These were done over the past 5 or 6 days. Sometimes I’ll just thread a needle with one length of the cream heirloom thread I’m using for these and stitch until it’s done. Then I go back to whatever else … Continue reading
Yes, I know the saying is six of one, half a dozen of another but only five of the little Drunkard’s Path units were finished so …
Yesterday there was a question about the matching/registration points on the 2″ Drunkard’s Path blocks. As a picture tells the story much better than words could, I took this picture of the back of two pieces showing just how many matching points there are. You can really see them if you click on the photo to enlarge it. Those matching points are the secret to perfect curved piecing. Pin, stitch to pin, move pin, stitch to pin and so on. And the curves are perfect every time!
The half a dozen?
Half a dozen of the red and white Texas stars. Remember them? Last time I showed this project, an entire row wasn’t yet done. Since then it has grown to three complete rows (I’m joining them as I go) and with these six and a couple more I’ll soon have the fourth row done and attached.
It presses beautifully. I realized as I pressed the six that I haven’t been grading the seams on this one as I went so some time will be spent on the weekend doing just that. I don’t want to take any chances on the deep red shadowing through the white on this one.
This is our long Victoria Day weekend and the weather forecast couldn’t be better. Hot and sunny. Who could ask for more on the first long weekend of the season?
Baxter on “his” quilt. He loves to sit up there in the evening.
In next to no time last night I had an even dozen of these done. Now there are only 462 left to make. I could barely write that last sentence without laughing out loud. While it seems like an enormous number, I know I had the first 200 or so of them done in just a couple of weeks — and that involved tracing of templates, adding matching points and then cutting them out. I hate setting deadlines for myself, so am just going to enjoy however long it takes to stitch these.
This box now contains 370 little 2″ blocks.
After seeing the photo of the two blocks on my post yesterday, Mr. Q.O. insisted we take the photo again. He was right, the one yesterday seemed a bit muddy.
So much for me saying it was summer weather. Yesterday it got rather cool again but at least the sun was out. Our forecast for the long weekend is still looking like a true summer weekend with humidex readings in the 30s – Celsius, that is.
Baxter really does take his fabric minding duties seriously. When we set up to take photos, he’s almost always there to oversee the process.
Another 60 or so of these and I’ll be halfway done making the 2″ Drunkard’s Path units. They’re unbelievably quick and easy to stitch and, because they are so small, I can spread them out on the Cut ‘n Press and press them in seconds. Last night I was working on a gift for a friend, which I can’t show as she reads my blog, and after that I wanted to stitch for a while. An hour or so later, I had 16 more of these little blocks done.
This weekend I’m hoping to get at least half of the remaining ones I need cut. They’re all printed. The little book box should be pretty full by the time the weekend is over … that is, of course, if I stick to my plans for the weekend.
A portrait of Baxter. This is, we think, one of the best shots of him yet.
Another 10 blocks were stitched. I only have to make another 491 of these to complete the blocks I’ll need for the quilt. Perhaps I shouldn’t be keeping track as that number does seem somewhat daunting. I love the fact I can finish making them using the 2″ Inklingo Drunkard’s Path collection and have, I think, printed the vast majority of what I’ll need. This will be a very long-term project.
I may start putting them together in groups of four soon. It would be easier than leaving that step all to the end.
And just because I get such a kick out of how cute they are once pressed, the back of one of the little blocks.
Am I the only one who is finding it more and more difficult to leave comments on Blogger blogs? While I do try, a lot of times the security words are absolutely indecipherable and I just give up. Surely there’s a better way to add some security to catch spammers.
Baxter was posing beside the mouse doorstop.
Over the past week or so, I’ve been stitching the Drunkard’s Path units together into 4-unit blocks. Last night I decided to lay out some of them. There are more that are already put together and yet more to be stitched together so it will finish at a decent size for a lap quilt, exactly as I hoped. An idea for a border for the quilt is starting to form in my mind but until I get all the blocks put together and laid out I’m not making a decision.
The baby quilt top is stitched together. I didn’t get it basted on Tuesday, so am slightly behind but I do have a little wiggle room in that I can work on it all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday and, if need be, wash and dry it Sunday morning.
