Threads from the Heartland: Quilted

I finally got this quilt kit quilt onto the long arm and quilted. 

I went with a Baptist fan design because it seemed like it would fit the style of the prints. The design is Kristin's Easy Baptist Fan from Urban Elementz. Their library of quilting designs is great when you have an idea of what you want. 

I need to find some binding and finish this one. 

Kit from Joann Fabrics (ages ago) called Threads from the Heartland.

My favorite tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Electric Quilt

Project box: IRIS 12" x 12" Portable Plastic Storage Cases with Built-in Handle, Clear (storage)

Letter Openers

Fiskars Rotating Cutting Mat 14 inch x 14 inch

Creative Grids Stripology XL Ruler

Threads from the Heartland

Do you remember the Quilt Block of the Month kits that Joann Fabrics had (20 years ago)? Well, it seems I had one partially pieced hanging out in my boxes and boxes of fabrics. I decided it was more than time to get it pieced. I still have a border to add. It's nice to finish things. This one was Threads from the Heartland. I must have been unable to find all of the blocks because there are some duplicates.

My favorite tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle 

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades

Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

How Does Your Garden Grow

I've had these applique tulip blocks for years. I won them in a block lottery at one of the meetings of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild. I just didn't know what to do with an odd number of blocks. 

I added some gray print fabric to the blocks that weren't quite big enough and arranged them in a pleasing layout. This took much longer than it really ought. I did have to fill in that one missing block with a print. 

I used the same print to add a simple border. I've had that print fabric for more than ten years, so this is a real move to work through things that have been hanging around. 

Quilted and ready for binding. A fine little quilt. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Design Wall

I have a small garden growing on my design wall. Several years ago the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild would coordinate a block and everyone that made one would get an entry in a drawing for each block. I won these blocks during one of the raffles. I think I made four or five of these so I had plenty of chances. I'm going to size up the smaller blocks, add some sashing, and sew these up into a fun little quilt. 

On the right are my scrappy bricks blocks. I might have another charity quilt top finished soon. 

What are you working on? I would love to learn about it. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Springtime Small Fan Crochet Shawl

This is the Small Fans Shawl, a free chart available on Ravelry. This is the second time (at least) I've made this pattern. It's easy to memorize and a good travel project if you can sit quietly to count. Not so great if you're looking for mindless crochet because you do need to keep track of what you're doing.

This is the pre-blocked shawl. I wanted to capture the difference between before and after blocking. While is it perfectly acceptable not to block your work, it can change how the work looks. It depends on what you're aiming for.

This is two different colors of fingering weight yarn. I have no idea what these are as they came to me caked with no labels. This is what it looks like when done, but before blocking.

As I've said before, I'm often a very aggressive blocker. I want the motifs to open up and show the effort I put into the piece. According to my Ravelry project page, I started this one in May 2018.

See how those stitches open up!

Compared to the before-blocking picture, the lace is opened up and the fabric is light and airy.

The finished shawl.

Tools (affiliate links):
Crochet hooks: Clover Crochet Hook Set (10 hooks)
Blocking mats: Balance From Puzzle Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles
Blocking wires: Knit Picks Lace Blocking Wires & T-Pins
Knit blockers: Knitter's Pride Knit Blockers & Pin Kit

Spring has Arrived

I haven't been up to much this past week.

I did win the block lottery during the last guild meeting. I shared my blocks last month. Now I just need to decide what to do with them all. Check out the free tutorial by Samelia's Mum to make your own applique tulips.

I think spring has finally arrived in Virginia. The daffodils are in full bloom.

The deer are out and about.

The squirrels are still chasing each other about. 

Even the trees are in bloom. I took these photos on my afternoon walks this week. I can't resist a pretty flower.

divergence

This quilt was a result of one of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild bee I participated in last year.

I was the queen bee for the month of April, so I guess it is fitting I finished it in April of this year.

I used the same backing for another quilt and liked it. I thought it would be perfect for this quilt. I quilted swirls as an all-over quilting design. The thread is a very light gray, the same light gray I piece with most of the time.

I think the quilting really adds a dimension to the quilt.

Scrappy binding, again. I really like how this one turned out. Look! I even remembered to label the backing before I loaded it onto the frame.

Free foundation paper-piecing pattern I designed for the bee can be found in this blog post. More about my process and how this one came together is in this post from January.

Block Lottery: Tulip Time

This is my next installment of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild block lottery. This time we're using the free tutorial by Samelia's Mum to make applique tulips. The pattern is called Tulip Time.

I determined how many blocks I could get out of one width of fabric cut. The answer was six blocks so that's how many I made. I traced the shapes onto my fusible (like Pellon 805 Wonder Under) and cut them out with a little bit of extra room.

The background is light gray to fit with the coordinators request. I was pleasantly surprised to learn each of these shapes will fit onto a 5" charm square. You can even get two of the leaf/stem bits to fit onto a single 5" charm. It was a great time to go through my stack of charms and pick a few to work with.

