{Post 1,086} Christmas Quilt in Place

This morning when hubby and I made the bed, I remembered that he wanted to put our Christmas quilt on November first.  Happy November!

Gonna hafta do something about those pillow shams.  The red behind them are our regular pillow cases.  Even if they were the right size, I am not liking the dark cream.  It's one of my favorite Thimbleberries creams, but it just looks weird.  Maybe something green would be better?  That's my plan!

~Joan

{Post 1,076} New Shower Curtain Construction

I knew I'd have a little more sewing time today.  So I am starting (and possibly finishing) my Christmas shower curtain.

Recently I was shocked to find out that my husband LOVES Christmas decorations at our house.  He even said something like, "I'd leave them up all year if I could."  

I made us a Christmas bed quilt this year (just finished recently) that has its own story (click the underlined words to read all the posts about the quilt).  That led to buying inexpensive but perfect red valances to match the quilt.  Few know that our shower has a quilt for a curtain!  I patterned it after one I saw in a magazine years ago.  I made it when we moved in here 6-1/2 years ago.  Here it is...

My current bedroom and bathroom valances are made from the fall print that is the large alternate block.  

Here is a peek at what I'm doing for a new curtain:

I needed about 70" of the focus fabric (which is not pictured).  It was still on a bolt foundation on my shelf.  I didn't know how much was there...it didn't look like much!  72"!!!  Just enough!!

Stay tuned...I plan to sew, sew, sew on this puppy today.

~Joan, who is making her own design and holding her breath that it looks good

{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 1,027} A Surprise Started

There is a dear elderly widow in my church that loves flowers.  She has given me several of my favorite plants in our natural area out front.  


I have been machine quilting last night and this AM and have learned the hard way that I can't keep doing that like the Energizer bunny, or I'll pay for it in back and shoulder pain the next day (s).  Only this much more to go on my wreath quilt (about 3 more feet of batting showing, so I must be close to the end!):

So as I took a break from machine quilting today, I started a set of 8" string blocks for my friend, Mrs. H.  I used widely-colored strings from my watercolor quilt stash.  The same fabrics that I used for my Florabunda quilt.  


Here are my flocks so far.  In this photo, the paper is still on the backs, so they don't stick flat to the design wall.

My son, Luke, saw them and said they look like stained glass.  I suppose they do from a distance.  I used a 1" cut black strip for the center diagonally of each block.  I love the ease and mindlessness of sewing strings.

~Joan

{Post 1,026} Braving It

Last night I started quilting my scrappy wreath quilt.  I meandered in the large outer border and alternate blocks.  The print is sooo busy that not much quilting would show anyway.  I did a loop-de-loop in the green squares and a wiggly zigzag in the red borders.  I also stippled in the cream around the wreaths.  Then I took the plunge and did this:

I am very pleased for a first-time effort.  There are only 12 of these blocks on the quilt, so how bad could it be??  I was prepared to unsew it, but I think it's good enough to stay put.

~Joan

{Post 1,025} Scrappy Wreath Top Center

Here is my Scrappy Wreath top w/o the final single-fabric border.  It will have the same fabric for an outer border as the alternate blocks on the top.  This is the top that had the horrible circumstance.  Looks better now!  I ordered curtains that are red and camel/cream striped, so they will be good with most of my bed quilts.  I was thrilled to see that this top actually matches my bed skirt, so no making one of those any time soon.  I do have a plan (after searching in vain) for pillow shams.  I think I'll quilt some cream Thimbleberries and just make my own.  Like these, but all cream.  


I am hoping I have enough of the Christmas print to add a 12" border on all sides.  *crossing fingers*


Here it is:

I'm just weird like this, but I added another row of 3-1/2" green squares and 2" of red at the top.  I didn't want a big expanse of just border fabric, but didn't want to make another row of wreath blocks for a pillow tuck either.  Hence the need for pillow shams.  

