{Post #794} Red Broken Dishes Quilt Finished

My red candle mat is finished.  The friend I am giving it to will be here tomorrow night.  Hope she likes it.

~Joan

{Post #792} Back of Red Broken Dishes Quilt

Kudos to the very observant reader who wondered what happened to the "other" left over broken dishes block?  Well, it went on the back of this quilt, of course.  Guess where the lone green one is going?

I wanted to write directly on the block, but the spaces were so tiny!!

~Joan

{Post #789} Green Candle Mat Piecing Finished

Duh!  After going through great lengths, I realized the corners I had to add to the cream squares in the center were the same size as half of one of the squares plus a 1/4".  At least I figured that out before I sew the red one.  This is 17-3/4" square as is.  I might hand quilt it with green thread.  Time will tell.

I am all sewn out tonight.  Spent some time with son #3, painted my new porch decorations, and solved an interpersonal relationship problem, so it's been a full day.

Just talked to my newly-married daughter and her deliriously happy husband.  His only problem apparently is his face hurts from smiling so much!  :)  Hee hee!!

~Joan

{Post #788} Two Candle Mats

So, I was playing with my 26 extra blocks.  I came up with this layout for a candle mat.  I was thinking of trying to put a cream block in the center to finish out the red triangles to make is a square on point.  Don't know if I'm up to doing the math, but I'm going to give it a try.  Why do I want to keep everything I make??

~Joan

{Post #787} Christmas Runner (top) Finished!

Considering that I've started with pieced BLOCKS, these projects have taken a really long time!  I pieced a table runner for myself.  I hear all the time how DARK my quilts are, and it is true.  It's because I sew with Thimbleberries nearly 100% of the time.  The border on my runner is old, Old, OLD.  From Mistletoe Mountain.

Here is a chronological sequence of pics from the process.  Don't need many words.  The runner finished at about 16" x 47".  Our kitchen table seats 12, so I can use a long runner.

As I finished piecing the runner, I used every last 1-7/8" HST from my Past and Present quilt.  There are still 26 broken dishes blocks for me to use up somehow.  Kind of burned out on sewing right now, so I'll post this and then go stretch my legs.

My broken dishes blocks accumulating on my cutting table:

Rows ready to sew to each other:

Close-up of border fabric:

Piecing finished!

 

{Post #786} Christmas Broken Dishes

Here is my finished top...it measures 24" square.  I will use the same red as the inner border for the binding.  Before I quilt it, I am going to lay out a table runner with a very similar style.

Upward and onward.

~Joan

{Post #785} Broken Dishes Layout

I plan on getting a LOT of sewing done today.  All of my family at home except for one son went to Carowinds and won't be home until after supper tonight!  Yippee for sewing time.

Last night I cut out new sashing strips for this quilt.  I thought light brown would be the best color, but as I looked more closely at the border, I realized this dark gold matched very well.  I am going to experiement with a 1/2" finished red inner border.  Will post pics after I get the inside section actually sewn together.  Likin' it!!

What do you think of the new sashing color?

~Joan

{Post #784} Broken Dishes Layout

Here is my first layout idea for the Broken Dishes blocks.  I put up busy and solid-looking cornerstones.  I am leaning towards the solid ones. 

Here is the quilt layout with my planned border fabric plus using extra blocks as cornerstones.  What do you think?  Should I add a solid-looking red border before the outer busy border?  Use a different border fabric altogether? 

This would be a wall hanging or a table topper.  I'll put a hanging sleeve on it so the new owner has that option.

Give me your input on colors, borders, etc.  I alternated red and green blocks here.  Would all one color block be better?

It's fun to have so many little blocks to play with.  The blocks are 3-1/4", the cornerstones are 1-1/2" square, and the sashings are 1-1/2" x 3-1/4".

~Joan

{#778} Past and Present

Made 3 more sets of these Past and Present blocks today.  I see a mistake in the layout above.  Do you?  I was in a hurry to come up here and order some flowers to send to my mother...you see, tomorrow is my birthday!

Then I took these little broken dishes blocks...

...and tried this layout.  I don't have enough sewn to get the full idea (there are 8 blocks' worth on my sewing table, trimmed and at the ready), but I wondered how they would look radiating out from the center?

Off to meet with oldest daughter's suitor and his parents for dinner tonight.  Should be a grand time.

~Joan

{#773} A Quilty Post!

While I was in Ohio last time, I went to a Jo-ann Fabrics store and perused their books.  I need a new quilt book like I need...oh, never mind! I bought a book--so sue me!  This is one of the blocks in the book, and boy do they work up fast.  Plus, there's hardly any waste.  Cut a red or green 2-1/2" strip width of fabric, and one of cream, and get 3 six-inch blocks.  Marvelous!

 

Another plus...these bonus Broken Dishes blocks that finish at about 3" square.  I'm thinking ahead for some Christmas gifts.  This size would be great for a table runner or wall hanging.  One of my own favorite quilts is this one...same blocks!  (click on the green words to go to the page showing that quilt).

Off to watch a movie with the family and then hit the hay.  I've been awake since 3 AM.  We helped a family move in to this area today by unloading their moving van.  They plan to join our church.  I met them back in July.  We welcomed them with a home made meal they could use for supper and lots of unloading help.

I also machine-quilted half of a twin-sized throw this AM before starting to cook for the other family.  Busy times, busy times!

~Joan