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Veranda Views BOM Block Three

I just checked and the new installment of the Veranda Views BOM is on the site, but I couldn’t see the link to down-load it. I probably just didn’t look in the right place. Will check again in a bit. Anyway……..I realized that I hadn’t posted a pic of the last block. So here it is. These little blocks are such fun to do. I like the feeling of having finished something, even though it is just a part of something larger.

Quilting in Strips

A couple of readers have asked how I quilt in strips, so I will do my best to show how I do it. Before I begin, I must tell you that I am lousy at explaining things. Maybe this will help me learn to be better at it. I hope...........

First I will show you the quilt I am talking about. It was quilted in four strips. The first strip is the row of piano keys, plus two blocks long and the width of the quilt. The second is just two blocks long and the width of the quilt, and the next strip is the same. The last one is the same as the first, only with the piano keys on the bottom instead of the top.

Next you need to quilt the strips. On the first one you would quilt it to the edges, except for the edge that will be joined to the next strip. On that edge you would leave enough room to be able to quilt in that unfinished edge. I usually quilt in a fairly large meander, so I leave about 3 inches or so unquilted along that edge.

On the next strip you quilt all the way to the ends of the strip, but you would leave the long edges on both sides unquilted for the same three or so inches. Are you with me so far? Now it is time for another picture………

Take both strips that you have quilted, this picture shows one of the strips, and along both unfinished long edges, fold back and pin the batting and backing out of the way. Now with right sides of the two strips together, and matching seams where needed, pin and sew that long seam.


After the seam is sewn, I press that seam open as well as I can. I think it helps reduce the bulk of the seam, and makes it lay flatter. I then press the right side of the quilt where the seam is so everything is smooth and flat.
This picture shows the quilt, right side down and the backing and batting with the pins removed. The first strip is at the top and I have smoothed out the quilt and then smoothed the backing and batting of the first strip down over the seam just made.


Now I smooth the batting from the strip I am adding to the top strip, and there is about a half inch of batting that needs to be trimmed so that the batting from strip one and strip two butt up against each other. My trimming is never exact. A little over-lapping is better than cutting away to much and you wind up with a gap between the two strips of batting. Don’t ask how I learned that.

After the batting is trimmed from the second strip and butted up against the batting of the first strip, smooth out the backing from second strip over the top strip. Turn under and finger press a quarter inch on the edge of the backing on the second strip. Pin to the first strip, taking care to keep everything smooth. If you pull too much on the backing to pin it in place, the front will not be smooth and you will get puckers when you go to finish up the quilting around the seam. After you have it pinned, check the front to see if it looks nice and yes, smooth. If it looks right to you, you are ready to sew the seam joining the two backing fabrics together. I use the ladder stitch to do this. This link shows you how to do it, if you are unfamiliar with that stitch. Ladder Stitch. I hold the quilt in my lap, and pinch up a bit of the quilt in my left hand, sew that portion, then grab another pinch of quilt and continue across until I have the seam finished. Then you flip that puppy over and finish the quilting where the two pieces are joined together. Go through that process two more times and your are ready to put on the binding. Of course you can make your sections any size you want, and make the sections go side to side or up and down. Whew! I think it was harder for me to write about it than it was to actually do it! I hope I have explained how I do this in a way that can be understood. If there is something not clear to you, let me know and I will do my best to explain it better. Wow! I think I have just written my first, and probably my last, tutorial...............Oh, yes. If you click on the pictures you can see larger versions.....

A tisket a tasket block for March

I finished the march block from the bunny hill bom. It won't be long before the next one is ready. I wonder what the one for April will be. How would you draw an "April shower"?

String Quilt

I have been busy during the day doing some meandering on my string quilt. I had this first strip finished over a year ago, before I fell and broke my shoulder and pelvis. I only have one more strip to do before I start joining them together. I can’t wrestle with a whole quilt, so Kathy and I quilt our quilts this way. I was thinking I would send them all off to a local long arm quilter, but when I got my flannel quilt back from her, I decided I would do them myself. I was not happy with her work. Mine is far from perfect, but a least my edges come out straight.

