February UFO in Electric Quilt

The best thing about being on Quiltmakers' Scrap Squad is, it has forced me to use my Electric Quilt (design) program!

I cut this pattern out of the January/February '07 Quiltmaker, called "Right & Left."  Since I didn't buy the setting kit for my Buck-a-Block quilt, I had to come up with a setting design on my own.  Remarkably enough, the red fabric in my Buck-a-Blocks is a standard Robert Kaufman fabric, "Fusion."  Kaufman has issued seven versions of this fabric in various colors over the years!

EQ7 has a built-in block design just like "Right and Left."  All I had to do was adjust the size and change the coloration.  EQ7 even includes cutting directions and yardage requirements!

Here is my design in EQ7:

And here is what the first few setting blocks look like:

Really, there is more difference between the gold and the green -- it's hard to take good photos at night.  I think it is so cool how the secondary pattern develops.

Tomorrow I'm off on another road trip, this time to the Rocky Mountain Sew Expo in Denver.  I'll make it a quick trip to beat tomorrow night's snow!

How is your February UFO project coming along?




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WIP Wednesday and Modern Quilt Guild Retreat

Doncha just hate it when all your current projects are "secret?"  That's what is happening with me this week. I spent most of the day playing with designs for my 100 Blocks magazine sample quilt, trying to use Electric Quilt without having time to learn how!

To reward myself for finally getting something that looks like an acceptable layout, I took out my February UFO project.  It's a Thangles "Buck-a-Block" project from 2008.  The shop that was hosting it went out of business, but we were able to buy enough fabric to finish the blocks.  But I failed to buy the setting kit!

Here are the blocks I have completed -- there are three more:

If you place your blocks "on point," the quilt will be larger, without needing more blocks.  Slick trick, huh?  I don't want this to be a red and navy quilt, so I am going to pick up some of the subtle colors in the blue print for the setting design.  Would you believe green and gold?

I had a lovely weekend with my Front Range Modern Quilt Guild peeps at The Hideaway.  Here are just a few of the incredible projects quilters pieced this weekend.

Abby is working on her Madrona Road Challenge pillow.  She appliqued three Dresden Plates on a patchwork background.  I tried to trick her into saying it's for me, but she is too clever for me.

Chris made this adorable skirt for her daughter, using a charm pack of "Simply Color" by V and Co.:

She also finished piecing this Christmas UFO:

Jodi is hiding behind her BOM quilt:

Mary completed the February Jelly Roll Party quilt that she had just started that afternoon!

And Traci started and finished her Scrappy Trip Along, made of Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt:

Andrea always gets a lot done at our weekend retreats.  I think she finished three tops and quilted two this weekend!

Sisters Abby and Beccy had a great time sewing with their Mom.  Beccy traveled from Omaha, and their Mom came all the way from Ohio to join the retreat!

Peg won the "Grand Prize" for completing the most projects during the weekend.  This is just one:

FRMQG members also pieced blocks for a charity quilt from solids and a white background.  Enough to make two quilts!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday, guest hosted this week by Jenelle of Echinops and Aster.

Speaking of WIPs, I've already crossed off two on my February list!

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BOM-day and Parade Giveaway

Wow, January went fast!  It's the first Monday of the month, which means it's "Block of the Month" Monday.

One of the new Blocks of the Month at Ruth's Stitchery is "Ryokan" by Joe Wood for ThimbleCreek Quilts.

A "Ryokan" is a Japanese Inn.  I thought since My Little Sailor is stationed in Japan, this would make the perfect gift for him when his tour in Japan is ended.

Each block is a "house," with an Amish-style quilt block on it.  Here is my first block:

The house is made from leftover Japanese Taupes, and the star block is of Moda marbles.

I also made three more Farmer's Wife blocks today.  Marti Michell has written a series of conversion charts that use her templates to make the Farmer's Wife blocks.  SOOOOO much easier than using the templates that come with the book!

