Sticks & Stones

And now something calm and cool…

I’ve been working with bright and lively scraps and thought it might be time for a change. These traditional arrowhead blocks are perfect for relaxing blue, tan, and cream fabrics.

Designed in EQ8 using dies I have on hand, the blocks are 11” finished. There are so many variations when you take time to experiment. I pieced on Bogart, my wrinkle finish Singer 99.

I used the Janome MC9450 to add serpentine quilting diagonally in both directions, following the design lines. Ecru thread on top and light blue in the bobbin to match the blue swirl backing.

Sticks & Stones is 57” square, such a pretty, peaceful quilt in neutral colors that I finished in July.

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55059 Squares 2½”
55031 Half Square Triangle 4½”

Blue Wren
6274 Chisels 45° 2½” x 6½”

Margarita Monday

Crisp white and fresh green swirl around on this cute little quilt, with a few pops of color in the prints and centers. The glorified nine patch blocks are placed on point.

Quilting makes a statement when you use a bright green thread with a decorative stitch. I followed the curved seams and continued them onto the white setting triangles to make an allover pattern. I added a straight stitch across the centers of the blocks.

It's cool, contemporary, and bright. Margarita Monday is 43” square. I love this old block and have made several quilts with it using both traditional and modern fabric.  This one's definitely scrappy and modern; even the binding is leftover strips. 

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6562 Glorious Nine Patch

Accuquilt
55553 Setting Triangles 10”
55017 Strip 2½”

 

Let Freedom Ring

Let Freedom Ring

I decorate our home with red, white, and blue each year from around Memorial Day through Independence Day. 

Today is Flag Day, a holiday which commemorates the date in 1777 when the Continental Congress of the United States approved the design for its first national flag.

This patriotic quilt uses Friendship Circles die from Australia, a pattern also published here in the early 1930's. I sewed sixteen identical blocks from remnants, and added a 3” border in mixed dots. Tiny red gingham checked fabric is used on backing and binding.

For quilting, I chose a double blanket stitch in white thread to follow some of the curved seams. The centers were stitched using a spiral ruler template.

Let Freedom Ring is 38” finished size, just right for a reversible table topper or wall hanging. I worked up the design in Electric Quilt 8, modifying their Papa's Delight block to match my die.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6301 Friendship Circles 8”

Accuquilt
55017 Strips 2½"
55032 Strips 3½”

Side note: I'm truly happy to be sewing inside a cool house...it's been 95 degrees outside and heat doesn't agree with me any more. Our cooling system had a malfunction, but my handy husband fixed it right up. FedEx isn't delivering the needed part in a timely manner (Texas to Nashville to Kansas !?! and who knows where next), so it's a good thing he knows how to improvise. A keeper, he is.

Cool Lagoon

This week's quilt is a big one...queen size for our bedroom. I chose fabrics in cool aqua textures, crisp white tone on tone, and a taupe and white print. I experimented with a couple of layouts in EQ8 software before finalizing the design.

Accuquilt's flowering snowball die made cutting and sewing the curves nearly effortless, but it still took a day to cut all the pieces for 64 twelve inch blocks. Large quilts aren't done overnight, so I set aside time each day to stitch a few blocks. 

Though patience is not usually one of my virtues, I enjoyed the process of working on this one. I used wide flannel for batting so it wouldn't be so heavy, then backed it with a white on cream circle print. White thread for quilting in a straight stitch made nice 2” squares in the aqua center sections. An uncomplicated quilting design made it easier to handle this big quilt on my Janome MC9400 home sewing machine. Cool Lagoon is 97” square.

I added a pillow made from my test block, and still need to finish reversible shams, one side in aqua and the other in the cream/white circles. 

A restful summery beach theme was my goal and I love the result. Taupe walls and sandy colored carpet in our bedroom give me the ability to change the look easily by using different colored bedding. 

Decorating with quilts is versatile because their designs can either be the focal point or just compliment other décor. To me, they make a house feel like home.

The ultimate luxury

is being able to

relax and enjoy

your home.

~Jeff Lincoln