collections were released yesterday for Sunflower — a 6 and a 12-inch version.  With the permission of Linda Franz, the inventor of Inklingo, I grabbed the above shot, which can be seen at the  Sunflower Gallery of Quilts — it’s just one of many options shown on that gallery and they’re well worth looking at.  These shapes really are exciting to me as the design possibilities with them are seemingly endless. I know I’ll be making more than one quilt using these shapes.

As soon as the collections were released and I had a few minutes to review the Sunflower Design Book , which is absolutely fabulous, I had my fabrics picked out and had printed the shapes for two blocks.  The design book is, for now, free and is well worth downloading as it’s absolutely stuffed full of great tips about techniques to stitch a sunflower.  If you click on the above picture to enlarge it, you can see the printed stitching and cutting lines and the matching points.

I started making the first of the two circles of diamonds and triangles and can’t wait to play with the design possibilities with other fabrics.  The diamonds in this circle are .74″.   Lots and lots of continuous stitching possibilities and, of course, curved piecing.  I couldn’t ask for anything more. The ideas are just flying through my mind!

It presses like a dream too — the back of what I’ve done so far.  It’s going to be so exciting to put the first block together that I can’t wait to finish it.

Smudge was not so impressed until I sat down on the couch and he could drape himself over my legs while I started to stitch.  Then he was happy.

Lester looks as though he was studying the design, watching as I stitched.