You know when you make a comment on someone's blog and you have to type in some nonsense word to verify that "you're not a robot?"
It doesn't have to be that way!
Thanks to the wonderful Claire Jain of Sewing over Pins, I have turned OFF "Comment Word Verification." And I am SO sorry I didn't know before that my blog even HAD Comment Word Verification, let alone that I could turn it off!
So now, comment away and I believe in you, and I believe you are not a robot! P.S. click on "Sewing over Pins" above to learn how to turn this annoying big-brother setting OFF on your own blog!
And: I only have 10 more decreases on the sweater sleeves (why, yes, I do knit sleeves two-at-a-time, so they wind up the same length) and I will be back to the sewing machine and my 52 quilts!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Pezzy Print Pinwheels
How fun is this? My half-square pinwheels out of Pezzy Print (get yours here) with a Michael Miller border print from High Country Quilts. I'm re-stocking my stash of baby quilts, someone will love this one!
I think next time I will make the center row of pinwheels "spin" the opposite way.
Won't this make a darling backing? It's kind of hard to see in the photo, but I will piece in one row of border print.
Quilt #13 for 2012!
Quilt #13 for 2012!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
WIP Wednesday -- All Pinwheels all the Time
Today's WIP is the beginning of a pattern test. This cute little quilt features two sizes of pinwheels, made with two different techniques. Both sizes are made from half-square triangles (HSTs), and start with two 5" squares, one from print and one from background fabric.
The larger HST is the classic "draw a line from corner to corner on the wrong side of the background fabric. Sew 1/4" away from each side of the line and cut on the line." I like to use this nifty tool, the Quick Quarter ruler. It comes in two sizes, 8" long or 12" long. Just slap this puppy on your right-sides-together squares diagonally and draw a line along each side of the ruler:
I place the 1/4" mark of my regular 12 1/2" ruler on one of the pencil/sewn lines and cut the block in half corner to corner:
The smaller pinwheels are made by sewing all the way around two 5" squares placed right sides together with a 1/4" seam. Then cut corner-to-corner one direction:
And the other direction:
Four HSTs at once!
To make a pinwheel block, first press the HSTs carefully toward the darker fabric. This is a bias seam, so don't be over-energetic or you'll mis-shape your HST. Lay them out in the pinwheel -- notice that since I am using a directional print, I have the opposite HSTs going in the same direction:
Sew the top two HSTs, then the bottom two. Because the HSTs are pressed toward the dark fabric, the diagonal seams will snuggle nicely together.
Then flip the left two HSTs up and the right two down, like this:
Finger-press the seam on the left down, and the one on the right up. Then when you sew them together, the top seam will face toward your presser foot. This will make the seams snuggle up nice and tight:
When you press, if you open the last two or three stitches on the crossing seam, it will make a mini pinwheel, like this:
Which will result in a nice, flat center to your pinwheel!
When you join multiple pinwheels together, make the seams between the blocks also "spin" and all your blocks will lay nice and flat:
Of course, if I had read the directions first, I would have realized there was supposed to be sashing between the large pinwheels -- oops.
I'm posting to Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday -- go look at some other great Works In Progress!
The larger HST is the classic "draw a line from corner to corner on the wrong side of the background fabric. Sew 1/4" away from each side of the line and cut on the line." I like to use this nifty tool, the Quick Quarter ruler. It comes in two sizes, 8" long or 12" long. Just slap this puppy on your right-sides-together squares diagonally and draw a line along each side of the ruler:
Sew right on each line:
The smaller pinwheels are made by sewing all the way around two 5" squares placed right sides together with a 1/4" seam. Then cut corner-to-corner one direction:
And the other direction:
Four HSTs at once!
To make a pinwheel block, first press the HSTs carefully toward the darker fabric. This is a bias seam, so don't be over-energetic or you'll mis-shape your HST. Lay them out in the pinwheel -- notice that since I am using a directional print, I have the opposite HSTs going in the same direction:
Sew the top two HSTs, then the bottom two. Because the HSTs are pressed toward the dark fabric, the diagonal seams will snuggle nicely together.
Then flip the left two HSTs up and the right two down, like this:
Finger-press the seam on the left down, and the one on the right up. Then when you sew them together, the top seam will face toward your presser foot. This will make the seams snuggle up nice and tight:
When you press, if you open the last two or three stitches on the crossing seam, it will make a mini pinwheel, like this:
Which will result in a nice, flat center to your pinwheel!
