{Post 1,667} I’m A Starter

Why is STARTING a new quilt so much more appealing to me than applying that time to a UFO or WIP??

I have started 3 new projects this WEEK so far! Someone stop me!!

I added a few more blocks to my Geese on a String. There are 24 in each row in the pattern. Here is a little over half of a row (13) for starters. In the picture, on the right side, there are two groups of 3 with orange side triangles that are sewn together (I have not trimmed down the sides yet, so that is why they look off). They are at the very bottom of the row.

I with I had gotten more muted blue and orange. Here is the rug I am aiming to match or at least complement.

One of my husband’s coworkers asked me to make a baby quilt for her to gift to another coworker. The 9-patches are just laid on the background fabric. This is what she chose.

Denim blue squares on a light gray background.

The answer to my own question just came to me. As I’m cutting up shirts,  I use the largest chunks for the HST quilt I am making for the living room (the room with THE rug). Then I cut the leftovers into strips of varying widths for these blocks.

The Geese blocks use up shorter strips. Then what is left can be cut into 1-inch squares for the 4-patches that go in the Geese quilt. Question answered!!

{Post 1,666} Quilt-Along

I am not crazy about every new technology that comes out. In fact, I wish things would just. Stop. Changing. I just don’t like learning all the ins and outs of the new things you know?

Some of my children have Instagram accounts, so I signed up for one. Even though I don’t want to learn a new thing, just today I decided to post on my account. It’s “Joan Parker” if you want to take a peek, but I’m posting the same pictures here.

Kim Diehl is on Instagram. I have always liked her fabrics and designs. She is having a quilt-along from one of her new books, Simple Friendships 2. I just happened to buy that on Kindle. That is the only book of here’s that I own. So I started yesterday. I was a week behind, so I made last week’s, and then today I made this week’s. Very small pieces. I guess I’ve been using slightly bigger pieces just long enough to think the 1-1/2” squares are tiny. A 1-1/2” square finished HST??  What in the world??

The thing that is sort of bothering me is that I don’t know what fabrics to use because I don’t know what the finished product will look like. I’m wondering which ones will be next to which ones, and so on. I guess I’ll just have to wing it.

Here is week one’s pictures...

Here is week two:

{Post 1,665} Customer Sampler Quilt

This isn’t one of those professional long-arm quilter posts. I am a normal person who quilts her own quilts and occasionally for friends (and I use that word loosely). A friend brought this sampler quilt over a few weeks ago. I just got to it yesterday. Life has been so busy for me.

She is an excellent piecer and was trying some new-to-her techniques on this sampler quilt. It has such lovely fabrics. It measures 62” x 72”. The back is a sunshine yellow print.

This was quilted with meandering loops in cream thread. 

{Post 1,664} Geese On A String

I was looking at the leftover bits of my Moth in the Window 1-1/2” strip sets. I want to make a Geese On A String quilt (by Bonnie Hunter), but I did not want to buy the book. So I just figured I’d go for it by making my own block sizes. I had a small pile of crumb blocks on my desk as well as the strips. I have the day to myself (I will be machine quilting a friend’s quilt top later today). Here is what I have so far. It is being made to go with my living room rug.

Here are 29 four-patch blocks (this is w/o cutting any new strips...just the leftover pieces)...

The little pile of threads is what was trimmed off the 4-patch blocks. Then I cut into my two colors for the setting triangles and geese wings. Here is part of the 4-patches waiting for a turn. At the ironing board/pressing station.

Here are a few on my design wall. None of the 4-patch units are sewn to each other yet.

I want to mix them in with some that aren’t two creams and two colors with the creams running down the middle. 

{Post 1,663} After Washing & Drying

Something I LOVE is taking a freshly finished quilt out of the dryer. Oh, the Q-U-I-L-T-I-N-E-S-S....

{Post 1,662} Baby Quilt is Quilted!

Here’s my daughter’s baby’s quilt (due in July) fresh off the quilt frame. I love the way the side light catches the texture of the quilting. Today is laundry day, and I hope to have it trimmed, labeled, bound, washed, and dried today.

I made it from 2” strips of various whites with gray prints and a solid light gray Kona cotton. It is 46” x 51”.

I. Love. It.

{Post 1,661} Ten Days Gone

I was thinking this AM that I have not posted in a few days...make that TEN!!  Time surely doth take wings.

I probably have to look back at my pictures and see what I’ve been up to. Quilt-wise, I’ve been piecing this simple 9-patch for my 7th child, my daughter, Rachel. She is my 4th and youngest girl. This will be her first baby. She is having a boy. The nursery will be grey.

Heretofore, gray has not been in my stash. My DIL asked for a gray and white quilt for Christmas, so I did get a few, but I did not use any of those in this quilt because they were all solids. I thought I had several white with gray print shirts, and that was my first idea. Then I realized I only had 2 full shirts and 2 small pieces of others.

I went to 7 different thrift stores and quilt stores total before I landed a few white with gray prints. I wanted a large variety. I think it turned out well.

The quilt will be about 48” xx 58” when finished, backed with solid gray Minkee to make it extra soft and snuggly.

I only need 6 more 9-patches. The strips are sewn together, waiting for sub-cutting, then attaching in rows.

Until next time!