Mom’s strings

My S-I-L, Phyllis, unearthed a nice size stack of string pieced blocks. Mom has been working on sewing these for awhile.

Phyllis took over and set the top together. She did a lovely job, I don’t know that I would have stayed sane working with such small border strips.

I love a scrappy quilt and this one has everything in it. The paper-pieced blocks are about 5”. There are 130 of them in the top.

Mom was thrilled when she got to see the top.

I machine quilted large roses, border to border.

Now Phyllis just needs to get the binding sewn and mom will have a new beauty to keep her warm.

Progress on the Celtic Knot

I haven’t gotten as much done as I planned to but I am making progress on my Celtic Knot.

At least now I can ‘see’ the pattern emerging. I am now looking forward to a marathon at the machine. Goal is three more chunks tonight before I put this up.

FYI:--If I get the top together this year I win. (Don’t know what I will win but a gal has to have a goal)

Cute TO-DO w/children's book panels

It has been awhile since I have seen anyone make a new top using the book panels.  Good friend Deb made this one for her classroom.  They are going to sell it to raise money for books.

Earlier this year I let my sewing friends raid my stash and pick out projects to do for donation quilts.    I know we have several new babies due at church so I am sure I will get to quilt a couple more soon.

Joseph’s Coat KC Star Quilt Pattern

MAY 30 1934

A week or so ago, I saw someone had posted a scrap top and was asking if anyone ‘knew’ what the pattern was.

I was pretty sure I had seen it before. I have a lot of the old KC Star newspaper patterns laying about.

I don’t remember who I told I would send my copy to but since they were just wanting a ‘name’ of the pattern, hopefully this will help.

I have seen these tops made with every fabric in the scrap pile. Very pretty take-a-long project for the hand piece-ers to work on.

cw

auction pt II

My son call me this morning to say that the auction down the road had a couple of quilts at it. He also said, there was no need to go b/c it was all stuff I already had. (yeah right!)

There were a lot of people that showed up to buy mostly b/c of the antiques that were available. After seeing how high the items were selling for I resolved that I was NOT going to be bringing anything home. I watched at least a couple of dozen different ladies fondle this top and comment. I figured it would be out of my price range fairly fast. I was hoping that I could at least get a bid in to say I ‘tried’ I called our son and asked him to run by my house and grab the camera, I was hoping to at least get a few pictures to remember the ‘one that got away’ He showed up just as I won the bid on a couple of boxes of barbies. I had to they were only $2.00 for choice of box. Sadly the camera didn’t have its card in it. I decided to run back to the house and find it. When I got back the quilts were already being auctioned, I didn’t get picture of several of them but did get a few to share. I couldn’t believe how low they were selling for. I assumed it was because everyone was waiting to save up their money for this beauty of a whole cloth hand-embroidery full size top

They started the bid at $200---- no takers, 150---100—50—no one- really? I jumped in at $25- couldn’t believe it!!

I got raised and WON at $45! I am still in shock. The whole set, 2 pillows and the quilt, this is un-real. Mike asked me how much paid and I said “I am not sure, I think 45 but I might have mis-understood, it could have been 145- he said, hope it wasn’t 45-hundred! How’s that for a holiday scare.The pillow tops are in really good condition, I will probably take out the pillows and re-do the case. The quilt has some stains and is headed to take a bath- I am looking for a wall to display it on. Can’t believe how much I LOVE this quilt- I know there is no way I would have made it myself, although I am now looking through my embroidery patterns to see how many of these flowers I have.

Several other quilts and tops sold before I could get my heart back in the game. I did bid on a couple but only won one other.

I am thinking I need to hang out at more auctions, my ‘other’ find was a little less expensive but priceless to me. A Full size hand quilted grandma’s flower garden- there are a few places to patch but I have period fabric that should work. For what I paid I might not even fix it. Just hang it for display- $30.00- Oh my, the amount of work that went into these pieces- I was in the right place at the right time-

- cw

Went to an Auction, and what did I see?

            

and to think a couple of these got to go home with me!

Which ones do you think I bought?

Would believe a D-9 in time for the holidays?

I learned something “new to me” tonight.

When laying out the Disappearing 9-patch block one needs to pay attention to directional or focus blocks! Duh……

I knew I knew that but did I do it? NO, good thing I am not ashamed to own a seam ripper!! (actually I just rip them apart by hand) This Holiday top was made using TWELVE raw-edge appliqué snowmen (from several years ago- different story) , Twelve 12 1/2” light Christmas fabric sqs. and Three of the darker green.

You only have to make THREE of the 9-patches (the third one is sewn in a line for the vertical row) I most likely will look to add a border for this one, possibly in reds and then use it as a gift.

The snowmen were made for a Holiday Block exchange and I like them so much I did a lot of them. Pretty much everyone who participated got at least one. I have snuck them into several holiday quilts. This is their first top as the focus block.