Of course, if I had read the directions first, I would have realized there was supposed to be sashing between the large pinwheels -- oops.
I'm posting to Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday -- go look at some other great Works In Progress!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Mystery Monday
No post since Wednesday? I've been knitting, not sewing. And no, I can't show you what I'm making because it's a surprise. I'm almost done, so I will be back to the sewing room full-time soon.
I did cut the pieces for Step 2 of the BOM for my Wednesday Block Party. Because there are a lot of strips in the step, I used Debbie Caffrey's Power Cutting technique.
The trick is to cut as many strips as your ruler will fit. In this case, I am using my favorite 8 1/2" X 12 1/2" Creative Grids ruler. I can cut three 2 1/2" strips by placing the ruler at 7 1/2" and cutting one strip. Then sub-cut at 5" and 2 1/2". This is faster and more accurate than cutting each 2 1/2" strip individually.
I like the Creative Grids rulers because the lines are very thin, but easy to see. Some rules have lines thick enough that your cuts can be almost 1/4" off if you cut multiple strips at once.
Here are the pieces for Step 2:
And here is what they look like sewn together. Notice that orange square sewn to the background triangle? The dog-ears are 3/8" -- now that's a mystery!
And here is what they look like pressed and trimmed.
My friend Mary and I have a bet that the strange-looking quarter-square triangle is going to result in a three-quarters square triangle. But we have to wait to find out!
I did cut the pieces for Step 2 of the BOM for my Wednesday Block Party. Because there are a lot of strips in the step, I used Debbie Caffrey's Power Cutting technique.
I like the Creative Grids rulers because the lines are very thin, but easy to see. Some rules have lines thick enough that your cuts can be almost 1/4" off if you cut multiple strips at once.
Here are the pieces for Step 2:
And here is what they look like sewn together. Notice that orange square sewn to the background triangle? The dog-ears are 3/8" -- now that's a mystery!
And here is what they look like pressed and trimmed.
My friend Mary and I have a bet that the strange-looking quarter-square triangle is going to result in a three-quarters square triangle. But we have to wait to find out!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
WIP Wednesday
I've finished three quilt tops this month, a pair of socks and a pair of mittens. But when I look at my WIP list for February, it doesn't feel like I've made much progress!
The next "must finish" on my WIP list is the American Valor quilt for the sailors of the USS George Washington.
Just needs two more borders!
Wednesday is the next "Crazy for Wool" class at High Country Quilts. All those tiny little half-square triangles need to be put together into 2 1/2" pinwheels. Eeep!
I had a little trouble with my January Strip Club project. My background is a lovely, verrrry soft ivory. With a right and a wrong side. Yep, you got it. I put half the blocks together with some of the background pieces wrong side up. I tried to convince myself no one would notice, but finally decided I need to remake those blocks. Luckily I have lots of both background fabric and leftover jelly roll strips!
I'm teaching Strip Club for March, which means I need to have the sample completed by the February 24 class. It's my chance to break into my Moda Half Moon Modern jelly roll! The background is Kona ash (of which I cleverly bought an entire bolt, so I don't have to frantically shop around for this hard-to-find color!).
I bought the Tula Pink pattern at Tula's Mom's shop in Stewartsville, MO. EVERY one of Tula Pink's fabrics in one place. Heaven!
Finally, when those are done, I can start on my February UFOs. First draw is a 30s repro quilt:
I'm pretty sure I got to looking at the applique' and decided this would be a long-term UFO. Maybe I'll just put a couple of the applique' flowers in the border and call it done!
Next up is a quick-and-easy one, Livin' Large:
The 10" squares a leftovers from my 2011 "Celebrate Spring" wall hanging.
The Front Range Modern Quilt Guild is hosting our first Guild retreat later this month. As a treat (if I get all my WIPs done), I am taking my first "Another Year of Schnibbles" quilt.
The project is "ISTH," (insert snappy title here):
And I think it will be a perfect excuse to cut into my extensive collection of Heather Bailey's "Nicey Jane."
AND, last but not least, a new challenge, the Modern Triangles QAL:
I scored this beautiful collection of A Stitch in Color Collection by Malka Dubrawsky for Moda Fabrics at my favorite etsy shop, fresh squeezed fabrics. The Kona solids are from the stash.
