Another wedding quilt

(Originally posted on my main blog Sept.12, 2014)

Alex (my cousin Eva's son) is getting married to Dolores on September 13 2014. We decided that they might like a handmade quilt. I started writing this blog a long time ago but since we presented the present last night I can now finish the blog and post it.
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It began with a little demo at the Church Mice Quilters meeting. It made me nosy and I googled "disappearing pinwheel" and found a great tutorial. Yeah for u-tube!

I changed the sizes a little. For each block I needed two squares 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches. I needed one "background square" for each block and decided on a TOT cream. The second square for each block can be anything from your stash but I found out that the bride likes red. I made 30 blocks! 6 rows of 5.

Put the two squares right sides together and sew all around the outside edge of course with the 1/4 inch seam allowance. It goes quite fast if you do "chain sewing", several blocks at one time.

Cut each sewn square diagonally twice.

Press each seam to set and then press open to the darker side of course. Sew together as shown. Iron.

Trim each square to 12 x 12 inches. To make sure it is the most accurate I line the ruler up to the middle line and cut 6 inches to the outside for the first trim. Quarter turn and the same for the second trim. After that I line up for the 12 inches.

After trimming I cut into 9 blocks, all 4 x 4 inches. Make first cut 2 inches from middle line ... quarter turn ... same again 3 more times.

Turn some squares according to the picture.

I use wonder clips to make three rows and do chain sewing again working on several blocks at a time.

It is really a fun block to make.

I actually made more then the 30 blocks because I was insecure about what the recipient of the quilt might like. I kept changing them around which was a headache. Decision, decision ...

And then came the border. Solid squares or not?

Dark or light?

No, just pinwheels all around. These where made with 5 inch squares.

I found though that I had to adjust the sashing between the pinwheels slightly of the ones top to bottom from the ones across because of the different numbers of blocks. You need to do math when you quilt?

If the quilt is a "serious" one like this one being given as a wedding present I dare not to quilt it myself. Just got it back from the "longarmer". Let the trimming begin. Crawling on the bedroom floor.

I had chosen cream thread and really like it. It does not interfere with the pattern on the front but shows up nicely on the back. Daisies and hearts ( actually called "wandering daisies"), I hope it's not too mushy. Oh well, they will be newly weds ... and the hearts could be leaves.

The binding is sewn on and now comes the hand sewing part. Btw ... the size is about 70 x 81 inches.

Found this written by a quilter in blog land: "Being able to settle down with a quilt to hand sew the binding is quiltings reward for finishing."

Of course no quilt is finished without a label. Printed on photo fabric and hand stitched to the back.

September 11
I think they like it!

Only two more days to the wedding!

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Catching up

(Originally posted on my main blog Aug 17, 2014)

...

Of course there is always quilting. I showed in previous blogs this Thursdays "Stitchers for a cause" project when it was in progress at different points. I started with the three donated "orphan block birds" and at every stage had to decide what to do next. I think this is how a "round robin" works (have heard about it).
This is how I gave it up. The clouds fabric on the top doesn't look as threatening as in the photo. Ellen, one of the organizers, wants to machine embroider a bible verse on the top and they want to use it as a wall hanging. All fine with me. The "orphan blocks" got used and it is going for a good cause. And I had a lot of fun.

...

I want to be brave and do some free-motion quilting. I am not giving up on learning to do this. Layering is done on the garage wall.

Didn't do too bad of a job. You can only get better if you actually practice. Circles and stars on the border.

Hang with magnets and 3M things for the first time. It works.
This wall hanging is not totally done yet though. More to come! I have big plans for it.

...

Besides the different monthly quilt guilt meetings I went to a women's club meeting in somebody's house and the hostess showed me her quilts. Motoko is truly a textile artist.

...

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This and that (CR July)

(Originally posted on my main blog July 18, 2014 - excerpts:)
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Tuesday July 8
CR quilters meeting. I gave the program on "crazy quilts - traditional and stack+whack".
I borrowed Sarah's quilt to show the traditional method. I had written a blog about it here.

This is the stack+whack quilt I had started in Singapore to incorporate a lot of my lace-bits.

We decided to do a workshop doing this in Fall. You can easily make 12 blogs in about 3 hours.

Show and tell! (I forgot to take a photo of the BOM "block of the month" though)

Show and tell also in the evening at the church mice meeting.