~Joan

{Post 1,019} Center Possibly Finished

I am going to let this one marinate for a while.  Meanwhile I am getting the measurements on here.  The quilt top measures 68-1/2" square now.  The pattern shows another 2" border then a larger border of the same print as the squares.


The pattern does not have a pillow tuck, so I'd have to make pillow shams as well.  


My decision is whether to quilt it like it is and use it for a throw or add the other borders and use it for my bed.  I am leaning towards the bed quilt, but then I'd have to make curtains as well :(


The quilt top goes out to the scrappy green border.

I found a few HSTs in my spare parts drawer, so I threw those into the mix.  The pattern called for 3-1/2" squares, but that was what my HSTs measured--is that fate or what?


I got border, binding, and backing fabric for my secret project last night, so I'll work on that in the meantime.


I really would only need to make curtains to go with this quilt, so I might do it.


~Joan

{Post 1,018} Repairing Stained Blocks

Today I dove into what I was in the mood for...meticulous quilt top repair.  This Christmas top was folded up in an open-topped plastic storage box in our garage.  It rained in the garage.  I don't remember when.  As in water leaked down through the floor above (which is where the master bathroom is...don't think about it too hard).  When Susie cleaned out the garage a while back, she brought the box in and told me I probably wanted to go through it sooner rather than later.  The box smelled like those ancient quilts that have been stored for a really, really long time.  Musty, slightly moldy-ish, yuck!


Here is was before the rainfall:

I pieced this in January 2010.  Two and half years ago.  Today I had the delight of unsewing and replacing many small portions.  Whatever leaked onto the folded quilt top was a strange substance.  It got caught in the seams on the tops of some parts and on the bottoms of others.  It caused a pink stain in some areas and a blue stain in others.  Not dwelling on it...much.

Here are a few shots of the reconstruction process.  I wish it hadn't happened, but I don't mind this type of work.  It is extremely challenging, but I like a good challenge.

See the upper left large cream square and the two adjacent smaller cream squares?  They must go.

Another unit removed from a different block (see the blue stain?):

Here is a shot after the blockectomy:

I didn't work on it a whole lot, but I got the center all repaired and a red border put on all the way around.  Tomorrow I'm going to cut lots of 3-1/2" green squares for a second border.

~Joan

Quilty Update

This quilt is a surprise for someone, so I won't say too much. It's going in the mail tomorrow. If it doesn't turn up in your mail box within a week, chances are that is wasn't for YOU.

I don't even remember the name of this quilt. I DO recall thinking it was a really cool design and ended up being much easier to make than I thought it would be.

**I found the book that the pattern is in, and the quilt is named Another Mosaic.**

Here's a closeup of one block. All the cream in the background is the same print, and each pinwheel is made of 4 matching blades. The rest is scrappy. If you are new to the quilting world, scrappy = fun. Scrappy means using that one last 2" strip of your favorite fabric. Scrappy means being able to look at your quilt with interest for longer than ten seconds. Scrappy means losing count of the different fabrics once you reach 60 or so.

Here is the progress on my Christmas quilt. I have the original quilt size made. I laid it on my bed and realized I need to make at least 3 more pieced blocks. I can do that! Right? Soon? Probably not.

I'll let you in on a little secret...

We had friends over for supper last night. I was showing the wife (hi, Marti!) my quilts in progress. That is, all the quilts that are not completely finished. While I had that short stack out, I thought it would be a good idea to inventory the little whippersnappers just so I could keep track. I am also considering buying a quilting machine to replace my relic. How many completed except for quilting tops do you think I have? These are all at least twin-sized quilts. Several are queen size.

I'll tell you tomorrow! Until then, I'm going to hang my head in shame and get QUILTING!! My sister's daughter's quilt is first. I'm just generous like that...putting her quilt ahead of all mine. Just ask her...I'm her favorite sister. And there are good reasons for that:

1. I'm her only sister.

2. Her quilt has been pieced even longer than any of mine.

3. I'm her only sister.

4. I machine quilt large quilt tops.

5. I'm her only sister.

Until tomorrow...keep on stitching!

~Joan