Setting Idea

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The little ’30s blocks have been sitting for a few days, although more drawings have been prepared by Mr. Q.O. for embroidery. But yesterday, thanks to a new 2″ and 4″ equilateral triangle Inklingo collection, I came up with a setting idea for them. Of course, I couldn’t resist quickly printing and adding some of the 2″ triangles to the three embroidered 2″ hexagons done so far and then started playing with the setting. I am going to try, I think, to use just two different ’30s fabrics for the triangles. I’m relatively sure that I didn’t use either of those fabrics for the various pieces I’ve printed for the half hexagons and diamonds that were previously printed so I think it will work.

I had been playing with setting ideas but nothing really stood out as a great idea. The triangles changed all that. This is going to be a fun and relatively fast quilt to put together.

Now the little frog is a froggy star!

And, of course, it presses beautifully.

There are some fabulous design ideas in the collection using the 2″ and 4″ triangles together, with diamonds and with hexagons. I was immediately inspired by some border ideas. And some small quilt ideas. And — well, you get the idea. I’m always amazed at just how quickly the ideas start to flow when I see new shape collections.

I didn’t get around to replying to any comments yesterday or visiting any blogs. I will get caught back up today. Yesterday I got caught up in work and then Mr. Q.O. was having computer problems, so the iPad was taken over by him. After a long read, I tend to want to flee the big computer and only use the iPad. Amazing how fast I’ve gotten used to using it. Now I can’t imagine not having one.

Baxter was curled up on the couch. Mr. Q.O. captioned it, “She hid the fabric bits and I got tired looking for them.”

A UFO Gets New Life!

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I’ve talked about this book before, Ontario’s Heritage Quilts, and how much I love looking through it. When I first got a copy of the book years ago, I immediately fell in love with a Drunkard’s Path quilt.

But not just any Drunkard’s Path quilt. Oh, no. It had to be one made with 2″ blocks and that would take 832 of those tiny blocks to make.

I made my freezer paper templates and traced them on to ’30s fabrics and muslin and pieced those little blocks for a couple of months. But slowly the tracing of the templates became less and less appealing and harder on my hands. And so into this box the completed little blocks went. And, until last night, the box wasn’t opened again for a number of years.

Last night the light bulb moment occurred and I realized I could use the Inklingo 2″ Drunkard’s Path collection to finish the quilt. I immediately went on a hunt for the box, found it, opened it and was thrilled to realize I already have around 300 of the blocks done.

I grabbed a piece of muslin and a scrap of a ’30s print and had enough printed to make 8 blocks in the time it would have taken me to trace the two shapes for one block. Now I know I can finish the quilt that I have had my heart set on ever since I first saw the quilt in the book. I am over the moon excited about this!

Eight blocks were made last night. Mr. Q.O. timed it and it takes me about 5 to 6 minutes to piece each block. Over the next few weeks I’ll pull out the ’30s fabrics I have and print on them and on the muslin. And eventually I’ll have that quilt made.

For fun I put two of the blocks I pieced last night with two of the blocks from the box for this photograph. They’re going to go together perfectly. The only way to tell the Inklingo printed blocks from the others is that they have the rounded corners and, of course, don’t have the pencil marks on the back from my tracing of the templates. Instead I have the perfect lines printed by Inklingo. So now new life has been given to a UFO that I think would likely have ended up as a doll’s quilt as I couldn’t face tracing those templates over and over again.

While I was flying from the iron to the printer to print the shapes, I glanced over at the couch and noticed Baxter sound asleep like this. I think this may be one of Baxter’s first almost headless cat poses. Mr. Q.O. captioned it, “The Amazing Clingo!” How he stayed up like that is beyond me. Guess the quilt has magical holding powers on kitties.

A Different New York Beauty

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This is the first of seven New York Beauty blocks that will be made using these fabrics. I have a plan for a small doll/teddy bear quilt. Oh, who am I kidding? I just really wanted to see how the block would look in a more muted colourway. Now I know. I don’t think there’s a set of fabrics that wouldn’t be fabulous for NYB. I still have plans to play with batiks and Fassett prints and shabby chic and who knows what else. I can’t get over how quick a block this is to hand piece. It’s easy to piece one an hour.

Seams graded and pressed. One thing is noticeable. This is an ordinary quilters’ cotton while the Tiffany lamp fabrics have a metallic element to them. The ordinary cotton presses flatter with less effort. This block got the Baxter seal of approval – he licked it!