Remembrance

I've been working on this quilt for what seems like forever. This quilt is a recreation of a family quilt given to my Darling Husband when he was still a small child. That quilt lived on our bed for the first few years of our married life. Even then, it was pretty worn.

I wanted to use the block in combination with a growing stack of 1930s reproduction prints to reacreate the quilt for his sister. This quilt is the result.

This quilt is much larger than the original. That quilt was something appropriate for a twin or a full. This quilt is more appropriate for a queen bed. Of course, that complicated the purchase of white batting, but I found some Quilter's Dream in white at Spring Water Designs.

I wanted the quilting to provide stability but didn't want to do custom quilting. I went with the swirl flower as an all-over motif. Once washed this beauty will be so snuggly!

The piecing is the real star in this quilt.

My accordion-folded binding ready to go. Making binding is a relatively quick project. Something I can fit in on a worknight.

I attached the binding by machine because I want this quilt to be used up, just like its predecessor. I don't think quilts should be put away for a rainy day, or for safe-keeping. I think quilts deserve to be used.

One last close up.

This quilt is number 10 on my Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018 list.

Perkiomen Valley Finish

About a month ago I started this project and shared it in this blog post.

I finally got the quilt loaded on the frame. I tried to fit in a little bit of time each evening to quilt, but that only happened a couple nights. I finished it up over the weekend.

I meandered in the dark colored blocks with brown and did this alternating block treatment in with cream in the light colored blocks.

I used Superior Thread So Fine for the top thread and a matching Omni in the bobbin.

Once it was done, I had to take a picture of the backing. I always match my top and bobbin threads. That means I can sometimes get an interesting effect on the back of the quilt.

Bound and ready for a trip to California.

Directions to make the Perkiomen Valley Block can be found on the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild's blog.

Others bloggers talking about the Thomas Fire and the Quilts from the Ashes project:
From my Carolina Home
QuiltShopGal
Super Buzzy - this site has great info with many more links and has a list of those that have already contributed

Have you made a block or two to help out people touched by hurricanes, floods, fires, or other natural disasters in the last twelve months? Do you have a project that is close to your heart? I would love to hear about it.

2018 Charity Quilt Count: 14

Wednesday Radomness

It seems I've been up to many things but have completed none of them. I cut out a bunch of blocks for the February Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018 project. It isn't ready for prime time, though.

I visited the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Washington, DC. If you're in DC I do recommend it. Just a short walk from the Metro station.  

I painted a rock.  

I continued to make progress on my latest Linus shawl project. (this is a free pattern on Ravelry) 

And I trimmed a few dozen blocks.

I also attended the February meeting of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild. Sadly, I did not win the block lottery. I did pick up the directions for the next mystery quilt which is exciting. I do love a good mystery.

Monday Randomness

Today will be a mixed bag of some of my works in progress (WIPs).

I decided to give the Octavo Fingerless Gloves a try.  Knitting and So On has so many great tutorials for knitting and crochet. Check them out.

I finished the setting triangles for On Ringo Lake. Still plenty to do before this quilt is done. 

I put together the Perkiomen Valley quilt top. I've put the top and the binding in my bag so the next time I stop at a quilt shop I can pick up the backing to finish it. This quilt isn't on the Get It Done UFO Challenge 2018 Edition because I really like to challenge myself by adding quilts during the year. 

I've been working on the Linus Shawl when I have a few minutes.

I finished piecing five more blocks for On Ringo Lake. I think my official count is seven finished blocks.

My friend Melissa started a blog to help her keep track of her embroidery adventure. You should check out I Stabbed My Finger Again to see what she's up to.

What have you been up to? I'd love to hear about it.

Block Lottery: Candy Chains

This year the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild is doing a block lottery. I'm sure you could use your search engine of choice to find the rules for such a thing. I will admit that I like the idea more than I should. It combines learning new blocks with the element of chance thrown in. Not that I need another half-finished project. The block is called QST Candy Chains and there is a free tutorial on the Stash Bee Blog. Even if this block isn't your cup of tea, there are loads of free tutorials for blocks there and I highly recommend you check it out. 

The QST units are made using a tried-and-true method to make the 5" units. This method is great if you are the "make it larger and trim to size" mindset.

After the first block, I pulled together more fabrics and made a couple more. 

When I'd had enough of the pink and orange I added some purple and green. There are solids, prints, and even a hand-dyed.

I used the Wrights 4.5" Easy Angle and the Wrights Companion Angle to make smaller units to downsize the block to 12.5" by 12.5". The original block is a whopping 14" by 14". 

After one last purple block I decided it was time to give up. I packed them all away until the next meeting. I don't know that I'll be throwing all of them into the mix for the lottery, but I did learn about QST unit construction and that I prefer a 12" block to odd sizes.