Happy Mother's Day!

From the desk of The Younger Son;

Mom, you have always been there for me, you have always supported me and guided me and been there when I was sick, or alone, or having trouble in school. Without you I would never have become as successful as I have been. (Heck -- without you I would never have joined the Navy!)

I'm so glad you asked me to help you make your blog and publish your quilting thoughts, projects, and secrets to the world. I'm so glad you write me emails almost every day -- I do read them, even if it's just so I can get a smile before I have to head on to the next 'can't-wait!' project. I'm glad that every time I call, you wake up, even if it's at 2 in the morning because that's the only time I could get to the phones on the ship.

Thank you, and Happy Mother's Day!

Posted Direct from Japan with Love.

Sunday Scrap Basket: Ring Around the Rosie

Twenty years ago, 1930s reproduction fabrics were new to the quilting world.  I loved their bright, clear colors and cheerful prints.  So much so that I bought a fat quarter of every one that was sold!  It didn't take long before they became so popular, I couldn't afford to buy every print that came out.  Yet I still collected quite a stash of 30s fabrics!

I've made more than a dozen quilts using these adorable fabrics, which means I have quite the collection of 1930s scraps. "Ring Around the Rosie" is an excellent way to use a variety of 2.5" scrap strips.

If you look closely at this block, you'll see the construction is most unusual.  It requires a "partial seam" to attach the colored strips to the white center.

For this block, you will need:

(1) 4.5" white square
(4) 2.5" X 4.5" print strips
(8) 2.5" X 6.5" print strips

First, sew the 6.5" strips together in sets of two. Press toward either strip.  Then add the 4.5" strip to the right hand end of the two 6.5" strips. Press toward the two 6.5" strips.

Lay out the block as shown:

Notice the position of the 4.5" strips.

The first print strip will be sewn only partway across the top of the 4.5" white square:

Begin stitching at the upper left edge of the white square, sew the colored strips about halfway across the top of the square.

Next, add the colored strips to the left side of this piece.  Begin sewing at the top of the colored strips and sew all the way to the bottom of the white square.

Working counter-clockwise, add the bottom colored strips, then the right-hand colored strips.

Notice that the top colored strips are not attached to the white square all the way across.  Finish the block by sewing the remainder of the seam of the top strips:

Press away from the white center block.

Linking up to Scrap Basket Sunday at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure.

Wouldn't this make a cute baby quilt? Come back tomorrow to see what's on my new, portable design wall!

From the desk of your

A REAL Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday

I made this quilt more than two years ago, as the wedding quilt for son and daughter-in-law of my Idaho bestie, Deb. The pattern is "Flatbread" by Modern Quilt Relish.

(Photo from the Modern Quilt Relish blog)

Because it's a decidedly "modern" quilt, I wanted to do straight-line quilting on it.  But it's way too big to wrestle through my home machine, and I couldn't find a long-armer who was enthusiastic about straight-line quilting.

So time went by, and I brought home my own long-arm machine, Meggie.  I put off quilting the quilt "until I got better at long-arming."

Now Judd and Yvette have celeberated their second anniversary, and it't time to send them their quilt (especially since both his brothers already got a wedding quilt!)  I dragged it out of the "to be quilted" pile and realized the fabric I had for the backing was too small.  So off to Ruth's Stitchery to buy some 108" wide backing fabric.

I prepared the backing, and realized my usual cotton batting is too narrow!  (This would be my hint that this is a really big quilt, wouldn'tjathink?)  Luckily, Connie Potter sold me a roll of 108" wide Hobbs 80/20 a couple of years ago.

It's only at this point that I thought about how wide my machine table is vs. how long the quilt is.  I wanted the quilting to run vertically on the quilt, so it would have to be loaded on the table horizontally.

Or about 10" longer than my table is wide.

Oh.

Rats.

So I loaded it vertically and quilted "triangle meandering" on it, and it turned out very nicely, thank you!

I didn't think to take a close-up of the quilting, so you'll just have to take my word for it!  It's already in the mail to the "newlyweds!"

I hope Judd and Yvette forgive me for taking so long to get their quilt finished!




From the desk of your

Tuesday Tool: Another Flying Geese Method

It's no secret I don't like making Flying Geese blocks. It's also no secret that I love the Bloc Loc rulers.

Well, guess what? They also make a Flying Geese ruler!  Yippee!  They come in four sizes, and lucky for me, one size is perfect for this month's Designer Mystery BOM block.

The ruler uses the rectangle+two squares method of making the geese:

Each square is sewn onto the rectangle diagonally:

The grooves in the Flying Geese Bloc Loc fit perfectly over the seams of the "wings."

Trim all four sides, and:

Voila!  A perfect geese!

Maybe not as fast as some other methods, but certainly the most accurate.