54 x 70 (ish)”

one more D-9 12 1/2” blocks

I had the fabrics picked out the other day. I knew I wanted to do a quick raw-edge applique but wasn’t sure ‘what’

After looking through sets of what I had on hand I decided the red tulips were going to be the ONES TO-DO. I picked through the pre-cuts and found enough red ones that I didn’t have to duplicate very many. Evidently I went through a ‘RED” stage a few years ago b/c I found several packets of red Tulips.

Must have been around the same time as my ‘blue daisy’ phase b/c I found several sets of those too.This top measures around 70 x 88”. Soon as I find the right dark purple sheet for the back, this one is getting quilted for favorite Daughter-in-Law, Kelly.

She pretty much gets dibs on anything I do in purple, or pastels, or anything else she likes!

This Top was made using the D-9 concept. I started with 12 1/2” sqs. Sewed them into 9-patches, cut into quarters and re-sewed. It takes FIVE 9-patches to make this layout. You do have to plan your focus block placement on the fifth block b/c that one is then set in a row.

Tulip Top Tonight’s Ta-DA!

I don’t have a ‘design wall’ per Se but do seem to enjoy pinning stuff to the mini-blinds in the living room. There is just something about walking up from downstairs and ‘seeing’ the tops from a distance.I don’t know why I like tweeking the colors, This is a raw edge applique on a 10 1/2” sq.

This shot is more normal size but lightened up a bit. To me it looks like a ‘controlled’ w/a little scrappy. The tulips were cut out a few years ago and I still have several sets waiting on me to do something with them.

Sometimes I sew in a series, I have one more D-9 cut and ready to work on. It will be Purples on a 12 1/2 starting sq. I just need to figure what I want to do with the large light sqs.

I have a couple of sets of ‘daisy’ flowers in blues I could add. I might go with a larger version of the butterflies and cut them in scrappy purples. I also like to do the Sun Bonnet Sues, or even appliqué Dresden Plates, I just don’t know. - cw

Ben turned 2!

When we ask Ben “How Old are You?” He says: “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY”

He finally got around to saying: “I’m two” and then he grins. What a ham!

This turtle toy was a hit, it bounces and rocks and makes noise. Sarah made the cake.The kids helped Decorate- good job (?)

Big Bro. Andrew is in line for cake-

Cousin Karlee is 2 1/2, when I said wow, Ben is as old as you are! She said: “I Don’t think so!- I’m not a baby”

D-9 w/Tulips 60 x 75

I have decided to add one more row to this controlled scrappy top. The original idea was to start with 10 1/2” sqs, do the D-9 and figure out something to appliqué before the top was set together.Normally, I would pin or use a glue stick to secure the pieces. I am out of glue sticks so tape is going to have to work. If I do this again I will appliqué each flower before I sew the 9-patch. The appliqué goes a lot faster when working with just one block at a time. I think I like scrappy better than controlled fabrics b/c I get board looking at the same thing over and over. For this top I used a set of flowers that was left over from a project I did several years ago.

I think they give a little scrappy to the project. This top is on its way to getting in line to be quilted. Don’t know yet who is getting it but I hope they like TULIPS! cw

fast D-9 w/butterflies

I was messing around last night and appliquéd 24 of the scrappy butterflies to 8 1/2” sqs of this dark pink sheet. I usually do something scrappy to set the blocks but this time decided to do a Disappearing 9-patch just to ‘see’ what it would look like.

Have to say, I am a-liking-it! Very fast- I had another sheet with similar pinks that I used for the 4 side sqs. A green fabric from my stash matched well and was used in the center. The butterflies were placed in the corners.

When I am doing these ‘quick’ projects the idea is to sew and not be stressed about the process. I do not iron but will smooth the block out by hand. I fold the 9-patch in half and then half again and scissor cut the folds apart.

There is no need to resize unless you want too. I sew by ‘sight and feel’ and for the most part end up with pretty flat tops.

This top is 58 x 78” (I have slightly narrower borders on the top and bottom than the sides.

I like to keep them smaller than 60” so I can use a twin sheet on the back. I like to pull the back to the front to bind.

It takes me a little over an hour to appliqué the butterflies- I still need to draw on the antennae. This style of top takes about an hour to cut and sew up. Not bad for a couple of hours work.

I can see doing this in other colors too. I picked up a light purple sheet the other day at the thrift shop for $1.00, bet I can find a couple of fabrics to go with it.

No-Buy busted at least for today.

Had to stop at the big box store for a few things and they were having a sale on fat quarters.

I normally don’t purchase fats but since I had already blown my NO-BUY status I figured what’s one more “my bad”?

I went in b/c I needed thread to quilt my P&C.  I couldn’t find a variegated so I am thinking I am going to go with either a black or pink.  I am pretty sure I am going to use a pink sheet on the back. 

While I was blowing my NO-BUY I added a pair of scissors too. (when I am bad, I am evidently really bad)  Hope you are being good today.