Saturday, August 11, 2012

{Post 1,033} Northern Comfort Finished, Bricks Started in Earnest


This AM I got up bright and early.  Hubby and I had a "project" that was going to take most of the day.  He got up not feeling 100% and went back to bed.  Whilst I waited for him to get up, I put the inner and outer borders on this quilt, Northern Comfort.  It is in Scrap Bag Sensations by Kim Brackett.  I added another row on the top and bottom in addition to what is shown in the book.  I have measurements, but I left them downstairs!



I am selling a kit of this pattern to my friend A, in Australia.  Here is a close-up of the inner and outer border prints for her.  A brightish green tone-on-tone for the inner and a tiny flowers on a black background for the outer:


I also put some time into a Bricks in the Barnyard for a friend from church.  He picked out the pattern.  As I look at the small stack of squares and rectangles, it is hard to imagine that they comprise a whole large quilt top.  But indeed they do.  I have some more rectangles to cut out for the braid border, but that comes last anyway.  I'll piece the center blocks and use the border for a leader/ender in the meantime.  

I used the same pattern to make a baby quilt for my daughter's sister-in-law.  Just used fewer blocks.  Here is the baby quilt, then the piles and box of pieces.










Thursday, August 9, 2012

{Post 1,032} Student I Spy Center

Well, my protege finished her I Spy center yesterday.  We had a severe time loss because we had to come up and get our share of the homemade crescent rolls.  Make the rolls, and they will come.

Here she is with her quilt center.  Such an eager student!



She has plans for the next few days, so I don't know when we can work on it again.  Inner and outer border, then on to the quilting and binding!

~Joan

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

{Post 1,031} Christmas Quilt Bound, Washed, and Dried

What a sense of satisfaction.  My Christmas quilt is bound, washed, and dried.  We're just waiting for the Thanksgiving leftovers to be put away to put it on the bed for the holidays ;)

I had the quilt on our bed to check for fit, and my husband told me he never gets tired of Christmas decorations...we could have them up all year.  I never knew he liked them so much.  He said, "Of course, we'd have to keep getting new trees!"  

On the the pillow shams!!








{Post 1,030} Busy Day in the Sewing room

I asked my 13-year-old neighbor girl earlier in the summer if she would like to learn to sew.  She was very eager.  Her older sister is expecting her first baby in November.  We decided she would make an I Spy quilt.

We spent some time going over the various controls on the sewing machine, how to thread, etc.  She learned very quickly.  I had her sew on lines of various types on paper.  She did swimmingly, so we decided to jump right into the piecing of her quilt.  

Here is her quilt center laid out:



Here are the first 3 blocks in every row sewn together.  I taught her how to web the top so the blocks did not get mixed up or turned the wrong way.  She caught on so fast!


She was over for 2 hours and wanted to keep.  on.  going.  But I told her we'd continue tomorrow.  I didn't want her to get burned out.  She has done such a quality job.

~Joan


Sunday, August 5, 2012

{Post 1,029} 36 Floral String Blocks

Here are the 36 floral string blocks laid out to my liking.  There were only a couple fabrics that really needed to be spaced out because they stood out (!), so that made it easier.  I am working some more on machine quilting my Christmas bed quilt, so I will sew these to each other for a break during that process.  I like these...a lot!!