Good thing there are more than two weeks left in February, huh?
Wednesday is the next "Crazy for Wool" class at High Country Quilts. All those tiny little half-square triangles need to be put together into 2 1/2" pinwheels. Eeep!
I had a little trouble with my January Strip Club project. My background is a lovely, verrrry soft ivory. With a right and a wrong side. Yep, you got it. I put half the blocks together with some of the background pieces wrong side up. I tried to convince myself no one would notice, but finally decided I need to remake those blocks. Luckily I have lots of both background fabric and leftover jelly roll strips!
I'm teaching Strip Club for March, which means I need to have the sample completed by the February 24 class. It's my chance to break into my Moda Half Moon Modern jelly roll! The background is Kona ash (of which I cleverly bought an entire bolt, so I don't have to frantically shop around for this hard-to-find color!).
I bought the Tula Pink pattern at Tula's Mom's shop in Stewartsville, MO. EVERY one of Tula Pink's fabrics in one place. Heaven!
Finally, when those are done, I can start on my February UFOs. First draw is a 30s repro quilt:
I'm pretty sure I got to looking at the applique' and decided this would be a long-term UFO. Maybe I'll just put a couple of the applique' flowers in the border and call it done!
Next up is a quick-and-easy one, Livin' Large:
The Front Range Modern Quilt Guild is hosting our first Guild retreat later this month. As a treat (if I get all my WIPs done), I am taking my first "Another Year of Schnibbles" quilt.
The project is "ISTH," (insert snappy title here):
AND, last but not least, a new challenge, the Modern Triangles QAL:
I scored this beautiful collection of A Stitch in Color Collection by Malka Dubrawsky for Moda Fabrics at my favorite etsy shop, fresh squeezed fabrics. The Kona solids are from the stash.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
2012 #12 - Flower Patch
The 12th quilt top of 2012 is a Sunday is for Scraps project from January. The pattern is "Flower Patch," the August feature quilt in the 2011
"Quilts" calendar from Current. The designers of the quilts in the
calendar are Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson -- that's right, "Me and
My Sister Designs!"
Most of these floral prints are from a collection of "state flowers," and from Hoffman's "A Year in the Meadow." The background is my favorite Kona lightest blue.
I didn't make the pieced border because I am in a hurry to deliver this to a friend who is temporarily living in a nursing home. Now if I can just persuade one of my long-arm quilters that I should be at the top of the list!
Most of these floral prints are from a collection of "state flowers," and from Hoffman's "A Year in the Meadow." The background is my favorite Kona lightest blue.
I didn't make the pieced border because I am in a hurry to deliver this to a friend who is temporarily living in a nursing home. Now if I can just persuade one of my long-arm quilters that I should be at the top of the list!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Another Mystery Monday
Here's an oldie but goodie. This mystery was a class at Quilt Colorado 2010, taught by my favorite mystery writer, Debbie Caffrey. It's the first mystery I made with scrappy fabrics, and I was chagrined when I found out the quarter-square triangles that form the opposite sides of the "star" were supposed to be the same fabric.
My friend and classmate, Barb Shie, convinced me no one would know that if I didn't tell (and now I've told!). But I agree, with my floral fabrics, there is no need for the fabrics to be the same within each block!
Here is another view:
The 1 1/2" sashing with cornerstones was kinds of a pain, but I really like the pieced border. This quilt went to Washington where it will be a fund-raiser donation for my DG's preschool.
And even though I finished piecing this quilt in 2011, I didn't include it in my "count" (I forgot all about it as it was buried in the "needs binding" pile). So I'm thinking it's OK to count it as #11 for 2012?
My friend and classmate, Barb Shie, convinced me no one would know that if I didn't tell (and now I've told!). But I agree, with my floral fabrics, there is no need for the fabrics to be the same within each block!
Here is another view:
The 1 1/2" sashing with cornerstones was kinds of a pain, but I really like the pieced border. This quilt went to Washington where it will be a fund-raiser donation for my DG's preschool.
And even though I finished piecing this quilt in 2011, I didn't include it in my "count" (I forgot all about it as it was buried in the "needs binding" pile). So I'm thinking it's OK to count it as #11 for 2012?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)