Tomorrow is WIP Wednesday -- come back and see my new project!

From the desk of your

BOM-day and 100 Blocks Giveaway Winner

It's the first Monday of the month, that means it Block of the Month Day. Plus today is the day I announce the winner of my 100 Blocks vol. 7 magazine and block-made-by-me!

Blocks of the Month

I now have ten (!) BOMs in progress, plus my Block-a-Day project. It takes more than one day to make all my BOM blocks. I only managed three today.

First up, block 2 of "Toes in the Sand."  I'm making mine with Tula Pink's Salt Water, hosted by The Quilt Asylum in McKinney, Texas.  Julie Herman's "Hex and More" ruler makes these complex-looking blocks easy.

I'm on Block 11 of the 2012 Designer Mystery BOM, hosted by Fat Quarter Shop.  One more block and I'll be ready to put my quilt together -- I already have the setting blocks finished!  This block is "County Fair" designed by Julie Comstock of Cosmo Cricket. I used my new Bloc Loc "Flying Geese" ruler to make the geese for this block -- come back tomorrow to read my tutorial on this wonderful tool.

My oldie-but-goodie BOM is 2010's Patchwork Party. I'm almost halfway finished with blocks, five done:

Today's block is "Crazy Anna," designed by Marti Michell for Maywood Studio, kit by Shabby Fabrics.

I've managed to keep up with my Block-a-Day Chevron Quilt. Wednesday is the 50th day of Spring, and I have 50 blocks made as of today:

Giveaway Winner

Random number generator chose #4 as the winner of the 100 Blocks vol. 7 magazine. The winner is "Giddy99," who commented:

The Barn Swallows block was the favorite of those who commented, so I'm glad that's the one you like also Giddy! Please email me your postal address and I'll put the magazine and the block in the mail to you ASAP!

Come back tomorrow for my tutorial on the Bloc Loc Flying Geese ruler. I promise, this is the best way yet to make perfect Flying Geese!

From the desk of your

Scrap Basket Sunday: Jacob's Scrappy Ladder

The third bed-sized quilt I ever made was "Jacob's Ladder" for My Little Sailor, Jacob. Of course, he was only three at the time, a long way from becoming a US Navy Sailor! The blues are fading, and I bound it with a single-fold binding, which is starting to fray. But it's precious to me.

Today's Scrap Basket Sunday block is a scrappy variation on the Jacob's Ladder block.

To make each block, you will need:

(4) 5" squares white background
(4) 5" squares bright print
(6) 2.5" squares white background
(6) 2.5" squares bright print
(2) 4.5" squares bright print

Not everyone has drawers full of 2.5" squares, but if you do, this is a good way to put them to use!

Also, if you utilize Bonnie Hunter's "Leaders and Enders" method, this is a good use for the basket of four patches you've been piecing!

To make the half-square triangles, take one white and one bright 5" square (it's OK to use larger squares, you'll be squaring them up).  I use Deb Tucker's "Quilter's Magic Wand" to mark the stitching lines diagonally across the white square:

Marking with a "Frixion" pen makes a nice dark line.  And it disappears when it is pressed with a hot iron! Be warned, though -- the marking will reappear in freezing temperatures, so do not use this pen to mark quilting lines on your finished quilt!

Stitch on each line, cut between the lines, and press toward the bright fabric.  Then square up to 4.5" using your favorite method -- mine is the Bloc Loc ruler (tutorial here).

The reason I listed four white and four bright 5" squares was so the block would have four unique HSTs. Of course, you can make your block with all four HSTs alike -- after all, you are the boss of your quilt!

Be careful to lay out the block with the four-patch pieces forming the "ladder." Add the bright 4.5" squares and stitch it all together.  The finished size should be 12.5" raw-edge-to-raw-edge.

Linking up to Scrap Basket Sunday at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure.

Wouldn't this make a great "Quilt Block a Day" project?  Be sure to come back tomorrow to see who won the 100 Blocks magazine giveaway!


From the desk of your

A Friday Finish Sneak Peek

I am having so much fun with the other "Scrappers" on Quiltmaker magazine's "Scrap Squad."

I can't show you my finished quilt today, because it will be "revealed" on the Quilty Pleasures blog later this month.  But here are some close-ups:

Ann did a stand-up job of quilting this giant in a hurry!

And of course, I applied the binding using Susie's Magic Binding technique!

And I added one of my "PeaceLoveandHappiness" GutenTags!

You can see the original quilt on page 58 of the May/June Quiltmaker magazine.

Linking up to Thank Goodness it's Finished Friday at Quokka Quilts.

And don't forget to enter my giveaway of the newest issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine, along with your choice of one of the blocks I tested!  Go here to comment and enter.




From the desk of your