I was so pleased that there were 15 entries for the first "13 in 2013" completed UFO parade.  I thought and thought "what should be the giveaway for the UFO parade?"  I didn't want to add to the winner's UFO collection!  I finally decided a Schnibbles pattern and charm square collection wouldn't result in too much pressure for the recipient!

And Moda's new "Love Letters" fabric seems appropriate for February.  Chosen by the Random Number Generator, our winner is #9, Debra.  Remember Debra's stunning "Easy Street?"

Debra, I'm sending you an email asking for your postal address.  Congratulations!

I hope you'll come back tomorrow to see the photos from the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild's weekend retreat.  SOME people got a lot done (but not me)!

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First 13 in 2013 UFO Parade

Wheee!  Look how many finished quilts were accomplished in January!  Our "number" for January was Quilt #5.  But before I start the parade, let me draw a number for the February UFO.  For this short month, we will work on UFO

#4

Here is my #4 UFO, an oldie from the 2006 Thangles Buck-a-Block series:

I have nine of the twelve blocks made, so this should be a pretty quick finish.

And now:

In no particular order, here are the finished projects.  Remember, you decided what is finished for your project -- whether it be pieced, quilted, bound, or not even a quilt at all, you are in command!

First up, and I think the first reported finish, Debbi tied this excellent example of curved piecing:

Deb totally wins the "longest held UFO" prize.  She reports she started this variation of "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" in the 1970s!

Next, Sooli's "Blooming Aussies" blogged here:

#3 is by a Fellow Quilt Camper from Idaho:

Deb started this beauty in 2002 as one of her first quilting projects.  Minnesota Ladyslippers -- see blog post here.

Sandi at KwiltnKats finished her Easy Street Mystery!  She made a few changes, read her blog post here.

Karen finished this gorgeous Bonnie Hunter "Patches and Pinwheels."  It's a free pattern, so if you love it as much as I do, you can make one, too!

I have to post two photos of Elizabeth's masterpiece. She made this for her parents -- wow!  Here is what Elizabeth wrote about this "Labor of Love":

This is the "Christmas Beast" that I made for my parents. I purchased the material and started in August 2011 and finished and delivered it January 27, 2013. This was definitely a labour of love with lots of learning a long the way. This is only my fourth quilt that I have ever made but I feel like I've gained huge skill through this experience. I'm showing the top plus the back so you can get a sense of the detailed quilting I did on it.

Just look at the quilting on this beauty! Additional details at her blog post, here.

Nurse Jessi has been busy this month!  Look at this incredible Hexie project she calls "Hexies out the Wahzoo!"  This isn't her only project this month, go to her blog and see what else she has been up to.

Here is another "Easy Street," this one from Debra:

Debra apologizes for not being able to get the whole quilt in the photo -- it's just too big.  Right on, Deb!

My Best Blogging Buddy, Susan, from Australia, completed this adorable turtle pincushion from fellow Aussie, Anni Downs:

Click on the photo so you can see the detail of the fabrics Susan used.  Or go to her blog post, here.

Every challenge has to have an over-achiever.  Lynette completed not only her #5 UFO, but her "bonus UFO," #13 as well!

First, Marissa's Moment of Caprice:

Here is what Lynette says about this quilt:

The most work-intensive:  Marissa's Moment of Caprice, started summer of 2010. It's twin-size, a personal design, and free-motion quilted on a domestic machine. The heart flowers are yo-yo's sewn on upside down with a little fiberfill in them. The pinwheels have opalescent buttons in their centers, and I quilted secret messages for my daughter on each side. It's blogged here.  

And, "Heather's Synergistic Windmills," begun in 2009 and worked on "in fits and starts" since.  Blogged here.

Irene finished this beauty -- I'm pretty sure that is hand quilting in the border!  The purple rectangles are to hold photos.  Won't this be something when she gets the photos inserted?

