Scrappy Star Top Finished — Maybe

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Quiltobsession

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

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Quiltobsession

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

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Quiltobsession

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

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Quiltobsession

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.

Colourful Nine Patches, Colourful Stars

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Quiltobsession

After making the squares in squares on Tuesday, I decided last night to make a few more of the 9-patch blocks set on point. They’re bright and cheerful and just what I needed after a few hours of working on the dreaded tax stuff. And the stack of finished blocks is slowly growing.

A couple more stars for the little hexagon quilt were made as well. There’s something about making a six-pointed star that I find irresistible. Possibly it’s because they always seem to go together so effortlessly. A few years ago I printed and printed the 1″ 60-degree diamonds on ’30s fabrics and solids. They’ve already been used to make one baby quilt and more will be used in the new hexagon quilt I’ve started, but that won’t even come close to making a dent in the number I’ve got printed.

That was one thing I learned early on with Inklingo. It really does pay off for me if I print lots of a shape that I know I like working with. One year I had the flu and wanted to stitch, but definitely didn’t have the energy to print or cut. So I opened up a box containing lots of shapes that I’d already printed and cut, and was able to stitch as many blocks as I wanted. Ever since then, I’ve tended to print extras of shapes. It’s also, for me, a fun way to design. I’ll grab a handful of shapes and play with them on my design book to see what I can come up with.

We have more work (hopefully, this is the end of it) to do on the taxes today. If nothing else, I’m going to start working with some form of a spreadsheet so I can keep track of everything and just be able to print off summaries at the end of the year.

Baxter was bored by the whole process and had a nap.

Square in a Square

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Quiltobsession

Four little 2.25″ blocks are all I have to show for yesterday’s stitching. I wasn’t happy with the corners of one of the pieced borders on Scrappy Star. I knew I was going to have to come up with a different idea. It will involve a little unstitching, but I know I’ll be much happier with the result.

Once I had decided on this idea I looked in the scraps container and, sure enough, I had just enough of the pink/green fabric for the four centre squares. I quickly ironed it to freezer paper, fed it through the printer and had my squares. A minute later and I had printed the 16 triangles needed to turn them into the squares in squares. Half an hour later and they were stitched.

A minute later, they were pressed.

Why so little stitching? Well, because we’ve hit that terrible time of year — tax time! A lot of organizing was going on here yesterday with more promised for today. Hopefully it will all be ready to go out the door by tonight. There will be some stitching tonight, no matter what, as I don’t feel like I’ve relaxed until some stitching has been done.

One of these years I’m going to get organized with a computer program so that this nightmare doesn’t repeat every year. Does anyone have a suggestion about a good program for keeping track of expenses/receipts that’s a Mac-friendly program and one doesn’t need to be a chartered accountant to understand?

As soon as the camera was turned on to take the photo of the little blocks, Baxter was posing.

Yet Another Pickled Lady

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Quiltobsession

A new Pickled Lady is ready to join the bevy of beauties. When I started putting the original Pickled Ladies together, I realized I wanted it to finish larger. So more florals were fussy cut/printed and more of the blocks have been and are being made as well as the partial blocks to square it up.

While I am still working on the red and white Feathered Star/Sunflower quilt, the Pickled Ladies are going to get equal time. As will Scrappy Star. In fact, Scrappy Star may need only a couple more evenings of work until it’s finished. So I may have three tops finished in relatively quick succession.

Pressing of the latest Pickled Lady took only a second and grading the seams took not much longer. This one is now ready to add to the group.

Baxter has completely taken over the blue and white quilt on the couch. I don’t think he could get more relaxed!

Cheerful Hexagon Blocks

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Quiltobsession

Close to half a dozen more of the little hexagon blocks were added to the group on the weekend. As each of these hexagons measures 2″, the quilt should grow fairly quickly. That said, for now it’s only weekend play stitching as I’m going back to work on the red and white piecing during the week.

We had a beautiful Easter weekend with mild temperatures and lots of sun. And, unfortunately, lots of allergens in the air. There’s a lot of sneezing going on in this household.

This week I’m hoping to go through my quilt books as I know there are a number that should go to new homes. They’re taking up a lot of shelf space and are books I know I won’t be looking at again. What do you do with quilt books which you longer want?

Then I’m hoping to attack, once again, my fabric and try to get it organized in a better fashion. I need to figure out a way of storing it that doesn’t involve large containers as they’re too heavy for my hands. One idea I’ve had is to empty a bookshelf or three and use them for the fabrics I most often turn to. That way they’d be out where I could see and easily access them. But that would also put fabric within reach of a certain kitty who just loves nothing better than to get a piece of fabric.

Saturday night I failed to put all the little hexagon blocks out of reach and Mr. Q.O. woke up Sunday morning to find two of them on the bedroom floor. There was no damage done and no teeth marks. Baxter just likes carting them around.

Mr. Q.O. captioned this one, “You woke me … for food?”

Tiny Drunkard’s Trail

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Quiltobsession

Not much got accomplished yesterday, although these little stacks of the pieces needed for more of the 2″ Drunkard’s Trail blocks are cut out and ready to stitch.

I did manage to make these three blocks.

Which will be added to these four blocks. This is going to be a really small quilt, no larger than 8″ x 12″ when it’s finished. And that’s the total of what I have to show for yesterday. I was wiped out from the allergies. Can’t remember a year when they’ve been this bad, but a friend suggested it may be due to our incredibly mild winter. I think she’s right.

Baxter’s not suffering from allergies. He’s interested in finding out if there are some more apps for cats.

Some Favourite Quilt Books

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Quiltobsession

Some of my favourite quilt books got taken off the shelf last night. Mr. Q.O. and I are both really feeling the allergy season starting and, while I did get some stitching done, last night was mostly a night for leafing through these books.

This little book, Quilts, A Beautiful History, is definitely one of my favourites and one which has inspired two of my quilts – Pink Ice and the pink and cream quilt.

When I first got the book, this page was looked at over and over again and eventually I made Pink Ice, which was inspired by the photo.

Ontario’s Heritage Quilts is a book I can never get enough of. I can read and re-read the narrative and look at the pictures for hours at a time.

This is just one of the many quilts in the book. It’s impossible to describe just how fabulous this book is.

Next up is the Two-Color Quilts book. I love looking through and seeing the various two-colour quilts, as making a series of two-colour quilts is one of my long-term goals.