A Touch of Spring

What strange weather we are having. Near 80 degrees on Sunday and now on Tuesday night they say it is supposed to get down to 25 degrees. Kathy’s Bradford pear is about to bloom and it will probably be ruined for this year. I picked some daffodils, hyacinths and a few sprigs of forsythia yesterday. I am going to pick the rest of the flowers this afternoon. I might as well have them inside instead of leaving them to freeze. I am showing a picture of the bouquet I made yesterday. I had to get out my favorite vase to put them in. LOL…

Pincushions

Thank goodness we are not issued fines for not posting frequently. I know I couldn't afford the fines I would incur! These are some lousy scans of the pincushions I made the last couple of days. They were made by the English paper peicing method. I appliqued them on to a charm square after I sewed the peices together. I had never tried it before and it was fun! The pincushions are four and half inches. I filled them with walnut bird litter, which I read about on a blog somewhere. I found it at Pet Smart. It gives a nice weight to the pincushions. When I have my 100th post giveaway, one of these will be a part of it.

Another NPNT Block

It has been a week since my last post. The time just gets away so fast. I have been busy, and that always makes the time go faster. I have finished several of the NPTP blocks. They are so much fun! I have also been working on the quilt that Kathy and I are doing. Will show a couple of the blocks from that quilt soon. It is made with 30's fabrics. I may not have been posting, but I have been reading my regular blogs. A lot of you have some really neat projects going. This blogging thing is a real wonder. So many nice people to visit and so many beautiful things to see. Now I must go and cut more strips. My back said for me to take a break, but the break is over.

A Tisket A Tasket February block

This is just a little quickie post to show you my February A Tisket A Tasket block.

Veranda Views BOM Block Two

Got this finished a couple of days ago. It is not a very good scan. Or it is a very good scan and I just didn’t get the fabric pressed very well. Now for the wait to see what the next stitchery will be…….

Noah's Ark is Finished

Well, it is done! I really enjoyed doing this BOM and I am pleased with the way it turned out. I purchased a jelly roll at a local quilt shop. It is not a fabric line. Just some very pretty coordinated prints that they put together, and I thought they would be perfect for the borders on this little quilt. When I started cutting out the stitcheries to finish this up, I decided to cut them a little bit larger. I cut them one half inch beyond the embroidered line that goes around each block. I cut my 2 ½ inch jelly roll strips in half to add the borders. I thought I had it all figured out, but as you can see the blocks came out a size that didn’t allow them to be put together like they should have been. I considered adding borders to the little quilt, but every thing I tried seemed to take away from the stitcheries, so I just did a bit of hand quilting, put the binding on and called that good. Even though mine is a little bit different, I plan to keep it! Now I need to find a nice hanger for it. If you click on the picture, you should be able to see it in a bit larger size...

The Ark

This is the last stitchery in the Noah’s Ark BOM. I suppose it is being greedy to hope that Lynette will start another one soon. This one was such fun. I have the stitcheries done and sewn together. All that is left is to sandwich it, do a bit of quilting on it and put on the binding. Will show a picture of it when it is all done!

Nice People, Nice Things......block two

This block went together rather quickly. I have decided not to do the sayings that are supposed to be on the back of each block. Just doing the fronts will be time consuming enough. I am also going to join the seams on the back of the quilt, instead of on the front. I hope that having one block a week ready to show will keep this project...FUN..

Veranda Views BOM Block One

While visiting blogs, I found the Veranda Views BOM. I printed it out, chose the background fabric and started working on it. Got all the floss out that I planned to use. Read the instructions, which are very well done, and got the tree finished. Went back to the directions and found that I had used the wrong color for the tree. I felt like such an idiot. Hate to say it, but that is not the first time for that feeling. Any how, I left it like that, because I didn’t want to start over. I think it is cute, even with my mistake. I will try to be more attentive when making the next block…….Thank you Willowberry Designs for sharing this project………clicking on the picture in my side bar will take you to the pattern........

Nice People, Nice Things......block one

I have finished the first block of the Nice People, Nice Things quilt by Helen Stubbings. I am doing a bit of hand quilting in the blocks. I hope to get one block a week done on this quilt. I am using a line of fabrics from Connecting Threads for the borders. It is called Emily’s Raspberry Patch. I am not going to add any blocks together until I make sure I have enough fabric to put borders on all of them. If I don’t have enough, I will just have a bit smaller quilt…..

