Forest Path

Things are beginning to green up around here, as my mama used to say. Springtime brings nature's mix of colors and hues to inspire me. I used a variety of those dark and medium green shades in this modern style hexagon quilt.

It went together easily using half-hexagon and equilateral triangle dies. I laid the sections out on my design wall before sewing them together in rows.

Quilting was done with a straight stitch 1” away from each seam, using variegated green thread and a walking foot. The even stitching really emphasizes the hexagon and triangle shapes.  

Forest Path finished out at 52” x 56” throw size, and is folded nicely on my hallway quilt rack. This one is definitely a keeper!

Accuquilt dies used:

55437 Half-hexagon 4¼” finished
55429 Equilateral Triangle 4¼” finished
55017 Strips 2½” binding

Home Improvement

Well, there's no new quilt this week! I got distracted by a home improvement project that I've wanted to tackle for a while.

My laundry room had an old plastic laundry sink that was functional but kinda ugly. I had disguised it with a fabric skirt in 2017 but it was still not exactly what I had in mind.  Time for a change! 

Before

Last week we ordered a new vanity, sink, and faucet. Our installation took 2 days, since the cabinet had to be assembled and I painted the wall after we removed the corrugated tin backsplash and old sink.

The two of us are pretty handy around the house and have done many DIY projects together. This one went fairly smoothly, with only one extra trip to Ace Hardware for supplies. Luckily, basic plumbing is a skill I acquired early on, since that was my daddy's profession.

New Vanity 2024

We changed the handles on the overhead cabinets to match those on the vanity. I'm considering painting them white, but I sure hate to paint over the alder wood since it's in great shape. We'll see. 

Now that we're done, naturally I see more things to update in other rooms.  I guess there may be fewer quilts finished this year, but we'll be having fun redecorating our nest.

 

Amelia

Amelia

I've been staying inside and cool during this Tennessee heat wave. It's the perfect excuse to retreat to my sewing room, especially since I got to play with my new Blue Wren dies.

The block name is Propeller, a vintage design from the late 1930's that was published in the Kansas City Star under the name Air Ship Propeller.  I used EQ8 and BlockBase to lay out the quilt and experiment with color ideas. 

For my modern version, I chose summery fabric in hot pink checks and stripes, with a touch of yellow and a background of pale pink.

The curves sewed up nicely as long as I maintained a consistent ¼” seam. The yellow center piece is machine appliqued on with light yellow thread after finishing the block.

After assembling the quilt, I stitched on the block seams using baby pink thread and a serpentine design. Then I changed to straight stitch to sew across each propeller blade.

Amelia finished at 50” square, nice for a picnic once it cools down a bit. I'm too old and delicate to eat outside when it's 94 degrees with a heat index of 109!

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6924 Propeller 10”
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2½” binding

 

Wine Country

Here's another lap quilt made with a busy print fabric in grape, tan, and green. The overall design is almost modern, even though the material has a vintage country vibe with little star blocks.

Solid olive green makes the triangles stand out next to the signature shapes. I normally don't sew two fabric quilts, so I forgot how relaxing they can be. No worries about color placement, just merrily stitching along.

I sewed the blocks on Black Betty, our restored Singer 201. She's a sweet quiet machine that makes such pretty seams. 

For quilting, I switched to the Janome for her walking foot accuracy. I sewed straight stitches in green thread, following the zig-zag lines. Wine Country finished at 48" square. Quick, easy, and done! I celebrated with a glass of sangria. 

By the way, leap day is this Thursday. What will you do with your extra day? Here's a link to a previous blog post for some fun ideas to celebrate!  

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6656 X-Quisite 6” finished
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2½” binding

Sewing and wine

make me happy

Spicy Autumn Curves

Soothing fall colors give this quilt a relaxed, cozy look. Doesn't it make you crave a cup of spiced tea or hot chocolate?

Mixed prints in gold, brown, coral, tan, cinnamon, black and cream blend beautifully in this half ring pattern. Some fabrics were from a collection of 10” precuts, others came from my stash remnants. After sewing and arranging the 8” blocks, I added borders made up of 4” x 8” rectangles.

Quilting with medium beige thread and a gentle wave ruler, I created an allover grid that looks similar to netting. Spicy Autumn Curves finished at 56” square. I believe I'll keep this one for myself. 

Spicy Autumn Curves

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6858 Charming Rings 8" finished

Accuquilt
55160 Rectangle 4½” x 8½”
55017 Strips 2½”

Citrus Twist

Citrus Twist

How's this for a bright summer quilt? Lime, lemon, orange and pink grapefruit dots and blenders zing against the light gray micro dot background.

It's my version of Electric Slide quilt by Corinne Sovey, that I saw in a recent issue of Make Modern magazine. I adapted it to use Accuquilt and Blue Wren dies for cutting.