A question was asked yesterday about how I use Inklingo, whether it is to print the shapes on fabric or to print templates to trace. So I thought I’d show on a couple of fabrics just how perfectly the shapes print right on the back of the fabric. First on a light fabric. Oops — thought we had taken the picture before I started cutting but quickly realized we hadn’t. The smaller arc is the only thing missing from this sheet. If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you can see the stitching and cutting lines and matching points and crosshairs.

And then on a dark one. There are lots of ink colours from which to choose for each fabric. That said, I’ve been using Inklingo long enough that I can pretty much group the fabrics I’m printing and use certain ink colours for each group. I do tend to use the reds more than anything else as the red ink always seems to rinse out in seconds, although I always do a test sheet when I change ink cartridges just in case the manufacturers have improved their inks.

For the NYB blocks, I’m using one of the combo sheets. In this case, it’s the combo sheet which has all the shapes for a block. Each of the blocks will be slightly different as a result. For identical blocks, I would print each shape separately on the fabrics. In the case of the New York Beauty blocks, I print every shape on my fabrics as I’m hand piecing.

For some other blocks, particularly those using HSTs or QSTs, I might only print on one of the fabrics, in this photo on a muslin, and then use those lines to stitch by machine as shown for the sailboat blocks here.

When we were setting up to take the missing picture of the light fabric, Baxter decided he had to lie down on the fabric first. There’s nothing he loves more than a piece of fabric to paw at and possibly lick. Mr. Q.O. captioned this one, “Well, I’m helping, aren’t I?”

And Then There Were Five

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Five New York Beauty blocks, that is. These are far, far, far, too addictive to stitch. Weekends are my “play” time away from the red and white quilt. Did I stitch anything but New York Beauty blocks this weekend? No, not a chance! Dreamt about them, as a matter of fact. I wonder if that’s a bad sign, that I’m now dreaming about these blocks. In different colours, different types of fabrics. I’m wondering what they might look like in batiks with Fassett prints. Or, of course, with my favourite shabby chic fabrics. The possibilities seem truly endless. For now I’m having fun making my Tiffany lamp quilt. But I have a feeling the box with the Fassett prints may come out to play … soon!

It presses perfectly and I am continuing with my (finally learned) good habit of grading the seams as soon as I finish a block.

Remember how thrilled I was with the wonderful warm weather in March? I think it was tempting the fates! The forecast for today is rain possibly mixed with … I don’t believe this … snow! I’m threatening to not open the drapes if there’s the possibility of seeing white flakes at the end of April. I hope the poor plants that have started to come up out on the roof garden survive this. Not to mention the butterflies that I’ve seen over the past few days. This is truly a topsy-turvy year as far as weather goes. No winter, summer in March and now … what, winter in April?

Baxter is fascinated by the little box in this photo. Why? Possibly because one night I forgot to put the lid on it. In that box are the ’30s hexagon blocks. While we slept, he merrily picked out piece after piece and left a trail of pieces for us to find in the morning. No harm was done. He just seems to love carting little pieces around and dropping them on the floor. I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t carry them to drop in his water bowl. And yes, I did do a count and know that none are missing. But ever since that night, he keeps his eye on the box hoping, I suppose, that I’m forgetful again.

Another Quilt in Waiting

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It has been … this is embarrassing … over four years since this was basted. And yet it still isn’t quilted. Thankfully, it’s thread basted rather than pinned! I love this quilt – it is another in which I mixed and matched just about everything I had – batiks and novelties, brights and shabby chic. If the fabrics played nicely together in an individual diamond, I was happy. There is absolutely no reason this has languished this long waiting to be finished. I know how I want to quilt the plain setting diamonds. I know how I want to quilt the sashing. What I’m not a hundred per cent sure about is how I want to quilt the pieced diamonds. But as soon as Ferris Wheel is finished, this will be next in the hoop. The photo was taken years ago when a neighbour helped me (that’s me on the right) hold it, out on the roof garden, just shortly after I finished piecing the top. It is entirely hand pieced and contains all the diamonds from Linda Franz’ Quilted Diamonds 2 book. The pieced diamonds measure 4″ by 7″.

This is a close-up of part of the top.

Here are a few of the individual diamonds, in no particular order.  This duck diamond always makes me laugh.

