Fowl Play

It's officially fall in Tennessee, and boy do I love the matching weather. Cool mornings, warm afternoons, and lower humidity make the days just right for open windows.

In keeping with the autumn theme, here's my latest quilt. I took elements from Blue Wren's Turkey Tracks die to play with an old block design. The main print is a cream with orange, gold, terra cotta, and navy flowers. I pulled various fabric in those colors to make up the 8” blocks and used terra cotta for sashing.

Fowl Play seemed like a fun name for this 42” x 52” quilt. I quilted vertically with dark melon thread using a serpentine stitch 2” apart. I used the same terra cotta fabric for backing and binding.

Fowl Play

Over the past two weeks, I've had three quilts going at the same time. Having Annie, my Featherweight, set up for piecing allows me to keep Janelle (Janome) free for quilting. I really prefer to work on one at a time to keep my room neater. But the ideas kept coming and I just had to get started.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6664 Turkey Tracks
Accuquilt 55017 Strip 2½”

You can't go wrong with colors from nature 

It's Magical

Nine patch blocks are quick, easy, and versatile. So many different looks can be achieved by varying color placement and layout. I chose purple, amethyst, and teal colors from the beautiful star print fabric, adding natural muslin for contrast.

Layout was done in EQ8 for this 44” square quilt called It's Magical. I used the Creative Grids Elvira ruler to quilt a curvy allover design with cream thread. I really love the result!

Accuquilt dies used:
55018 Small Value die (4½” square)
55047 Quarter Square Triangle 4½”
55031 Half Square Triangle 4½”
55054 Strips 4½”
55017 Strip 2½”

Life is full of
magical moments

Breezy Evening

The last few nights around here were refreshingly cool and less humid. We had windows open with a fan circulating a breeze. Lovely weather!

For this quilt, I cut black, blue and cream batik into parallelograms, paired with light blue triangles and rectangles, and arranged them into mosaic blocks. I laid out the simple but striking design in EQ8, using the batik again for rotary cut 5” borders. Breezy Evening is 51” square.

I quilted free motion with dark gray thread in an overall meandering pattern. I switched to a satin stitch to make a square in each block center.

Now our weather is changing back to hot and humid...it is Tennessee, you know...so windows are closed and the AC is running. That's ok, my plan is to sew and clean all week.

Accuquilt dies used:

55797 Qube Mix & Match 10” Block

55017 Strip 2½”

Take time to delight in cool fall evenings 

Hearth & Home

I've been sewing up a storm the past few weeks. Annie is running smoothly and stitching perfectly. This quilt is the first that I've pieced on her and I don't know why I didn't get a Featherweight before now.

The vintage look of chimney sweep blocks in these rich colors says autumn is near. Green, coral, wine and teal prints are lovely with tan and black accents. 

Hearth & Home is 42” x 52” size. I added the strip border and quilted a 2” straight stitch grid in light gold thread. I did the quilting with my Janome since she has a larger sewing area.

I'm happy to have choices of several machines to do my sewing. Annie (Singer 221) is my new favorite for piecing, with Rockette (Singer 500A) close behind. Janelle (Janome MC9450) has the electronics and wide bed for quilting, with automatic threading and cutting a huge bonus. I try to use them often enough so that they stay in good shape. After all, I sew nearly every day.

Accuquilt dies used:
55222 Chimney Sweep BOB 10” finished
55017 Strip 2½”