Smudge was just waking up from a nap on the couch when we got this photo of him.
All the little Drunkard’s Path units were made by Sunday and I started putting them into blocks of 4. So far I have about 18 or 20 of the blocks done, so it won’t take too long to get them finished. I’m really looking forward to seeing this one together, and am planning the border for it already.
The weekend was one of extremes. Extremely cold temperatures – wind chills of -15 seemed rather outrageous for late March. Extremely different outcomes from quilt-related endeavours on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday I started to make a large stitching book and realized that one of the applique blocks I was planning to use hadn’t even been finished. There were still a couple of pieces that had been back basted, but never actually appliqued on. The block had been sitting for at least 5 or 6 years. There were other blocks, so that wasn’t a huge issue. Cut the backing for the stitching book and cut it too small. Pressed the backing for the Ferris Wheel quilt, started to lay it out to baste and realized I had washed and ironed the wrong piece that wasn’t the right size. Then I got out the other piece of the backing, washed it and decided quit at that point before something else went wrong.
Sunday was a totally different story. Stitching book put together and basted, just needs to be quilted. Binding for the stitching book made and ready. Ferris Wheel basted and ready to quilt. Sorted all the little drunkard’s path units and have stacks of the 4 units needed for each block all ready to stitch.
I’ve been avoiding the computer as much as possible since Thursday. I seem to have a pinched nerve that makes using the keyboard for any length of time uncomfortable. I owe responses to a few comments from last week still — and will try to get through them slowly. I’m thankful that this isn’t making stitching difficult.
Smudge, sound asleep.
Lester in his newest favourite spot, under my desk.
These little blocks are so quick and fun to stitch that they really do seem like candy. Over the past few evenings, while talking to friends on the phone, I’ve pieced these 50 little Drunkard’s Path units. I’m always amazed at how quickly they go together.
These are all that’s left to piece from the large stack I had two weeks ago. I haven’t counted them, but think there’s only another 40 or 50 left to stitch. Once they’re done, I’ll start putting them together in blocks of four units. Then the real fun will start when it’s time to lay them out so that I don’t get the same print beside itself.
It was another cold day on Thursday but thankfully no more snow fell. The cats found cozy spots to curl up. First Lester at one end of the couch.
And then Smudge at the other end.
While I had the design wall up, I decided to put the 4 basket blocks up. I now have a plan for the centre block, which won’t be another basket, and the borders for this. I think I have just enough of the floral print to make it work . I’m going to spend some time this weekend working out exactly how much I need for the borders and the centre block and then take it from there.
The lesson I learned from this was that when I fall in love with a fabric like this one I really do need to buy somewhat more than I think I’ll need, particularly as I had no firm plan in mind when I bought this but rather a vague idea.
It snowed. A lot. All day Wednesday. So much for me thinking spring was getting closer. It seems like a very heavy snow as the tree branches and shrubs out on the roof garden seem to be groaning under the weight of it. Some of the bears decided it was time to get their winter clothes back on. When the picture was taken, there were fairly large snowflakes flying by the window.
I’m not sure if Lester is winking in this shot or just not quite awake.
Smudge was relaxing.
This may not look like a lot, but there are quite a few blocks there to be stitched. At least 100, I believe. I love having a stack all ready to stitch like this. I even went ahead and clipped into all the concave seam allowances so that I can just stitch and stitch and not have to stop and clip any of the seam allowances.
One more little Harpsichord Quilt block is made. This is not a UFO that I want to leave languishing for too long as I think it will be a very striking quilt. So once I get 2 more finished, it’s moving to the top of the list and, in the meantime, I will try to make a couple of blocks a week.
I realized yesterday that a larger stitching book would be even more useful so finally have a use for my orphan applique blocks. There are a number of them that have been sitting now for years. They can be quickly joined, quilted and turned into stitching books and that makes me happy.
There were a number of helpful responses yesterday. I’m going to e-mail the blogger in question, as Wendy suggested, and then see what happens.
The cats had very lazy days on Monday. Lester was lounging at one end of the couch. He did spend some time on the windowsill Monday, though. I think he’s getting impatient for some activity out on the roof garden.
While Smudge was at the other end of the couch and barely awake when this shot was taken.
Quilt Obsession 