Ha-ha, and this I found on Facebook! ... Really?

Thursday July 10
Stitchers for a cause: my project ... I am making progress. I had decided on the patterns for some more rows and made them. Now the question in what sequence to arrange them. Makes a big difference.

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Astronomical Challenge

(originally posted on my main blog  July 14, 2014)


A girl has to have fun. I love to create. Helen and William had left. True, I should have done some housework ... get things back into order ... put the toys away. But where is the fun in that? I remember that my mother told me she would leave the girls' fingerprints on the glass door for weeks before cleaning it after we had left.
Well, so I gave myself time for sewing. Sophie challenged us on Block Lotto to participate in THIS.
Can you imagine NASA Astronaut Karen Nyberg made a quilt block in outer space up in the space station? There is more info on the NASA website!
I love how the video shows the challenges of the fabric and tools floating around in the weightless atmosphere.

There are so many sooooo mannnyy star blocks out there in the quilt world ... which one to choose?
Destiny! Look what this month's calendar photo is? Helen gives me a quilt calendar every year for my birthday.

The calendar block is 14 inches. The challenge is supposed to be 9 inch (9 1/2 unfinished).
9 divided by 7 ... awkward! So I just had to put a little more background around. I must say that I like the vibrant colors.

I was not so proud about my corners (not meeting perfectly) but I decided to leave it up to the receiver whether they want to use it ... and actually mailed it off.
I was supposed to write my name with a marker onto the block though. This felt like graffiti to me and I didn't like to do it. But the good born-German I am, I stuck to the rules.

I wonder whether I will ever see it again.
Note: my father would be proud. He loved Space-travel and all about it, the stars, the moon, the constellations. When he came to the USA to visit us we took him to Cape Canaveral. He was "on the moon" or "in seventh heaven" (sorry, couldn't help it).
Another time when he was visiting the girls and I had a girl scout event where a female astronaut was present. I took a picture of him next to her and it was standing forever on a shelf above his bed (I wished I could find it. That was before digital time).
He will be smiling down on us because I think Helen his granddaughter is participating too.

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I found photos which were posted after the Houston Quilt Show HERE !

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Monthly quilt week (June)

(Originally posted to my main blog June 17, 2014)

2nd Tuesday of the month (June 10) at 10 am = CR quilters!
This time Marsha showed us how to make a Dresden Plate. She was wonderfully prepared and gave us a great lesson. You do need a special tool to make the right cutting easy. I got one now, ha-ha. With a coupon it was less then $5.

Marsha brought samples of what you can do.

BOM # 5

Show + tell !
Janet is almost finished with her wedding quilt. Well, "her" wedding is way before mine. She kept moaning that the bride wanted a red and yellow one but I think it is really stunning!

Becky brought two of her mother's quilts. This double wedding quilt is so special. I wished, I wished ...

She had made a quilt as a wedding gift too.

The back. I think she did the quilt-as-you-go technique.

Somebody is ahead with her Christmas gifts.

I wished I remembered the name of the lady reluctantly showing us these. It will be a gorgeous wall hanging. I love the color choices.

And a newcomer showed us the things she had started a long time ago.

Same day every month in the evening: church mice quilters. This time it was the yearly picnic at Bonnie's house.
But we did have a little bit of show+tell. This is jaw dropping!

And the hostess showed us her "invention" of a family tree quilt.
Front.

Back.

Well, and then every week on Thursdays I try to work at the Stitchers-for-a-cause.
Since it is always a potluck lunch I made scotch eggs to bring.

There is kind of a show+tell to. Sometimes we discuss projects. This is going to be a special quilt. It's going to be raffled for a special cause. The top is finished. Amazing was this person did with the fabric on hand.

Sometimes somebody shows us their "private" quilts.

This is my project I am working on. The three birds were donated (like all the fabric). I guess somebody decided paper piecing is not her thing. They were different sizes and a couple of weeks ago I did the panel. I should have taken a "before" picture.
This Thursday I added the trees. Have to think what to do next with it. And yes, the birds need eyes. I am pretty pleased so far.

Oh yes, I also finished this "Lace Chrismon" today. Its part of a special project for myself but that will be a different blog in the future.

I guess this blog is for my "textile friends" ... or is it "thread friends"?

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