As does this kitty diamond. A lot of fussy cutting was done so I could get the mouse, the paw prints, the ball of yarn and the kitty centred in each of their respective pieces.

I love the brightness of this star.

The oval diamond has one of my favourite floral fabrics in it.

The butterfly diamond is another of my favourites. As I look at some of these photos I realize I fussy cut for just about every single one of the diamonds. It sounds like a lot, but it was actually a lot of fun. And it’s going to be a lot more fun to start quilting them and get this finished.

The only challenge is going to be finding the perfect binding fabric. It has been so many years that I doubt I’ll find the batik that was used for the sashing anywhere. There’s a funny story that goes with the sashing. I had my stack of diamonds and was going to a quilt shop where I would be meeting a number of quilters, including one who hand-dyed fabrics. She took the stack of diamonds, quickly looked through them, walked to the front of the store and, before I could turn around, had picked the batik off the shelf. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.

Baxter definitely knows how to relax. I wonder if he’s going to want to claim my Quilted Diamonds quilt as his.

My First Applique Quilt

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While I work on the red and white quilt, I thought I’d revisit some older quilts. Tuesday we took this one out to the roof garden for a photo. It was made about 12 years ago — I didn’t date the label and have no notes about it anywhere, so am just guessing. It was my first appliqué quilt and was based on a pattern in a McCall’s Vintage Quilts magazine, although I did amend it somewhat. The blocks are 15″ and the quilt finished at about 66″ by  81″. It was pieced, appliquéd and quilted by hand. The only time the sewing machine was used was to attach the binding.

When I look at it now I get a laugh out of the fabrics – I mixed up everything in it. Muslin was used for the background. There are batiks, ’30s prints, florals, checks, you name it in the plates. I wasn’t following any rules about what goes with what. It was just what appealed to me and I thought played nicely together. I remember using a dinner plate to cut the corners of the quilt so that they’d be curved. That was my first time working with a bias binding and I loved it! In fact, I’ve pretty much always gone for bias bindings ever since then.

As this more current (and still being quilted) quilt that I’ve called Ferris Wheel shows, Dresden Plate quilts are something to which I’m really drawn. I’m contemplating a third one now. But now they are so much easier. No more tracing templates over and over. I just print my shapes with the Inklingo Dresden Plate collections. I was playing with some design ideas last night for another one, using EQ, and I think that it’s not too far off. First of course, I have to finish the red and white and my Tiffany lamp New York Beauty (which won’t be very big).  And start the quilt I’ve designed using the fabrics I won in the Love the Lines contest. And finish Pickled Ladies. And finish … oh, okay. The list is endless.

Baxter doesn’t care what else I make. He has his quilt now. Just about every evening he curls up on it.

Scrappy Star Top Finished — Maybe

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Actually it was finished on the weekend but we couldn’t get a good photo of it until yesterday. On the weekend it was too rainy and the grass on the roof garden too wet. Monday it was too windy and the top would have flown off, never to be seen again. Yesterday it was still a bit breezy and rather chilly, but we managed to get a shot of it laid out on the grass of the roof garden. One of these days I’ve got to sort out a way to have a permanent design wall. This waiting for the weather to be just right is a pain! We were lucky to get this shot of it as the wind kept threatening to pick it up.

It’s a good thing it was finished on the weekend before the New York Beauty collection came out. Otherwise, it might have been a week or so longer before it was finished.

Why maybe in the title? Because as it is now it’s a small lap quilt, measuring about 50 x 58. Mr. Q.O. likes it just the way it is. I’m tempted to add one more plain border all around and make it about 60 x 68. But for all intents and purposes, the top is finished because even if I do decide to add that final plain border it won’t take longer than an afternoon.

Now to choose a binding. I’m thinking something very dark to frame it. I like to choose the binding at this stage and get it made and ready, along with the label.

It is hand pieced except the plain borders. They were stitched by machine. But when it came time to add the final pieced border, I stitched that on by hand.

I know how I want to quilt the large plain borders. But the rest of it? That I’m still working on. I’m tempted to just quilt in the ditch around the squares in each round of the star.

It was made with shapes from the free Inklingo collection, except for the cornerstones in the final border. For those, I needed a 2.25″ square in a square and used shapes from the 6.75″ Storm at Sea collection.

