Tag Archives: curved piecing

Picnic Plate Quilt

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The top is finished. It’s a relatively small quilt, perfect for a teddy bear picnic or perhaps a crib quilt, finishing at 36 x 45 inches. This is the second quilt top I’ve made using the Inklingo Fancy Pieced Dresden Plate Collection and I’m not finished. There are at least two other designs that I’ve got planned. Ferris Wheel, which I’m machine quilting, is the other Dresden Plate quilt I made using that collection.

The quilt was inspired by the floral used as the setting frames for the plates. I had the layer cake of Fig Tree fabrics, which is what I used for the blades in the plates, and as soon as I saw that floral fabric I knew exactly what I’d make.

The picture isn’t great as putting up the temporary design wall with an inquisitive kitten helping means things get done quickly. We had hoped to take a picture of this outside but I finished it on Sunday, when it was rainy and windy. Monday wasn’t much better. In fact, it was almost chilly Monday night. We seem to have gone from hot, humid summer weather on Saturday to cool fall weather on Monday.

The binding is ready and I know what I’m going to use for the backing. All that’s left is to get a silk batt as I plan on hand quilting this one.

Baxter was lounging on the floor between our two desks when we got lucky and got this shot of him licking his nose. Makes me laugh.

Drunkard’s Path Variation

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The blocks for this have been done for ages and were sitting, waiting to be put into a top. Part of the reason for the delay was that I wasn’t quite sure how I’d finish it. Now I know. Without the border, it’s 36 x 42. It’s completely hand pieced.

Last week, 6 new Inklingo collections were released with new sizes of the Drunkard’s Path shapes, ranging from 2″ to 7″, along with an absolutely fabulous Drunkard’s Path Free Design Book.  The book is wonderful and, for the moment, free to download. It’s full of tips and tricks for both hand and machine stitching Drunkard’s Path blocks as well as tons of layouts.

The new sizes gave me a completely different idea than I initially had for the border I’ll add to make it into a lap quilt. The top was made with shapes from the 3″ collection. I’ll be using shapes from the 6″ collection to make the pieced border. The fabrics for the border are ready and washed and now I just need to find one of them. I’ve obviously tucked it away too well, but I think I have an idea where it is.

Baxter is growing in leaps and bounds — and is leaping and bounding around here too as the kitten antics go on daily.  We were fortunate to get this shot of him awake and still.

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.

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.

Contented Kitty Quilt

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Eight of the blocks are now done and I’m thinking that this will be renamed and called “Memories of Smudge” when it’s finished. I can’t help but think of him when I work with these colours.

All the pieces for the quilt are printed, cut and ready to stitch. It’s not going to be a large quilt and, as I love piecing this block, the blocks may be finished before the fall.

Baxter was a very busy kitty Thursday. He was chasing his toys, our feet, and anything else that attracted his attention. When he stopped for a snooze, he crashed with a teddy bear and frog.

Stitching when Baxter is awake is … well, challenging. He seems to think fabric is a toy and/or edible. I’m hoping this phase passes quickly as it is making it difficult to get much done. My plan is to have the toy basket beside me so that when he decides to “help” I can distract him by throwing a toy on the floor. Maybe. I hope.

Pickled Ladies

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It seems like a long time since I’ve worked on these pickled clamshells, but two more got finished last night. Thanks to a new little member of the household, stitching time seems to be at a premium right now. There were at least 2 hours last night when he was curled up in my arms, which meant absolutely no stitching.

Speaking of a new little member of the household, Baxter is fascinated by the kitty carrier. Since we brought him home, the carrier has been out as we were thinking he might like it as a “safe” place. Smudge had different ideas and has been cramming himself in there at every opportunity. It’s way too small for Smudge but that hasn’t stopped him. Baxter seems to like to get on top of it and peer in, whether Smudge is in there or not.

Baxter is clearly a quilter’s kitty in the making. The hoop has been collapsed and is down on the floor, so it can’t tip over while he’s exploring, but he seems to have decided it’s a good spot to relax.

Smudge was spending some time on the windowsill Wednesday afternoon.

Tomorrow is the Canada Day holiday, so that means a lovely long weekend.

Lots of Shabby

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Joseph’s coat is growing. It’s amazing just how quickly it’s growing. I can imagine having a lap quilt done within a few weeks — if I devoted all my stitching time to it, that is.

That said, I don’t want to leave out the Yin Yang blocks. Monday night I got this one put together, another one half done and the partial ring that can be seen in the top picture of the shabby coat.

Every time I make one of these Yin Yang blocks and press it, I’m thrilled with how easily it presses flat.

Smudge was posing on the top of the loveseat.  Mr. Q.O. calls this photo “Quilter’s Cat” because of the quilting paraphernalia visible in the background.

A Little More Shabby Coat

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I know, I know. I said I was going to stick with the little Dresden Plates but I couldn’t resist adding a bit more to the shabby Joseph’s Coat. I’m so thrilled with this new Inklingo collection that I really can’t leave it alone! It’s really quick to stitch and presses oh, so easily. Even with all those seams intersecting in the centres, it lies flat as can be. This could grow into a lap quilt rather quickly.

Quilts that go together as you stitch them, rather than having blocks to join at the end, always attract me. When I finish stitching the blocks, it’s done.

The back:

We had crazy weather Wednesday night. First fog, then rain, then thunder and lightning and heavy rain. Sounds like there’s more of the same in store for us today.

Smudge was enjoying himself, stretched out on the windowsill. That’s a definite sign that summer is here.