A tisket a tasket January block

Last night I finished the first block of the Bunny Hill BOM. I want to thank Myra for telling me about it. This was a fun block to do. I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for next month. I have been very busy this past week working on a couple of new projects that are fun! I should have plenty to show you when I get more pictures taken. The infamous Kathy and I are going to make two quilts. One is flannel and one is using 30's fabrics. We have the same fabrics, but we are making the quilts without telling each other which of the fabrics we are using in the blocks. We like to see how close we come in our choices. I am also excited about the patterns I got for the Nice People, Nice things quilt. I have loved it since I first saw it. I have the first block finished. I really like the way it turned out..........

A Scripture for Sunday

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

-Isaiah 40:31

The Bugs

Just a quick post to show my latest finish. It is the bugs from the Noah's Ark BOM by Lynette Anderson. Not many more to go. I am going to have to get the fabric I need to put it together very soon!

LeMoyne Star

Myra asked me to show a picture of the one block I made of the quilt I thought I was going to do. It really isn't as wrinkled as it shows in the pic. I should have taken a picture of it instead of jamming into the scanner. And the scanner didn't fit the whole block. That is why the points on the right are missing. I am now trying to figure out what to do with the 30's fabrics I have. Pretty sure I am going to do a half square triangle quilt like the one Myra is making. You can check it out on her blog, tactile pleasures in fabric. She is in my blog list.

I Changed My Mind

I am a woman. I can, and do, change my mind frequently. I have told my husband that I am going to make chicken and noodles, homemade noodles of course, homemade cranberry and orange relish, real mashed potatoes, and homemade hot rolls for supper. That evening when he comes in and sees Campbell’s soup and a ham sandwich and asks what happened to the chicken and noodles, I tell him I CHANGED MY MIND. The reason for this story is a way of leading up to the fact that I have changed my mind about doing the quilt that I told you about in my last post. Kathy and I went to the quilt shop and bought a few fat quarters and some of the background fabric for the quilt. Yesterday we both made a Lemoyne star block. It was not fun! It took me all morning to make it. I did mine on the machine. Kathy tried to hand piece hers. She said she felt like throwing it in the trash before she was finished. So……….Here we are. We talked and I told her that I didn’t think the project was something I wanted to do, and she agreed. It didn’t start out being fun, and I don’t want to do something that isn’t fun! I am getting to where I enjoy doing things that are small enough, or quick enough, to finish within a short time. I guess turning seventy has something to do with my attitude. I would prefer to start something I may live long enough to finish! That is all I have to say about our short lived grandiose plan for making this quilt……….except to say that I have a great pattern I would sell at a good discount………LOL

It’s a brand new year and thanks to Kathy, my wonderful sister, I have a brand new quilting project. For my birthday she gave me a new pattern for a beautiful quilt. She and I are both planning to make this quilt during 2009. We hope to make it as near like the picture as we can. If you click on the picture, you can see it in a larger size. The pattern is called “Vintage Moments”, by Marsha McCloskey. The picture is one that my sister found on the internet. I don’t know who made it, but we fell in love with it when we saw it. I hope I am not too old to learn some new tricks. This quilt requires doing some things I haven’t tried before. Bias strip piecing for making half- square triangles? We are going to do it one step at a time and see how it goes. Maybe this new project will give me more incentive to take pictures and blog about my progress. If I am going to get this done in 2009, I had better get off the computer and get busy! Hope you all have a great new year filled with happy days of quilting and crafting.

Happy New Year 2009!

A New Year Blessing

May the road you walk be a smooth one,

May your troubles be few — if any,

May the days and years that lie ahead

Be healthy, happy, and many,

May you have friends in abundance,

May the sun shine bright around you.

May the world be a wonderful place to live,

And may God's love always surround you.

The Lions

My, how the time just flies by. The more I have to do, the less time I have to do it. This is just a quick post to let you know I am still around. Amanda is doing much better, and that makes me feel better. I finished the lions for the latest installment of the Noah’s Ark project. I liked the way this one turned out. They are all just so cute. Thanks again, Lynette.