A large wild zig-zag print in yellow, orange and green, bordered with green/white dots made the perfect backing. I quilted with yellow thread in a meandering free motion pattern all across the quilt.

I nearly needed sunglasses while working on this one. Citrus Twist is 51” square.

Thanks for your nice comments on Facebook last week about Bogie, our 1942 Singer 99 Wrinkle machine. We just finished with the 1954 Singer 99K and she's a beauty. You'll see her very soon.

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55039 Chisels 3½” x 6½”
55005 Rectangles 3½” x 6½”
55009 Half Square Triangles 3½”
Blue Wren
6015 Strips 1½” 

Improv

Improv, Useful Remnants 2023

Yep, I've been experimenting again. My favorite combination of white with brightly colored remnants always makes a fun modern quilt.

This time I combined two dies to create large unequal nine-patch blocks. I mixed the skinny signature die with elements of the churn dash BOB die for a lattice-like block. It is also similar to the 1920/1930's linoleum block. I did all piecing with Laney, my Singer 301.

Quilting is simple straight stitch with white thread along seam lines, plus diagonal serpentine stitching across the signatures. Improv finished at 61” square, and features orange and white dotted backing/binding.

Puzzling out new ways to combine dies is a creative way to keep my brain active, and I am rarely bored. I could sew all day every day and never be finished.

Accuquilt dies used:
55356 Signature 4½” finished
55339 Churn Dash BOB 12” finished block
55017 Strip 2½”

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”

 

Cappuccino Blues

This yummy quilt features creamy vanilla, rich brown, clear blue and navy prints. The design may be simple but it spotlights the fabrics so well. 

Each Economy block is sashed with cream and caramel swirls, which is also used for backing and binding.

All the piecing was done using Laney, my custom painted Singer 301. I quilted on the Janome with ecru thread, stitching an allover loopy design using a circle ruler.

Cappuccino Blues is 53” square. It certainly makes me want to snuggle up with a hot beverage and listen to soft blues.

I love sewing vintage blocks. This one was popular in the 1930's, and is still seen often today. Depending on fabric choices, it can look modern or traditional. I think Granny Hill and Granny Rose would both approve.

Accuquilt dies used:
55106 Square on point 3 11/16”
55147 Half square triangle 2¼”
55398 Quarter square triangle 4½”
55017 Strip 2½”

Great Granny

Great Granny

If you want a quick and easy quilt, try this large granny square design. The 6” finished squares are set on point with 6” half square triangles around the edges.

Bright lime and turquoise blenders alternate with coordinating stripes and dots for a modern look to a vintage style.  I laid them out on my design wall before sewing them together in diagonal rows. 

For quilting, I decided to experiment with an allover pattern using a new circle ruler. White thread shows off the loopy circles aligned diagonally.

Great Granny finished at 43” square, but it would be simple to add more rows for a larger throw or bed quilt. 

Accuquilt dies used:
55000 Square 6½”
55001 Half Square Triangle 6½”
55017 Strip 2½”

 

Kokopelli

Tribal and southwest fabrics combined with neutral prints make a striking modern quilt. 

Large 9” triangles were created in black, brown, gray, tan, and cream colors using half hexagons and equilateral triangles.

I added a narrow black border, then framed with 4” strips. Quilting in dark gray thread in a straight stitch, I made two rows along each seam of the triangle side edges. I changed to a scallop stitch along the outer borders.

Backing and binding are a dark gray and cream swirl print. Kokopelli is 62” square. It's been on my list for a while, and was so fun to create.

Accuquilt dies:
55429 Equilateral Triangle 4¼”
55437 Half Hexagon 4½”
55054 Strips 4½”
55017 Strips 2½”

Blue Wren 6015 Strips 1½” 

Corner Bar

Modern and colorful, today's quilt features bright scraps paired with crisp white muslin. This classic nine-patch was fun and easy to make.

I used the square and stem sections of the Maple Leaf die to construct 8” blocks. They are arranged on point with 1” sashing between, and setting triangles for sides and corners. I used EQ8 to preview color placement, then laid out the blocks on my design wall as I sewed them.

Corner Bar is 54” square. I quilted with white polyester embroidery thread to add some shine to the stitching. I used a walking foot to create random square and rectangular patterns across the whole quilt. Gray and white stripes for the binding finish it off nicely.

I'll make this one again, perhaps in pastels or a monochrome scheme. Oh, the possibilities!

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55195 Maple Leaf BOB 8” finished
55553 Setting Triangles 10”
55017 Strip 2½”
Blue Wren
6015 1½” strips (sashing)

Dancing Queen

Hot pink paisley batik, little lime green flowers, and bright teal are striking surrounded by white and black. Those stars just about dance off the quilt.