I worked on another of the pieced blocks for the red and white Feathered Star/Sunflower border last night, although I was terribly tempted to play with another New York Beauty block. That New York Beauty block is just way too much fun to make! My ideas list using it is growing practically by the hour.

The crab apple tree on the roof garden is starting to look very pink. I can’t wait for the blossoms to appear as it really is a beautiful sight and the scent is wonderful.

I had tossed my sweater over the loveseat. I know better. The minute a piece of clothing is tossed there, Baxter is immediately on it making sure it has its fair share of kitty fur.

Another New York Beauty

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Of course I couldn’t resist making a second one! These are way too addictive to stitch to stop at just one! Or two. Or a dozen. I’m already planning on making this one a 16-block little quilt. At least. Maybe more. I will try to stop after a couple more, though, and get back to the red and white quilt. Try is the operative word there.

There are so many setting options with this block. I could put them side by side, like this.

Or on point, like this.

Or beside one another like this.

Or like this. However I decide to set them, this is going to be known as my Tiffany lamp quilt. My mother loved Tiffany lamps, as do I, and these blocks definitely remind me of the Tiffany lamp we had in our kitchen when I was growing up.

Yesterday morning the ideas were just flying through my mind with so many possibilities for this block!  I already know I’ll be making more than one quilt using these shapes, probably more than a few. My ideas book has almost a page full of notes on this one. I can’t get over how easy they are to put together. Loads of opportunities for continuous stitching and some wonderful curved piecing. This block has it all!

Baxter came to help when we were starting to take photos. Mr. Q.O. dubbed this one “The Critic”.

And this was his “official” first birthday portrait.

New York Beauty Beginnings and a Birthday

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What more is there to say? New York Beauty. An absolutely fabulous quilt block. A new 6″ New York Beauty Collection was released yesterday and I absolutely could not resist making a block right away. It took no time to stitch. The curves are very gentle, the points so sharp — it just is utterly fantastic. This block will go along with seven others and is destined to be a small wall quilt, but I have plans for a larger size quilt using the block in combination with some others.

It presses like a dream and lies flat as can be. And I graded the seams the minute I was through stitching it. I’ve learned that lesson all too well now!

There are combo pages one can print. As I decided to use eight different fabrics for the small wall quilt, I used one of the combo pages and was able to print all the shapes for a block on each of the eight fabrics using a piece that’s only 8.5 x 12.5 inches. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see that all the shapes for one block are printed on the piece of fabric.

New York Beauty is a design I have wanted to work with for ages so as soon as the collection was released I stopped what I was doing, grabbed some fabrics, cut and ironed them to freezer paper, printed and then was well on my way to having the first block done. Mr. Q.O. was told nothing else was getting done until I had that block finished. He’s used to this. When a new collection is released, I just about drop everything to make that first block. I know I go on about Inklingo, but I really can’t fathom doing this block any other way. No specialty rulers, no odd angles to worry about, no paper piecing that I’d have to pick off afterwards – just print, cut and stitch. It couldn’t be simpler! My block is hand pieced, as that’s my preferred way of stitching, but I’m sure it’s just as easy to machine piece.

Baxter is one year old today. It’s hard to believe that this little kitten who came into our lives late last June is now one year old.

And posing by the toy basket. Mr. Q.O.’s caption for this one, “Birthday Boy … more toys, food … it’s my birthday!”

Whimsical Stitcheries

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This idea has been in the works for a week or so. Mr. Q.O. draws some fabulously fun creatures, so I asked if some could be drawn for the little hexagon quilt. So far he has drawn four or five and I’ve then traced them on to 2″ hexagons, which I had already printed and cut out. Three got stitched last night – a turtle, fish and frog. There are other fish and various other creatures who will show up periodically as I turn them into little 2″ embroidered hexagons.

The final layout of this is still far from decided, but I’m thinking it will be a small cot quilt when it’s done. It’s fun to do a few stitchery blocks from time to time.

We ran into a former neighbour who had some really exciting news. She has been accepted into the Nurse Practitioner Ph.D. program at Yale. Mr. Q.O. knew, before I said it, that I was going to decide she needs a lap quilt to take along with her to remind her of her time in Toronto. I think a fair amount of time is going to be spent on the weekend looking at possible design ideas.

Mr. Q.O. captioned this shot, “The Critic.” The minute we start setting up to take photos, Baxter’s right there.