Look at this!  Just under the wire, Elizabeth of More than a Mom sent me a photo of her second UFO finish for January.  Be sure to go to her blog post here to see how she uses this very cool messenger bag.

And last, but not least, a colorful Irish Chain from friend Carol in Idaho (via Airzona).  I can't wait to see how this one is quilted!

Thanks for coming by to see all the January UFOs, and thank you especially to everyone who played along.  Next month, I hope to have a better system for keeping track of all your submissions.  I sure hope I didn't miss anyone, but if I did, let me know please and I'll update the post!  I'll be away at Quilt Retreat this weekend, so I'll announce the giveaway winner from among all the finishers on Monday.



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WIP Wednesday

Are you keeping up with your Blocks of the Month?  The only one I am doing well with is the 2012 Designer Mystery Block of the Month from Fat Quarter Shop.  We're up to Block 8.  This month's block was designed by Bonnie Olaveson and Camille Roskelley, who also designed the fabrics for this year's quilt.

Someone will point out to me that the center of my block is reversed, but I doubt it will be noticeable in the finished quilt.

I've finally completed all the blocks for my version of the Quiltmaker's Scrap Squad quilt.  The March/April issue of the magazine should be on newsstands soon, so you can see the original quilt that is our inspiration.  Or go to the Quiltmaker blog, Quilty Pleasures.  We're making scrappy versions of Monique Dillard's Majestic Garden.  Mine uses scraps from an old Moda University project, "Chocolat."

I don't dare start another project until this one is complete.  My deadline is February 22!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

And BOM Rehab at Pink Pincushion: 

Is your January UFO complete?  Send me an email with a photo and description of your project to AuntMarti [at] 52Quilts [dot] com by tomorrow so you can be in the parade!

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Tuesday Tool: Spinning Triangles

I'm shocked (shocked, I say!) to realize it has been more than one month since I've posted a "Tuesday Tool." Isn't it about time to learn something new?

How about a new template?  This one is called "Spinning Triangles," and it comes from Nancy Zieman at Nancy's Notions.  I took some classes from Nancy 25 years ago (!) at the Northwest Sewing Expo in Puyallup, Washington.  She is an excellent and gracious teacher, she never gets impatient when students ask stupid questions.  (Ask me how I know this.)

Here is one of the blocks made with this template:

To make the Wind Farm block, cut strips from three different fabrics.  Nancy recommends stabilizing the fabrics by using spray starch or Best Press.  Sew them together with the narrowest strip in the middle:

The template is labeled to position it over the strip strata:

There is some waste with this method -- but you can donate the waste fabric to someone who makes pillows for cats at the humane society!

I find it a lot easier to cut odd-shaped templates if I use my rotating cutting mat.  Buy one when it's on sale at JoAnn, and you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.

For each "Wind Farm" block, you'll need four triangles.

To make a perfect center, "stab" a pin through both layers of fabric exactly through the center of the seam.  Leave this pin inserted vertically, it's only to match the seams, not to hold the layers together:

Next, insert a pin on the seam allowance either side of the vertical pin:

Remove the vertical pin and stitch the seam.  Remove the other pins just before you get to them -- I try to catch the seam allowance in my machine needle before I remove the pins.

And see?  Perfectly matching seams!

Press (don't iron) the block.  Be generous with the  Best Press, and remember, the outside edges are on the bias.  A newish quilter I met last week wondered about the difference between "pressing" and "ironing."  I prefer to say "press," don't "scrub."  In other words, it's OK to move your iron around a little, but don't lean hard on the iron and "scrub" it back and forth over your project.  That way madness lies -- or at least, misshapen blocks!

The Spinning Triangles template comes with directions for four projects and three different styles of blocks. Unfortunately, it makes only one size of block (10" finished).  But 10" is the perfect size if you need a row of blocks that finishes at 40"!

New snow in Colorado today -- a good day to stay inside and quilt, doncha think?

From the desk of your