A Laura Wheeler block, originally called Gay Patches, was clipped from the Nashville Tennessean by Granny Rose. I found it in one of her sewing boxes, pinned to paper templates of the pieces, no date or instructions. I made a quilt in soft fall colors with it a couple of years ago.  Here's a link to that post.  

This time, I started by making a nine-patch star in a smaller size, then set it on point and added the corners. I enjoyed using Rockette (1962 Singer 500A) for piecing. Fabric on the back is a wild hot pink and white herringbone print, and binding repeats the hot pink paisley. I used white thread to quilt 2” apart in a straight stitch, on Janelle, a 2016 Janome MC9450.

Dancing Queen (Gay Patches block) 2022

The colors and paisley remind me of ABBA in the 70's. Dancing Queen measures 43” x 56” size. How cool to use an early pattern, vintage and new style fabric, old and new machines to recreate another Granny Rose quilt. I'm pretty sure she'd love cutting now with modern dies instead of scissors.

Accuquilt dies used:
55006 Square 3” finished
55027 Triangle in Square 3” finished
55735 Chisel 2¼” x 4½”
55395 Square 2¼”
55147 Half Square Triangle 2¼”
55017 Strip 2½”

Dancing queen

Feel the beat 

from the tambourine, 

oh yeah!

Festive Flair

I can't believe it's December! I've just finished decorating for Christmas with simple touches in each room. Nothing fancy, mostly quilts mixed in with our favorite holiday items.

This new quilt is a modern design using red, teal and pale gray colors. The alternating 8” blocks, four-patch and mill wheel, have been around for a long time. I think the same layout done with scraps and white would look more traditional, so I may try that later.

Quick and easy to sew, Festive Flair is 48” square. I quilted in rows 2” apart with light gray thread. Backing is a red on red print. I used the teal squiggle print for binding.

More Christmas quilting is underway, so check back next Monday for additional bits of holiday cheer.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6865 Mill Wheel 8” finished
Accuquilt
55018 Value die Square 4” finished
55059 Square 2½” multiple
55017 Strip 2½”

Relish every moment

 

Tangerine Splash

I've done an about face from last week's traditional fabric. Bright crisp colors of tangerine and blue make this week's quilt sparkle. The block, though, is a another vintage design called Patience Corners.

Here's the clipping that gave me inspiration, found in Granny Rose's collection. I love her notes in the margins! She had it pinned to pattern templates cut out of a paper sack.

I didn't cut mine with scissors, thank goodness. Accuquilt's parallelogram and flying geese dies made quick work of cutting out and sewing the 12” blocks. It's interesting to experiment with different shapes to see how they go together. High school geometry came in handy after all.

Tangerine Splash - KatieScarlett Designs

Tangerine Splash is a great summer quilt, finishing out at 49” square. I quilted with medium blue thread in straight stitch, spacing the lines 1 1/2” apart.

Accuquilt dies used:
55004 Parallelogram
55456 Flying Geese 3 ½” x 6 ½”
55017 Strip 2½”

Spend more time watching sunsets

and less time on your phone

 

Timepieces

Timepieces

Neutral colors of gray and tan with combined with black create great contrast for this modern style quilt.

Eight inch quarter circle blocks make for quick work at the sewing machine. I used 24 of them to create six large 16” blocks. After adding a mitered border in classy black and cream stripes, 40” x 56” is the final size. The circles in this configuration remind me of clocks, so I named it Timepieces.

Using variegated black and tan thread, I sewed in a straight stitch, four rows through the block centers and twice around the outer circles. A scallop stitch on the border makes a nice frame.

I ordered three new dies from Blue Wren in Australia around mid September; they arrived in just over 3 weeks. This one, Charming Rings, is absolutely amazing. It's perfect to cut from 10” squares and the curved, notched seams are so easy to stitch. 

The quarter circles can be arranged in many ways and could be combined with other 8” blocks for variety.

You can be sure I'll have more quilts from the other two dies very soon!  

Dies used:

Blue Wren
6858 Charming Rings 8”

Accuquilt
55017 2½” strip

Time is free,

but it's priceless.

You can't own it,

but you can use it.

You can't keep it,

but you can spend it.

Once you've lost it,

you can never get it back.

Harvey Mackay

 

Peaceful Stacks

Last week vintage, this week modern! 

I like to switch between styles because it keeps my ideas fresh. Variety stimulates and challenges my creative brain.  At least, that's my best theory...could be that I'm just spastic and can't stay focused.  

Half hexagons fit together easily with two triangles to form rows. Quick to cut and sew, Peaceful Stacks is 34” x 39” finished size. Cool ocean colors of blue-gray batiks and dots are combined with an aqua chambray background.  I quilted with aqua thread in a decorative stitch across the horizontal seams, adding a straight stitch between rows.  

Accuquilt dies used: 55437 half hexagon and 55429 equilateral triangle

Dream

in colors

borrowed

from the sea