Back to Blogging

I have never been a daily, or even weekly, blog poster, but this is ridiculous. It has been more than a month since I have made a post. I can say that there have been some legitimate reasons for this, but a lot of it is because of a lack of inspiration. Amanda has been back in the hospital during this time, and continues to have medical problems. She is home now, and seems to be feeling better, but I worry so about her. Please continue your prayers for her. On a lighter note, I have just finished the November block of the Noah's Ark series, and that reminds me that I need to check to see if the one for December is up on Lynette's site. We had a really nice Thanksgiving Day. All of my children and their kids were here, except for the son who lives in Houston. I know the rest of the month will be a busy time for everyone. I don't know how often I will post, but God willing, it will be more often than in the past month

Even More Mail

I just couldn’t believe it when I got this in the mail a couple of days ago. Another package from my Angel Stitcher! I am just so happy with the things she sent. There is a really cute pattern for a little bag and all of the materials to make it. Also a quilt label, more beads, and more cookies and some really yummy candy. Last of all is a beautiful bag!!!!!!!!! I wish you could see it in person. It is so beautifully made. I just love it! Now I get to tell you who the lovely lady is that sent all these wonderful things to me. She is Maria, from Denmark. She has a blog that I visit frequently. It is called allmomasquilt. I think you would enjoy a visit there. It is mostly in Danish, I think. Don’t know for sure because I can’t understand that language, but she also makes some remarks in English. I have really enjoyed making the Angel Stitcher projects, and have sent mine off to their new owner in Australia. I just barely got them sent before the deadline. Procrastination is my middle name. Wish it weren’t so, but it is another fault of mine. I will end this post with a little note to Maria. Thank you so much for the beautiful gifts and I am so happy that you were my swap partner. You made this a really wonderful experience. Hope your Angel Stitcher is as good to you as you were to me. I will be visiting you on your blog very soon………

More Mail

2 days ago, I got another package in the mail from my Stitcher’s Angel. What a nice lot of goodies. There was a folding thread catcher, a too cute little pincushion for my finger, a pair of scissors on a ???, you know, the thingy you put around your neck, and some cookies and candies. The orange wrappers were toffee candy. My favorite!! Those were gone before I got a picture taken! Thank you once again my Angel. You are a very generous and talented person. Please excuse the lousy picture. I had my 15 year old grand daughter spend the night with me. She loves to take pictures with my camera. I told her she could use the camera if she didn’t change any settings. When I took this picture, the flash wouldn’t work. Do you suppose she changed a setting? I’m thinking she did. I can’t find the book that came with the camera, and can’t figure out how to get the flash back to working. She is going to get her you know what chewed out when she gets home from school today.

Noah's Ark

I finished the eighth little stichery of the Noah's Ark BOM last night. It is hard to believe how many stitches you can get in a 2 and a half inch block. The backstitched lines around the outside of the block were straight before I pressed it. I will have to re-do the pressing later and get the lines straight. I wish I knew what fabric I wanted to use for setting these together. Oh, well, I have a few more months to go before I have to make up my mind.

Fall Gourds

I was thinking about decorating my mantle for fall, which got me to thinking about the fall gourds I have and I decided to make a collage of them and show them here on my blog. In fact the idea of even decorating the mantle started because my sister, Kathy, showed a picture of what she had done on her blog. Must give credit where credit is due! I haven’t done a new gourd in a couple of years. They were fun to do, but I just haven’t been in the mood to do a new one. Hope my gourds don’t rot before I get around to them again.

Why I have been away from blog-land

Amanda
On Wednesday evening, September 24th, my daughter had a stroke. She was in the hospital for eight days. She is almost back to normal now, thank the Lord. She is only 34, and this has been a real shock. The doctors say that it was probably caused by a combination of factors. She was taking birth control pills and she is a smoker. They said that some of the meds she takes for migraines could have also been a culprit. And then there is the “stuff happens” theory. She is at home now and being closely monitored. She has to take a blood thinner and has to have regular blood tests while she is taking it. I am feeling more confident that she will be ok, but I am still scared for her. During this time I have been so worried that I just couldn’t do anything. I seemed to be wandering around in some kind of fog. I feel like I am coming out of it a bit, at least enough to let those of you who read my blog know why I have not been posting or reading. In the next few days I hope to get more in the swing of things, and catch up on what you all have been up to. I want to thank those that have e-mailed me with your concern. Thank you for caring.