Jagged Edges

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Something completely unusual for me — a completely machine-pieced block. Last week I was leafing through Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns and this block, called Jagged Edges, caught my eye. I decided to make it using 2″ HSTs and squares. The block finishes at 16″. I got out a handful of batiks and hand-dyed fabrics and think I’ll make enough of these blocks for a lap quilt.

It took me only a minute or two to print the HSTs and I was off to the races. Sew on the stitching lines, cut the HSTs apart, stitch the units together into rows and rows together and it was done. I’m already playing with design ideas for a border.

The plans I had for stitching on the weekend weren’t met, thanks to some rather nasty hand pain and then a migraine, but I’m pleased I got the first of the Jagged Edges blocks done as well as finishing the fifth of the Feathered Star/Sunflower blocks and a couple of the shabby chic Yin Yang blocks.

For the first time we’ve got a bird’s nest in the tree outside the living room window, a robin’s nest to be precise. I wondered why the robins were hanging out in that tree so much, and now I know. It has been rather wonderful to be able to watch the adult robins feeding the babies.

While we’re not sure if Baxter has spotted the activity in the tree, he has been spending a fair bit of time on the windowsill watching something out on the roof garden.

Fabric Choices

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The weekend plan includes making some blocks using these fabrics. There’s an idea for a small quilt that’s begging to be made so last night I pulled some batik and hand-dyed fabrics that will be in the 12 blocks I plan on making. I’m planning to stitch them on the machine and am hoping that I can get all 12 done quickly and then put the little top together. There are a lot of tiny HSTs (half-inch ones, actually) in each block. I may decide to use a black fabric instead of the white.

My plans for the long weekend are almost all quilt-related. Along with the blocks mentioned above, there’s one quilt I want to get quilted (machine quilting), a top I want to finish and perhaps get basted, a top I want to baste and perhaps start the quilting of and a few design ideas I’m dying to play with.

While putting the fabrics out on the board to photograph, a little helper arrived to investigate.

Baxter seems to prefer to sleep with his front paws up around his ears. Makes us laugh every time.

Summer Plates

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The centre of the Summer Plates top is together. The corner blocks for the border are done. With any luck, the entire top will be finished this weekend. That is one of my goals for the long weekend. The picture isn’t great as I was holding it up out of kitty reach. Baxter has decided that fabric is something he absolutely has to bite, which is making stitching of any sort rather challenging.

Another Dresden Plate variation is definitely in my future. The fabrics for it are tentatively picked out and I think I know which blades I want to use. Having all the variations that are available in the Fancy Pieced Dresden Plate Collection makes it impossible to resist making a third one.

Last night I was working on the red and white stars and ended up unstitching almost as much as I had stitched. Trying to keep things out of kitty reach and watching the baseball game at the same time as I was stitching wasn’t working out too well.

After a few attempts at getting at the red and white stars, Baxter was crashed on the pink chair.

And a photo of him from the day before when he had claimed Mr. Q.O.’s computer chair as his and was awake. Getting photos of him awake is a bit of a challenge as he is usually dashing around, which would make for nothing but a very blurry photo.

Thank you to everyone who offered ideas on the bobbin-winding problem. I think the problem is solved now.

Sunflower Fabrics & A Question

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Mr. Q.O. started picking out fabrics last night for sunflower blocks. So far these are the fabrics he likes, although the specific combinations aren’t settled on yet. These are going to be very vibrant sunflowers. There’s a stack of other fabrics that he’s still considering, so this group is bound to grow.

I’m getting ready to do some machine piecing this weekend, as well as some machine quilting. Yes, I said I’m going to do some machine piecing. I went through the Jinny Beyer Album of Patchwork Patterns and found a few blocks that will be quick (I hope) to make by machine.

Which brings me to the question. When I started to wind a couple of bobbins, this happened. It isn’t the first time that thread has wound on to a bobbin like this. Last spring when I went to Creativ Festival, I talked to one of the vendors in the Pfaff booth about it and she suggested that I hook the thread under the thread guide as it fed to the bobbin while winding. That clearly didn’t work for me. Does anybody have a solution to this? I have a Pfaff 1472.

Two Baxter photos today. A few minutes before this photo was taken, he was tearing around playing with toys, leaping on furniture and then, all of a sudden, he was sound asleep on the kitty scratcher which is also being used as something to chew. I don’t think it’s going to be long before it has to be replaced.

Earlier in the day, I got this shot of him in Mr. Q.O.’s computer chair.

Corner Plates

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The main body of the Summer Plates top is put together. Now I’m working on the border, which will include corner plates like this one. It’s going to be a small rectangular quilt, perfect for a teddy bear picnic.

The back took only a second to press.

As soon as Mr. Q.O. picks out some fabrics for sunflower blocks, I’ll post a photo of his choices. I’m really curious to see what he does choose.

When we were setting up to take the pictures, Baxter decided to investigate. Shortly after this was taken, he was trying to attack the block.

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.

Yin Yang Blocks

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It was hotter than I think it has ever been here yesterday. I did get a little stitching done, though. Two more blocks for the Memories of Smudge quilt.

And one more of the shabby chic Yin Yang blocks. Row 1 of the Joseph’s Coat is also now finished but not yet pressed. I need to print more of the pieces for the Joseph’s Coat which I may get done over the weekend.

 The back of one of the Yin Yang blocks after pressing.

Baxter is starting to show us his little quirks, one of which involves water. When he’s drinking water, he likes to put one paw in the water as well. He has found my desk chair and was stretched out in it for quite a while on Thursday.

A Baxter Day

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It was just too hot to stitch yesterday. While we have air conditioning and the apartment isn’t hot, the heaviness of this incredibly hot, humid weather made holding a needle and fabric and stitching unattractive. I can’t believe I just said that!  Today is supposed to be even worse.

I love this picture of Baxter. It really shows off his amazing eyes. He has been gazing at the sewing table. I think I have to clear it off this weekend completely as there’s fabric on there and he has proven that he loves to chew on fabric.

This is how Baxter beats the heat — sprawled out on the couch. We’ve been putting ice cubes in his water bowls to ensure his water stays cool longer.

Red and White Stars

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The first row of the stars is almost together. Two more full stars and a couple of partial stars and row 1 will be finished. This is turning into the project I want to work on when I’m tired, as it’s a fast and easy stitch. The camera wouldn’t, for some reason, read the red fabric well. I’m going to join rows as I stitch so that when the stitching is finished, the top will be finished as well. Once a couple of rows are together, I think we’ll take this out to the roof garden and see if we can get a better shot outdoors.

You may have noticed I’ve been changing the blog around a lot this week. Finally, I’ve got it to the point I’m happy with it. So no more changes for a while.

Baxter was 3 months old on Saturday and we got this shot of him. He’s definitely getting longer and I think we’ll soon see the wonderful Maine Coon tail.

Circles and Squares

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A quilt of circles and squares is, I think, in my future. For fun, I laid out a few circles and squares and that really did it! The ideas really started flying around after that.

It was unbelievably hot Monday. Today is supposed to be a bit milder and then we really hit the high, high heat and humidity. I’ve had a migraine since last night which I hope lessens as the day goes on.

The changes in Baxter are becoming more evident each day. Yesterday a couple of friends came to meet him and immediately fell under his spell.